Bawful Report of The Month (May)

The Boston Red Sox are 32-20 heading into the month of June. They went 18-10 in the month of May and are in first place in the AL East. They've established two aces in Rick Porcello and Steven Wright while David Price and Clay Buchholz continue to struggle. Their bullpen is arguably the best in the league even without Carson Smith. If the offense keeps up their pace, this will be a tough team to beat in the upcoming month. Here is the monthly performance report.

Matt Barnes had a very strong month. He was good 8 times, Hero once, ugly once and jackass once.

Mookie Betts wins the Ugliest Player of the Month award. He was pretty inconsistent at the plate but had some great games inbetween. He was good 9 times, bad 3 times, Jackass once, Hero twice and led the team with 13 ugly games.

Xander Bogaerts is unquestionably the Most Valuable Player. He hasn't had one bad game this month, not one. He's been good 18 times and ugly 8.

Jackie Bradley Jr came close to beating out Bogaerts for MVP. He was good 16 times, bad once, ugly 6 times, Jackass once, and Hero twice

Clay Buchholz is all over the place. He was good twice, ugly twice and Jackass twice.

Ryan Hanigan was pretty bad this month. He was good once, bad 7 times, ugly 3 times and Hero once.

Heath Hembree had a down month  He was Good twice, Bad twice and Ugly 4 times.

Marco Hernandez is having rookie jitters. He was Good once, Bad 4 times, Ugly once and took home Honorable Mention twice.

Brock Holt was consistent before his concussion. He was Good times 5, Bad 5 times, Ugly 5 times and took home Honorable Mention once.

Joe Kelly was either really good or really bad. He was bad once and Hero the other time.

Craig Kimbrel was dominant. He was Good 9 times and Jackass once.

Tommy Layne had his ups and downs. He was Good 6 times, Bad twice and Ugly 3 times.

David Ortiz earned Hero of The Month honors. Not bad for a 40 year old. He was Good times 8, Bad 4 times, Ugly 7 times and Hero 5 times.

Sean O'Sullivan was atrocious in his 3 starts up here. He was bad twice and ugly once.

Henry Owens sucked in his only start this month.

Dustin Pedroia was pretty consistent getting on base this month. He was good 13 times, Bad twice and Ugly 9 times.

Rick Porcello was pretty solid this month. He was Good twice, Bad once and Ugly twice.

David Price recovered his mojo at the end of the month to salvage it. He was Good twice, Ugly once, Jackass once and Hero twice.

Hanley Ramirez had a damn good month. He was Good 12 times, Bad 3 times and Ugly 11 times.

Eduardo Rodriguez was good in his only start coming off the disabled list.

Robbie Ross Jr was solid if not spectacular. He was Good 5 times, Bad twice.

Josh Rutledge is the new utility ace with Holt out with a concussion. He was Good times, Bad 4 times, Ugly 3 times and took home an Honorable Mention

Travis Shaw was the least valuable player but still had a solid month. He was either really good or really bad. He was Good times 9, Bad a team leading 9 times, Ugly 7 times and Hero twice

Carson Smith was good while he lasted. He had 2 good appearances and 1 ugly.

Blake Swihart had an up and down month. He was Good 3 times, Bad 3 times and Ugly twice.

Junichi Tazawa was pretty damn impressive. He was Good 8 times, Bad once, Ugly once and was Jackass once.

Koji Uehara had some hiccups but was also damn good. He was good 7 times, Bad once, Hero once, and Jackass twice.

Christian Vazquez was pretty solid this month. He was Good 7 times, Bad 4 times, Ugly 8 times and was Hero once.

Steven Wright was outstanding this month. He was Good 3 times, Bad once and Hero twice.

Chris Young bounced back from a lousy April to have a better May. He was Good 7 times, Bad 3 times and Ugly 3 times.


Hero of the Month is David Ortiz

Jackass of the Month is a tie between Clay Buchholz and Koji Uehara

Most Valuable Player is Xander Bogaerts

Least Valuable Player is Travis Shaw

Ugliest Player of the Month is Mookie Betts

Most Honorable is Marco Hernandez

Betts Blasts Three Homers, Sox Beat Orioles (5/31/16)

Before the game the Sox made two moves. Jackie Bradley Jr left the team for paternity leave to witness the birth of his child. The 72 million dollar triple A star Rusney Castillo was called up to replace him. Eduardo Rodriguez was activated to make his first start of the season.

                                                              OUT

                                                                   IN

As for the game, Mookie Betts was in a bit of a slump lately but he just took it out on the Baltimore Orioles' collective bungholes. He blasted not one, not two but THREE home runs to propel the Red Sox to a 6-2 victory over the Dirty Birds at Camden Yards. The O's were battling for first place yet only 17,644 people showed up.

                                                      DeMarcus Cousins celebrates the win

Kevin Gausman got the ball to start the game and was immediately smacked around. Mr. Mookie Betts smashed a solo home run to begin his torrid day. Dustin Pedroia answered with a solo home run of his own.  Xander Bogaerts broke up the streak with a ground out David Ortiz popped up and Hanley Ramirez grounded out to end the inning.

                                                   "That's one" - MB

Eduardo Rodriguez took the mound in the bottom of the first in his first start of the year. Adam Jones greeted him with a base hit but Nolan Reimold flied out. Jones moved to second on the passed ball by Vazquez but Machado flied out to left. Davis whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second. Travis Shaw flied out but Chris Young walked. Blake Swihart struck out but Christian Vazquez walked. Mr Mookie dazzled the paltry crowd filled with Sox fans by blasting a 3 run home run to increase the lead 5-0. Pedroia struck out to end the inning.

                                                "That's two fellas" - MB

Rodriguez dominated in the bottom of the second.  Mark Trumbo and Matt Wieters flied out and Jonathan Schoop struck out to end the inning.

The Sox threatened again in the top of the third. Bogaerts grounded out but Ortiz singled. Ramirez whiffed but Shaw doubled David to third. Young struck out to end the inning. The O's tagged Rodriguez in the bottom of the third. Joey Rickard reached on an infield single but Paul Janish popped up. Jones flied out but Reimold doubled home Rickard to make it 5-1 Boston. Machado flied out to end the inning but the O's were on the board.

Gausman returned for the top of the fourth. Swihart lined out, Vazquez grounded out ad Mr. Mookie lined out to end the inning. Rodriguez was up to the task in the bottom of the fourth inning. Davis grounded out, Trumbo popped up and Wieters struck out to end the inning.

Gausman matched Rodriguez in the top of the fifth. Pedroia grounded out as both Bogaerts and Ortiz struck out to end the inning. The O's tagged Rodriguez in the bottom of the fifth. Schoop grounded out and Rickard lined out, but Janish doubled and Jones singled him in. Reimold grounded out to end the inning. The O's were coming closer, it was now 5-2.

The Sox caught a break in the top of the sixth when Gausman chucked a ground ball hit by Ramirez 75 feet to the left of first base, allowing Hanley to reach. Shaw whiffed, Young lined out and Swihart struck out to end the inning. Rodriguez finished strong in the bottom of the 6th. Machado doubled but Davis lined out. Trumbo flied out and Wieters grounded out to end the inning. 6 strong innings by Rodriguez in his season debut. They're gonna need him.

                                                  Welcome back Eduardo

Dylan Bundy got the ball in he top of the seventh and struck out Vazquez, but Mr. Mookie served notice to the American League that he was for real by blasting his third home run of the day, increasing the lead 6-2. Pedroia and Bogaers followed with singles...but Pedroia was picked off going to third. Ortiz popped up to end the inning.

                                                       Have a day Mookie Betts

Robbie Ross Jr was the first out of the pen in the bottom of the seventh. He struck out both Schoop and Rickard before getting Janish to fly out to end the inning.

Boston threatened again in the top of the eighth. Ramirez beat out an infield single but Shaw flied out. Young singled but was erased on the fielder's choice by Swihart. Vazquez grounded out to end the inning. Koji Uehara came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Jones struck out and Reimold flied out, but Machado singled. Davis whiffed to end the inning.

Ashur Tolliver got the call in the top of the ninth. Mr. Mookie grounded out, Pedroia struck out and Bogaerts flied out to end the inning. Closer Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel took the mound for the bottom of the ninth. He blew away Trumbo and Wieters and got Schoop to ground out to end the game. The Sox had won 6-2.

Hero of the night is Mookie Betts. Hitting not one, not two but THREE home runs electrified the paltry crowd of mostly Red Sox fans.

                                          3 Homer Hero: Mookie Betts



The Good:

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

Chris Young was 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored.

Eduardo Rodriguez was a winner in his debut, allowing 2 runs off 6 hits, striking out 3 in 6 innings of work.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a perfect seventh.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless eighth.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th.




The Bad:

Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.




The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 24 games but was just 1 for 5.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4.

Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.



Final Thoughts:

How about Mookie Betts? In 2013 people were praising him as something special when he was with the Single A Salem Red Sox, they sure were right. Funny thing was Betts was being praised in Salem while Xander Bogaerts was one step above in Double A getting the same praise. One step above that, Jackie Bradley Jr was fine tuning himself in Pawtucket waiting for a chance. Now all 3 of them are up in Boston and are part of the reason they're in first place. Rodriguez coming back was just the tonic they needed to stay there. Hopefully the starting rotation woes are over and we can see what this team is really made of. The Sox improved to 32-20, good for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox look for the series win when they send out Joe Kelly to face Mike Wright.

Wright Goes Distance, Sox Beat O's (5/30/16)

After the horrid starts of most of the Boston Red Sox pitching staff for much of April and May, it was a breath of fresh air to see Steven Wright (5-4, 2.45 ERA) pitch. The knuckeballer has become the unofficial ace of the staff with his 4 hit, complete game in Camden Yards. Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 23 games beating the Baltimore Orioles 7-2.

                                          Placido Flamingo approves of the Memorial Day win

The Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first against Tyler Wilson. Mr. Mookie Betts singled and advanced to second on the ground out by Dustin Pedroia. Betts made a heads up play when Bogaerts was thrown out on a dribbler up the third base line. Betts noticed Wieters wasn't covering home so he outraced everyone home to score the opening run. David Ortiz walked but Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to end the inning.

                              Mookie says "HEYYYYYY...OHHHHHH...HEYYYYY...OHHH!"

Wright was in command in the bottom of the first. Adam Jones grounded out, Hyun-Soo Kim flied out and Manny Machado grounded out to end the inning.

Wilson matched Wright in the top of the second. Travis Shaw and Blake Swihart struck out before Ryan "Hot Hands" Hanigan grounded out. Wright ran into trouble in the bottom of the second. Chris Davis and Mark Trumbo struck out but Schoop singled. A passed ball on Hanigan moved Schoop to second. Nolan Reimold walked and both advanced on another passed ball. Ryan Flaherty walked to load the bases but Caleb Joseph grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third. Marco Hernandez grounded out but Mr. Mookie singled. Pedroia singled Betts to third and Bogaerts doubled Betts home. Ortiz and JBJ grounded out but the Sox were up 3-0, two of them driven in by Bogaerts.

                                                    X-Man makes it 3-0

 Wright cruised in the bottom of the third. Jones grounded out, Kim struck out and Schoop popped up.

The Sox didn't score in the top of the fourth. Shaw struck out but Swihat singled. Hanigan popped up and Hernandez grounded out to end the inning. Wright continued to dominate in the bottom of the fourth. Davis flied out, Trumbo grounded out and Schoop popped up to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the fifth. Mr. Mookie grounded out and Pedroia flied out but Bogaerts doubled. Ortiz popped up to end the inning. The O's finally struck back in the bottom of the fifth. Reimold tripled and Flaherty doubled him home. Joseph singled him to third and Ryan scored on the Jones sac fly. Kim walked but Machado flied out. Davis grounded out to end the inning but the O's cut the lead 3-2.

JBJ got one of the runs right back in the top of the sixth with a solo home run. Shaw grounded out but Swihart tripled. Hanigan popped up and Hernandez grounded out to end the inning but the Sox had a 4-2 lead.

                                                 JBJ homers to make it 4-2

Wright returned for the top of the sixth and struck out both Trumbo and Schoop. Reimold flied out to end the inning.

Wilson returned for the top of the seventh. Mr. Mookie grounded out and Pedroia struck out, but Bogaerts walked to chase Wilson. Ashur Tolliver came in and Bogaerts was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Wright cruised in the bottom of the seventh. Flaherty grounded out, Joseph flied out and Jones whiffed to end the inning.

David Ortiz put himself on the score sheet by blasting a solo home run to make it 5-2 in the top of the eighth. JBJ popped up but Shaw walked. Swihart singled to chase Tolliver and Mychal Givens (no, not David) was brought in. Hanigan popped up but rookie Hernandez smashed his first home run of the year to wrap up the scoring 7-2. Mr. Mookie flied out to end the inning. Way to go Hernandez.

                                         "Wait...is that...is that...gone??" - MH

Wright returned for the bottom of the eighth. Kim and Machado grounded out while Davis struck out to end the inning.

Givens returned for the top of the ninth. Pedroia walked but Bogaerts popped up. Ortiz whiffed but JBJ whiffed. Shaw struck out to end the inning. Wright returned for the bottom of the ninth to finish his job. Trumbo walked but Schoop banged into a double play. Reimold walked and moved to second on a wild pitch. Flaherty grounded out to end the game. The Sox had won 7-2.

Hero of the Night is Steven Wright. His complete game saved the bullpen for better days and he's become the ace of the staff, ironic given they have David Price on the team.

                                           Memorial Day Hero: Steven Wright



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 rbi's.

Blake Swihart was 3 for 4 with a run scored.



The Bad:

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 4 with several passed balls, he's also hitting .177



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 but walked.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a walk but the hit was a solo home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr wasjust 1 for 4 with a walk but the hit was a solo home run.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 3 runs including hitting a 2 run homer.




Final Thoughts:

After the Sox got beat up by Toronto, Wright gave the Sox a much needed lift by going the distance. He's been huge so far after the horrid starts by Red Sox starters through the first two months of the season. The offense picked it up with the home runs and the heads up play by Betts. The win moved the Sox to 31-20, good for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow Eduardo Rodriguez makes his season debut opposite Kevin Gausman in Game 2 of the series.

Sox Avert Sweep, Beat Toronto In Eleven (5/29/16)

After the Boston Red Sox blew yesterday's game, when they went into extra innings it looked like they would be swept out of Skydome. Instead the Sox rallied and finally slammed the door on the Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox escaped Skydome with a 5-3 win in 11 innings.

                                                  Dr. Pierce approves of the win.

At first the game seemed like a pitcher's duel with RA Dickey going for Toronto. Mr. Mookie Betts walked to lead off the top of the first, but both Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts flied out. Sox starter David Price was up to the task in the bottom of the first inning. Jose Bautista flied out and Josh Donaldson grounded out but Edwin Encarnarcion walked. Justin Smoak walked and both runners advanced on a wild pitch...but Devon Travis grounded out to third to end the inning.

Dickey remained stingy in the top of the second. Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out but Josh "Razor" Rutledge walked. Christian Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning. Price matched Dickey in the bottom of the second. Darwin Barney flied out and Kevin Pillar popped up, but Ezequiel Carrera singled. Josh Thole flied out to end the inning.

Dickey continued to dominate in the top of the third. Blake Swihart grounded out,  Mr. Mookie flied out and Dickey snared a liner to rob Pedroia of a hit to end the inning. Price put up zero's of his own in the bottom of the third. Bautista popped up and Donaldson lined out, then Encarnarcion grounded out to end the inning.

Dickey kept the shut out going in the top of the fourth. Bogaerts lined out, Shaw flied out and Ramirez lined out to end the inning. The Jay threatened in the bottom of the fourth. Smoak flied out but Travis singled. Barney lined out and Pillar struck out to end the inning.

JBJ walked to begin the top of the fifth but Rutledge banged into a double play. Vazquez lined out to end the inning. The Jays struck first in the bottom of the fifth. Carrera singled but Thole struck out. Bautista put the Jays on top with a 2 run home run to make Sox fans groan. Donaldson walked but Encarnarcion flied out. Smoak struck out to end the inning.

Could the Sox answer in the top of the sixth? YES! Swihart struck out but Mr. Mookie tripled. Pedroia singled to put the Sox on the board. Bogaerts singled and Shaw walked to load the bases. Ramirez was hit with a pitch to force in another run and chase Dickey. The Sox tied the game and was looking for more against Chad Girodo. JBJ walked to make it 3-2 and that was it for Chad, in came Jesse Chavez. Rutledge killed another rally with a strikeout then Vazquez flied out to end the inning. Aother run would have been huge but the Sox still led. Price held the Jays scoreless in the bottom of the sixth. Travis and Barney grounded out and Pillar flied out to end the inning.

The Sox missed a big chance in the top of the seventh to ice the game. Swihart led off with a single and moved to second on the Mr. Mookie ground out. Pedroia popped up and Bogaerts hit a dribbler that he barely beat out...only Swihart was thrown at home to end the inning.

                                                       "Dammit Blake!"

Price returned for the bottom of the seventh but Carrera beat out an infield hit then was sacrificed to second by Thole. That was it for Price after 6 1/3 innings, replaced by Heath Hembree. Heath got the job done by striking out Bautista and getting Donaldson to fly out to right to end the inning. Price had given up just 2 runs in his start, not bad at all.

Joe Biagini relived Chavez in the top of the eighth.Shaw and Ramirez grounded out and JBJ struck out to end the inning. Hembree returned for the bottom of the eighth but immediately coughed up the lead when Encarnarcion belted a solo home run 423 feet to left to tie the game. Smoak singled but Travis popped up. Barney singled and Jimmy Parades pinch ran for Smoak. Pillar flied out and that was it for Hembree. Robbie Ross Jr was brought in and Russell Martin pinch hit for Carrera. Martin grounded out to end the inning but the game was tied.

Bautista moved to first base, Martin took over behind the plate and Parades moved to right, Saunders to left in the top of the ninth.  Rutledge whiffed but Vazquez beat out an infield single. Swihart flied out but Mr. Mookie singled. Marco Hernandez pinch ran for Vazquez but Pedroia flied out to end the inning. Ryan "Hot Hands" Hanigan took over behind the plate while Ross returned for the bottom of the ninth. Saunders and Bautista grounded out but Donaldson singled and Encarnarcion walked. Parades struck out to end the inning...off to extras we go.

Jays closer Roberto Osuna came in to pitch the top of the 10th. Bogaerts grounded out but Shaw singled. Ramirez struck out but Shaw moved all the way to third on a wild pitch. With the go-ahead run in scoring position, JBJ walked and stole second. Rutledge flied out to end the inning. The much maligned Clay Buchholz (3-5, 6.24 ERA) was summoned to pitch the bottom of the 10th. Travis popped up but Barney singled. Pillar popped up and Martin struck out to end the inning.

The Sox finally broke through in the top of the 11th inning off Gavin Floyd. Hanigan grounded out but Swihart walked. Mr. Mookie walked and Jays manager Jay Gibbons went with Drew Storen against Pedroia. It was a bad move as Pedroia hit a ground rule double to score Swihart to make it 4-3. Bogaerts knocked in the insurance run with a ground out, scoring Betts. Shaw lined out but the Sox had a 5-3 lead. Koji Uehara turned back the clock 3 years to close out the game. Saunders flied out as both Bautista and Donaldson struck out to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

Hero of the Night is Koji Uehara. Facing Toronto's two best hitters in extra innings, Koji whiffed them both to earn his first save of the year.

                                        "You see that Ryan? I'm Hero today!"


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored. Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 6 with a run scored and 2 rbi's. Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 6 with a run scored and an rbi. Jackie Bradley Jr walked 3 times, stole a base and drove in a run. David Price pitched well, tossing 6 1/3 innings of 2 run ball by allowing 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3. Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Clay Buchholz got the win with a scoreless 10th inning.


The Bad:

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 1 at the plate.


The Ugly:

Travis Shaw was just 1 for 5 but walked. Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 but drove in a run. Josh Rutledge was 0 for 4 but drove in a run. Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4. Heath Hembree gave up the tying home run but tossed 1 1/3 innings of relief.


Honorable Mention:

Marco Hernandez pinch ran for Vazquez in the ninth.



Final Thoughts:

Let's get outta here! The Sox have had trouble with Toronto all year and thankfully the only good thing about most of their games with them is that they're mostly over. The Sox can't get into slugfests with Toronto, the only way they can beat them is to shut down their bats....which is easier said then done. Price and Rick Porcello weren't their sharpest but did what they could to hang in there. The win moved the Sox to 30-20, still good for first place in the AL East. The Sox head to Baltimore where Steven Wright (4-4) takes on Tyler Wilson at 1:35 PM.

Jays Walkoff, Sox Blow Four Run Lead (5/28/16)

The Boston Red Sox can't get out of Toronto fast enough. The high powered Blue Jays offense is simply too much for the Red Sox right now no matter who is pitching. They have so many weapons on offense and nearly every one of them pitched in to help defeat the Red Sox 10-9 at Skydome. The Sox had dropped their third game in a row.

Marcus Stroman got the ball for the Blue Jays in the top of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to right but Dustin Pedroia doubled. Xander Bogaerts grounded out but Pedroia moved to third. David Ortiz grounded out to end the inning. "Slick" Rick Porcello took the mound in the bottom of the first inning. Jose Bautista grounded out and Josh Donaldson lined out to second, but Edwin Encarnarcion doubled. Michael Saunders struck out to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning. Hanley Ramirez flied out, Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out and Travis Shaw struck out to end the inning. Porcello matched Stroman in the bottom of the frame as Justin Smoak, Russell Martin and Devon Travis all grounded out to end the inning.

Stroman continued to pitch well in the top of the third inning. Chris Young grounded out but Christian Vazquez singled. Mr. Mookie struck out and Pedroia grounded out to end the inning. The Jays struck first in the bottom of the third inning. Darwin Barney and Kevin Pillar hit back to back doubles to put the Jays up 1-0. Bautista singled and Donaldson walked to load the bases. Encarnarcion was hit with the pitch to force home Pillar. The Sox sacrificed a run for outs when Saunders banged into a double play, scoring Bautista in the process. Smoak flied out to end the inning but it was 3-0 Toronto.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth. Bogaerts greeted Stroman with a 401 foot blast to cut the lead 3-1. Ortiz doubled and Ramirez walked to put the tying runs on, but JBJ lined into a double play when Ortiz was doubled off second. Shaw lined out to end the inning but the Sox were on the board.

                                            Bogaerts' Blast cuts the lead

Porcello recovered in the bottom of the fourth. Martin struck out and Travis grounded out but Barney tripled. Pillar whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox had a chance to knock out Stroman in the top of the fifth. Young struck out but Vazquez doubled. Mr. Mookie beat out an infield hit to put runners at the corners and Pedroia doubled them both home to tie the game. Bogaerts singled Pedroia to third but Ortiz whiffed. Ramirez then lashed a single to score Pedroia easily and Bogaerts motored all the way around, beating the relay throw home. Unfortunately Ramirez got greedy and was thrown out at second to end the inning. The Sox had taken the lead 5-3 but had Ramirez stayed at first, they still would have been batting with Stroman shaken. Pitching with the lead, Porcello cruised in the bottom of the fifth. Bautista flied out but Donaldson singled only to be erased on the Encarnarcion double play.

The Sox finally knocked Stroman out in the top of the sixth. JBJ hit a ground rule double and Shaw went yard for his 7th home run of the year to increase the lead 7-3. Donaldson booted a ground ball allowing Young to reach first. Young swiped second as Vazquez whiffed. That was it for Stroman as Jays manager Jay Gibbons brought in Jesse Chavez. The Sox missed a chance to break the game open when Mr. Mookie flied out and Pedroia grounded out to end the inning. The Jays inched closer in the bottom of the sixth. Saunders and Smoak both whiffed but Saunders smacked a solo home run to cut the lead 7-4. Travis grounded out to end the inning. The Sox needed just 9 more outs to escape Toronto's bats with a win.

The Sox looked to have put the game away in the top of the seventh. Bogaerts singled and took second on an OLE by Pillar. A wild pitch moved Bogaerts to third but Ortiz popped up. Ramirez singled home Bogaerts to chase Chavez. Aaron "Fruit" Loup punched out JBJ and Shaw to end the inning but the Sox had an 8-4 lead. Porcello returned for the bottom of the seventh and got Barney to ground out. Bogaerts then chucked a ground ball 400 feet into the stands to allow Pillar to go to second. Bautista grounded Pillar to third and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. With 106 pitches on his arm, Farrell pulled Porcello for Matt Barnes. Donaldson walked to put runners at the corners but Encarnarcion grounded out to end the inning. It wasn't pretty but Porcello had gone 6 2/3 innings and allowed 4 runs. Not the best but it could have been worse.

                                           Wasn't great but he left with the lead.


The Sox missed a HUGE chance to ice the game in the top of the eighth. Drew Storen relieved Loup and Young greeted him with a double. Young stole third but both Vazquez and Mr. Mookie struck out. Pedroia popped up to end the inning. One more run could have iced it but the Jays came roaring back in the bottom of the eighth against Tommy Layne. Saunders was hit with a pitch and Smoak singled him to second. John Farrell then pulled Layne for Junichi Tazawa. Normally this is your 8th inning guy but Toronto is the one team that hits him well. Sure enough Martin singled home Saunders and Travis scored Smoak with a double to make it 8-6.  Jimmy Parades pinch hit for Barney and didn't have to do anything as a wild pitch from Tazawa scored Martin and moved Travis to third. Taz did punch out Parades and Farrell decided to bring in Kimbrel for a 5 out save. Pillar whiffed but Bautista singled home Travis to tie the game. Donaldson popped up to end the inning. The Sox blew a 4 run lead using 3 different pitchers, baseBAWFUL.

Shockingly enough, the Sox took the lead back. Ryan Goins took over at short for the Jays with Gavin Floyd now on the mound. Bogaerts struck out but the retiring Ortiz added yet another clutch hit to his record with a solo home run to give the Sox a 9-8 lead. Ramirez popped up and JBJ grounded out to end the inning.

                                                       Still clutch in his final season

After all the runs scored by the Jays, all Kimbrel needed was one clean inning and the Sox would have won. He didn't get it. Encarnarcion popped up and Saunders whiffed. One out away from victory and Kimbrel allowed a single to Smoak. Ezequiel Carrera ran for Justin and beat Vazquez to second, the throw sailing away allowing Carrera to reach third. Martin then doubled home Carrera to tie the game. A wild pitch moved Martin to third when Travis lofted a grounder to Shaw....BOBBLED AND THAT'S THE BALLGAME! The Jays pulled off the shocking comeback to beat the Sox 10-9.

                                                      Pedroia says "This sucks"

Jackass of the Night could be any of the relievers but I'll go with Craig Kimbrel. He was handed a one run lead twice and coughed it up twice.

                                          Thanks a lot Kimbrel

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was jut 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 rbi's. Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored, a stolen base and an rbi off his solo home run. David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with a run scored and an rbi off his 13th homer of the year. Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a walk and 3 rbi's. Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Matt Barnes escaped the 7th innings scoreless.


The Bad:

Tommy Layne gave up a hit and hit a man, both runners came around to score. Junichi Tazawa gave up 2 runs of his own on 2 hits and a wild pitch in just 1/3 of an inning.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a run scored, dropping his average to .269. Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 but scored a run. Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4 with a run scored and 2 rbi's but his error in the 9th led to their defeat. Chris Young was just 1 for 4 but stole 2 bases. Rick Porcello faced a tough lineup and struggled, allowing 4 runs on 7 hits and a walk in 6 2/3 innings.


Final Thoughts:

This was one of the most frustrating losses of the season so far. Not since the Ron Kulpa game have fans been this livid. At least that one they got screwed, this time they got outplayed by a superior team. The Jays bats kept attacking and attacking, nobody could get them out, not even Porcello. The Jays are the number one offense in the league for a reason and they proved why the last couple of games. The Sox can't wait to get the hell out of Toronto. I will say the positives were there, the Sox came back twice to take the lead even if the bullpen couldn't get it done. Unfortunately the Sox have one more game in Toronto before heading to Baltimore. David Price takes the hill looking to avert a sweep against RA Dickey. The loss dropped the Sox to 29-20, a half game in front of the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East.

Donaldson, Blue Jays Defeat Red Sox (5/27/16)

Josh Donaldson is the reigning American League MVP for a reason, tonight was a portrayal of why. The slugger was 4 for 5 with 2 big home runs to almost singlehandedly lead the Toronto Blue Jays over the Boston Red Sox 7-5 at Skydome.

Blue Jays starter Aaron Sanchez got the ball to start the top of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia led off with ground outs. Xander Bogarts struck out to end the inning. The Jays wasted no time scoring off incompetent starter Joe Kelly in the bottom of the first. Ezequiel Carrera grounded out but Josh Donaldson belted a solo shot to put the Jays up 1-0 two batters into the game. Edwin Encarnarcion grounded out and Michael Saunders struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox took advantage of some shoddy defense to tie the game in the top of the second. Troy Tulowitzky made fans run for cover after chucking a ground ball by Travis Shaw away. Shaw moved to third on the ground out by Hanley Ramirez and scored on the Jackie Bradley Jr ground out. Marco Hernandez grounded out to end the inning but the Sox had tied it. Kelly tried to recover by blowing away both Tulowitzky and Justin Smoak to begin the bottom of the second. Russell Martin and Devon Travis both singled but Kevin Pillar whiffed to end the inning.

Sanchez settled down in the top of the third. Christian Vazquez grounded out and Blake Swihart struck out. Mr. Mookie grounded out to end the inning, Sanchez was keeping the ball low in this one. The Jays re-took the lead in the bottom of the second when Carrera singled and, who else, Donaldson doubled him home. Josh moved to third on the Encarnarcion ground out and Saunders walked. Kelly recovered to strike out both Tulowitzky and Smoak to end the inning. If it wasn't for that damn Donaldson, Kelly would be doing really well.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth. Pedroia whiffed but Bogaerts singled. Shaw singled Bogaerts to third and took second on the throw. Ramirez slammed a single to score Bogaerts but Shaw was held at third. JBJ walked to load the bases but Ramirez was doubled off second on the liner by Hernandez...damn. The Jays re-took the lead back again in the bottom of the inning. Martin walked but Travis flied out. Pillar singled and Carrera was hit with a pitch to load the bases. You're not gonna believe this but Donaldson singled to score Martin. Encarnarcion hit a sac fly to make it 4-2 and Saunders walked. Kelly did manage to strike out Tulowitzky for the third time to end the inning....god damn Donaldson.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the fifth. Vazquez lined out, Swihart struck out and Mr. Mookie grounded out to end the inning. Kelly got knocked out in the bottom of the fifth. Smoak homered to give the Jays a 5-2 lead to begin the inning. Martin struck out and Travis grounded out, but Pillar doubled to chase Joe. Matt Barnes came in and got Carrera to ground out. 4 2/3 innings and 5 earned runs for Kelly....not the start you're looking for from him.

                                                   "Awwww, there there Kelly. It's okay"

Sanchez continued to dominate in the top of the sixth. Pedroia flied out, Bogaerts grounded out and Shaw struck out to end the inning. Barnes returned for the bottom of the sixth and did what Kelly couldn't, strike out Donaldson. Encarnarcion flied out but Saunders walked again. Tulowitzky was hit with a pitch but Smoak whiffed to end the inning. The Jays could put up runs in bunches but also struck out a lot.

The Sox finally broke Sanchez in the top of the seventh. Ramirez walked and JBJ singled. Hernandez grounded out but both runners moved over. Vazquez blooped one into left to score both runners to make it 5-4. Swihart whiffed and that was it for Sanchez. Jeff Biagini came in and Mr. Mookie lined out to end the inning, but they showed some life. Junichi Tazawa came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Martin flied out, Travis whiffed and Pillar flied out.

The Sox fought back to tie the game in the top of the eighth. Pedroia led off with a double and moved to third on the fly out by Bogaerts. Shaw slammed a single to score Pedroia to tie the game, but Ramirez banged into a double play to end the inning. It was up to Koji Uehara (2-2, 4.26 ERA) to keep the game tied since the Jays bullpen isn't exactly lights out. He couldn't. Carrera bunted his way on and...I'll give you 3 guesses to who....Josh Donaldson crushed a 2 run bomb to give the Jays a 7-5 lead. You would think Koji should have just walked him and take his chances with the others? Encarnarcion popped up and Saunders struck out. Tulowitzky earned the golden sombrero with his fourth strikeout of the day but the damage was done.

Roberto Osuna was brought in to close the game out with a 2 run lead. The Sox went quietly as JBJ lined out, Hernandez grounded out and Vazquez popped up to end the game. Josh Donaldson by himself wins the game 7-5.

Jackass of the Night is Koji Uehara. You'd think he'd be more careful after watching Donaldson terrorize the Sox all night. The two run bomb he allowed was the difference in the game.

                  Koji the Jackass is about to take it up the cornhole courtesy of Josh Donaldson


The Good:

Travis Shaw was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an rbi. Hanley Ramirez and Jackie Bradley Jr were both 1 for 3 with a walk, run scored and rbi. Matt Barnes tossed 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief. Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 7th inning.


The Bad:

Mookie Betts and Marco Hernandez were both 0 for 4. Blake Swihart was 0 for 3 with a hat trick, yikes. Joe Kelly crapped himself by allowing 5 runs on 9 hits and 3 walks in just 4 2/3 innings. He did manage to strike out 8 guys.


The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts were both just 1 for 4 with a run scored. Bogaerts extends his hit streak. Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.


Final Thoughts:

It was the Josh Donaldson show tonight and he damn near buried the Red Sox by himself. Its one thing for Kelly to get burned multiple times but you'd think Sox pitchers would have learned their lesson not to pitch to him. I can't even say the Sox laid down because they kept coming back time and time again. It was just one of those days that one guy made the difference in the game. Joe Kelly is an enigma at this point. He blew away 8 guys but everyone else hit him....hard. This is not the same pitcher who was arguably the best in baseball going 7-0 down the stretch last year. Oh well, tomorrow is a new day. Tomorrow "Slick" Rick Porcello takes the mound opposite Marcus Stroman in the middle game of this series. The loss drop the Sox to 29-19, still in first place in the AL East.

Bradley, Sox Stopped By Colorado (5/26/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox honored Hall of Fame 3rd baseman Wade Boggs by retiring his number 26. He was a hit machine that led the league in batting 5 times, leading the Boston hit attack from 1982 to 1992.

                                            Way to go Wade

As for the game, Joe Dimaggio gets the last laugh. Jackie Bradley Jr's incredible 29 game hitting streak was stopped and the Colorado Rockies smacked around the incompetent Clay Buchholz (2-5, 6.35 ERA), beating the Boston Red Sox 8-2 at Fenway Park.

Buchholz somehow got the ball in the top of the first without allowing a run. Charlie Blackmon flied out, Ryan LaMahieu popped up and Nolan Arenado flied out. The Sox wasted no time scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Jon Gray got Jackie Bradley Jr and Dustin Pedroia to fly out, but Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 19 games with a single. David Ortiz then blasted his 12th home run of the year to give the Sox an early 2-0 lead. Sadly that was the last run scored by the Sox today. Hanley Ramirez grounded to third to end the inning.

Buchholz maintained the lead in a miracle top of the second. Carlos Gonzalez grounded out, Mark Reynolds whiffed and Geraldo Parra flied out to end the inning. Gray settled down in the bottom of the second. Travis Shaw popped up, Chris Young struck out and Blake Swihart lined out to end the inning.

Buchholz once again defied the odds in the top of the third. Trevor Story flied out, Daniel Decalso lined out and Dustin Garneau grounded out to end the inning. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the third when Christian Vazquez flied out and JBJ grounded out. Pedroia worked a walk but Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning.

The Rockies struck back in the top of the fourth. Blackmon singled and advanced to second on the force by LeMahieu. Arenado struck out but Gonzalez swatted a 2 run bomb to tie the game. Reynolds grounded out but that was the start. Ortiz did what he could to keep the Sox in front by hitting a leadoff double in the bottom of the fourth. Ramirez failed to move him over with a short fly ball to right. Shaw hit a fly ball far enough for Ortiz to move to third and Young worked a walk. With the go-ahead run at third, Swihart struck out to end the inning.

Buchholz completely imploded in the top of the fifth. Parra singled and Story homered just like that to make it 4-2 Colorado. Decalso reached on an infield single and Garneau hit a 2 run bomb to make it 6-2 in the blink of an eye. Blackmon and LeMahieu grounded out and Arenado flied out but that was it. The boo birds rained down on Clay as he left the game.

                                            Hopefully Clay's last start....brutal




Could the Sox rally in the bottom of the fifth? NO! Vazquez tried to start one with a single but JBJ flied out. Pedroia singled but was foolishly thrown out trying to stretch into a double. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.

Buchholz returned for the top of the sixth but was quickly chased when Gonzalez singled. 5 innings and 6 runs allowed, nice going Clay. Heath Hembree was brought in and got Reynolds to pop up. Parra flied out and Story struck out to end the inning. Gray continued to dominate in the bottom of the sixth. Ortiz popped up, Ramirez struck out and Shaw grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox defense let them down in the top of the seventh. Decalso reached on an infield single but Garneau struck out. Blackmon singled and Shaw chucked a potential double play ball away, loading the bases. Arenado hit a sac fly to make it 7-2. Gonzalez grounded out but the game was out of reach. Gray finished the bottom of the seventh with a flurry. Young flied out then both Swihart and Vazquez struck out to end the inning.

Hembree returned for the top of the eighth. Reynolds grounded out but Parra doubled. Story then lined one to Bogaerts who doubled Parra off at second to end the inning. Gray returned for the bottom of the eighth and got JBJ to ground out. Pedroia walked and that was it for Gray. 7 1/3 innings giving up only the mistake to Ortiz. Have to tip your cap to that. Carlos Estevez came in and got Bogaerts to fly out. Ortiz popped up to end the inning.

Tommy Layne took over for the top of the ninth. Decalso struck out but Garneau doubled. Blackmon flied out but a wild pitch moved Garneau to third. LeMahieu singled home Garneau to wrap up the scoring 8-2. Arenado struck out to end the inning. Ramirez flied out to begin the bottom of the ninth. That was it for Estevez as Jake McGee came in to close it out. Shaw struck out but Young doubled. Swihart walked and Mr. Mookie Betts pinch hit for Vazquez.... to ground out to end the game. The Rockies had averted a sweep with an 8-2 win.

Jackass of the night is easy: Clay Buchholz. He got lit up for 6 runs in 5 innings while allowing THREE two run home runs.

                                            A familiar sight, Clay Buchholz: Jackass


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 2 with 2 walks. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a run scored and 2 rbi's off a two run home run, his 12th of the year. Chris Young was 1 for 3 with a walk. Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3.


The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr's 29 game hit streak ended as he went 0 for 4. Hanley Ramirez and Travis Shaw were both 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Mookie Betts was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter. Tommy Layne gave up a run in the top of the ninth.


The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts extended his own hitting streak to 19 games but was just 1 for 4 with a run scored. Blake Swihart was 0 for 3 but walked. Heath Hembree kept the Sox in the game with 3 innings of relief but allowed an unearned run.


Final Thoughts:

That sucked but what can you do with Buchholz on the mound? Sox fans are wondering when and if he will be DFA'd and it looks like the Sox are waiting on the return of Eduardo Rodriguez for that to happen. Eduardo is one step away, pitching for Pawtucket on a rehab assignment. He can't come fast enough because everyone's sick of Buchholz. Its a shame Bradley's streak ended by 29 games is nothing to sneeze at. The loss dropped the Red Sox to 29-18, 2 games in front of Baltimore for the AL East lead. Tomorrow night the Red Sox head to Toronto where Joe Kelly (2-0) looks to win his 3rd game of the year.

Bats Continue Assault on Rockies (5/25/16)

Its starting become redundant at this point but the Boston Red Sox offense continues to pulverize enemy pitching at an alarming rate. Tonight's victims were the Colorado Rockies and Chad Bettis. The offense walloped as Steven Wright (4-4, 2.52 ERA) pitched well as the Sox took home a 10-3 victory at Fenway Park.

                                               Y2J approves of the win

Wright got the ball in the top of the first and struck out both Charlie Blackmon and DJ LeMahieu. Nolan Arenado whiffed but Ryan "Hot Hands" Hanigan booted the ball and Arenado reached first. Hanigan atoned for the passed ball by throwing out Arenado trying to steal second. Strangely the Red Sox DIDN'T score in the bottom of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to center. Dustin Pedroia lined out but Xander Bogaerts walked. David Ortiz popped up to end the inning.

                                                I know Joey, I can't believe they didn't score either.

Hanigan continued to play Putty Patrol in the top of the second as the Rockies took the lead. Carlos Gonzalez singled then took second on a passed ball, and third on a wild pitch. Mark Reynolds scored Gonzalez with a ground out to give Colorado a 1-0 lead. Geraldo Parra struck out but Ryan Raburn singled. Tony Wolters grounded out to end the inning. Bettis cruised in the bottom of the second. Hanley Ramirez, Jackie Bradley Jr and Travis Shaw all grounded out.

Wright returned for the top of the third inning and Cristhian Adames grounded out. Blackmon walk but LeMahieu flied out. Arenado lined out to end the inning. The Sox got their first hit in the bottom of the second when Hangigan singled. Blake Swihart flied out, Mr. Mookie flied out and Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.

History repeated itself in the top of the fourth. Gonzalez singled and took second on a passed ball. Reynolds singled him to third but Wright struck out Parra. A wild pitch scored Gonzalez and Reynolds moved to second. Rayburn struck out but Wolters walked. ANOTHER passed ball moved the runners over but Adames lined out to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth when Bogaerts led off the inning with a solo blast, his fifth of the year to make it 2-1. Ortiz walked but was erased on the Ramirez fielder's choice. JBJ singled and Shaw singled as well. Ramirez was safe at home when the throw got away, allowing Bradley to take third. Christian Vazquez pinch hit for the ineffective Hanigan and grounded into a fielder's choice when Bradley was thrown out at home. Swihart then cleared the bases with a triple to give the Sox a 4-2 lead. Mr. Mookie flied out to end the inning but the Sox had the lead.

With Vazquez behind the plate, Wright was still unpredictable in the top of the fifth.. Blackmon grounded out but LaMahieu singled. Arenado flied out but yet another wild pitch moved LaMahieu to second. Gonzalez grounded out to end the inning. The Sox knocked out the starter in the bottom of the fifth. Pedroia led off with a double but came up lame and left the game. Marco Hernandez pinch ran for him as Bogaerts struck out. Ortiz was intentionally walked and Ramirez worked a conventional walk to load the bases. JBJ got the run in with a ground out, and Shaw got the other 2 runs in with a ground rule double to chase Bettis. Justin Miller relieved Bettis and Vazquez lined out to end the inning.

Wright returned for the top of the sixth with Hernandez now at second base. Reynolds struck out and Parra flied out, but Raburn singled. Wolters popped up to end the inning. The Sox offense was held in check in the bottom of the sixth inning. Swihart and Mr. Mookie both lined out but Hernandez singled. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.

Wright cruised in the top of the seventh. Adames grounded out, Blackmon popped up and LeMahieu lined out to end the inning. Jason Motte came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Ortiz struck out and Ramirez grounded to third, but JBJ doubled. Shaw whiffed to end the inning.

Wright came back to start the eighth but was immediately chased when Arenado singled. Tommy Layne got the call to pitch to Gonzalez, and he singled Arenado to third but was thrown out trying to take second. Reynolds scored Arenado on a ground out to close the book on Wright. Parra grounded out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3. The Sox got the run and more right back in the bottom of the eighth off Chad Qualls. Vazquez grounded out but Swihart tripled again. Mr. Mookie scored Blake with a single and Hernandez singled Betts to third. Josh "Razor" Rutledge pinch hit for Bogaerts and struck out. Ortiz wrapped up the scoring with a 2 run double to make it 10-3. Ramirez flied out to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa got the ball in the top of the ninth with Hernandez now at short with Rutledge taking over at second. Rayburn and Wolters both struck out but Adames and Blackmon singled. LeMahieu then whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won 10-3

Hero of the night is Travis Shaw. He went 2 for 4, drove in 3 runs and scored a run while playing hurt.

                                                 Travis Shaw: Hero



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 before leaving with a tight hamstring. Marco Hernandez replaced Pedroia and went 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored. Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 18 games by blasting a solo home run and walking. David Ortiz took over the lead league in doubles and rbi;s by going 1 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 rbis and a run scored. Jackie Bradley Jr extended his hitting streak to 29 games by going 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.  Blake Swihart was 2 for 4 with 2 triples, 2 rbis and a run scored. Steven Wright got the win by tossing 7 innings of 3 run ball (2 earned). He gave up 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7. Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless ninth.


The Bad:

Josh Rutledge was 0 for 1 after coming in for Bogaerts.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored. Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 but walked and scored. Ryan Hanigan was 1 for 1 at the plate but allowed FOUR passed balls before leaving with "illness". Christian Vazquez went 0 for 3 but scored a run. Tommy Layne allowed an inherited runner to score but gave up none of his own in the top of the eighth.



Final Thoughts:

Guys are getting hurt left and right but the offense keeps plugging away.  Shaw is banged up, Ramirez and Hanigan are hurt and now Pedroia has a hammy. With Holt on the DL, this is not good. Still, the guys that are healthy are continuing to produce on both sides of the ball. Steven Wright should be 7-1 but the lack of run support only gives him a 4-4 record. The Sox improved to 29-17, good for 1st place in the AL East and the best record in the American League. Tomorrow night is the finale of the 3 game series with...Clay Buchholz pitching. God help us.

Bats, Price Shut Down Rockies (5/24/16)

Before the game it was announced that Carson Smith needed season ending Tommy John surgery. With Smith goes the best bullpen in baseball label. Instead of the 4 man attack, they're down to three. With Smith out of the season, Heath Hembree or Matt Barnes needs to step up. In other injury news, Brock Holt is still dealing with a concussion and Travis Shaw has an injured hand. Ryan Hanigan is nursing an injured hand as well. Everyone's banged up.

                                                     Bye bye Smith

As for the game, David Price (7-1, 5.23 ERA) continues his resurgence following Dustin Pedroia's heroic effort to find what was wrong with him. Thanks to a great offensive outburst, Price and the Boston Red Sox beat the Colorado Rockies 8-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Happy Fans

Price took the mound in the top of the first. Charlie Blackmon grounded out, Trevor Story struck out and Nolan Arenado struck out.  The Sox struck first immediately in the bottom of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out but Dustin Pedroia legged out an infield single. Xander Bogaerts doubled Pedroia to third to extend his hitting streak and David Ortiz singled them both home to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Hanley Ramirez flied out and Chris Young struck out to end the inning.

The Rockies struck back in the top of the second inning. Mark Reynolds grounded out, Carlos Gonzalez flied out but Ryan Raburn walked. Geraldo Parra tripled home Raburn who was called safe after a review to cut the lead 2-1. Dustin Garneau flied to center to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr wasted no time extending his hitting streak to 28 games with a double to start the bottom of the second, but Josh "Razor" Rutledge popped up. Christian Vazquez somehow tripled home JBJ to increase the lead 3-1. Mr. Mookie brought home Vazquez with a sac fly to make it 4-1. Pedroia singled to right and Bogaerts singled to left. Ortiz hit a little dribbler in front of the plate and was thrown at first to end the inning.

The Rockies struck back in the top of the third. DJ LeMahieu grounded out to third but Blackmon homered into the bullpen to cut the lead 4-2. Story whiffed again and Arenado did as well to end the inning. Ramirez grounded out to begin the bottom of the third. Young popped up to left and JBJ reached on an infield single when De La Rosa played hot potato with the ball. Razor walked but Hanigan grounded out to end the inning.

Reynolds singled to open the top of the fourth and was erased on the force by Gonzalez. Raburn then bounced into a double play to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth. Mr. Mookie flied out but Pedroia walked. Bogaerts walked and (who else?) Ortiz doubled them both home. Ramirez took a fastball off the foot and hobbled around, chasing De La Rosa (not literally though). Eddie Butler replaced Jorge and Young lashed a single to score Ortiz and advance Ramirez to third. JBJ flied out and Razor grounded into a force to end the inning, but the Sox had 7-2.

The injured Travis Shaw took over for Ramirez at first because Hanley hurt his big toe, wonderful. Price remained tough as Parra grounded out, Garneau flied out but LeMahieu singled. Blackmon grounded out to end the inning. The Sox were quieted in the bottom of the fifth. Vazquez grounded out, Betts popped up and Pedroia lined out to end the inning.

Price returned for the top of the sixth and struck out Story. Arenado grounded out and Reynolds grounded out to end the inning. Butler continued to pitch well in the bottom of the sixth. Bogaerts grounded out, Ortiz flied out and Shaw grounded out to end the inning.

Price returned for one more inning and Gonzalez greeted him with a triple. Raburn failed to score him with a ground out to third, but Parra laid down a sacrifice bunt to score Gonzalez. Giving up outs in the 7th inning down 5 runs?

                                            Dropping down sac bunts with 8 outs left

Garneau struck out to end the inning with the lead cut 7-3. Price ended up going 7 innings and giving up just 3 runs. Justin Miller replaced Butler in the bottom of the seventh. Young walked but JBJ flied out. Razor struck out and Vazquez grounded out to end the inning.

Koji Uehara was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth. LeMahieu singled but Koji whiffed Blackmon, Story and Arenado to end the inning. Chad Qualls came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth as the Rockies decided to play Benny Hill. Mr.Mookie legged out an infield single and scored when Pedroia lofted a ground ball to third and Arenado went OLE!!!!! Pedroia advanced to second but was stranded. Bogaerts failed to advance him with a ground out and Ortiz was intentionally walked.  Shaw struck out and Young lined out to end the inning with the Sox up 8-3.

Matt Barnes came out of the top of the ninth and turned up the gas. Reynolds struck out, Gonzalez grounded out and Raburn struck out to end the game. The Sox had won 8-3

Hero of the night is once again David Ortiz. He was 2 for 4 with a walk, run scored and 4 rbi.s

                                           Hero of the Night: David Ortiz



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored. Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored. David Price earned his 7th win by going 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk while striking out 6. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th. Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth.


The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 2 before leaving with an injured toe. The injured Travis Shaw took his place and was 0 for 2.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored. Chris Young was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run. Josh Rutledge was 0 for 3 but walked. Christian Vazquez was 1 for 4 with a run scored and rbi.



Final Thoughts:

Losing Hanley Ramirez is not what the team needed, especially when they're already banged up with Shaw, Hanigan and Holt all hurt. Still, Price continues to pitch well after his discovery and that's a good sign. Other than the triple and the home run, Colorado didn't really hit the ball hard off him. Matt Barnes throwing gas was a good sign and JBJ/Bogaerts extending their streaks were good as well. The win improved the Sox to 28-17, percentage points ahead of Baltimore for first place in the AL East. The 2013 Red Sox were 29-20 on the same day 3 years ago. Tomorrow night Steven Wright (3-4, 2.52 ERA) takes the mound against Chad Bettis.