COLORADO ROCKIES NOTES:
WICKED
- The Colorado Rockies play the first game of their 10-game road trip tonight with the first of three games at Fenway Park … following this series, will travel to Atlanta for four games followed by Cincinnati for three … this is the first of two 10-game road trips for the Rockies this season (also: Aug. 4-13).
- The Rockies snapped their six-game losing streak and avoided a winless homestand with their walk-off win over the Padres yesterday … tied the game in the eighth on a Coco Montes two-run home run in his Major League debut, tied it again in the ninth on a Ryan McMahon home run, and then walked it off two batters and an 85-minute rain delay later on a Nolan Jones solo home run … it’s the first time in franchise history that the Rockies hit game-tying home runs in both the eighth and ninth innings and followed with a walk-off home run, and the first time any team in the Majors has done this since San Diego on May 25, 2008 vs. Cincinnati.
- The Rockies are in a stretch of 16-straight days with a game, and 33 games in 34 day overall from May 19-June 21 … are 8-15 through the first 23 games of this stretch.
JONES JIVING
- Nolan Jones’ walk-off home run yesterday was the first of his career, and the first walk-off home run by a Rockie since Elias Díaz on Sept. 9, 2022 … measured at 472 feet, it’s the longest walk-off home run in baseball in the Statcast Era (since 2015) and the eighth-longest overall in the Majors this season.
- The home run was Jones’ fourth of the season, his second over his last two games and third in his last five overall … also hit a 483-foot home run last Wednesday, the second-longest home run in the Majors this season … is the only player in the Majors with two of the 10 longest home runs in baseball this season.
- The home run last Wednesday was measured at 114.2 mph off the bat, the third-hardest hit home run by a Rockies player in the Statcast Era (since 2015), trailing two Carlos González home runs hit in 2016 (117.4 mph, June 4 at Arizona) and 2018 (114.4 mph, July 31 at Cincinnati).
- Since his recall from Triple-A on May 26, the 25-year-old is slashing .360/.407/.680 with four doubles, four home runs, 12 RBI and four stolen bases … he joins Ellis Burks in 1994 as the only players to slash at least .360/.407/.680 or better in their first 15 games with the Rockies (min. 50 at-bats).
- Jones also stole a base in four-straight games June 6-9, the longest stolen base streak for a Rockies player since Charlie Blackmon stole a base in five-straight June 11-15, 2011.
MAC ATTACK
- Third baseman Ryan McMahon has reached base in 17 of his last 19 with nine multi-hit games since May 3 … is slashing .351/.429/.689 with five doubles, one triple, six home runs and 19 RBI over that span … ranks second in the NL in RBI, third in extra-base hits, tied for third in hits and tied for fifth in home runs since May 23.
- McMahon’s 1.9 WAR (Baseball Reference) ranks second among NL players with at least 50% of their games at third base this season … his nine defensive runs saved at third base are tied with Ke’Bryan Hayes for the most among third basemen (via. Sports Info Solutions).
- Since moving from second base to third base on April 18, McMahon has slashed .280/.351/.500 with 15 doubles, two triples, seven home runs and 29 RBI.
WAY DOWN IN COCOMO
- Infielder Coco Montes went 2-for-3 with a home run and two RBI in his Major League debut on Sunday … hit a game-tying two-run home run in the eighth inning … became the ninth Rockies player to homer in their Major League debut (last: Sam Hilliard, Aug. 27, 2019 vs. Boston), the first to hit a game-tying or go-ahead homer in the eighth inning or later in their debut … is the first Major Leaguer to do so since Ke’Bryan Hayes on Sept. 1, 2020 vs. Chicago-NL.
BABY GOT BACKSTOP
- Rockies catcher Elias Díaz’s .294 batting average ranks 10th in the National League and is the highest among all MLB catchers … his .336 (36-for-107) average at home is the sixth-highest in the Majors while his .382 (21-for-55) average with runners in scoring position is the sixth-highest in the NL.
- Has appeared in 54 games at catcher, the second-most in the Majors … his 12 catcher caught stealing are tied for the second-most in the Majors.
D-FENCE
- Catcher Elias Díaz’s 1.3 defensive WAR (Baseball Reference) is tied for the second-highest mark among all players, the best among all catchers … 3B Ryan McMahon’s 1.0 dWAR is tied for the ninth-best among all position players, second-best among third basemen … SS Ezequiel Tovar’s 0.9 dWAR is tied for the third-best in the NL.
ROCKIES STARTING PITCHER – #43 CONNOR SEABOLD RHP
STARTING THINGS OFF
- Designated for assignment by Boston, Jan. 12, 2023 … acquired by Colorado via trade for cash considerations or a player to be named later, Jan. 17.
- Rated by Baseball America as having the best changeup in the Red Sox system in 2021 and best control in 2022 … also ranked by Baseball America as one of the Red Sox top prospects in 2021 (No. 11) and ‘22 (No. 21).
- Made his Major League debut with the Red Sox on Sept. 11, 2021 vs. Chicago-AL.
HOME AWAY FROM HOME
- Made six starts with the Red Sox across the 2021-22 seasons, going 0-4 with a 10.55 ERA (21.1 IP, 25 ER) … allowed 38 hits, including six home runs, with 10 walks and 19 strikeouts.
- Made two starts at Fenway Park against the Yankees and Orioles, losing both … allowed 12 runs (11 earned) across 4.2 innings pitched, failing to reach the fourth inning in either start.
- Made his Major League debut with the Red Sox on Sept. 11, 2021 at Chicago-AL … pitched three innings and allowed two runs on three hits in a 9-8 Red Sox win.
- Went 8-2 with a 3.32 ERA (86.2 IP, 32 ER) across 19 starts with Triple-A Worcester, walking 19 and striking out 89 while holding opponents to a .237 average (79-for-333).
CLICKING
- Has set a new career high in innings pitched in each of his last two starts, pitching 5.1 innings on June 1 at Arizona before completing a career-high six innings in his last start, June 7 vs. San Francisco … 2.38 ERA (11.1 IP, 3 ER) across his last two with the Rockies losing both games.
- Allowed two runs on two hits with two walks and four strikeouts his last outing against the Giants at Coors Field … tossed 5.1 no-hit innings before allowing a one-out single to LaMonte Wade Jr. in the sixth inning … exited after facing two batters in the seventh, both of whom reached and came around to score … left with the Rockies leading 4-0.
START YOUR ENGINES
- Earned his first Major League win May 9 at Pittsburgh … allowed one run on three hits with a career-high three walks and three strikeouts across five innings in the 10-1 Rockies win.
- Made his first start of the season May 4 vs. Milwaukee at Coors Field … did not factor into the Rockies’ 9-6, allowing three runs on seven hits with no walks and one strikeout in five innings.
ARM BARN
- Made seven relief appearances across two stints this season before joining the rotation … allowed eight runs on 18 hits across 13.2 innings (5.27 ERA).
- Has allowed 3.24 walks per nine on the year.
- Made his first career Opening Day roster this season with the Rockies before being optioned to Triple-A Albuquerque on April 18 … recalled on April 28.
START ME UP
- Has made 13 Major League starts in his career dating back to his Major League debut on Sept. 11, 2021, going 1-6 with an 7.16 ERA (55.1 IP, 44 ER).
- As a starter, has struck out 42 and walked 24 while allowing 12 home runs.
DOING THE SPLITS
- Has posted a 4.91 ERA (29.1 IP, 16 ER) with nine walks, 16 strikeouts and four home runs at Coors Field, while putting up a 5.40 ERA (18.1 IP, 11 ER) on the road this season.
- The first time through the lineup, opponents are hitting .250 (25-for-100) compared to .246 (17-for-69) the second time through and .400 (8-for-20) the third time around.
BOSTON RED SOX NOTES:
STATE OF THE SOX: At 33-33 (.500), the Red Sox entered today with a share of MLB’s 15th-best record…They are tied with MIN (1st place in AL Central) for the AL’s 8th-best mark. Since improving to 21-14 after an 8-game winning streak from 4/29-5/6, the Sox are 12-19…They are 7-13 in their last 20 games. The Red Sox went 3-3 on their 6-game road trip to CLE (1-2) and NYY (2-1).
SERIES BUSINESS: The Red Sox defeated the Yankees in a 3-game series over the weekend, improving to 12-8-1 in series play and snapping a 3-series losing streak…Prior to that streak, they had not lost consecutive series all season. 4 of the Red Sox’ 8 series losses have been sweeps (0-3 vs. PIT, 0-4 at TB, 0-3 vs. STL, 0-3 at LAA). Boston is 9-2-0 in series when they win Game 1.
HOME COOKING: Tonight begins Boston’s 6-game homestand vs. COL (3 games) and NYY (3 games). The Red Sox are 17-16 at Fenway Park…They’re 4-9 in their last 13 games at the venue (5.0 runs scored/game), after going 11-3 in their previous 14 (6.4 runs/game). The Sox have hit 1 HR in their last 4 home games, after hitting 8 HR in their previous 5.
RED SOX OFFENSE IN HOME GAMES
Stat MLB Rank
5.7 R/game 3rd
10.0 H/game 1st
4.0 XBH/game 1st
120 wRC+ 5th
Stat MLB Rank
.288 AVG 2nd
.357 OBP 2nd
.473 SLG 4th
.830 OPS 2nd
NO TIME TO REST: The Red Sox are in a stretch of playing 13 games in 12 days from 6/3-14 (doubleheader on 6/3)… They are scheduled to play 23 games in 23 days from 6/3-25. The Sox are in a stretch of playing 15 consecutive night games from 6/6-21.
SOX & ROCKIES: Since Interleague play began in 1997, the Red Sox are 13-10 against the Rockies (8-5 at Fenway Park). In 9 series vs. COL, the Red Sox are 4-3-2…The Sox are 3-1-1 in 5 series against the Rockies at Fenway Park. The teams last met in 2019, when the Rockies visited Fenway Park for a 2-game series from 5/14-15 and the Red Sox visited Coors Field for 2 games from 8/27-28. Since 2013, the Sox are 5-2 in 7 home games vs. COL.
WILD WEST: The Red Sox are 65-43 (.602) against NL West opponents since Interleague play began in 1997…They are 44-24 (.647) vs. the NL West since the start of 2010. The Sox have won both their series against NL West opponents this season (2-1 at SD, 2-1 at ARI).
NATIONAL AFFAIRS: The Red Sox are an MLB-best 297-208 (.588) all time in Interleague play, but 10-13 this season. The Sox are 4-3-1 in Interleague series this year… They’ve lost all 3 home series against NL teams, going 1-8 in those games (0-4 vs. PIT, 0-3 vs. STL, 1-2 vs. CIN).
YOUTH MOVEMENT: Each of the Red Sox’ 3 starting pitchers over the weekend series at NYY were 26 years old or younger on the day of their start: Garrett Whitlock (26), Tanner Houck (26), Brayan Bello (24)…Whitlock turned 27 years old yesterday. Over those 3 games, those pitchers combined to allow 5 earned runs in 19.1 innings
ABOUT LAST NIGHT: The Red Sox won in 10 innings last night at Yankee Stadium…They tied the score, 2-2, in the 8th inning and took a 3-2 lead in the top of the 10th. Kiké Hernández (2-for-4) hit an RBI single in the 10th inning to score the game-winning run…Jarren Duran (2-for-4, 2B) hit a game-tying RBI groundout in the 8th inning…Justin Turner (1-for-3, BB) hit a solo HR in the 2nd inning to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.
Brayan Bello allowed 2 runs on just 3 hits over 7.0 innings (2 BB, 3 SO)…He was followed by hitless appearances from 3 Red Sox relievers (see below).
RED SOX PITCHING LAST NIGHT AT NYY
Pitcher (Decision) IP H R BB SO
Brayan Bello 7.0 3 2 2 3
Nick Pivetta 1.0 0 0 1 0
Kenley Jansen (Win) 1.0 0 0 0 1
Chris Martin (Save) 1.0 0 0 0 2
BONUS BASEBALL: Boston improved to 3-0 in extra innings (also won in 10 innings on 4/29 vs. CLE and 4/18 vs. MIN). The Red Sox are tied with ATL (also 3-0) for MLB’s best record in extra-inning games.
COMEBACK KIDS: Last night was the Red Sox’ 19th come-from-behind win, including 5 of their last 6 wins…They are tied for 5th most in MLB (BAL-22, LAA-21, CIN-20, MIA-20). Last night was the Sox’ 6th win in which they trailed after 7 innings (had 4 such wins in all of 2022)…They have lost only 1 game in which they led after 7 innings. Opponents have earned only 8 comeback wins against the Red Sox, including 0 walk-off wins.
CLOSE SHAVES: 12 of the Red Sox’ last 15 games have been decided by 3 runs or fewer, including 9 by 1 or 2 runs. The Sox are 16-15 (.516) in games decided by 1 or 2 runs, tied with the Yankees for MLB’s 14th-best mark.
GET AHEAD, STAY AHEAD: The Red Sox are 21-6 (.778) when scoring the game’s 1st run, compared to 12-27 (.308) when their opponent scores 1st.
The Sox are 24-2 (.923) when leading after 6 innings.
FOUR SCORE AND…: Last night was the Red Sox’ 4th win of the season when scoring fewer than 4 runs…They have done so in each of their last 2 wins and 3 of their last 6 (also 6/9 at NYY, 5/27 at ARI, 4/16 vs. LAA). The Red Sox are 29-10 when they score 4 or more runs, compared to 4-23 when they don’t. They last time the Sox scored 3 runs or fewer in backto-back wins was 9/11-16/22…The last time they did so in 3 consecutive wins was from 3/30-4/1/2018.
RISPY BUSINESS: In their last 9 games, the Red Sox are 11-for-80 (.138) with runners in scoring position…Overall with RISP, the Sox rank 4th in the majors in AVG (.280) and strikeout rate (19.5%), as well as 5th in OBP (.358) and 8th in OPS (.793).
PITCHING IN: The Red Sox have allowed 4 ER or fewer in 19 of their last 24 games (beginning 5/16)…In that time, they rank 10th in the majors in ERA (3.75, 87 ER/209.0 IP). Beginning 5/17, Red Sox starting pitchers rank 6th in the majors with a 3.60 ERA (46 ER/115.0 IP)…They allowed 2 ER or fewer in 17 of those 23 games. The Sox are 14-5 (.737) when their starting pitcher throws 6.0+ innings…They are 27-19 (.587) when their starter throws 5.0+ innings.
TONIGHT’S STARTER: 65 JAMES PAXTON – LHP
W-L ERA G GS IP ER HR BB SO WHIP AVG
2023 2-1 3.81 5 5 26.0 11 4 9 36 1.23 .232
CAREER 59-34 3.60 142 142 780.2 312 85 240 867 1.21 .239
Earned his 2nd win of the season on Tuesday at CLE (7.0 IP, 6 H, 2 ER, 2 BB, 9 SO)… Allowed 2 runs in the 1st inning, then tossed 6.0 scoreless innings. Has pitched at least 5.0 innings in 4 of his 5 starts this season. Has struck out at least 5 batters in each of his 5 starts (36 total SO). Ranks in MLB’s 92nd percentile in strikeout rate…Has struck out 36 of his 109 batters faced (33.0%), a rate of 12.46 SO/9.0 IP. Opponents are 12-for-40 the 1st time through the order (.308), 9-for-39 the 2nd time through (.231), and 2-for-19 the 3rd time through (.105). Has thrown his 4-seam fastball 61.0% of the time…Is averaging 95.8 MPH with the pitch.
