Red Sox win series in Seattle, Boston defends AI hiring practices, Devers giant debut at the plate, injury updates

After getting blown out on Tuesday night 8-0, the Red Sox had their ace on the mound in Garrett Crochet, and he delivered on getaway day in Seattle.

The left-hander fired six strong innings en route to a 3-1 victory over the Mariners on Wednesday, and in the process, it secured the Red Sox their fourth consecutive series win and fifth in their last six.

Crochet, who was coming off a dominant outing just five days ago over the Yankees, surrendered one run off six hits while walking none and striking out eight on 96 pitches. Boston has now won Crochet’s last four outings.

“I was grinding through the first couple innings, didn’t really have the four-seam, so just ultimately pivoted and rode the cutter pretty hard, and was able to have some weak contact with it,” Crochet told reporters.

Seattle’s only run came in the second inning when left fielder Jarren Duran lost a Randy Arozarena fly ball in the sun, which fell in for a double. Crochet retired 14 of his final 16 batters from the second inning on en route to the victory.

He dropped his ERA to 2.20 and has struck out a league-high 125 batters this season.

Boston earned their first series win with a lineup that no longer features Rafael Devers. While the Sox are in desperate need of another bat in their lineup, they got production from Marcelo Mayer and Trevor Story.

Mayer belted a solo shot, his fourth of the season, into the seats in right field in the second. Story hit a line drive two-run homer that snuck over the left-center field wall off Luis Castillo.

“That was a great swing by Trevor,” Alex Cora said. The Sox' veteran shortstop has been ice-cold at the plate before the calendar flipped to June. Through 16 games, he’s hitting .283 with four doubles, three homers and 15 RBI.

Garrett Whitlock threw a perfect seventh inning, getting a strikeout and two groundouts. The righty has been solid out of the bullpen dating back to May 17, allowing just one run in his last 15 innings.

“That’s why he got paid the big bucks,” Cora said. “He’s an ace. He understands what comes with the territory, not only on the field but off the field. One of the leaders in the clubhouse, you know, and every five days (when he starts) is a special day for us.”

Boston called on closer Aroldis Chapman to face the top of the Mariners' order in the eighth inning. It was the third time this season that Chapman worked the eighth inning versus the ninth. The lefty threw a perfect inning, and setup man Greg Weissert took care of the Mariners in the ninth for his third save of the season.

“Everybody’s got a job to do,” Weissert told NESN’s Jahmai Webster after the game. “As tough as it was trading Raffy, I think we all kind of banded together and just trying to squeak out wins here.”

RED SOX' AI HIRING PROCESS

There’s a new story surrounding the potential dysfunction of the Red Sox front office daily, they're like new episodes of your favorite series on Netflix.

Following the Rafael Devers trade on Sunday for four players, more stories on how Craig Breslow’s front office operates continue to trickle out.

Yahoo! Sports reporter Joon Lee joined NBC Sports Boston's Arbella Early Edition on Tuesday and reported that the Red Sox used an AI bot to conduct interviews with a baseball operations job candidate.

"What's happening with the Red Sox, with Sam Kennedy, with Craig Breslow, with Alex Cora, is a state of organizational dysfunction," Lee said, as seen in the video player above. "I heard last night about an interview with—the Red Sox were trying to recruit a new person for their baseball operations department, and during this interview process, the entire interview was conducted with an AI bot, where you would record the answers to the questions and then the Red Sox would then evaluate them.

"And this wasn't just one round. It wasn't just two rounds. It was five rounds of interviews where this person did not talk to another person in the Red Sox organization.

"This source told me that he had also interviewed with the Los Angeles Dodgers and the San Diego Padres. The Dodgers have kind of been the organization that the Red Sox have been trying to emulate for the last five years (in terms of) sustainability, a big market team that knows how to spend money at times but also is able to develop young prospects, which they've done successfully over the course of the last decade.

"What he told me was that the gap between the field, the people skills of (Dodgers president of baseball operations) Andrew Friedman—who, obviously, relies a lot on numbers dating back to his time in Tampa Bay—and what he dealt with with Craig Breslow was so far apart that it seemed like utter delusion that the idea that this is what the Red Sox think the Dodgers are doing is just absolutely crazy.

"The gap between the two organizations and how they're trying to function is just miles and worlds apart."

Breslow responded to Lee’s report on Wednesday and didn’t shoot down the Sox’ interview practices.

"My understanding is there's like an initial screening, and that’s used as a first filter, and then there are human interactions and conversations in person. I’ve had a number of conversations in person and over zooms with people we’ve hired.”

Breslow stated that the screening process is in place to help filter out candidates, especially when there are thousands of candidates.

“Especially because you're trying to find not just the right skill set, but the right fit in terms of like culture and value. Working in baseball is really unique and demanding. You want to make sure that the person that you are potentially putting in understands what they are getting themselves into, and that is the right type of thing.”

The Sox’ front office leader did not shoot down Lee’s report that one candidate went through five separate rounds of AI interviews during their interview process.

“I think my short answer is, I'm not sure, because I know that I have had direct conversations with people. But like I said, if using this as kind of like a first filter, because the number of people who want to work with [the Red Sox] is so big, it makes sense. Now, I don't think we can make hiring decisions without actually talking to someone.”

Breslow did speak to the importance of in-person or face-to-face communication with potential new hires.

“There are hires where we’re meeting in person with people for multiple days of time. They're spending time with our leadership, team, and department leadership; it's a pretty comprehensive process. We feel like we try to get to know candidates as well as we possibly can."

Following the Red Sox' 3-1 win over the Mariners, the team released a statement in an attempt to clear up someone the reporting on their AI hiring practices.

"We wanted to reach out to you because we are seeing unsubstantiated reports about the Red Sox using AI bots to hire candidates and feel it’s important to address the facts with this group. Since 2012, the club has used a tool called HireVue to screen applicants for all roles across the organization. 

"The Red Sox are one of several MLB clubs to use this tool, which asks candidates to answer a few questions in a recorded video for the hiring manager to get a sense of the person beyond their resume. This is one of several steps in the hiring process and is just one factor that helps determine which candidates should advance to an in-person interview. 

"On average, the club receives over 500 applicants per position, and for some roles, as many as 3,000. This tool is in no way a replacement for in-person interviews, simply one of many steps that helps the club screen the many candidates who apply for each job posting."We wanted to ensure all of you had this information directly from us and would appreciate your partnership in helping clear up these unsupported claims."

CORA ON DEVERS PLAYING FIRST IN SAN FRANCISCO

Cora was asked about Devers' willingness to play first base for the Giants, not Boston.

“He’s with the Giants now,” Cora said. “Like I said, we have to turn the page. I’m turning the page, too.”

In theory, the idea of turning the page makes sense, but the Red Sox will begin a weekend series with the Giants beginning Friday. Cora and the club will see Devers just five days after the club shipped Devers to the Giants for four players in a shocking blockbuster trade.

Cora doesn’t expect this weekend to be emotional for him.

“Not really,” Cora said before Boston’s series finale against the Mariners on Wednesday afternoon. “I’ll answer the questions that I want to (answer), like he said.”

Devers wouldn’t answer what went wrong between him and the Red Sox during his introductory press conference with the Giants. He said all of that was “in the past.”

The happy-go-lucky Devers didn’t rip the Red Sox in his presser, avoiding the potential of bulletin board material for his former teammates.

“Obviously, the goal is to win the games, right?” he said. “But I will try to give my 100% and try to win the series.”

Devers stated that he received no prior notification about his Sunday trade. He grabbed his belongings at Fenway Park, left, and headed for the West Coast.

“I took the news like a man, and I appreciate the fact they traded me in order to give me an opportunity to continue playing baseball,” Devers said.

The former Sox' slugger went 2-for-5 with a double and an RBI in his first game with the Giants. He struck out in his first at-bat before roping a double into right center field.

It’ll be interesting to see if Devers plays any first base for the Giants this weekend to rub it in the face of his former team. Devers took grounders at first base prior to the game on Tuesday and will likely see time at first sooner rather than later.

“We talked to him a little bit today. He goes, ‘I’ll play wherever you want me to play; I’ll hit wherever you want me to hit,’” Bob Melvin said his new slugger’s introductory presser. “He’s going to DH today. He’s going to hit in the three-spot. We’re going to work him in and get him some ground balls at first and make sure he’s comfortable before we put him over there. That’s pretty much the way we’re looking at it right now, a little bit of DH and a little bit of first.”

INJURY UPDATES

New Red Sox right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks will throw a live batting practice at Fenway Park on Thursday. The 28-year-old hurler has been on the 15-day injured list since June 3 with inflammation in his right big toe.

“I’m not sure what’s next for him (after the live BP). Probably, if anything, a rehab assignment, and then hopefully he’ll be with us,” Cora said Wednesday.

Hicks hasn’t been sharp this season while with the Mariners, posting a 6.47 ERA in 13 outings (nine starts). Once he pitches for the Red Sox, the expectation is the club will use him out of the bullpen. “We’re absolutely excited about bringing (Jordan) Hicks, a dominant late-inning reliever, into our mix,” Breslow said Monday night.

Now that Devers has moved to the Giants, Masataka Yoshida might return from the IL sooner than anticipated. The Red Sox are in need of another bat for their lineup, and Yoshida, who can swing and hit, could help fill that void for Boston.

“We’re going to meet probably today to map out what’s next for him,” Cora said. “There’s a chance he’ll go to Fort Myers, start getting more reps down there, and then go on a rehab assignment hopefully soon. But we haven’t met about it. But I think that probably is going to be on the table.”

The 31-year-old has been out of action all season recovering from right shoulder surgery last October. He’s dealt with pain when throwing but hasn’t had issues when swinging the bat.

Wilyer Abreu is on track to return to the Red Sox lineup on Friday when Boston begins its series with the Giants.

"I'm gonna do my part, and wherever they need me, on third, DH, outfield, whatever, I'll be up for anything," Abreu said to reporters at Polar Park on Tuesday night. 

Kutter Crawford threw a bullpen session Tuesday. He’ll throw another one Friday. “We’ll see how we feel after that,” Cora said.