News and notes from around Red Sox Nation
Well, Brayan Bello did his job. If the Sox are going to close the gap between themselves and Minnesota Twins for the third wild card, they’re going to need to do it with much better pitching. Bello answered the call with the best start of his big league career. (Peter Abraham, Boston Globe)
The pitching wasn’t the only thing the Sox needed. In homering over the monster (hey!) Tyler O’Neil gave the Red Sox the Fenway Park power they’ve been missing. (Rob Bradford, WEEI)
The schedule really is on the Red Sox’ side down the stretch, as the Twins, Royals, and Guardians all face each other several times over the last month of the season. But it’s not enough for the teams ahead of the Sox to lose, the Sox also need to win, and they haven’t had a genuine winning streak since the All-Star break. (Sean McAdam, MassLive)
Adding Liam Hendriks to the bullpen certainly could help things. The Australian reliever is targeting September 6 for a potential return. (Chris Cotillo, MassLive)
But Hendriks wouldn’t come close to making up for the loss of Rafael Devers. The third baseman missed his second straight game last night, thanks to the gimpy shoulder that’s been bothering him all season long. Alex Cora is expecting him to return to the lineup either tonight against the Jays, or tomorrow to open the series against the Tigers. (Adam London, NESN)
At least Triston Casas is back. Having his bat in the lineup helps offset the loss of of Devers, and also increases the Sox’ number of masked yogis. (Alex Speier, Boston Globe)