Bawful Report of the Month (April)

The Boston Red Sox are 14-10 heading into the month of May. They've gotten great starting pitching lately to go with their up-tempo offense. In fact, take out one starter in particular and they'd be 14-5. Here is the monthly end performance report.


Matt Barnes has been a mixed bag this month. He has 5 good appearances, 3 bad appearances, 1 ugly appearance and was jackass 1 time.

Mookie Betts has had an up and down month. He has 8 good appearances, 6 bad appearances, 8 ugly appearances and was hero 1 time.

Xander Bogaerts started slow but picked it up lately. He has 8 good appearances, 3 bad appearances and 11 ugly appearances

Jackie Bradley Jr has had a great month. He has 11 good appearances, 5 bad appearances, 5 ugly appearances and was hero 2 times.

Clay Buchholz has been downright putrid. The Sox have lost all 5 of his starts. He has 1 good appearance, 2 bad appearances and was jackass 2 times.

Rusney Castillo only played in one game this season before being sent down to Pawtucket. His 1 appearance was good.

William Cuevas only pitched in one game this season before being sent down to Pawtucket. His 1 appearance was bad.

Roenis Elias only pitched in one game this season before being sent down to Pawtucket. His 1 appearance was bad.

Hanley Ramirez has been the Sox most consistent hitter so far. He has 8 good appearances, 3 bad appearances and 12 ugly appearances.

Ryan Hanigan has been a consistent backup so far. He has 1 good appearance, 6 ugly appearances and was hero 1 time.

Heath Hembree has been in 3 games this season and has 2 good appearances and has been hero 1 time.

Marco Hernandez has been in 2 games this season, 1 good, 1 bad.

Brock Holt has been consistent as well. He has 7 good appearances, 2 bad appearances, 10 ugly appearances and was hero 1 time.

Joe Kelly was dreadful before being placed on the DL. He had 1 bad appearances and 2 ugly ones.

Craig Kimbrel had a few hiccups but has been solid. He has 8 good appearances, 2 bad appearances, was hero 1 time and was jackass 1 time.

Tommy Layne has been rarely used. He has 3 good appearances, 2 bad and 1 ugly.

Pat Light only pitched in one game this season before being sent down to Pawtucket. His 1 appearance was bad.

Noe Ramirez struggled while he was up. He had 3 good appearances, 1 bad and 4 ugly appearances.

David Ortiz has shown no signs of slowing down at age 40. He has 10 good appearances, 4 bad, 6 ugly appearances and 1 hero.

Henry Owens has pitched in two games this season, 1 good appearance and 1 bad.

Dustin Pedroia had a great month of April. He has 10 good appearances, 2 bad, 9 ugly appearances and was hero 2 times.

Rick Porcello has been the best pitcher this month. He has 3 good appearances, 1 ugly and 1 hero.

David Price had some early struggles but has been the ace so far. He has 1 ugly appearance, 1 jackass and was hero 3 times.

Robbie Ross Jr has been good this month. He has 6 good appearances and 2 bad.

Josh Rutledge has had a good month as a utility guy. He has 2 good appearances, 1 bad and 2 ugly.  He also has 3 honorable mentions.

Pablo Sandoval has been an embarrassment this month but was thankfully put on the DL. He had 2 bad appearances and 1 ugly.

Travis Shaw was handed the 3rd basemen job and never looked back. He has 11 good appearances, 2 bad, 10 ugly and 1 hero.

Blake Swihart struggled behind the plate and was demoted. He had 3 good appearances, 2 ugly and was jackass 1 time.

Junichi Tazawa has been deadly this month. He has 10 good appearances and was jackass 1 time.

Koji Uehara has been equally deadly this month. He has 11 good appearances and was jackass 1 time.

Christian Vazquez has been solid since he returned from injury. He has 3 good appearances, 2 bad, 4 ugly and was hero 1 time.

Steven Wright has been arguably better than Porcello. He has 3 good appearances and was hero 1 time.

Chris Young has been the biggest disappointment besides Sandoval. He has 6 good appearances, 8 bad, 1 jackass and 1 honorable mention.


.....and the tallies are in.   The Most Valuable Player (most good) of the month of April is a tie. Jackie Bradley Jr and Koji Uehara both have 11 good appearances in 25 games.

                                            Co-MVP's Jackie Bradley Jr and Koji Uehara

The Least Valuable Player (most bad) was unanimous. Chris Young leads the team with 8 bad appearances to go with a jackass dis-honor.

                                              Least Valuable Player - Chris Young

The Ugliest Player of the month is Xander Bogaerts. He has 11 ugly appearances

                                                Ugliest Player of the Month: Xander Bogaerts


Hero of the month is David Price. He was the primary reason the Sox won 3 times.

                                            Hero of the month: David Price

Jackass of the month is Clay Buchholz. He has stunk in 4 of his 5 starts and the Sox have lost all 5 of them

                                             Jackass of the month: Clay Buchholz

The Honorable Mention of the month goes to Josh Rutledge with 3 appearances.

                                              Honorable Mention of the Month: Josh Rutledge


That concludes the first month. Stay tuned for May.

Sox Wipe Floor With Yankees (4/30/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. With the recent success of the starting pitching, Sox brass felt there was enough arms for now. With their weakness being bench strength, the Sox temporarily filled that hole by sending down reliever Pat Light to Pawtucket and bringing back Marco Hernandez.

                                                                       Out

                                                            In

 New York Yankee fans have been laughing at Boston Red Sox fans for finishing in last place the past two seasons, the tables have turned as the Sox thrashed the Yankees 8-0 and sent them into last place. On top of that, the Yankees have officially the worst offense in major league baseball, trailing the hapless Atlanta Braves.

                                                   Ric Flair approves of Rick Porcello

"Slick" Rick Porcello (5-0, 2.76 ERA) got the ball to start the top of the first. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to short, Brett Gardner grounded out to first and Carlos Beltran flied out in short order. Michael Pineda took the hill in the bottom of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts flied out and Dustin Pedroia popped up. Xander Bogaerts walked and David Ortiz singled him to third, but Hanley Ramirez was rung up on a questionable pitch to end the inning.

Porcello ran into a bit of a jam in the top of the second. Mark Teixeira struck out and Alex Rodriguez grounded out but Brian McCann singled. Starling Castro singled but Didi Gregorious forced Castro at second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second. Travis Shaw and Brock Holt both flied out to left. Christian Vazquez singled and Jackie Bradley Jr doubled him to third. Mr. Mookie bloop doubled home both runners to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.

                                              Mr. Mookie makes it 2-0 Sox with a bloop

 Could Porcello protect the lead in the top of the third? YES! Chase Headley looked at strike 3, Ellsbury flied out and Gardner grounded out to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the third. Bogaerts grounded out to third but Ortiz walked. Ramirez struck out but Shaw singled Ortiz to third. Holt grounded out to end the inning.

Porcello looked unhittable in the top of the fourth. Beltran and Teixeira both whiffed and A-Rod grounded out to end the inning. Vazquez led off the bottom of the fourth with a ground out. JBJ worked a walk and advanced to second on the Mr. Mookie force. Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.

Porcello ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. McCann singled but Castro banged into a double play. Gregorious walked and Headley singled but Ellsbury grounded out to end the threat. Pineda finally had an easy 5th inning although it would be his last. Bogaerts struck out, Ortiz grounded out and Ramirez flied out. Pineda was done after 5 innings and 106 pitches, shades of the 2013 Sox to knock pitchers out early.

Gardner lined out to the alert JBJ to open the top of the sixth but Beltran singled. Teixeira and A-Rod both flew out to left to end the inning. This was shaping up to be a mirror image of last night, but luckily the Sox put the game out of reach in the bottom of the 6th against Chasen Shreve. Shaw struck out but Holt worked a walk. Vazquez struck out but JBJ stroked a triple into the game, scoring Holt and giving the Sox a 3-0 lead. Kirby Yates replaced Shreve and Mr. Mookie scored JBJ with an infield single that should have been ruled an error on Castro. Mr. Mookie swiped second and Pedroia walked, but Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning. It was 4-0 Red Sox.

                                              Hitman Holt scores to make it 3-0 at the time

All Porcello needed was 3 more outs and the game was in the bag. McCann whiffed to open the top of the seventh, Castro lined out and Gregorious struck out to end the inning. Porcello had tossed 7 shut-out innings, guess he has finally earned the Number 2 Starter role he was supposed to last season. Better late than never. Johnny Barbato took over for the bottom of the seventh and David Ortiz greeted him with career home run number 508 to give the Sox a 5-0 lead. Ortiz needs just 12 more to tie Ted Williams.

                                                  508 home runs for Ortiz

Ramirez walked and Shaw singled him to third. Holt legged out an infield single to score Ramirez but Vazquez struck out. That was it for Barbato as Nick Goody replaced him. JBJ became the first Sox player since 1967 to hit two triples in one game as he tripled home Shaw and Holt. Mr. Mookie and Pedroia both struck out but the Sox now led 8-0. Game, set, match.

                                          JBJ drives home the dagger, 8-0 Sox

Robbie Ross Jr took the hill for the top of the eighth. Marco Hernandez gave Pedroia the rest of the night off at second. He immediately booted a ground ball hit by Headley. Ellsbury struck out and Headley was erased at second on the force by Gardner. Aaron Hicks pinch hit for Beltran and grounded out to end the inning. Dustin Ackley replaced McCann in the batting order but was playing first base, Hicks remained in right and Austin Romine replaced Teixeira in the batting order but was catching.  Bogaerts led off with a single as Chris Young pinch hit for Ortiz....and popped up. Ramirez singled and Josh Rutledge pinch ran for him.  Shaw struck out as Holt singled to load the bases. Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa came on to pitch the ninth mostly due to his lack of use recently. Rutledge was at third base as Shaw moved to first. Taz punched out Romine as Ronald Torreyes pinch hit for A-Rod....and grounded out. Ackley grounded out to end the game. The Sox had won 8-0.

Hero of the Night is a tough one but I have to go with Rick Porcello. He shut out the Yankees through seven innings. He allowed just 5 hits and a walk while striking out 6. He improved to 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA.

                                           Hero of the night: Rick Porcello

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with 3 rbi's. David Ortiz was 2 for 3 with a walk and swatted his 508th career home run. Travis Shaw was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 3 with a walk, 3 rbi's and 2 runs scored. Bradley is actually hitting (.272) better than Betts (.266) and Holt (.250). Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth. Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless ninth.


The Bad:

Chris Young was 0 for 1 after pinch hitting for Ortiz. Marco Hernandez was brought in to play defense and he booted the first ground ball his way in the top of the eighth.


The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 but worked a walk. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a walk. Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored twice. Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.


Honorable Mention:

Josh Rutledge pinch ran for Hanley Ramirez and played 3rd base to end the game.


Final Thoughts:

Any time the Yankees are knocked around its a good thing but this was special. The Yankees are in last place and the Sox can help keep them there by sweeping this series. They already took the first two games and David Price (3-0) is waiting in the finale. JBJ has hit a hot streak and it came at a good time with Brock Holt slumping. The key to Porcello's success was he's been throwing his sinker nearly 56% of the time whereas last year he only threw it 25% of the time. When the sinker is working, he can be as dominant as Derek Lowe was in 2002, 2003 and the 2004 post-season. More good news on the horizon is Carson Smith is ready to come back. He pitched a scoreless inning in Portland tonight. The Sox can either activate him tomorrow night against New York or wait till Tuesday to activate him against the Chicago White Sox. The only question is who is the odd man out? Tommy Layne is rarely used so that would be my guess. The Sox concluded the month of April with a 14-10 record, very good considering the poor pitching they had the first couple weeks of the season. In fact, the Sox are 0-5 in Clay Buchholz starts. What does that tell you? Tomorrow night the Sox go for the sweep as Price takes on Nathan Eovaldi at 8:05 PM.

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.