Farrell, ’pen manage
Eventually, Kimbrel emerges
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
NEW YORK — Red Sox manager John Farrell got the pitcher he wanted. Eventually.
After prematurely coming out of the dugout to signal for closer Craig Kimbrel in last night’s ninth inning, Farrell had to turn back after being reminded he wasn’t allowed to make a pitching change at that moment. Kimbrel would eventually come in for the next batter, retire all four batters he faced and finish off the 3-2, 10-inning win against the New York Yankees.
“I messed up,” Farrell said. “I know the rule. I messed up trying to get Kimbrel into the game, but it worked out.”
Addison Reed, who blew a lead in Friday’s series-opening loss, opened the ninth inning of the series finale with a walk before a sacrifice bunt pushed the potential winning run to second base. With the count at 1-0 against pinch-hitter Jacoby Ellsbury, Farrell emerged to call on Kimbrel — but he was turned away by the umpires.
Pitching coach Carl Willis had already visited the mound ahead of Ellsbury’s at-bat, and after such a visit, the current pitcher is required to stay in for at least that batter. Reed got Ellsbury to ground out, with the runner moving up to the third base, and Kimbrel finished the inning with a strikeout to keep the game tied at 2.
After the Red Sox pushed ahead the go-ahead run in the 10th, Kimbrel pitched a perfect inning to improve to 4-0.
Farrell said he had actually considered using Kimbrel with a one-run lead in the eighth, but Matt Barnes wound up allowing a gametying sacrifice fly.
“It was a thought (to use Kimbrel there),” Farrell said. “But that’s something we have not done at all in a tie game or without a lead certainly. It was a thought but didn’t go to it at that point.”
Robby Scott wound up getting the Red Sox out of the eighth by striking out Didi Gregorius in a matchup the Red Sox specifically targeted.
“Robby Scott was brought back (from Triple A) for that particular purpose,” Farrell said. “Didi has been having such a very good year. To have a specialist to go against him — for the short period of time Robby’s had some decent success against him — and we earmarked his return for that spot. It was able to play out here tonight.”
Progress for Price
After a third consecutive day playing catch, David Price will have a scheduled day off today before resuming his rehab program. The Sox haven’t said when he’ll throw a bullpen, but it seems clear that Price is getting close to being back on a mound after his latest elbow setback.
“I think the encouraging thing was the past two days — (Saturday) and the day before — in which he threw out to 120 feet aggressively,” Farrell said. “Those were all positive signs. The one thing we don’t want to say is that there’s a date on which he’s going to get on the mound. We’re going to address this as he’s capable, and I think that’s probably, at this point, the best way to approach it.”
Price hasn’t started since July 22 because of an elbow issue similar to one that ended his spring training.
“As we’ve done with each of his throwing sessions in which he’s come out, we evaluate where he’s at, assess how he’s feeling and go from there,” Farrell said.
Smith closer, not close
After three outings on a Triple-A rehab assignment, reliever Carson Smith is making encouraging progress, but it still seems unlikely that the Sox will activate him before September.
“The command was better (Saturday) night,” Farrell said. “There was an uptick a little bit in velocity from maybe five days prior and in talking with Carson he just feels now he’s gotten three appearances, the recovery time both in terms of his arm and his body is getting less. So, these are encouraging things here as we go through the early phase here.”
Fister insurance
With Price on the disabled list, the Red Sox have turned back to veteran Doug Fister to fill the rotation. Fister won his past two starts and will take his next turn in tonight’s makeup game at Fenway Park against the Cleveland Indians. The teams were rained out earlier this month.
“Certainly, we’ve missed David Price in the rotation, that goes without saying,” Farrell said. “But to have Doug to step in with the veteran presence he has, to his credit, some of the minor adjustments that he’s made to solidify his pitch execution, that’s been the case the last four appearances for him..”