BOSTON -- In the hours leading up to Tuesday night’s Wild Card Game against the Yankees, Red Sox manager Alex Cora had some tough decisions to make. The team’s 26-man roster for Tuesday’s matchup looks little like what its roster would look like for a potential best-of-five or best-of-seven playoff series, and that’s on purpose.
“As far as the roster, it’s a different game,” Cora said. “This is different. This is not 162 or a five-game series or a seven-game series. You have to adjust for this madness because that’s what it is, you know, it’s nine innings or 10 innings or whatever it is, whatever it takes and you have to adjust your roster accordingly.”
J.D. Martinez (ankle) and Chris Sale (unavailable after throwing 62 pitches Sunday) are not active for Tuesday’s game. Lefty Josh Taylor, who spent the end of the season on the injured list with a low back strain, is. Catcher Connor Wong, infielder Jonathan Araúz and outfielder Jarren Duran are active; relievers Hirokazu Sawamura, Darwinzon Hernandez and Martín Pérez were left off. Starters Nick Pivetta and Eduardo Rodriguez will be in the bullpen.
Cora explained some of the decisions before the game:
* On Sale being left off: “It just didn’t make sense for us. With how much we love him and we know he can compete, we know what he’s coming from. You’ve got to be smart, too. With Nick (Pivetta) and Eduardo (Rodriguez) on the roster, if something goes out of control, we’ve got those two guys and we still have the other two lefties. We felt like we were covered and we’ll take care of (Sale).”
* On Taylor returning: “He threw yesterday. He made some progress over the weekend here in Boston. He threw a bullpen yesterday. We feel he can actually get a lefty out, or a lefty or righty. He’s ready to go.”
* On taking Taylor and Rodriguez over Hernandez and Pérez: “(Taylor) has been dominant against lefties throughout the season. We talked about it, and obviously, we’re they’re at, we saw the roster and they’ve got some lefties there with all their injuries, too.
* On Sawamura being left off: “Well, I mean, it’s always tough to tell somebody that has been with the club the whole season that they’re not going to be part of this game, you know, or whatever series. But like I said, this is a different game. It’s a one-game playoff and you have to make adjustments accordingly. And he understands. There’s no promises obviously, you know, but, you know, if we advance, then we’ll make adjustments with the roster. So he knows that. He’s all in. He understood. And he’s getting his work in just in case, you know, something happens and we advance and see where we go.”
* On Wong and Duran being called up from Triple-A Worcester for the game: “Obviously, Jarren as a lefty and a runner, he makes sense for us.”
* On Matt Barnes making the team despite his poor second half: “There’s a few matchups there where we can use him. The velocity is not where it was early on, but the breaking ball is playing... We feel like we can use him in a spot and he can get outs and move forward.”
* On Araúz making it as a reserve infielder: “Switch-hitter, can play short. We can use him at second, short and third. It’s more about the defensive part of it... Trying to keep (Kiké Hernández) in center field as long as possible if we have to, so that’s what it came down to.
Iglesias, Martinez remain with team
Boston’s inactive players, including Sale, Martinez and José Iglesias, will be in the dugout with the team Tuesday night. Cora joked that Martinez is assuming an “assistant hitting coach” role while he’s unable to play.
Iglesias is expected to remain with the team despite being ineligible to play this postseason.
“He’s here. It’s important,” Cora said. “This is the most important game of the season. For them to be around, it means a lot. for Iggy to be in the clubhouse, to be in the pregame ceremonies, I hope that ovation is a good one because this kid, what he did for the last three weeks meant so much for us. He deserves it.”
First base coach Tom Goodwin is away from the team because unvaccinated coaches and staffers are not allowed field access during the playoffs.
Hernández on Yanks’ tiebreaker decision: ‘They wanted us and they got us now’
At the end of the regular season, with multiple tiebreaker scenarios possible, the Yankees elected to play the Red Sox instead of the Blue Jays had their been a four-way tiebreaker for the wild-card spots. Kiké Hernández acknowledged that the Sox were aware of New York’s decision but said it didn’t provide extra motivation.
“We knew about it. We don’t really talk about it because we had some business to take care of ourselves,” Cora said. “But, you know, they swept us the last series here so they wanted us. But at the same time, you know, you can’t blame them. They feel pretty good about the fact they swept us here and they felt comfortable playing here. They wanted us and they got us now, so win or go home. That’s it.”
Cora has no plans for pregame speech
Cora said he had no plans to address his team as a group before the game.
“We talk after we clinched (Sunday) and that’s it. There’s no rah-rah speeches here,” he said. “I mean, if you need that, you’re in the wrong business. It’s Red Sox/Yankees for the chance to advance in the playoffs. We’re good. We’re good. If I say something, it will be after the game.”
Other notes
* Cora said he has a good idea of how he’ll use his bullpen with a late lead but wouldn’t reveal any specifics.
* Cora didn’t name a starter for Game 1 if the Sox advance to the ALDS, but Pivetta, Rodriguez and even Sale are candidates.
* If the Sox do advance to the ALDS, here’s the schedule:
Game 1: Thursday, 8:07 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field
Game 2: Friday, 7:02 p.m. ET at Tropicana Field
Game 3: Sunday, 4:07 p.m. ET at Fenway Park
Game 4 (if necessary): Monday, TBD at Fenway Park
Game 5 (if necessary): Wednesday, TBD at Tropicana Field
Related links:
Boston Red Sox Wild Card Game roster: J.D. Martinez, Chris Sale among notable players left off
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