OAKLAND, Calif. — When Oakland Athletics righthanded pitcher Frankie Montas first saw Xander Bogaerts, he knew the skinny kid from Aruba would be special.
Montas signed with the Red Sox in 2009 and played with Bogaerts in the Dominican Summer League in 2010. Seeing Bogaerts thrive now as the the all-time leader in games played for a Red Sox shortstop only affirmed what Montas initially thought of Bogaerts’s ability.
“We all knew what he was going to be from the first time we saw him,” Montas said before Saturday afternoon’s Red Sox-A’s game. “The good thing about him is that he never gets down on his team.”
A three-time All-Star, a four-time Silver Slugger winner, and a two-time World Series champion, Bogaerts on Friday played in his 1,094th game at shortstop, a team record. Everett Scott set the old record in 1921.
Montas was involved in the Jake Peavy trade in 2013 that sent Montas to the White Sox. The acquisition of Peavy, who played a significant role on the mound, going 4-1 in 10 starts, ultimately helped guide the Red Sox to a World Series title.
Montas, meanwhile, bounced around a bit. He was traded to the Dodgers in 2015 before being traded to the Athletics the following year. In 2018, he finally found his footing with the club. He currently has a 3.20 ERA for the A’s in 11 starts, and he will draw the starting assignment in Sunday afternoon’s series finale.
As for his description of Bogaerts?
“He’s nasty, man. He’s nasty,” Montas said.
Houck to close?
The Red Sox planned on using Tanner Houck to close Friday’s game, but when they stretched their lead to 7-2 in the ninth inning, manager Alex Cora went to Ryan Brasier instead to seal the win. Nonetheless, Houck getting hot in that situation was a game plan the Sox had not considered until that point. So, does the team see him as its closer?
Not quite.
“With Tanner [Friday], the game dictates what you do,” Cora said.
The Red Sox utilized Tyler Danish, Matt Strahm, and John Schreiber before Houck began warming up. Ideally, the Sox would like Houck in a multi-inning role, but the lackluster performance from the team’s bullpen means Houck, possibly, could be used as the closer in certain situations.
“[Friday] was a good pocket for Tanner, and physically he can handle it,” Cora said. “We know that. There are going to be certain days that we’re going to do that, others where we’re going to stay away from him, but he’s an option. And we know he’s a good one and he’s been very efficient out of the bullpen. His slider’s been playing a lot better the last few weeks. So, why not?”
Sale getting closer
Chris Sale is getting closer, Cora said. The lefthander threw a 25-pitch bullpen session Saturday that went well, according to the team. The next step is for Sale to throw against hitters. Red Sox head athletic trainer Brad Pearson is flying to Fort Myers, Fla., to the team’s spring training complex, where he will meet with Sale to map out a plan.
“That’s a huge step for us,” Cora said.
Barnes’s MRI normal
The MRI on Matt Barnes’s right shoulder came back normal, with the exception of some fluid around that area. Barnes will begin his rehab work in Fort Myers. Cora said the injury occurred as a result of Barnes trying to overcompensate for his lack of production (7.94 ERA in 17 innings). “He started doing all this [exercises], trying to get the velocity back,” Cora said. “Doing that and pitching doesn’t match. We’re pushing this guy to be the guy that we want him to be at the big league level doing different stuff and probably that was a setback.” The Red Sox hope he can rejoin the team after his 15-day stint on the injured list is up . . . Jackie Bradley Jr. and his wife, Erin, welcomed their third child, daughter Elle, on Friday.
Julian McWilliams can be reached at julian.mcwilliams@globe.com. Follow him on Twitter @byJulianMack.
"lasting" - Google News
June 05, 2022 at 05:04AM
https://ift.tt/ZohwKfE
Even as a young Red Sox prospect, Xander Bogaerts made a lasting first impression on A's pitcher Frankie Montas - The Boston Globe
"lasting" - Google News
https://ift.tt/ZH4wQWf
Shoes Man Tutorial
Pos News Update
Meme Update
Korean Entertainment News
Japan News Update
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Even as a young Red Sox prospect, Xander Bogaerts made a lasting first impression on A's pitcher Frankie Montas - The Boston Globe"
Post a Comment