Red Sox ready for toughest challenge yet against Mets ace Jacob deGrom

The Red Sox have already gone against some of baseball’s top aces this season, facing the likes of Tyler Glasnow, Lucas Giolito and Hyun-Jin Ryu.

But they pale in comparison to the matchup that awaits them on Wednesday night in New York.

With the Mets’ Jacob deGrom on the mound, the Red Sox face a pitcher who’s on a historic run to start this season. In four starts this season, he’s given up just one earned run and allowed only three walks while striking out 50 batters over 29 innings, and he’s coming off one of the best starts of his career last Friday, when he tossed a complete game two-hitter with 15 strikeouts.

As far as April matchups go, this is as good as it gets: deGrom, arguably the best pitcher in the sport and at the top of his game, against the Red Sox and their league-leading offense.

“You want to believe that every night your group is ready to go and they prepare the same, but honestly when you have a guy like him on the opposing side, it’s going to be an extra vibe, an extra jolt of energy for our guys to be ready to meet the challenge,” Red Sox hitting coach Tim Hyers said. “Because if you don’t bring your A game, he’s got a chance to embarrass you and put you away really quick.

“I think that’s the thing I’m looking forward to is the excitement and the challenge and watching our guys go toe to toe and put their best foot forward and go battle. … I know that our guys will be ready.”

Hyers hadn’t started to prepare yet for deGrom as the Red Sox focused on their game Tuesday, but watching from afar, the coach was impressed with deGrom aggressiveness. He said that deGrom’s slider is nearly equal to or as fast as the average fastball in the majors, and when you combine his elite location and how Hyers described him as a “fierce competitor,” it’s a recipe for dominance.

The Red Sox have faced deGrom twice in the last three years — once last season, and once in 2018 — and Hyers said that should be beneficial, but to an extent. deGrom is just on another level right now.

“I think it helps to have the experience in the box with him and to see movement, patterns and how the ball comes out of his hand,” Hyers said. “I think that is a plus. But he’s in a groove right now from what I’ve seen from afar and feeling really good with his stuff, so that does add another element to it. I do think it helps to have guys that have seen the ball come out of his hand, but that’s only limited to being helpful for tomorrow night.”

Either way, the Red Sox will be ready for easily their toughest test of the season.

“He’s one of the best pitchers in the game, arguably the best pitcher in the game and so it’s always a challenge,” Hyers said. “But one thing about our group is they love challenges and they love competing and so I think the competitor in all of our guys, it’s what brings out the best in both sides. I know he’s going to be ready, he’s going to be coming at us.

“It will be a challenge for us to have our A game and to battle on each pitch. … We’ve got to be focused for every pitch and hunt those mistakes and be ready to capitalize when he does make a mistake.”

from Boston Herald https://ift.tt/3sTkDPS