Sox Sweep Jays, Houston Awaits (5/30/18)

If the Boston Red Sox want to test their mettle this year, they're going to have to do it in the next few days. They are headed to Houston to play the Astros for a three game set. Today's tune up match saw Eduardo Rodriguez (6-1, 3.88 ERA) and the Sox take down the Toronto Blue Jays for the third consecutive game. Once again JD Martinez hit a moon shot, Jackie Bradley Jr continued his offensive resurgence and Rodriguez pitched well enough to take home a 6-4 victory and series sweep at Fenway Park. Bring on the Astros.

                                                       Meat approves of the win

Rodriguez took the mound in the top of the first inning and struck out Teoscar Hernandez to begin the ballgame. Kevin Pillar lined out to right and Yangervis Solarte lined out to second to end the inning. Jays starter Sam Gaviglio was tough in the bottom of the first inning as Andrew Benintendi grounded out to first to start. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third and JD Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Rodriguez got Justin Smoak to ground out to short to open the top of the second before Kendrys Morales also grounded out to short. Devon Travis flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Rafael Devers watched strike three go by to begin. Eduardo Nunez grounded out to short and Brock Holt grounded out to first to end the inning.

Rodriguez turned up the heat in the top of the third inning as Curtis Granderson looked at strike three to begin. Luke Maile whiffed and Gio Urshela grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Blake Swihart singled up the middle. Swihart moved to second on the ground out by Christian Vazquez and Jackie Bradley Jr doubled him home. Andrew Benintendi singled and stole second....BUT WAIT! Jays manager John Gibbons challenged the call and New York Yankees manag......errr Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre DEMANDED Benintendi be called out. Gaviglio uncorked a wild pitch and JBJ took off for home....SAFE! Oh but wait, once again Gibbons challenged the call and once again Joe Torre bellowed that Bradley was out to end the inning. The sad part was Benintendi was actually safe so to hell with Torre. Still, the Sox had a 1-0 lead.

                                                     YERRR OUT!

Could Rodriguez pitch with the lead in the top of the fourth+? YES! Hernandez whiffed, Pillar lined out to right and Solarte grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts and Martinez whiffed before Devers grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Smoak grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth but Morales singled. The Sox executed a strike em out, throw em out double play when Travis whiffed and Vazquez nailed Morales at second to end the inning. Inspired by the defensive effort, Nunez led off the bottom of the fifth with a solo blast to increase the lead. Holt lined out to right but Swihart singled. Vazquez popped up to second and JBJ grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were up 2-0.

                                                            Nunez goes yard

Just as soon the Sox were ready to party, the party was crashed in the top of the sixth. Granderson looked at strike three and Maile lined out to right...but Urshela walked and Hernandez smashed a 900,000 foot bomb to tie the game. Pillar whiffed to end the inning but the Jays had tied it 2-2.

                                                     Dammit

The Sox wasted no time getting the lead back in the bottom of the sixth when Benintendi singled to start. Bogaerts tried to bunt Andrew over to second but popped it up. Martinez said to hell with a bunt and hit an absolute rocket to dead center for a two run homer, giving the Sox the lead. Devers whiffed and Nunez grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox regained the lead 4-2.

                                                   Martinez jacks another one out

Rodriguez looked to go 7 for the first time all year and began the top of the seventh by getting Solarte to pop up to short on the first pitch. Smoak singled but Morales popped up to short. Out marched Sox manager Alex Cora to take the ball after 100 pitches, going 7 be damned. Eduardo pitched very well, holding the Jays to 2 runs in  6 2/3 innings.

                                                 Rodriguez leaves with the lead

Matt Barnes came on to pitch and Travis hit a routine grounder to first. Swihart belly flopped on the ball and dry land swam on it for an error. Granderson flied out to center to end the inning. Seunghwan Oh came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and walked Holt to start. Swihart looked at strike three and Vazquez whiffed but JBJ singled to left. Benintendi flied out to left to end the inning.

Mitch Moreland came in for defense in the top of the eighth with Barnes still on the mound. Maile lined out to right, Urshela took strike three and Hernandez whiffed to end the inning. The Sox teed off on Ryan Tepera in the bottom of the eighth. Bogaerts singled and Martinez reached when Tepera threw a routine grounder away. Devers popped up to short but Nunez doubled home Bogaerts. Holt followed with a single to score Martinez but Moreland whiffed. Holt swiped third but Vazquez whiffed again to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                        Holt hittin' and stealin'

The Sox felt the lead was good enough to use Brian Johnson to close the game out in the top of the ninth. They were wrong. Pillar singled and Solarte singled him to third. The alert Alex Cora sprinted out of the dugout before Johnson could throw another pitch to get him out of there and bring in Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel for the save. Smoak walked to load the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Morales gave the fans a heart attack with a double to score two runs and put the tying run at second with nobody out. Dwight Smith ran for Morales but Kimbrel got a key out when Travis grounded out to third without advancing anyone. Kimbrel blew away Granderson and got Maile to ground out to second to end the game. The Sox survived the scare and swept the Jays out of Fenway with a 6-4 win.

                                                  "Nice going, almost gave it away!" - Cora


Hero of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. He held the Jays to two runs for nearly 7 innings to earn his 6th win of the season. After struggling to go 5 time and time again, nearly 7 full is a huge improvement.

                                           E-Rod the Hero


The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis, a run scored including a solo home run.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and an rbi.

Blake Swihart was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 3 with an rbi.

Matt Barnes tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mitch Moreland struck out in his only plate appearance.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Brian Johnson was charged for 2 runs off 2 hits without getting anyone out.



The Ugly:

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

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 total runs scored but made the 1 hit count as it was a 2 run home run.

Craig Kimbrel got his 18th save of the year but allowed 2 inherited runners to score while doing it.




Final Thoughts:

Bring on the Astros! After dispatching the Jays in 3 straight games, the big test is coming up to see if they can knock off the team that wiped them out of last year's Divisional Series. The Astros pitching staff is as deadly as it was last year but the World Series hangover has claimed the offense. Carlos Correa is hitting just .261, Evan Gattis is hitting just .236 and Alex Bregman is hitting .266. Jose Altuve is still deadly but their offense is not as potent as it was last year. Still, the pitching has been damn good and they just spanked the New York Yankees in 2 out of 3 games. As for this one, its about time Jackie Bradley Jr found his stroke in the wake of Mookie Betts being out for a week. Brock Holt being fully healthy for the first time in years also helps Dustin Pedroia slowly return to form without forcing him to play more on his bad knee. JD Martinez has been worth every cent they spent on him so far this year and it was nice to see Rodriguez pitch well. The late inning bullpen is a nightmare but the return of Tyler Thornberg should help that. The win propelled the Sox to 39-17, 2 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. It should be noted that the eventual world series champion 2013 Red Sox were 34-22 at this time during their season. Tomorrow night begins the showdown in Houston with the struggling Drew Pomeranz (1-2, 6.75 ERA) taking on Lance McCullers Jr beginning at 8:10 PM at Minute Maid Park.

Leon, Porcello Wipe out Jays (5/29/18)

Its about time Sandy Leon. The catching position, whether its Christian Vazquez or Leon, has taken a ton of warranted criticism for their lack of production to this point in the season. For one day it produced. Riding the hot bat of Sandy Leon and the pitching of "Slick" Rick Porcello (7-2, 3.65 ERA), the Boston Red Sox once again slapped around the Toronto Blue Jays. Without Mookie Betts, Leon and Xander Bogaerts went deep as the Sox won the game 8-3 to keep pace with the New York Yankees in the AL East.

                                 Eric Stratton, rush chairman, approves of the win

Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Curtis Granderson walked. The alert Sandy Leon gunned Granderson down at second trying to steal and Kevin Pillar struck out. Yangervis Solarte flied out to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time scoring off Marco Estrada in the bottom of the first inning although Andrew Benintendi lined out to left to begin. Xander Bogaerts singled to left and Mitch Moreland doubled him home. JD Martinez doubled home Moreland but Rafael Devers flied out to center. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                    Moreland doubles home a run

Porcello kept the Jays in check in the top of the second inning as Justin Smoak grounded out to first to begin. Teoscar Hernandez popped up to first but Russell Martin singled. Kendrys Morales singled but Devon Travis grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second although Brock "Hitman" Holt grounded out to second to begin.  Leon doubled but Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to left. The red hot Benintendi doubled home Leon to increase the lead. A wild pitch moved Benintendi to third but Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

Porcello whiffed Luke Maile to start the top of the third and Granderson lined out to second. Pillar popped up to first to end the inning. The Sox finally went quietly in the bottom of the third as Moreland and Martinez flied out to center and Devers whiffed to end the inning.

The Jays struck back in the top of the fourth although Solarte flied out to left to start. Smoak crushed a 55,000 foot home run to Everett to put the Jays on the board. Hernandez and Martin grounded out to short to end the inning with the Jays now down 3-1.

                                               "BARRFFFFFFFFFF" - Porcello

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth although Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Holt singled and stole second before moving to third on the Leon groundout. JBJ slammed a single to center to score Holt to increase the lead and chase Estrada from the game after just 3 2/3 innings. Aaron "Fruit" Loup got Benintendi to ground out to first to end the inning but it was now 4-1 Sox.

                                                      JBJ knocks out Estrada

Porcello kept the Sox in it in the top of the fifth as Morales grounded out to first to begin. Travis grounded out to short and Maile lined out to left to end the inning. Bogaerts drew a walk to begin the bottom of the fifth but Moreland grounded into a double play. Martinez whiffed to end the inning.

There was some serious stink eye going on in the top of the sixth as Granderson grounded out to third to begin. Pillar whiffed but Solarte was plunked. Smoak whiffed to end the inning but Solarte was very unhappy. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth against Joe Biagini as Devers and Pedroia stroked back to back singles to start, but Holt whiffed. Leon scored Devers with a double and JBJ walked. The rally ended when Benintendi hit into a double play but it was now 5-1.

                                                    Leon with an rbi

Porcello tried to go seven but failed although Hernandez flied out to center to start. Martin got plunked and Morales walked before Travis singled to load the bases. Porcello got a big out by striking out Maile and got a ground ball hit to Pedroia.....but he decided to dive for the relay throw when he didn't have to allowing Martin and Morales to score on the error. That was it for Porcello who hung in there despite the error to toss 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball to put the Sox in position to win.

                                                Porcello gets it done

"Machine Gun" Joe Kelly took over for Slick Rick and punched out Pillar on 3 pitches to end the inning with the Jays down 5-3. Bogaerts got one of the runs right back with a moon shot into the Monster Seats. Tyler Clippard took over for Biagini and Moreland grounded out to second. Martinez doubled but Devers flied out to center. Pedroia lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                 Bogaerts bashes one

Kelly returned for the top of the eighth and got Solarte to pop up to third to begin. Smoak grounded out but Hernandez was plunked which raised the ire of the Jays. Martin popped up to second to end the inning but the Jays were mad. Danny Barnes came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and the first thing he did was plunk Holt in retaliation for all the beanballs. Holt took first and the Sox nodded as if to say "Ok, we're even." Leon wasn't as ok as Holt was and he launched a 2 run bomb to dead center to ice the game. JBJ and Benintendi flied out to center before Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning with the Sox up for good 8-3.

                                                     Leon is all smiles

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez took the mound in the top of the ninth and Morales greeted him with a double. Devers got eaten alive by a ground ball by Travis and Dwight Smith pinch hit for Maile only to single to load the bases. Velazquez got Granderson to fly out to left but Sox manager Alex Cora had seen enough. For whatever reason Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel was brought in to close out the game. Pillar whiffed and Solarte grounded into a force to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                    Another victory


Hero of the Night is Sandy Leon. He went 3 for 4 and drove in 3 big runs that ended up being the difference in the game, including a 2 run shot when the Jays got the momentum back.

                                                           Hero de Leon


The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 total runs scored and a solo home run.

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch, stolen base and 2 rims scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Rick Porcello got the win by going 6 2/3 inning while giving up 3 runs (2 earns) off 5 hits and 2 walks.

Joe Kelly pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Craig Kimbrel pitched 2/3 of an inning to earn his 17th save.



The Bad:

Hector Velazquez left the bases loaded in the top of the ninth.



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 5 with an rbi.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

The ending was a little too close for comfort but a win is a win. Getting production out of Sandy Leon and more importantly the bottom of the order in the wake of Betts being out was huge. Porcello made one mistake but pitched well all things considering. The beanball attack may not have been the best idea the way the Sox have plastered the Jays in the series so far. You don't want to give them extra motivation to win considering how slim the lead is in the AL East. Hopefully Betts can come back soon as well as Tyler Thornburg. After Carson Smith foolishly ended his own season the Sox need Tyler more than ever and he should be close to returning. The win improved the Sox to 38-17, 2 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon is the finale before the big series in Houston with the world champion Astros. Eduardo Rodriguez goes for the Sox opposite Sam Gaviglio at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Benintendi, Martinez Power Sox Past Jays (5/28/18)

With Hanley Ramirez gone and Mookie Betts out with an injury, someone on the Sox had to step up in their places. After a disappointing April, Andrew Benintendi has caught fire in the last few weeks. Benintendi drove in 4 runs and got 3 big hits, David Price (5-4, 4.04 ERA) did just enough and the Sox returned to their winning ways on Memorial Day with an 8-3 win over the struggling Toronto Blue Jays at Fenway Park.

                                                Schemer approves of the win

Price took the mound in the top of the first inning and got Teoscar Hernandez to pop up to second to begin. Josh Donaldson singled but Justin Smoak whiffed. Yangervis Solarte lined out to Price to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time scoring off Aaron Sanchez in the bottom of the first inning although Benintendi grounded out to first to begin. Xander Bogaerts singled and Mitch Moreland singled Xander to third to put runners at the corners. JD Martinez beat out a double play ball to score Xander to give the Sox the quick lead. Rafael Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                   Bogaerts gets the rally started

Price ran into trouble in the top of the second inning as Kevin Pillar walked and stole second. Russell Martin walked and Pillar moved to third on the fly out by Kendrys Morales. Price got a big out when Luke Maile popped up to first and whiffed Devon Travis to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Eduardo Nunez struck out to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt walked but Christian Vazquez flied out to right. Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to center to end the inning.

Price returned for the top of the third inning and Hernandez flied out to right to begin. Donaldson walked but Smoak watched strike three go by. Solarte popped up to first to end the inning. Sanchez settled down in the bottom of the third although Benintendi singled to start. Bogaerts struck out and Moreland erased Benintendi at second on a force. Martinez lined out to center to end the inning.

The Jays struck back in the top of the fourth inning when Pillar led off with a double and moved to third on the Martin ground out. Morales singled in Pillar to tie the game but Maile flied out to center. Travis lined out to center to end the inning with the game now 1-1.

                                                   The Jays get one back

The Sox iced the game early in the bottom of the fourth inning as Devers and Nunez stroked back to back singles before both runners moved into scoring position on a passed ball. Holt scored Devers with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead and Vazquez singled. JBJ stepped up with a double to score Nunez and Benintendi crushed a 3 run bomb into left for his 7th home run of the year. Bogaerts and Moreland whiffed to end the inning but it was 6-1 Sox just like that.

                                                   Benintendi says "That one's gone"

Meanwhile Price got rocked in the top of the fifth inning although Hernandez lined out to right to begin. Donaldson walked and Smoak doubled him to third but Josh pulled up lame and had to leave the game. Gio Urshela pinch ran for Donaldson and scored on the sac fly by Solarte. Pillar struck out to end the inning and that was it for Price. He lasted just 5 innings and threw 95 pitches but was put in a position to win up 6-2.

                                                      Not his best stuff

The Sox wasted no time getting that run back in the bottom of the fifth as Martinez crushed his 17th home run of the year into the Monster Seats to increase the lead. Devers popped up to first, Nunez grounded out to first and Holt grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-2.

                                                          Martinez smashes another one

Heath Hembree took over for the top of the sixth inning and he struck out Martin to begin. Morales flied out to center and Maile whiffed to end the inning. Danny Barnes had the bottom of the sixth and Vazquez grounded out to second to start. JBJ walked, stole second and took third on an error before Benintendi tripled him home. Bogaerts flied out to center and Moreland flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 8-2.

                                                         Benintendi does it all today

The Jays struck back in the top of the seventh as Travis and Hernandez smacked back to back triples but Hembree punched out Urshela for a big out. Smoak walked but Solarte banged into a double play to end the inning with the Jays down 8-3.

                                             So much for not giving up a run

John Axford came in for the bottom of the seventh and walked Martinez to start. Devers singled but Nunez banged into a double play. Holt walked but Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning.

Steven Wright took over for the top of the eighth and struck out Pillar to start. Martin grounded out to third and Morales grounded out to short to end the inning. Jake Petricka came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and JBJ grounded out to second to start. Benintendi flied out to left and Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Wright returned to finish off the game in the top of the ninth. Maile grounded out to third and Travis grounded out to short but Hernandez doubled. Urshela struck out to end the game with the Sox victorious by an 8-3 score.

                                                           Another win


Hero of the Night is Andrew Benintendi. He fell a double short of the cycle, drove in 4 runs and appears to be on a hot streak.

                                                      Benny The Hero


The Good:

JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 total rbis and a solo home run.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Brock Holt walked twice in three plate appearances and scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

David Price got the win with 5 innings of 2 run ball, striking out 4 batters.

Steven Wright pitched 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4.

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Heath Hembree allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

That was a good bounceback win after getting trounced by the Atlanta Braves yesterday. It sucks but every win is necessary with the AL East battle looking like its going to come down to the wire. There's a very real chance the Sox could win 98-100 games and be out in the wild card play-in game so winning the division would be a better option. Price continues to be average at best and that can't continue considering Drew Pomeranz is struggling, Rick Porcello hit a cold streak and Eduardo Rodriguez is a 6 inning pitcher at best. If Price wants to justify his contract, he needs to go 7 to save some bullpen arms. Its nice to see Benintendi get hot and Bradley Jr do some damage as well. Devers needs to get hot soon but maybe he's hit the sophomore slump that Xander Bogaerts did in 2014. The Sox will give him every chance to bust out of it but if he can't, getting Dustin Pedroia back means they can have Holt or Nunez spell Devers at third for a game or two. Just have to keep on winning every game they can. The win propelled the Sox to 37-17, 2 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night "Slick" Rick Porcello (6-2, 3.74) looks to rebound from his cold streak against Marco Estrada and the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Braves Pound Sale, Sox (5/27/18)

It was a very bad day for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics were eliminated by the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of their NBA East Finals series and the Boston Red Sox lost to the Atlanta Braves. In a rare case of incompetence, Boston Red Sox ace Chris Sale (5-2, 2.76 ERA) looked very mortal this afternoon against the visiting Atlanta Braves. Sale got lit up for six runs while his counterpart Mike Foltynewicz tossed 7 innings of 1 run ball, stifling the powerful Sox offense to guide the Braves to a sweep avoiding 7-1 win at Fenway Park.

Sale did start strong in the top of the first inning when he whiffed Ozzie Albies and ronald Acuna to start. Freddie Freeman lined out to a running Jackie Bradley Jr in right to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the first as Andrew Benintendi lined out to right before Xander Bogaerts whiffed. Mitch Moreland lined out to center to end the inning.

The Braves pounced on Sale in the top of the second and it started with a Nick Markakis walk. Kurt Suzuki singled but Ender Inciarte popped up the bunt attempt to third. It didn't matter because Tyler Flowers crushed a 679,000 foot bomb to give the Braves the lead for good. Dansby Swanson whiffed as did Charlie Culberson but it was 3-0 Braves.

                                                   Flowers makes it 3-0

Dustin Pedroia tried to start a rally with a walk in the bottom of the second but both Rafael Devers and Eduardo Nunez struck out. Blake Swihart walked to give the Sox a chance but Sandy Leon whiffed to end the inning.

Sale began the top of the third the same way he began the top of the first and that's by striking out both Albies and Acuna. Freeman grounded out to second to end the inning. JBJ grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the third before Benintendi walked. Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning.

Sale tried to keep pace in the top of the fourth as Markakis grounded out to second to begin. Suzuki whiffed but Inciarte doubled. Flowers froze for strike three to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Moreland grounded out to first, Pedroia lined out to right and Devers whiffed to end the inning.

The Braves pounded Sale in the top of the fifth as  Swanson walked and took second on a passed ball by Leon, scoring on the dropped fly ball by JBJ off the bat of Culberson. Culberson took second on the error and took third on the Albies ground out. Acuna walked and Freeman motored all the way around for a bases clearing triple, chasing Sale from the game. The ace was more like a deuce as he allowed 6 runs in just 4 1/3 innings.

                                    "I sucked today skip" - Sale   "I know" - Cora

Brian Johnson came in for Sale and got Markakis to ground out to short. Suzuki grounded out to short to end the inning with the Braves ahead 6-0.

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Nunez grounded back to the mound, Swihart grounded out to first and Leon whiffed to end the inning.

Johnson returned for the top of the sixth inning and Inciarte flied out to left to begin. Flowers walked but Swanson flied out to left. Culberson lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox mounted their only offensive threat in the bottom of the sixth although JBJ grounded out to second. Benintendi doubled but Bogaerts lined out to second. Moreland motored around for a triple to score Benintendi. Pedroia flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 6-1

                                                 Moreland puts the Sox on the board

Johnson came back for the top of the seventh as Albies flied out to left to begin. Acuna tried to beat out an infield single and fell head over heels. He managed to get up but was replaced by pinch runner Preston Tucker. Freeman grounded out to second and Markakis grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                    Poor Acuna

Devers tried to start a rally in the bottom of the seventh with a double to start but Nunez popped up to first. Swihart whiffed and Leon grounded out to second to end the inning.

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez took over for the top of the eighth and Suzuki greeted him with a double. Inciarte flied out to center but Flowers struck out. Swanson walked but Culberson grounded out to second to end the inning. AJ Minter took over for the bottom of the eighth and JBJ greeted him with a single. Benintendi flied out to left but Bogaerts walked. Moreland and Pedroia whiffed to end the inning.

The Braves tacked on another for good measure in the top of the ninth. Albies whiffed for a hat trick before Tucker singled and Freeman walked. Markakis grounded both runners into scoring position and Suzuki singled home Tucker. Inciarte flied out to center to end the inning with the Braves ahead 7-1.

                                                   Velazquez is pissed

The torture ended in the bottom of the ninth as Arodys Vizcaino took the mound. Devers grounded out to first, Nunez popped up to second and Swihart looked at strike three to end the game. The Braves had won it 7-1.

Jackass of the Night is Chris Sale. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings and gave up 6 runs including the big 3 run bomb to Flowers.

                                                Sale is a Jackass? Say it ain't so!


The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.

Brian Johnson tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 4.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but drove in the only run.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

Blake Swihart was 0 for 3 but walked.

Hector Velazquez allowed a run in 2 innings.




Final Thoughts:

That was a terrible loss and it came at an equally terrible time. The New York Yankees won today so both teams are tied in the loss column. Every single win counts in the era of the second wild card and a loss to the Braves at home is huge if the division comes down to 1 or 2 games. As it is, the loss isn't too concerning as Chris Sale rarely has bad days so I'm sure he'll come out next time throwing smoke. Usually when the Sox don't get anything going offensively, they light it up the next night. Look for a lot of offense in the next game. The loss dropped the Sox to 36-17, 1 game ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Toronto Blue Jays come to town for a set. David Price (4-4) takes the mound for the Red Sox up against Aaron Sanchez at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outslug Braves (5/26/18)

A day after scoring 6 runs to defeat the Atlanta Braves, the Boston Red Sox offense put up 8 runs off 10 hits to once again outslug Atlanta. Overcoming yet another poor start by Drew Pomeranz, the Sox welcomed the return of Dustin Pedroia by blasting the Braves 8-6 at Fenway Park.

                                             Gene Kelly approves of the win

Pomeranz staggered to the mound in the top of the first inning and Ozzie Albies grounded out to short to start. Ronald Acuna grounded out to third but Freddie Freeman singled. Nick Markakis doubled but Kurt Suzuki looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox threatened Atlanta starter and Middleboro native Sean Newcomb in the bottom of the first although Mr. Mookie Betts watched strike three go by to start. Andrew Benintendi singled and JD Martinez walked, but Mitch Moreland whiffed. Xander Bogaerts walked to load the bases but the returning Dustin Pedroia flied out to right to end the inning.

The Braves struck first against the incompetent Pomeranz in the top of the second as Ender Inciarte walked to begin the frame. Tyler Flowers whiffed and Johan Camargo hit one up the elevator shaft but Dansby Swanson smashed a 3,000 foot bomb to give the Braves the lead. Albies lined out to right to end the inning but it was 2-0 Atlanta.

                                                    Braves strike first

The Sox threatened again in the bottom of the second as Eduardo Nunez singled to start before Blake Swihart walked. Christian Vazquez beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Mr. Mookie popped up to third. Benintendi grounded out to end the inning.

The Braves tacked it on in the top of the third as Acuna grounded out to short to start before Freeman grounded out to second. Markakis and Suzuki swatted back to back doubles to add to the lead. Inciarte walked but somehow Flowers took strike three to end the inning with the Braves up 3-0.

                                                      All Atlanta so far

The Sox had enough and roared back in the bottom of the third although Martinez whiffed to start. Moreland somehow legged out a triple before Bogaerts singled him home to break the drought. Pedroia walked but Nunez whiffed. Swihart singled to score Bogaerts and Vazquez singled home Pedroia to tie the game. Mr. Mookie grounded out to end the inning but it was 3-3.

                                                  Sox tie it up

Just as soon as the Sox clawed back, the ineffective Pomeranz coughed it up in the top of the fourth. Camargo grounded out to third but Swanson singled and Albies walked to chase Drew from the game. The diminished pitcher was finished after 3 1/3 innings, 6 hits and 3 walks.

                                                         Another poor start by Pomeranz

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in and poured gas on the fire. Acuna and Freeman hit back to back singles to score Swanson before a Markakis sac fly scored Albies. Suzuki popped up to short but it was 5-3 Braves.

                                                        Atlanta gets the lead back

The Sox fought back against Jesse Biddle in the bottom of the fourth inning as Benintendi blasted a solo shot to inch closer. Martinez lined out to right, Moreland grounded out to second and Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 5-4 Braves.

                                                  Benintendi goes yard

Steven Wright (1-0, 3.27 ERA) took over in the top of the fifth and got Inciarte popped up to short to start. Flowers singled but Camargo banged into a double play to end the inning. Peter Moylan came in for the bottom of the fifth and Pedroia grounded back to the mound to start. Nunez whiffed and Swihart took strike three to end the inning.

Wright returned for the top of the sixth and got Swanson to pop up to second to start. Albies lined out to left but Acuna singled. Freeman whiffed to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the sixth although Vazquez flied out to center to start. Mr. Mookie singled to chase Moylan and Sam Freeman hit Benintendi with a pitch. Martinez flied out to right but Moreland doubled home both runners. Bogaerts walked but Pedroia lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                           Moreland puts the Sox on top

Wright returned for the top of the seventh and Markakis grounded out to short to begin. Suzuki grounded out to third but Inciarte walked. Flowers flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox got some much needed insurance in the bottom of the seventh as Nunez reached on an error by Albies. Swihart whiffed and Vazquez flied out to right but Mr. Mookie walked. Benintendi cleared the bases with a triple to add to the lead before Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-5.

                                                   Benintendi adds to the lead

Joe "Machine Gun" Kelly took over for Wright in the top of the eighth and got Camargo to hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Swanson whiffed and Albies grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Lucas Sims quieted the Sox in the bottom of the eighth as the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Moreland grounded out to second, Bogaerts grounded out to third and Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in for the save in the top of the ninth with Jackie Bradley Jr in center in Martinez spot with Benintendi moving over to left. Acuna worried the crowd with a 460,890 foot home run to lead off although Freeman lined out to right. Markakis grounded out to short and Suzuki flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-6.

                                                  Welcome back Pedroia, the Sox win


Hero of the Night is Steven Wright. He came into the game and shut down the Braves offense allowing the Sox to make the comeback.

                                                 Steven Wright is the Hero tonight




The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 4 with a hit by pitch, 3 total rbis, 2 total runs scored including a solo home run.

Mitch Moreland was 2 for 5 with 2 rbi's and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and and a run scored.

Blake Swihart was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.



The Bad:

Drew Pomeranz stunk by giving up 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings giving up 6 hits and 3 walks.

Hector Velazquez allowed 2 inherited runners to score in just 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 but walked.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 but walked and scored.

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.




Honorable Mention:

Jackie Bradley Jr played centerfield in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Holy moly Drew Pomeranz sucks right now. His diminished velocity makes his off-speed pitches very easy to time and without that extra couple of miles on his fastball, he's nothing but batting practice. The offense can bail him out now and then like tonight but not every single time. If he continues to stink they may need to think about a trade to get another starter before the trade deadline in August, especially if they're going to keep Velazquez, Brian Johnson and Wright in the bullpen. The win improved the Sox to 36-16, 2.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox go for the sweep as they send Chris Sale to the mound opposite Mike Foltynewicz at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Ramirez Jettisoned, Sox Defeat Braves (5/25/18)

The Boston Red Sox made a shocking decision this afternoon to part ways with first basemen Hanley Ramirez by designating the slugger for assignment on the eve of tonight's game against the Atlanta Braves. The word on the street was this was a salary dump to get out from under his contract. His recent slump and the emergence of a healthy Mitch Moreland made Hanley expendable. Since nobody wanted his contract, trading him was out of the question so this was the only option. Its a shame it ended like this because the energetic Ramirez provided some entertainment and some clutch hits the past four years. So long Hanley and thank you. In his place the Sox activated Dustin Pedroia who could be a .300 hitter if he stays healthy. Let's see what happens.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                           IN

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 6 of their NBA East Finals series with the Cleveland Cavaliers but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Atlanta Braves. The Sox bats provided some pop against the Braves tonight by swatting four home runs against the NL East leading team. Eduardo Rodriguez (5-1, 4.02 ERA) pitched decent enough as the Sox beat the Braves 6-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Grace Slick approves of the win

Rodriguez took the mound in the top of the first inning and Ozzie Albies singled to start. Rodriguez recovered to blow away Ronald Acuna and Freddie Freeman but Nick Markakis walked. Kurt Suzuki grounded into a force to end the inning. Braves starter Julio Teheran was tough in the bottom of the first inning as Mr. Mookie flied out to center to start. Andrew Benintendi also flied out to center and JD Martinez lined out to right to end the inning.

The Braves threatened in the top of the second inning although Ender Inciarte grounded out to first to begin. Tyler Flowers and Johan Camargo stroked back to back singles. Dansby Swanson lined out to center before Albies flied out to right to end the inning. Mitch Moreland tried to start a rally with a base hit but was erased on the force by Xander Bogaerts. Rafael Devers whiffed but Brock "The Hitman" Holt walked. Christian Vazquez lined out to center to end the inning.

The Braves struck first in the top of the third when Acuna and Freeman stroked back to back singles and Markakis doubled both men home to give the Braves the lead. Rodriguez recovered to strike out Suzuki and get Inciarte to ground out to short. Flowers grounded out to third to end the inning but the Braves took the lead 2-0.

                                                         Braves strike first

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to begin. Mr. Mookie and Benintendi both whiffed to end the inning.

Rodriguez trudged to the mound in the top of the fourth and got Camargo to pop up to second to begin. Swanson whiffed but Albies walked. Acuna lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez led off with his 16th home run of the year to cut the lead. Moreland flied out to right and Bogaerts tied the game with a solo shot of his own. Devers walked but was foolishly picked off. Holt grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                             Bogaerts and Martinez tie it up

Rodriguez threw way too many pitches in the top of the fifth but at least he struck out Freeman and Markakis to begin. Suzuki grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth although Vazquez grounded out to second to start. JBJ tripled and Mr. Mookie walked to put runners at the corners and Benintendi put the Sox on top with a sac fly to score Bradley. Mr. Mookie swiped second but Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                      Sox take the lead

Rodriguez ran out of gas in the top of the sixth inning although he whiffed Inciarte to begin. Flowers grounded out to short but Camargo walked to chase Eduardo. He hung in there to go 5 2/3 innings allowing just 2 runs while striking out 7. Heath Hembree came in and struck out Swanson to end the inning.

                                                         Good effort by Rodriguez

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Moreland looked at strike three to begin. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound and Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.

Joe "Machine Gun" Kelly was brought in to pitch the top of the seventh and he got Albies to fly out to left to start. Acuna whiffed but Freeman walked. Markakis grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Jesse Biddle replaced Teheran only for Holt to greet him with a single. Vazquez lined out to second and JBJ looked at strike three to end Biddle's night. Matt Wisler was brought in to face Mr. Mookie as Holt swiped second. Betts made the Braves pay for the pitching change by smashing his 17th home run of the year for some much needed insurance. Benintendi popped up to third to end the inning but it was 5-2 Sox.

                                                 All smiles for Betts and the Sox

Matt Barnes got the call to pitch the top of the eighth and Suzuki flied out to right to begin. Inciarte grounded out to second and Flowers watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Sox had one last present for the fans in the bottom of the eighth although Martinez grounded out to third to begin. Moreland swatted his 8th home run of the year to give the team 4 homers on the night. Bogaerts grounded out to short and Devers flied out to left to end the inning but it was 6-2 Sox.

                                                Moreland goes yard

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel was brought in to pitch the top of the ninth and Camargo looked at strike three to start. Swanson doubled and moved to third on the Albies ground out but Acuna whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2.

                                                         Another win

Hero of the Night is a tough one considering the whole team pitched in. I gotta go with Mookie Betts, his two run homer lit up the crowd and put the game away.

                                                    Mr. Mookie is Mr. Hero


The Good:

Mitch Moreland was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

Brock Holt was 1 for 2 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Eduardo Rodriguez got the win tossing 5 2/3 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 7.

Heath Hembree struck out the only man he faced.

Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3,



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 but walked.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but the hit was a solo home run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

If the Sox missed Hanley they sure didn't look like it. Mitch Moreland is more than capable of playing first with Martinez the DH. The offense didn't miss a beat as they clubbed four home runs and used their speed to score a 6th run. The loss of Ramirez may sting later if Moreland slumps or someone gets hurt but as of right now, he was expendable. Rodriguez threw way too many pitches but at least he made the good ones when he had to. It was nice to see the bullpen lock it down after Rodriguez left the game. The win improved the Sox to 35-16, 1.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon Drew Pomeranz looks to bounce back from back to back stinkers to face Middleboro, Mass native Sean Newcomb. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.