One epic pitching matchup. Jon Niese beat his former team in the first game, and Juan Nicasio got just his second win in his last six starts, retiring the first twelve Mets batters of the game in the nightcap. Action begins at 10:15 p.m. ET on Tuesday, Jun. 7 and can be seen on CSBA and NESN.
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The San Francisco Giants could use a win after losing five of their last eight games.
What’s interesting about Davis is that he returned to the rotation in 2013 when he was traded to Kansas City, and once again posted mediocre numbers (8-11, 5.32 ERA, 114 Ks, 58 BBs, 1.677 WHIP in 31 appearances, 24 of which were starts). Mookie Betts put down a flawless bunt single to load the bases, and after Dustin Pedroia grounded into a forceout at the plate, Bogaerts waved at a hanging, 2-2 curveball and found a patch of grass.
Prior to Tuesday night’s contest, the Red Sox and Giants haven’t faced each other since August 19-21 2013.
Madison Bumgarner has easily made his case for the NL Cy Young Award this season.
Here are the probable starters for the series.
There have been flashes, like the 14-strikeout game against the lowly Atlanta Braves on April 26 or the one-run, 12-strikeout start against the underachieving Houston Astros on May 12.
However, what Bumgarner has also done at the plate is what has been very surprising.
So far in his final season, David Ortiz has hit 16 homers, with many games still ahead of him. Marco Hernandez was walked and Boston suddenly had two runners on with no outs in the inning. It is truly special what the ace has done at the plate, and he has become a valuable threat whenever he is at the plate.
The Red Sox have had the best offense in the majors this season by a considerable margin. “It’s a tough game to let get away”. He could possibly start at first base, but it is unlikely manager John Farrell will elect to do that in a regular season game, as Ortiz came off the bench in the first game. It’s a testament to the potency of the Red Sox lineup that Bochy didn’t order the customary intentional walk. Betts scored when Bogaerts hit an to the left side that Crawford deftly gloved, but the shortstop s off-balance throw to first base arrived a split second too late. Jackie Bradley Jr. has also been surprisingly one of the greatest hitters in baseball this year, but has hit just.172 since his 29 game hit streak came to an end. By June 10th, 2015, he was hitting an uncharacteristic.219 and had claimed a mere six home runs. Then, in the 10th, pinch-hitting rookie Marco Hernandez drew a walk, Mookie Betts dropped a flawless bunt for a hit and, two batters later, Xander Bogaerts looped one of his signature two-run singles over a drawn-in Giants infield into shallow center field to drive in two runs and account for the final margin.
If you follow (or even have the slightest knowledge of) baseball, you’ve probably heard at least one (million) Red Sox fan complain about how poorly Clay Buchholz has pitched this year.
Have yourself a night Chris Young!
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Red Sox: Price (7-2, 4.88 ERA) is 3-1 with a 2.62 ERA over his last five starts. His ERA has dropped to a respectable 4.88, and is third in the American League in strikeouts with 84 behind Chris Archer and Justin Verlander. Led by Buster Posey, Hunter Pence, and Brandon Belt, the Giants offense is sixth in the National League in runs and hits, and they are seventh in batting average. Operating with a leaner lineup, they can’t leave fruit on the vine. And I think he left the last one close to the middle, that’s probably why I hit it.
