Sale’s status as Game 5 starter pending
Chris Sale was scheduled for treatment from the team trainer and given the option of throwing a bullpen session at Minute Maid Park before Game 3 of the American League Championship Series on Tuesday afternoon, according to Red Sox manager Alex Cora.
Sale was hospitalized overnight on Sunday with a stomach ailment before doctors cleared him of any serious health issues.
While Cora said the hope is that Sale would be ready to pitch Game 5 on Thursday, he did not indicate the likelihood of it.
“We’ll see how he feels,” Cora said before the game. “If you guys see him throwing during the game, don’t panic. He’s throwing a bullpen, if he has to throw a bullpen today.
“If he can’t throw a bullpen today, he won’t throw it. We have to take care of him first. I haven’t talked to him today, so I don’t know how he feels, if he feels weak or whatever. But we’ll know.”
Cora and Game 4 starter Rick
Porcello emphasized that ensuring Sale’s health was significantly more important that probing the lefty ace about his game availability.
“Once we found out he was doing OK, we just wait until he gets back and talk to him,” Porcello said.
He followed up his sincere concern with humorous candor about the other pressing matter that everyone wants to know: “And now that we know that he’s OK, when the hell is he going to pitch?”
Cora also said that first baseman Mitch Moreland, a lefthanded hitter, could start Wednesday’s Game 4 against Astros righty Charlie Morton.
It would be the first start for Moreland, who had an rbi as a pinch hitter Tuesday, since Game 2 of the division series against the Yankees on Oct. 6, when he injured his right hamstring. Hunter Atkins
Cora dances around sticky question
Red Sox manager Alex Cora tiptoed around the issue of Boston reliever Matt Barnes being accused of using a sticky substance on his arm to get a better grip of his pitches, an issue that inflamed social media after Game 2 in Boston.
After focusing on the timing of the internet sleuthing and media scrutiny, Cora seemed to support any pitchers being able to use a substance that might help them pitch more effectively.
“Seems like always those videos always come out in October,” Cora said Tuesday. “I wonder why. You have to ask the hitters.
“They like guys that can control their stuff. So I just leave it at that.”
Astros manager A.J. Hinch had dismissed any concern about the matter a day earlier, saying he did not think a player using pine tar is a storyline worthy of interfering with the playoffs. Hunter Atkins
Porcello gets the ball for Game 4
Red Sox manager Alex Cora named Rick Porcello the starter for Game 4.
Cora had used Porcello to complete the eighth inning of Boston’s Game 2 victory on Sunday, and wouldn’t rule out using him in Game 3.
“In the playoffs you try to win today and then plan for tomorrow,” Cora said before the game. “We know Rick is available tomorrow, he’s in line, but you never know.”
Since Porcello wasn’t needed in Boston’s 8-2 victory in Game 3 Tuesday night, he will start Wednesday’s game.
“That’s the cool thing about managing now,” Cora added, “You don’t have to ask them, and they come in after BP saying, ‘I feel great. Let’s go.’” That doesn’t mean I’m going to use them, but their willingness to do everything for the team, that’s great.”
“I’ve shown emotion the same as I have coming out of the bullpen,” Porcello said. “I don’t feel like I’m doing anything different besides trying to lock down those three outs and it’s just about that one inning for me. I don’t have to worry about facing a lineup three times through and covering a whole ballgame.” Hunter Atkins
Febles interviews for Minnesota job
Red Sox third base coach
Carlos Febles interviewed by phone for the Twins managerial vacancy, according to multiple major league sources. Febles, who is in his first year on a big league coaching staff, spent 11 years as a Red Sox minor league coach and manager before moving onto the staff of manager
Alex Cora this season. Febles worked with a number
of current Red Sox big leaguers on their way through the minors, including Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers,
Andrew Benintendi, and Christian Vazquez. In addition to third base coaching duties for the Sox, he’s also the team’s infield coach.
Red Sox president of baseball operations Dave Dombrowski would not confirm or deny that the Twins requested permission to talk to Febles. He did, however, make clear that he views Febles — a former second baseman who played parts of six seasons in the majors — as a strong candidate for managing opportunities, and would have no problem giving teams permission to talk to him.
“You never would stand in people’s way,” said Dombrowski. “Carlos is a tremendous baseball man. I think he’s going to be a big league manager someday.” Boston Globe