One year after the most infamous Boston Marathon of all time, the Sox could not repeat the magic on Patriots Day 2014. Clay Buchholz once again stunk the joint out as its become apparent he's not the same pitcher he was from the first half of 2013.
Nick Markakis led the game off with a ground out to second base. Nelson "pain in the ass" Cruz struck out but Chris Davis walked. Jonny Gomes then made a diving catch to rob Adam Jones of a hit to end the inning. Wei-Yin Chen got Brock Holt to ground out to begin the bottom of the first. Pedroia grounded out but not before nearly taking out Jonathan Schoop at third base when Pedroia lost control of his bat on a swinging strike two. David Ortiz drew a 4 pitch walk but Napoli grounded out to end the inning.
Steve Clevenger grounded out to second to begin the top of the second, Schoop grounded out to short and Ryan Flaherty grounded out to Buchholz to end the inning. In the bottom of the second, last night's comeback starter Jonny Gomes did what he usually does, strike out. Xander Bogaerts popped up to center and Daniel Nava struck out to end the inning.
Steve Lombardozzi started the third inning rally with a single. David Lough singled and after Holt dropped his pop up into the stands, Markakis singled Lombardozzi home. Lough took third and he scored on Cruz' single. The hits kept on coming as Davis singled Markakis home and Cruz took third. Cruz scored on the force at second by Jones. Clevenger then doubled home Jones to make it 5-0 just like that. Not only have the Red Sox trailed in nearly every game they've played this season, they've trailed big. Schoop doubled home Clevenger and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. After breezing through the first two innings, Buchholz allowed 7 hits and was replaced by Burke Badenhop. After finishing last night's game less than 12 hours ago, the Sox needed Buchholz to pitch a good game with the rest of the troops tired....well he failed miserably. Luckily Badenhop got Flaherty to bang into a double play to end the inning. Just like that the game was over 2 1/2 innings into it. Could the Red Sox rally? Hell no! David Ross and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to begin the bottom of the third and Holt grounded out to end the inning.
Picking up where he left off, Lombardozzi led off the top of the 4th with a single. Somehow Badenhop got Lough to line out to center but Markakis walked. Cruz banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox got their first runner of the day on a miracle walk by Pedroia to begin the 4th. Somehow Ortiz singled but Napoli kept up the incompetence with a full count strike out. More basebawful continued when Gomes lined out to short.....who doubled off Pedroia to end the inning.
Badenhop walked Davis to begin the top of the 5th but recovered to strike out Jones and get Clevenger to bang into a double play. 3 double plays by Badenhop, talk about putting out the fire. The Sox finally struck in the bottom of the 5th. Bogaerts worked a lead-off walk and Nava somehow hit one in the hole at short. Ross nearly hit into a double play but beat out the relay throw to first. Somehow Jackie Bradley Jr hit a ground rule double to score Boegarts and advance Nava to third. Holt lined out to center but Ross scored to cut the lead 6-2. Pedroia then cut the lead in half with a double down the line to score Bradley Jr. Ortiz lined one off the glove at second but was thrown out at first to end the inning. Still, a 3 run deficit with 4 innings to go is better than 6.
Badenhop continued his scoreless streak by getting Schoop to ground out to begin the top of the 6th. Flaherty and Lombardozzi both grounded out to first to end the inning. 3 2/3 scoreless innings for Badenhop, great job to keep them in the game. Ryan Webb replaced Chen for the 6th inning and struck out Napoli, Gomes and Bogaerts in short order.
Craig Breslow took over for the top of the 7th and Lough grounded out to first. Markakis flied out but Cruz walked. Cruz was the first base runner since Clevenger's double in the 3rd. He didn't go far as Davis grounded out into the shift to end the inning. Zach Britton took the mound for the bottom of the 7th. Nava flied out to right but David Ross clocked his first home run of the year to make it 6-4. Bradley Jr grounded out but Holt singled to left. Pedroia walked and with the tying runs on.....Ortiz grounded out to end the inning. Inching closer but still trailing.
The O's struck back in the top of the 8th. Jones singled to lead off and Clevenger hit a picture perfect ground ball to Pedroia but Bogaerts botched the relay throw and Steve was safe at first. Schoop flied out to center but Clevenger tagged up and advanced to second. Flaherty singled to center and Bradley Jr threw a hundred feet from home but Ross got Flaherty at second to end the inning. Still, it was back to a 3 run lead for Baltimore. It goes down as an earned run allowed on Breslow but Bogaerts, Clevenger and Bradley Jr were more responsible. Darren O'Day replaced Britton for the bottom of the 8th and Mike Napoli greeted him with a blast to centerfield to cut the lead 7-5. Mike Carp pinch hit for Gomes and grounded out to short, great clutch hitting. Bogaerts lashed a base hit to left to put the tying run at the plate. Nava singled off the glove of O'Day and that was it for him, O's manager Buck Showalter brought in lefty Brian Matusz. For some reason, Sox manager John Farrell pinch hit David Ross for Jonathan Herrera the utility infielder. The Sox then literally ran into a double play as Herrera struck out and Bogaerts stopped halfway to third and allowed himself to be tagged. BASEBAWFUL!
Carp stayed in left, AJ Pierzynski took over at the dish and Andrew Miller took the mound for the top of the 9th. Lombardozzi lined out and Lough popped up. Bradley Jr made a basket catch to rob Markakis of a hit to retire the side. O's closer Tommy Hunter was brought in to finish the game. Bradley Jr grounded out and it looked like Holt did as well....until Lombardozzi threw the ball away. They ruled it a hit but it was clearly an error. Pedroia nearly tied the game but the ball hit the top of the wall for a double. Showalter then made the bold move by intentionally walking Ortiz to load the bases for Napoli, who ended last year's Patriots Day game with a wall ball. This year....he grounded out to second, but Holt scored to make it 7-6. This left it up to Mike Carp, not the master of walkoffs Jonny Gomes, to win the game. As expected, Carp grounded out to end the game. A tough loss but it was great to see the Sox come back after being down 6-0.
THE GOOD:
Burke Badenhop kept the Sox in the game with 3 2/3 scoreless relief. Andew Miller pitched a scoreless 9th. Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run and an rbi. Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi. David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.
THE BAD:
Jackass of the Day is an easy one. With the Sox needing to rest their bullpen, Clay Buchholz went out and pitched miserably, lasting only 2 1/3 while giving up 7 hits and 6 runs that cost the Sox the game. Jonathan Herrera struck out with the tying runs on base in the 8th. Mike Carp came up twice with a chance to win the game and failed both times. Jonny Gomes was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts
THE UGLY:
Craig Breslow allowed the eventual deciding run in the 7th but that was more of heads up baseball by Steve Clevenger than his own fault, especially in 2 innings of relief. Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5 but that included a home run and an rbi groundout in the 9th. Xander Bogaerts countered going 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored by playing horrendous defense and running the bases horribly, leading to the defeat. Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored on his lone hit.
Honorable Mention:
AJ Pierzynski caught the top of the 9th with no problems.
Final Thoughts:
None
Monday, April 21, 2014
Tuesday, April 15, 2014
White Sox Walkoff Red Sox On Error (4/15/14)
One thing's for sure when it comes to the Boston Red Sox, the magic of last year is completely gone. Not only are the bats not getting it done, they're not winning the close games anymore. Jake Peavy of the Red Sox and Erik Johnson of the Chicago White Sox locked in a pitcher's duel through six innings. Adam Dunn hit a home run off Peavy but Daniel Nava hit one off Johnson. In the bottom of the ninth, Burke Badenhop (0-2, 7.71 ERA) allowed a base hit to Alexei Ramirez and Chris Capuano came in to get the final out. It didn't happen as Adam Eaton walked and Xander Bogaerts threw a grounder by Marcus Semien away to end the game. The White Sox had won the game 2-1 over the Red Sox at Commiskey Park.
Foamy can't stand errors
Home run Dunn
Nava ties it up
Good work Peavy
Johnson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Grady Sizemore led off with a broken bat fly out to right. Xander Bogaerts took strike three and David Ortiz popped up to third to end the inning. Peavy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Adam Eaton struck out swinging to start. Marcus Semien popped up to Mike Napoli and Conor Gillaspie struck out swinging to end the inning.
Napoli took strike three to start the top of the second and Daniel Nava ripped a liner right to Ramirez. AJ Pierzynski got a big hand from his old fans before grounding out to short to end the inning. The White Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Jose Abreu grounded out to short to start....but wait! White Sox manager Robin Ventura challenged the call, but it was upheld. Adam Dunn immediately hit a home run to Nebraska to put Chicago on top. Dayan Viciedo doubled to left but Alejandro De Aza took strike three. Ramirez walked but Tyler Flowers was rung up for strike three on a questionable pitch to end the inning with Chicago ahead 1-0.
The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the third as Ryan Roberts struck out swinging to start. Jackie Bradley Jr walked and Jonathan Herrera singled to center, but all Sizemore could do was move the runners over with a fly out to center. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Eaton grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Semien popped up to center. Gillaspie grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
The BoSox struck back in the top of the fourth as Ortiz struck out swinging to start. Napoli also struck out swinging but Nava crushed his second home run of the year to tie the game. Pierzynski struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Abreu struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Dunn drew a walk. Viciedo grounded a base hit up the middle but De Aza took strike three. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning.
Roberts flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and JBJ grounded out to second. Herrera struck out swinging to end the inning. Peavy cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Flowers struck out swinging to start. Eaton flied out to center and Semien grounded out to second to end the inning.
Sizemore grounded out to second to open the top of the sixth before Bogaerts flied out to center. Ortiz flied out to right to end the inning. Gillaspie grounded out to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Abreu walked. Dunn walked and both runners moved over on the grounder to short by Viciedo. De Aza flied out to left to end the inning. That was it for Peavy as he allowed just 1 run in 6 solid innings. He allowed 3 hits and 4 walks in his outing.
The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Napoli got a base hit to left to start. Nava lined out to short and Pierzsynki missed a home run by 10 feet before walking. Roberts struck out swinging and that was it for Johnson. Scott Downs came in to face JBJ and struck him out swinging to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez grounded out to short to start. Flowers struck out swinging but Eaton singled off the glove of Herrera. Semien lined out to right to end the inning.
Herrera grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth before Sizemore also grounded out to second. Jake Petricka came in to pitch to Bogaerts and Xander struck out swinging to end the inning. Andrew Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gillaspie lined out to left to start. Abreu grounded out to second but Dunn walked to chase Miller. Burke Badenhop came in to pitch with Leury Garcia in to run for Dunn. Viciedo hit a comebacker to Badenhop to end the inning.
Ortiz grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth but Napoli walked to chase Petricka. Donnie Veal came in to face Jonny Gomes pinch hitting for Nava. Gomes struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved Napoli to second. Sox manager John Farrell sent Dustin Pedroia in to run for Napoli and Pierzynski was plunked. Daniel Webb came in to face Mike Carp pinch hitting for Roberts and Carp grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Things came to a crashing halt in the bottom of the ninth as De Aza walked to start. De Aza was thrown out at second trying to steal but Ramirez got a base hit to left. Flowers took strike three and John Farrell wanted Chris Capuano to face Eaton. Adam walked and Semien hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts.....who threw low to first, Carp unable to pick it for an error to score Ramirez. The White Sox had walked off the Red Sox 2-1.
White Sox win
Nice error Jackass
Jackass of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His error in the ninth led to the walkoff win
The Good:
Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 with a home run.
AJ Pierzynski walked and was hit with a pitch in four plate appearances.
Jonathan Herrera was 1 for 3.
Jake Peavy allowed 1 run in 6 innings allowing 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 8.
Junichi Tazawa tossed a full scoreless inning.
Andrew Miller got the first two outs of the eighth inning.
The Bad:
Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4.
Johnny Gomes struck out as a pinch hitter.
Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Mike Carp was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.
Burke Badenhop took the loss on an unearned run in a full inning.
Chris Capuano was on the mound for Bogaerts' game ending error.
Honorable Mention:
Dustin Pedroia ran for Napoli in the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
The magic of 2013 is gone, that's for sure. The Sox used to win games like this but this year they just don't. Scoring just 1 run the entire game is inexcusable in itself especially since they mad men on base all game, but to lose on an error is just a sucker punch to the gonads. Peavy battled his ass off and Tazawa did what he could to keep the game tied, but the Boston offense just couldn't get anything going. The losses of Shane Victorino, Jacoby Ellsbury and Stephen Drew are all rearing their ugly heads because the replacements aren't doing so well. Still, its only April and there's a long way to go. They should be able to figure it out moving forward. The BoSox look to bounce back tomorrow night against Chicago when Clay Buchholz takes the hill against Jon Danks of the ChiSox. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.
Monday, April 14, 2014
Off-Day News (4/14/14)
On This Day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful History:
1915 - Pennock, A's blank Sox
1930 - Sox win Opening Day
1971 - Senators rally past Sox
1973 - Sox drop Yankees
1974 - Sox smash Tigers
1982 - White Sox rally past Red Sox
1991 - Indians shut out Sox
1993 - Sox outslug Indians
2000 - A's crush Rose, Sox
2001 - Yankees edge Sox late
2002 - Mussina, Yankees drops Sox
2012 - Sox offense bashes Rays
2013 - Buchholz, Sox blank Rays
The Sox look to rebound in a three game set in Chicago with the first one against the White Sox tomorrow night. Jake Peavy goes for the Sox against Erik Johnson of Chicago at 8:10 PM at Commiskey Park.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Nova, Yankees Edge Sox (4/13/14)
Looks like the magic of the 2013 season wore off in a hurry for the 2014 Boston Red Sox. The Sox have now lost eight of their first fourteen games including three out of four to the New York Yankees. Ian Nova stymied the Red Sox allowing just 2 runs while pitching into the eighth inning. Felix Doubront (1-2, 6.75) was game but surrendered three runs in 6 2/3 innings. The Sox jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Jonathan Herrera rbi single but Carlos Beltran hit a two run shot off Doubront in the bottom of the third. The Yankees made it 3-1 but Mike Napoli homered in the sixth to cut the lead to one. The Sox loaded the bases in the top of the eighth but couldn't deliver the knockout punch. The Yankees beat the Sox 3-2 at Yankee Stadium.
Nova got the ball in the top of the first inning and Grady Sizemore grounded out to short to start. Xander Bogaerts ripped a base hit to left but David Ortiz struck out swinging. Mike Napoli also struck out swinging to end the inning. Doubront got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner led off to lining out to a running Daniel Nava to start. Carlos Beltran lined a base hit to left and Jacoby Ellsbury doubled down the right field line. Alfonso Soriano lined a ball to center and Beltran trotted home....but Ellsbury was thrown out at third by Bradley to end the inning before the runner scored.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Daniel Nava grounded out to second to start. AJ Pierzynski struck out swinging but Ryan Roberts lined a base hit to left. Jackie Bradley Jr lined a ball off Nova into shallow right for a base hit to move Roberts to third. Jonathan Herrera lined a base hit to center to score Roberts to put the Sox on top. Sizemore dumped a base hit to left but JBJ was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Brian McCann led off the bottom of the second and Yangervis Solarte grounded out to third. Kelly Johnson walked and took second on a wild pitch but Francisco Cervelli flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Ortiz grounded out to third and Napoli grounded out to short to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third as Anna grounded out to first to start. Gardner singled to right and Beltran hit a home run all the way to Nepal to put the Yankees up for good. Ellsbury grounded out to first and Soriano grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-1.
Nava hit a rocket to Ellsbury to start the top of the fourth before Pierzynski grounded out to second. Roberts lined a base hit to left and JBJ lined out to left to end the inning. The Yankees got another run in the bottom of the fourth as McCann walked to start. Solarte walked and Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves ran to the mound to tell Doubront what happened in the latest episode of Supernatural. Johnson forced Solarte at second and it looked like Cervelli banged into a double play to end the inning. Yankees manager Joe Girardi challenged that Cervelli was safe at first and former Yankees manager Joe Torre DEMANDED the call be changed. Sure enough, the call was overturned as Cervelli was safe and McCann scored to increase the lead. Sox manager John Farrell ran out of the dugout and shouted at the umpires causing him to be ejected. Apparently Cervelli was hurt on the play and Ichiro Suzuki pinch ran for him. Anna flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.
"I've had it up to here with you divotheads!" - Farrell
Herrera lined out to short to start the top of the fifth but Sizemore singled to center. Bogaerts flied out to center and Ortiz flied out to the right field warning track to end the inning. Gardner singled to center to begin the bottom of the fifth and moved to second on a fly ball to deep center by Beltran. Ellsbury flied out to right and Soriano struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Napoli smashed his third home run of the season to cut the lead. Nava flied out to center, Pierzynski grounded out to short and Roberts also grounded out to short to end the inning.
McCann doubled to center to start the bottom of the sixth before moving to third on a grounder to short by Solarte. Johnson struck out swinging and Ichiro grounded out to second to end the inning.
JBJ took strike three to start the top of the seventh before Herrera grounded out to third. Sizemore flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Anna flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Gardner lined out to a running Nava. Beltran doubled to left and that was it for Doubront. Felix fought well, going 6 2/3 innings while allowing 3 runs off 7 hits and 3 walks. Chris Capuano came in to get Ellsbury to ground out to second to end the inning.
Doubront deserved better
Bogaerts flied out to right to start the top of the eighth and that was it for Nova. Matt Thornton came in to face Ortiz and Ichiro made a great jumping catch to rob Big Papi of extra bases. David Phelps was brought in to face Napoli and Gardner missed catching a "double" by Napoli. Nava walked and Pierzynski was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Acting Sox manager Torey Lovullo had Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts but Mike struck out swinging to end the inning. Huge chance blown by the Sox there. Soriano flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth and McCann lined out to center. Solarte singled to center and Johnson grounded out to second to end the inning.
Shawn Kelley came in to close out the top of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Herrera took strike three and Gardner made yet another diving catch on Sizemore to end the game. The Yankees played a flawless defensive game to win 3-2.
Jackass of The Night is a tough one but I'll go with David Ortiz. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout in a one run game. One hit or home run might have been the difference.
The Good:
Grady Sizemore was 2 for 5.
Mike Napoli was 2 for 4 with a home run.
Ryan Roberts was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Chris Capuano tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Mike Carp struck out swinging as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.
Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 but walked.
AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jonathan Herrera was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Felix Doubront took the loss but pitched relatively well, tossing 6 2/3 innings while allowing 3 runs.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox had their chances but couldn't get it done when it counted. Its unfair to put too much blame on Carp because its very hard to come off the bench ice cold in the later innings and expect to produce. Still, the Yankees defense made a ton of great plays to rob the Sox of extra hits. Doubront pitched relatively well too so you just have to tip your cap to the Yankees for playing a great all around game. The Yankees took three of four and the Sox are in a bit of trouble moving forward. Usually the Sox come out like a house of fire against the Yankees in April but this time it was the other way around. There's still a series at Fenway coming up but still, this was no fluke. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to rebound in a three game set in Chicago against the White Sox. Jake Peavy goes for the Sox against Erik Johnson of Chicago on Tuesday night at 8:10 PM at Commiskey Park.
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Yankess Pound Lackey, Defeat Sox (4/12/14)
Well that didn't take long for the Boston Red Sox. Fans were hoping the Sox would turn the corner after beating the New York Yankees yesterday but the good vibes lasted just 24 hours before the Yankees struck back. John Lackey (2-1, 3.86 ERA) got pummeled by the Yankees for six runs and didn't make it out of the sixth inning. The Yankees broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning with back to back home runs by Brian McCann and Alfonso Soriano before adding two more runs. The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh against Hideki Kuroda and Matt Thornton to plate two runs and have the tying run at first. Mike Carp then was foolishly thrown out trying to steal and Kelly Johnson hit a home run off Burke Badenhop. Shawn Kelley slammed the door in the ninth and the Yankees evened this opening series against each other with a 7-4 victory at Yankee Stadium.
Randy Quaid is angry again
Beltran strikes first
Home run AJ
Soriano with the dagger
Longball Lackey
Another home run
Kuroda got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Daniel Nava singled to center and David Ortiz singled to right, but Mike Napoli hit one up the elevator shaft. Mike Carp grounded out to first to start. The Yankees wasted no time getting to Lackey in the bottom of the first as Brett Gardner grounded out to second to start. Brian Roberts grounded out to first but Jacoby Ellsbury caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down to third. Carlos Beltran hit a home run all the way to Sorrento, Italy to put the Yankees on top. Brian McCann struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.
The Sox answered in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right to start. AJ Pierzynski smacked his first home run of the season to tie the game. Jonathan Herrera struck out swinging and Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to first. Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Alfonso Soriano grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Kelly Johnson beat out a roller to short. Johnson moved to second on the Yangervis Solarte grounder to second and Dean Anna popped up to short to end the inning.
Nava grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Ortiz flied out to center. Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning. Gardner struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third and Roberts grounded back to the mound. Ellsbury singled to center and stole second, but Beltran struck out swinging to end the inning.
Carp flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Bogaerts grounded out to third. Pierzynski singled to center and Herrera walked, but JBJ flied out to left to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fourth as McCann and Soriano hit back to back jacks to begin. Johnson and Solarte struck out swinging before Anna flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-2.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Pedroia doubled to center. Pedroia moved to third on the grounder to second by Nava but Ortiz popped up to short. Napoli popped up to center to end the inning. Gardner grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Roberts flied out to left. Ellsbury struck out swinging to end the inning.
Carp struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Ellsbury dropped a pop up by Bogaerts for an error. Pierzynski struck out swinging and Herrera grounded out to third to end the inning. The Yankees finished off Lackey in the bottom of the sixth as Beltran doubled to center and McCann hit a home run all the way to Nogales, Mexico to ice the game. Soriano got a base hit to right but Johnson banged into a double play. Solarte got a base hit to left and finally the plug was pulled on Lackey. He got hammered for 10 hits, 6 runs and four home runs in 5 2/3 innings. Craig Breslow came in and Solarte moved to second on a wild pitch. Anna took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 6-2.
The Sox came out swinging in the top of the seventh as JBJ walked to start. Pedroia struck out swinging but Nava walked to chase Kuroda. Old friend Matt Thornton came in and Ortiz took strike three, but both runners pulled off a double steal. Napoli was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Carp drilled a base hit to left to score JBJ & Nava to cut the lead. Dellin Betances came in to pitch to Bogaerts and.....Nava was thrown out second to end the inning with the Sox still down 6-4.
Sox strike back
Gardner singled to center to start the bottom of the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Roberts. That was it for Breslow as Andrew Miller was brought in to face Ellsbury. Jacoby walked but Beltran struck out swinging and McCann popped up to short to end the inning.
Adam Warren came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Bogaerts struck out swinging to start. Pierzynski grounded out to short and Herrera struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees tagged Burke Badenhop in the bottom of the eighth as Soriano grounded out to short to start. Johnson then hit a home run to the outer jungle of Mongolia to increase the lead. Solarte singled to right and Anna doubled to right.....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Anna was safe at second, but the call was upheld. Gardner popped up to center and Roberts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-4.
Shawn Kelley came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Ichiro Suzuki now in right. JBJ flied out to left, Pedroia flied out to center and Nava grounded out to first to end the game. The Yankees had won it 7-4.
Yankees win
Jackass Carp
Jackass of the Night is Mike Carp. You can't get yourself thrown out in that situation representing the tying run with the Yankees on the ropes.
The Good:
AJ Pierzynski was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.
Craig Breslow pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Andrew Miller pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
The Bad:
John Lackey took the loss allowing 6 runs on 10 hits and four home runs.
Burke Badenhop allowed a run in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Daniel Nava was just 1 for 4 but stole a base, walked and scored a run
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked, stole a base and scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Tough loss for the Sox that might have been an epic comeback victory. Sad part is those were the type of victories the Sox would pull out of their collective asses last year, too bad its a new year. A lot of things went right this game by coming back again and again but giving up the long ball and Carp getting thrown out were backbreakers. Ortiz popping up with a man on third was also a killer and its a sign that this year is different. Kuroda pitched well but the Yankees bullpen isn't the same without Mariano Rivera anymore. The Sox should be able to get to the bullpen and they shot themselves in the foot in this one. We're only twelve games into the season but the Sox are definitely coming out of the gate ice cold. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow when Felix Doubront (1-1) takes the mound against Ian Nova of the Yankees. The game begins at 8:10 PM at Yankee Stadium.
Friday, April 11, 2014
Sizemore, Lester Drop Yankees (4/11/14)
When the Boston Red Sox lost Jacoby Ellsbury in free agency, they rolled the dice by trying to resurrect Grady Sizemore after he hadn't played in the big leagues since 2011. The gamble has worked so far as Grady was the difference in tonight's game against the New York Yankees. Trailing 1-0 against Yankees ace CC Sabathia in the sixth inning, Jonny Gomes tied the game with a home run and Sizemore smashed a three run home run to give the Sox the lead. Jon Lester (1-2, 2.57 ERA) was game as he tossed 6 2/3 strong innings. The duo of Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica was enough to close the door as the Sox defeated the Yankees 4-2 at Yankee Stadium.
Shanice Jordan approves of the win
The funky Alfonso
Lester stays strong
Sox win
Hero Sizemore
Sabathia got the ball in the top of the first and Jonny Gomes took strike three to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to first but David Ortiz walked. Mike Napoli took strike three to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first and Derek Jeter grounded out to second to start. Jacoby Ellsbury lined out to center and Carlos Beltran popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.
Grady Sizemore began the top of the second by going down hacking before Xander Bogaerts also struck out swinging. Ryan Roberts lined out to left to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the second when Alfonso Soriano hit a home run all the way to Saudi Arabia to put the Yankees on top. Francisco Cervelli grounded out to third, Yangervis Solarte struck out swinging and Ichiro Suzuki grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.
David Ross tried to start a rally with a double to left to start the top of the third and moved to third on the Jackie Bradley Jr grounder to short. Gomes popped up to first in foul territory and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Brian Roberts popped up a bunt back to Ross to start the bottom of the third and Kelly Johnson flied out to right. Jeter hit a squibber single in front of the plate and Ellsbury walked, but Jeter was forced at third by Beltran to end the inning.
Ortiz grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth before Napoli lined out to first. Sizemore grounded out to first to end the inning. Lester froze Soriano for strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Cervelli grounded out to second. Solarte also took strike three to end the inning.
Bogaerts walked to start the top of the fifth before moving to second on the grounder to short by Roberts. Ross and JBJ both struck out swinging to end the inning. Ichiro beat out a roller to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Roberts hit into a double play. Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox roared to life in the top of the sixth as Gomes led off with his first home run of the season to tie the game. Pedroia struck out swinging but Ortiz beat out a roller to third. Napoli ripped a base hit to center and Sizemore belted his second home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Bogaerts and Roberts both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.
Sizemore puts Boston on top
Jeter flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Ellsbury singled to right. Jacoby stole second but Beltran took strike three in the process. Soriano grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Ross grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh before JBJ grounded out to third. Gomes singled to center but Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Cervelli took strike three to start. Solarte grounded out to short but Ichiro singled to right. Roberts walked and Johnson dumped a base hit to right to score Ichiro. That was it for Lester who lasted 6 2/3 innings allowing just two runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six. Junichi Tazawa came in to face Jeter and Derek flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-2.
Cesar Cabral came in to pitch to Ortiz in the top of the eighth and ended up walking him. Adam Warren came in to face Napoli and Mike flied out to center. Sizemore got a base hit to right but Bogaerts flied out to center. Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts and struck out swinging to end the inning. Tazawa returned for the bottom of the eighth and Ellsbury was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Beltran struck out swinging but Soriano singled to right. Brian McCann pinch hit for Cervelli and struck out swinging to end the inning.
Dellin Betances came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Ross took strike three to start. JBJ watched strike three go by and Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning. Edward Mujica came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Solarte grounded out to first to start. Ichiro flied out to center and Brett Gardner pinch hit for Roberts. Gardner struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.
Hero of The Night is Grady Sizemore. His 3 run home run put the Sox up for good.
The Good:
Jonny Gomes was 2 for 5 with a home run.
David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.
Jon Lester got the win by tossing 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six batters.
Junichi Tazawa tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Edward Mujica got his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
Edward Mujica got his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Mike Carp struck out as a pinch hitter.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
David Ross was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Honorable Mention:
Jonathan Herrera played third in the final two innings.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox have been sputtering to start the season but that was a good win against the Yankees. Sabathia didn't give an inch but the Sox held on to get four runs off him. Sizemore has big shoes to fill with Ellsbury on the Yankees and today he was the hero of this one. Lester also pitched well but credit to Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica for slamming the door after Lester was gone. The Sox offense is faltering a bit but Sizemore stepped up big time. Hopefully this could be the start of something good moving forward. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow afternoon when John Lackey (2-0) goes for the Sox against Hiroki Kuroda of New York. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.
Thursday, April 10, 2014
Pineda, Yankees Shut Down Sox (4/10/14)
Looks like the New York Yankees got away with some chicanery in tonight's game against the Boston Red Sox. On paper Michael Pineda dominated the Red Sox by allowing just a single run in 6 innings but the camera's picked up what looked to be pine tar on his hand. Red Sox fans are fuming that Sox manager John Farrell didn't do anything about it because the Sox ended up losing this game. Clay Buchholz pitched well allowing just 2 earned runs but the Yankees put the game away after an error by Jonathan Herrera. The miscue led to two runs scoring which was all the Yankees needed. Ironically after Pineda left the game in the top of the seventh after allowing a home run to Daniel Nava and a base hit to Xander Bogaerts, not a single batter reached base . It all added up to a tainted 4-1 victory by the Yankees over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
Unless he's using his hand to wipe, that's pine tar
Error leads to disaster
First homer for Anna
Nava blasts one
Yankees win
Jackass Buchholz
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Pineda got the ball in the top of the first inning and Grady Sizemore flied out to center to start. Dustin Pedroia flied out to the right field warning track and David Ortiz hit a bullet right to Kelly Johnson to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner struck out swinging to start. Derek Jeter hit a roller up the middle for a base hit and took second on old friend Jacoby Ellsbury's grounder to second. Carlos Beltran flied out to a running Jackie Bradley Jr to end the inning.
Mike Napoli popped up to Beltran to start the top of the second before Daniel Nava struck out swinging. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Brian McCann grounded into the shift in right to start the bottom of the second before Alfonso Soriano was frozen for strike three on a curveball. Johnson grounded out to second to end the inning.
AJ Pierzynski struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr drew a walk. Jonathan Herrera struck out swinging but JBJ stole second. Sizemore grounded out to third to end the inning. Daniel Nava made a great diving catch to rob Yangervis Solarte of a broken bat hit to start the bottom of the third. Dean Anna grounded out to first but Gardner hit a seeing eye single into right. Jeter grounded out to first to end the inning.
Pedroia and Ortiz both flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Napoli walked. Nava struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees struck in the bottom of the fourth as Ellsbury hit a routine grounder to Herrera who did a backflip on the ball for an error. Beltran ripped a base hit to right and McCann ripped a base hit inside the first base line to score Ellsbury, moving Carlos to third. Soriano banged into a double play but Beltran scored another run. Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning but the Yankees led 2-0.
Bogaerts tried to start a rally in the top of the fifth by dumping a base hit to left to start. Pierzynski lined out to a running Gardner before JBJ struck out swinging. Herrera also struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Solarte took strike three to start. Anna hit his first career home run all the way to Jupiter to pretty much seal the game. Gardner struck out swinging but Jeter pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands. Ellsbury ripped a base hit to left to score Jeter but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Yankees leading 4-0.
Sizemore grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Pedroia popped up to short. Ortiz belted a double to center but Napoli flied out to center to end the inning. Beltran flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and McCann took strike three. Soriano grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox finally struck in the top of the seventh as Nava clobbered his first home run of the season to cut the lead. Bogaerts singled to center and that was it for Pineda. Cesar Cabral came in to pitch and Bogaerts moved to second on a balk, but Pierzynski struck out swinging. JBJ struck out swinging and David Phelps came in to pitch to Herrera. Sox manager John Farrell countered by bringing in Ryan Roberts to pinch hit for Herrera. Roberts grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.
Craig Breslow came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Johnson grounded out to second to start. Solarte flied out to left and Anna flied out to center to end the inning.
Sizemore popped up to short to start the top of the eighth before Pedroia grounded out to short. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. Chris Capuano came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gardner grounded out to second to begin. Jeter grounded out to first and Ellsbury grounded out to second to end the inning.
Phelps returned to close out the top of the ninth and Napoli watched strike three go by to start. Nava also took strike three and Bogaerts popped up to center to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-1.
Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. He took the loss allowing 4 runs in just 6 innings of work while giving up 7 hits.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.
Craig Breslow pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Chris Capuano pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4.
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.
AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and an error.
Ryan Roberts grounded out in his only at-bat.
The Ugly:
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Daniel Nava was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Looks like Pineda got away with one there as camera showed he clearly had something on his pitching hand. The Sox were in no position to argue after Jack Morris squawked about Buchholz last year and St. Louis Cardinals fans claimed Jon Lester had something in the World Series. Still, it was strange that Pineda of all people shut down the Sox for that long. Buchholz didn't get much help from his defense but still allowed four runs to put the game out of reach. Pineda was also gone in the seventh, the Sox had three full innings to get a couple of runs and failed miserably. Its another tough loss in an April full of them so far this season. Hopefully the Sox break out of this funk soon before they start losing ground to the Yankees. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Yankees when Jon Lester (0-2) takes the mound against CC Sabathia of New York. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Sox Stun Rangers Late (4/9/14)
Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Craig Breslow was activated off the Disabled List and activated for tonight's game. Breslow gives the Sox a much needed shot in the arm as his relief experience is badly needed. The Sox sent Brandon Workman back to Pawtucket as a corresponding move.
OUT
IN
Britt Linn approves of the win
Ooops!
Yerrrrr out!
Peavy deserved better
Rangers take the lead
Ortiz pounds a home run into right
Sox win
Hero Big Papi
Ryan Roberts was 0 for 2.
As for the game, once again the Red Sox looked like they were sleepwalking through another game. Once the Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the eighth, all hope looked lost. Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Who else but David Ortiz hit the 3 run shot off reliever Neil Cotts to put the Sox ahead. Koji Uehara slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox stole one against the Texas Rangers 4-2 at Fenway Park.
Jake Peavy got the start for the Red Sox and Shin-Soo Choo hit the first pitch of the game over the head of Jackie Bradley Jr for a double to start. Elvis Andrus hit a grounder to Napoli but Choo didn't run to third. That was a huge mistake as Prince Fielder grounded out to second and Choo went to third. Alex Rios walked and stole second but Mitch Moreland struck out swinging to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr got the start for Texas and Jonny Gomes grounded out to third to start. Dustin Pedroia also grounded out to third and David Ortiz was retired on a dribbler in front of the plate to end the inning.
Peavy cruised in the top of the second inning as Donnie Murphy struck out swinging on a nasty changeup to start. Leonys Martin popped up to left and Robinson Chirinos took strike three to end the inning. Mike Napoli and Xander Bogaerts drew back to back walks to start the bottom of the second but Daniel Nava took strike three. Ryan Roberts banged into a double play to end the inning.
Josh Wilson struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Choo walked. David Ross threw out Choo trying to steal and Andrus grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Ross hit one up the elevator shaft to start. JBJ and Gomes both walked and Pedroia hit a dribbler in front of the plate. Ross Jr threw the ball away allowing JBJ to score and Pedroia to take second. Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.
Peavy turned up the heat in the top of the fourth as Fielder, Rios and Moreland all struck out swinging in short order. Napoli grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Bogaerts walked. Nava was called out on strike three and Bogaerts overslid the bag on a steal attempt for a double play to end the inning.
Murphy popped up to Pedroia to start the top of the fifth but Martin hit a routine grounder to third. Roberts threw the ball wide of first for a "single". Chirinos popped up to Roberts in foul territory and Wilson popped up to second to end the inning
Choo walked to start the top of the sixth and moved to second on the swinging bunt by Andrus. Fielder moved Choo to third with a grounder but Rios flied out to third to end the inning. Pedroia began the bottom of the sixth by striking out swinging before Ortiz doubled off the garage door in center. That was it for Ross Jr as Alexi Ogando came in to pitch. Napoli popped up to short on the first pitch and Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.
The Rangers finally tagged Peavy in the top of the seventh when Moreland hit a home run all the way to Santo Domingo to tie the game. Murphy grounded out to short and Martin went down hacking. Chirinos walked and that was it for Peavy after 109 pitches. He made one mistake to Moreland but was outstanding otherwise. Kevin Kouzmanoff pinch hit for Wilson and Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch. Kouzmanoff singled to right but Choo flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Nava took strike three to start. Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts and also took strike three. Ross whiffed to end the inning.
Jonathan Herrera took over at third with Andrew Miller on the mound for the top of the eighth. Andrus doubled into the right field corner to start and moved to third on the grounder by Fielder. Rios hit a fly ball to JBJ with Andrus and Jackie fired home...safe! Andrus scored and the Rangers took the lead.
Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as JBJ walked to start. AJ Pierzynski pinch hit for Gomes and dumped a base hit down the right field line. Grady Sizemore pinch ran for Pierzynski and was erased by the Pedroia force. Neal Cotts came in to pitch to Ortiz and Big Papi swatted a 3 run bomb just over the Pesky Pole to give the Sox the lead. Rangers manager Ron Washington wanted the call reviewed and when the umpires looked at the tape, nobody had any clue where the ball landed so it was upheld. Napoli whiffed and Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox led 4-2.
Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Sizemore now in to center, Nava now in left and JBJ in right. Murphy grounded back to Koji to start and Martin whiffed. Jim Adduci pinch hit for Chirinos and popped up to Herrera in foul territory to end the game. The Sox had stole one 4-2.
Hero of the Night is David Ortiz. His 3 run home run was the difference in the game.
The Good:
AJ Pierzynski singled as a pinch hitter.
Jackie Bradley Jr walked 3 times and scored 2 runs.
Jake Peavy deserved the win by going 6 2/3 innings while allowing just the home run to Moreland. He struck out 8 batters.
Junichi Tazawa retired the final batter of the seventh inning.
Koji Uehara got the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 with 3 strikeouts.
Ryan Roberts was 0 for 2.
Mike Carp struck out as a pinch hitter.
David Ross was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Andrew Miller vultured the win by allowing a run in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Jonny Gomes was 0 for 2 but walked.
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 but walked.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 2 and got caught stealing but walked twice.
Honorable Mention:
Grady Sizemore pinch ran for Pierzynski in the bottom of the eighth.
Jonathan Herrera played third base in the bottom of the eighth.
Final Thoughts:
That was a good comeback win but it would be nice for the offense to not fall asleep for seven innings day after day. Jake Peavy pitched his ass off but has nothing to show for it because the bats were quiet for most of the game. The Ortiz homer bailed out another bad offensive performance and something's not right with this team. They hit into more double plays than they score runs it seems. Losing Jacoby Ellsbury severely impacted team speed but who would have thought it would be this bad? Still, a win is a win even if its better late than never. Ortiz has been bailing out the Sox for 11 years now and they're gonna miss him when he's gone. As mentioned earlier, Craig Breslow has been activated so they have the trio that got them to the World Series last year back. The Sox now travel to the Bronx for a set with the New York Yankees. Clay Buchholz takes the mound for the Sox opposite Michael Pineda of the Yan kees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.
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