The Boston Red Sox Sunday, April 22, 2018

Transcription

1 * The Boston Globe The Boston Red Sox Sunday, April 22, 2018 One way to cool off Red Sox: Sean Manaea tosses no-hitter in A s win Nick Cafardo OAKLAND, Calif. Oakland Athletics lefthander Sean Manaea threw a no-hitter Saturday night, nothing will ever change that. But the Red Sox weren t entirely convinced. A decision by the official scorer in the fifth inning and a reversed call by the umpires in the sixth benefited Manaea. He took care of history from there, shutting down the best team in baseball for a 3-0 victory. Honestly, it still doesn t feel real, Manaea said. Even after the last out I couldn t even imagine throwing a no-hitter in the big leagues, especially against a team like the Red Sox. The Sox, who had scored runs in bunches en route to a 17-2 start, were left arguing for an infield hit. Manaea didn t give them much else as he stuck out 10 and got 13 other outs on the ground or on popups. Give him credit, man, Sox manager Alex Cora said. Great job. Manaea s gem came one day shy of the 25th anniversary of the last time the Red Sox were no-hit. That was April 22, 1993, when Chris Bosio of the Seattle Mariners walked the first two batters then retired 27 in a row. Oakland manager Bob Melvin was on the Red Sox roster for that game but did not play. The only team to have gone longer without being no-hit is Oakland. That last happened in The Red Sox had scored 34 runs in the first four games of their road trip, but they advanced only one runner beyond first base. We re human, said Chris Sale, who pitched well, but took the loss. We haven t been acting like that for very long. When it s someone s night, it s their night. Manaea had really good stuff and was spot-on the whole night. The ninth inning was tense. My heart was beating out of my chest, Manaea said. After pinch hitter Blake Swihart grounded to shortstop, Mookie Betts hit a ball deep to right field that was caught on the warning track. Andrew Benintendi, who lost a hit on a controversial call in the sixth inning, fell behind in the count then drew a walk. Hanley Ramirez had a chance, but grounded sharply to second and Marcus Semien flipped the ball to second to end the game. Melvin, worried about losing the game, was about to get a reliever warming up. The crowd of 25,746, which included many Red Sox fans, roared when it ended. It was the 12th no-hitter in Athletics history, the first since Dallas Braden s perfect game against Tampa Bay in Braden, who now works for the Athletics, was at the game, which lasted only 2 hours and 16 minutes.

2 Betts drew a walk to start the game for the Sox. Benintendi then grounded into a force at second base before Manaea struck out Ramirez and J.D. Martinez. The Sox did not put another runner on base until the fifth inning, when Sandy Leon reached on what was called an error. With two outs, Leon hit a changeup to shallow left field. With his back to the plate, Semien tried to make the catch and the ball ticked off his glove. It was ruled an error by official scorer Art Santo Domingo. Leon advanced to second on a wild pitch, but Jackie Bradley Jr. struck out to end the inning. Manaea assumed Leon had been awarded a hit and didn t realize the no-hitter was intact until the eighth inning. I didn t think it was a no-hitter, he said. I looked up [at the scoreboard] and saw the zero. Related: Which pitchers have thrown no-hitters against the Red Sox? There was another questionable call with two outs in the sixth inning. Benintendi took a full swing at a fastball that produced a groundball to the right side. First baseman Matt Olson lunged at Benintendi, who evaded the tag and slid into first base. Home plate umpire Hunter Wendelstedt called Benintendi safe. Then the umpires huddled and called Benintendi out for going outside the base line. When a fielder fields a ball and he attempts to tag a runner, the runner can go forward to the base or back to the base, but can t go side-to-side, crew chief Brian Gorman told a pool reporter. He has 3 feet either way. So if he goes more than 3 feet avoiding the tag he s declared out for being out of his baseline. Cora protested at length, as did Benintendi. But the play was not reviewable. I ve never seen that call before. That s kind of suspect in that situation, Benintendi said. It s a bigleague hit and they don t grow on trees... I think if we have 10 hits at that point, that s a single. But the situation the game was in, they might have been searching for something and they found it. Benintendi rarely shows emotion on the field, but he argued his case for several minutes. Manaea used his changeup effectively, particularly against lefthanded hitters. Cora felt it was the first time this season the Sox expanded the strike zone and chased pitches. He was effectively wild, Benintendi said. Sale (1-1) allowed three runs on six hits over seven innings. He struck out 10 with one walk. Five of Oakland s hits were for extra bases. Semien scored all three runs for Oakland. He walked in the first inning and scored on a double by Jed Lowrie. Semien singled in the third inning and came around on a double to the gap in right by Stephen Piscotty. Semien then homered to left field in the fifth inning, his second of the season. He had been 0 for 6 in his career against Sale. For all the offense the Red Sox have produced this season, they have scored four or fewer runs in four of Sale s five starts. A look at the no-hitters pitched against the Red Sox: Date Pitcher, team Score April 21, 2018 Sean Manaea, Oakland 3-0 April 22, 1993 Chris Bosio, Seattle 7-0 July 4, 1983 Dave Righetti, New York 4-0

3 April 27, 1968 Tom Phoebus, Baltimore 6-0 July 20, 1958 Jim Bunning, Detroit 3-0 Sept. 28, 1951 Allie Reynolds, New York 8-0 Aug. 8, 1931 Robert Burke, Washington 5-0 Aug. 21, 1926 Ted Lyons, Chicago 6-0 July 1, 1920 Walter Johnson, Washington 1-0 April 24, 1917 George Mogridge, New York 2-1 Aug. 27, 1911 Ed Walsh, Chicago 5-0 Sept. 18, 1908 Robert Rhoads, Cleveland 2-1 Blake Swihart patiently waiting for chance to contribute Peter Abraham OAKLAND, Calif. There s no reason to feel sorry for Blake Swihart. He ll make $563,500 this season to play baseball, even though he has yet to actually play much for the Red Sox. It s a good lifestyle with plenty of perks and five-star hotels on the road. Given the alternatives he s all too familiar with including being too injured to play Swihart is doing just fine, thanks. I could be in a classroom in college, he said. I d rather be here. Swihart is out of minor league options, so the only way the Sox can retain him is by keeping him on the major league roster. Taking Swihart off the roster would expose him to waivers and it s almost certain he would be claimed. So the 26-year-old is stuck. He s the third catcher behind Christian Vazquez and Sandy Leon and available to play first base, third base, left field, and maybe second base. Related: A closer look at Sean Manaea Saturday night in Oakland, Swihart came off the bench to hit for Tzu-Wei Lin to lead off the ninth against Sean Manaea. Swihart grounded to short. Two outs later, Manaea had his no-hitter and a 3-0 victory. Swihart is 3 for 13 and has played 10 innings in the field. He was 1 for 3 with a walk as the designated hitter at Tampa Bay on April 1 and has since come off the bench. It s not that I ve been in that situation before, but I know how tough it is, manager Alex Cora said. Sometimes there are guys, they can suck the air out of that clubhouse because of their situation. But he s the other way around. He s catching bullpens; he s taking ground balls at second; he s showing up early. You ve got to give him credit because it s not easy. I m the first one to admit that. Then again, what choice does Swihart have? The Red Sox have the best record in baseball, so agitating for more playing time would be foolish. The way we re playing is amazing, he said. I m part of that team and my job is to be ready for that time comes when they need me. It s easy to suggest the Red Sox should trade Swihart and perhaps that will happen at some point. But dealing away a backup catcher is a risk given the injuries that come with playing that position. If Vazquez or Leon were to be lost, the only catcher in the organization is Dan Butler, who played in seven games at the end of the 2014 season.

4 It s wait and see, Swihart said. I feel comfortable catching and in the outfield. I feel like I can play in the infield but I can only take so many grounders. We ll see. Swihart, a switch-hitter, takes swings from both sides of the plate every day to stay sharp. He also hits off a pitching machine in the cage to face game-like velocity. That keeps me ready, Swihart said. Related: For A s Bob Melvin, it s nice being on right side of no-hitter This is all new. From Little League on up, Swihart was a star player who only came out of the lineup to rest. The Sox took him with the 26th overall pick of the 2011 draft and he was in the majors to start the 2015 season. He started 78 games as a rookie and had a bright future. A severe ankle injury in 2016 pushed Swihart to the side for the better part of two seasons. He s healthy now, but the Sox have since committed to Vazquez and Leon. I m still playing a game for a living. This is my job. I try and look on the bright side, Swihart said. There are a lot of what-ifs but this is where I am now. On Cora s side, he has to do what is right for the team. As much as he wants to find opportunities for Swihart, winning has to be the focus. Trust me, I m trying. I m looking, said Cora, who hinted that Swihart could start Sunday. But there are other players who need their at-bats, too. I m fighting with the situation but it s not like we re feeling sorry. He s part of the group and he s important. He knows how the game goes and that he has to stay ready. He s playing for the Boston Red Sox and he s part of this team. Bogaerts ready to go Xander Bogaerts is scheduled to start a rehabilitation assignment with Triple A Pawtucket on Tuesday and play two games. The PawSox play Toledo at McCoy Stadium both days. The plan is for Bogaerts to play twice, take Thursday off, and be activated on Friday. He has been on the disabled list since April 9 with a cracked bone in his left foot. Bogaerts ran the bases on Saturday and felt fine physically. But all sides agree he needs the rehab games before returning to the majors. Talking to him, he feels good running, Cora said. Defensively the thing that worries him is changing direction, going full blast in [to field a ball] or turning double plays. He needs the repetitions, more defensively than offensively. For me, it was music to my ears. Related: Which pitchers have thrown no-hitters against the Red Sox? Rotation switch Chris Sale, who started Saturday, will stay on turn and face the Blue Jays in Toronto on Thursday. Drew Pomeranz was pushed back to Friday s game against Tampa Bay. Pomeranz came off the disabled list on Saturday to make his first start of the season and lasted only 3⅔ innings. His fastball velocity, an average of only 88 miles per hour, was a concern and the Sox feel Pomeranz will benefit from the extra days off. It ll be good for him, Cora said.

5 Related: After rocky start, Red Sox bullpen has dominated Wright s next step Steven Wright left his rehab start with Pawtucket in the third inning on Friday. He will remain with the PawSox, but when he makes his next start is uncertain. He didn t feel right the whole outing, Cora said. The Sox have the option to stop Wright s rehab assignment if his back doesn t improve. The righthander is on the disabled list recovering from knee surgery... Righthanded reliever Tyler Thornburg, who has been pitching in extended spring training, will rejoin the Sox during the next homestand and is likely to throw live batting practice... Lefthanded reliever Bobby Poyner pitched a scoreless inning for Pawtucket. He struck out one and threw 10 pitches. Poyner has pitched in two minor league games since going on the DL with a left hamstring strain. The Sox haven t decided on his next step. For A s Bob Melvin, it s nice being on right side of no-hitter Nick Cafardo OAKLAND Bob Melvin was a catcher on the Red Sox team that was no-hit by Chris Bosio at the Kingdome in Seattle on April 22, 1993, 25 years ago Sunday. All these years later, Melvin, now the A s manager, watched Saturday as his talented young lefty Sean Manaea, who is 26 years old, no-hit the hottest offensive team in baseball, the Red Sox, 3-0. A s players spilled on to the field as if they d just won the World Series. The crowd was in shock at what they had just witnessed. Melvin said he never looked at Manaea after the sixth inning so he wouldn t jinx him. And he sure didn t. Melvin said he didn t even want to get anyone up in the bullpen in the ninth after Andrew Benintendi reached on a walk and Hanley Ramirez was coming up. But he got Blake Treinen up, and then said, I m so glad we didn t have to use him. When Manaea retired Ramirez for the final out, the tumult in the A s dugout crashed onto the field. Related: A closer look at Sean Manaea Manaea said he last pitched a no-hitter when he was 14 years old, a five-inning one. He said he didn t realize he was throwing a no-hitter Saturday night until about the eighth inning, when he noticed there were no hits on the scoreboard. He thought an error by Marcus Semien on a popup in the fifth inning was a hit. Manaea was also aided by a call by the umpires, who ruled Benintendi was out of the baseline on a slow roller to first in the sixth inning. It happened because a dive by 6-foot-6-inch first baseman Matt Olson pushed him that way. Benintendi was first called safe and then the umpires huddled after catcher Jonathan Lucroy and then Melvin pointed out that Benintendi was running on the grass to the dugout side of first. It was a fun to see a no-hitter again. I was there in Seattle 25 years ago when Bosio threw 97 near-perfect pitches on three days rest and recorded 27 consecutive straight outs after he had walked the first two batters of the game. He never threw a pitch over 89 miles per hour. Prior to that, Dave Righetti had no-hit the Sox on July 4, Manaea was throwing 96 m.p.h. and just mesmerizing Sox hitters, who simply couldn t get many good swings. Prior to the eighth, didn t he notice that Melvin and teammates were staying away from him? I noticed it but I just thought it was a well-pitched game and I just didn t think about it, he said.

6 Did he ask about all zeroes on the scoreboard? No, I just trusted the scoreboard, Manaea said. Related: Which pitchers have thrown no-hitters against the Red Sox? The lefty was still in disbelief at what he d done afterward. It still doesn t feel real, Manaea said. I can t imagine throwing a no-hitter in the big leagues, especially against a team like the Red Sox. He s been keeping a daily journal and talking to his coaches and teammates more about the game. The first couple of years, I was just happy to be up here and be part of the team hoping I d do well, he said. But I just needed to be more prepared, writing stuff down, [and] talking to people has made such a big difference, Manaea said. By the ninth, Manaea said, I was pumped up, adrenaline doing its thing. I just wanted to throw strikes in the later innings, he said. Lucroy said, I ve caught a lot of great pitchers but that was the best-pitched and most prepared-pitched game I ve ever seen. We were giving them different looks. I do a lot of video and studying; I know everything about them [the Red Sox], but if the guy on the mound isn t doing what you re asking them to, it doesn t matter. That s one of the best offenses in the league and Sean no-hit them. Watching their swings, they weren t very comfortable. Melvin realized something special was happening after the sixth inning. He realized that everything Manaea threw up there was working. Related: After rocky start, Red Sox bullpen has dominated He tried to prove the point coming into this year that he s a top of the rotation guy. He s doing things differently, Melvin said. He s throwing 96 miles per hour, but it s different because his location is so much better and has so much deception with his delivery. Melvin said it probably meant more to beat the Red Sox because these guys don t lose. Everybody seems to be hitting over.330. It probably adds something special to it. He showed some emotion after the eighth. He usually doesn t show emotion. After he got the last out of eight he could smell it. It smelled like roses. Melvin understood the feeling from the other side of things 25 years earlier. He much preferred this feeling, and ironically it came against the Red Sox. * The Boston Herald From sizzling to silent: Red Sox no-hit by Oakland's Sean Manaea Stephen Hewitt OAKLAND, Calif. Entering Saturday night, Sean Manaea had a ERA against the Red Sox in three starts, punctuated by a pair of disastrous outings at Fenway Park. The Red Sox had the best offense in baseball, eight consecutive wins -- outscoring their opponents 34-6 in the last four to reach 17-2 for the year -- and ace Chris Sale on the mound. In other words, it was a good bet the hottest team in baseball would push its winning streak to nine.

7 Manaea no-hit them instead. Some things about this Red Sox season just don't make sense. At long last, the bats cooled down, albeit in spectacular fashion. They simply could not solve Manaea, who won 3-0 at the Coliseum and made his first career complete game the first no-hitter thrown against the Red Sox since April 22, 1993, when the Mariners' Chris Bosio did it at the Kingdome. "We re human," Sale said. "Haven t been acting like that for very long, but hey, when it s someone s night, it s their night." Manaea mixed up his pitch selection to keep the Red Sox off-balance, and they were consistently fooled. The left-hander had 10 strikeouts, two more than he had in his previous three starts against the Red Sox combined. Sox batters combined for 15 swings and misses as Manaea had his changeup and slider working effectively. Alex Cora said Manaea's usual approach, at least to lefties, was to go fastball in, slider away. Last night, the changeups caught his hitters off guard and kept them guessing. "He started throwing changeups, a lot better than last year that I remember," Cora said. "Better location, less velocity. He actually pitched today. Last year, he was throwing the ball. He was just a thrower. "I think we barreled three balls. (Eduardo) Nunez hit the ball hard twice and then Mookie (Betts) the last one, but it was his night. He was amazing." It wasn't without controversy, however. With two outs in the sixth inning, Andrew Benintendi hit a soft dribbler down the first-base line. A's first baseman Matt Olson scooped it up and dove to try and make the tag, but Benintendi evaded it, stepping slightly out of the base path. Benintendi was initially ruled safe, but then the umpires met to discuss a play that's not reviewable by rule. They eventually decided Benintendi went more than three feet to the side to avoid the tag, and ruled him out. Benintendi was clearly upset with the call. "They said I was out of the baseline," he said. "I don't know. I've never seen that call before. It's kind of suspect in that situation. It just sucks. It's a big-league hit. They don't grow on trees. "I've never seen that call before. I think if we have 10 hits at that point, it's a single. But I mean, the situation that the game was in, they might have been searching for something and they found it." Speaking to a pool reporter, crew chief Brian Gorman explained the umpires' reasoning. "When a fielder fields a ball and he attempts to tag a runner, the runner can go forward to the base or back to the base, but can't go side-to-side," Gorman said. "He has three feet either way. So if he goes more than three feet avoiding the tag he's declared out for being out of his baseline." There was another close call an inning earlier. Sandy Leon blooped a ball to short center that shortstop Marcus Semien dropped well into the outfield. It was a tough, but makeable play, and it was ruled an error. Sale's outing was decent, but wasn't up to his standards. He went seven innings and struck out 10, but gave up three runs on a pair of RBI doubles and a homer to Semien. Still, given how the offense has performed this season, and especially this week, it didn't seem like much to overcome. That is, until Manaea pitched the game of his life.

8 "I walked off the mound in the first inning, obviously you don t want to give up the lead, but pretty confident, and rightfully so," Sale said. "We re the best lineup in the league. We have all the confidence in the world. Stuff s gonna happen. "You have to tip your cap to him. When it s your night it s your night, and there s nothing that s going to get in the way of that." Takeaways from the torrid start for Red Sox Michael Silverman Nearly a month into this most intriguing of seasons, the Red Sox have almost made a mockery of good first impressions. They hit for power, they score runs, they play good defense, they get quality starts, they like each other, they are likable and they have scrubbed losses from their vocabulary. The start to their 2018 season has been fantastic, so while remembering to give them full credit, let s also try to gain a better understanding of what the first-eighth of a season has taught us. What We Know: Alex Cora is the right manager for this team In general, managers catch far too much blame for when things go sour, just as they need to step into the background when things are going right. Still, it s important to single out Cora for instilling an atmosphere that s conducive to winning and impossible to miss. He s subtle about it. Laid-back and hard to get a rise out of in the dugout, during batting practice or while engaging with the media, don t mistake Cora s demeanor for someone just lucky enough to be along for the ride. He has a hawk-like attention to detail and a consistent on-point message that demands excellence while he exudes unwavering faith and confidence that his players will play with or eventually reach their full potential. He inherited a good team, but with the addition of J.D. Martinez and health to a few key regulars, Cora has made it better. I m in a good place, you know? I know how good they are, but it s just something about them. They make you feel confident, said Cora. You show up every day to work, I enjoy it, I m having a blast with them. Not only in the dugout, but in the clubhouse. It s fun. It s fun to be around them. It s a good group and we re growing together, we re learning together and you know, we re going to keep getting better. Still a question: How good is this bullpen? Craig Kimbrel is as good a closer as any team can ask for, but the rest of the bullpen gang has yet to be judged. The Red Sox placed a bet that the return of Carson Smith and eventual return of Tyler Thornburg would be enough to keep the bullpen fresh and effective deep into the season. Part of the calculus was that a healthy rotation and revived lineup would place the relievers in fewer high-leverage situations. To date, the bullpen has not approached the high standards established by the starters and hitters. Heading into the weekend, its 3.57 ERA placed it right in the middle league-wide; the starters 1.98 ERA was at the top. The relievers 10.8 percent walk rate is too high, and they had the ninth-lowest left-on-base percentage. Given the early and wide leads they ve been given, there s an argument to be made that the Red Sox relievers have yet to be tested. The lead Joe Kelly and Smith blew in Game 1 feels like ancient history, but there remains plenty to prove. What We Know: Health and J.D. Martinez have made all the difference with Hanley Ramirez

9 Among the league leaders in slugging percentage, RBI, batting average and OPS, Ramirez is making his slightly tongue-in-cheek boast this spring that he would have a season look like it can be a reality. Even if he does not reach those lofty goals, Ramirez is making uneasiness about him triggering next year s expensive option a needless worry. Feeling no more discomfort in his surgically repaired left shoulder has made the biggest difference, with Ramirez swinging free and easy, going with the pitch and not forcing swings. He looks as if he could go off, power-wise, at any moment. Ramirez is saying and doing everything right. His enthusiasm and team-centered thoughts speak to a maturity that does not get enough credit. Still a question: How unique is David Price s elbow? Lord knows this could sound like a return to 2017 negativity, but trust me, that s in the past. Price has redeemed himself in every way this year, so there s no looking back except for one important factor. Let s not forget that Price made only 11 starts and pitched innings last season. Exactly how big of a jump will the Red Sox allow before they begin to worry? The Red Sox have been so careful with Price, Chris Sale and all the starters, easing them in so that they can be fresh in October. Even a 100-inning increase for Price sounds like a lot, beyond any problems with the injury that limited him so much last year. Maybe this wouldn t be an issue if Price had not left start No. 3 at Fenway with that numb hand, but it was a reminder that the Red Sox will likely have to treat Price more gingerly than even Sale when it comes to keeping him healthy and fresh. What We Know: Mookie Betts is the frontrunner for AL MVP Nothing quite like making snap judgments with seven-eighths of the season to go. This seems like an obvious call to make, but it s worth stating, especially in the wake of Betts outshining perennial MVP Mike Trout in the Angels series. Didi Gregorius is having a breakout season, and none of Jose Altuve, Carlos Correa, Giancarlo Stanton, Aaron Judge and Manny Machado has gotten hot yet, but the Betts watch is on. And there s no pressure at all in saying that the award is his to lose. Still a question: Who s on second base? If there s one position the Red Sox simply can t point to and say everything will be all right, it s second base. The current placeholder there is Eduardo Nunez, who s lived up to his reputation as a good hitter and an average-at-best second baseman. His range simply is not great, and he s not particularly sure-handed. (Cora should still be able to get some improvement out of him with the glove.) Offensively, Nunez has not been one of the leaders two home runs and 6 RBI in 15 games but his effort has been fine. He s certainly of value while Dustin Pedroia recuperates, but the absence of the veteran infielder is something to fret about for as long as it continues. Pedroia, coming off serious knee surgery, is in Fort Myers, in the final stages of rehab before games. While second-guessing his resiliency and production usually comes back to bite the doubter, it s perfectly normal to maintain skepticism until the 34-year-old can actually disprove it. We all remember how limited Pedroia was when he played last season, especially toward the end. Lasting memories tend to last until new ones are minted. What We Know: Rick Porcello s start is better than his 2016 Cy Young start The every-other-year phenomenon is in full effect. After his first four starts, Porcello looks even better than he did two years ago. He was also 4-0 after innings in 2016, but had a 3.51 ERA, 20 strikeouts and five walks. This year, Porcello s at 1.40 with just one walk and 23 strikeouts. Should he be able to maintain this level of dominance like he did two seasons ago, and Sale and Price also continue to pitch to their capabilities, the Red Sox will be unable to avoid series win after series win.

10 Still a Question: What is the future of Blake Swihart? Swihart appearaned in just eight of the first 18 games, and made one start at DH. This is a waste of Swihart s talent. Cora should not play Swihart just to play him, but if he s not going to have him catch a game that Sandy Leon is scheduled for at least once in a while, or try him in the infield at this moment when the middle half is on the DL, then the Red Sox should come out and say they re content with a 24- man roster. Or else decide on another course of action with Swihart. What We Know: Red Sox are back to being likable While some wonder if winning begets likability in the same way that some wonder about the relationship between winning and chemistry, there is no longer a doubt: The team has recaptured the imagination of Red Sox fans. TV ratings have been high, and while the weather for the first homestand was beyond lousy, the caliber of play resonated with fans who seemed to appreciate fully what they were watching. Priority one for the players is to play winning baseball and the rest will take care of itself, but by turning the likability factor into a positive, the Red Sox established a level of goodwill and trust that their AL East-winning squads from the last two years never had. The leash is longer with them now. They ve earned that. Still a Question: How will the carnivorous Boston media cope with a team that might not crack doubledigits in losses? This is the biggest mystery of all. Red Sox notebook: Hector Velazquez redeems self in Oakland Stephen Hewitt OAKLAND, Calif. Last May, Hector Velazquez made his major league debut here at the Coliseum. It wasn t the first impression he wanted to make. David Price was still working his way back from his elbow injury, so the Red Sox called on the rookie Velazquez, who was signed from the Mexican League, to temporarily jump into the rotation. But the righty s nerves got the best of him. He gave up back-to-back homers in the first inning, three total, as the Sox lost 8-3. It wasn t certain after that when Velazquez would get another opportunity. He did earn two more starts last season, and five relief appearances, but he also relished the chance to improve on his performance by the Bay. On Friday night, he did. It wasn t in a starting role, but his contribution was still critical to the Red Sox 7-3 win over the A s. After Drew Pomeranz lasted just 32 3 innings in his season debut, Velazquez took up middle-relief duty. In what was a tight game, the right-hander delivered three scoreless innings, and he ultimately earned the victory, his third this season. I honestly was really wanting to get back here, Velazquez said through a translator. I had it in my mind, I called it into existence, and I knew I had what it took to pitch well here, and like we say in Mexico, I was ready to get my revenge, and thankfully God gave me the opportunity. The memory of that ill-fated debut a year ago was apparent when he returned to the same mound on Friday night. But Velazquez was determined to leave it in the past.

11 It s funny because I looked up at one point on the scoreboard and they showed the ERA of him here, and I remember Dana (LeVangie) talking about his outing last year playing here, and he struggled, Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. I was like, Oh my God, you know? What am I doing? But he was outstanding. It was a sign of the developing trust Cora has in his new bullpen weapon. Velazquez has started twice this season but with the rotation now back at full health with the return of Pomeranz, Velazquez will likely see the bulk of his opportunities in relief. And he s more than OK with that. Like I ve said in the past, I m up for whatever role that the manager puts me, Velazquez said through a translator. Basically it s just adjusting my mentality to whenever the situation arises, to be able to focus and bear down and pitch well. With the ability to pitch several innings, Velazquez could evolve into a middle-relief weapon for Cora, like he did on a few occasions last season. The manager said he feels Velazquez can give them nine, 12 and even 15 outs, and compared his capabilities to Brad Peacock, who was crucial in multiple roles for Houston last season. It s very important for us, for our game plan, Cora said. It s not that he s out there and up 8-0 or down 8-0. He s in the game, a tied game, and we do feel he can go once through the lineup, maybe twice, because he s capable. He can mix it up, he s a change of pace from the starter. He enjoys that role, too. He s happy to be in the big leagues. He comes from Mexico and he has an opportunity to pitch here. He understands where he s at right now and we re very comfortable. X closes in Xander Bogaerts could be back with the Red Sox as soon as next weekend. The shortstop, who is recovering from an ankle injury, will play Tuesday or Wednesday in Pawtucket, Cora said. From there, Cora is hopeful the team can activate him when it returns home to face the Rays. Before Friday s game here, Bogaerts looked good taking grounders and running the bases. The Sox play in Toronto starting Tuesday, but Cora said they re not holding him out because of the turf there. Talking to him, he feels good running, Cora said. Defensively is the thing that worries him. Changing direction, going full blast in or turning double plays. It s not the turf, I think it s more how he feels. Bogaerts was the team s best hitter before he went down. He was batting.368 with a pair of homers and nine RBI through nine games when he injured his left ankle sliding into the dugout trying to keep a ball in play. As he makes his return, Cora said Bogaerts isn t worried about his offense. He needs the repetitions, more defensively than offensively, Cora said. For me, it was music to my ears. For him to care about his defense, that s awesome. Good for him. Wright setback Steven Wright s status is up in the air after he left his rehab start in Pawtucket on Friday with lower back stiffness. He didn t feel right the whole outing, Cora said. Most likely, we ll keep him there for now in Pawtucket but hopefully he gets better and can make the next one. But if not, probably we ll see him Friday (when Red Sox return home). If he doesn t get any better, we ll see him Friday at home and go from there.

12 Cora said reliever Tyler Thornburg, who is rehabbing from surgery to treat thoracic outlet syndrome, could throw live BP when the Sox are home next weekend. Chris Sale will start in Thursday s series finale at Toronto, and Drew Pomeranz is slated to pitch Friday at home for the series opener against the Rays. * The Providence Journal Lack of patience paying off for Red Sox hitters Brian MacPherson Red Sox principal owner John Henry made a clear request. Manager Alex Cora has delivered. In storming out to a stunning 17-2 start to the season, entering Saturday night s game in Oakland, Boston s hitters have pushed more than six runs per game across the plate, slugging an astonishing.497 as a team and hitting nearly a home run per game. There s no way to overstate the transformation of a lineup that was power-starved a year ago and it s not just the addition of J.D. Martinez that has done it. We re driving the ball, Cora said after a three-game sweep of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim earlier this week, and we re not striking out. Indeed, the power numbers speak to the way the Red Sox are driving the ball and they re doing that while striking out in just 16.3 percent of their at-bats, the lowest mark in Major League Baseball. (A hefty chunk of those strikeouts belong to Martinez which always was part of the deal with acquiring him.) Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi both have more walks than strikeouts so far this season. Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr., and Eduardo Nunez all rank among the American League hitters most difficult to strike out. We obviously have a good offensive approach, Bradley told reporters on Friday night, after he hit a three-run home run in Boston s eighth straight win. Most noteworthy, however, is the change in the way Red Sox hitters are attacking the strike zone. It s a fulfillment of the promise Cora and Henry both made in spring training, a promise that stemmed from Henry s believe that his team s power shortage last season stemmed in large part from passivity at the plate. The team s willingness to let hitting coach Chili Davis walk away seemed to come come directly from that belief. We would have had significant power last year if we had a different approach, Henry told reporters as spring training began. That s my opinion.... I didn t think we were nearly aggressive enough, and I think our approach was lacking for a good part of the season. Under Cora and new hitting coach Tim Hyers, a former Boston scout and minor-league hitting instructor, the Red Sox aren t swinging more just to swing more. They re not swinging any more at pitches outside the strike zone than they did a year ago. But a team that ranked 30th in Major League Baseball a year ago in swinging at pitches in the strike zone (62.3 percent) has flipped that on its head. Boston s hitters rank second in Major League Baseball in swinging at pitches in the strike zone (70.1 percent) and only a narrow second at that. After Boston polished off a Los Angeles team that had been 13-3 before the Red Sox arrived, Cora pointed in part to his team s ability to do damage with two strikes, as Cora s Houston Astros did a year ago.

13 It s true that, entering play on Friday, Red Sox hitters led the majors with a.365 slugging percentage with two strikes including 21 doubles and nine home runs in fewer than 400 plate appearances. But Boston wasn t too shabby when hitting with two strikes a year ago, either. The Astros led the major leagues in slugging percentage with two strikes last year, but the Red Sox ranked third. Their 140 doubles with two strikes were far and away the most of any team in baseball. Hitters like Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts both hit with relative comfort with two strikes, which Davis saw as being selective. The problem for the Red Sox was that hitters like Betts and Bogaerts got into too many two-strike counts. Now the Red Sox aren t waiting around. Case in point: Mitch Moreland let the count get to two strikes in more than half of his at-bats last season. He had just three extra-base hits all season on the first pitch of an at-bat, including just one home run. So far this season, Moreland s rate of letting the count get to two strikes is down to 40 percent and he s attacking the first pitch. The grand slam he hit on a first-pitch slider from Oakland reliever Emilio Pagan in Friday s win at Oakland was the second first-pitch home run he s hit and the season is barely three weeks old. * MassLive.com Umpire Brian Gorman explains why Boston Red Sox's Andrew Benintendi was called out Christopher Smith OAKLAND, Calif. -- After Sean Manaea's no hitter, crew chief Brian Gorman explained the decision to take a hit away from Andrew Benintendi. First baseman Matt Olson fielded Benintendi's dribbler down the first base side and dived to tag him out. Benintendi avoided the tag and grabbed the first base bag with his left hand. He initially was ruled safe. But the umpire crew huddled and changed the call, preserving the no-hitter in the sixth inning. The play wasn't reviewable. Here's Gorman's explanation to the pool reporter: "When a fielder fields a ball and he attempts to tag a runner, the runner can (move) forward to the base or back to the base but can't go side-to-side. He has three-feet either way. So if he goes more than three feet avoiding the tag he's declared out for being out of his base line. "After a discussion with the crew, we decided that he was far enough away from... and he avoided the tag. To avoid the tag he was more than three feet away. The first base umpire and home plate umpire got together. They had two of the best views of it. When whether we get together - all four of us are together. Four brains are better than one." He said they reached the decision together pretty fast. "It was about a minute and 30 seconds. (not tracked). We were discussing the three-foot variation. Your arm is three feet long and you got a glove at the end of it that's a pretty good indicator. He (Benintendi) goes to the side of him (first baseman Matt Olson) then he went more than three-feet.

14 "The 45-foot lane has nothing to do with it. That's only when a play is being made to first base from like the catcher There's a good idea what three-feet is because the line is drawn there but it doesn't have any affect on the play we had tonight." Benintendi: 'I've never seen that call before. It's kind of suspect in that situation' with no-hitter Christopher Smith OAKLAND, Calif. -- Athletics lefty Sean Manaea pitched the first no-hitter against the Red Sox since April 22, But it wasn't without a controversial call. It appeared Red Sox No. 2 hitter Andrew Benintendi broke up the no-hitter with a two-out infield single in the sixth. First baseman Matt Olson fielded the ball and dived to tag Benintendi. Benintendi avoided the tag and grabbed first base with his left hand. He initially was ruled safe. But the umpire crew huddled and changed the call. "They said I was out of the base line," Benintendi said. "I don't know. I've never seen that call before. It's kind of suspect in that situation. It just sucks as a big league hit. They don't grow on trees." Manaea walked two and struck out 10. "I was starting to get out of the base line a little bit, more around it," Benintendi said. "But I was still within the base line. The guy picked it up and made a move around him and was able to reach and touch the base. And they called me out of the base line." Benintendi argued with the umpire. He clearly was upset about the hit being taken away. "I've never seen that call before," Benintendi said. "I think if we have 10 hits at that point, that's a single. But the situation that the game was in, I mean they might have been searching for something and they found it." He added, "Usually if you're going to second base and you're out of the base line, the play's dead. But I touched the base, the guy called me safe and they huddle as a group and make the call. So I've never seen it before. It just sucks." Benintendi appeared to jam his hand reaching for first base but he said he's OK. He said he only landed awkwardly. "It's a missed called. But what can you do? Let's get 'em tomorrow." What did the umpire tell Benintendi? "He said, 'Wherever you are when the guy gets the ball, you have three feet.' And I mean, we went and watched the replay. I was able to reach out and touch first base with my left hand. I don't know if they hold rulers or something and they're measuring. It is what it is." Benintendi said Manaea had good movement to his pitches. "I think he was kind of effectively wild enough to keep us off-balance. Manaea pitched a good ballgame." Sean Manaea no-hitter: Athletics lefty throws first no-hitter against Boston Red Sox since 1993

15 Christopher Smith OAKLAND, Calif. -- The Red Sox offense entered Saturday's game leading the majors in batting average (.293), on-base percentage (.361), slugging percentage (.497), OPS (.858), runs (123), doubles (56) and extra-base hits (85). They also led the majors with 201 hits. And Athletics lefty Sean Manaea kept them at 201. Manaea made history, becoming the first pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Red Sox since April 22, 1993, when Seattle's Chris Bosio accomplished the feat in a 7-0 win over Boston at the Kingdome. The Athletics won 3-0 at Oakland Coliseum. The Red Sox (17-3) saw their eight-game winning streak end. Manaea, who walked Mookie Betts to open the game, allowed two walks and struck out 10. He threw 108 pitches. Pinch hitter Blake Swihart grounded out to begin the ninth. Betts flied out to deep right field. Benintendi walked. On a 2-0 pitch, Manaea completed the no-hitter. He got Hanley Ramirez to ground out to shortstop. The A's forced out Benintendi at second base. Then the celebration began. Manaea outdueled Red Sox ace Chris Sale, who reached 100 pitches in a game for the first time this season. Controversial call It appeared Andrew Benintendi broke up the no-hitter with a two-out infield single in the sixth. First baseman Matt Olson fielded the ball and dived to tag Benintendi. Benintendi avoided the tag but the umpires gathered together and ruled Benintendi out because he went outside the base path. Error in the fifth Sandy Leon reached on an error by shortstop Marcus Semien in the fifth inning. The official scorer took time to determine whether it was a hit or error. Semien dropped a flyball in shallow left but he was in the process of running back as he attempted to catch it. Nunez fails to catch Leon's throw on caught stealing attempt Sale walked Marcus Semien to lead off the game and Semien stole second base with one out. Catcher Sandy Leon made a perfect throw to second but Eduardo Nunez failed to catch it. Semien then scored on Jed Lowrie's double to left-center field, giving the Athletics a 1-0 lead. Semien got things started again for the A's in the third inning. He singled with one out and scored on Stephen Piscotty's double to right field. Semien's fifth inning homer against Sale put the Athletics ahead 3-0.

16 Bobby Poyner rehab: Red Sox lefty reliever hurls perfect inning in rehab outing for Pawtucket Christopher Smith OAKLAND, Calif. -- Boston Red Sox reliever Bobby Poyner pitched a perfect seventh inning for Triple-A Pawtucket vs. Gwinnett in his second rehab outing today. The Red Sox placed Bobby Poyner on the 10-day disabled with a left hamstring strain April 12. The Red Sox possibly could activate him when they open a three-game series against the Blue Jays at Rogers Centre on Tuesday. He retired the side on a groundout to first base, a flyout to right field and strikeout (looking). The 25-year-old Poyner, who made the Red Sox's Opening Day roster despite never pitching above Double A, allowed only two runs in 7 innings (2.57 ERA) over six relief outings before landing on the DL. * The New Hampshire Union Leader Oakland Athletics toss no-hitter at Sox Mike Shalin No one, and I mean, no one, saw THAT coming. The Red Sox, piling up all kinds of offensive numbers early in the season, ran into a young lefty named Sean Manaea out in Oakland Saturday night and the kid threw a no-hitter at them. The third loss in 20 games was also the first time in 25 years the Sox had been no-hit. A special effort with some controversy, but slowing down this juggernaut was truly something that tells you that you just never know what you will find when you go to a ballpark. Sean Manaea. Two walks, 10 strikeouts. Alex Cora, now 17-3 as a big-league manager, argued the call that took a hit away from Andrew Benintendi but after the game called it a call and said, Give (Manaea) credit, man. Special start Back in 1984, the Detroit Tigers got off to a 35-5 start and roared all the way through the playoffs and World Series. Through 19 games, that team was 17-2, Jack Morris already 4-0 and the Tigers outscoring their opponents Friday night, the Red Sox improved yep, 17-2, with Rick Porcello already 4-0. The Red Sox were outscoring their opponent , averaging a whopping 6.5 runs per game. I did some simple math prior to Friday s game and the Red Sox, who scored 785 runs last year, were on pace to become the first team since the 1999 Indians to score a thousand runs in a season. The club record is 1,027, set in 1950.

17 Walt Dropo and Vern Stephens both drove in 144 runs, Bobby Doerr 120 and Ted Williams 97 in just 89 games for that team, which didn t even win the pennant. Sixteen teams have scored a thousand runs in a season, only those Indians of 99 since The goal is rather unrealistic, but when you consider it, it would take an average of 6.2 runs per game less than they had posted through Friday for the Red Sox to do it. The Astros scored 896 runs and went on to win their first World Series last season. The Sox were ahead of that pace through 19 games. By the way, the Tigers won their 20th game, something the Red Sox were not able to do late Saturday night. Five teams in the live-ball era have started 17-2 and the Tigers and 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers are the only ones to win it all. Fewer games? It has been suggested that shortening the major-league schedule back to the 154 played prior to American League expansion in 1961 could help with these extreme weather problems. But a loss of eight games means less money, and we know how the owners would feel about that, right? "I think we play too much baseball," Cubs star Anthony Rizzo said on ESPN 1000 in Chicago early this week. "Yes, guys are going to take pay cuts. But are we playing this game for the money or do we love this game? I know it's both, but in the long run it will make everything better." Later in the week, commissioner Rob Manfred chimed in, essentially echoing Rizzo's words. "I think that Anthony's comments were realistic in the sense that he linked the fact that if, in fact, you're going to go to 154 or some lower number of games, that players would have to be participants in that process," Manfred told the Associated Press. "They're going to work less, they're probably going to make less." There has been a drop in attendance, which can be attributed in part to the rotten weather. But what is the effect of the number of teams tanking? Thanks for coming Through Friday, the Reds were 3-16, been outscored and had already fired manager Bryan Price, the Royals were 4-14 (outscored 95-56) after ending a nine-game losing streak with a win over the Tigers in the night half of a split doubleheader, the Orioles were 6-14 (outscored ) and had gone dating to the end of last season, the Rays were 6-13 (outscored ), the Marlins 5-14 (outscored ) and White Sox 4-12 (outscored ). Bright futures for all. Loving Mookie Have to admit a raised eyebrow here when NESN broadcaster Dave O'Brien said Mookie Betts is "one of the best players in baseball and many people say THE best." I was wondering who said THE best, but count Buck Showalter among those who thinks Betts is in the discussion. "I've told anyone who will listen, (Betts is) the best right fielder I've ever seen in person," Showalter told MLB.com.