Vazquez’ role increases
Will start tonight with Porcello
TORONTO — Christian Vazquez might edge out Sandy Leon in the final month of the season in a much different way than David Ross edged out Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the 2013 playoffs.
Ross brought a defensive presence Salty just couldn’t match.
Vazquez and Leon both can call pitches, frame well and throw bullets to second base. But Vazquez is turning into an offensive weapon, with four hits Monday night to bring his average to .294.
Just a few days ago, John Farrell said he did not want to break up the battery tandems of Leon with Chris Sale and Rick Porcello, and Vazquez with Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez.
After Vazquez’ big game Monday, the manager is ready to change his mind.
Leon was 0-for-3 in last night’s 3-0 win against the Blue Jays with Sale on the mound, his average falling to .235. With Porcello on the mound tonight, Vazquez likely will get the start.
“He has swung the bat extremely well the last four or five weeks,” Farrell said of Vazquez. “That’s a possible combination we look to change up a little bit with that bat in there.”
Leon has been behind the plate for all but 61⁄3 of Porcello’s 1701⁄3 innings this season. During Porcello’s Cy Young Award season last year, Leon and Vazquez both caught 15 games for him. He had a 2.52 ERA throwing to Leon and a 3.64 ERA throwing to Vazquez.
“He’s done an excellent job on both sides of the game, and this will be a little bit of a different shift from the combinations we’ve used for the better part of this whole season,” Farrell said. “But you can’t deny the way he’s impacting the baseball right now.”
It’s not often a player gets four hits and then sits the next day, but Farrell certainly wasn’t going to ruin the tandem of Leon and Sale during the lefty’s Cy Young-worthy season.
Did Farrell consider Vazquez instead of Chris Young (0-for-4, .237) as the designated hitter last night?
“That’s something I wouldn’t rule out, but I don’t know if it would be the first alignment,” he said. “We’ll see how things unfold.”
Sale improved to 15-6, allowing three hits and striking out 11 in seven-plus dominant innings. It was his first start since giving up seven runs to Cleveland last week.
Price takes step
David Price could be back on the mound today for the first time since July 22.
“He came out of yesterday’s work feeling good, and provided that his catch game today, his throwing program, is achieved or completed as we expect, it’s hopeful that he’d get on a mound,” Farrell said. “It would be a big step.”
There’s no way Price could be stretched out in time to make a rehab start since the minor league season ends in a week, but the Red Sox could stage a simulated game when he’s ready.
“It’s way too early,” Farrell said. “As we did prior to him starting the season with us, there were five or six (simulated) games that we put together that we were able to build up a physical base. I would guess that we’d probably take that same approach.
Nunez cut down
Jose Bautista had the ball just as Eduardo Nunez was rounding third base when third base coach Brian Butterfield decided to send him home in the first inning. The throw was off-line, but Nunez was out easily.
The Sox often like to test Bautista’s arm in right field, but it didn’t work out last night, nor has it worked out in general this season.
Nunez’ out was the 26th time the Red Sox have been thrown out at home this year, most in the majors.
Nunez was 2-for-3 out of the No. 2 hole . . . .
Rajai Davis, who has a .322 on-base percentage against lefties this season, got the call as the leadoff hitter against the Jays’ Brett Anderson and was 2-for4 with two steals and two runs. The decision made sense since Davis is an elite runner and Jays catcher Miguel Montero had allowed 48 stolen bases in 52 attempts this season.
Nunez had hit leadoff in his previous 18 games.
“We know that recently, the left-handers that have gone against us, we’ve had some opportunities where maybe it hasn’t clicked for us,” Farrell said. “That’s where Rajai’s ability against left-handers has been more effective, and putting another speed element at the top of the order.” ...
Right-hander Matt Barnes is likely to return Friday. Jackie Bradley Jr. might return Saturday . ...
The first draft of the rosters for the Arizona Fall League was sent out yesterday. The Sox will send Henry Owens, Brian Johnson, Ty Buttery and Bobby Poyner to pitch, as well as position players Michael Chavis, Chad De La Guerra and Josh Tobias. If any of them, particularly Johnson or Owens, are needed on the big league roster, they’ll play with the Red Sox before reporting to the Peoria Javelinas.