Betts back in swing of things
RED SOX NOTEBOOK
BALTIMORE — Mookie Betts’ left abdominal strain looked like a thing of the past yesterday.
In just his second game back from the injury, Betts stayed back on a 94-mph fastball and squared it up to right-center field for his 18th homer of the season.
“I don’t know, maybe this is just my place,” Betts said after the Red Sox’ 5-1 win over the Orioles.
It was his 12th homer in 32 games at Camden Yards, where he’s made a habit of torturing the O’s.
Betts saw just one pitch in his first at-bat against rookie Yefry Ramirez, but studied him enough through the next two innings to have a good idea of what to do his second time up.
“As he went through the lineup I just watched him and see how he pitched guys and formed a plan that way,” Betts said. “We did our homework.”
Even after missing two weeks, Betts passed on a rehab assignment to come straight back to the big league club, and he’s showing no signs of rust.
“I have put in some work in terms of tracking pitches and whatnot,” Betts said. “Trying to stay as close to game ready as I can. But going out and being able to put up some good swings is definitely something I’m proud of.”
Mitch takes break
Mitch Moreland sat out the game after going 3-for22 in his previous seven.
“I mean his at bats (Tuesday) were good, two walks and a single,” manager Alex Cora said. “But I think he’s pulling off a little.”
Brock Holt started at first base for the first time this year and the second time since 2015.
Moreland was hitting .310 with a 1.000 OPS entering June 6 but has cooled off a bit lately. The Sox are trying to be careful with the veteran after he accumulated 576 plate appearances last year, the most in his career.
“We have to take care of Mitch,” Cora said. “We saw what happened last year and obviously he had an injury it didn’t benefit him but body wise we have to take care of him. We know how important he is, what he brings to the table so we have to do that.”
Confusing numbers
Craig Kimbrel’s confusing numbers in non-save situations have returned.
After he gave up two runs on Tuesday night, when he was called on to protect a four-run lead in the ninth inning, Kimbrel’s season stats in non-save situations continue to be wildly different than his numbers otherwise.
The flamethrowing closer continues to dominate in save chances, holding opponents to a .108 average and .478 OPS, but after Tuesday night’s outing he’s now giving up a .296 average and .925 OPS in nonsave situations.
In 2016, his first year with the Sox, it was more like it is now with a .115 average and .449 OPS in save situations compared to a .211 average and .676 OPS in non-save situations.
Cora doesn’t believe there’s anything to the differing numbers.
“(Tuesday) for me was a save situation because he saved our guys over there (in the bullpen),” Cora said. “It all depends how you see it.”
Cora called on Kimbrel because the bullpen was largely exhausted. Including the closer, the bullpen worked 31⁄3 innings Tuesday and 52⁄3 innings on Monday.
What does the skipper make of Kimbrel’s offsetting numbers?
“I don’t know,” Cora said. “I think like (Tuesday) he had Mark Trumbo 0-2, Manny Machado put a good atbat. I don’t know, honestly, I don’t know if that’s true or not. You guys have the numbers so you can help me out with that one. We’re going to use him when we feel like we have to use him.”
Cora wasn’t buying into the idea that there’s more adrenaline in save situations.
“I don’t know, I look at the gun and it doesn’t just seem like he’s working on mechanics or working on his pitches; he’s going full-out,” Cora said. “I really don’t know. I’ve been around the game a lot and at the end of the day you have to get outs. He’s done it before for us. (Tuesday) he understood where we were.
“I don’t believe in it, honestly. It’s like, the game is 101, you have an at-bat, you’re not going to put your effort into that at-bat because the game is 10-1? It’s still your numbers. They’re proud. They have pride. They want to get people out the same way they want to hit him. You have good days and bad days. At the end of the day, he gave us the 27th out, which matters.”
Smith surgery
Carson Smith underwent successful surgery on his throwing shoulder yesterday and the Red Sox officially announced he would miss the rest of 2018 . . . .
Drew Pomeranz still has a sore neck that is “bothering him a lot,” Cora said, and hasn’t made much progress in his return from biceps tendinitis.