PHOENIX — As the second half of the season commences
Cody
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feel confident as they prepare for the third game of a three-game weekend series
Sunday.
Both are nearing full health, and the NL West remains wide open as the Diamondbacks, Giants and Los Angeles Dodgers are within 3 1/2 games of each
other entering July.
Arizona survived a 2-15 stretch in May and is playing as well as it did in the early going, when it did not lose any of its first 12 series. The Giants
have won nine of 11 after going 18-10 in June, their first winning month since
June, 2016.
“I know that we got off to a great start and hit a little downturn and fought back,” Arizona manager Torey Lovullo said when asked about his takeaways from
the first half.
“The obvious thing is, we are playing very good baseball now. We’ve grown and learned and become stronger and tougher because of the situation we walked
through in May. They have never pointed their finger at anything or any anyone
in an particular situation or moment.
“When it didn’t go well, they were accountable. They played united baseball. We’re right in the middle of a story that we continue to want to tell the way we
are telling it.”
Arizona right-hander Zack Godley will oppose Giants left-hander Derek Holland in the final game of the series at Chase Field on Sunday afternoon. The Giants
begin a three-game series in Colorado on Monday while the Diamondbacks will host
a three-game series against St. Louis.
“Considering everything that is happened, we are right in the thick of things, which is where you want to be,” San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy
said.
“If you would have told me what we have to deal with – three starters out, (Joe) Panik out, (Evan) Longoria out. Sure, no question you take it. I think it
is going to be tight in September. Hopefully we’re right there. That’s our
plan.”
Right-handers Johnny Cueto and Jeff Samardzija could made their next starts in the majors after prolonged absences due to
injury
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3-0 with an 0.84 ERA in five starts while holding opponents to a .150 batting
average before going on the disabled list because of shoulder soreness in the
first week of May.
In the interim, Dereck Rodriguez and Andrew Suarez have pitched well. The Giants also have received only five starts from Madison Bumgarner, who opened
the season on the disabled list before returning in early June.
Arizona outfielders A.J. Pollock and Steven Souza Jr. also are nearing a return from the disabled list after missing considerable time. The Diamondbacks
also lost starters Taijuan Walker and Robbie Ray for 58 days before
returning.
Pollock and Souza Jr. are on rehab assignments for Triple-A Reno, and Pollock is likely to return before the All-Star break. Pollock was slashing
.293/.349/.620 with 10 doubles, 11 homers and nine stolen bases in 43 games
before suffering a fractured thumb trying to make a diving catch in center field
in the ninth inning of a 7-2 loss to Milwaukee on May 14.
“You think about what the (injury) losses are,” Lovullo said “It’s been a very interesting season. I think the most resilient teams are the ones that
understand and accept what’s happening day by day, whether it is good or bad,
and move on to the next day as quickly as possible.
“We are a resilient group. We can turn the page quickly, no matter what the results are.”
Godley, 9-5 with a 4.58 ERA, is one victory short of NL leaders Max Scherzer, Jon Lester and Aaron Nola, in part because he has received 4.63 runs of support
in his 16 starts. His 1.52 WHIP is 44th and last among qualified NL starters,
and he has made seven quality starts.
Godley is 1-1 with a 6.10 ERA in two starts against the Giants this season and is 2-2 with a 6.97 ERA in six career appearances, four
starts
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home this season, going 4-1 with a 2.89 ERA in six starts.
Holland (5-7, 4.24) is coming off arguably his best outing of the season, although he did not receive a decision in a 3-2 victory over Colorado. Holland
gave up one run on six hits in a season-high 6 2/3 innings while striking out a
season high eight. It was his longest appearance since he went eight innings
against Seattle on May 21, 2017.
He is 0-1 in two starts against the Diamondbacks, both with Texas. Holland is 3-5 with a 3.94 ERA in nine road starts this season. He has never pitched in
Chase Field.
Chris Sale got an earful from the biggest crowd at Yankee Stadium this season while walking from the bullpen to the bench prior to the
first pitch.
The Red Sox ace said he didn’t hear the boos and insults.
By the second inning, the catcalls weren’t for him, anyway.
Sale pitched his latest Bronx gem, Rafael Devers went 5 for 5 with a first-inning grand slam and Boston held New York to two hits during an 11-0 rout
Saturday night to take back baseball’s best record.
Sale (8-4) allowed only Giancarlo Stanton’s clean single over seven innings, striking out 11. He has a 1.73 career ERA against the Yankees, best among
pitchers with at least 10 starts against them since 1920. His ERA at Yankee
Stadium is 1.86, second only to Seattle’s Felix Hernandez among pitchers with
five starts.
”He looks like the best pitcher in the big leagues right now,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said.
Boston is a major league-leading 56-28, just ahead of the Yankees at 53-27. New York held the best mark by percentage points after winning Friday’s series
opener 8-1.
Yankee Stadium hosted a season-high sellout of 47,125
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(5-6) after he gave up six runs in 2 1/3 innings. The right-hander dropped to
0-4 with a 9.35 ERA against Boston since being acquired by New York from Oakland
last season.
”I expect to come out and perform and make it fun,” Gray said. ”The way I’ve thrown the ball, I don’t think it’s been fun. I feel like we’re the best team in
baseball four out of five days, and then I come out and do that.”
Devers had a career-best five hits. He nearly socked another homer in the seventh, but right fielder Aaron Judge reached over the wall and knocked Devers’
shot back into play with his glove. Devers ended up with a double following a
video review.
Since June 5, the 21-year-old Devers has raised his OPS from .675 to .741.
”We take it for granted because he’s talented and did what he did last year, but he’s still a kid,” Cora said, adding that Devers has been working hard with
Boston’s staff to shore up the holes left in his game from racing through the
minor leagues. ”He’s staying with the program.”
Sandy Leon brought in Devers with a two-run homer into the second deck in right field. J.D. Martinez had three hits and three RBIs, and Mookie Betts added
two hits and two walks as Boston piled up 17 hits.
Heath Hembree and Hector Velazquez closed it out with a hitless inning each. Velazquez gave up a groundball single to Gleyber Torres in the ninth for New
York’s second hit.
New York had won seven consecutive games against left-handed starters and was a major league-best 19-5 against them this season, but Sale had them spinning.
The Yankees hit just four balls out of the infield against Sale, and he retired
his final 16 batters.
”Got punched in the face last night, so you obviously want to respond well,” Sale said.
Judge struck out three times against the lefty in three at-bats, giving him 13 punchouts in 18 career at-bats against Sale. That’s the most strikeouts for
Judge against any pitcher.
Torres also struck out three times against Sale during his first career start in the leadoff spot. This was the fourth time New York was shut out this
season
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GRAY DAY
Gray quickly disposed of Betts and Andrew Benintendi to open the game, but a well-placed grounder by Martinez sparked a big first inning. After Martinez’s
infield single, Mitch Moreland’s walk and Xander Bogaerts‘ single, Gray floated
a waist-high 1-2 curveball that Devers lofted just over the left-field wall. It
was Devers’ second career slam – both this season – and his 14th homer of the
year.
Benintendi and Martinez each added an RBI in the second, and Yankee Stadium fans jeered loudly as Gray walked off in the third.
JUMPING JACKIE
Red Sox center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. caught Aaron Hicks’ drive in the third while leaping and slamming into the wall in front of New York’s
bullpen.
TRAINER’S ROOM
Red Sox: Boston reliever Tyler Thornburg pitched two innings for Double-A Portland on Friday and a clean inning Saturday with Triple-A Pawtucket, perhaps
a final hurdle for the right-hander before he returns to the majors following
surgery for thoracic outlet syndrome last June.
Yankees: Hicks was visited by a trainer after being hit by a pitch on his right foot or ankle in the first inning. He remained in the game. … C Austin
Romine was pulled in the seventh inning and sent for a precautionary MRI with
left hamstring tightness. Results were negative, and he is day to day.
ROSTER MOVE
After the game, the Yankees optioned RHP Giovanny Gallegos to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.
UP NEXT
Boston LHP David Price (9-5, 3.66 ERA) and Yankees ace Luis Severino (12-2, 2.10) square off in prime time Sunday. Price is 7-1 with a 2.72 ERA in nine
starts since being diagnosed with a mild case of carpal tunnel syndrome that
caused him to miss a turn against the Yankees in early May. Severino had his
worst start this season vs. Boston on April 10, allowing five runs in five
innings, but then matched a season high with 11 strikeouts in a strong outing
against the Red Sox on May 8.
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