Sox Crush Minnesota Twins (7/21/16)

Normally when the Boston Red Sox score 10 runs or more in a game, they can't hit the broad side of a barn the next one. Not the case tonight as the red hot Boston bats feasted on the hapless Minnesota Twins. Jackie Bradley Jr, Mookie Betts and David Ortiz all went yard as the team as a whole pounded out 17 hits and 13 runs. On the other side of the ball, Steven Wright (12-5, 2.67 ERA) took another step toward the AL Cy Young Award by tossing 8 brilliant innings allowing just two runs. Clay Buchholz mopped up in the ninth inning as the Sox blasted Tyler Duffey and the Minnesota bullpen 13-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Curie approves of the win

Wright got the ball in the top of the first and Eduardo Nunez led off by lining out to left. Joe Mauer struck out swinging and Miguel Sano flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time scoring in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts took Duffey deep on the very first pitch to set the tone. Dustin Pedroia singled in the hole at second. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right and David Ortiz also got a base hit to right to score Pedroia. Hanley Ramirez grounded into a double play to score Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                         Ortiz drives in a run

Brian Dozier grounded out to short to start the top of the second before Max Kepler grounded out to second. Kennys Vargas took strike three to end the inning. Travis Shaw got a base hit to right to open the bottom of the second but Ryan Hanigan grounded into a double play. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to second to end the inning.

Robbie Grossman led off the top of the third with a fly out to center and Kurt Suzuki grounded out to short. Eddie Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox chased Duffey in the bottom of the third as Mr. Mookie crushed a ball off the Monster for a long "single". Pedroia got a base hit to center to move Mookie to third and Bogaerts lined a ball to the outfield. Rosario completely whiffed the catch and Nunez muffed the relay throw for a double and an error to score both Betts and Pedroia. Ortiz grounded out to second but Ramirez walked. JBJ doubled to right to score Bogaerts and chase Duffey. Michael Tonkin came in and Shaw took strike three. Hanigan also watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0/

                                                             Good job Bradley

Nunez flied out to right to start the top of the fourth before Mauer grounded back to the mound. Sano lined out to center to end the inning. Holt struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Mr. Mookie grounded out to third but Pedroia got a base hit to right. Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Twins fought back in the top of the fifth as Dozier flied out to center. Kepler broke up the perfect game with a looping base hit to left. Vargas hit a ground rule double into the left field stands and Kepler scored on the grounder to second by Grossman. Then a ball got away from  Hanigan and Vargas made a mad dash home. Hanigan threw to Wright and the umpire called out.....then noticed Wright dropped the ball and ruled safe instead. Suzuki grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins down 6-2.

                                                             You idiot!

The Sox got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Ortiz flied out to left to start. Ramirez struck out swinging but JBJ clobbered his 15th home run of the season to increase the lead. Buddy Boshers came in to face Shaw and Travis popped up to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                           Home run for JBJ

Rosario struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Nunez flied out to left. Mauer struck out swinging to end the inning. Hanigan struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Holt went down hacking. Mr. Mookie grounded out to second to end the inning.

Sano struck out swinging to open the top of the seventh and Dozier did the same. Kepler singled to center and Vargas walked, but Grossman struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Pedroia doubled off the Monster to start. Bogaerts beat out an infield roller to third and Ortiz got a base hit to right to score Pedroia. Trevor May came in to pitch and Ramirez promptly struck out swinging. JBJ forced Ortiz at second but Bogaerts scored another run. Shaw popped up to Dozier to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

 

                                                              Bogaerts scores a run

Michael Martinez came in for Bogaerts to start the top of the eighth and Suzuki lined out to right to start. Rosario doubled off the Monster but Nunez struck out swinging. Mauer grounded back to Wright to end the inning. Wright was brilliant, tossing 8 innings of 2 runs ball allowing 2 runs off 4 hits and a walk.

                                                        Great work by Wright

The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the eighth as Hanigan grounded out to short to start. Holt walked and Mr. Mookie doubled off the Monster to score Brock. Pedroia doubled down the left field line to score Betts and Bryce Brentz pinch ran for him. Ortiz belted his 24th home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. Aaron Hill pinch hit for Ramirez and flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 13-2.

                                                           Another home run for Big Papi

Clay Buchholz came in to close out the top of the ninth and Danny Santana pinch hit for Sano. Santana flied out to right and Eduardo Escobar pinch hit for Dozier. Escobar hit a ground rule double into the right field stands and moved to third on the Kepler fly ball to right. Vargas flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won the game 13-2.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of The Night is Steven Wright. He tossed 8 brilliant innings allowing just 2 runs off 4 hits and a walk, while striking out nine.

                                                       Steven Hero

The Good:

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

Dustin Pedroia was 5 for 5 with an rbi and 3 runs scored.

Bryce Brentz scored a run as a pinch runner.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 3 for 4 with a home run and 4 total rbis.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 total rbis.

Clay Buchholz pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Michael Martinez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Boston Red Sox offense is for real but if Steven Wright can keep pace with Rick Porcello, they might be a juggernaut heading to the playoffs come October. David Price has been underwhelming but still better than average but Porcello and Wright have been dominant. That's a 1-2-3 punch that can go places in the end. There's not much more you can say about the offense other than its one of the best in baseball. Ortiz is having a career year, Betts, Shaw, Bogaerts and Bradley really injected youth into the team and Ramirez is having a career resurgence. The first six batters in the lineup are hitting .283 or better and that's tough to beat. If the pitching can hold up for 69 more games, they'll be playing October ball for sure. The win improved the Sox to 54-39, 0.5 games ahead of the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Twins tomorrow evening when Eduardo Rodriguez takes on Kyle Gibson of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outslug Giants (7/20/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an expected roster move. Koji Uehara was placed on the 15 Day Disabled List with a strained pectoral muscle. It shouldn't be too serious but the Red Sox are already without Craig Kimbrel and Junichi Tazawa. The Sox called up Noe Ramirez from Pawtucket to take his place but now the Sox are gonna have to run with Brad Ziegler as the closer. Still, hopefully Uehara, Tazawa and Kimbrel come back soon.

                                                                     OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, this is NOT good. The Sox traded for Drew Pomeranz expecting him to be the missing piece in the rotation to get them to October and tonight he couldn't handle the pressure of Fenway Park. He got lit up for 5 runs in just 3 innings, forcing the Boston bullpen already without Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel to throw 6 innings. The good news was the Boston bats picked up the pace. The Sox scored 7 early runs off Matt Cain including two separate 2 run home runs from Hanley Ramirez. The Giants added two runs off Robbie Ross Jr and Heath Hembree to make it 8-7 in the 5th, but the bullpen held fast after. Hanley Ramirez hit his third 2 run home run of the game and Sandy Leon added one for good measure as the Sox outslugged the Giants 11-7 at Fenway Park.

                                                                Serana approves of the win

Pomeranz got the ball in the top of the first inning and Denard Span walked to start. Angel Pagan lined out to first and Span moved to second on the Brandon Belt grounder to first. Buster Posey flied out to center to end the inning. Cain got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to third to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third and Xander Bogaerts popped up to first to end the inning.

Brandon Crawford doubled to center to start the top of the second but Mac Williamson struck out swinging. Grant Green grounded out to first to move Crawford to third but Trevor Brown took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as David Ortiz walked to start. Hanley Ramirez then smashed a two run home run into the bullpen that took Williamson with the ball. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short but Travis Shaw hit a home run completely over the bullpen for his 11th home run of the season. Sandy Leon took strike three but Brock "The Hitman" Holt got a base hit to left. Mr. Mookie got a base hit to right to move Holt to third and promptly stole second. Pedroia lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                 There goes the ball and Williamson

Ramiro Pena led off the top of the third by popping up to first. Span took strike three but Pagan ripped a base hit to center. Belt struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the third as Bogaerts got a base hit to left to start. Ortiz flied out to the centerfield warning track but Ramirez blasted another two run homer to dead center to chase Cain.

                                                         Another blast for Hanley

Albert Suarez came in to pour gas on the fire as JBJ doubled to right but Shaw flied out to left. Leon tripled off the centerfield wall to score JBJ and Hitman Holt doubled into the left field corner to score Leon. Mr. Mookie doubled to the left field wall to score Holt and Pedroia was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to end the inning with the Sox up 8-0.

                                                     The Sox pour it on

All of a sudden the Giants exploded on Pomeranz in the top of the fourth as Posey walked to start. Crawford dumped a base hit in front of JBJ and Williamson hit a home run all the way to Bombay, India to cut the lead. Green blooped a single to right and Sox pitching coach Carl Willis sprinted to the mound to tell Pomeranz that Red Dead Redemption is a good video game. Brown crushed a home run all the way to Natick as the fans started booing. Pena beat out a grounder to third and Span caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single and that was FINALLY it for Pomeranz. Handed an 8 run lead, he allowed 5 runs without getting an out in the fourth inning. Robbie Ross Jr came in and Pagan lined out to second before Pena moved to third on the fly out to center by Belt. Posey forced Span at second to end the inning but it was now 8-5 Sox.

                                                                Nice debut Drew

Bogaerts got hit in the head on a grounder to third with the throw for a "single" to start the bottom of the fourth. Ortiz grounded out to second to move Bogaerts to second and Ramirez was hit with a pitch. Hanley stared down Suarez and said he'd get him back as the umpires warned both benches to not escalate this further. JBJ forced Hanley at second and Shaw popped up to third to end the inning.

The Giants struck again in the top of the fifth as Crawford struck out swinging to begin. Williamson took strike three but Green walked to chase Ross. Heath Hembree came in to pour gas on the fire as Brown singled off the Monster and Pena hit a grounder in no man's land at short to score Green. Span got a base hit to right to score Brown and put the tying run at second base. Shaw fell into the stands to catch a pop up by Pagan to end the inning but the 8-0 game was now 8-7.

                                                                      Giants inch closer

Leon popped up to short to start the bottom of the fifth and Holt was rung up for strike three. Mr. Mookie doubled high off the Monster but Pedroia popped up to short to end the inning.

Tommy Layne came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Belt got a base hit to center to start. Posey got a base hit to center as well and Crawford walked to load the bases with nobody out. Matt Barnes was brought in to face pinch hitter Gregor Blanco. Blanco hit a grounder to first and Ramirez tagged the back before throwing home. Leon swipe tagged Belt and Giants manager Bruce Bochy challenged that Belt was safe. The call was upheld and the double play stood. Conor Gillaspie pinch hit for Green and popped up to first to end the inning. Outstanding work by Barnes.

                                                                    Yerrrrr out!

The Sox took advantage of the Giants' misfortunate in the bottom of the sixth although Bogaerts flied out to left to start. Ortiz got a base to right and Ramirez got his revenge on Suarez by hooking a home run just over the Monster to increase the lead. Josh Osich came in to pitch to JBJ and Bradley lined out to Pena. Shaw grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-7.

                                                                    Happy Hanley

Barnes returned for the top of the seventh and Brown singled to right to start. Pena flied out to center and Span did the same, but Pagan lashed a base hit to center. Belt struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Leon smashed his third home run of the season to ice the game. Holt popped up to Pagan and that was it for Osich. Derek Law came in to pitch to Mr. Mookie and Betts grounded back to the mound. Pedroia walked but Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 11-7.

                                                                 Leon with the dagger

Barnes came back for the top of the eighth and Posey was frozen for strike three on the outside corner to start. Crawford grounded out to second and Blanco flied out to left to end the inning. Ortiz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth but Hanley failed to hit four home runs, as he grounded back to the mound. JBJ got a base hit to left but Shaw struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brad Ziegler came in to close out the top of the ninth and Gillaspie grounded out to second to start. Brown grounded out to short and Pena lined out to a running Holt to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-7.

                                                                  Sox win

We got two Heroes of the Night. First is Hanley Ramirez. He hit not one, not two but THREE 2 run home runs to almost outslug the Giants by himself.'

                                                             Hero Hanley

The second is Matt Barnes. He inherited a bases loaded, nobody out situation and Houdini'd out of it to keep the Sox on top before tossing 3 full scoreless innings.

                                       "Bases loaded nobody out? No problem" - Barnes

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 4 with 2 total rbis, a home run and 2 total runs scored.

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

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Drew Pomeranz allowed 5 runs in just 3 innings off 8 hits and 2 walks.

Robbie Ross Jr allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

Heath Hembree allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning.

Tommy Layne allowed 2 hits and a walk without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 but walked.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored two runs.

Travis Shaw was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Final Thoughts:

Thank goodness for Hanley Ramirez because that game headed for a loss the way the pitching gave it up. Pomeranz was supposed to be the big help in the rotation and he was anything but. Brad Ziegler continues to be worth every penny but he can't pitch every day. The worst part about Pomeranz getting lit up is the offense exploding is supposed to save your key arms, they couldn't save them tonight. Still, a win is a win and the Sox leapfrogged the Baltimore Orioles into first place. Still, if you're thinking of October, the Sox are going to need Pomeranz for a fourth start in a series after Rick Porcello, Steven Wright and David Price. Maybe it was just opening game jitters but that was not a good impression. Its great to see Hanley turn into David Ortiz for one game anyway. Kudos to Matt Barnes for pulling the Houdini in the sixth inning. That was as important to the outcome as the Hanley home runs. The win improved the Sox to 53-39, 0.5 game in front of the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome the Minnesota Twins for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. Steven Wright (11-5) takes on Tyler Duffey of the Twins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Porcello, Sox Blank Giants (7/19/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a minor league move. Former NFL linebacker turned baseball player Brandon Magee was released by the Red Sox. He played 17 games with the Cleveland Browns and Tampa Bay Buccaneers before trying his hand at baseball since he was drafted in the 23rd round back in 2012 by the Red Sox. He hit just .231 in Lowell last year and was hitting .240 with the Gulf Coast Sox this year. With the newest crop of draft picks coming in, he was expendable

                                                                 Bye bye Magee

As for the game, "Slick" Rick Porcello (12-2, 3.47 ERA) took another step toward the AL Cy Young Award by blanking the San Francisco Giants. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks before being lifted in the seventh inning. Meanwhile Brock "The Hitman" Holt hit a solo shot off old friend Jake Peavy and David Ortiz hit the backbreaking three run home run in the fourth inning. The bullpen slammed the door the rest of the way and the Sox had won the game 4-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Henrik Stenson approves of the win

Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Denard Span dropped a base hit to center to start. Angel Pagan got a seeing eye single into right but Brandon Belt struck out swinging on a 94 mph fastball. Buster Posey also swung and missed for strike three on a mph fastball. Brandon Crawford took strike three to end the inning. Peavy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to center to start. Dustin Pedroia also popped up to center and Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jarrett Parker singled to left to start the top of the second but got doubled off first on a Connor Gillaspie liner to center. Mac Williamson flied out to right to end the inning. David Ortiz led off the bottom of the second by flying out to the centerfield wall. Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ramiro Pena led off the top of the third by flying out to left and Span grounded out to third. Pagan got a base hit to left but Belt flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Shaw took strike three to start. Leon also went down hacking but Holt smashed his fifth home run of the season to put the Sox on top.

                                                        Holt jacks one

Posey walked to start the top of the fourth but Crawford grounded into a double play. Parker grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia walked to start. Bogaerts got a base hit to left and Ortiz launched his 23rd home run of the season to ice the game. Ramirez grounded back to the mound, JBJ flied out to left and Shaw went down hacking to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                         Big Papi ices it

Porcello kept rolling in the top of the fifth as Gillaspie lined out to right to start. Williamson walked but was forced at second by Pena. Span flied out to right to end the inning. Leon grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth and Holt lined out to left. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning.

Pagan grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth before Belt flied out to right. Posey also flied out to right to end the inning. Span made a great lunging catch to take a hit away from Pedroia to start the bottom of the sixth. Bogaerts watched strike three go by and Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Giants chased Porcello in the top of the seventh and Crawford popped up to left. Parker was plunked and at 108 pitches, that was it for Porcello. He tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings and allowed just 4 hits and 2 walks. Robbie Ross Jr came in and Grant Green pinch hit for Gillaspie. Green grounded into a double play to end the inning.

                                                      Good work Porcello

Old friend Javier Lopez came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Ramirez singled to right to start. JBJ hit a double play ball to short but they dropped the relay throw after getting the force at second. Shaw flied out to left and Leon grounded out to third to end the inning.

Brad Ziegler came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Gregor Blanco pinch hit for Williamson. Blanco grounded out to third and Pena flied out to center. Span singled in the hole at short but Pagan grounded out to first to end the inning. Green booted a grounder by Holt to start the bottom of the eighth and George Kontos replaced Lopez. It looked like Mr. Mookie had beaten out a grounder to the mound but the Giants challenged the call, getting it overturned. Pedroia flied out to center and Bogaerts popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Koji Uehara came in to close out the top of the ninth and Belt took strike three to start. Suddenly Uehara started clutching his shoulder and had to leave the game. He was loaded into an ambulance, rushed to Mass General's ICU and Tommy Layne came in to finish the game. Posey hit one up the elevator shaft and Crawford struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of the Night is Rick Porcello. He got the win by tossing 6 1/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3 batters.

                                                     Slick Rick Hero

The Good:

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a 3 run home run.

Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Robbie Ross Jr got the final two outs of the seventh inning.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Koji Uehara got the first out of the ninth inning.

Tommy Layne got the final two outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Great win but losing Koji in the ninth is not what the Sox needed. They're already down Craig Kimbrel and Junichi Tazawa has been shaky. Losing Koji means the Sox might need Ziegler to close and or to get yet another bullpen arm by the trade deadline. Hopefully Koji will be okay but that's a scary visual to see him go, especially after he took that line drive last year. Otherwise, the Baltimore Orioles lost so the Sox gained a game on them with great pitching by Porcello. The retiring David Ortiz added yet another big home run to his resume to help the team win. The Sox have a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in 3 years if they can stay healthy, and that's a big if. The Sox have a death march through the AL East in September that will decide the division one way or another, getting into first place before then would be nice. The win improved the Sox to 52-39, 0.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Giants tomorrow when Drew Pomeranz makes his Sox debut against Matt Cain of San Francisco. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (7/18/16)

Today is an off-day but some sad news out of the minors first. Sean Coyle was claimed by the Los Angeles Angels today. Arguably the MVP of the 2013 Salem Red Sox that won the Mills Cup, Coyle looked headed for good things when he hit .295 with 16 home runs and 61 rbis for Portland in 2014, but flopped in Pawtucket in 2015 and 2016. He was hitting .185 in Portland when he was claimed by the Angels. Good luck in Los Angeles.

                                                                   Bye bye Coyle

On this day in Red Sox history:

1974 - Jenkins, Rangers outduel Drago & Sox

2009 - Jays rock Penny, Sox

2015 - Richards, Angels blank Sox

The Sox return to action tomorrow night against the San Francisco Giants. Rick Porcello (11-2) takes on old pal Jake Peavy. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Tanaka, Yankees Shut Down Sox (7/17/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. William Cuevas was sent back to Pawtucket and the Sox activated pitcher Drew Pomeranz. If Pomeranz pitches well, the Sox will have a 5 man rotation that will be pretty tough to beat.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, the Red Sox got bushwhacked by the New York Yankees and their ace Masahiro Tanaka on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Dustin Pedroia caught Tanaka with a first inning home run but the Sox would have just two hits the rest of the way. David Price (9-7, 4.36 ERA) played with fire all game, allowing 11 total hits. He got tagged for 3 runs in the fourth inning and was knocked out in the sixth with the Sox trailing 3-1. The Sox bullpen held the Yankees scoreless but the Yankees bullpen shut down the Sox. The Sox got the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth but Hanley Ramirez grounded into a double play to end it. The Yankees had beaten the Sox 3-1 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                                    This game sucked

Tanaka got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to left to start. Dustin Pedroia then launched his ninth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Xander Bogaerts popped up to center and David Ortiz flied out to Jacoby Ellsbury to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Sox strike first

Price got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner lined out to a diving Brock Holt to start. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to second but Carlos Beltran doubled off the right field wall. Alex Rodriguez walked but Chase Headley grounded out to first to end the inning.

Hanley Ramirez struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short. Travis Shaw drew a walk and Sandy Leon drilled a base hit to right, but Holt grounded out to first to end the inning. Didi Gregorius grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Starlin Castro drilled a base hit to right as the ESPN analysists brought up the fact Chicago White Sox pitcher Thornton Lee somehow got a first place MVP vote over Ted Williams and Joe Dimaggio in 1941. Rob Refsnyder grounded out to first to move Castro to second but Austin Romine lined out to a running Bradley to end the inning.

Mr. Mookie flied out to left to start the top of the third before Pedroia lined out to right. Bogaerts lined out to second to end the inning. Gardner grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Ellsbury popped up to second. Beltran got a base hit to left but A-Rod grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ortiz struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth before Ramirez also went down hacking. Jackie Bradley Jr took strike three to end the inning. The Yankees blasted price in the bottom of the fourth as Headley lined out to right to start. Gregorius got a base hit to center and Castro doubled to left to score Didi to tie the game. Refsnyder struck out swinging but Romine singled off the glove of Pedroia to score Castro. Gardner singled to left and Ellsbury dumped a base hit to center. Bradley Jr then turned and fired the ball 100 feet over the head of the catcher for an error to score Romine. Beltran grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.

                                                         JBJ overthrows everyone

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Shaw flied out to center to start. Leon struck out swinging but Hitman Holt doubled to right. Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to end the inning. A-Rod grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Headley grounded out to third. Gregorius doubled to right and Castro popped up to second to end the inning.

Pedroia flied out to right to start the top of the sixth before Bogaerts struck out swinging. Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning. The Yankees finished off Price in the bottom of the sixth as Refsnyder flied out to left to start. Romine also flied out to left but Gardner lined a base hit over the head of Pedroia. Ellsbury singled to right and that was it for Price. He allowed ELEVEN hits and a walk in just 5 2/3 innings. Robbie Ross Jr got Beltran to pop up to third to end the inning.

                                "Gimmie that ball....and...AND GET OUTTA HERE!" - Farrell

Dellin Betances came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Ramirez lined out to center to start. JBJ grounded out to third and Shaw took strike three to end the inning. A-Rod struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and Headley grounded out to third. Gregorius was hit with a pitch and that was it for Ross. Heath Hembree came in to get Castro to force Gregorius at second to end the inning.

Aaron Hicks came in for Beltran with Andrew Miller coming in to pitch the top of the eighth. Leon flied out to center and Bryce Brentz pinch hit for Holt. Brentz walked but Mr. Mookie lined out to center. Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning. Refsnyder walked to start the bottom of the eighth but Romine popped a bunt up to Romine. Tommy Layne came in to pitch to Gardner and Brett forced Refsnyder at second. Gardner stole second but Ellsbury grounded out to short to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Bogaerts lined out to right to start. Ortiz walked and Michael Martinez pinch ran for him. Ramirez grounded into a double play to end the game. The Yankees had won it 3-1.

                                                              Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Hanley Ramirez. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts including grounding into the game ending double play.

                                                             Jackass Ramirez

The Good:

Sandy Leon was 1 for 3.

Brock Holt was 1 for 2.

Bryce Brentz walked as a pinch hitter.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless inning.

Heath Hembree tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Tommy Layne pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a solo home run.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

David Price took the loss but allowed only 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings, He allowed 11 hits and a walk.

Honorable Mention:

Michael Martinez pinch ran for Ortiz in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Sometimes you get beat by a good pitcher and this was one of those games. Tanaka was on his game tonight and it takes a lot to beat him on one of those nights. The scary part is David Price was matched up against him and lost. That's not a good sign going forward if Price can't beat other team's aces. Madison Bumgarner outpitched him back in June and now this. The worst part is the Sox could have gained ground if they won because the Baltimore Orioles lost to Tampa Bay today. The Sox couldn't generate any offense and even if JBJ didn't throw the ball away, they still would have lost. It was one of those games where you just tip your hat and say "ya got me". The loss dropped the Sox to 51-39, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action against the San Francisco Giants. Rick Porcello (11-2) faces old pal Jake Peavy this Tuesday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez, Sox Beat Yankees (7/16/16)

Make it six wins in a row for the suddenly hot Boston Red Sox. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-3, 7.18 ERA) came up from Pawtucket and spun a beauty against the New York Yankees. Rodriguez held the Yankees to just 1 run in 7 strong innings to hold up the pitching side. The offense wore down CC Sabathia by getting two runs off him going into the sixth inning. Sandy Leon crushed a three run home run to essentially ice the game. Matt Barnes allowed a home run to Chase Headley but Koji Uehara slammed the door on the 5-2 victory by the Red Sox over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

                                                           Luke Donald approves of the win

Sabathia got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to right to start. Dustin Pedroia walked but Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. E-Rod got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner singled to center to start. Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left and Bryce Brentz nearly cleaned out Xander Bogaerts on a line drive by Carlos Beltran. Alex Rodriguez forced Gardner at second to end the inning.

David Ortiz lined out to short to start the top of the second and Hanley Ramirez popped up to left. Jackie Bradley Jr got his first hit against Sabathia with a bloop single to left. Aaron Hill struck out swinging to end the inning. Brian McCann grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Mark Teixeira grounded back to the mound. Didi Gregorius flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Bryce Brentz reached when Didi Gregorius threw his grounder away for an error. Sandy Leon hit a bullet to third but Mr. Mookie got a base hit to center. Pedroia walked to load the bases and it looked like Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning, but alert Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Bogaerts was safe at first. Sure enough, Bogaerts was ruled safe and Brentz scored a run. Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                           "Safe you idiot!" - Bogaerts

The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third as Starlin Castro popped up to first to start. Chase Headley popped up to second but Gardner hit a home run all the way to Shea Stadium to tie the game. Ellsbury grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                              Home run Gardner

The Sox answered in the top of the fourth as Ramirez flied out to center to start. JBJ beat out an infield single to third but Hill popped up to second. Brentz also beat out a roller to third and Leon lashed a base hit to left to score Bradley. Mr. Mookie walked to load the bases but Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                         Leon drives in a run

Beltran flied out to left to open the bottom of the fourth before A-Rod walked. McCann singled to right but Teixeira grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Bogaerts flied out to center to open the top of the fifth before Ortiz also flied out to center. Sox analyst Jerry Remy told a hilarious story of when he was with the California Angels, manager Dick Williams had second base placed to the right so his small ball lineup could reach second easier. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Gregorius doubled to right to start the bottom of the fifth before Castro lined out to short. Headley grounded out to short to move Gregorius to third and Gardner walked. Ellsbury popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox broke it open in the top of the sixth as JBJ got a base hit to left to start. Hill hit a roller to third and Headley threw low to first, under the glove of Teixeira for an error to move Bradley to third. Brentz grounded out to third but Leon crushed his second home run of the season to ice the game. Mr. Mookie drilled a base hit to right to chase Sabathia. Anthony Swarzak came in to pitch and Pedroia grounded out to third to move Betts to second. Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                             Leon hits one out

Beltran popped up to first to start the bottom of the sixth before A-Rod flied out to right. McCann popped up to second to end the inning.

Ortiz walked to start the top of the seventh but Ramirez forced him at second. JBJ grounded out to first to move Ramirez to second but Hill lined out to right to end the inning. Teixeira popped up to first to start the bottom of the seventh before Gregorius struck out swinging. Castro grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Rodriguez who tossed one of his best games of the season. He allowed just 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 run in 7 innings.

                                                    Good work Rodriguez

Brentz grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth before Leon struck out swinging. Mr. Mookie took strike three to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Headley greeted him with a home run all the way to Albany to cut the lead. Gardner struck out swinging, Ellsbury grounded out to short and Beltran popped up to short to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-2.

                                                    Home run Headley

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Pedroia flied out to center to start. Bogaerts grounded out to short but Ortiz got a base hit to left. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. Koji Uehara came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and A-Rod popped up to short to start. McCann struck out swinging and Teixeira grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Sandy Leon. His three run home run propelled the Sox to victory.

                                                               Hero Leon

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Eduardo Rodriguez got the win by throwing 7 innings of 1 run ball on 4 hits and 2 walks.

Koji Uehara earned his sixth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Matt Barnes allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Bryce Brentz was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Everything is coming up Red Sox and now the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays have something to fear. Not only does Eduardo Rodriguez look right but Drew Pomeranz is expecting to activated tomorrow. Those two along with Rick Porcello, David Price and Steven Wright are going to give the Sox a 1-5 punch that nobody can match. How about Sandy Leon coming out of nowhere to be in the running for AL MVP? Who saw that coming last year? As long as the Sox don't suffer any more devastating injuries, this team is primed for a stretch run. The offense just needs to remain consistent and this team is going places, unlike the Yankees. Good to see Rodriguez pitch well and Leon hit the home run to push the streak to six wins in a row. The win improved the Sox to 51-38, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Yankees out of the Bronx tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. David Price (9-6) takes on Masahiro Tanaka of New York at 8:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sox Beat Yankees Out of Break (7/15/16)

During the all-star break the Boston Red Sox made a bevy of roster moves. Noe Ramirez was optioned down to Pawtucket and Eduardo Rodriguez was activated from the Disabled List to take his place. Junichi Tazawa was placed on the Disabled List with a bad shoulder and William Cuevas was called up to take his place. Finally, the Sox traded 18 year old pitcher Anderson Espinoza to the San Diego Padres for starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz. The big lefty was 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts for the Padres. If he can pitch that well with the Sox already boasting David Price, Steven Wright and Rick Porcello, the Sox just became one of the favorites to win the AL East.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, the Red Sox came out of the all-star break swinging. The Sox won their fifth game in a row by coming to New York and beating the Yankees. Steven Wright (11-5, 2.78) continued his march toward 20 wins and the AL Cy Young award by tossing 6 solid innings, allowing 3 runs to keep the Sox in reach. Meanwhile the Sox played home run derby with Michael "Pine Tar" Pineda. Ryan Hanigan and Travis Shaw went yard but it was Xander Bogaerts two run jack that proved to be the difference. The vaunted Sox bullpen stepped up as Brad Ziegler, Robbie Ross Jr and Koji Uehara slammed the door on the Yankees. It all added up to a 5-3 win over the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

                                                          Reena Sky approves of the win

Pineda got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts was robbed of a base hit by Mark Teixeira to start. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Wright got the ball in the bottom of the first as Brett Gardner flied out to left to start. Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left and Carlos Beltran struck out swinging to end the inning.

David Ortiz struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second. Jackie Bradley Jr also grounded out to second to end the inning. Brian McCann popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Teixeira lined out to left. Alex Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Travis Shaw struck out swinging to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt was rung up for strike three but Ryan Hanigan hit his first home run in almost a year to put the Sox on top. Mr. Mookie beat out a roller to third but Pedroia grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Home Run Hanigan

Didi Gregorius struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Mr. Mookie made a great catch on a Starlin Castro fly ball. Chase Headley grounded out to first to end the inning.

Bogaerts lined out to to third to start the top of the fourth before Ortiz lined out to right. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Gardner was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to start the bottom of the fourth before Ellsbury took strike three. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as JBJ walked to start. Shaw then smashed his 10th home run of the season to increase the lead. Holt struck out swinging, Hanigan grounded out to short and Mr. Mookie lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                             Bradley congratulates Shaw

McCann struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Teixeira popped up to short. A-Rod got the Yankees first hit of the game with a nubber in front of the plate. Gregorius popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth as Pedroia got a base hit to left to start. Bogaerts belted his 11th home run of the season to chase Pineda from the game. Chasen Shreve came in and Ortiz got a base hit to the centerfield fence. Ramirez forced Ortiz at second but JBJ lined out to left. Shaw and Holt worked back to back walks to load the bases, chasing Shreve from the game. Nick Goody came in to face Hanigan and Ryan flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                            Bogaerts goes yard

The Yankees finally got to Wright in the bottom of the sixth as Castro looped a base hit to center to start. Headley was hit with a pitch but Gardner flied out to center. Ellsbury walked to load the bases and Beltran ripped a base hit down the line to score Castro and Headley. Ellsbury moved to third on the hit and he scored on the force at second by McCann. Teixeira popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox still up 5-3. That was it for Wright who tossed six solid innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk.

                                                            Good work Wright

Mr. Mookie lined out to left to start the top of the seventh but Pedroia drew a walk. Bogaerts struck out swinging and that was it for Goody. Nathan Eovaldi was brought in to face Ortiz and David grounded out to first to end the inning. Brad Ziegler came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and A-Rod grounded out to first to start. Gregorius grounded out to second and Castro popped up to second to end the inning.

Ramirez got a base hit down the third base line to start the top of the eighth but JBJ hit a bullet to Gregorius. Shaw lined out to third but Holt roped a base hit to left. Sox analyst Dave O'Brien brought up how Boston prospect Michael Kopech hit 105 on the gun down in Salem and Jerry Remy said that would have scared him in his playing days. Hanigan struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                    "105? I don't want to see that. I'll take the day off" - Remy

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Headley singled past the diving Bogaerts to start. Gardner flied out to center and Ellsbury was rung up on a check swing strike three. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to start. Pedroia struck out swinging and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Koji Uehara came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and McCann struck out swinging to start. Teixeira flied out to center and A-Rod popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His two run home run proved to be the runs needed to win the game.

                                                       X Gon Hero For Ya

The Good:

Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Steven Wright got the win allowing 3 runs in 6 innings off 3 hits and a walk.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Koji Uehara earned his 5th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Final Thoughts:

Everything is clicking right now for the Red Sox. The starters are pitching well, the trade for Ziegler shored up the bullpen and the offense has been hitting the ball out of sight. Once Craig Kimbrel comes back healthy this bullpen will be devastating down the stretch. As long as the Sox don't suffer any more catastrophic injuries this just might be the team to beat going forward. Uehara as a closer is like old times again and the Sox shorten the game with Ziegler out there. With the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays all within jockeying position of the Red Sox, this is going to be a hell of a stretch run. The win improved the Sox to 50-38, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow when Eduardo Rodriguez (1-3, 8.59 ERA) looks to get back on track against CC Sabathia of the Yankees. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.