Hanley does it
Plays solid at 1st base with Moreland out
PHILADELPHIA — However the Red Sox coaxed Hanley Ramirez into playing first base last night, they better write it down, remember it and do it again.
This might have been the most finely-tuned baseball game the team has played all season.
Ramirez was at first base. Pablo Sandoval was at third base. And the Sox made great play after great play on defense on their way to a 7-3 win over the Phillies.
“It was awesome,” said Ramirez, who only made the start because Mitch Moreland was sore after being hit by pitch on his left big toe on Tuesday night. “I was like a little kid out there. So happy. It was fun.”
After the game, Ramirez told reporters to come over to his locker. He had done it. He played first base for a full nine innings for the first time since 2016.
Now, he said, people should stop talking about it.
If he can play first base against lefties, he’d give the Red Sox a much-needed boost, allowing Moreland to keep raking against righties and to rest against lefties while lefty-masher Chris Young gets a chance as the designated hitter.
How often Ramirez plays first remains a question, but he is saying he’s up for it.
“Any time,” Ramirez said. “That’s what I’m here for. Anything to help the team win.”
Ramirez didn’t make any mistakes at the position, which he hadn’t played since May 10, when he lasted three innings and was removed due to muscle spasms. He was never tested on difficult grounders, but several times he made long stretches, including once to save Sandoval from an error after he bobbled the ball before a throw.
“You got the feel,” he said. “You just have to let it go and let the ball come to you.”
Manager John Farrell had a less enthusiastic response when asked how Ramirez handled the position last night.
“He received a number of throws well,” Farrell said. “Yeah. He was fine. He handled the job tonight. It was good.”
The Red Sox aren’t sure how long Moreland will be out. He showed little reaction to the hit-by-pitch at the time and calmly took first base, then went 2-for-5 at the plate and finished the 12-inning game on Tuesday night.
But “after he got hit by the pitch last night, his mobility began to get restricted,” Farrell said. “Overnight, some additional soreness set in. So he’s available in limited action tonight. That’s why Hanley is at first base.”
Moreland’s injury and Ramirez’ availability at first has put the Red Sox lineup in a “day-to-day” situation, Farrell said.
Sandoval was 1-for-2 with a walk and a diving stop. His issues this season “have not been on the offensive side,” Farrell said pregame. “There’s still ability to impact the baseball, to have quality at-bats, as we’ve seen. We have to continue to get a little bit more proficient, a little more confidence on the defensive side of thing.”
In need of arms
Infielder Deven Marrero was optioned to Triple-A Pawtucket before Wednesday’s game to make room for right-hander Hector Velazquez.
Farrell said he’d eventually like to get back to a roster that has 13 position players, but the Sox need the extra pitcher after the bullpen was needed for six innings on Tuesday and 22 1⁄3 innings over a five-game homestand.
Should Moreland be out more than a couple days, the Red Sox always have first base prospect Sam Travis available at Triple-A Pawtucket.
After starter Brian Johnson left in the third inning due to a shoulder problem, Velazquez came in cold to relieve and ended up picking up the win thanks to 3 1⁄3 innings of one-hit, no-run ball.
E-Rod update
The Red Sox have been optimistic about Eduardo Rodriguez, but there are still no guarantees about his timetable, and CSNNE. com’s original report that he would need 3-4 weeks before getting back on the mound is looking likely.
The team disputed the report originally. Rodriguez was hurt on June 1.
On Saturday, Farrell said the injured lefty would get back on the mound in the “coming days.”
Asked yesterday if Rodriguez would be on the mound before the end of this road trip, which goes through next Wednesday (the three-week mark since his injury), Farrell said, “I would hope so.” . . .
Brock Holt (vertigo) is still with the Red Sox while on the disabled list. He’s been taking grounders, but was recommended two weeks off of game action before he could be sent out on a rehab assignment again. His symptoms are decreasing. . . .
Carson Smith had his simulated game delayed again, this time due to field accommodations. He said his arm has felt great and, while his shoulder has regular soreness, his elbow has not been a concern.
Smith had Tommy John surgery last May and could be sent out on a rehab assignment in Pawtucket this weekend.