Matt Barnes wasn't trying to find outs, wasn't attempting to find stats. This time out became all about how he felt.
"this is the highest quality that I've felt in doubtless a month," Barnes mentioned Wednesday after throwing the primary inning for the Double A Portland Sea canine at Dunkin' Donuts Park. "I had an excellent fastball down and away, good breaking ball, i used to be in a position to bounce one once I crucial to. .. That felt like April and can.
After Barnes' minor league tune-up look, the Yard Goats went on to defeat Portland, 14-7. Sean Bouchard and Matt McLaughlin each and every had 4 hits and Willie Abreu three hits and three RBI as the Yard Goats totaled 18 hits.
The crimson Sox want Barnes, their All-famous person closer from Bethel and UConn, to regain his early season kind. Inactive when you consider that Aug. 29 as a result of a breakthrough case of COVID-19 he expects now to rejoin the purple Sox Friday.
"It on no account got bad," he stated. "I had like a bad cold for just a few days. however the hardest part became no longer being capable of play baseball. We're in September, we're attempting to make a push, guys are out their grinding, doing their things and having to sit on a couch for 10 days and missing this week as a result of I ought to get equipped, it's challenging. but we're living in a strange time right now, loopy things are going on."
The Yard Goats adjusted their lineup for Barnes, and he allowed three hits on his first four pitches, even though two of the hits had been floor balls that his teammates in Boston would likely have caught. Willie Abreu, the No. 3 hitter, doubled to left to pressure in a run.
Then Barnes, who threw 13 of 18 pitches for strikes, his fastball hitting ninety five-ninety seven mph, struck out Michael Toglia and Coco Montes on signature curves. After a wild pitch gave Hartford a 2d run, he bought Willie MacIver on a fly to left.
Barnes, a righthander, picked up his twenty fourth keep on Aug. 4, but allowed 12 hits and 10 earned runs over his next 5 2/3 innings earlier than happening the COVID inactive listing. He has 78 strikeouts in 49 2/3 innings. The pink Sox are in a decent race with the Yankees and Blue Jays for both AL wild card spots.
"We're a pretty good crew with a ton of journey," Barnes said, "we had 12 guys over the ultimate three weeks go down with COVID and we were in a playoff place. We're nonetheless in that place."
Dom Amore can be reached at damore@courant.com
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