No new positive virus tests reported
ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — No COVID-19 news is good news for this Red Sox club. For the first time since Saturday, the Red Sox didn’t have a positive case ahead of Thursday’s series finale against the Rays.
“Yeah, it was a good day today,” manager Alex Cora said before the game. “Nothing to report. Guys are feeling OK. Feeling better. Especially Enrique (Hernández). He feels like he’s close to 100% so we’ll see what happens in the upcoming days.”
The Red Sox have dealt with nine positive COVID-19 cases, including Hernández, and two close contacts which put their total at 11. Cora said Wednesday that there was a strong possibility Hernández could join the Sox either Saturday or Sunday when the team is back at Fenway. Christian Arroyo is beginning to feel better, too, but it doesn’t sound like he will be ready at any point this weekend.
All options open: Bobby Dalbec took some grounders at shortstop alongside Jonathan Arauz Wednesday. With the Red Sox middle infield decimated by COVID-19, Cora didn’t rule out playing Dalbec or Rafael Devers at shortstop.
“We have to be open-minded,” Cora said. “With Rafi and Bobby it’s just one of those that if we hit for one of the kids [Jonathan Arauz or Jack Lopez]. Raffy plays there during the shift. When Bobby plays third base he plays during the shift. So I told them to get grounders at shortstop.”
Dalbec can be rigid at first base, but when he plays at either third or shortstop, he has more of an athletic approach to the ball and is able to display his plus arm.
“He was actually good at short,” Cora said. “The way he moves is very similar to the way he moves at third base. And I like what I saw. So it’s something that we just think about when thinking ahead of the game and how we will manage it.”
High praise for Whitlock: Reliever Garrett Whitlock has put together a tremendous season. Following his two pivotal innings in Wednesday’s win, Whitlock now has a 1.52 ERA in 65 innings
pitched to go along with a 1.077 WHIP and 72 strikeouts.
“I mean, and the guy’s been absolutely nails for us,” Chris Sale said Wednesday. “Being able to go out there and throw one inning, two innings, two-plus, and do what he’s done, it alleviated a lot of pressure off of a lot of other guys.
Said Cora: “He’s great. He cares about winning. We took care of him early, but now it is a full go with him. Obviously, going multiple agency, you have to be smart about it. He’s never taken anything for granted.’’ … Dalbec won American League rookie of the month honors Thursday after hitting .339/.431/.774 with seven homers. … Kutter Crawford was scratched from his start in Worcester Thursday.
Late Wednesday result: Jarren Duran had a tiebreaking RBI single in the ninth and the COVID-19 impacted Boston Red Sox stopped the AL East-leading Tampa Bay Rays’ nine-game winning streak with a 3-2 victory on Wednesday night.
Boston infielder Yairo Muñoz became the latest Boston player to test positive for the coronavirus. Eight Boston players and two coaches have either had a positive test or are considered close contacts since last Friday.
“That was a great win,” Cora said. “Everybody was into it. It was a great baseball game, let’s put it that way.”
Rafael Devers opened the ninth with a single off Pete Fairbanks (3-5) , the sixth Rays pitcher, and went to second on Alex Verdugos one-out infield hit. After Christian Vázquez struck out, Duran made it 3-2 on his base-hit to right.
Whitlock (7-2) went two scoreless innings before Adam Ottavino worked the ninth to get his 11th save.
Rays rookie Wander Franco homered off Chris Sale, extending his on-base streak to 32 games. He is one game away from tying Hall of Famers Mel Ott (1929) and Arky Vaughn (1932) for the third-longest stretch for a player under 21.