Ortiz Late Homer Stuns Yankees (4/29/16)

New York Yankee fans have been trumpeting the Yankees bullpen as being the best in baseball. David Ortiz took a big dump in the Yankee fans championship stew, blasting a go ahead 2 run home run off Dellin Bentances. The Boston Red Sox bullpen gave the Yankee fans the middle finger by tossing 3 total scoreless innings to lock up the 4-2 win.

                                                 "Billy Beane" celebrates the win

Red Sox starter Henry Owens had no velocity nor command yet gutted his way through the top of the first. Old pal Jacoby Ellsbury worked a walk and Brett Gardner singled...but Carlos Beltran banged into a double play. Mark Teixeira flied out to end the inning. Yankees starter Masahiro Tanakao was equally tough. Mr.Mookie Betts grounded out and Dustin Pedroia did as well. Yankees 3rd basemen Chase Headley booted a ground ball by Xander Bogaerts and he reached first. David Ortiz grounded to first to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second. Alex Rodriguez blasted a 427 foot bomb to center to give the Yankees a 1-0 lead. Brian McCann struck out but Starlin Castro tripled. Headley lofted a flyball to Brock Holt in left and Castro bolted for home.....OUT! Yankees had the lead but it could have been worse.

                                                    "Yerrrrrrrrrrrrrr out!"

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second. Hanley Ramirez singled and advanced on the wild pitch by Tanaka. Travis Shaw lined out and Holt grounded out, moving Hanley to third. Ryan Hanigan struck out to end the inning.

The defense pitched in to aid the top of the third inning. Didi Gregorious popped up but Ellsbury walked. Ellsbury's diminished speed was on display as the Sox executed a strike em out, throw em out double play when Gardner whiffed. Ellsbury was thrown out at second to end the inning.

                                            "Yerrrrrrrrr out" part 2

The Sox failed to capitalize in the bottom of the third. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out, Mr. Mooke grounded out and Pedroia popped up to end the inning.

Owens hung tough in the top of the fourth. Beltran grounded out but Teixeira walked. A-Rod flied out and McCann grounded out to end the inning. Bogaerts flied out to begin the bottom of the fourth. Ortiz beat the shift with an infield single to third but Ramirez struck out. Shaw popped up to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the fifth. Castro singled but Headley banged into a double play. Gregorious was hit with a pitch, Ellsbury singled and Gardner singled home Didi to make it 2-0. Beltran popped up to end the inning. Once again the Sox failed to fight back in the bottom of the fifth. Holt grounded out, Hanigan struck out and JBJ grounded out to end the inning.

Owens recovered for one last inning in the top of the sixth. Teixeira struck out, A-Rod grounded out and McCann flied out to end the inning. He had poor command and barely topped 90 on the gun but Owens had tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball.

                                                If only he had 4 more miles of velocity

Tanaka matched him in the bottom of the sixth. Mr. Mookie grounded out and Pedroia flied out. Bogaerts singled but Ortiz grounded out to end the inning.

Matt Barnes took over in the top of the seventh. Castro, Headley and Gregoriouis grounded out in short order. The Sox finally rallied in the bottom of the seventh. Ramirez lined out but Shaw singled. Holt singled but Hanigan struck out. JBJ doubled into the gap to score both runners and tie the game. That was it for Tanaka as Dellin Bentances relieved him to pitch to Betts. Mr. Mookie flied out and it was down to a battle of the bullpens. With Carson Smith pitching to two batters in Portland that night and Aroldis Chapman suspended, neither team was at full strength.

                                          JBJ doubles in Shaw and Holt to tie the game

It was Koji time in the top of the eighth. Koji Uehara (1-1) got Ellsbury to ground out then struck out Gardner. Beltran flied out to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the eighth.  Pedroia grounded out but Bogaerts singled. Yankee killer David Ortiz then did what he did best, broke the backs of the Yankees and their fans by belting a 2 run bomb into the monster seats to give the Sox a 4-2 lead. Ramirez grounded out and Shaw struck out but the Sox had the lead.

                                          David Ortiz, driving Yankee fans crazy since 2003

It was up to Craig Kimbrel to nail down the save in the top of the ninth. Teizeira flied out, Rodriguez grounded out and McCann struck out to end the game. The Sox had won 4-2.

Hero of the Night is easy. David Ortiz blasted a 2 run home run off Bentances in the bottom of the eighth to propel the Sox to victory.

                                           Hero of the night: David Ortiz

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a run scored. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 including the 2 run double that tied the game. Henry Owens didn't have his best stuff but battled his way through 6 innings. He gave up 2 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 7th inning. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning to earn the win. Craig Kimbrel earned his 7th save with a scoreless 9th inning.


The Bad:

Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia were both 0 for 4


The Ugly:

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4. Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4 but scored a run. Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 3 with a hat trick....but gunned down Ellsbury trying to steal to end the top of the third.


Final Thoughts:

If Yankee fans weren't already second guessing their season, tonight may have clinched it. The Sox bullpen outpitched theirs, and their Triple A call-up Owens matched their ace. It was a gutty win for the Sox that had been stymied through 6 but refused to give up. The Sox need to put some distance between themselves and the Yankees because when Chapman comes back, the Yankees bullpen may be very well unhittable. Then again, when Carson Smith comes back, so could the Sox. The Sox have the edge in offense and can match bullpens, so if the starters can step up, they could be the team to beat in the American League. Tomorrow night Rick Porcello (4-0) goes up against Michael "Pine Tar" Pineda at 7:10 PM.

Buchholz Craps Himself, Sox Lose To Braves (4/28/16)

Mercifully the Clay Buchholz era may be coming to an end in Boston. With everyone not named David Price pitching for a spot in the rotation with Eduardo Rodriguez coming back, Clay Buchholz faced the worst offensive team in the majors and got smacked around. Of the 5 starters (excluding Kelly who's hurt), he's been their worst pitcher this season and its time to cut the chord. The Atlanta Braves broke a 9 game losing streak with a 5-2 win over the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park.

                                         "Celtics lost to the Hawks, Sox lost to the Braves!!!"

Buchholz ran into trouble right away as Nick Markakis led off the game with a double off the monster. Nick moved to third on the Jason Castro ground out but Adonis Garcia popped up. Freddie Freeman walked but AJ Pierzynski flied out to Mookie Betts to end the inning. Mr. Mookie led off the game with a full count strikeout by Braves starter Jhoulys Chacin. Last night's hero Dustin Pedroia picked up where he left off with a double down the right field line. Xander Bogaerts worked a walk and David Ortiz hit one into the shift to force Bogaerts at second....or did he? Umpire Joe West called Bogaerts SAFE when Aybar's foot came off the bag but Bogaerts had no idea. Bogaerts asked West if he was safe but West was looking at clouds. Bogaerts got off the bag and Erick Aybar tagged him out. John Farrell came out to ask for an explanation and he was told simply that West screwed up. Thanks a lot Joe.

                                             "I didn't tell you to come off the bag! OUT!"

Hanley Ramirez said "to hell with this" and singled home Pedroia to give the Sox a 1-0 lead. Travis Shaw popped up to end the inning.

The Braves took command in the top of the second. Jeff Francoer grounded out to Pedroia who made a nice stab to begin the top of the second inning. Jace Peterson walked and Aybar caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single to third. Mallex pounded a ground rule double to tie the game. Markakis then stroked a single to center to score both runners to give the Braves a 3-1 lead. Castro grounded out to advance Markakis. Garcia grounded out to end the inning but the hapless Braves beat up Buchholz to take the lead.

                                            Even Larry can't stand to watch Clay anymore

Could the Sox rally in the bottom of the second? NO! Chris Young got the start in left because he somehow had good success against Chacin, but not here as he popped up on a full count. Jackie Bradley Jr singled and took second on a hilarious scene. Pierzynski allowed a passed ball then fell down throwing to second base as JBJ made it safely. A groundout by Christian Vazquez moved JBJ to third but Mr.Mookie whiffed to end the inning.

                                           Cue the Benny Hill theme

Somehow Buchholz made it through the top of the third inning. Freeman struck out, Pierzynski flied out and Francoeur flied out to end the inning. Chacin remained tough in the bottom of the third. Pedroia grounded out but Bogaerts doubled. Ortiz struck out but Ramirez lashed a wall ball double to cut the lead 3-2. In any other ballpark the ball was gone but the monster ate it. Shaw fouled a bunch of pitches off but ultimately grounded out. Chacin was already up to 65 pitches and the Sox were within a run at 3-2.

Buchholz promptly puked on himself in the top of the fourth. Peterson walked and Buchholz buzzed Aybar inside. Erick beat out a double play ball and Ramirez flashed the leather by robbing Smith of a hit, advancing Aybar to second. Markakis singled home Aybar to give the Braves the 2 run lead back. Castro popped up to end the inning but Buchholz had given up 4 runs in 4 innings to the worst team in baseball. Pierzynski had another Baseball Bloopers moment as he failed to catch a pop up from Young. Chris didn't make him pay by flying out. JBJ also flied out and Vazquez grounded out to end the inning.

Clay continued to give up hits in the top of the fifth. Garcia popped up but Freeman singled. Pierzynski flied out and Francoeur struck out to end the inning. The Sox continued to muster nothing against Chacin.  Mr. Mookie grounded out and Pedroia lined out. Somehow Bogaerts walked but Ortiz struck out to end the inning.

Buchholz failed to escape the sixth as he walked Peterson for the third time to open the frame. Aybar grounded out but Peterson moved to second. Smith singled home Peterson to make it 5-2. Smith beat Vazquez on a steal of second...until the replay showed otherwise and he was called out.  Markakis grounded out to end the inning but the damage was done. Buchholz gave up 5 runs to literally the worst offense in baseball. Ramirez tried to start a rally with his 3rd base hit of the game. That was it for Chacin as Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez brought in lefty Eric O'Flaherty. Say what you will, but Chacin tossed 5 1/3 innings and gave up 2 runs to a team that had zero trouble scoring runs for the past week. With Chris Young already in the game, nobody was left to pinch hit for Shaw. Maybe someone should have as Shaw banged into a double play. Ironically Young was next up and he doubled....but JBJ struck out to end the inning. The Braves were 9 outs away from beating the Red Sox.

Somehow Buchholz came out for the seventh inning. Castro grounded out but Garcia singled to chase Buchholz. Facing the worst offensive team in the majors, Buchholz allowed 5 runs on 8 hits and walked Peterson 3 times. Absolutely bawful.

                                            "I just got beat up by the worst team in baseball"



Tommy Layne came in and provided zero relief as Freeman singled and Pierzsynski moved both runners with a ground out. Francoeur was intentionally walked to loaded the bases but Layne struck out Peterson to end the inning. Old pal Alexi Ogando relieved O'Flaherty in the bottom of the seventh. Vazquez tried to start a rally with a single. Mr.Mookie walked but Pedroia flied out, advancing Vazquez with a single. Mr. Mookie took second on a passed ball by the incompetent Pierzynski to put pressure on Ogando.....which Bogaerts let off the hook with a strikeout. Hunter Cervenka was brought in to face David Ortiz.

Koji Uehara warmed up in the bottom of the seventh but Layne returned for the top of the eighth.  Aybar grounded out but Smith doubled. Foolishly Smith tried to swipe third but was gunned down by bazooka armed Vazquez. Its a good thing because Markakis singled for Atlanta's 11th hit of the ballgame. That was it for Layne as Sox manager John Farrell pulled him for Heath Hembree. Castro grounded out to end the inning. Jim Johnson came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Ramirez grounded out, Shaw struck out and Brock Holt pinch hit for Young. Holt grounded out to end the inning.

Holt stayed in the game in left as Hembree returned for the ninth. Garcia flied out but Freeman singled for Atlanta's 12th hit of the game. Freeman was erased on the force by Pierzynski and he was pinch ran for by Drew Stubbs. Francoeur grounded out to end the inning. Trey Flowers came in to catch the bottom of the ninth as Arodys Vizcaino came in to close the game. JBJ whiffed and Jeff Rutledge pinch hit for Vazquez. Rutledge whiffed but Mr. Mookie prolonged the game with a single. Betts took second on defense indifference and scored on the Pedroia single. Bogaerts grounded out to end the game. The Sox had lost 5-3.

Jackass of the Night is easy. Clay Buchholz faced the worst offensive team in the majors and allowed 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings on 8 hits and 4 walks, 3 to Peterson. He fell to 0-3 on the season and is a liability now.

                                            Clay Buchholz: Jackass



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored. Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored. Hanley Ramirez was 3 for 4 with 2 rbi's. Chris Young was 1 for 3. Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 and 2 for 2 throwing runners out. Tommy Layne tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Heath Hembree tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.


The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts. Travis Shaw was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Brock Holt pinch hit for Young and grounded out. Jeff Rutledge pinch hit for Vazquez and struck out.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.


Final Thoughts:

The Sox wasted an opportunity to gain ground on the idle New York Yankees by losing this one. Buchholz has completely evaporated after starting 2013 with a 10-1 record. It may be time to cut their losses with Eduardo Rodriguez on his way. Not that Eduardo will win 20 games or anything, but at least he doesn't piss his pants when the team needs it. The Yankees are in town next and the Sox can help their cause by winning at least 2 of the games. Aroldis Chapman will be back soon so the Sox need to take advantage of his absence right here and now. Henry Owens goes tomorrow against Masahiro Tanaka at 7:05 PM.

Pedroia's Slam Sinks Braves (4/27/16)

The concern about Dustin Pedroia is that he's lost his power stroke due to years of injuries. Tonight the little man gave a big middle finger to critics by swatting a grand slam off the Pesky Pole and a home run into the Monster seats, driving in 5 runs to back up a great Steven Wright (2-2, 1.37 ERA) start. The Boston Red Sox defeated the Atlanta Braves 9-4 in a packed house at Fenway Park.

                                                 Happy Fans

Steven Wright took the hill in the top of the first inning. Nick Markakis grounded out and Jackie Bradley Jr made a great diving catch to rob Jason Castro of a hit. Adonis Garcia struck out to end the inning. Bud Norris got the ball in the bottom of the second inning. Mr. Mookie Betts opened the bottom of the first with a fly out, but Dustin Pedroia singled. Pedroia was erased on the force by Xander Bogaerts. David Ortiz opened the scoring with a double that brought in Bogaerts. Hanley Ramirez singled in Ortiz to make it 2-0. Ramirez stole second and Travis Shaw walked. Brock "Hitman" Holt grounded out to end the inning but the Sox had the lead.

                                                  Sox strike first

Wright promptly pissed the lead away in the top of the second when Freddie Freeman doubled off the Monster. Jeff Francoeur struck out but AJ Pierzynski singled Freeman to third. Kelly Johnson singled home Freeman. Just like against Price yesterday, none of the balls were hit particularly hard. A passed ball by Ryan Hanigan allowed the runners to move over but Wright struck out Erick Aybar. Drew Stubbs popped up to end the inning but the Braves cut the lead 2-1.  The Sox got the run back and more in the bottom of the second. Ryan Hanigan atoned for his passed ball by getting a base hit. He moved to second on a passed ball by Pierzynski before Jackie Bradley Jr walked. Mr. Mookie singled to load the bases and Pedroia cleared the bases with a line drive grand slam off the Pesky Pole. JJ Hardy be damned! It was 6-1 Boston as Bogaerts grounded out. Holt and Clay Buchholz danced in the dugout as Ortiz doubled off the Monster. Braves manager Freddi Gonzalez had seen enough and pulled Bud Norris. John Gant came on and Ramirez popped up behind the plate. Shaw worked a 9 pitch walk but Holt flied out to end the inning. After all that, the Sox had a 5 run lead.

                                               Grand Slam JJ Hardy style


Wright ran into trouble again in the top of the third when Markakis worked a leadoff walk. Castro struck out but Garcia walked. Freeman smacked one back to Wright but he threw it in the dirt and everyone was safe.  Francoeur aided the Sox' cause by popping up to Pedroia. The knuckleball came back to haunt Wright as Pierzynski was plunked to score Markakis. Johnson popped up to end the inning but it was now 6-2. Hanigan grounded out to begin the bottom of the third. JBJ struck out and Mr. Mookie flied out to end the inning.

Aybar struck out....but reached on yet another passed ball by Hanigan to start the top of the fourth. Stubbs struck out but dropped the ball, allowing Aybar to take second. Markakis grounded out but Aybar didn't go to third. Yet ANOTHER passed ball moved Aybar to third. Castro grounded out to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth. Pedroia struck out but Bogaerts walked. Ortiz doubled to score Bogaerts. Ramirez struck out but Shaw tripled into the gap to score Ortiz. Holt flied out to end the inning but the score was now 8-2.

Wright came back for the top of the fifth. Garcia flied out, Freeman flied out and Francoeur popped up to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the fifth but Hanigan led off with a strikeout. JBJ singled and Mr. Mookie walked....but Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning.

Wright continued his hot streak in the top of the sixth. Pierzynski grounded out, Johnson flied out and Shaw robbed Aybar of a hit with a huge snare to end the inning. Gant came back for another inning and got Bogaerts to ground out leading off the bottom of the sixth. Ortiz and Ramirez both grounded out as well to end the inning.

Wright was brought back for the top of seventh. Chris Young replaced Betts in right field seeing as Betts hasn't had a day off yet. Stubbs struck out as Markakis flied out. Castro walked but Garcia struck out to end the inning.Wright finished with a flury and ended up tossing 7 innings of 2 run (1 earned) ball. Outstanding.

                                                The unlikely ace, Wright.

Hunter Cervenka was brought in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Shaw and Holt struck out and Hanigan grounded out to end the inning.

Tommy Layne was brought into the game to relieve Wright. Layne immediately made no friends by allowing a solo home run to Freeman, Atlanta's first home run in WEEKS. Layne recovered to get Francoeur to fly out, Pierzynski to ground out and Johnson to strike out to end the inning. The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the 8th against Jason Grilli. JBJ lined out and so did Young. Pedroia then hit an Adrian Beltre like home run into the Monster Seats. Who says he's lost his power? Bogaerts walked but Ortiz flied out to end the inning with the Sox leading 9-3.

Matt Barnes took over for the top of the ninth and Jeff Rutledge took over at second base. Aybar struck out but Stubbs singled. Markakis doubled home Stubbs to make it 9-4. Castro grounded out then Garcia grounded out to end the game. The Sox had won 9-4.

Hero of the Night is easy. Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5 with 5 total runs batted in due two a grand slam and solo shot.

                                        Hero of the Night: Dustin Pedroia


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with a walk. David Ortiz was 3 for 5 with 2 runs and 2 rbi's. Travis Shaw was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and a diving catch in the field. Steven Wright kept up his great start to the season by tossing 7 innings of 2 run ball (1 earned) on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8.


The Bad:

Chris Young was 0 for 1 at the plate. Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Tommy Layne gave up a home run to Freeman in the 8th. Matt Barnes gave up a run in the ninth inning.


The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored 2 runs. Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 4 with an rbi and a stolen base. Ryan Hanigan was 1 for 4 with a run scored and several passed balls.


Honorable Mention:

Jeff Rutledge played second base in the ninth inning.


Final Thoughts:

Once again the Sox feasted on the incompetent Braves but again every win counts. In the era of the second wild card, these are the must-win games you look back at the end of the season. It was great to see Pedroia break out and for Wright to continue his hot streak. It'll be interesting to see who goes when Joe Kelly comes back. Wright is pitching too well to keep him out of the rotation. Tomorrow night Clay Buchholz takes the mound against the Braves at 7:10 PM. If he can't beat the Braves, he could be the odd man out.

Price Strikes Out Fifteen, Offense Pounds Braves (4/26/16)

The talk was David Price (3-0) didn't have it anymore or that he took the money and laid down. Tonight was a revenge game against the hapless Atlanta Braves. Price struck out 14, went 8 innings, saved the bullpen and won his 3rd game of the year as the Boston Red Sox took their final game at Turner Field 11-4.

                                                 "Hey knucklehead, start celebratin'"

The Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to short but Dustin Pedroia walked. Xander Bogaerts singled and Travis Shaw crushed a 418 foot 3 run bomb to right to give the Sox a quick 3-0 lead. Hanley Ramirez flied out but Jackie Bradley Jr was hit with a pitch, it was on the foot so it wasn't in retaliation the night before. Brock Holt doubled him home to make it 4-0. Christian Vazquez was intentionally walked to bring up the Price. David looked at strike 3 to end the inning but it was 4-0 Boston.

                             Shaw outscores the entire Braves offense with one swing of the bat

Now could Price maintain the lead against a crummy offense? NO! Nick Markakis flied out to Holt to begin the bottom of the first. Daniel Castro flied out to right but Adonis Garcia and Freddie Freeman hit back to back singles. Jeff Francoer singled in Garcia to make it 4-1 and Sox fans began to groan. Trey Flowers walked to load the bases but Drew Stubbs struck out to end the inning. It took Price 4 pitches to retire the first 2 batters then took 19 more to get out of the inning. Absolutely terrible.

The Sox offense evaporated in the top of the second after Price's melt-down in the first. Mr. Mookie flied out to center, Pedroia popped up but Bogaerts singled. Xander swiped second but Shaw struck out to end the inning. Price came back for the bottom of the second and Erick Aybar hit a rocket but Bogaerts nabbed it and slung it to first for the out. The pitcher Matt Wisler struck out but it took 5 pitches to get him. Markakis looked at strike three to end the inning.

Ramirez looked at strike 3 to begin the top of the third. JBJ grounded out and Holt did as well in short order. Castro grounded out to begin the bottom of the third. Garcia whiffed badly and so did Freeman to end the inning. Good for Price to retire seven in a row, 5 by strikeout.

The Sox offense went quietly again in the top of the fourth. Vazquez grounded out but Price worked a walk...yes of course I'm serious. Price was then foolishly doubled off first when Castro bobbled, then caught a pop up from Mr. Mookie. Price looked to redeem himself in the bottom of the fourth, instead he gave up another run. Francoer led off with a single but Flowers struck out. Stubbs walked and Aybar singled to load the bases. Wisler the PITCHER hit a sac fly that scored Francoer and moved Stubbs to third, Markakis flied out to Holt to end the inning but it was now 4-2. The Sox needed to score some runs or this was going to be tied pretty quick.

Pedroia led off the top of the fifth with a double. Bogaerts moved him to third with a fly ball and a passed ball scored Pedroia to make it 5-2. Shaw grounded out (which would have scored the run) and Ramirez gave it a ride but was caught at the wall to end the inning. Castro lined out to begin the bottom of the fifth. Garcia grounded out to Price on the first pitch. Freeman flied out to end the inning.

Eric O'Flaherty replaced Wisler in the top of the sixth inning. JBJ grounded out, Holt struck out and Vazquez grounded out to end the inning. Price turned up the heat in the bottom of the sixth. Francoer and Flowers both struck out but Stubbs singled and Aybar reached when Shaw threw a ball away.  Kelly Johnson pinch hit for O'Flaherty and struck out to end the inning.

The Sox scored again in the top of the 7th off Chris Withrow. Price grounded out but Mr. Mookie singled. Betts swiped second and advanced to third on the Pedroia flyout. Bogaerts slammed a single to score Mookie and chase Withrow. Hunter Cervenka was brought in and Bogaerts swiped third base. Shaw popped up but it was now 6-2.

                                                       X-Man gets it done in the 7th

The rejuvinated Price got Markakis to ground out to start the bottom of the 7th. Castro and Garcia both looked at strike 3 to end the inning.

Ryan Weber came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning. Ramirez grounded out, JBJ struck out and Holt grounded out to end the inning. Price returned for one more inning and it was a good one. Freeman....struck out. Francoer...struck out. Flowers....struck out. That was 14 strikeouts for Price in 8 innings of work. I'd say he had himself a night.

The Sox put the game out of reach in the top of the ninth. Vazquez doubled and Chris Young pinch hit for Price. Young doubled Vazquez to third but Mr. Mookie grounded back to Weber. Pedroia singled home Vazquez but was erased at second on the force by Bogaerts. Shaw doubled home both runners and he came around on the Ramirez double. JBJ got in on the fun with a triple that scored Ramirez but Holt grounded out to end the inning. 

                                      JBJ taking the term "fly around the bases" too seriously

Pat Light made his Major League debut in the bottom of the ninth....and was nervous to say the least. Jeff Rutledge took over at second base and Young stayed in the game in left field, replacing Holt. Stubbs and Aybar singled before Mallex Smith walked to load the bases. Markakis grounded out but scored Stubbs from third and advanced the runners. Castro grounded out and scored Aybar in the process. Garcia grounded out to end the game. The Sox had prevailed 11-4 in their last game at Turner Field.

                                          Ortiz waives goodbye to Turner Field

 We have Co-Heroes of the night because both were equally impressive. Hero number 1 is David Price. He struggled early but survived 8 full innings, giving up 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 14. He gave the bullpen a much needed rest with his third win of the year. At the plate he was 0 for 2 but walked.

                                                 Hero Number 1:  David Price

Hero number 2 is Travis Shaw. Travis singlehandedly outscored the entire Braves offense with his 3 run home run and 2 run double. He played his way into the starting lineup over Pablo Sandoval and never looked back.

                                               Hero Number 2: Travis Shaw

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored, a walk and an rbi. Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5 with an rbi, stolen base, and 2 runs scored. Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored. Chris Young pinch hit for Price, singled and scored.


The Bad:

Pat Light made his major league debut by giving up 2 runs in the ninth inning.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but stole a base and scored a run. Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored one of his own. Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch, drove in a run and scored a run of his own. Brock Holt was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.


Honorable Mention:

Jeff Rutledge played second base in the bottom of the ninth.


Final Thoughts:

Beating up on the worst team in baseball is not a notable accomplishment but the Sox won the game they had to. Even though it was against a putrid offense, Price still struck out 14 and lasted 8 innings. The offense once again delivered and put themselves in a position to have a rested bullpen tomorrow night. Bogaerts seems to have broken his slump and the offense is picking up because of it. The scene shifts to Fenway Park tomorrow night but the teams remain the same. Bud Norris goes for the Braves and the hard luck Steven Wright (1-2, 1.40 ERA) goes for the Sox at 7:10 PM.

Sox Shut Out Braves, Bradley Shines (4/25/16)

One day after the Boston Red Sox scored 7 runs against the Houston Astros, they only scored one tonight. Impressively, it was just enough as a game Rick Porcello (4-0) led a pitching staff that shut out the Atlanta Braves 1-0 at Turner Field.

                                                  Dan Freebird approves of the win

The Sox did absolutely nothing in the top of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out and Dustin Pedroia whiffed. Xander Bogaerts popped up to catcher AJ Pierzynski but AJ dropped it. Bogaerts nearly made Braves starter Julio Teheran pay by driving one deep to center but Mallex Smith ran it down up against the wall for the third out. Rick Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and got Nick Markakis flied out to left. Josh Rutledge made a great play at third base to rob Daniel Castro of a hit. Adonis Garcia singled to left to extend the inning. Old pal Pierzynski gave one a right but Betts made a running catch to escape the inning.

Travis Shaw led off the top of the second and whiffed. Josh Rutledge struck out as well but Brock Holt worked a walk. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to third to end the inning. Jeff Francoer led off the bottom of the second by striking out. Freddie Freeman lined one up the middle for a base hit. Jace Peterson grounded out to second and Smith grounded out to end the inning.

Christian Vazquez struck out to open the top of the third. Porcello grounded out to second and Mr.Mookie got the first hit of the game with a double to deep right. Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning. Teheran struck out to open the bottom of the third. Markakis also whiffed and Castro grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth. Bogaerts struck out but Shaw walked. Rutledge singled but was thrown out at third as Holt struck out. A failed hit and run ruined a promising inning. Garcia grounded out on the first pitch he saw in the bottom of the fourth. Pierzynki whiffed and smashed his bat in frustration. Francoer grounded out to end the inning.

                                         Pierzynski says "Dammit, dammit, dammit!"

JBJ flied out to begin the top of the fifth inning. Vazquez grounded out and Porcello managed to reach first on a bobble by Garcia. Mr. Mookie flied out to end the inning. Freeman caught the Sox defense asleep in the bottom of the fifth inning with a bunt single. Peterson forced Freeman at second but was thrown out trying to steal by the cannon armed Vazquez.

                                       Private Vazquez approves of Christian's throwing arm

The Sox continued to struggle against Teheran in the top of the 6th. Pedroia lined out but Bogaerts singled. Xander stole second but Shaw flied out. Rutledge struck out to end the inning. Porcello struck out Teheran to open the bottom of the 6th. Markakis walked but was erased on the force by Castro. Garcia grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox finally broke through in the top of the seventh. Holt flied out and in stepped Jackie Bradley Jr. JBJ put the Sox on top with his first homer of the year to right, breaking the tie.

                                              JBJ with a solo shot to make it 1-0

Vazquez doubled and Porcello tried to move him with a bunt, except he popped it up.....only Teheran let it drop and Porcello reached. Vazquez couldn't advance because the bunt was popped up so it went down as a single. Mr. Mookie struck out but Pedroia worked a walk to load the bases. Teheran was exhausted but Bogaerts hit a rocket to center and Smith was in the right spot to run it down. The missed chance loomed large as the Braves knocked Porcello out in the bottom of the frame. Rick got Pierzynski to fly out but Francoer doubled and Freeman walked to send him to the showers. Still, 6 1/3 innings of shut-out ball was just what the doctor ordered after the putrid start by Henry Owens last night.

                          The 4-0 Porcello says "Old Hoss Radbourn, I'm coming for YOU sucka!"

Robby Ross Jr was brought in and the Braves countered with Drew Stubbs as a pinch hitter. Pedroia somewhat muffed the double play ball and only Freeman was erased at second. With the tying run just 90 feet away, Ross struck out pinch hitter Erick Aybar to end the inning.

The Sox threatened to put the game away in the top of the 8th. Aybar moved to short, Stubbs was in center and Castro went to second. Jim Johnson took over on the mound and got Shaw to fly out.  Rutledge struck out and Holt grounded out to end the inning. It was Koji Time in the bottom of the eighth. Kelly Johnson hit for Jim Johnson and popped up. Markakis walked but Castro struck out. Garcia popped up to end the inning. Good work Koji.

                                                           Koji Time

The Sox had one last chance to pad their lead in the top of the ninth against Arodys Vizcaino. JBJ grounded out and Vazquez whiffed. David Ortiz pinch hit for Koji and whiffed. The maligned Craig Kimbrel chugged in from the bullpen to close out the bottom of the ninth, seeking redemption after blowing the lead last night. Pierzynski was blown away, Francoer grounded out and Freeman was blown away. I'd say Craig was fired up for this one, the Sox had won it 1-0.

                                                    Kimbrel says "Not this time"


Hero of the night for the second night in a row is Jackie Bradley Jr. In a tied contest, he provided the game's only run with a solo shot which ended up being the difference in the game.

                                                Hero of the night: Jackie Bradley Jr


The Good:

Rick Porcello was outstanding, tossing 6 1/3 shut-out innings on 4 hits, 2 walks and 6 strikeouts. Shockingly Porcello, who was never a strikeout pitcher, is among the league leaders in strikeouts. At the plate Porcello went 1 for 3 with a bunt single. Robbie Ross Jr got the final 2 outs of the bottom of the 7th. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Craig Kimbrel got his 6th save of the year with a scoreless ninth.


The Bad:

Nothing here tonight.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4. Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 with a walk. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4. Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a walk. Jeff Rutledge was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick. Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with a walk. Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.



Final Thoughts:

After bashing opponents into submission for most of their 9 victories, it was nice for them to be on the right side of a shut-out for once. Porcello seems to have it figured out and shockingly he's been the Red Sox most durable pitcher since last August. It was also great to see Kimbrel bounce back in a big way as well. The offense wasn't there tonight but not starting your two best hitters contributed to that. A road win with National League rules is nothing to sneeze at and the Sox will take it. Tomorrow they play one last game at Turner Field (due to close at the end of the year) and David Price takes the hill at 7:10 PM.

Sox Show Grit, Beat Astros in 12 (4/24/16)

Before the game the Red Sox made some roster moves. Last night's hard luck loser Roenis Elias and Noe Ramirez were sent to Pawtucket. In Ramirez place is Pat Light, making his ML debut. Taking Joe Kelly's spot in the rotation will be Henry Owens.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                       IN

It was a good day for Boston sports as the Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks in Game 4 of their first round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Houston Astros in 12 innings. A horrendous start by Henry Owens, a meltdown by Craig Kimbrel and some shoddy fielding were roadblocks but the 2016 Boston Red Sox showed some serious balls by overcoming it all, stealing a 7-5 win away from the Houston Astros in the finale of their 3 game set in Houston.

                                                     Amir Johnson approves of the win

The Red Sox wasted no time scoring against Houston starter Scott Feldman. Mr. Mookie Betts led the game off with a single. Dustin Pedroia doubled but Xander Bogaerts failed to get anyone home with a ground out. Jose Altuve helped the cause by chucking the ball away on a ground ball by Hanley Ramirez, scoring Betts. Travis Shaw worked a bases loaded walk and Brock "The Hitman" Holt hit a sac fly to score Ortiz. Ryan Hanigan grounded out but the Sox had a 3-0 lead.  They would need more as Sox starter Henry Owens, making his season debut, didn't have it. Altuve doubled to lead off the bottom of the first. George Springer worked a walk and Altuve stole third. Owens recovered to strike out Carlos Correa, get Colby Rasmus to fly out to short right and Tyler White to pop up to third. Owens was playing with fire and would soon get burned.

Jackie Bradley Jr began the top of the second with a strikeout. Mr. Mookie popped up but Pedroia hit a scintillating triple. Bogaerts walked but Ortiz flied out to end the inning. Owens got tagged in the bottom of the second inning. Carlos Gomez flied out and Evan Gattis flied out. Marwin Gonzalez then swatted a 359 home run to cut the lead 3-1. Jason Castro walked but Altuve struck out to end the inning.

The Sox tacked it on in the top of the third. Both Ramirez and Shaw looked at strike three but Holt took advantage of another throwing error by Altuve to reach second. Hanigan doubled home Holt and JBJ doubled in Hanigan. Correa then made Houston's third error in 3 innings as Mr. Mookie was safe at first and JBJ moved to third. Pedroia grounded out but the lead was now 5-1. Sadly, the Sox would not score for the next 8 innings. The Astros refused to go quietly and rallied in the bottom of the third. Springer doubled and Correa walked. Ramus walked to load the bases and White brought home Springer with a sac fly. Gomez struck out but Gattis singled in Correa and Gonzalez grounded out to end the inning. Owens was handed a 5-1 lead and dropped it to 5-3, brutal.

Feldman settled down in the top of the fourth. Bogaerts popped up but Ortiz singled. Ramirez banged into a double play to end that. Owens returned for the bottom of the fourth looking to go at least one more inning. Castro struck out but Altuve singled. Red Sox manager John Farrell had enough and replaced the incompetent Owens with Matt Barnes. Another horrible start by a Red Sox starter. Springer popped up but Altuve stole second. Correa struck out to end the inning with the 5-3 lead intact. The Sox bullpen had to get the next 15 outs to win it.

The Sox threatened again in the top of the fifth inning. Shaw flied out but Holt walked. Hanigan singled to chase Feldman. Astros manager AJ Hinch brought in Chris Devenski who struck out JBJ. Mr. Mookie grounded out to end the inning. Barnes returned for the bottom of the fifth and got Rasmus to ground out. White and Gomez flied out to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the sixth as Pedroia lined out, Bogaerts grounded out and Ortiz flied out to end the frame. Farrell tried to squeeze one more inning out of Barnes but it failed. Gattis doubled to begin the bottom of the 6th, Gonzalez lined out but Castro walked to chase Barnes. Junichi Tazawa was brought in and he got Altuve to ground out and Springer to fly out to end the inning.

Ramirez was a mystery meal on the bases in the top of the 7th. Ramirez singled and defied odds by swiping second. Shaw moved him over to third with a ground out. Holt then lofted a ball to short right and Ramirez somehow thought he should break for home. The throw beat him by a mile and Ramirez was tagged standing up to add insult to injury. Tazawa returned for the bottom of the 7th and was greeted by a Correa single. Rasmus flied out and White struck out. Taz punched out Gomez to end the inning. Six outs to go and the game was theirs.

The Sox once again failed with a runner on third in the top of the 8th inning. Hanigan struck out and JBJ popped up but Mr. Mookie singled. Betts swiped second and Pedroia singled him to third to chase Devenski. Pat Neshek replaced Chris and got Bogaerts to ground out to end the inning. Another run would have been huge. It was Koji Time in the bottom of the eighth. Gattis popped up, Gonzalez struck out and Preston Tucker pinch hit for Castro. Koji punched him out to end the inning. Just 3 more outs to go.

Erik Kratz took over at catcher for the top of the ninth. Tony Sipp came in to pitch and Ortiz greeted him with a single but was thrown out at second trying to stretch it. Ramirez grounded out and Shaw popped up to end the inning. Sox closer Craig Kimbrel came in to finish it off in the bottom of the ninth. Altuve popped up and Springer whiffed. Just one more out...that didn't come. Correa doubled and took third on defensive indifference. In stepped Colby Rasmus who belted a grand slam yesterday on a straight fastball by Clay Buchholz. Kimbrel must not have watched the game because he threw Rasmus a straight fastball and Rasmus crushed it 433 feet for a game tying home run. Kimbrel has blown yet another save on the young season. White struck out but the damage was done. Thanks a lot Kimbrel. Barnes deserved that win.

Luke Gregerson came on to pitch for the rejuvenated Astros in the top of the tenth. Holt struck out, Hanigan grounded out and JBj grounded out to end the inning.  It was now up to Heath Hembree to save the day in the bottom of the 10th. Gomez struck out and Gattis grounded out. Gonzalez singled but Kratz lined out to end the inning.

Gregerson came back for the top of the 11th inning. Mr. Mookie grounded out, Pedroia did the same but Bogaerts singled. Ortiz grounded out to end the inning. Hembree returned for the bottom of the 11th. At this point the only relievers left were Robby Ross Jr, Tommy Layne and Pat Light. Altuve flied out, Springer flied out and Correa struck out. Great work by Hembree.

The Sox hadn't scored since the third inning, could this finally be the breakout?  Ken Giles relieved Gregerson and Ramirez greeted him with a single. Shaw singled as well and Holt dropped down a bunt to move both runners over. Hanigan then put on the at-bat of the night, falling behind 0-2 and working it full for a 13 pitch masterpiece....and walked. Inspired by Hanigan's effort, JBJ broke through with a single that scored the fired up Ramirez from third. Unfortunately Mr. Mookie grounded into a force and Shaw was out at home. The Astros shoddy defense pitched in as a wild pitch scored Shaw and advanced the runners into scoring position. Pedroia whiffed but the Sox now had the 7-5 lead. Farrell rolled the dice by leaving Hembree out for the bottom of the 12th. Ross Jr had worked the night before, Light had never pitched in the majors before, Layne was never a closer and Heath was Pawtucket's closer the year before. Could he get the job done? Rasmus grounded out but Shaw booted a ground ball and White was safe at first. Gomez made him pay with a single and now the tying run was at the plate. Sox fans groaned but then cheered as Gattis struck out. On the 49th pitch of his outing, Hembree struck out Gonzalez to win the game. It took a lot of guts and determination, but the Sox had won 7-5.

Tonight there are 3 Heroes of the Night. Hero number 1 is the walking man, Ryan Hanigan. Ryan was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and an rbi, then drew the critical walk in the 12th inning.

                                            Hero Number 1: Ryan Hanigan


Hero number 2 is Jackie Bradley Jr. JBJ was 2 for 6 with 2 rbi's including the go-ahead single in the top of the 12th.

                                          Hero Number 2: Jackie Bradley Jr

Hero number 3 is Heath Hembree. He tossed 3 innings of scoreless relief including nailing down the win in the bottom of the 12th.

                                                      Hero of the Night 3: Heath Hembree


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 7 with a run scored and a stolen base. Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 7 with a run scored. David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with a walk and a run scored. Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 6 with an rbi, run scored and stolen base. Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk, run scored and run batted in. Matt Barnes pitched 2 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Junichi Tazawa pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th.


The Bad:

Henry Owens had zero command on his pitches and got lit up. He lasted just 3 1/3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits and 4 walks although he did strike out 4.  Craig Kimbrel blew another save by giving up a 2 out, 2 run bomb to Rasmus.


The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with a walk.  Travis Shaw was just 1 for 5 but walked and drove in a run.



Final Thoughts:

I'll take the win but there are two major concerns. Once again the starting pitching was horrible which caused the bullpen to toss almost 9 full innings. Kimbrel blew yet another save and concerns are already starting to pop up about him being able to pitch in or for Boston. If guys like Henry Owens, Brian Johnson, William Cuevas and others are brought up from AAA to stink up the place, Eduardo Rodriguez can't come back fast enough. The encouraging signs is the Sox showed some serious balls to win this game when they could have easily crumbled. Another sign is Heath Hembree has been pitching great lately. If Carson Smith comes back and pitches well, Hembree would give them an added dimension for sure. Tomorrow night Rick Porcello pitches against the Atlanta Braves at 7:05 PM.

Rasmus Grand Slam Sinks Sox (4/23/16)

It was learned before the game Xander Bogaerts did NOT break his wrist, but was experiencing soreness so he was held out of today's game. They could have used his offense as Clay Buchholz once again crumbled in a pressure packed situation. The Houston Astros took advantage by swatting a grand slam, tacking more runs on late and winning the game 8-3.

                                         Sox fans are on strike for better starting pitching

The Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first when Mr. Mookie Betts led the game off with a single. Houston starter Mike Fiers tried to pick off Mookie and threw the ball away. Betts slid into second base safe but then grimaced in pain. Apparently he jammed his finger, but he decided to stay in the game. Pedroia walked on a full count and David Ortiz singled Betts home, advancing Pedroia to third. Hanley Ramirez and Travis Shaw killed the rally with back to back strikeouts. Brock Holt grounded out to end the inning. That should have been a bigger inning but it was 1-0 Sox. The Astros threatened to get the run right back when Jose Altuve singled to begin the bottom of the first. George Springer hit one in the hole at short but Carlos Correa popped up. Colby Rasmus popped up to first and Preston Tucker popped up to Christian Vazquez to end the inning.

Chris Young led off the top of the second inning by looking at strike 3. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out and Christian Vazquez grounded out as well to end the inning. The Astros struck back in the bottom of the second. Carlos Gomez popped up to short but Marwin Gonzalez caught Ramirez asleep at first with a bunt single. Luis Valbuena doubled him to third and Jason Castro brought Gonzalez home with a ground out. Altuve struck out but the game was tied 1-1.

Mr. Mookie gave one a ride but Springer ran it down in right to start the top of the third. Pedroia singled off the glove of Correa at short. Ortiz popped up to left and Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning. Springer grounded out to start the bottom of the third. Correa and Rasmus whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox went hitless in the top of the fourth as Shaw grounded out to begin the inning. Holt looked at strike 3 and so did Young to end the inning. That's twice now Young didn't even swing.

                            Leaving the bat on your shoulder is good for a picture, NOT at the plate, Chris.

Tucker struck out to begin the bottom of the fourth. Gomez flied out to left and Gonzalez struck out to end the inning.

The Sox continued to do nothing against Fiers as JBJ popped up to begin the top of the fifth. Vazquez lined out to right and Betts lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox have had one baserunner since the first inning, how big was the Ramirez strikeout now? It loomed even larger as Valbuena walked to begin the bottom of the fifth. Castro flied out to right and Valbuena was erased at second on the force by Altuve. Springer reached on an infield single and Correa was hit with a pitch to load the bases. As usual, with pressure on, Clay crumbled by giving up a grand slam to Rasmus to give the Astros a commanding (and deciding) 5-1 lead. Tucker grounded out to first but the game was pretty much decided.

Could the Sox answer in the top of the 6th? Pedroia doubled to start the frame but Ortiz struck out. Ramirez walked and Shaw singled to load the bases. All Holt could do was hit a sac fly to cut the lead 5-2. With a chance to do some damage, Young grounded out. Wonderful. Buchholz returned for the 6th and struck out Gomez. Gonzalez flied out and that was it for clay. Sox manager John Farrell decided enough was enough and brought in Tommy Layne. Clay did well for the most part, just made one mistake. Valbuena walked but Castro struck out.

Pa Neshek took over for the top of the 7th. JBJ struck out but Vazquez singled. Mr. Mookie grounded into a force but Pedroia grounded out. Noe Ramirez replaced Lane for the top of the 8th inning. Altuve doubled but was thrown out at third trying to stretch. Springer walked and Correa singled to chase the ineffective Ramirez. Roenis Elias made his season debut by walking Rasmus to load the bases. He bore down to struck out pinch hitting Evan Gattis. Gomez grounded out to end the inning, great job by Elias to get out of that jam.

The Sox tried to rally again in the top of the eighth against Ken Giles. Ortiz singled but Ramirez whiffed. Shaw flied out and Holt singled Ortiz to third. Josh Rutledge pinch hit for Young and doubled home Ortiz. With a chance to put the Sox closer....Bradley Jr  flied out. Still, the Sox had clawed back to 5-3. It wasn't over yet.....until Elias came back for the bottom of the eighth. Rutledge stayed in at short and Holt moved to left. Gonzalez doubled to start the inning and Valbuena doubled him home. Castro grounded out and Altuve put the game away with a double to make it 7-3. Springer grounded out and Sox manager John Farrell threw up on himself. He had Correa intentionally walked to face Rasmus...who burned the Sox again with a double to make it 8-3. Gattis grounded out to end the inning but the game was out of reach. It wasn't even Elias' fault so much as it was Farrell leaving him in to get pounded and walking Correa.

Josh Fields, the former Portland Sea Dog came on to finish off the 9th. Vazquez grounded out, Betts flied out and Pedroia struck out to end the game. If the Sox had to lose, at least it was to an old friend.

                                                   Josh Fields says "You lose!"

Jackass of the Night is easy, Clay Buchholz gave up the grand slam on a straight fastball to Rasmus. Giving up 5 runs in 5 2/3 innings. If he didn't pitch so bad, Elias wouldn't have come in and stunk out the place in the 8th.

                                               Better off kicking yourself in the ass, Jackass.


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a run scored and rbi. Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a sac fly for an rbi. Josh Rutledge was 1 for 1 as a pinch hitter with a double. Tommy Layne got the last out of the top of the 6th inning.


The Bad:

Chris Young continues to stink up the place by going 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts. Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Roenis Elias made his season debut by getting lit up for 3 runs in the bottom of the 8th inning to put the game out of reach.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a run scored. Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked. Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4. Christian Vazquez was 1 for 4. Noe Ramirez faced 3 batters and all 3 reached, but an out was recorded when one of them was thrown out at third.


Final Thoughts:

As the season continues to spiral down the drain, Sox fans are looking for answers. The quick fix will be the return of Carson Smith to the bullpen and Eduardo Rodriguez to the rotation. With the way Wright and Porcello are holding the fort, Rodriguez coming back and pitching will would be a huge shot in the arm. Meanwhile the return of Smith will save Kimbrel, Tazawa and Uehara for better days and get rid of the Pawtucket pitchers that have been stinking up the place recently.  Tomorrow Henry Owens makes his season debut, taking the place of the injured Joe Kelly, against Houston at 8:00 on Sunday Night Baseball. Good luck Henry.

Wright Dazzles, Betts On Fire, Sox Win (4/22/16)

Before the game, William Cuevas was sent down to Pawtucket in favor of Roenis Elias, the starter they got in the Wade Miley trade. As average as Miley was last year, the Sox have yet to get anything out of that trade with Smith hurt and Elias in AAA....until now.

                                                                    Out

                                                                           IN

It was a good day for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics defeated the Atlanta Hawks in Game 3 of their first round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox beat the Houston Astros. The Sox got a much-needed victory thanks to superb pitching from Steven Wright (1-2, 1.40 ERA). Mookie Betts nearly hit for the cycle and the Sox took the opener against the Houston Astros 6-2 in Houston.

                                                      Isaiah Thomas approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts led the game off with a scintillating triple. Dustin Pedroia singled home Betts. Xander Bogaerts blooped one to center and David Ortiz walked to load the bases. Hanley Ramirez hit a sac fly which scored Pedroia but Travis Shaw popped up. Brock Holt flied out to left but the Sox had a 2-0 lead. Jose Altuve led off the bottom of the first by striking out. Shaw committed a bone-head blunder which allowed George Springer to reach first. Carlos Correa made Travis pay by getting a base hit. Colby Rasmus lined out and Tyler White grounded out to end the inning.

Ryan Hanigan lined out to begin to begin the top half of the second. Jackie Bradley Jr stroked a double and Mr.Mookie doubled him in. All Mookie needs is a homer and a single for the cycle. Pedroia struck out and Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning, but Wright had a 3-0 lead to work with. Evan Gattis struck out to open the bottom of the second but Carlos Gomez caught Shaw asleep at third with a bunt single. Luis Valbuena struck out and Erik Kratz struck out to end the inning.

Ortiz lined out to a charging Gomez to begin the top of the third inning. Ramirez singled and Shaw singled him to third. Shaw took second on the wild pitch by McHugh to put runners at second and third. Holt then singled home Ramirez, advancing Shaw to third to give the Sox a 4-0 lead. The Sox then let McHugh off the ropes when Hanigan lined to second and Holt was doubled off first. Altuve grounded out to begin the bottom of the third. Springer lined out but Correa walked. Carlos took second on the passed ball by Hanigan but Rasmus grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth. JBJ grounded out but Betts singled, just a homer away from the cycle. Pedroia advanced Betts to second on a groundout and Bogaerts doubled home Betts to make it 5-0. Ortiz struck out to end the inning. Wright continued to dominate in the bottom of the fourth. White grounded out, Gattis lined out and Gomez lined out to end the inning.

The Sox threatened again in the top of the fifth inning against new pitcher Chris Devenski. Ramirez singled but was thrown out at second trying to stretch.

                                         "Yeah Ramirez, I'm pointing at you. Imbecile!"

Shaw singled but Holt banged into a double play to end the inning. Wright continued to stay tough in the bottom of the fifth. Valbuena walked but was erased on the Katz double play. Altuve lined out to short to end the inning. Wright had only thrown 71 pitches.

The Sox got more offense in the top of the 6th. Hanigan singled but JBJ struck out. Betts was 100 feet short of the home run in his fly out to center. Pedroia blooped one to right for a single but Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning. The Astros shot themselves in the foot in the bottom of the 6th. Springer singled and took second on the passed ball by Hanigan. Springer foolishly tried to steal third and Hanigan got him for the first out....or was he? The Astros challenged the call but replays were inconclusive. Correa singled to compound Springer's mental error but Rasmus flied out. White struck out to end the inning. Springer cost the Astros a run big time.

Ortiz grounded out to start the top of the 7th inning against new pitcher Tony Sipp. Ramirez whiffed badly and Shaw grounded out to end the inning. Wright returned for the bottom of the seventh inning and walked Gattis. Bogaerts made a great snare to rob Gomez of a hit, getting the force at second base. Sox pitching coach Carl Willis came out to the mound to buy Tommy Layne and Heath Hembree some time to warm up. Valbuena walked and Marwin Gonzalez pinch hit for Katz. Gonzalez struck out but Hanigan allowed another passed ball to advance the runners to second and third. ANOTHER passed ball put the Astros on the board when Gattis scored. Altuve walked and that was it for Wright. If it wasn't for Hanigan's inability to catch knuckleballs, he'd have left with the shut-out. Still, another great start by Wright gave the Sox a chance to win. Heath Hembree relieved Wright and struck out Springer to end the inning. Nice for Wright to finally get some run support.

Jason Castro came in to catch for Houston and Will Harris came in to pitch. Holt and Hanigan grounded out and JBJ struck out to end the inning. Hembree returned for the bottom of the eighth and struck out Correa. Rasmus struck out but White walked. Gattis flied out to right to end the inning.

Betts stood at the plate for his last chance at a home run to begin the top of the 9th against Luke Gregerson. He hit a ball that rolled to the wall but stopped at third for another triple. Pedroia failed to drive him in with a sharp ground out. Betts scored anyway on a wild pitch to make it 6-1.  The Sox got a scare when Bogaerts was hit on the wrist and had to leave the game. Chris Young pinch ran for Bogaerts and was erased on the double play by Ortiz. Losing Bogaerts is not what this team needed. Young stayed in at left field as Holt moved to short. Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch. Gomez started the bottom of the 9th with a single. Valbuena struck out and Jake Marisnick pinch hit for Castro. Marisnick walked but Altuve moved Gomez to third on a fly out. Springer singled and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. Farrell brought in closer Craig Kimbrel to get the final out. Springer took second on defensive indifference. Correa grounded out to end the game, the Sox had won 6-2.

We have Co-Heroes of the Night Tonight. The first is Steven Wright. He pitched 6 2/3 innings of 1 run (and it was unearned) ball on 4 hits, 5 walks and 6 strikeouts. The second hero is Mookie Betts. Mr. Mookie was 4 for 5 with an rbi, 3 runs scored and nearly hit for the cycle.

                                           Hero 1: Steven Wright

                                                       Hero 2: Mookie Betts


The Good:


Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a run scored and an rbi. 

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with an rbi. 

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a run scored and an rbi. 

Travis Shaw was 2 for 4. 

Heath Hembree pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. 

Craig Kimbrel got the final out of the 9th for his 5th save of the year.

The Bad:

Robbie Ross Jr failed to close the game out, allowing 2 hits and a walk, only getting 2 outs.

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with a walk. 

Brock Holt was 1 for 4 with an rbi. 

Ryan Hanigan was 1 for 4 with a bundle of passed balls. 

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Honorable Mention:

Chris Young pinch ran for Bogaerts and played left field in the 9th.



Final Thoughts:

Wright pitched well again and Betts is starting to heat up. Both are good signs for the future. The injury to Bogaerts is the main story because if he goes down, a huge chunk of offense is going with him. Brock Holt can play short and get on base, but then you'd have to start Chris Young in left or bring Castillo back. Still, it was a good win and the Sox remained out of last place. Tomorrow afternoon Clay Buchholz goes for his second straight good start against Mike Fiers.