Ortiz Leads Rally Over Jays (9/30/16)

Its a shame David Ortiz is retiring, the way he brings the Boston Red Sox back from the dead time and time again is going to be missed over everything he's ever done. Hopefully he's got some clutch hits left in the tank when the playoffs arrive. As it is, his 2 run home run off Brett Cecil and the Toronto Blue Jays put the Sox on path to victory. The Sox took the game 5-3.

                                                       "Billy Beane" celebrates the win

Porcello got in trouble right off the bat. Ezequiel Carrera struck out but Josh Donaldson singled. Edwin Encarnarcion struck out but Jose Bautista walked. Russell Martin popped up to end the inning but Porcello had thrown 24 pitches. The Sox got to Estrada early. Dustin Pedroia looked at strike three to begin the bottom of the first. Brock "Hitman" Holt walked on a full count but Mr. Mookie Betts popped up on a full count. David Ortiz shot a single into left that scored Holt from second. Hanley Ramirez whiffed but Estrada had already thrown 34 pitches and the Sox had a 1-0 lead.

The Jays struck back in the top of the second. Troy Tulowitzky looked at a 2-2 fastball down the middle, Justin Smoak flied out to Mr. Mookie and Kevin Pillar lined out to Pedroia to end the inning. Josh Donaldson made a hell of a play to rob Xander Bogaerts to start the bottom of the second. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second and Josh Donaldson went OLE! on a ground ball by Sandy Leon. A great play and an error in the same half inning. Andrew Benintendi worked the count to 3-2 and popped it up to end the inning, but Estrada had thrown 50 pitches.

Brock Holt made a great diving play to rob Devon Travis of a hit to begin the top of the third, but Carrera singled up the middle. Donaldson then singled into the hole at short....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the safe call at second. The replay showed he was out but they called him out anyway. Bogaerts was pissed. Encarnarcion popped up to Ramirez and Batista popped up to Betts to end the inning. The Sox didn't go quietly in the bottom of the third. Pedroia singled, but Holt whiffed badly. Bogaerts grounded out but moved Pedroia to second. Ortiz grounded back to Estrada to end the inning.

Porcello was wild in the bottom of the fourth. He got Martin to ground out, but Tulowitzky blooped a single down the right field line. Smoak whiffed but a wild pitch moved Tulowitzky to second. Pillar struck out to end the inning. Ramirez led off the bottom of the fifth with an 11 pitch walk but Bogaerts whiffed on a 2-2 changeup. JBJ popped up but Leon poked a hit over the head of Travis into right. Benny The Kid grounded out to end the inning.

The Jays iced the game in the top of the fifth. Travis led off with a double off the Monster and Carrera caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single. With runners on the corners Donaldson hit a sac fly to tie the game. Encarnarcion flied out but Bautista crushed a 2 run bomb into the Monster seats for a 2 run home run to give the Jays a 3-1 lead. Martin hit one up the elevator shaft but the game was pretty much over. The Sox tried to come back in the bottom of the fifth when Pedroia doubled off the top of the scoreboard, but he was stranded as Holt popped up. Mr. Mookie meekly popped up and Ortiz crushed a line drive but Bautista ran it down to end the inning.

Porcello struggled again in the top of the sixth. Tulowitzky flied out and Smoak whiffed but Pillar walked. Travis singled him to third but Carrera popped up to end the inning. Estrada was done after 5 and Jeff Biagini came on to pitch the bottom of the inning. Jeff got Ramirez to meekly ground out but Bogaerts somehow tripled into the right field corner. Things returned to normal when JBJ and Leon both whiffed badly to end the inning. The Sox had just cost Porcello the Cy Young award.

                                                     Good, but not good enough

Brad Ziegler (2-3) got the call in the top of the seventh and got Donaldson to ground out to begin the inning. Holt and Ramirez robbed Encarnarcion of a hit but Bautista reached on a 65 foot dribbler. Martin walked but Ramirez dove into the stands to snare a pop up by Tulowitzky to end the inning. The Sox came out swinging in the seventh. Benintendi doubled and Pedroia hit a little dribbler in front of the plate. Martin then threw the ground ball 380 feet into the Red Sox bullpen to allow Benny The Kid to score and advance Pedroia to second. Holt grounded out to short but Mr. Mookie singled in Pedroia to tie the game. Jays manager John Gibbons wanted the lefty/lefty matchup with Brett Cecil facing Ortiz. Like he's done so many times in the past, Ortiz smashed a 2 run line drive home run that gave the Sox a 5-3 lead. Ramirez and Bogaerts struck out but the game was now in the Sox' control.

                                            Ortiz puts the Sox on top 5-3

Koji Uehara got the call in the top of the eighth. Smoak grounded out but Pillar walked. Travis doubled to put the tying runs in scoring position, but Carrera popped up. With the game on the line, Uehara got Donaldson to ground out to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the eighth against Aaron "Fruit" Loup. JBJ and Leon grounded out but Benny The Kid reached on an infield single. Ryan Tepera came in and Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.

Sox closer Craig Kimbrel came in to close it out in the top of the ninth. Encarnarcion grounded out to third but Bautista walked. Martin popped up but a wild pitch moved Bautista to second. Tulowitzky walked on a borderline pitch and Kimbrel has now walked 5 of the last 8 guys he's faced. Dalton Pompey pinch ran for Tulowitzky as Dioneer Navarro pinch hit for Smoak. Kimbrel blew away Navarro to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

Hero of the night is once again David Ortiz. The two run home run put the Sox on track to win.

                                         Hero of the Night: David Ortiz


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5 with a run scored. He got his 200th hit of the year tonight. Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Rick Porcello pitched a good game, just didn't get run support this time. He gave up 3 runs in 6 innings allowing 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6. Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless 7th inning to earn the win. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Craig Kimbrel earned his 31st save with a scoreless 9th inning.


The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.


The Ugly:

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 but walked and scored. Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it tied the game by driving in Pedroia. He scored on the Ortiz home run as well. Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked and made a few great defensive plays. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4. Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4.



Final Thoughts:

The Sox are going to miss Ortiz for sure. So what if Edwin Encarnarcion can hit 40 homers? How many of them come with his teams behind by a run or at the end of a game? His homer tonight not only gave the Sox the win, it put them closer to the second seed. The Texas Rangers had won to clinch the first seed so it IS going to be Red Sox vs Cleveland Indians in the ALDS. The only thing left to decide is if the injured Corey Kluber comes to Fenway or if the Sox have to go to Cleveland. The Indians have a terrible road record and the Sox have the second best in baseball. The win puts the Sox at 93-67, a half game in front of Cleveland for the second seed with 2 to play. If Porcello has any shot at the Cy Young, the Sox will have to knock around JA Happ tomorrow. The Sox will counter with Eduardo Rodriguez. The last time they met it up it was in Toronto with the Jays winning 3-2. Hopefully the Sox can flip the score tomorrow with the second seed on the line.

Yankees Sweep Resting Sox (9/29/16)

Normally being swept by the New York Yankees is never a good thing but this time they did the Boston Red Sox a favor. The Cleveland Indians are reeling after injuries to their top three starters so if the Sox want an easy road to the ALCS, they'd want to play Cleveland in the first round. In order to do that, they need to finish behind the Texas Rangers. Tonight the Sox remained behind Texas by resting some of their key personnel and dropped a 5-1 decision to the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

                                             "Lose to the Yankees? Meh...oh well"

CC Sabbathia got the ball for his final start of the year and blinded the Red Sox again. Aaron Hill, Andrew Benintendi and Xander Bogaerts all struck out swinging in the top of the first. Henry Owens got the ball in the bottom of the first and the Yankees immediately tagged him. Brett Gardner grounded out but Jacoby Ellsbury walked. Jacoby swiped second as Gary Sanchez struck out. Starlin Castro doubled home Ellsbury and Didi Gregorius flied out to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second. David Ortiz whiffed badly but Chris Young singled. Young was erased on the Jackie Bradley Jr force and Ryan Hanigan grounded out to end the inning. Owens recovered in the bottom of the second. Chase Headley grounded out then both Brian McCann and Aaron Hicks struck out to end the inning.

Sabbathia cruised in the top of the third. Travis Shaw grounded out, Deven Marrero struck out and Hill lined out to end the inning. Owens ran into trouble in the bottom of the third. Tyler Austin singled but Gardner lined out. Austin took second on a wild pitch and moved to third on an Ellsbury ground out. Sanchez struck out to end the inning.

The Sox got one in the top of the fourth. Benny The Kid grounded out but Bogaerts blasted a solo shot to tie the game. One last highlight before the season ended. Ortiz worked a walk and that was it for David in New York. Brock Holt pinch ran for him and shocking how this was the end. A meaningless game. Young banged into a double play to end the inning.

                                                         Bye bye Ortiz

Owens returned for the bottom of the fourth and Castro lined out to right. Gregorius popped up but Headley walked and stole second. McCann whiffed to end the inning.

Sabbathia cruised in the top of the fifth. JBJ grounded out but Hanigan singled. Shaw bounced into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fifth. Hicks caught Owens asleep with a bunt single but Austin struck out. Gardner popped up but Ellsbury doubled to chase Owens. Henry was on a pitch limit since he hadn't started a game in almost a month. Heath Hembree came in and Sanchez popped up to end the inning.

Sabbathia returned for the top of the sixth and got Marrero to ground out. Hill walked but both Benny The Kid and Bogaerts struck out to end the inning. The Yankees iced the game in the bottom of the sixth. Castro singled but Gregorius flied out. Headley walked to chase Hembree and Robby Scott was brought in to get the lefties. McCann singled to load the bases but Hicks flied out. Austin walked in a run and a wild pitch scored another. Gardner flied out to end the inning but it was now 4-1.

The normal Sox could erase a 3 run lead in a hurry against the Yankees but these are the resting Sox so they did no such thing in the top of the 7th. Holt struck out and Young lined out but JBJ singled. Hanigan grounded out to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa took the mound in the bottom of the seventh. Ellsbury singled but Sanchez struck out. Castro popped up and Gregorius grounded out to end the inning.

                                                              Great work by Tazawa

Ronald Torreyes took over at second for Castro to begin the top of the eighth. Shaw grounded out and that was it for Sabbathia. Tyler Clippard came in as Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Marrero...and struck out. Big help Marco! Hill flied out to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr took the mound in the bottom of the eighth. Headley grounded out but McCann walked and scored on the double by Hicks. Austin whiffed but a wild pitch moved Hicks to third. Gardner walked and Mason Williams pinch ran for him. Ellsbury walked to load the bases and that was it for Ross. Noe Ramirez came in and struck out Sanchez to end the inning.

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the ninth. Benny The Kid and Bogaerts flied out and Holt whiffed to end the game. The Yankees beat the lifeless Sox 5-1.

  

Jackass of the Night is a tough call since nobody was really trying and Henry Owens didn't exactly piss himself. I guess I gotta go with Heath Hembree for letting the game get out of reach. He was charged with 2 runs in just 2/3 of an inning.


The Good:

David Ortiz walked in his last at bat in Yankee Stadium. Chris Young, Jackie Bradley Jr and Ryan Hanigan were all 1 for 3. Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 7th inning. Noe Ramirez got the last out of the eighth.


The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts. Brock Holt struck out twice in his two at-bats. Travis Shaw was 0 for 3. Deven Marrero was 0 for 2 with a strike out. Marco Hernandez struck out in his plate appearance. Robby Scott allowed both inherited runners to score in his 2/3 of an inning. Robby Ross Jr allowed a run off a hit and 3 walks.


The Ugly:
'
Aaron Hill was 0 for 3 but walked. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but made his hit count with his 21st home run of the season. Henry Owens took the loss but wasn't pitching that badly. He lasted 4 2/3 innings allowing 2 runs on 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 6.



Final Thoughts:

Talk about a strategic loss. The Sox treated this game as a throwaway and they sure played like it. This is as lifeless as I've seen them in a while. At least when Kevin Gausaman shut them down, his pitches were crisp and the Sox were making good contact...but this wasn't even close. They let the fat man beat them like it was easy. Still, it was a good loss as it puts them further back of Texas and closer to a playoff date with Cleveland. Not much else to say really other than that concludes the road record for the Red Sox this year. They went 46-35 on the season, trailing only the St. Louis Cardinals for the best in baseball. The Sox return home for their final 3 games against the Toronto Blue Jays. Marco Estrada (9-9) goes up against Rick Porcello (22-4, 3.11 ERA). The Jays are still fighting for a wild card spot while Porcello is looking to build his Cy Young case so both teams will be trying.

Yankees Walkoff, Sox Win Division Anyway (9/28/16)

In one of the weirdest instances in baseball history, the Boston Red Sox clinched the 2016 American East Division Title by losing on a walkoff, 2 out grand slam to Mark Teixeira and the New York Yankees. Yes of course I'm serious. 5 years to the day the Sox blew it against Baltimore to seal "The Collapse of 2011", The Red Sox were leading 3-0 in the 9th inning when it was announced Baltimore had beaten Toronto, securing the Sox their first division title since 2013. Then Craig Kimbrel (2-5) imploded and Joe Kelly gave up a walkoff grand slam to the retiring Teixeira to give the Yankees a stunning 5-3 win.

                                             "WE LOST ON A WALKOFF! YAYYY!!"

The Sox failed to hit Yankees starter Adam Mitchell in the top of the first. Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts both grounded out before David Ortiz lined out to end the inning. Sox starter Clay Buchholz immediately ran into trouble by walking Brett Gardner but Jacoby Ellsbury banged into a double play. Gary Sanchez whiffed on a high fastball to end the inning.

The incompetent Red Sox didn't do anything in the second inning either. Mr. Mookie Betts hit a measly pop up and Hanley Ramirez lined out softly. Jackie Bradley Jr somehow singled to right but Brock Holt flied out to right to end the inning. Buchholz stayed strong in the bottom of the second when Brian McCann looked at strike three, Starlin Castro popped up and Didi Gregorius flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox offense remained asleep in the top of the third when Andrew Benintendi watched strike three go by but Sandy Leon walked. Naturally Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning. Buchholz cruised in the bottom of the third. Mark Teixeira grounded out, Chase Headley lined out to JBJ and Mason Williams looked at strike three to end the inning.

The Sox offense continued to sputter in the top of the fourth. Bogaerts grounded out softly, Ortiz whiffed badly and Mr.Mookie grounded out to end the inning. Absolutely pathetic. The Yankees were equally incompetent in the bottom of the fourth although Gardner beat out an infield single. Ellsbury popped up on the infield but Sanchez moved Gardner to second with a ground out. McCann popped up to end the inning.

The horrid offense continued in the top of the fifth. Hanley Ramirez worked a miracle walk but naturally was thrown out at second trying to steal. JBJ walked which meant the Sox would have had first and second with nobody out. JBJ swiped second and Holt walked as well. The Sox would have had the bases loaded and nobody out if Ramirez wasn't an idiot. It didn't matter anyway as Benny The Kid popped up on the first pitch and Leon grounded out softly to end the inning. The Sox caught a break of their own in the bottom of the fifth when a ground ball by Castro bounced off Holt's wrist to Bogaerts who threw him out at first. Gregorious nearly beat out an infield single to second but was out at first. Teixeira struck out to end the inning.

Mitchell returned for the top of the sixth and Pedroia lined out to first. Bogaerts grounded out and Ortiz flied out to end the inning. Buchholz returned for the bottom of the sixth and got Headley to ground out. Williams flied out but Gardner walked. Ellsbury whiffed to end the inning. An incredible start by Buchholz wasted.

                                                      Buchholz did all he could in this one

The Sox offense blew another chance in the top of the seventh. Mr. Mookie led off with single but Ramirez flied out. JBJ hit one to the wall but the wind knocked it back in play for an out. Holt walked but Benintendi grounded out to end the inning. Brad Ziegler got the ball in the bottom of the seventh and cruised. Sanchez, McCann and Castro all grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox FINALLY scored in the top of the eighth against Adam Warren. Castro went OLE! on a ground ball by Leon allowing Sandy to reach first. Marco Hernandez pinch ran for Sandy and Pedoria hit a ground rule double. With the go-ahead run 90 feet away the Sox gagged. Bogaerts lined out and the Yankees intentionally walked Ortiz to get to Mr. Mookie. Bad idea...Mookie hit a chopper over the head of Headley for a 2 run double to make it 2-0. The Yankees had Ramirez walked to set up the double play as Tommy Layne was brought in to pitch to JBJ. Bradley didn't have to do anything as a passed ball on Sanchez scored Ortiz from third. Both runners advanced but JBJ flied out to short center. Aaron Hill pinch hit for Brock Holt and Layne intentionally walked him. Benny The Kid failed to make them pay by flying out to end the inning.

                                          Mookie makes it 2-0 to cement his MVP status

 The Sox were 6 outs from the division title when Koji Uehara was brought in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Bryan Holoday catching. Uehara got Gregorious to strike out on a foul tip but walked Teixeira. Headley flied out as Aaron Hicks pinch hit for Williams. Hicks absolutely crushed a ball deep to center but the same wind that knocked Bradley's ball down, knocked Aaron's down to JBJ for out 3 to end the inning.

                                           Still shutting down New York at age 41

Hicks stayed in the game in right as Jonathan Holder came on to pitch the top of the ninth. Holoday struck out and Pedroia grounded out but Bogaerts singled to chase Holder. James Pazos was brought into pitch to Ortiz in what could possibly be his last at bat in Yankee Stadium. Ortiz grounded out to end the inning. He was 0-9 in the series, not the way he wanted to go out. It was up to Craig Kimbrel to clinch Boston's first division title since 2013 in the bottom of the ninth.....and it turned out it didn't matter because Toronto had lost moments before Kimbrel took the mound meaning the Sox had won the division regardless. It was a good thing too as Kimbrel completely imploded. Gardner walked and took second on defensive indifference only for Ellsbury to walk. A wild pitch moved both runners and Sanchez walked to load the bases. Ronald Torreyes pinch ran for Sanchez and McCann walked in a run to chase Kimbrel. He had a 3 run lead, walked 3 guys and gave up a hit. Joe Kelly came in as Eric Young Jr pinch ran for McCann. Castro looked at strike three and Gregorius popped up. Kelly was one out away from a save when Marx Teixeira hit a walkoff grand slam to win the game for the Yankees. One of the most bizzare endings to a night ever as the Yankees turn the tables on the Red Sox with a walkoff win...only for the Sox to celebrate the division title anyway.

                                           Not the way you want to win the division title.


Jackass of the Night is Craig Kimbrel. Yes Kelly gave up the grand slam but Kimbrel was the one who walked 3 guys and gave up another hit to put Kelly in that position. Plus 4 runs were charged to Kimbrel so he technically gets the loss anyway.

                                         Way to blow the game Kimbrel, you Jackass


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis. Hanley Ramirez walked twice in four at bats. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk. Brock Holt walked twice in 3 at bats. Aaron Hill pinch hit for Brock and walked. Marco Hernandez pinch ran for Leon and scored a run. Clay Buchholz was outstanding. Gardner walked twice and got a hit but no other Yankee reached base in 6 innings while Clay struck out 6. Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless seventh. Koji Uehara got a big assist from the wind to pitch a scoreless eighth inning.


The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Sandy Leon was 0 for 2 with a strikeout. Bryan Holoday was 0 for 1 after coming in for Leon. Joe Kelly gave up the walkoff grand slam to lose the game.


The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a run scored. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5. David Ortiz was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.



Final Thoughts:

This may be the first and only time in our lifetimes that the Red Sox and Yankees are both winners in the same game. The retiring Mark Teixeira gets one last moment in the sun and the Red Sox are Eastern Division Champs. The funny thing is its not even that concerning the Sox blew the game because Kimbrel usually has one meltdown per month and that just happened to be it. The only thing concerning is Joe Kelly giving up that bomb, this was pretty much his audition to be a factor in the playoffs. Still, it was a tough loss but can't complain too much because now the next 4 games can be a breeze. Plus, the loss also keeps the Red Sox behind the Texas Rangers. Why is that good? It was learned Corey Kluber will be out for 6-9 days with a bad groin. That means the Cleveland Indians are down THREE starters going into the playoffs. If I were the Red Sox I'd rest everybody the final four games to keep the Rangers ahead so the Sox can play Cleveland. The loss dropped the Sox to 92-66 but are Divison Champions anyway. The Sox play their final road game of the year tomorrow night with Henry Owens on the mound opposite CC Sabbathia. Congratulations to the champs who've gone from Worst to First To Back to Back Worst To First in the last 5 years. What a roller coaster.

Yankees Pound Price, Snap Streak, Delay Celebration (9/27/16)

All good things must come to and end and the Boston Red Sox eleven game winning streak came to an end thanks to a flat out stinkeroo by David Price (17-9, 4.04 ERA). He got hammered by a Yankee team that was shut out in 3 straight games last week. In the end the Yankees had taken a 6-4 victory to delay the champagne celebration at Yankee Stadium.

Luis Cessa got the ball to start the game and Dustin Pedroia grounded back to Cessa to begin the game. Xander Bogaerts and David Ortiz both flied out to center to end the inning.  The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the first. Brett Gardner whiffed on a slider in the dirt but Jacoby Ellsbury singled up the middle. Gary Sanchez blasted his 20th home run of the year to left to give the Yankees a 2-0 lead. Starlin Castro flied out to center and Chase Headley grounded out to third to end the inning, but the damage was done.

                                                  "This is gonna be a long night" - DP

Could the Sox rally in the top of the second? NO! Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to second and Hanley Ramirez popped up, but Brock "Hitman" Holt blooped a single into right. Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to end the inning. The Yankees pestered Price in the bottom of the second when Didi Gregorius singled in the hole at short but Aaron Hicks popped up to Pedroia. Austin Romine then bounced into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox got some bad luck in the top of the third. Sandy Leon hit an absolute rocket to right but Aaron Hicks literally jumped up to snare the ball. Andrew Benintendi then hit a rocket to center and Ellsbury leaped at the all to snare that as well. Pedroia grounded out to end the inning. The Yankees threatened again in the bottom of the third Tyler Austin singled off the glove of Holt and advanced to second on the bunt by Gardner. Ellsbury whiffed on a 3-2 count but Sanchez walked. Castro flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox once again failed to score off Cessa in the top of the fourth although Xander Bogaerts singled over the glove of Castro. Ortiz popped up on a full count, Mr. Mookie flied out to the wall in left and Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox were getting shut out by LUIS CESSA!  Price matched Cessa in the bottom of the fifth when Headley flied out to Betts to begin the inning. Gregorius hit a rocket to Ramirez at first and Hicks grounded out to third to end the inning.

Cessa cruised in the top of the fifth. Holt grounded out to third but JBJ walked. Leon banged into a double play to end the inning. Price got tagged again in the bottom of the fifth when Romine and Austin stroked back to back singles. Gardner bunted the runners over and Ellsbury singled home Romine. Sanchez banged into a double play to end the inning but it was now 3-0.

The Sox threatened in the top of the sixth as Benny The Kid hit a swinging bunt, Cessa throwing the ball over the head of the first basemen, allowing Benny to take second. Pedroia singled home Benny to cut the lead 3-1. Bogaerts doubled off the left field wall, missing a homer by 6 feet. Ortiz shockingly whiffed but Mr. Mookie scored Pedroia to cut the lead 3-2 with a ground out. Ramirez whiffed to end the inning.

Price gave up the run right back although he got a huge lift from his defense to lighten the damage. Castro singled then was doubled off at first after Mr. Mookie made a great diving catch to rob Headley. It was a good thing Mookie made the catch because Gregorius immediately crushed his 20th homer of the year to increase the lead 4-2, better than 7-2. Hicks flied out to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the seventh against the useless Yankee bullpen. Tommy Layne got the call first and Aaron Hill pinch hit for Holt. Hill earned brownie points with Sox fans by launching a solo home run to left to cut the lead 4-3. JBJ singled and advanced to second on the sacrifice bunt by Leon. Benny The Kid whiffed but Pedroia singled home JBJ to tie the game. That was it for Layne as Blake Parker came in and Bogaerts stroked a single. Once again Ortiz failed when he grounded out to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 4-4. Right on cue the Yankees pounced right back on Price when Romine singled and Austin clobbered a 2 run blast to give the Yankees the lead back 6-4. Gardner singled as well but Ellsbury lined out and that was it. Price was absolute garbage tonight. Brad Ziegler came in and Sanchez banged into a double play to end the inning.

Could the Sox answer in the top of the eighth? NO! Mr. Mookie grounded out but Ramirez walked. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Hill but Yankees manager Joe Girardi countered by bringing in Richard Bleier....so Sox manager John Farrell countered by bringing in Chris Young to pinch hit for Shaw. Now the Sox had wasted 3 third basemen and Ramirez was erased at second on the force by Young to boot. JBJ whiffed to end the inning. Deven Marrero took over at third in the bottom of the eighth as Ziegler returned briefly to get Castro to ground out to Deven. Robbie Ross Jr replaced Ziegler and got no help from Bogaerts who threw a ground ball 75 feet into the stands, allowing Headley to reach first. Gregorius made Ross pay with a single but Hicks lined out. Romine grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox went quickly in the top of the ninth with Ronald Torreyes playing second and Tyler Clippard on the mound. Leon whiffed but Benny The Kid doubled. Pedroia walked to put the tying run on first but Bogaerts popped up and Ortiz struck out to end the game. The Yankees had won it 6-4.

                                                             You Lose

 Jackass of the Night is David Price. Against a Yankee lineup that scored 3 runs in 5 games a week ago, he allowed 6 runs on TWELVE hits and a walk while striking out 2.

                                           David Price: Jackass



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a walk, run scored and 2 rbis. Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5. Brock Holt was 1 for 2. Aaron Hill pinch hit for Holt and homered. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.  Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with an rbi. Brad Ziegler tossed an inning of scoreless relief. Robbie Ross Jr got the final 2 outs of the eighth inning.


The Bad:

David Ortiz was almost Jackass by going 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts. Chris Young pinch hit for Travis Shaw and grounded into a force. Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 but drove in a run. Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked.


Honorable Mention:

Travis Shaw was supposed to pinch hit for Aaron Hill but was pulled for Chris Young. Deven Marrero played third base in the bottom of the eighth.



Final Thoughts:

Losing to the Yankees is never fun, especially when its your ace against a rookie starter. I give credit for the Red Sox for trying to come back, but when your starter keeps giving up home runs, the deficit is just too much to overcome. Ortiz had that double against Tampa but he doesn't look right at all. It just wasn't their night. The loss dropped the Sox to 92-65, 5 games in front of the victorious Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East race with just 5 to play. The Texas Rangers also won so the Sox are now a half game behind them. That's actually good news because if the Rangers get the first seed, they play the survivor of Toronto and Baltimore while the Sox get Cleveland at home with no Danny Salazar and Carlos Carrasco. Tomorrow night "Unpredictable" Clay Buchholz (8-10, 5.00 ERA) takes on Adam Mitchell (1-2, 4.50 ERA) in game 2 of the series at 7:05. They have 5 chances left to win the division.

Off-Day News (9/26/16)

There are no words to describe what happened to the Boston Red Sox between September 9 and September 25. The Sox were 78-61 and clinging to a 1 game lead in the American League East race. They had Baltimore, Toronto and New York right behind them, their bullpen was suspect and apart from their first two starting pitchers, everyone else looked shakey. The next 17 games (all 23 really) were against the AL East and that's where the division would be decided. Incredibly the Sox won 14 out of 17 including an ELEVEN game win streak to put a choke-hold on the AL East race. Not only that, the Sox went from being 5 games behind the Texas Rangers to being tied with them for the AL's best record. In fact, they have a chance to finish with 96 wins, the same amount as the 2007 World Series champion Red Sox had. Here's a little recap of the past 17 days.

Game 1 - September 9 in Toronto

This game pretty much set the tone for the next 17 days as it matched Boston ace Rick Porcello against Marco Estrada. It was a no contest as Rick shut down the vaunted Jays offense while the Boston bats pounded Estrada and a host of Toronto relievers to win the game 13-3.


Game 2 - September 10 in Toronto

One of the lone hiccups during the entire stretch, this time it was the Red Sox who got shut down. Eduardo Rodriguez pitched well but he was outdueled by Jays ace JA Happ. The game turned on an error by Aaron Hill and the Jays won 3-2. Still, the Sox offense held the Jays offense to just 3 runs for the second game in a row.


Game 3 - September 11 in Toronto

This one was a total slugfest. After holding Toronto to 3 runs in each of the first two games, they exploded for 8 runs in this one. Starting pitcher Clay Buchholz didn't have it for the Red Sox....but neither did his counterpart Aaron Sanchez. The game turned when David Ortiz hit a 3 run home run off Juaquin Benoit (sound familiar?) in the top of the 6th and the bullpen held on to win it. The Sox went into Toronto up one game and left two on top.


Game 4 - September 12 against Baltimore

After taking two of three from Toronto, Baltimore was up next. Just like the Toronto series, the Sox bats sent a message by pounding Baltimore pitching for 12 runs while David Price of the Sox only allowed 2. It seemed amazing at the time that the Sox had won 3 out of 4 while Yankee fans were predicting their demise.


Game 5 - September 13 against Baltimore

Another of the few hiccups in the last 17 days. Baltimore starter Dylan Bundy and the vaunted Baltimore bullpen shut down the Red Sox as the O's bats pounded Drew Pomeranz for a 6-3 victory. Pomeranz had hit the proverbial innings wall and couldn't get his curveball over, paving away for the defeat.


Game 6 - September 14 against Baltimore

The last hiccup was a beauty to watch, just didn't end right. Boston ace Rick Porcello and Baltimore starter Kevin Gausman tossed zero's at each others offense for much of the night. The only difference in the game was a Mark Trumbo home run by Baltimore. Gausman and Cy Young candidate Zach Britton pitched a shut-out and took home a 1-0 victory.  At this point the Sox were 81-64 with Baltimore a game behind, Toronto 2 games behind and the Yankees 3 behind.


Game 7 - September 15 against New York

The Yankees had a stranglehold on the game. They were leading 5-2 with 2 outs in the ninth, a victory would put them just 2 behind the Red Sox for first place in the AL East. Then the Boston bats rallied off closer Delan Betances and Hanley Ramirez hit a shocking 3 run walkoff home run to give the Sox a 7-5 victory. It ended up ripping the hearts out of the Yankees that they never recovered from. Payback for 1991 indeed.


Game 8 - September 16 against New York

"Unpredictable" Clay Buchholz came alive for this one as the Boston bats pounded rookie starter Luis Cessa. Buchholz tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball and apart from a 2 run homer off Fernando Abad in the ninth, the Sox pitching dominated the Yankee bats. The Sox needed either Rodriguez or Buchholz to step up to be their potential third starter in the playoffs and this was a good showing for Clay.


Game 9 - September 17 against New York

The Sox ripped the hearts out of the Yankees once again, picking up a shaken David Price who was pitching mere hours after the death of his best friend. Price left trailing 5-4 but the Sox rallied in the bottom of the 7th, scoring the go-ahead run on a wild pitch. The bullpen got the final 6 outs and the Sox had taken 3 in a row from the Yankees, effectively knocking them out of the division race with just 14 games left.


Game 10 - September 18 against New York.

Once again Drew Pomeranz didn't have it and the Sox were down 4-0 in the bottom of the fifth. Hanley Ramirez, the new Yankee killer, blasted a 3 run home run off CC Sabbathia to put Boston back in it. The Sox tied it an inning later and Ramirez again hit the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the seventh. Once again the Sox bullpen held up and the Sox swept the Yankees in a 4 game set for the first time since 1990. The Sox won the division that year too. At this point the Sox had won 7 out of 10 to put themselves 3 games ahead of Baltimore with just 13 games left. The next series in Baltimore would pretty much decide the division title with Toronto scuffling.


Game 11 - September 19 in Baltimore

In front of a paltry crowd of 18,456 to watch the division title be decided, Rick Porcello once again dazzled the Baltimore offense, tossing a complete game allowing just 2 runs. This time the Sox offense pounced on Dylan Bundy and the Sox opened the crucial 4 game set with a 5-2 victory.


Game 12 - September 20 in Baltimore

Eduardo Rodriguez made his case for the 3rd starter spot in the playoff rotation by shutting down the Baltimore offense, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing just 2 runs. This time Kevin Gausman wasn't as unhittable and the Sox took the game 5-2 with more shut-down pitching from their bullpen. The bullpen ERA for the month of September at this point was 0.89, THAT'S how you make it to the post-season. At this point the Sox were 4 games in front of the Blue Jays with 11 to play.


Game 13 - September 21 in Baltimore

The Sox were trailing 1-0 heading into the top of the sixth when an error and a 3 run bomb by rookie Andrew Benintendi gave the Sox a 5-1 lead in the blink of an eye. Clay Buchholz, Brad Ziegler, Robby Scott and Craig Kimbel kept the O's off the board and the Sox had won their 7th straight game and second consecutive series. A sweep was possible but eight straight wins in the middle of September could be asking too much.


Game 14 - September 22 in Baltimore

If there was a game to lose, this was it. The O' had their ace Chris Tillman on the mound, who already had defeated Sox starter David Price earlier in the year. The Boston bats turned back the clock to 2013, running up Tillman's pitch count and knocking him out in the third inning. Price pitched well and the Sox swept the series with a 5-3 victory. Back to back 4 game sweeps had the Sox winning 8 in a row with a 5.5 game lead in the division race with just 9 games left. The Sox were most likely headed to at least a wild card but in order to keep in front of the Blue Jays, they'd have to win their next series in Tampa Bay.


Game 15 - September 23 in Tampa Bay

Tampa Bay may be in last place but they certainly didn't pitch like it in this 3 game set. Their much maligned ace Chris Archer was game, limiting Boston to just 2 runs in 6 innings. The only problem was the Sox got a big lift from Drew Pomeranz and the red hot Boston bullpen to edge Tampa 2-1. John Farrell was beginning to use mix and matchups well and it showed as he outwitted the Rays with Robbie Ross Jr, Robby Scott, Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes and Brad Ziegler. It was their 9th straight victory and one of their stigmas was they couldn't win low scoring games. They just did.


Game 16 - September 24 in Tampa Bay

At this point the Sox were inventing new ways to win. The Rays had once again limited the Sox to 2 runs in 6 innings and Rick Porcello had given up 3 through the bottom of the 6th. The Rays were still leading 3-2 with 2 outs in the 7th when Dustin Pedroia golfed a shocking grand slam off Danny Farquhar to give the Sox a 6-3 lead. A minor hiccup by closer Craig Kimbrel had the final score of 6-4 but the Sox had won their 10th straight. Another comeback win that many thought weren't possible a month before.


Game 17 - September 25 in Tampa Bay

In one of the weirdest games ever seen, the Sox set a major league record by striking out 23 Rays batters in a ten inning game. Still, the game went to the tenth inning due to superb pitching on both sides, allowing each other just 2 runs. Then in the top of the 10th, Pedroia made one of the most incredible plays, literally dancing around a play at the plate to score the go-ahead run. David Ortiz was visibly shaken most of the game due to the sudden death of Miami Marlins ace Jose Fernandez, but his double in the 10th scored Pedroia. That was for you Jose. The Sox rode Joe Kelly to victory in the bottom of the 10th, the Sox ELEVENTH in a row.


The Sox went into Toronto up 1 game in the AL East at 78-61 and left Tampa Bay 92-64 up 5.5 games with just 6 to play. Also the Sox have blown past the Cleveland Indians and tied the Texas Rangers for the best record in the American League. The Blue Jays and the Texas Rangers both lost meaning the Sox are a half game in front of Texas for best record in the American League AND 6 games up in the division race with 6 to play...and the Sox didn't even play tonight. Now the division race is pretty much over unless the Sox get swept by New York and Toronto sweeps Baltimore. Then the Sox would come home to play Toronto in the final 3 games with the division title on the line. Just one win in the next 6 games would clinch the division for Boston. Obviously New York will try to play spoiler but the way the Sox have been winning this month, that may not be enough. All in all the Sox were in control of their own destiny and for the first 17 games of the final 23, they took control in a big way. They have a chance to be something special this year if they can keep the momentum going in the final 6 games.

Weird, Wild Win To Sweep Rays (9/25/16)

Before the game, baseball was dealt a crushing blow when it was announced that Miami Marlins star pitcher, 24 year old Jose Fernandez was killed overnight in a boating accident. David Ortiz was visibly shaken during the tribute and the Marlins cancelled their game today. He had a bright future ahead and its a tragic loss for not only Miami but for latin players worldwide.

                                 RIP Jose

As for the game, this was one of the wildest games I've ever seen. The Boston Red Sox set a major league record for strikeouts by punching out 23 Tampa Bay Rays....and still were in danger of losing right to the final at bat. In extra innings, Dustin Pedroia pulled some Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle tricks to score the game's go-ahead run and Joe Kelly closed out the 3-2 win at Tropicana Field....David Ortiz' final at the Trop.

                            The Road Warriors salute the Red Sox second straight road sweep

The Sox struck first in the top of the first against Jake Odorizzi. Last night's hero Dustin Pedroia flied out to center but Xander Bogaerts worked a walk. The crowd erupted for Ortiz in his final game at Tropicana Field. Ortiz stroked a single in the right field corner that moved Bogaerts to third. Mr. Mookie Betts put the Sox on top with a seeing eye single to left field. Hanley Ramirez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0. Eduardo Rodriguez got the ball to start the game and Logan Forsythe hit a rocket, snagged by Travis Shaw at third. Kevin Kiermaier struck out but Evan Longoria singled. Brad Miller flied out to the wall in right to end the inning.

Travis Shaw looked at strike three to open the top of the second inning. Chris Young grounded out to short on a bang bang play but Andrew Benintendi walked. Christian Vazquez fouled off a lot of pitches before striking out on the 10th pitch of the at-bat. Odorizzi had thrown 59 pitches already. The Rays struck back in the bottom of the second when Mr. Mookie dropped a line drive and got a face full of turf, allowing Mikie Mahtook to reach second. Rodriguez walked Corey Dickerson on four pitches that wasn't even close but blew away Curt Casali with a fastball down the middle. Luke Maile singled to load the bases and Richie Shaffer hit a sac fly to score Mahtook to tie the game. Rodriguez blew away Forsythe to end the inning but he was driving up his pitch count too.

The Sox got the run back in the top of the third. Pedroia hit his second home run in two days to lead off the inning. Bogaerts then hit a liner that Mahtook dove and missed trying to catch, allowing Xander to reach second. Ortiz whiffed but Mr. Mookie walked on a borderline 3-2 pitch. Ramirez hit into his second double play of the day to end the inning. Still, the Sox had a 2-1 lead and Odorizzi was up to 84 pitches. Rodriguez did himself no favors when Kiermaier was hit on the left wrist to open the bottom of the third. Eduardo recovered to whiff Longoria, Miller and Mahtook to end the inning.

Rays manager Kevin Cash felt that was enough from Odorizzi and pulled him for Justin Marks in the top of the fourth. Shaw flied out and Young popped up but Benintendi walked. Vazquez doubled Andrew to third but Pedroia grounded out to end the inning. Rodriguez made it four straight strikeouts by whiffing Dickerson to open the bottom of the fourth. Rodriguez then inexplicably walked .170 hitter Casali. He struck out Maile and Shaffer to end the inning. He either walks a guy or strikes them out, no in between.

Jaff Decker replaced Kiermaier in the lineup but stayed in right as Mahtook moved to center to begin the top of the fifth. Bogaerts walked and hustled to third on the single by Ortiz. Mr. Mookie grounded one to third and Bogaerts was thrown out in a run-down, although it prevented a double play. Betts then got picked off of first and Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning.

                                                  President Obama's message to Betts.

Rodriguez returned for the bottom of the fifth and whiffed Forsythe for his 10th strikeout today. Decker looked a strike three and Longoria waived at strike three to end the inning. Rodriguez had struck out 12 through 5 innings.

Marks returned for the top of the sixth and struck out Shaw to begin the inning. Young whiffed but Benny The Kid walked. That was it for Marks, Rays manager Kevin Cash lifted Marks for Erasmo Ramirez. Benintendi took second on a passed ball but Vazquez grounded back to the pitcher to end the inning. Rodriguez briefly returned for the bottom of the sixth briefly to strike out Miller, leaving to a pat on the back from his teammates and a standing ovation from the Red Sox partisan crowd.

                                            5 1/3 innings, 13 strikeouts....amazing.

Heath Hembree replaced Rodriguez and blew away Mahtook for the second out. Dickerson struck out to end the inning. That's 8 straight strikeouts as a team for Tampa Bay. Someone check their bats for holes.

                                              Accurate portrayal of the Tampa Bay Rays

Pedroia grounded out to begin the top of the seventh and Bogaerts flied out. Ortiz then whiffed badly. His body language all game told the story of a man who didn't want to be there. Like David Price against the Yankees, Ortiz wasn't ready to play today after the death of Fernandez. Hembree returned for the bottom of the seventh and whiffed Casali to begin the inning. Maile whiffed as well. Shaffer struck out to end the inning....11 straight strikeouts and 18 overall. The eleven straight strikeouts were a major league record. The Sox were also 6 outs away from 11 wins in a row.

Brad Boxberger took the mound in the top of the eighth and got Mr. Mookie to pop up, Ramirez to ground out and Shaw to strike out to end the inning. Matt Barnes took over in the bottom of the eighth and crapped his pants. Forsythe singled but Decker looked at strike three. Longoria walked to chase Barnes and Sox manager John Farrell auditioned Fernando Abad for the lefty specialist role by having him pitch to Miller. Abad failed as Miller singled to score Longoria and ruin Rodriguez' amazing start. With 1st and 3rd with one out, Joe Kelly was brought in to pitch to Franklin....getting a double play to end the inning.

Tampa closer Alex Colome took the mound in the top of the ninth. Young whiffed badly in the dirt, Benny The Kid flied out to the wall and Vazquez grounded out to end the inning. The Sox set a record in the bottom of the ninth as Dickerson popped up to begin the inning. Casali struck out to tie the major league record in a 9 inning game and Maile whiffed to break the record. As sad as it was, the Rays whiffed 21 times in 9 innings and still could win it in the 10th.

Eddie Gamboa got the ball in the top of the 10th and last night's hero Pedroia greeted him with a single. Bogaerts lined out to left which brought up Ortiz for his final at-bat in Tropicana Field. One of the most incredible plays in baseball history occurred next. Ortiz lined a double into the gap and Pedroia ran around heading for home. The throw beat him by a mile but he jumped over the tag by Maile. Luke swiped at him again but Pedroia jumped over that. Maile swiped up toward Pedroia's ballbag but the ball came free, scoring Pedroia at home. Holy crap. Kevin Cash challenged the play but sure enough, not enough evidence to overturn it and it was 3-2 Red Sox. Marco Hernandez pinch ran for Ortiz at second as Mr. Mookie popped up. A passed ball by Maile moved Hernandez to third but Ramirez grounded out to end the inning. Somehow, someway, Pedroia scored and the Sox had the 3-2 lead. 

                                                                        SAFE!

Sox manager John Farell wanted to rest Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel so this was Joe Kelly's game to lose in the bottom of the tenth. Shaffer singled off a bad hop to Shaw at third but Forsythe whiffed for the Rays 22nd strikeout of the game. Decker whiffed for number 23 and the Sox were one out away from win number 11 in a row. Longoria singled to prolong the agony but Miller lined out to left to end the game. The Sox set a ML record and won their 11th in a row, sweeping the Rays out of Tropicana Field with a 3-2 victory.

                       Mookie Betts says "HEYYYY MACARENA" on Win, Dance, Repeat


Tonight we have THREE...count em'...THREE heroes of the night. The first is pitcher Joe Kelly. He was asked to work 3 innings and nail down the win, doing both to give the Sox the win. His record improved to 4-0 and has been almost unhittable since his second call-up out of the bullpen.

                                               Joe Kelly: Hero number 1

Hero number 2 is David Ortiz. In his final game at Tropicana Field the day Jose Fernandez died, he ripped a game winning double into the gap to score our third hero.

                                                  Rays fans say bye bye to Ortiz, our Hero.



Hero number 3 is Dustin Pedroia...his Matrix like moves scored the winning run to help propel the Sox to their 11th win in a row.

                                                            Our favorite ninja Hero.


The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored. Andrew Benintendi walked in 3 out of 4 plate appearances. Eduardo Rodriguez was outstanding, striking out 13 batters in 5 1/3 innings and Heath Hembree faced 5 batters and struck them all out.


The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4. Travis Shaw was 0 for 4 with a hat trick...ugh. Chris Young was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts. Matt Barnes coughed up the lead by giving up the tying run in the bottom of the eighth. Fernando Abad pitched to one batter and gave up a game tying single.



The Ugly:

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.



Honorable Mention:

Marco Hernandez pinch ran for Ortiz in the top of the tenth.



Final Thoughts:

Well that was a lot of fun. The Sox made it 11 in a row by sweeping their their third consecutive series, second straight on the road and they did it in style. The Sox pitchers combined to strike out 23 Rays in 10 innings and the kamikaze leaping by Pedroia led to the winning run. Only teams that are going places in October get these kinds of wins during the regular season. As it is the Sox are on a collision course with October baseball as they've already clinched at least a wild card spot. The question becomes WHERE do they go. Their magic number to clinch the division is 2 thanks to the Toronto Blue Jays beating the New York Yankees today. The Cleveland Indians and Texas Rangers also lost so right now The Rangers are top seed due to a tiebreaker with the Red Sox in front of the Indians by a half-game. The Sox should want to play Cleveland since they're down two starters and both Toronto and Baltimore as wild cards are scary. Still, they are winning in every which way and its great to see Clay Buchholz and Rodriguez step up for the 3rd starter spot. The win improved the Sox to 92-64, 5.5 games in front of Toronto with 6 to go. Tomorrow is an off-day as the Red Sox wrap up their road schedule with one series left, beginning Tuesday night in New York. David Price (17-8, 3.91 ERA) is the announced starter. If the Jays lose tomorrow, the Sox clinch the division anyway even while idle. Personally, I'd love to see the Jays win tomorrow just so the Sox can eliminate New York and celebrate the division title right in front of the Yankee fans.


Magic Number: 2

Pedroia Slams Rays, Wins 10th Straight (9/24/16)

It didn't look good for the Boston Red Sox in the top of the seventh inning when they were down 3-2 with two outs to the Tampa Bay Rays. Dustin Pedroia picked up Rick Porcello (22-4, 3.11 ERA) with a grand slam off Danny Farquhar and the Sox bullpen held on to a 6-4 win at Tropicana Field. Their 10th straight win.

                                                    Herman Munster approves of the win

Pedroia led off the top of the first and Andries blew him away on a 2-2 slider in the dirt to extend his slump to 0-16. Xander Bogaerts continued to slump as well by flying out to center. David Ortiz flied out to the wall on the first pitch he saw to end the inning, so much for working the counts. Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Logan Forsythe looked at strike three to begin the inning. Xander Bogaerts made a mad dash into centerfield to snare down a pop up by Kevin Kiermaier. Porcello whiffed Evan Longoria on a 3-2 fastball to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second. Mr. Mookie Betts extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single over the glove of Alexi Ramirez. Hanley Ramirez then whiffed on a changeup in the dirt but Brock "The Hitman" Holt stroked a double that scored Betts despite an AMAZING throw by Kiermaier. He was at the wall and nearly nailed Mookie at the plate. Brock was stranded at second when Chris Young grounded out and Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to end the inning. The Rays nearly struck back in the bottom of the second. Brad Miller popped up but Corey Dickerson stroked a single to right. Nick Franklin doubled Dickerson to third but Corey was thrown out at home on a grounder by Mahtook to Pedroia. Then Holt made an incredible stab to rob Ramirez of a hit to end the inning.

The Sox continued to have problems hitting Andriese in the top of the third when Sandy Leon swung at strike three in the dirt to begin the inning. Pedroia popped up on the first pitch and Bogaerts flied out to end the inning. The Rays tagged Porcello in the bottom of the third when Curt Casali singled but Forsythe struck out. Kiermaier singled but Longoria flied out to center. Miller doubled home both runners to give Tampa a 2-1 lead. Porcello didn't have it today as Dickerson doubled home Miller to make it 3-1. Franklin popped up to end the inning.

Could the Sox pick up Rick in the top of the fourth? YES! Ortiz popped up but Mr. Mookie walked and swiped second. Ramirez singled in the hole at second to score Betts to cut the lead 3-2. The rally stalled when Holt banged into a double play, but the Sox were back in it. Porcello came back in a vengeance in the bottom of the fourth when Mathtook whiffed then both Ramirez and Casali looked at strike three to end the inning.

Andriese stayed tough in the top of the fifth inning. Young grounded out as both JBJ and Leon struck out to end the inning. Porcello matched Matt in the bottom of the fifth. Forsythe flied out, Kiermaier popped up and Longoria whiffed to end the inning.

Pedroia singled to lead off the top of the sixth but Andriese recovered to retire Bogaerts on a fly out, Ortiz on a line out and Mr. Mookie on a pop up. Porcello was nearly knocked out in the bottom of the sixth. Miller walked but Dickerson flied out. Franklin singled Miller to third but Porcello bore down to strike out Mahtook. Ramirez grounded into a force to end the inning.

In the words of wise baseball coach Mr. Gallagher, it was time for the Sox bats to "pick up their teammate" Rick Porcello. Faced with the prospect of Rick losing not only the game but the Cy Young award, the Sox rallied in the top of the seventh. Ramirez and Hitman Holt stroked back to back singles and advanced into scoring position on the Young ground out to chase new pitcher Ryan Garton. Lefty Dana Eveland was brought in to face JBJ only to walk him. Danny Farquhar was brought in next to the slumping Leon and he forced Ramirez out at home. Pedroia then battled to an 9 pitch at bat when Pedroia golfed the last pitch deep out to left field...back...back...GONE! A GRAND SLAM FOR DUSTIN PEDROIA. The entire Sox bench exploded out of the dugout to congratulate Pedroia on a job well done. Just like that the Sox went from down 3-2 to up 6-3 with nine outs to go. Bogaerts struck out to end the inning but the Sox had the lead.

Grand Slam Dustin Pedroia!

Inexplicably Porcello returned for the bottom of the seventh despite being over 100 pitches. It almost backfired as Casali singled before he struck out Forsythe. Sox manager John Farrell was no Grady Little and pulled Rick for lefty specialist Robby Scott. Rick gutted through 6 1/3 innings and the bullpen had to get just 8 outs.

                                                        Not his best stuff, but still a winner

Unfortunately Robby didn't get the job done as Kiermaier singled. Brad Ziegler took the mound and got Longoria to fly out. One and done for him too as Robbie Ross Jr was brought in to face Miller. Brad flied out to end the inning. Great work by Ziegler and Ross to escape the inning.

Eddie Gamboa replaced Farquhar in the top of the eighth. Ortiz stroked a single but Mr. Mookie banged into a double play. Ramirez grounded out to end the inning. Koji Uehara was brought in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Dickerson led off with a double but was foolishly thrown out at third base when a ball bounced in front of Leon. He may be slumping but it was a great throw by Leon. Franklin flied out and Mahtook looked at strike three to end the inning.

Gamboa returned for the top of the ninth and Holt flied out to begin the ining. Young struck out and JBJ popped up to end the inning. It was on to the bottom of the ninth and Craig Kimbrel time. Ramirez lined out and Casali struck out, but Forsythe blasted a solo home run to right to cut the lead 6-4. Kiermaier ran the count 3-2 but Kimbrel blew him away to end the game. The Sox had come back to win the game, their TENTH in a row, 6-4.

                                                   The boys celebrate the win


Hero of the night is easy. Dustin Pedroia's grand slam turned the tide of the game and put the Sox in position to win.

                                            Hero of the Night: Dustin Pedroia


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored. Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with an rbi. Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an rbi. Rick Porcello wasnt his sharpest but gutted through 6 1/3 innings, giving up 3 runs on 8 hits and a walk while striking out 9. Dolph Ziegler retired the only man he faced. Robbie Ross Jr got the last out of the 7th. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning.


The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. If they clinch on Tuesday, they should rest him until October. Chris Young was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Robby Scott gave up a hit to the only man he faced.


The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4. Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked and scored. Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 but scored a run. Craig Kimbrel earned his 30th save but gave up a solo home run to Forsythe.



Final Thoughts:

If the Sox are a team of destiny, it sure feels like it. They are winning in every fashion lately and it comes at the most important time. They picked up Porcello big time like they picked up Price earlier this week. The division race is all but over and its time to start thinking of playoff rosters and rotation. The only negatives are Bogaerts and Leon but Sox manager John Farrell rode them half to death to get this far. Maybe he'll rest them once they clinch. The win by The Road Warriors was their 10th in a row, increasing their record to 91-64 with 7 games left. Tomorrow Eduardo Rodriguez (3-7, 4.84 ERA) takes the mound looking for a series sweep. Standing in his way is Jake Odorizzi with a 1:10 PM start time.

Magic Number: 3 to win division

Sox Edge Rays, Wins Ninth Straight (9/23/16)

Everything's going right for the Boston Red Sox. "They said they couldn't come back in games" they sweep the Yankees coming back three times. "They can't beat the Orioles" they sweep them out of the playoff spot. "Their bullpen sucks!" their bullpen ERA in September is 0.77. Tonight it was "They can't win low scoring games". Well Tampa Bay Rays starter Chris Archer was damn good, tossing 6 innings of 2 run ball...but the Sox won anyway thanks to the bat of David Ortiz and the mix and match bullpen to win 2-1, their ninth straight victory.

                                                   Mr. Spock approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Archer in the top of the first. Dustin Pedroia waived at a 1-2 slider, but Xander Bogaerts walked. David Ortiz crushed his 37th homer of the year off the catwalk to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Mr. Mookie Betts legged out an infield single but Hanley Ramirez waived at a 0-2 slider in the dirt. Travis Shaw grounded out to first to end the inning.

                                          Ortiz - "Its gone"  Wilson - "Damn it all to hell."

 The much maligned Pomeranz took the ball in the bottom of the first. Logan Forsythe grounded out to short, Kevin Kiermaier struck out and Evan Longoria grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr led off the top of the second by grounding out to second. Bryan Holoday walked and advanced to second on the ground-out by Brock "Hitman" Holt. Sox analyst Jerry Remy remarked they may have had Holoday at second. Pedroia popped up but Archer had already thrown nearly 50 pitches to get through 2 innings, vintage 2013 Red Sox. The Rays tagged Pomeranz in the bottom of the second, Brad Miller popped up but Mike Mahtook hit a line drive home run to cut the lead 2-1. Corey Dickerson whiffed and Alexi Ramirez flied out to end the inning.

The Sox threatened  in the top of the third. Bogaerts grounded out and Ortiz popped up but Mr. Mookie singled to right, then Ramirez singled to left. Shaw flied out to end the inning. The Rays threatened in the bottom of the third. Bobby Wilson grounded out but Luke Maile doubled. Maile moved to third on the ground out by Forsythe. Kiermaier flied out to end the inning.

Archer responded with a great top of the fourth. JBJ flied out to right, Holoday struck out and Pedroia flied out to deep right to end the inning. The Sox got some big defensive help in the bottom of the fourth. Longoria flied out but Miller doubled and Mahtook singled him to third. Dickerson then lined a grounder past Pomeranz to Bogaerts, who tossed it to Pedroia to second...ON TO RAMIREZ for the double play! Big assist to the defense to keep the lead 2-1.

                                           Huge double play keeps the Sox in front 2-1
Archer cruised in the top of the fifth. Bogaerts flied out on the first pitch and Ortiz flied out of his own. Mr. Mookie singled but Ramirez waived at another slider in the dirt to end the inning. Pomeranz returned for the fifth and go Ramirez to fly out to begin the bottom of the frame. Wilson watched strike three go by and Pomeranz whiffed Maile to end the inning. 5 innings and 1 run allowed by Pomeranz, not bad at all. Sox manager John Farrell told him he was done for the night with his inning workload doubled from last year. The Sox would have to mix and match if they wanted to win this one.

                                                  Not bad for a guy who's arm is hanging

Archer returned for the top of the sixth and punched out Shaw and JBJ to begin the inning. Holoday dribbled a single to right but Holt waived at a slider in the dirt to end the inning. This was the good Archer tonight, he didn't give an inch. It was up to Joe Kelly to preserve the lead in the bottom of the sixth. Forsythe grounded out to third and Kiermaier grounded out to second, then Longoria popped up to end the inning. The Sox were 9 outs from their 9th straight win.

Ryan Garton relieved Archer in the top of the seventh and got Pedroia to line out. Bogaerts grounded out and Rays manager Kevin Cash pulled Garton in favor of former Pawtucket Red Sock Dana Eveland. Ortiz greeted Dana with a double off the wall....but wait! Rays manager Kevin Cash wanted the play review and sure enough, David's knee barely came off the bag on he slide but the umpires decided that was enough to call him out. Call it a single and out trying to stretch but the inning was over. Robbie Ross Jr was brought in to face the lefty Miller in the bottom of the seventh. Miller flied out and Mahtook looked at strike three but Dickerson hit a ground rule double. Farrell then wanted Matt Barnes to face Alexi Ramirez...but wait, Cash countered by pinch hitting Nick Franklin. Barnes got Franklin to pop up to end the inning. The Sox were 6 outs away from 9 in a row.

Danny Farquhar got the ball in the top of the eighth as Juniel Querecuto took over at short. Mr. Mookie led off with a walk but was erased on the force by Ramirez. Hanley moved to second on the ground out by Shaw and JBJ was intentionally walked to get to Holoday. Farrell countered by pinch hitting Andrew Benintendi in this spot. Farquhar then gave Benny The Kid the ol unintentional intentional walk to load the bases for Holt. Unfortunately Holt popped up to end the inning. Barnes returned for the bottom of the eighth with Christian Vazquez now behind the plate. Matt blew away Wilson and pinch hitter Jaff Decker (for Maile) but walked Forsythe. With the lefty Kiermaier up, Farrell went to Robby Scott to see if he can be his situational lefty. Scott passed the test, getting Kiermaier to ground out to end the inning. 3 outs to go.

Brad Boxberger took the mound in the top of the ninth and got Pedroia to ground out but Bogaerts singled. Ortiz flied out and Mr. Mookie popped up to end the inning. With Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrel resting for better days, Brad Ziegler came in to close this one out. One thing he DIDN'T want to do was pitch to Longoria and sure enough, Evan doubled into the gap to lead off the bottom of the ninth. Miller hit one to center and Bogaerts made a mad dash to run it down for the first out. Ziegler whiffed Mahtook to bring up Dickerson. Sox manager John Farrell made the gutsy call to intentionally walk Dickerson to get to the rookie Querecuto who made his major league debut yesterday. Ziegler punched him out to end the game. The Sox have won NINE in a row and the game 2-1.

                                          Betts does the 'Carlton' on Win, Dance, Repeat

Hero of the Night is Brad Ziegler. He was asked to close out the win and did it with men on base to preserve the win and lower the September bullpen ERA to 0.77.

                                          Vazquez congratulates tonight's Hero: Brad Ziegler



The Good:

David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with a run scored and 2 rbi's off his 37th homer of the year. Mookie Betts was 3 for 4. Bryan Holoday was 1 for 2 with a walk. Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Holoday and walked. Drew Pomeranz threw 5 innings of 1 run ball to earn his 3rd win with the Red Sox. He was on an innings limit so good work to keep the Sox in the game. Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless sixth. Robbie Ross Jr retired 2 of the 3 men he faced. Matt Barnes retired 3 of the four men he faced. Robby Scott got the only man he faced.


The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 5 and he's been slumping badly lately. Travis Shaw was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.


The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run. Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4. Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked. Brock Holt was just 1 for 4.


Honorable Mention:

Christian Vazquez caught the final two innings.



Final Thoughts:

The Sox historically own Archer but not tonight. He was very good, he just got almost no run support and the Rays batters ran into a buzzsaw known as the Red Sox bullpen. The 9 straight wins are telling because they've won in every fashion...close games, blowouts, come from behind wins. Sox manager John Farell made a lot of moves that worked out tonight and he's starting to find a bullpen role for every guy. Better late than never. Ziegler and Uehara are his set up guys, Kimbrel is his closer and Scott is his situational lefty. Kelly, Barnes and Hembree are his long men. That sounds good to me for October if they make it that far. Pomeranz is the odd man out by then but he did his job tonight. The one measly thing to complain about is Betts, Bogaerts and Pedroia have played A LOT of games and could really use a rest. Maybe Farrell is waiting for them to clinch the division, but not resting guys could mean an exhausted team come October. The win propels the Sox to 90-64, matching the 2011 "best team everrrr" Red Sox record for wins with 8 to play. The magic number to clinch the division is down to four with the Toronto Blue Jays victorious tonight against the fading New York Yankees. The Sox look to make it 10 in a row tomorrow as Rick Porcello (21-4, 3.08 ERA) looks to cement his Cy Young status against Matt Andriese (8-7, 4.41 ERA).

Magic Number - 4 to win division, 2 to earn a spot of any kind.