5 things to know about the Red Sox right now
At 13-2, the Red Sox hold the best record in the MLB.
With only two losses on the season — Opening Day and the brawl game against the Yankees — Boston continues to extend its best start in franchise history.
The team battled more than just the Orioles Friday, as Fenway’s 34-degree temperatures were the coldest conditions at the ballpark in over a decade. Starting pitcher Chris Sale said the game was “the most miserable [he’s] been on a baseball field.” (Of course, he still struck out eight).
The weather also remained a factor for the series finale, as the Red Sox’ annual Patriots’ Day game was postponed Monday due to the sustained amounts of heavy rain. It was the first Patriots’ Day postponement since 1984.
The Sox are escaping New England for a bit, however, for a nine-game road trip that starts with the Los Angeles Angels Tuesday.
Here’s what you need to know about the team:
Joe Kelly’s approval rating appears to be at an all-time high.
After sparking the most recent brawl between the Red Sox and Yankees by beaning New York’s first baseman Tyler Austin, Joe Kelly received two standing ovations: one at Fenway Park Friday and the other at the TD Garden Saturday.
Fans have seemingly had a change in heart since Kelly helped blow a 4-0 lead in the eighth inning on Opening Day — a performance he called “pathetic” — and all are aboard the Kelly train. The 29-year-old has logged 6.2 innings of relief in six games, recording one save and six strikeouts. His ERA is 5.40.
For his actions Wednesday, Kelly was suspended six games and fined an undisclosed amount. He is appealing the suspension and able to play until his appeal is heard. Austin, who was suspended five games, is also appealing his suspension and told the New York Daily News he could have his hearing Thursday.
They will be tested against the Angels.
Some critics grumble the Red Sox have faced little to no legitimate competition en route to their 13-2 start. Boston’s past opponents thus far include the Tampa Bay Rays (4-12), the Miami Marlins (4-12), the New York Yankees (8-7), and the Baltimore Orioles (5-11). The team will most definitely be put to the test, however, when they kick off a three-game series against the Los Angeles Angels (13-3).
The Red Sox will face two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani as a pitcher Tuesday and as a designated hitter Thursday. Ohtani is 2-0 from the mound this season, with a 2.08 ERA and 18 strikeouts. Three of his most frequently used pitches are a four-seam fastball, a split-fingered fastball, and a slider.
Ohtani is also a force to be reckoned with at the plate. The Japanese star is batting .367 in 33 plate appearances. He’s logged 11 hits, three home runs, and 11 RBI.
“He throws 100 miles per hour and can take you deep at the same time,” Chris Sale said. “If you don’t respect that, I don’t know who you are or what you’re doing.”
David Price has seemingly recovered from his last start — a bizarre first inning experience against the Yankees — and will battle Ohtani from the mound Tuesday, while Eduardo Rodgriuez will attempt to control him at the plate Thursday.
Tzu-Wei Lin has earned another opportunity.
With Xander Bogaerts still out of the lineup due to a left ankle injury, the Red Sox have been experimenting a little with their infield. Through the past five games, second base and shortstop have featured some combination of Tzu-Wei Lin, Brock Holt, and Eduardo Nunez — with Blake Swihart lingering as another possible option.
Lin appears to be the leading candidate to fill Bogaerts’s role. He was called up from Triple-A April 10 and is batting .500 in 14 plate appearances with six hits and two doubles. The 24-year-old got some major league experience last season, when he was called up from Pawtucket in June.
Manager Alex Cora told reporters he is impressed with Lin’s potential and believes he is progressing well. Though there are things he could improve upon at the plate, Cora is confident he will be able to make plays in the infield.
“What really gets my attention is the way he plays defense,” Cora said. “Defensively, he can play in a championship-caliber club and we are a championship-caliber club.”
Natural concerns remain about Xander Bogaert’s ankle injury, but Tzu-Wei Lin appears a revelation:.500/.600/.625, 2 BB, 2 k IN 4 games, .400 OBP in 29 MLB games, exceptionally athletic, versatile
— Peter Gammons (@pgammo) April 15, 2018
Dustin Pedroia is headed back to Florida.
As part of the team’s extended spring training, Dustin Pedroia will return to Fort Myers to continue rehabbing his reconstructed knee. The second baseman was projected to miss seven months following his procedure in October.
“It’s still a work in progress,” Cora told reporters last week. “If you talk to him, he’s going to say he’s almost there. But we have to take it easy with him. It’s a good step. I think, for him, it’d be better now to go to Fort Myers with the weather, the controlled environment, and go from there.”
Pedroia’s target date for his return is unknown, but he will miss 50-plus games if the original estimation was correct. In the meantime, the 34-year-old is making strides in his recovery and was spotted running the bases and taking a few swings during batting practice Saturday.
The Oakland A’s Twitter account keeps hopelessly trying to troll the Sox.
After the Red Sox wrap up their series against the Angels, they’ll travel to Oakland for a three-game series against the A’s (7-10). Leading up to their matchup, the A’s Twitter account has been attempting to talk some trash by taking shots at another Boston sports team: the New England Patriots.
Red Sox fans haven’t seemed too offended, however, as the use of football references to promote a baseball game are coming off as a bit of a stretch.
Well, it’s a good thing that baseballs can’t be deflated. Boston visits April 20-22. https://t.co/RizI8l7teK pic.twitter.com/bGj5QLsEIq
— Oakland A’s (@Athletics) April 3, 2018
https://twitter.com/Athletics/status/982668596915687426
