Gibson, Twins Shut Down Sox (7/22/16)

So much for the Boston Red Sox high powered offense. Tonight Kyle Gibson had only two wins going into the season but tonight earned his third big time. Holding the Sox to just 2 hits and a walk in 8 innings, the Twins survived a ninth inning rally to defeat the Sox. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4, 6.70 ERA) was the hard luck loser but it would be the Twins that took the game 2-1 at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Eduardo Nunez greeted him by flying out to the right field warning track. Robbie Grossman singled to center but Joe Mauer whiffed. The alert Sandy Leon gunned down Grossman trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox got one of their only hits off Gibson 2 pitches into the top of the first when Mr. Mookie Betts swatted a solo home run into the Monster Seats to give the Sox the quick lead. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging but the ball got away so he made it to first. Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single but David Ortiz banged into a double play to kill the rally. Hanley Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                           Mookie puts the Sox on top

The Twins wasted no time tying in the game in the top of the second as Brian Dozier hit a 400,000 foot home run into the Atlantic Ocean to tie the game. Miguel Sano whiffed but Max Kepler singled to center. Kepler was erased on the force by Eduardo Escobar but Juan Centeno whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Dozier ties it up

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to start. Travis Shaw and Sandy Leon both flied out to right to end the inning.

Rodriguez settled down in the top of the third as Byron Buxton whiffed to start. Nunez grounded out to third before Grossman flied out to center to end the inning. Gibson began to dominate the bottom of the third as Brock "The Hitman" Holt whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third and Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning.

Rodriguez struck out Mauer to begin the top of the fourth but Dozier doubled to....BUT WAIT! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Dozier was out at second and he was indeed. Sano singled to right but Kepler looked at strike three to end the inning. Bogaerts whiffed to open the bottom of the fourth before Ortiz grounded out to third. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

All of a sudden Mookie Betts keeled over grabbing his hamstring and had to be hauled off in an ambulance headed to Mass General's ICU. Michael Martinez took over in right to begin the top of the fifth. Escobar lined out to center before Rodriguez snared a liner off the bat of Centeno. Buxton beat out an infield single to third but Nunez whiffed to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the fifth as JBJ flied out to right, Shaw whiffed and Leon popped up to third to end the inning.

The Twins struck in the top of the sixth although Grossman whiffed to start. Mauer walked and that was it for Rodriguez. The lefty lasted just 5 1/3 innings before Farrell pulled the plug although he didn't pitch bad. Heath Hembree came in and poured gas on the fire by walking Dozier and allowing an rbi double to Sano to put Minnesota on top. Sox manager John Farrell stormed out of the dugout and chased Hembree away, kicking dirt at him as Robbie Ross Jr was summoned. Kepler whiffed and Escobar flied out to right to end the inning with the Twins up 2-1.

                                                      Rodriguez deserved better

The Sox tried to rally when Holt walked to begin the bottom of the sixth but was forced at second by Martinez. Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning.

Ross dominated the top of the seventh although Centeno singled to center to begin. Buxton popped up a bunt back to Ross and Nunez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gibson cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Bogaerts flied out to center, Ortiz lined out to center and Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa came in for the top of the eighth and Grossman lined out to right to begin. Mauer grounded out to second but Dozier and Sano stroked back to back singles. Kepler flied out to center to end the inning. Eddie Rosario took over for Grossman in left as JBJ whiffed to open the bottom of the eighth. Shaw grounded out to second but Leon reached when Escobar dropped a pop up for an error. The Sox failed to capitalize as Holt grounded out to short to end the inning. Gibson had hurled 8 innings of 1 run ball, how???

Tommy Layne came in for the top of the ninth and Escobar grounded out to third to begin. Centeno was snuffed out on a bunt attempt before Buxton grounded out to third to end the inning. Brandon Kintzler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but the Sox refused to go quietly. Martinez and Pedroia stroked back to back singles before Bogaerts walked to load the bases with nobody out. The normally reliable Ortiz suddenly banged into a double play to kill any hope. Ramirez lined out to right to end the game. The Twins had won it 2-1.

                                                    Nice try Hanley


Jackass of the Night is David Ortiz. He was 0 for 4 including banging into two double plays in key spots, once in the first and once in the ninth.

                                                        Ortiz is the Jackass



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 2 with a solo home run before leaving.

Michael Martinez was 1 for 2.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Tommy Layne pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3.

Heath Hembree allowed a walk and an rbi double.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4.

Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but walked.

Eduardo Rodriguez took the loss but managed to toss 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball, normally that would be good enough for a win. He allowed 6 hits and struck out 8




Final Thoughts:

Have a day Kyle Gibson, the normally .500 pitcher pitched the game of his life at Fenway and had to be because Rodriguez kept pace. That was a beautiful and unlikely pitcher's duel but the wrong team came out on top. The big guns such as Ramirez and Ortiz didn't do much and the loss of Betts didn't help either. Hopefully Mookie just pulled a hammy but you never know. Games like this happen so there's no need to panic but the Sox can't afford to lose ground with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles neck and neck with the Sox in the AL East race. The less said about this offensive ineptitude the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-40, 0.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action at home against the Twins. David Price goes for the Sox up against Ricky Nolasco at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Rangers on July 4th (7/4/16)

Happy July 4th everyone! The Boston Red Sox celebrated the holiday by pulverizing the Texas Rangers with TWENTY-ONE hits and 12 runs. "Slick" Rick Porcello (10-2, 3.82 ERA) survived a horrible first inning where he served up 4 runs to go six innings. A home run off Koji Uehara by Rougned Odor was the only run scored after the first inning by the Rangers. Brock "The Hitman" Holt left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first but made up for it by belting a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the third. Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts and Travis Shaw also went yard for the Sox while 7 out of the 9 batters drove in at least one run. All in all the Sox pounded out 21 hits and 12 runs as they celebrated July 4th with a 12-5 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park.

                                              John Hancock approves of the July 4th win

The Rangers shelled Porcello in the top of the first as Shin-Soo Choo grounded out to second to start. Ian Desmond raked a base hit to right then moved to second on the grounder to third by Nomar Mazara. Adrian Beltre punched a base hit to center to score Desmond and put Texas on top. Prince Fielder hit a line drive off the right field fence and Fielder would have been dead to rights if Pedroia threw to second, but he threw home to keep Beltre at third. Rougned Odor ripped a bullet to right and Mookie Betts' throw home was bungled by catcher Sandy Leon to allow both runners to score. Jurickson Profar hit a seeing eye single into right to score Odor and bring the boo-birds out. Elvis Andrus forced Profar at second to end the inning but the Sox were in a 4-0 hole.

                                                          Rangers strike first

The Sox did try to fight back against Texas starter Nick Martinez as Mr. Mookie Betts ripped a base hit to center to start. Dustin Pedroia banged into a double play but Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single to short. David Ortiz pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands and Hanley Ramirez walked to load the bases. JBJ almost got robbed of a walk when Andy Fletcher called a clear ball strike two. Unlike Ron Kulpa earlier this year, the next pitch was called a ball down at JBJ's ankles for a bases loaded walk to cut the lead. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                     JBJ walks home a run

Porcello settled down in the top of the second as Robinson Chirinos popped up to Pedroia to start. Choo struck out swinging but Desmond ripped a base hit to center. Mazara grounded out to third to end the inning. Travis Shaw struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Leon made up for his error with a double to the Monster. Mr. Mookie looked to have hit a home run over the left field foul pole but it was ruled foul. Betts ended up popping up to center and Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning.

Beltre singled in the hole at short to start the top of the third but Fielder banged into a double play. Odor ripped a base hit to center but Profar popped up to a running Holt to end the inning. The Sox came back in the bottom of the third as Bogaerts lined a base hit just inside the third base line to begin. Ortiz doubled to the Monster to score Xander and Ramirez also doubled off the Monster to score David. JBJ popped up to Andrus in left field but Holt hit a ball off the top of the bullpen into the hat of Robbie Ross Jr for a home run to put the Sox on top. Shaw grounded out to third but Leon hit a rocket off the centerfield wall that caromed into the bullpen for a ground rule double. Mr. Mookie lined out to a running Choo to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                     Holt puts Boston ahead

Andrus grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Chirinos grounded out to third. Choo hit a double off the Monster and almost got thrown out at second getting back to the bag. Desmond hit a ball in the hole at short and Choo made a mad dash home. Holt came up gunning....OUT AT HOME! The Sox were out of the inning with the lead intact.

                                                                YERRRR OUT!

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia flied out to right to start. Bogaerts singled in the hole at short but Ortiz flied out to left. Bogaerts swiped second and Ramirez walked, but JBJ flied out to left to end the inning.

Porcello continued to pitch well in the top of the fifth as Mazara grounded out to third to start. Beltre flied out to center but Fielder blooped a single to right. Odor flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox chased Martinez in the bottom of the fifth as Holt grounded out to short to start. Shaw doubled off the bullpen fence in right and Rangers manager Brian Bannister had enough, pulling Martinez. Michael Roth came in to pitch and Shaw moved to third on the grounder to short by Leon. Mr. Mookie walked and Pedroia dumped a base hit to left to score Travis with another run. It looked like Pedroia beat a force to second by Bogaerts but the umpires called him out. Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call but the umpires upheld the call to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                 Pedroia drives in a run

Porcello came back for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Profar grounded out to first to start. Andrus singled off the side fence in left but Chirino went down hacking. Choo also went down hacking to end the inning. That was it for Porcello who looked like he was finished in the first inning but hung on to throw 6 innings and limit the damage to four runs.

                                                               Papi salutes Porcello

The Sox continued to pour it on in the bottom of the sixth as Ortiz flied out to center to start. Ramirez doubled high off the Monster and JBJ hit a routine fly ball down the left field line that Mazara missed completely. The ball bounced into the stands for a ground rule double to score Ramirez. JBJ moved to third on a grounder to first by Holt and scored on the Shaw single off the Monster. Leon blooped a base hit to left but Mr. Mookie forced Sandy at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

                                                   "I don't got it" - Mazara

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and struck out Desmond swinging on a curve in the dirt to start. Mazara ripped a base hit to right but the ball went under Betts' glove for an error to move Mazara to second. Beltre grounded out to third and Fielder popped up to Pedroia to end the inning. Pedroia joined the home run parade in the bottom of the seventh with his 8th round tripper of the year to begin. Bogaerts grounded out to third, Ortiz and Ramirez both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 9-4.

                                                    Pedroia with a big fly

Koji Uehara came in to crap his pants in the top of the eighth inning as Rougned Odor led off with a 600,000 foot home run to start. Profar grounded out to second but Andrus doubled off the bottom of the Monster. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Chirinos but Sox manager John Farrell countered by bringing in Robbie Ross Jr. Rangers manager Jeff Banister called back Moreland and sent in Ryan Rua to hit instead. Rua grounded out to short and Choo flied out to Holt at the base of the wall to end the inning with Boston still ahead 9-5.

                                                             Odor tags Uehara

Bobby Wilson came in to catch the bottom of the eighth as the Sox rallied again. JBJ grounded out to first before Holt took strike three. Shaw then drilled a home run off the Pesky Pole before Leon followed with a double into the left field corner. Mr. Mookie wrapped up the scoring with his 18th home run of the season before Pedroia got a base hit to center. Bogaerts broke his bat on a grounder to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-5.

                                                          Shaw and Betts tack it on

Ross Jr came back to finish the top of the ninth and Desmond struck out swinging to start. Mazara grounded out to short but Beltre doubled down the left field line. Bryan Holaday pinch ran for Beltre but Fielder popped up to Holt to end the game. The Sox had won it 12-5.

                                                            Another victory

Hero of the Night is Brock Holt. His 2 run home run put the Sox up for good and he threw out Choo at home.

                                                          Hitman Hero

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run and a walk.

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 6 with a home run and 2 total rbis.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 6 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Travis Shaw was 3 for 5 with a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Sandy Leon was 4 for 5 with a run scored.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Koji Uehara allowed a home run to Rougned Odor in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but walked in a run, drove in another run and scored a run.

Rick Porcello got the win but allowed 4 runs and 12 hits in just 6 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

That was a fun game wasn't it? The Red Sox offense is as good as anyone but the warts in the pitching was on full display. The Sox pounded out 21 hits and this offense is as deadly as anyone in the AL with Betts, Bogaerts, Pedroia, Ortiz, Ramirez, Bradley, Leon and Shaw. 8 of the 9 batters are hitting over .270 and the one guy that isn't is The Hitman, the best slap hitter on the team. Porcello actually surpassed his win total from last year and is halfway to 20....who saw that coming last year? The disintegration of Uehara is tough to watch but at 41 years old, it was bound to happen. Still, if the offense can keep up this pace they have as good a chance of anyone to take the AL East in the second half. They could use some bullpen help at the deadline but that'll be easy to find for someone like Sox GM Dave Dombrowski. All in all it was a good win that should be enjoyed by all. The win improved the Sox to 45-37, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Rangers tomorrow night when David Price (8-5) goes for the Sox up against AJ Griffin of the Texas. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Turn Tables, Bash Angels (7/3/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Pat Light was sent back to Pawtucket to make room for Sean O'Sullivan to get called up for today's game against the Los Angeles Angels. Light did manage to strike out Mike Trout, that's good for something I guess.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, that's a little more like it. Last night the Angels humiliated the Red Sox by beating them by eighteen runs. Today it was the Sox bats that pounded the Angels into submission. The Sox scored 7 runs in the fifth while Sean O'Sullivan (2-0, 6.61 ERA) held the Jays scoreless through 5 innings. The Jays got to Sean and Matt Barnes for three runs in the sixth but Sandy Leon and Dustin Pedroia gave the Sox some breathing room in the later innings. Leon drove in 3 key runs and the Sox held on to win 10-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Eduard Khil approves of the win

O'Sullivan got the ball in the top of the first and Yunel Escobar dumped a base hit to center but was foolishly thrown out at second by Jackie Bradley Jr trying to stretch a double. Kole Calhoun popped up to Xander Bogaerts in foul territory but Mike Trout walked. Trout swiped second but was thrown out at third trying to steal to end the inning.

                                                               Yerrrr out!

Matt Shoemaker got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to right to start. Dustin Pedroia popped up to a running Trout but Bogaerts doubled off the Monster. David Ortiz lined out to a running Calhoun to end the inning.

Albert Pujols led off the top of the second by grounding out to short before CJ Cron popped up to Hanley Ramirez in foul territory. Jefry Marte took strike three down the middle to end the inning. Ramirez led off the bottom of the second by striking out swinging on a splitter to start. JBJ popped up to Marte and Brock "The Hitman" Holt poked a base hit to left on the end of the bat but Sandy Leon grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Gregorio Petit was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the top of the third but Jett Bandy was plunked. Andrelton Simmons beat out a bunt back to O'Sullivan for a base hit but Escobar hit a fly ball to center. Bradley ran it down for the out but Bandy had thought the ball had fallen in and was halfway home. Bradley threw to second to get the force to end the inning.

                                                         "You're out, you dummy" - Bogaerts

Marco Hernandez led off the bottom of the third with a base hit up the middle but was doubled off first on a blown hit and run because Mr. Mookie popped up to Cron. Pedroia roped a single to left but Bogaerts forced Pedroia at second to end the inning.

Calhoun grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Trout and Pujols drew back to back walks. Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis came out to tell O'Sullivan that Chicago Med was on in the clubhouse. O'Sullivan was so excited that he got Cron to hit into a double play to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz walked to start. Ramirez lined a base hit up the middle but JBJ struck out swinging on a splitter down the middle. Holt was frozen for strike three down the middle and Leon flied out to right to end the inning.

Marte flied out to a running Betts to start the top of the fifth and Petit flied out to center. Bandy took strike three on the inside corner to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth although Hernandez popped up to left to start. Mr. Mookie dropped a base hit to right but Pedroia forced him at second. Bogaerts walked and Ortiz pounded a ground rule double into the centerfield stands to put the Sox on top. Ramirez stroked an opposite field single to right to clear the bases, moving to second on the throw home. JBJ dropped a base hit to right, Ramirez scored and JBJ took second on the throw to chase Shoemaker. Jose Alvarez came in and promptly walked Holt before Leon doubled high off the Monster to clear the bases again. Hernandez dumped a base hit to left that was muffed by Marte which allowed Leon to score another run. Hernandez took second on the error and JC Ramirez came in to pitch to Mr. Mookie. Betts flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning with the Sox up 7-0.

                                                        Marte muffs it

O'Sullivan returned briefly in the top of the sixth but Simmons singled off the glove of Bogaerts to start. Simmons stole second and took third on the base hit to left by Escobar. That was it for O'Sullivan who would be charged with 2 runs in 5 innings, not bad. Matt Barnes came in and immediately allowed Calhoun to double off the wall to score Simmons. Trout grounded out to short but Simmons scored and Calhoun moved to third on the play. Pujols doubled off the Red Sox bullpen to score Calhoun. Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis sprinted to the mound to tell Barnes that All In The Family was on in the clubhouse. Barnes got so excited that he got both Cron and Marte to ground out to second to end the inning with the Angels down 7-3.

                                                     Good work by O'Sullivan

Cam Bedrosian came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Bogaerts took strike three but Ortiz drew a walk. Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy told a hilarious story of how ex-Sox manager Dick Williams once got thrown out of the game just handing over the lineup card before the game even started and Ramirez forced Ortiz at second to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Petit singled up the middle to start. Bandy flied out to center but Simmons hit a foul ball down the left field line...BUT WAIT! Angels manager Mike Scioscia challenged that it was fair. The umpires looked at the replay and the ball indeed was fair for a double. Escobar doubled off the left field foul stands to clear the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Carl Willis came out of the dugout to tell Tazawa that Barnaby Jones was on in the clubhouse and Taz got so excited he got Calhoun to line out to Holt. Trout flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 7-5.

                                                           Fair ball

The Sox rallied against Joe Smith in the bottom of the seventh as JBJ dropped a base hit to center to begin. The Hitman dribbled a hit up the middle to move JBJ to third and Bradley scored on the infield single to short by Leon. Hernandez walked to load the bases but Mr. Mookie was rung up on a check swing strikeout. Pedroia drilled a base hit to left that scored JBJ and Leon but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-5.

                                                                   Yerrrr out!

Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pujols hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Cron flied out to right and Marte popped up to second to end the inning. Huston Street came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Ortiz flied out to center to start. Ramirez doubled to the left field wall but Holt lined out to a running Calhoun to end the inning.

Tommy Layne came in to finish off the Angels in the top of the ninth and Petit grounded back to the mound to start. Bandy walked but Simmons forced him at second before moving up a base on defensive indifference. Escobar drilled a base hit to right to move Simmons to third but Calhoun flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won the game 10-5.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of the Night is Sandy Leon. He was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and his three runs driven in turned out to be the difference in the game.

                                                                  Holt salutes our Hero

The Good:

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

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Marco Hernandez was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Sean O'Sullivan got the win by pitching 5 plus innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 4 hits and struck out 2.

Koji Uehara tossed a scoreless inning.

Tommy Layne pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Matt Barnes allowed two inherited runners to score and one of his own in a full inning.

Junichi Tazawa allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was more like it for the Red Sox after last night's disaster. Scoring 10 runs after getting blown away last night sends a message that they can turn things around. The only concerns was Matt Barnes and Junichi Tazawa combined to allow 5 runs in two innings, even if two of which were charged to O'Sullivan. For Sean to toss 5 shutout innings was huge after the Sox were pretty much out of the game early and couldn't get anyone out. Its also funny how the Sox have to deal with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles this season instead of the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. The Sox could use some bullpen help coming up at the trade deadline and maybe another starter. The win improved the Sox to 44-37, 3 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome the Texas Rangers for a three game series starting tomorrow afternoon. "Slick" Rick Porcello (9-2, 3.78 ERA) gets the start for Boston against Nick Martinez of the Rangers. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Angels Massacre Red Sox (7/2/16)

GADZOOKS! 26 years almost to the day that diminutive Freddy Patek and the California Angels slaughtered the Boston Red Sox 20-2 at Fenway Park.....CJ Cron and the modern day Anaheim Angels laid waste to the collective bungholes of the Sox. Cron was 6 for 6 with two home runs and 5 rbis as the Angels as a whole beat around Clay Buchholz (3-9, 5.91 ERA) and a host of relievers for 22 hits and 20 runs. Albert Pujols launched a two run home run in the first inning and the Angels cruised from there. On the other side of the ball, Hector Santiago held the Sox bats to one unearned run in 6 innings. Mookie Betts did manage to hit a home run but it all added up to a disaster Freddy Patek would have enjoyed as the Angels beat the Sox 21-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                              "We surrender!"

The beat down started in the bottom of the first although Buchholz got Yunel Escobar grounded out to second to start. Kole Calhoun grounded back to the mound but Mike Trout pounded a ground rule double into the right field corner. Albert Pujols then hit a home run all the way to Bangor, Maine to put the Angels on top. Daniel Nava flied out to the left inning warning track to end the inning with the Angels up 2-0.

                                                          Pujols hits one a mile

Some Red Sox fan cost the Sox a run immediately in the top of the first when a fan reached over to try to grab a line drive hit by Mookie Betts off Santiago. The umpires took a look and ruled fan interference double instead of a triple. The interference call proved costly as Dustin Pedroia hit a fly ball to right that sent Betts to third and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. David Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning, tell that fan thanks for nothing.

                                                                 You imbecile!

Things spiraled out of control in the top of the second inning as CJ Cron hit a chopper to Travis Shaw who turned around and threw the ball a mile to the left of first base for an error to start. Johnny Giatovella flied out to right but Carlos Perez hit a seeing eye single past Bogaerts to put runners at the corners. Andrelton Simmons scored Cron with a sac fly to increase the lead but Escobar hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning with the Angels up 3-0.

                                                            Nice throw Shaw

Hanley Ramirez tried to start a rally with a base hit up the middle but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging. Bryce Brentz took strike three and Shaw grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Buchholz settled down in the top of the third as Calhoun grounded out to second to start. Trout flied out to center and Pujols grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the third as Christian Vazquez missed a home run by 10 feet down the left field line before walking to start. Mr. Mookie flied out to left, Pedroia popped up to short and Bogaerts popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

The Angels struck again in the top of the fourth as Nava took strike three to start. Cron then hit a home run all the way to the Azores to increase the lead. Giatovella grounded out to second but Perez doubled into the left field corner. Simmons grounded out to short to end the inning but the Angels led 4-0.

                                                              Cron hits one out

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz flied out to center to start. Ramirez doubled into the left field corner but JBJ went down hacking. A wild pitch moved Ramirez to third but Brentz grounded out to third to end the inning.

The floodgates opened in the top of the fifth inning although Escobar popped up to first to start. Calhoun walked and Trout hit a bullet past Shaw to chase Buchholz of the game. Clay lasted just 4 1/3 innings and would be charged with 6 runs. Heath Hembree came in and Pujols hit a grounder to third, Shaw airmailing Pedroia at second for an error to load the bases. Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Trout was out at second but the call was upheld. Nava went down hacking but Cron blooped a single to center to score Calhoun and Trout. Giatovella singled in the hole at second to re-load the bases and Perez doubled off the centerfield wall to clear the bases. Simmons flied out to right to end the inning with the game out of reach 9-0.

                                                       This got out of hand real fast

The Sox got a lucky run in the bottom of the fifth as Shaw lined out to center to start. Vazquez lined out to short but Mr. Mookie hit a ground rule double over the head of Calhoun. Pedroia hit a routine grounder to Escobar who threw the ball away for an error that scored Betts. Bogaerts walked but Ortiz grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 9-2.

                                                        Bad throw by Escobar

Hembree returned for the top of the sixth as Escobar walked to start. Calhoun popped up to shallow left before Trout popped up to shallow right. Pujols went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth although Ramirez walked to start. JBJ struck out swinging and Simmons made a great running catch to rob Brentz of a bloop single. Shaw popped up to second to end the inning.

Shane Robinson pinch hit for Nava to start the top of the seventh with Robbie Ross Jr now on the mound to take a beating. Robinson walked, Cron singled to center and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Giatovella grounded out to second but Perez hit a seeing eye single to left to score Robinson with another run. Simmons singled to right to score Cron and Sox pitching coach Carl Willis sprinted to the mound to tell Ross that 10 yards is a first down. Escobar singled to right to load the bases and Gregorio Petit pinch ran for him. Calhoun singled to right....off the glove of Brentz for an error that scored two runs. That was it for Ross as rookie Pat Light took the mound only to plunk Trout to re-load the bases. Pujols doubled to the right field wall to clear the bases and Jefry Marte ran for him. Robinson struck out swinging but Cron hit a home run all the way to Concord, New Hampshire. Giatovella bashed a double to the centerfield wall and Perez clobbered a home run all the way to Peru to increase the lead. Simmons grounded out to third to end the inning but the Angels scored 11 runs and now led 20-1.

                                                       What a disaster

Fernando Salas came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez flied out to right to start. Mr. Mookie got a mock cheer with his 17th home run of the season to cut the lead but Pedroia popped up to first. Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox down 20-2.

                                                      Mr. Mookie home run

Light came back to get tagged in the top of the eighth with Marco Hernandez taking over for Ramirez. Petit hit a triple past a jumping JBJ to start but Shaw made a great stab off a Calhoun line drive. Somehow Light struck out Trout looking but Bogaerts threw a routine grounder by Marte away for another error that scored Petit. Robinson popped up to right to end the inning with the Angels ahead 21-2.

                                             "Its okay Pat, we all sucked tonight" - Pedroia

Deolis Guerra came to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Sandy Leon pinch hitting for Ortiz to start. Leon hit one up the elevator shaft and Marte fell down but still made the catch on a Hernandez line drive. JBJ grounded out to first to end the inning.

Ryan LaMarre, yes HIM, came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning and Cron nearly hit another home run with a line drive off the top of the Monster. Cron settled for a double but Giatovella flied out to center. Perez was finally retired by lining out to left but Simmons singled to center. Petit flied out to right to end the inning and how sad is it that LaMarre was the only reliever that didn't allow a run.

                                                The only "pitcher" to not allow a run

Mercifully the game came to an end in the bottom of the ninth with Guerra returning to the mound. Brentz slapped a base hit to center but Shaw flied out to left. Mr. Mookie forced Brentz at third but Pedroia ripped a base hit to left to load the bases. Bogaerts hit a slow roller to first to end the game. The Angels had won it 21-2.

                                                            Epic beatdown

Jackass of the Night could be anyone but Clay Buchholz makes the most sense. He got lit up for 6 runs and Hembree, Light, Ross and LaMarre wouldn't have had to come in if he pitched well.

                                                             Jackass Buchholz

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 5 with a home run and two total runs scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 2 with a walk.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ryan LaMarre pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 3.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 1.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 4.

Heath Hembree allowed 2 inherited runners to score and was charged with 3 runs himself.

Robbie Ross Jr allowed 6 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.

Pat Light allowed 2 inherited runners to score and was charged with 6 of his own in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with an error but walked twice.

Bryce Brentz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Between the Freddy Patek game, the 22 to 1 massacre by the Yankees in 2000 and this....there have been some decisive beatdowns at Fenway Park in its 114 year history. The worst part is how bad the Sox played on both sides of the ball. They couldn't do anything offensively against Santiago and it seemed like any ball not hit 400 feet was booted by someone. JBJ missing an easy catch that turned into a triple, Shaw throwing balls away....it was just bad baseball all around. Although as Fox analyst Harold Reynolds pointed out, its only 1 loss. As bad as it was, its just one game. CJ Cron and Carlos Perez combined to go 11 for 12 with 11 rbis combined, shockingly Trout didn't have an rbi. Not much you can say about a game like this apart from the Sox got their brains beat in. If the June swoon was supposed to be rock bottom then this game is going all the way to hell. The worst part is the Sox are bringing up someone from Pawtucket to start tomorrow's game. The swoon could continue all the way to the All-Star break, putting the Sox further behind in the AL East race. The loss dropped the Sox to 43-37, 4 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Angels when they bring up Sean O'Sullivan from Pawtucket to face Matt Shoemaker of the Angels. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Hold Off Angels in Rain (7/1/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a much needed roster move. The Sox activated Brock "The Hitman" Holt from the injured list and sent Mike Miller back to Pawtucket. The Sox are in a major funk after going 10-16 in the month of June and need The Hitman to bring his ability to get on base back to help get the Sox back in the AL East race.

                                                                          OUT

                                                          IN

As for the game, that game was tougher than it needed to be. The Red Sox took a 5-0 lead on the Los Angeles Angels and Sox starter Steven Wright (9-5, 2.42 ERA) was cruising through 5 innings. Suddenly Wright gave up a grand slam to CJ Cron and was chased from the game. Matt Barnes got out of the sixth inning and the game went into a 90 minute rain delay. When action resumed, the Sox needed The Orient Express and Craig Kimbrell to look down the 5-4 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                     Kendra Lust approves of the win

Wright got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kole Calhoun led off with a base hit up the middle. Mike Trout took strike three and protested to the umpire. Albert Pujols drew a walk but Jefry Marte banged into a double play to end the inning. Chacin got the ball in the bottom of the first and the Sox tagged him. Mr. Mookie Betts led off with a double off the Monster. Betts moved to third on the grounder by Dustin Pedroia and scored on the grounder to second by Xander Bogaerts to put Boston on top. David Ortiz ripped a base hit past the diving Andrelton Simmons but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                        Bogaerts gets a hand

Old friend Daniel Nava led off the top of the second with a base hit past Marco Hernandez to start. CJ Cron flied out to left but Johnny Giavotella ripped a base hit to right to move Nava to third. Carlos Perez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Brock "The Hitman" Holt took strike three to begin the bottom of the second before Travis Shaw flied out to right. Christian Vazquez got hit with an inside fastball but Marco Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Angels threatened in the top of the third although Simmons flied out to left to start. Calhoun grounded out to first but Trout doubled down the left field line. Pujols drew a walk but Marte was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Mr. Mookie led off the bottom of the third with a base hit to left but Pedroia hit into a double play. Bogaerts walked and Ortiz smacked a single to center but JBJ grounded out to first to end the inning.

Nava began the top of the fourth with a grounder back to the mound before Cron ripped a base hit to left. Holt dug the ball out and fired to second base where Cron was heading....OUT! Cron was out and Giatovella grounded out to first to end the inning.

                                                           YERRRR OUT!

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Holt doubled to left to start. Shaw smashed a double past the diving Cron to score Brock with another run, but he got picked off shortly after. Vazquez struck out swinging but Hernandez ripped a base hit to right. Mr. Mookie got a base hit to right to move Hernandez to third but got thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. The Sox ran themselves into two outs but still led 2-0.

                                                      "Talk to the hand" - Shaw

Perez was frozen for strike three to start the top of the fifth but Simmons beat out a roller just inside the first base bag. Simmons moved to second on the grounder to second by Calhoun and to third on a wild pitch, but Trout grounded out to second to end the inning. Rain started to fall as the Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth. Pedroia grounded out to short and Bogaerts struck out swinging, but Ortiz got his 2,000th Red Sox hit with his 19th home run of the season just inside the Pesky Pole. JBJ singled to center and Holt doubled him home with a shot off the Monster, increasing the lead. Shaw was intentionally walked and Vazquez singled to right to score Holt. That was it for Chacin as Deolis Guerra came in to pitch to Hernandez. Marco struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                  2,000 hits with the Red Sox

Wright inexplicably fell apart in the top of the sixth as Pujols doubled off the Monster to start. Marte was plunked and Nava walked to load the bases. Cron then hit a grand slam all the way to Saturn to cut the lead just like that. That was it for Wright who ended up allowing 4 runs in 5 plus innings, he absolutely cannot pitch in the rain. Matt Barnes came in to pitch and Giatovella grounded back to the mound before Perez went down hacking. Simmons grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 5-4.

                                                       "Awww there there fatso" - Vazquez

With rain pouring the umpires finally called for the tarp and the game was delayed for an hour and a half. When actioned resumed in the bottom of the sixth, Joe Smith came in to pitch. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third but Pedroia singled in the hole at third. Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning.

It was time for the Orient Express as Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the top of the seventh. JBJ made a running grab on a Calhoun liner but Trout lashed a base hit to left. Pujols lined out to Mr. Mookie but Trout swiped second. Marte walked but Nava struck otu swinging to end the inning. JC Ramirez came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Ortiz grounded into the shift to start. JBJ ripped a base hit to right but Holt went down hacking. Shaw grounded out to first to end the inning.

The other half of the Express, Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the eighth. Cron flied out to right but Holt and Bradley got crossed up on a routine pop up by Giatovella. Giatovella ended up on third with a triple but was thrown out at home on a suicide squeeze to the mound by Perez. Shane Robinson pinch ran for Perez and Simmons ripped a high fastball to center for a single. Calhoun struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                             Yerrrr out!

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth with Jett Bandy now on the mound as Christian Vazquez singled off the glove of Marte to start. Hernandez ate up Simmons on a grounder for a "single" but was erased at second on a force by Mr. Mookie. Betts swiped second but Pedroia went down swinging. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the top of the ninth and walked Trout to start. Pujols flied out to the centerfield warning track and Marte popped up to second. The Sox caught a huge break when Nava pounded a ball down the right field line that hopped into the stands for a ground rule double. Angels manager Mike Scoscia challenged that a fan reached over to grab the ball and Sox analyst Jerry Remy said it looked like it was fan interference. The umpires got together and ruled NO fan interference much to Remy's surprise. One pitch later, Cron grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 5-4.

                                                        Sox win

Hero of the Night is a tough one since it was a balanced attack but I'll go with David Ortiz. He went 3 for 4 with a home run which happened to be his 2,000th hit in a Sox uniform.

                                                       Ortiz Hero

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch and an rbi.

Marco Hernandez was 2 for 4.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 17th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Steven Wright got the win but gave up a grand slam in the sixth inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was a weird game from start to finish. For the first 5 innings it looked like another routine game where the Sox led 5-0 and seemed to be cruising. Then Wright gave up a grand slam and the rains came. The final portion of the game was very tight with runners getting thrown out on the bases and especially the Nava double in the ninth. If the umpires ruled that fan interference, Trout scores and the game is tied. There's no guarantee the Sox could win it in the ninth and with the best relievers already used, it would have been the bottom of the barrel in extras. As it is, the Sox needed to start the month off strong and they did with a big win. The Angels are horrible and the Sox need to take advantage to get back in the race with the Baltimore Orioles. The win improved the Sox to 43-36, 4 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it two in a row against the Angels when Clay Buchholz (3-8) takes on Hector Santiago of Los Angeles. The game begins at 7:15 PM at Fenway Park.