X factors in production
Bogaerts finally free of long RBI dry spell
Xander Bogaerts can relax. His streak of games without an RBI has ended.
Bogaerts was 3-for-5 with an RBI — his first since July 21 — in the Red Sox’ 10-4 clobbering of the St.Louis Cardinals last night.
“You want to do good, you want to do good to help your team, and sometimes you feel like you’re not doing anything and you’re letting them down,” Bogaerts said. “I’ve been swinging the bat pretty well lately with nothing to show for it but ups and downs.”
The shortstop entered the game ranked last in the majors with a .484 OPS since July 4.
“He has not been playing hurt,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said.
But Bogaerts, who hurt his groin in early July and was hit by a pitch on his hand later that month, said otherwise.
“It’s still a little bit (sore) in there,” he said. “Some days are a little worse than others. It’s something I’ve never dealt with in my career. It’s the end of the season, we’re in a pretty good place right now as a team. You don’t want to be on the bench right now. You just want to battle through stuff like that and help the team.”
Keep things in order
Last night was the 119th game of the Red Sox season and the 98th different batting order used by Farrell.
Farrell, who passed Jimy Williams for sixth-most games as Sox manager with his 767th at the helm, has made changing his batting order a trademark of his managing style.
Andrew Benintendi was back in the No. 3 spot with the St. Louis Cardinals in town for a two-game interleague series, and Farrell indicated that would be the preferred alignment going forward as long as Hanley Ramirez is also in the game.
Why? Benintendi has an .847 OPS against righthanded pitchers but just a .631 OPS against lefties. Ramirez, as one of the best lefty-mashers in the league over the last two years, offers premier coverage behind the rookie. For opponents who bring in a lefty to face Benintendi, they better have a righty lined up to get on the mound for the very next hitter.
“On days where we’ve gotten Hanley in the four hole, this is the alignment that I think works best for us,” Farrell said before the Sox’ 10-4 win. “Because it adds separation from Jackie (Bradley Jr.) in the nine hole and the three hole, so you’re not going to get a matchup left-hander that can go every other hitter. It creates a little bit of a spread there.
“Provided guys swing the bat to their capability, you’ve got Benny sandwiched in between right-handers and you’d like to think it’s going to keep him on the strong side of the plate with opposing pitchers.”
Farrell said the lineup is subject to change when Dustin Pedroia returns from a knee injury, but also noted that Pedroia would be out “longer than the 10 days” that he’s required to spend on the disabled list.
Without Pedroia, “this is the alignment you like best, with (Eduardo) Nunez, (Mookie) Betts and Benintendi in that order.”
Farrell hasn’t been able to find one consistent spot for Betts in the order, despite Betts comments back in July that, even though he had just collected eight RBI in one game from the leadoff spot, moving him down in the order was not preferable.
“I think things should just stay the way they are,” Betts said on July 2. “I think guys thrive or do well in certain situations due to where they are in the order and in order to continue to put those guys in those situations, you leave them where they are.”
Betts has hit first, second, third and fourth over the last eight games. He hit second last night.
Betts cool at plate
Betts was 1-for-5 last night with two more strikeouts and is hitting .221 with a .598 OPS since July 4. It’s just the third time this season he’s struck out twice on back-to-back nights.
What’s going on with last year’s runner-up to the American League MVP?
“There’s been times where it looks like he gets a little pull happy and there’s some ball in the air,” Farrell said. “I can’t say that he’s expanding the strike zone wholesale, that’s not the case. Because he’s still taking his walks.”
“He and a couple other guys, we’re still trying to have them hit stride which they haven’t yet for a lengthy period of time,” Farrell said.
Reed not alone in 8th
Addison Reed was acquired to give the Red Sox a true set-up man to closer Craig Kimbrel, but Farrell wouldn’t commit to Reed as the primary eighth-inning reliever when asked about it yesterday. It sounds like Matt Barnes will also be in the mix.
“We’ve initially said it’s the eighth inning,” Farrell said. “We’ve used him accordingly based on where we are in the lineup and based on the potential of running threats . ... But as we map out the seventh and eighth inning, it’s going to be Barnes and Addison and we’ll see where the right matchups provide themselves.”
What’s more is Brandon Workman is also rapidly earning Farrell’s trust and could fit into the same role . ...
Yesterday began the 16th annual WEEI/NESN Jimmy Fund Radio-Telethon in support of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. The event has raised upward of $45 million for cancer treatment and research since it began in 2002. Donations can be made by calling 877738-1234.