Jansen trying hard to get a grip on situation
Kenley Jansen’s outing Sunday was another reminder that he’s still searching. The Red Sox closer has eight walks and one hit batter on the season. His struggles, though Jansen struck out Mike Trout to close out a 5-4 victory, are related to his mechanics feeling off.
But something else feels off, too: the baseballs.
“They throw balls out there that aren’t rubbed well,” said Jansen. “Last time I checked, I didn’t walk people this much.”
The balls are rubbed with mud so pitchers can get a better grip. But Jansen said that on both the road and at home this season, the balls have been extremely slippery. Jansen added that he always goes through a plethora of baseballs during an inning, trying to find the right one.
“It’s just brutal,” said Jansen. “For me, yes, I have to get better; I’ll always be accountable to myself. But you have better bullpen [balls] rubbed up than game balls. I feel like they can do better . . . I don’t want to be the guy who just continues to keep throwing balls out [trying to find one with grip].”
MLB cracked down on pitchers using sticky stuff for grip during the 2021 season. That was an adjustment for a lot of pitchers, and some never recovered. The baseball, generally speaking, has been a hot topic dating back to even 2019 when pitchers felt the ball was too live, which was the reason for the spike in homers that season. Then, in 2022, hitters complained that the ball was too dead.
“I have nothing to grip,” said Jansen. “The ball feels like a pearl. The rosin bag is not how it used to be. That’s tough. That’s all I’m saying.”
Still, he got the job done Sunday, picking up his 424th save, tying him with John Franco for fifth most in MLB history
Yoshida adjusting
Masataka Yoshida’s value is in his bat. After claiming the everyday job in left field last season, Yoshida, a below-average defender, hasn’t made a start there this year, playing just one inning.
That puts more pressure on him to hit for power out of the designated hitter spot. That hasn’t been the case so far for the second-year player who has struggled out of the gate, but Sunday’s two-run home run could be what gets the 30-year-old going.
“Masa is going to be fine,” said manager Alex Cora prior to the game. “He’s going through some things swingwise, but he’s putting competitive bats. Just a matter of time for him to start doing damage.”
In the sixth inning, with the Sox leading, 3-2, and Angels reliever José Suarez on the mound, Yoshida pounded a middle-middle sinker over the right field wall for his first homer of the season and a three-run advantage.
The Sox will need more slugging from Yoshida — especially if he’s a mainstay at DH. Yoshida, who hit .289 last season, clubbed 15 homers and slugged .445 with a .783 OPS. Yet a lot of those stats were frontloaded because after the All-Star break, Yoshida hit a deep funk, batting just .254/.278/.386 with a .664 OPS.
There was a power outage, too, with Yoshida hitting just five homers after the break. Before Sunday’s game, Yoshida’s most recent homer was Sept. 4. For more perspective, Yoshida went 130 plate appearances (34 games) without a homer.
The Sox said Yoshida had difficulty adjusting to MLB travel and the 162-game schedule. Because of that, Yoshida would feel as though his legs were heavy, hampering his ability to get to his swing going.
This year, however, Cora says Yoshida’s slow start is more mechanical.
“He’s fighting his swing right now,” said Cora. “He’s always on point with his swing. He pays a lot of attention to details. You know, he’s working [the hitting coaches]. But I think there’s a few things that he’s fighting mechanically right now.”
Sunday might have been a good sign for Yoshida, though.
“I’m trying to make minor adjustments to get the best swing out of me,” said Yoshida through a team interpreter.
Special uniforms
The Red Sox-Guardians Patriots Day matchup will begin at 11:10 a.m. Monday. The team will wear home jerseys with “Boston” across the front, honoring those who died in the Boston Marathon 11 years ago. Monday also marks Jackie Robinson Day, and Sox players will don Robinson’s No. 42 in blue lettering on the back of their home white uniforms.
Pregame ceremonies will begin at 10:40 a.m., recognizing One Boston Day and the 77th anniversary of Robinson breaking the color barrier. The End Zone Militia will provide the presentation of colors and the American flag will cover the Green Monster. Sympli Whitney will sing the national anthem.
Devers should be back
Cora believes third baseman Rafael Devers (shoulder) should be ready for Monday. Devers has been sidelined for the last four games (six overall) as he continues to deal with issues in his left shoulder. “We’re just playing it smart,” said Cora. “Like I said [Saturday], he’s too important for us not only now but in the future. So just take care of him and he’ll take care of us later.” Devers took swings Sunday . . . Chris Martin was out Sunday because of a sore shoulder. Cora considers the reliever day-today... Nick Pivetta (elbow) felt good after playing catch Saturday. The starter will play catch again Monday.