Thursday night time’s 2-1 loss to the Minnesota Twins felt like too lots of final yr’s Purple Sox video games:
Infield errors, each runs unearned, and too many males left on base.
The Purple Sox trailed 0-1 till the highest of the fifth due to an unearned run within the second. They misplaced due to a second unearned run within the eighth.
The distinction on Thursday night, nevertheless, was who made the errors this time. Two of the three Purple Sox errors have been made by the 2 veteran defenders the crew is counting on to stabilize the infield protection: Alex Bregman (fielding) and Trevor Story (throwing), who’ve made three errors apiece this spring.
Final season, the Purple Sox needed to make due with a hodgepodge infield configuration and several other younger, inexperienced gamers when Trevor Story, Triston Casas, and Vaughn Grissom all suffered prolonged accidents.
After fracturing the glenoid rim in his left shoulder through the crew’s opening street journey final yr, Story was anticipated to overlook the remainder of the season, however ended up making a late-season comeback. Nonetheless, he’s performed a mixed 69 regular-season video games over the previous two years. Some rust is to be anticipated.
The third error belonged to high prospect Kristian Campbell (fielding). It was his first defensive miscue in what’s been an total sturdy defensive preseason, as evidenced by the outfield help he made to get Byron Buxton out at second to start the underside of the primary. A high candidate for the second-base job, he performed the majority of the week there, earlier than enjoying a complete-game in left-field on Thursday night time.
The Purple Sox solely managed 4 hits and three walks within the contest. They struck out 17 instances and have been 1-for-5 with runners in scoring place, leaving six males on base. Campbell and fellow second-base candidate David Hamilton (who performed the complete sport at second) mixed for 3 of the crew’s 4 hits.
Within the high of the third, Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to go away the bases loaded. The Purple Sox have been one among two groups that didn’t hit a single grand slam through the ‘24 common season. Will that be the case once more this yr?
Sean Newcomb, the non-roster invitee candidate for the fifth spot within the beginning rotation, continued his spectacular spring. Over 4 ⅔ innings he held the Twins to 4 hits, one unearned run, struck out three, with zero walks.
The nearer competitors continued, with Liam Hendriks making an look within the fifth and Aroldis Chapman pitching the sixth. Later, Hendriks advised reporters, together with MassLive’s Chris Smith, that Chapman deserves to win the job.
“I believe it’s been fairly well-proven this spring coaching who deserves that spot after incomes it this spring, and that’s undoubtedly not me,” Hendriks mentioned. “I’ve all the time mentioned I needed to win it, however it’s not the top of the world if I don’t.
“I’m going to go on the market and provides my finest three outs, six outs, or no matter they want me to do. Issues will shake out nevertheless they shake out, however if you wish to discuss concerning the man who’s appeared one of the best in spring coaching, that’s Chapman. It’s been unbelievable. He’s been 97-to-100 (mph) just about each outing, and he’s appeared crisp.”
‘Be egocentric’
It’s been tough for Grissom to seek out his place within the Purple Sox group since they acquired him from the Atlanta Braves final offseason. Initially slated to be the on a regular basis second baseman final season, he as an alternative spent most of his first Sox season on the injured listing and in Triple-A.
There’s considerably extra site visitors on the trail to a beginning gig this season, with Kristian Campbell, David Hamilton, and Nick Sogard, amongst others, in competition. This week, the Purple Sox winnowed down the group by optioning Grissom to minor league camp on Wednesday.
On Thursday, supervisor Alex Cora shared the recommendation he gave Grissom.
“He did every thing attainable within the offseason. He killed it,” Cora advised reporters, together with MLB.com’s Ian Browne, on Thursday. “We requested him to indicate up at 220 (kilos), he confirmed up at 221. He turned the double-play nicely.
“There’s a couple of issues that we talked about that I believe he can do higher defensively. But it surely was like, ‘simply go down there and do your factor.’ As a participant, particularly the place we’re at [as an organization] proper now, ‘Simply go down there and kill it. Be egocentric. Do your factor, present everyone you can be a giant leaguer, and never solely with us, proper? I believe within the trade. Present them that you simply’re nonetheless younger, you’re nonetheless a superb athlete.’”
“That is the route we’re going,” Cora mentioned. “We haven’t but decided about second base, however we’re getting shut, and he’s not within the equation. He must play too. He has to go down there and play.”
Roster strikes
The Purple Sox additionally optioned catcher Blake Sabol to minor league camp on Thursday. There are 45 gamers remaining in big-league camp, together with 12 non-roster invitees.
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