Barnes, the former UConn star, wants to be the Sox’s closer
BOSTON — Matt Barnes made it clear how he wants to contribute to the Red Sox this season. When asked if he wanted to be the team’s closer Saturday afternoon, Barnes offered just a one-word response. “Yes.”
Who the Red Sox establish as their closer come April 1 is still unknown. Manager Alex Cora, did, however, rule out newly-acquired Japanese reliever Hirokazu Sawamura. That gives Barnes a stronger case, but there’s still a case to be made for Adam Ottavino and Ryan Brasier, too. Each has little experience in that role, though, with a combined 41 career saves between the three of them.
Barnes had a down season last year, compiling a 4.30 ERA in 23 innings pitched. However he came around in his last 12 appearances, registering a 2.45 ERA and 16 strikeouts in 11 innings. He attributes the latter success to finally getting his rhythm in what was just a 60-game season and the shortened summer camp.
“At the end of the day, you have to go out there and you got to get the job done with the hand that you’re dealt,” Barnes said. “When you got a normal spring training, you’ve got six to eight weeks to get ready where you’re playing other teams, you’re throwing bullpens, you’re not going against your teammates. You’re throwing in actual games. You can’t simulate what it’s like to play against somebody in a different uniform.”
Barnes is now in his final year before hitting the free agent market. He said he wants to remain with the Red Sox beyond this season but will just have to see how it plays out.
“WhileitmaybethatI’mauditioning,potentially,fortheother29teams, I’m still wearing a Red Sox uniform,” Barnes said. “I’m still going out there trying to win as many ball games as possible with this team.”
Cora wants the bullpen to have defined roles. So if Barnes, who was 8 for 10 in save situations with a 3.12 ERA, is named the closer, that would mean the Sox are confident he can produce and stick in that role.
A rotation for now: Nate Eovaldi will start the Grapefruit League opener at Minnesota on Sunday afternoon with Garrett Richards, Martin Perez, Nick Pivetta, Matt Andriese, and Eduardo Rodriguez to follow in a six-man rotation.
Bush said the rotation would drop to five starters later in camp.
Rodriguez threw two innings in a simulated game on Sunday, allowing one run on two hits and striking out two. Pivetta also threw an inning as did Bryan Mata.
Rodriguez, who missed all of last season after contracting COVID19, has pitched well so far. The team is watching him carefully.
New rules: With the Grapefruit League opening Sunday, teams have the option of cutting games to five or seven innings by mutual agreement. Cora has said he expects most games will go seven. ... Backup catcher Kevin Plawecki took part in the workout after coming off the COVID-19 related injured list. The Sox will have to make a 40-man roster move to accommodate the move but have a grace period before it’s due.
CINCINNATI — With Xavier needing a quality win to bolster its NCAA Tournament hopes, coach Travis Steele called each player the night before the team’s game against No. 13 Creighton.
The Musketeers got the message.
Paul Scruggs scored 23 points and Zach Freemantle added 17 leading Xavier to a 77-69 victory Saturday.
Xavier, which has a 22-point win over No. 7 Oklahoma from December
on its resume, badly needed this one — especially after losing three of four.
“Our guys were ready,” Steele said. “Our team had a different vibe to it today, it just did. Every player positively impacted us on the floor. Creighton was playing as well as any team in the country.”
Freemantle also had 10 rebounds for Xavier (13-5, 6-5) for his fifth straight double-double. The Musketeers led by as many as 13 points and staved off a late comeback by Creighton.
Damien Jefferson led Creighton
(17-6, 13-5 Big East) with 19 points, and Marcus Zegarowski had 15. Mitch Ballock and Denzel Mahoney each had 11 points for the Bluejays, whose four-game winning streak was snapped.
The Musketeers got off to a strong start as Freemantle’s 3-pointer capped a 12-0 run to put Xavier ahead 25-16.
“We came in trying to slow Scruggs and Freemantle, and didn’t do a very good job,” Creighton coach Greg McDermott said. “Kudos to Xavier. They played really well. Two good players stepped up for them today.”
Creighton took advantage of a four-minute scoring drought by the Musketeers with a 9-0 run, finished off by Jefferson’s 3-pointer to tie it.
Xavier took a 33-31 lead into halftime with Scruggs’ 11 points leading the way.
When Creighton defeated the Musketeers 66-61 in Omaha in December, both teams shot poorly.
Things heated up in the second half Saturday with the teams combining to hit eight of nine field goal attempts.