BOSTON RED SOX NOTES:
STATE OF THE SOX: The Red Sox lost last night’s series opener at TB, 1-0, after completing a 3-game sweep at DET from Thursday-Sunday. Last night was Boston’s first 1-0 loss since 9/7/22, also at TB…3 of the last 5 games the Sox have lost 1-0, beginning 6/24/21, have been at Tropicana Field with Nick Pivetta as the Sox’ starting pitcher. Nick Pivetta allowed 3 H with 2 BB and 6 SO over 5.0 scoreless innings last night…Josh Winckowski followed with 2.0 scoreless innings of relief (H, SO).
LEADERS OF THE PACK: The Red Sox rank 3rd in the AL and 4th in MLB in runs scored (59), trailing only TB (76), LAD (69), and LAA (60). Red Sox hitters have struck out in just 18.6% of their plate appearances (72 SO/388 PA), the 3rd-best SO% in MLB (TB-17.0%, WSH-17.7%).
The Sox also rank in the AL’s top 5 in various offensive categories (see below).
RED SOX OFFENSIVE RANKINGS
Stat AL Rank
59 R………………………… 3rd
35 XBH…………………. T-4th
15 HR …………………… T-4th
151 total bases…………. 4th
Stat AL Rank
.440 SLG …………………….. 3rd
.766 OPS …………………….. 5th
18.6 SO%…………………… 2nd
HOT START: The Red Sox have scored at least 59 runs through their first 10 games for the 3rd time in the last 20 seasons (also 62 runs in 2021 and 59 runs in 2015). The Sox have hit at least 15 home runs through their first 10 games for the 5th time in club history (also 2021, 2003, 1973, 1969). Boston’s offense has averaged 5.9 runs/game (59 R), 8.4 hits/game (84 H), and 7.2 strikeouts/game (72 SO). Over the last 4 games, the Sox have outscored their opponents 24-10.
INNINGS OF INTEREST: The Red Sox have scored in either the 1st or 2nd inning in 7 of their 10 games (17 total runs). They have scored 8 runs in the 1st inning, 2nd most among AL teams and tied for 5th most in MLB. They have scored 9 runs in the 2nd inning, tied with TB for most in the AL and 2nd in MLB. The Red Sox have outscored opponents in the 8th and 9th innings, 11-4. The Sox have scored 4+ runs in 4 innings this season, trailing only TB (5) for most such innings in MLB.
ON THE MEND: Brayan Bello is scheduled to make a rehab start for Triple-A Worcester today at 6:45 p.m. vs. Columbus…He threw 72 pitches over 5.0 innings in an intra-squad game at Fenway South on 4/5. James Paxton made a rehab start for Triple-A Worcester Sunday at Buffalo…He struck out 3 batters over 3.0 scoreless innings (2 H, 2 BB, 58 pitches, 34 strikes).
THE NEW GUYS: Eleven members of the Red Sox’ active roster or injured list were not in the organization during the 2022 season (see below).
RED SOX OFF-SEASON ACQUISITIONS
ON OPENING DAY ROSTER OR INJURED LIST
Player Acquired Date
LHP Joely Rodriguez Free Agent 11/23
RHP Chris Martin Free Agent 12/8
RHP Kenley Jansen Free Agent 12/13
OF Masataka Yoshida Free Agent 12/15
RHP Wyatt Mills Trade with KC 12/16
INF Justin Turner Free Agent 1/6
RHP Corey Kluber Free Agent 1/12
OF Raimel Tapia Minor League Free Agent 1/21
OF Adam Duvall Free Agent 1/24
INF Adalberto Mondesi Trade with KC 1/24
LHP Richard Bleier Trade with MIA 1/30
START ME UP: Red Sox starting pitchers have tossed 5.0
innings and allowed 3 ER or fewer in each of the last 6
games, posting a 2.40 ERA (8 ER/30.0 IP) over the span.
RED SOX STARTING PITCHERS, LAST 6 GAMES
Pitcher Game IP ER
Nick Pivetta 4/4 vs. PIT 5.0 1
Corey Kluber 4/5 vs. PIT 5.0 1
Chris Sale 4/6 at DET 5.0 3
Tanner Houck 4/8 at DET 5.0 2
Kutter Crawford 4/9 at DET 5.0 1
Nick Pivetta 4/10 at TB 5.0 0
WHAT A RELIEF: Over the last 7 games (since 4/3), Red Sox relievers have posted a 2.25 ERA (7 ER/28.0 IP). Dating back to the 7th inning on Opening Day vs. BAL, 33 of the 40 innings started by Red Sox relievers have been scoreless. 5 of the 8 relief pitchers the Red Sox have used this season have allowed 1 or 0 runs (see below).
RED SOX RELIEVERS TO ALLOW 1 OR 0 RUNS
Pitcher IP R
Kenley Jansen 3.0 0
Josh Winckowski 9.0 1
Zack Kelly 6.2 1
Chris Martin 6.0 1
John Schreiber 5.0 1
SHARP WHIT: Garrett Whitlock will make his 2023 debut after being reinstated from the IL prior to tonight’s game. Whitlock made a rehab start for Double-A Portland vs. Binghamton on 4/6 (6.0 IP, H, R, BB, 8 SO)… He also started for Triple-A Worcester on 3/31 vs. Syracuse (4.0 IP, 6 H, R, BB, 6 SO). He owns the 2nd-lowest ERA by any Red Sox pitcher through their first 2 career seasons (see below).
LOWEST ERA BY RED SOX
THROUGH FIRST 2 SEASONS, LIVE BALL ERA
Player Seasons ERA
Dick Radatz 1962-63 2.10
Garrett Whitlock 2021-22 2.73
Tex Hughson 1941-42 2.87
*min. 150.0 IP
FOREVER AND DEVERS: Rafael Devers ranks T-3rd in MLB in HR (4), T-5th in total bases (28), and T-7th in XBH (7) and hard-hit balls (95+ MPH, 18). Devers and Adam Duvall are tied with Wander Franco, Aaron Judge, and Luis Robert Jr. for the AL lead in home runs (4; T-3rd in MLB).
MACHO MAN: Masataka Yoshida has hit from the 4th spot in the lineup in each of his 9 career games…He is the first player since Jack Hoey in 1906 to bat 4th for the Red Sox in each of his first 9 MLB games. Yoshida is 1 of 3 players since 1950 to bat 4th in each of their first 9 MLB games, joining Kris Bryant (2015 with CHC) and Pete Incaviglia (1986 with TEX).
SOX & RAYS: Tonight marks the 2nd of 13 scheduled meetings between the Red Sox and Rays in 2023. The Rays will visit Fenway Park for 4 games in 3 days from 6/2-4, and a 2-game series from 9/26-27…The Sox will return to Tropicana Field for 3 games from 9/4-6. The Red Sox are 7-13 vs. TB since the start of 2022, but lead the all-time series, 239-202.
ROAD TRIPPING: The Red Sox are 3-1 so far on their 7-game road trip to DET (3-0) and TB (0-1). The Red Sox are currently in a stretch of 19 games in 19 days, from 4/8-26 (3-1 so far). After the current series, the Red Sox will begin a 7-game homestand against LAA (4 games) and MIN (3 games).
TONIGHT’S STARTER: 72 GARRETT WHITLOCK – RHP
Was reinstated from the 15-day IL prior to tonight’s game.
Allowed 1 run in each of his 2 rehab starts, tossing 4.0 innings for Triple-A Worcester on 3/31 (6 R, BB, 6 SO) and 6.0 innings for Double-A Portland on 4/6 (H, BB, 8 SO). Made 31 appearances in 2022, including the first 9 starts of his MLB career…Among AL pitchers with at least 75.0 IP, ranked 8th in SO/BB ratio (5.47), 11th in WHIP (1.02), 15th in opponent AVG (.222), and 17th in opponent OPS (.639).
Limited LHH to a .192 AVG, .215 OBP, and .344 SLG (24-for-125, 3 HR) and RHH to a .244/.293/.405 line (41-for-168, 7 HR).
Underwent a successful right hip arthroscopy on 9/26/22, performed by Dr. Bryan Kelly at the Hospital for Special Surgery in New York.
TAMPA BAY RAYS NOTES:
WASH, RINSE, REPEAT — The Rays recorded their third consecutive shutout last night vs. Boston in a 1-0 victory, extending their win streak to 10 games…LHP Jalen Beeks started as an opener and tossed 2.0 scoreless innings, allowing a hit with no walks and two strikeouts…he was followed by LHP Josh Fleming, who threw 4.0 scoreless innings, scattering a hit with no walks and four strikeouts…2B Brandon Lowe broke a scoreless tie in the eighth inning with a solo homer…has homered in three consecutive games for the first time since 7/31-8/4, 2020 (4G)…prior to Lowe’s homer, Red Sox relievers had not surrendered a home run across 42.0 innings to begin the season
The Rays became the first team to begin a season 10-0 since the 1987 Milwaukee Brewers won 13 straight to begin the year…Tampa Bay joins Milwaukee as one of seven teams since 1901 to begin a season on a 10+ game win streak, joining the 1982 Atlanta Braves (13-0), 1981 Oakland Athletics (11-0), 1966 Cleveland Indians (now Guardians) (10-0), 1962 Pittsburgh Pirates (10-0) and 1955 Brooklyn Dodgers (10-0).
It marked the 21st time in franchise history Tampa Bay has shut out Boston and the first since a 1-0 win on 9/7/22.
10 AND COUNTING — The Rays 10-game win streak is the third-longest in franchise history, surpassing nine-game runs from 7/12-26, 2014 and 8/21-31, 2019…with a win tonight, the Rays would match the 2021 club’s 11-game streak from 5/13-24 for the second-best run in franchise history…Tampa Bay’s longest win streak in team history was 12 games from 6/9-22, 2004.
The Rays’ seven-game win streak at Tropicana Field is their longest to open a home slate in club history, surpassing three-game runs by the 2002, 2012 and 2022 clubs… marks Tampa Bay’s longest home win streak since winning eight straight at Tropicana Field from 8/20-9/3, 2022.
The club’s three-game road win streak is its longest to begin a season since a seven-game road streak to kick off the 2010 season.
BALANCED ATTACK — The Rays have yielded only 18 runs, the fewest through 10 games in club history, ahead of the 2019 squad (19 runs).
Since 1901, Tampa Bay is one of 13 teams to allow 18 runs or fewer through the first 10 games of the season, and the first since the 2004 Florida Marlins (18R).
Per Opta STATS, the Rays have not allowed more than one run in any of their 63.0 innings pitched at home…it is the most innings at home to start a season without allowing multiple runs since the 1919 Cincinnati Reds (71.0IP).
Tampa Bay’s 76 runs scored are its most ever through 10 games to start the year, ahead of the 2003 Rays (58 runs)…marks the most runs scored by an MLB team through 10 games since the 2019 Los Angeles Dodgers (86 runs).
BLAST OFF — The Rays have hit a major league-best 25 homers, ahead of Los Angeles-NL (21HR)…the 25 HR are tied for the second-most long balls through 10 games in MLB history, trailing only the 2000 St. Louis Cardinals (28HR)…the Rays have hit seven more home runs than their total number of runs allowed (18 runs).
The Rays would need four home runs tonight to match the current MLB mark for most homers through 11 games, also done by the 2000 Cardinals (29HR)… Tampa Bay has already registered a pair of 4+ homer games (4/4 at WSH, 4/7 vs. OAK) after recording only one such contest in 2022 (6/21/22 vs. NYY).
NO FLY ZONE — Rays pitchers have allowed just four home runs across 90.0 innings, good for an MLB-best 0.40 HR/9.0IP…the four homers allowed are tied with the 1998 Rays for the fewest allowed through 10 games in franchise history…the fewest home runs allowed through the first 11 games of a season in franchise history is seven by the 2014 Rays.
Overall, Tampa Bay’s pitching staff has produced an MLB-leading 1.70 ERA, including the best starter ERA (1.83) and second-best bullpen ERA 1.50) behind Milwaukee (0.77).
BOSOX IN THE BAY — The Rays play game two of a 13-game season series against Boston tonight at Tropicana Field…in 2022, Tampa Bay won the season series for the fourth consecutive year, winning 12 of 19 matchups…since 2019, the Rays are 42-25 (.627) against the Red Sox, their second most wins against any opponent in that span behind only Baltimore (46-21).
The Rays have won a franchise-best 10 consecutive home games over the Red Sox since 4/23/22, outscoring the Red Sox, 44-23 (+21), in those games.
Last night’s win snapped a three-game losing skid to Boston dating back to 10/3/22.
TOO HOT TO HANDLE — Randy Arozarena owns an 11-game hit streak dating back to 10/5/22, the longest active stretch in the majors…during the run, he is batting .355 (15- for-41) with three doubles, 2 HR and 11 RBI.
The 11-game stretch is tied for the second-longest streak of his career (8/2-19, 2021) and one shy of his career-high 12-game hit streak (6/3-17, 2021).
Arozarena also extended his home hit streak to 12 games dating to 9/21/22, during which he is batting .404 (19-for-47) with 17 RBI.
After swiping his second bag of the year in last night’s win, Arozarena is one steal shy of matching Rocco Baldelli for the 10th most stolen bases in franchise history at 59.
THE LOWE DOWN — Brandon Lowe has homered in three consecutive games for the first time since 7/31-8/4, 2020 (4G)…the three-game homer streak is tied with Los Angeles-AL’s Hunter Renfroe for the longest active streak in the majors.
In 45 career games against Boston, Lowe is hitting .329 (48-for-146) with 14 HR and 33 RBI, his most home runs against any opponent in his career.
IN THE TRAINING ROOM — Prior to tonight’s game, RHP Zach Eflin was placed on the 15-day IL (retro 4/8) with lower back tightness…RHP Taj Bradley has been recalled from Triple-A Durham and will make his major league debut tomorrow night opposite LHP Chris Sale.
TONIGHT’S STARTER: LHP SHANE McCLANAHAN (2-0, 1.50)
SUGAR SHANE — The right-hander takes the ball this evening for his third start of the campaign, including his second at Tropicana Field…is searching for his third victory in as many starts, which would mark his most consecutive wins since 5/17-6/9, 2022 (5GS)…was originally selected by the Rays in the first round (31st overall) of the 2018 MLB Draft.
LAST START — McClanahan overcame four walks to toss 6.0 innings while yielding a pair of runs on 4/5 at Washington (6.0IP, 5H, 2ER, 4BB, 6SO)…permitted RBI hits in the second and fourth frames, but stranded five Nationals on the basepaths…worked out of a one-out, bases-loaded jam in the fourth with a pair of strikeouts.
Ê His four walks in the outing tied a career high (2x, last: 9/20/22 vs.
Houston)…has earned the win in consecutive starts for the first
time since 6/26-7/2, 2022.
RED HOT AGAINST THE SOX — Has gone 3-1 with a 2.45 ERA (29.1IP, 8ER) over five career starts against Boston, including 2-0 with a 2.03 ERA (13.1IP, 3ER) in a pair of starts in 2022…his 2.45 career ERA against the Red Sox is tied with Baltimore for his lowest against any divisional opponent while his 6.20 SO/BB ratio (31SO, 5BB) is his best mark against any AL East foe.
Over his last three outings opposite Boston, Shane is 2-0 with a 1.47 ERA (18.1IP, 3ER), holding Red Sox batters to a .185/.197/.231 (12-for65) clip in that span.
McClanhan has yielded only one homer to a Red Sox hitter in 29.1 innings pitched (Hunter Renfroe, 8/1/21).
VS. AL EAST — McClanahan has thrived against divisional opponents in his career, pitching to an 11-6 mark with a 2.74 ERA (131.1IP, 40ER) in 24 starts against the AL East…his 2.06 ERA (65.2IP, 15ER) against the division in 2022 was second-best in the majors (min. 50.0IP vs. AL East), trailing only TOR Alek Manoah (1.90).
Has allowed two or fewer earned runs in 13 of his last 14 starts against division rivals dating back to 9/8/21, turning in a 6-2 record to go with a 1.95 ERA (73.2IP, 16ER) in those games.
ON TOP AT THE TROP—Went 9-5 with a 2.81 ERA (105.2IP, 33ER) in 18 home starts in 2022…his nine home victories were tied for third in the AL and tied for second in club history, trailing only Blake Snell (10) in 2018.
Since the beginning of 2022, McClanahan’s 2.66 ERA (111.2IP, 33ER) at Tropicana Field is the second-lowest home ERA in the AL, trailing only CWS Dylan Cease’s 2.32 ERA (min. 100.0IP).
FULL SPEED AHEAD — McClanahan’s four-seam fastball has clocked in at an average velocity of 97.4 mph this season, second-fastest among AL starting pitchers’ fastballs behind TEX Jacob deGrom (98.6 mph) and fourth-fastest among MLB starters (min. 50 FB thrown)…since breaking into the majors in 2021, his 96.6 mph average velocity on his fastball is eighth-fastest in MLB, including third among southpaws (min. 1,500 FB thrown) behind only José Alvarado (97.8 mph) and Gregory Soto (98.3 mph).
CHANGING IT UP — McClanahan threw his changeup on 25.4 pct. of his pitches last season compared to 8.0 percent in 2021…opponents hit just .145 (24-for-166) and produced only four extra-base hits (3 2B, 1 HR) against the offering…he posted a 44.6 whiff pct. on his changeup and 61 of his 194 strikeouts (31.4 pct.) came on the pitch.
Through his first two starts in 2023, McClanahan has thrown his changeup 20.4 pct. of the time, registering a 38.1 pct. whiff rate on the pitch.
OPENING DAY SHANE — McClanahan was named the Rays’ Opening Day starter by manager Kevin Cash on 3/24…McClanahan is the first Rays pitcher to make consecutive Opening Day starts since Chris Archer made four straight from 2015-2018 and is the sixth to do so in club history (also: David Price, 2013-2014; James Shields, 2008-2010; Scott Kazmir, 2006-2007; Wilson Álvarez, 1998-1999).
HEY NOW, YOU’RE AN ALL-STAR — In 2022, McClanahan became the second pitcher in club history to start an All-Star Game, following David Price in 2010…McClanahan became the ninth Rays starting pitcher to make an All-Star Team, joining Charlie Morton (2019), Blake Snell (2018), Chris Archer (2015, 2017), David Price (2010-12, 2014), Matt Moore (2013), James Shields (2011), Scott Kazmir (2006, 2008) and Rolando Arrojo (1998).
