Latest news with #Giolito
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox had ‘much different' meeting with Rob Manfred minutes after clash with Bryce Harper
MINNEAPOLIS — Unbeknownst to members of the Red Sox until it became public, their meeting with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred last Monday in Philadelphia came minutes after a heated conversation between Manfred and one of baseball's biggest stars. As ESPN's Jeff Passan reported Monday, Phillies star Bryce Harper 'stood nose to nose with Manfred during a meeting between the Major League Baseball commissioner and the team last week, telling him to 'get the (expletive) out of our clubhouse if Manfred wanted to talk about the potential implementation of a salary cap.'" Amid growing tension between the league and players ahead of a potential work stoppage next winter, the incident illustrated how large the schism between the sides has grown. Sign up for Red Sox columnist Sean McAdam's exclusive newsletter Across the Citizens Bank Park field, the Red Sox waited for their meeting with Manfred not knowing how contentious things had gotten on the home side of the ballpark. The commissioner was in Philadelphia's clubhouse so long it didn't open to reporters as scheduled that day. He arrived in the Boston clubhouse soon thereafter and held a brief — and much less contentious — meeting with the Red Sox as part of his informal rounds to see all 30 teams during the year. 'When Rob came into our clubhouse, it was right after,' said starter Lucas Giolito. 'He mentioned the words 'salary cap' but he mentioned it in a sense of like, 'I don't want to talk about it,' and maybe that's because of what Harper said. We probably had a much different meeting than they had. 'He just gave his spiel about the growth of the game and areas they're looking to improve, especially when it comes to how baseball is being consumed. Media and TV deals, things like that. That was pretty much it. I think he avoided getting into the weeds when it comes to future CBA negotiations.' Manfred remained in the clubhouse after the meeting ended for more casual conversations with certain players. Among them were candid talks about a variety of topics with veterans like Giolito and Walker Buehler, who asked questions about the consistency of the baseballs being used throughout the league. Informed players like Giolito, who formerly served on the executive subcommittee of the MLB Players Association, contend that any sort of salary cap — which the owners plan to argue for in the next round of CBA negotiations — is a non-starter. But tensions didn't rise to the point of Red Sox players telling Manfred that to his face. 'That's, going back to the Marvin Miller days, one of the core tenets and one of the things the union tries to fight to avoid, despite years and years of owners trying to creep their way towards that,' Giolito said. 'So I get where Harper's coming from there.' Giolito was among the Red Sox players who didn't find out about the Manfred-Harper incident until it went public Monday, though whispers of a heated discussion had spread through baseball circles over the last seven days. Giolito, who has been involved in previous negotiations with the league, described his relationship with Manfred as 'fine,' noting: 'I haven't had any interactions like that.' Asked why things are so contentious between the sides these days, Giolito said: 'It doesn't need to be.' 'Usually it's around CBA time when owners start complaining about not making enough money,' he explained. 'It's like, 'What the hell are you talking about?' That's something that rubs the players the wrong way sometimes. We make a lot of money as players, for sure. I'd like to see — not to steal terms — but the lower and middle class of baseball players, I'd like to see that strengthened. 'That's the one thing that can kind of piss players off. You're talking about a billion-dollar industry. These team valuations keep going up and I think that's something that can get annoying sometimes, especially when it gets to the point of, speaking as a potential owner, 'We need to do the salary cap or the salary floor to see more growth.' I think things are operating pretty decent right now. 'One thing that can rub the players the wrong way sometimes is that it's a billion dollar industry that's seeing expansive growth. All the numbers are up from the last time I checked. Viewership. Money's coming in. One thing I brought up to Manfred is that the money coming in from gambling, there's all these revenue streams. The popularity of the sport is in a great spot." More Red Sox coverage Red Sox Jordan Hicks, forced to wait 90 minutes through weather delay, put in 'uncomfortable' scenario Red Sox replacing Richard Fitts on roster Tuesday; could trade addition fill rotation spot? Red Sox reactions: Jordan Hicks blows late lead (after 90-minute ninth inning delay) in brutal loss Red Sox rain delay: Downpour and threat of lightning halts game in ninth inning Alex Cora hopes Red Sox add at deadline, but adds: 'I think this year is a little bit different' Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Red Sox 'embracing all the adversity' by turning harrowing flight into creative celebration
MINNEAPOLIS — It took about 48 hours, but the Red Sox are finally able to laugh about — and even celebrate — their harrowing flight to Minneapolis on Sunday night. Two days after the team charter encountered sustained, severe turbulence both before and after an unplanned pit stop in Detroit, players turned the experience into a new on-base celebration at Target Field. Throughout Tuesday's 8-5 win, multiple players, from Ceddanne Rafaela to Wilyer Abreu, celebrated hits by pantomiming a plane with its wings going up and down. 'It popped up mid-game. That was the first time I saw or heard about it,' said shortstop Trevor Story. 'I thought it was amazing. Embracing all the adversity, for sure. 'I put two and two together and thought, 'That's a sick celly.' I like it.' Boston's charter, which left Logan Airport shortly after Sunday's win over the Dodgers, encountered severe weather in the Midwest that left several members of the traveling party reeling due to motion sickness for more than a day. The plane, which departed Boston around 7:30 p.m. ET, didn't land in Minnesota until around midnight CT (1 am ET). The trip included a quick diversion to Detroit and lasted much longer than its scheduled three hours. The turbulence was so bad that numerous members of the traveling party vomited repeatedly. Some had soreness from hitting their armrests so hard. Reliever Garrett Whitlock was unavailable to pitch in Monday's series opener because of the lasting effects of the flight and other players arrived at Target Field far below 100% as well. 'It was the worst sustained turbulence I've ever experienced,' said Lucas Giolito, who allowed one run in six innings Tuesday. 'Forty-five minutes straight of left, right, dropping down. At least on a roller coaster, you know when the drop is coming, or you know when you're rolling right or you're rolling left. You can see it. But sitting on a plane, it was like, oh boy. At one point, I kind of flew up out of my seat. I was like, 'OK, it's time to put the seatbelt on.'' Added Story: 'It was awful. It was probably the worst flight I've been on turbulence-wise. I don't get motion sick but it took everything in me not to let it out. The boys were struggling.' Giolito's locker mate, outfielder Rob Refsnyder, interrupted the pitcher's postgame meeting with the media to jokingly call the flight a 'near-death experience.' But Giolito, who had recently watched the second season of Nathan Fielder's HBO docu-comedy 'The Rehearsal,' which centers on aviation safety, knew better than to worry. 'Randomly, I know enough about aviation that I know commercial airline jets never crash from turbulence,' Giolito said. 'I was cool with it.' The Red Sox have celebrated hits with various celebrations in recent years, including the 'River Monster' in 2024. On Tuesday, members of the team picked up on it at various points. Some first noticed when Ceddanne Rafaela ripped a one-out triple in the third. Others saw Jarren Duran do it when he launched a 446-foot homer in the fifth. Wilyer Abreu was caught by cameras celebrating in that fashion after an RBI double in the ninth. The exact origin remains under wraps. What's less of a secret is that Boston's offense was clicking Tuesday night against rookie Pierson Ohl and a parade of Twins relievers. Story launched his first homer in three weeks to give the Sox a four-run lead in the third. Two more runs allowed some breathing room in the ninth. And Duran, hitting third for the third straight game with rookie Roman Anthony assuming the leadoff role, reached base three times, hitting the ball hard all over the field. 'He's such a catalyst for our offense, man. He brings a spark,' said Story. 'He can do it a lot of different ways. When he's slugging like that, it's a different ballgame. He changes our team big-time. We know that's in there and it's fun to watch.' The Sox, who have played an endless string of close games since the All-Star break, jumped out to an early 5-0 lead for Giolito and added on despite Minnesota twice getting within three runs thanks to homers by Brooks Lee. 'We feel like we've been playing behind a little bit,' Story said. 'Offense hasn't really gotten going early as of late. The pitchers have done a good job of keeping us in the game. It was nice to get guys on base and cash them in this time. That's who we feel like we are.' With every player close to feeling 100% two days after the wayward flight, the Red Sox were able to look back at it as a bonding experience. They'll continue to roll with the punches — or bumps, as it were. 'Those types of things bring people closer. That's for sure,' Giolito said. 'It's kind of like battling through adversity. We had a couple guys really get it bad with the motion sickness. 'Coming out of it, we've tied the series and we're looking to win tomorrow.' More Red Sox coverage Red Sox 'have seen flashes' from starter acquired in Rafael Devers trade Red Sox' Kristian Campbell homers again, demotion 'reminds' him of past adversity Don't let the numbers fool you - Red Sox need bullpen help | Sean McAdam Red Sox reactions: Trevor Story lets Boston breathe with homer in bounce-back win Red Sox trade deadline: What we're hearing with two days to go Read the original article on MassLive.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Red Sox reactions: Trevor Story lets Boston breathe with homer in bounce-back win
MINNEAPOLIS — Instant reactions as the Red Sox (58-51) don't let Monday's tough loss linger and jump out to an early lead en route to beating the Twins, 8-5, in the second game of three at Target Field: 1) The Red Sox surely enjoyed having some breathing room for once. Before Tuesday, they had won four times in 10 games since the All-Star break. Two were one-run games, another was a two-run victory and the third was last Sunday's comeback win at Wrigley Field. On Tuesday, they built a 5-0 lead early, then added on when it got closer. Technically, it was the 13th time in 15 Red Sox games the score was decided by three or fewer runs. But it was an easier win than the final would suggest. 2) It took a bit for the Red Sox to feel comfortable facing 25-year-old rookie righty Pierson Ohl, who was making his major league debut. Ohl retired seven of the first eight batters he faced before the Sox finally got to him in the third. Ceddanne Rafaela's strong baserunning to stretch a double into a triple made it easy for Roman Anthony to stay with an outside pitch for an RBI single with two strikes. Anthony then scored from first when Alex Bregman doubled and Willi Castro bobbled the ball in left field. Two batters later, Trevor Story made it a four-spot in the inning with a two-run blast. It was his first homer since July 8. 3) Story's 104.2 mph, 404-foot blast was a much-needed swing for a player who had been hitless in his last 11 at-bats and hitting just .132 (5-for-38) with 14 strikeouts and a .355 OPS since the All-Star break. He later rocketed an RBI double to right field off Louis Varland for his second extra-base hit of the night. 4) Lucas Giolito said he came out flat Wednesday in Philadelphia after allowing four home runs to a potent Phillies lineup. He kind of did the same thing against the Twins — issuing a walk and allowing a single to start his outing — before settling in and turning in a strong effort. Giolito retired 13 of the next 14 after the first two batters reached and returned to form with a quality start. He let seven men reach base (five hits, two walks) in six innings but allowed just one run and struck out five. Giolito seemed to bear down when the Twins had runners in scoring position, allowing one hit in nine at-bats. No matter how you slice it, a 3.80 ERA from Giolito on August 1 is something the Red Sox would have signed up for before the season. 5) When Jarren Duran homers, he doesn't leave much doubt. He provided an insurance run with a solo blast off Michael Tonkin in the top of the fifth, and crushed it. The homer measured 446 feet. Duran reached base three times (double, homer, walk) and nearly did again in the ninth when he laced a 350-foot flyout to left. It was a good game from the No. 3 spot. 6) Aroldis Chapman, who left Sunday's game with back spasms and was unavailable Monday, returned — in odd circumstances. With Boston up three in the top of the ninth, he warmed, then sat back down when a two-run rally stretched the lead to five. Jorge Alcala entered for the bottom of the inning but couldn't do the job, allowing a two-run homer to make it a save situation again. After Royce Lewis extended the game with a two-out single off Alcala, Alex Cora went to Chapman after all. The All-Star lefty needed three pitches to strike out former Red Sox Mickey Gasper. It was his 19th (and perhaps easiest) save of 2025. 7) Rafaela had his best game in weeks, lacing that triple to spark the third-inning rally and adding a phenomenal diving catch on a Castro flare in the seventh. The Red Sox are playing him at second base a lot out of necessity but it's not the best outcome for the team. 8) After a shaky 24 hours that started when he was hit hard by the team's turbulent flight to Minnesota, Garrett Whitlock returned to the mound and pitched a scoreless inning with two strikeouts. 9) Newly minted Red Sox killer Brooks Lee took Justin Wilson deep for a two-run homer in the seventh inning. It was just the second homer allowed by Wilson this season, with the other being Christian Moore's walk-off shot in Anaheim on June 24. Lee homered again in the ninth, making it a three-run game again. He had two bombs and a double in a losing effort. He's the fifth Twin ever to homer from both sides of the plate in a game. 10) The Twins do not have a good lineup, as evidenced by the fact nearly everyone in it has an OPS that starts with a 6 or 7. Subtract Byron Buxton (placed on the IL before the game) and Carlos Correa (departed due to lightheadedness) from the mix and there's not a lot of difficult outs to get. Through two games in the series, the Twins are 3-for-18 with men in scoring position. 11) Right-hander Brayan Bello (6-5, 3.32 ERA) will be tasked with an early wake-up in Wednesday's series finale as first pitch is set for 12:10 p.m. CT. The Red Sox will hope Bello's well-documented struggles in day games won't return. Minnesota hasn't announced a starter yet. More Red Sox coverage Red Sox 'have seen flashes' from starter acquired in Rafael Devers trade Red Sox' Kristian Campbell homers again, demotion 'reminds' him of past adversity Don't let the numbers fool you - Red Sox need bullpen help | Sean McAdam Red Sox turned 'awful' flight into new celebration: 'Embracing all the adversity' Red Sox trade deadline: What we're hearing with two days to go Read the original article on MassLive.
Boston Globe
2 days ago
- Sport
- Boston Globe
Lucas Giolito gives the Red Sox a boost but more pitching help is needed
'That was what we needed,' catcher Carlos Narváez said. 'He threw his three off-speed pitches nearly half the time. The fastball today was good at the top of the zone. 'You take away a few games and he's been really good, in my mind one of the top 20 guys in the league.' Get Starting Point A guide through the most important stories of the morning, delivered Monday through Friday. Enter Email Sign Up Giolito's reliability has played a big role in the Red Sox contending for a playoff spot with 53 games remaining. Advertisement 'The last month and half, he's been solid,' manager Alex Cora said. 'That's what we need. Not only an innings-eater but a guy who can pitch quality innings.' Giolito left two runners stranded in the first inning when he retired Kody Clemens — Roger's son — on a fly ball to center field. Giolito retired 13 of 14 before the Twins manufactured a run in the fifth. He then ended a two-out rally in the sixth by striking out Harrison Bader. That ended his night after 101 pitches. 'We ran into some trouble, fifth and sixth inning, some long, long counts,' Giolito said. 'Too many pitches, but it was good to complete six and take a little bit of pressure off.' Advertisement After not pitching last season while recovering from Tommy John surgery and pitching for three teams in 2023, Giolito has enjoyed being part of a group again. 'I'm very much focused internally on the team, the clubhouse, winning baseball games,' he said. Then taking the next step into October. A postseason rotation of Garrett Crochet, Bryan Bello, and Giolito would be formidable. As it stands today, Walker Buehler would be the No. 4 starter. He's 6-6 with a 5.72 ERA. But Buehler has an excellent playoff pedigree — 10-3 with a 3.04 ERA in 19 games, 18 of them starts. His one relief appearance was a perfect ninth inning to close out the final game of the World Series last season. The Sox would probably be inclined to lean on that history and keep Buehler in the rotation for the postseason. But here's the thing: They need to get there first. As relatively solid as their first four starters, there is no fifth starter on the roster at the moment unless you count righthander Cooper Criswell, who was summoned from Triple A Worcester on Tuesday to supplement the bullpen. Criswell has not started a major league game this season. He is 4-2 with a 3.28 ERA in 16 starts for Worcester. We all get caught up in numbering starters. But as teams fight for playoff spots, that's meaningless. What counts is giving the team a chance to win the game and not leaving the bullpen in tatters for the next day. Advertisement As they pursue a postseason berth, the Sox should have better rotation options than Criswell, Richard Fitts or a bullpen game. But that depends on chief baseball officer Craig Breslow acting with nerve, not caution, as Thursday's trade deadline approaches. Giolito and the rest of the players are waiting to see what happens. 'I'm curious,' Giolito said. 'That's for all the people upstairs to deal with. But definitely curious to see how we add.' How or if? That's the question. Peter Abraham can be reached at
Newsweek
3 days ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Red Sox Vet Backs Bryce Harper After Heated Confrontation With MLB Commissioner
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Just after Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred walked out of a clubhouse meeting with the Philadelphia Phillies, which featured a heated confrontation with superstar Bryce Harper, he went on to address the Boston Red Sox. The commissioner was making his informal rounds to meet with every team throughout the season, as is customary. The Red Sox were in town to play the Phillies, so after meeting with the home team, Manfred checked in with Boston. At the time, the Red Sox had no sense that Harper had interrupted Manfred's message to the Phillies by standing in his face and ordering him out of the clubhouse if he wanted to discuss a potential MLB salary cap, as reported by ESPN's Jeff Passan. "When Rob came into our clubhouse, it was right after," Red Sox veteran pitcher Lucas Giolito said, per Chris Cotillo of MassLive. "He just gave the spiel about the growth of the game and areas they're looking to improve, especially when it comes to how baseball is being consumed. Media and TV deals, things like that. That was pretty much it. I think he avoided getting into the weeds when it comes to future CBA negotiations." Giolito added that he had no indication of the dramatic standoff in the Phillies clubhouse until the news was reported publicly on Monday. But as a former member of the MLB Players Association's executive subcommittee, the pitcher made his stance on a potential salary cap very clear. FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Lucas Giolito #54 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during a Spring Training workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida on February 20, 2025.... FORT MYERS, FLORIDA - FEBRUARY 20: Lucas Giolito #54 of the Boston Red Sox looks on during a Spring Training workout at JetBlue Park at Fenway South in Fort Myers, Florida on February 20, 2025. (Photo by Maddie Malhotra/Boston) More Malhorta/Getty "That's the one thing that can kind of piss players off," Giolito said, per Cotillo. "You're talking about a billion-dollar industry. These team valuations keep going up and I think that's something that can get annoying sometimes, especially when it gets to the point of, speaking as a potential owner, 'We need to do the salary cap or the salary floor to see more growth.'" "So I get where Harper's coming from there," Giolito added, according to Cotillo. By standing up against a potential salary cap, Harper seemingly spoke for most players, who generally feel that imposing one would ultimately hurt their earnings. Other players might not have been willing to share that opinion so strongly with the commissioner, but leaders like Giolito seem to have Harper's back after he was pushed to do so. More MLB: Braves Blockbuster? Atlanta Ace Could Be Valuable Trade Deadline Piece
