Jonathan Arauz - 2 Bad, 1 Ugly
Matt Barnes - 2 Good, 1 Bad
Andrew Benintendi - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 3 Ugly
Xander Bogaerts - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 4 Ugly
Jackie Bradley Jr - 4 Good, 2 Bad
Ryan Brasier - 1 Bad
Colten Brewer - 2 Good, 1 Jackass
Austin Brice - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Jackass
Michael Chavis - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly
Dylan Covey - 1 Bad
Rafael Devers - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 5 Ugly
Nathan Eovaldi - 2 Good
Zack Godley - 1 Good
Matt Hall - 1 Bad
Heath Hembree - 4 Good
Tzu-Wei Lin - 1 Good, 2 Bad
Jonathan Lucroy - 1 Honorable Mention
JD Martinez - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 4 Ugly
Mitch Moreland - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero
Josh Osich - 2 Good, 1 Bad
Jose Peraza - 3 Good, 3 Bad, 2 Ugly
Martin Perez - 1 Good, 1 Jackass
Kevin Pillar - 3 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero
Kevin Plawecki - 2 Good
Jeffrey Springs - 1 Jackass
Phillips Valdez - 3 Good
Christian Vazquez - 3 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Hero
Ryan Verdugo - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly
Marcus Walden - 1 Good, 1 Bad
Ryan Weber - 1 Bad, 1 Jackass
Brandon Workman - 2 Good, 1 Ugly
The Tri-Heroes of the Month are Kevin Pillar, Christian Vazquez and Mitch Moreland
The 5 Jackasses of the Month are Martin Perez, Ryan Weber, Jeffrey Springs, Colten Brewer and Austin Brice
Most Valuable Player of the Month is Jackie Bradley Jr with 4 Good
Least Valuable Player is Jose Peraza with 3 Bad
Ugliest Player of The Month is Rafael Devers with 5 Ugly
Honorable Player of The Month is Jonathan Lucroy with 1 Honorable Mention
Friday, July 31, 2020
Yankees Shut Down Sox (7/31/20)
If you were to tell me the Boston Red Sox would hold the high powered New York Yankees to 3 runs through 7 innings I would have said the Sox should win. Not only did the Sox lose, they lost badly. The immortal Jordan Montgomery held the Sox to 5 hits and a run in n 5 2/3 innings. The Yankees bullpen allowed just a walk in the next 3 1/3 as the offense went quiet as a mouse. Ryan Weber (0-2, 11.57 ERA) failed to get out of the fourth inning and the Yankees easily defeated the Red Sox 5-1 at Yankee Stadium.
Montgomery got the ball in the top of the first and Kevin Pillar struck out swinging to start. JD Martinez grounded out to second and Rafael Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Weber got the ball in the bottom of the first and DJ LeMahieu somehow grounded out to third to start. Shockingly Aaron Judge grounded out to short but Gleyber Torres singled to left. Giancarlo Stanton grounded into a force to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts popped up to second to start. Christian Vazquez popped up to short and Alex Verdugo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Yankees almost struck in the bottom of the second as Aaron Hicks walked to start. Somehow Luke Voit flied out to right and Gio Urshela lined out to center. Brett Gardner walked but Kyle Higashioka grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Chavis blasted his first home run of the year to put Boston on top. Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed but Jose Peraza lined a base hit past LeMahieu. Pillar singled to center to put Montgomery on the ropes but Martinez hit a bullet to Judge who doubled off Pillar to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Chavis with a home run
The Yankees wasted no time pounding Weber in the bottom of the third as LeMahieu singled to center to begin. Judge effortlessly crushed a 700,000 foot bomb to put the Yankees up for good. Torres grounded out to third and Stanton flied out to left, but Hicks walked. Voit grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 2-1 Yankees.
Judge hits one out
The Sox looked to rally in the top of the fourth when Devers was plunked to start. Bogaerts singled to left but Vazquez was rung up for strike three. Verdugo hit a routine grounder to Montgomery who booted it to load the bases. This time Chavis banged into a double play to end the inning. Weber didn't last long in the bottom of the fourth as Urshela swatted a 30,000 foot home run to ice the game. Gardner walked but was forced on the Higashioka grounder. Sox manager Ron Roenicke decided to cut his losses and lift Weber after just 3 1/3 innings. Giving up only 3 runs can only be classified as a miracle. Phillips Valdez came in and got LeMahieu to ground into a force before striking out Judge swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.
Weber doesn't last long
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as JBJ grounded out to second to start. Peraza went down hacking and Pillar lined out to center to end the inning. Valdez held the fort in the bottom of the fifth although Torres beat out an infield single to start. Torres moved to second on a grounder by Stanton then to third on a grounder by Hicks. Voit struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox had their only scoring chance in the top of the sixth when Martinez walked to start. Devers banged into a double play but Bogaerts singled to chase Montgomery who threw his best game ever against the Sox. Chad Green came in and the Sox offense said "we're through for the night." Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning. Valdez did what he could to keep the Sox in the game in the bottom of the sixth. Urshela singled to start but was forced at second by Gardner. Higashioka flied out to left but LeMahieu singled to right. Valdez struck out Judge again swinging to end the inning. Valdez has been a nice find in this dreary season so far.
Valdez keeps the Sox in it
3-1 may have been 300-1 in the top of the seventh as Verdugo whiffed badly to start. Chavis lined out weakly to center and JBJ whiffed again to end the inning. Austin Brice came in for the bottom of the seventh and Torres grounded out to short to start. Stanton was hit with a pitch but was thrown out trying to steal on a strike em' out, throw em out double play by Hicks to end the inning.
Peraza took strike three to begin the top of the eighth before Pillar also watched strike three go by. Adam Ottavino came in and get Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. Colten Brewer came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth inning as Voit walked to start. Tyler Wade pinch ran for Voit and Urshela grounded out to short. A passed ball moved Wade to third but Gardner cleared the bases with a 10,000 foot home run. Higashioka lined out to short and LeMahieu singled to left. Judge grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 5-1 Yankees.
Damn Yankees
Jonathan Holder came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers whiffed to start. Bogaerts became the first baserunner since the 6th inning with a walk but was erased on the Vazquez force. Verdugo grounded out to end the game. The Sox were lifeless as the Yankees won it 5-1.
This sucks
Jackass of the Night is Colten Brewer. Not that the Sox offense gave a damn, but him giving up 2 runs in the eighth put the game completely out of reach.
Nice going Jackass
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a walk.
Michael Chavis was 1 for 3 with a solo home run.
Jose Peraza was 1 for 3.
Phillips Valdez tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Austin Brice pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
The Bad:
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Ryan Weber took the loss by allowing 3 runs in just 3 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Kevin Pillar was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch
Final Thoughts:
Remember last September when Chris Sale and David Price were out for the season and the Red Sox were borderline unwatchable. Who would have thought that the Sox would even be worse now? Sale's gone, Price is gone, Eduardo Rodriguez is out for a while and the worst part is the Sox brass didn't replace any of them. At least the Sox had Mookie Betts to watch back then, now they don't even have that. Say what you will about the trashbag pitching, the offense is the real culprit of this bad start. The Sox haven't scored more than 6 runs since Opening Day and its hard for them to get motivated when management clearly gave up on them. The most telling thing was manager Ron Roenicke after the game saying he started Weber because there's nobody else. Roenicke may be a figurehead but at least he knows what's going on. Chaim Bloom left the team out to dry this season, possibly under orders from John Henry and the team itself has to sit there and take a beating day after day. The Yankees aren't nearly as good as their fans claim to be but the Sox are out-manned and outgunned. The loss drops the Sox to 3-5 and its not going to get any better tomorrow night. Zack Godley gets the start against Masahiro Tanaka at 7:07 PM PM at Yankee Stadium.
Montgomery got the ball in the top of the first and Kevin Pillar struck out swinging to start. JD Martinez grounded out to second and Rafael Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Weber got the ball in the bottom of the first and DJ LeMahieu somehow grounded out to third to start. Shockingly Aaron Judge grounded out to short but Gleyber Torres singled to left. Giancarlo Stanton grounded into a force to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts popped up to second to start. Christian Vazquez popped up to short and Alex Verdugo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Yankees almost struck in the bottom of the second as Aaron Hicks walked to start. Somehow Luke Voit flied out to right and Gio Urshela lined out to center. Brett Gardner walked but Kyle Higashioka grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Chavis blasted his first home run of the year to put Boston on top. Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed but Jose Peraza lined a base hit past LeMahieu. Pillar singled to center to put Montgomery on the ropes but Martinez hit a bullet to Judge who doubled off Pillar to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
The Yankees wasted no time pounding Weber in the bottom of the third as LeMahieu singled to center to begin. Judge effortlessly crushed a 700,000 foot bomb to put the Yankees up for good. Torres grounded out to third and Stanton flied out to left, but Hicks walked. Voit grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 2-1 Yankees.
The Sox looked to rally in the top of the fourth when Devers was plunked to start. Bogaerts singled to left but Vazquez was rung up for strike three. Verdugo hit a routine grounder to Montgomery who booted it to load the bases. This time Chavis banged into a double play to end the inning. Weber didn't last long in the bottom of the fourth as Urshela swatted a 30,000 foot home run to ice the game. Gardner walked but was forced on the Higashioka grounder. Sox manager Ron Roenicke decided to cut his losses and lift Weber after just 3 1/3 innings. Giving up only 3 runs can only be classified as a miracle. Phillips Valdez came in and got LeMahieu to ground into a force before striking out Judge swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as JBJ grounded out to second to start. Peraza went down hacking and Pillar lined out to center to end the inning. Valdez held the fort in the bottom of the fifth although Torres beat out an infield single to start. Torres moved to second on a grounder by Stanton then to third on a grounder by Hicks. Voit struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox had their only scoring chance in the top of the sixth when Martinez walked to start. Devers banged into a double play but Bogaerts singled to chase Montgomery who threw his best game ever against the Sox. Chad Green came in and the Sox offense said "we're through for the night." Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning. Valdez did what he could to keep the Sox in the game in the bottom of the sixth. Urshela singled to start but was forced at second by Gardner. Higashioka flied out to left but LeMahieu singled to right. Valdez struck out Judge again swinging to end the inning. Valdez has been a nice find in this dreary season so far.
3-1 may have been 300-1 in the top of the seventh as Verdugo whiffed badly to start. Chavis lined out weakly to center and JBJ whiffed again to end the inning. Austin Brice came in for the bottom of the seventh and Torres grounded out to short to start. Stanton was hit with a pitch but was thrown out trying to steal on a strike em' out, throw em out double play by Hicks to end the inning.
Peraza took strike three to begin the top of the eighth before Pillar also watched strike three go by. Adam Ottavino came in and get Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. Colten Brewer came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth inning as Voit walked to start. Tyler Wade pinch ran for Voit and Urshela grounded out to short. A passed ball moved Wade to third but Gardner cleared the bases with a 10,000 foot home run. Higashioka lined out to short and LeMahieu singled to left. Judge grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 5-1 Yankees.
Jonathan Holder came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers whiffed to start. Bogaerts became the first baserunner since the 6th inning with a walk but was erased on the Vazquez force. Verdugo grounded out to end the game. The Sox were lifeless as the Yankees won it 5-1.
Jackass of the Night is Colten Brewer. Not that the Sox offense gave a damn, but him giving up 2 runs in the eighth put the game completely out of reach.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a walk.
Michael Chavis was 1 for 3 with a solo home run.
Jose Peraza was 1 for 3.
Phillips Valdez tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Austin Brice pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
The Bad:
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Ryan Weber took the loss by allowing 3 runs in just 3 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Kevin Pillar was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch
Final Thoughts:
Remember last September when Chris Sale and David Price were out for the season and the Red Sox were borderline unwatchable. Who would have thought that the Sox would even be worse now? Sale's gone, Price is gone, Eduardo Rodriguez is out for a while and the worst part is the Sox brass didn't replace any of them. At least the Sox had Mookie Betts to watch back then, now they don't even have that. Say what you will about the trashbag pitching, the offense is the real culprit of this bad start. The Sox haven't scored more than 6 runs since Opening Day and its hard for them to get motivated when management clearly gave up on them. The most telling thing was manager Ron Roenicke after the game saying he started Weber because there's nobody else. Roenicke may be a figurehead but at least he knows what's going on. Chaim Bloom left the team out to dry this season, possibly under orders from John Henry and the team itself has to sit there and take a beating day after day. The Yankees aren't nearly as good as their fans claim to be but the Sox are out-manned and outgunned. The loss drops the Sox to 3-5 and its not going to get any better tomorrow night. Zack Godley gets the start against Masahiro Tanaka at 7:07 PM PM at Yankee Stadium.
Thursday, July 30, 2020
Perez, Sox Defeat Mets (7/30/20)
Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox HAVE WON TWO IN A ROW!!! Martin Perez (1-1, 5.06 ERA) pitched well in his sophomore effort, going nearly 6 innings and allowing just two runs. Christian Vazquez strongarmed the Sox offense with 2 home runs and 3 total rbis. The good members of the Boston bullpen combined to toss 3 1/3 scoreless innings to nail down the win. The Sox head to the Bronx on a high note after their 4-2 win at Citi Field.
Randy Quaid is happy....for now
Steven Matz got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Peraza flied out to left to start. Kevin Pillar flied out to right but JD Martinez singled to third and took second on a throwing error by Jeff McNeil. Xander Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Somehow Perez didn't puke on himself in the bottom of the first as Amed Rosario grounded out to short to start. Pete Alonso also grounded out to short but McNeil singled to second. JD Davis whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second when Christian Vazquez clobbered his 3rd home run of the season to center to start. Alex Verdugo singled to first but Michael Chavis whiffed. Verdugo then got picked off second as Andrew Benintendi drew a walk. Jonathan Arauz lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Vazquez puts the Sox on top
Michael Conforto walked to start the bottom of the second but Yoenis Cespedes took strike three. Conforto was thrown out stealing by the alert Vazquez before Brian Dozier took strike three to end the inning.
Peraza singled to left to start the top of the third but Pillar flied out to left. Peraza took second on the grounder by Martinez but was thrown out trying to steal third to end the inning. Perez finally fell apart in the bottom of the third as Wilson Ramos walked to start. Brandon Nimmo was plunked before Rosario beat out a double play ball. Alonso walked to load the bases and McNeil effortlessly singled to left to score Bimmo and Rosario to give the Mets the lead. Davis flied out to center and Conforto whiffed to end the inning but the Mets were up 2-1.
McNeil puts the Sox on top
The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth when Bogaerts got a lucky hit down the third base line to start. Vazquez continued his hot streak with a 2 run blast to almost the same spot as before to give the Sox the lead back. Verdugo whiffed but Chavis got his first hit of the season to right. Benintendi flied out to center and Arauz grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
One man wrecking crew
Cespedes hit a routine grounder to Peraza who spun in a circle and heaved the ball directly out of Citi Field for an error to start the bottom of the fourth. Dozier banged into a double play and Ramos whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox failed to score in the top of the fifth as Peraza popped up to first to start. Pillar walked but Martinez lined out to second. Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning. Somehow Perez cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Nimmo grounded out to first to start. Rosario and Alonso both flied out to right to end the inning.
Nothing happened in the top of the sixth as Vazquez whiffed to start. Verdugo singled to left to chase Matz. Drew Smith came in and Chavis whiffed again. Benintendi grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Perez got McNeil to line out to right to start the bottom of the sixth. Davis walked but Conforto lined out to left. For some ungodly reason Sox manager Ron Roenicke felt Perez couldn't get one more batter. Still, Perez looked a hell of a lot better than his season debut. He tossed 5 2/3 innings of 2 run ball to put himself in line for the win. Heath Hembree came in to strike out Cespedes swinging to end the inning.
"Hey, umpire! I told you I don't suck!" - Perez
The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh inning as Arauz lined out to center to start. Peraza whiffed and Pillar grounded out to second to end the inning. Hembree got in trouble in the bottom of the seventh as pinch hitter Robinson Cano singled to right to start. Andres Giminez pinch ran for Cano and swiped second but Ramos grounded out to short. Nimmo whiffed and Rosario grounded out to short to end the inning.
Jeurys Familia shut down the Sox in the top of the eighth as Martinez whiffed to start. Bogaerts flied out to right and Vazquez whiffed to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to give everybody a heart attack in the bottom of the eighth inning. Alonso was plunked to start before McNeil lined out to left. Davis singled Alonso to third and Ryan Cordell pinch ran for JD. Barnes stepped up by blowing away Conforto but Cordell swiped second and Cespedes walked to load the bases. Somehow Barnes got Gimenez to ground out to first to end the inning after throwing 37 pitches.
The Sox got some much needed insurance in the top of the ninth against the wild Edwin Diaz. Verdugo walked and Chavis hit a cue shot into right field to start. Benintendi walked and Rafael Devers pinch hit for Arauz. Devers swung and missed at a pitch up in his eyes for strike three but Peraza was hit twice in the same at bat to score Verdugo. Paul Sewald came in and got Pillar swinging and Martinez to fly out to center to end the inning, but the Sox were ahead 4-2.
"Owowowowowowwwwwww!!!" - Peraza
Brandon Workman came in to nail down the save in the bottom of the ninth working his third game in a row. Ramos grounded out to third but Nimmo singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Workman struck out Rosario and Alonso swinging to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 4-2.
"Had em all the way!" - Workman
Hero of the Night is easy. Christian Vazquez carried the offense with 2 home runs, 3 total rbis and throwing out a runner trying to steal
Our Hero Vazquez
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Michael Chavis was 2 for 4.
Andrew Benintendi walked twice in four plate appearances.
Martin Perez got his first win of the season with 5 2/3 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 5.
Heath Hembree tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Brandon Workman earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 3.
Rafael Devers struck out as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Jose Peraza was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but was hit with a pitch to drive in a run.
Kevin Pillar was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drew a walk.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
That's more like it Martin Perez. The Sox offense is still having trouble scoring but the trio of Hembree, Workman and Barnes plus Christian Vazquez is trying to strong arm the Sox out of their early funk. If the Sox had ONE more proven starter whether its Rick Porcello or somebody off the scrap heap like Martin Perez, they'd actually be somewhat competitive until Eduardo Rodriguez returns. With guys testing positive for Covid left and right, this could be a season of last man standing. Tonight was a good, much needed win because it showed the Sox could come back and win the close ones. The good news ends right there because the New York Yankees are on the horizon. Not only are they going to be at home, the Sox will be throwing out their bottom three "starters". But wait there's MORE! Hembree, Barnes and Workman are taxed and will probably be unavailable for tomorrow night's game. If there ever was a strategic loss, tomorrow night could be it. As for this game, good win! The win improved the Sox to 3-4. The Sox now pack their bags and head about 200 yards to face the Yankees. Ryan Weber (0-1, 14.73 ERA) goes for the Sox against Jordan Montgomery at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium....god help us.
Steven Matz got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Peraza flied out to left to start. Kevin Pillar flied out to right but JD Martinez singled to third and took second on a throwing error by Jeff McNeil. Xander Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Somehow Perez didn't puke on himself in the bottom of the first as Amed Rosario grounded out to short to start. Pete Alonso also grounded out to short but McNeil singled to second. JD Davis whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second when Christian Vazquez clobbered his 3rd home run of the season to center to start. Alex Verdugo singled to first but Michael Chavis whiffed. Verdugo then got picked off second as Andrew Benintendi drew a walk. Jonathan Arauz lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Michael Conforto walked to start the bottom of the second but Yoenis Cespedes took strike three. Conforto was thrown out stealing by the alert Vazquez before Brian Dozier took strike three to end the inning.
Peraza singled to left to start the top of the third but Pillar flied out to left. Peraza took second on the grounder by Martinez but was thrown out trying to steal third to end the inning. Perez finally fell apart in the bottom of the third as Wilson Ramos walked to start. Brandon Nimmo was plunked before Rosario beat out a double play ball. Alonso walked to load the bases and McNeil effortlessly singled to left to score Bimmo and Rosario to give the Mets the lead. Davis flied out to center and Conforto whiffed to end the inning but the Mets were up 2-1.
The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth when Bogaerts got a lucky hit down the third base line to start. Vazquez continued his hot streak with a 2 run blast to almost the same spot as before to give the Sox the lead back. Verdugo whiffed but Chavis got his first hit of the season to right. Benintendi flied out to center and Arauz grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
Cespedes hit a routine grounder to Peraza who spun in a circle and heaved the ball directly out of Citi Field for an error to start the bottom of the fourth. Dozier banged into a double play and Ramos whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox failed to score in the top of the fifth as Peraza popped up to first to start. Pillar walked but Martinez lined out to second. Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning. Somehow Perez cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Nimmo grounded out to first to start. Rosario and Alonso both flied out to right to end the inning.
Nothing happened in the top of the sixth as Vazquez whiffed to start. Verdugo singled to left to chase Matz. Drew Smith came in and Chavis whiffed again. Benintendi grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Perez got McNeil to line out to right to start the bottom of the sixth. Davis walked but Conforto lined out to left. For some ungodly reason Sox manager Ron Roenicke felt Perez couldn't get one more batter. Still, Perez looked a hell of a lot better than his season debut. He tossed 5 2/3 innings of 2 run ball to put himself in line for the win. Heath Hembree came in to strike out Cespedes swinging to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh inning as Arauz lined out to center to start. Peraza whiffed and Pillar grounded out to second to end the inning. Hembree got in trouble in the bottom of the seventh as pinch hitter Robinson Cano singled to right to start. Andres Giminez pinch ran for Cano and swiped second but Ramos grounded out to short. Nimmo whiffed and Rosario grounded out to short to end the inning.
Jeurys Familia shut down the Sox in the top of the eighth as Martinez whiffed to start. Bogaerts flied out to right and Vazquez whiffed to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to give everybody a heart attack in the bottom of the eighth inning. Alonso was plunked to start before McNeil lined out to left. Davis singled Alonso to third and Ryan Cordell pinch ran for JD. Barnes stepped up by blowing away Conforto but Cordell swiped second and Cespedes walked to load the bases. Somehow Barnes got Gimenez to ground out to first to end the inning after throwing 37 pitches.
The Sox got some much needed insurance in the top of the ninth against the wild Edwin Diaz. Verdugo walked and Chavis hit a cue shot into right field to start. Benintendi walked and Rafael Devers pinch hit for Arauz. Devers swung and missed at a pitch up in his eyes for strike three but Peraza was hit twice in the same at bat to score Verdugo. Paul Sewald came in and got Pillar swinging and Martinez to fly out to center to end the inning, but the Sox were ahead 4-2.
Brandon Workman came in to nail down the save in the bottom of the ninth working his third game in a row. Ramos grounded out to third but Nimmo singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Workman struck out Rosario and Alonso swinging to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 4-2.
Hero of the Night is easy. Christian Vazquez carried the offense with 2 home runs, 3 total rbis and throwing out a runner trying to steal
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Michael Chavis was 2 for 4.
Andrew Benintendi walked twice in four plate appearances.
Martin Perez got his first win of the season with 5 2/3 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 5.
Heath Hembree tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Brandon Workman earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 3.
Rafael Devers struck out as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Jose Peraza was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but was hit with a pitch to drive in a run.
Kevin Pillar was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drew a walk.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
That's more like it Martin Perez. The Sox offense is still having trouble scoring but the trio of Hembree, Workman and Barnes plus Christian Vazquez is trying to strong arm the Sox out of their early funk. If the Sox had ONE more proven starter whether its Rick Porcello or somebody off the scrap heap like Martin Perez, they'd actually be somewhat competitive until Eduardo Rodriguez returns. With guys testing positive for Covid left and right, this could be a season of last man standing. Tonight was a good, much needed win because it showed the Sox could come back and win the close ones. The good news ends right there because the New York Yankees are on the horizon. Not only are they going to be at home, the Sox will be throwing out their bottom three "starters". But wait there's MORE! Hembree, Barnes and Workman are taxed and will probably be unavailable for tomorrow night's game. If there ever was a strategic loss, tomorrow night could be it. As for this game, good win! The win improved the Sox to 3-4. The Sox now pack their bags and head about 200 yards to face the Yankees. Ryan Weber (0-1, 14.73 ERA) goes for the Sox against Jordan Montgomery at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium....god help us.
Wednesday, July 29, 2020
Sox Hold On To Beat Mets (7/29/20)
Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Jonathan Lucroy was designated for assignment. With Kevin Plawecki showing some signs of life as the backup catcher, Lucroy never really had a chance. Meanwhile the Sox called up yet another no-name bum pitcher to replace him. Somebody named Chris Mazza took Lucroy's spot on the roster.
OUT
IN
As for the game, somehow the Boston Red Sox snapped their 4 game losing streak by outlasting the best pitcher in the National League. The New York Mets trotted out their ace Jake deGrom but the Sox got to him for 2 runs in 6 innings to keep the game close. The normally inept Sox offense tied the game in the top of the seventh and took the lead in the eighth against the Mets bullpen. The Sox bullpen then tried to give the game away by allowing 2 runs. As it was, the Sox won their second game of the season by the skin of their teeth 6-5 at Citi Field.
"We won?"
The Sox were futile in the top of the first inning as Andrew Benintendi popped up weakly to center to start. JD Martinez got a lucky double to center but Rafael Devers lined a weak shot to center. Mitch Moreland popped up weakly to left to end the inning. Naturally the Mets took 5 seconds to pounce on Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi. Brandon Nimmo flied out to left but Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso and Michael Conforto easily singled to load the bases. Dominic Smith beat out a double play ball to score McNeil to put the Mets on top. Yoenis Cespedes whiffed to end the inning but the Mets were up 1-0.
deGrom laughs at the Sox
The Sox did absolutely nothing in the top of the second as Christian Vazquez grounded out weakly to first to begin. Alex Verdugo grounded out weakly to second and Jose Peraza swung and missed at a pitch headed to the backstop to end the inning. Robinson Cano popped up to short to start the bottom of the second but Andres Giminez singled to left. Eovaldi picked off Giminez and struck out Rene Rivera swinging to end the inning.
deGrom laughed at the Sox in the top of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed badly to start. Tzu-Wei Lin closed his eyes and swung at a pitch in the dirt for strike three although Benintendi drew a lucky walk. Naturally Benintendi was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Eovaldi kept tough in the bottom of the third as Nimmo took strike three to start. McNeil flied out to left but Alonso was plunked. Conforto grounded out to short to end the inning.
Somehow the Sox rallied in the top of the fourth although Martinez grounded out weakly to third to start. Somehow Devers got a lucky double to left and Moreland took advantage of a blown strike three call to double him home to tie the game. A wild pitch moved Moreland to third but naturally Vazquez grounded back to the mound. Suddenly deGrom uncorked another wild pitch and Moreland scored to give the Sox their first lead since Opening Day. Verdugo grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-1.
Sox take the lead
Eovaldi nearly gave the lead back as Smith effortlessly singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth. Cespedes followed with a base hit to left but Cano banged into a double play. Somehow Giminez popped up to short to end the inning.
The Sox failed to add to the lead in the top of the fifth as Peraza flied out to center to start. JBJ whiffed again and Lin flied out to left to end the inning. Finally the Mets came back in the bottom of the fifth although Rivera whiffed to start. Nimmo effortlessly hit a 400,000 foot home run into the Long Island Sound to tie the game. McNeil walked and Alonso singled to center, but Conforto banged into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2. That was it for Eovaldi as Sox manger Ron Roenicke felt more than 5 innings was too much for anyone.
5 and done for Eovaldi
The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Benintendi flied out to left to start. Martinez lined out to center and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Marcus Walden came in for the bottom of the sixth and crapped his pants. He did manage to punch out Smith and Cespedes swinging, but Cano singled to center. Giminez then tripled past JBJ to give the Mets the lead. Rivera took strike three to end the inning but it was 3-2 Mets.
Mets go on top
Somehow the Sox fought back in the top of the seventh against Seth Lugo. Moreland grounded out to third but Vazquez struck his second home run of the season to tie the game. Verdugo took strike three but Peraza flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Tie game
Josh Osich was brought in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and struck out Nimmo swinging to start. McNeil was hit by a pitch and Alonso singled to third before both runners moved over on the grounder Conforto. JD Davis pinch hit for Smith and Roenicke countered by bringing in Heath Hembree. Hembree punched out Davis to end the inning.
Somehow the Sox rallied in the top of the eighth with Justin Wilson on the mound. Kevin Pillar pinch hit for JBJ and dumped a base hit to left to start. Xander Bogaerts pinch hit for Tzu-Wei Lin and drew a walk. Jonathan Arauz pinch ran for Bogaerts as both runners moved over on the sacrifice bunt by Benintendi. Martinez was intentionally walked to load the bases but Devers whiffed. Somehow Moreland singled past third base to score Pillar with the go-ahead run. Vazquez then singled home both Arauz and Martinez to increase the lead. Verdugo walked to re-load the bases and chase Wilson. Dellin Betances came in but Peraza whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.
Sox take the lead
6 outs from victory naturally the Sox bullpen almost imploded. Matt Barnes came in for the bottom of the eighth and Cespedes bashed a 900,000 foot home run to cut into the lead. Cano singled to left but Giminez whiffed. Wilson Ramos pinch hit for Rivera and banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.
Dammit Barnes
Jeurys Famillia came in for the top of the ninth and Pillar grounded back to the mound to start. Arauz grounded out to first but Benintendi hit a ground rule double to left. Martinez whiffed to end the inning. 3 outs from victory Brandon Workman nearly imploded in the bottom of the ninth. Nimmo and McNeil drew back to back walks and Alonso blooped a single just over Moreland's head to load the bases. Somehow Workman froze Conforto for strike three but naturally Davis beat out an infield single to score Nimmo. Somehow Workman got Cespedes swinging on a curveball down in the dirt and Cano lined out to Peraza to end the game. Somehow the Sox had won the game 6-5.
"Had em all the way"
Hero of the Night is Mitch Moreland. He drove in 3 big runs to guide the Sox to victory.
Our Hero is safe
The Good:
Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 with a walk and a perfect sacrifice bunt.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis including a solo home run.
Kevin Pillar was 1 for 2 with a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts walked as a pinch hitter.
Nathan Eovaldi tossed 5 innings of 2 run ball, striking out 4.
Josh Osich got the first two outs of the 7th inning.
Heath Hembree got the win by striking out the only man he faced.
The Bad:
Jose Peraza was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.
Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Marcus Walden allowed a run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Matt Barnes allowed a run in the bottom of the 8th inning.
The Ugly:
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 1 at the plate but scored a run.
Brandon Workman got the save but allowed a run in the bottom of the 9th.
Final Thoughts:
We won? ITS A MIRACLE!!! Who would have thought the Sox would lay down and die in 4 straight games, two of which against the Baltimore Orioles....only to survive the best pitcher in the National League. Eovaldi kept pace for 5 innings and the much maligned offense got to the Mets bullpen for 4 runs. The Sox needed a win like this to get back on track especially against a pitcher like deGrom. The team is still a mess so any win needs to be celebrated. The problem is the Sox can't keep up any momentum because of the bums in their rotation. So if the Sox only have a chance to win 1 game out of 5, by god they got this one! The win improved the Sox to 2-4 with 54 games to go. The Sox somehow try to make it two in a row against the Mets when they send Martin Perez (0-1, 7.20) to the mound against Steven Matz at 7:07 PM at Citi Field.
As for the game, somehow the Boston Red Sox snapped their 4 game losing streak by outlasting the best pitcher in the National League. The New York Mets trotted out their ace Jake deGrom but the Sox got to him for 2 runs in 6 innings to keep the game close. The normally inept Sox offense tied the game in the top of the seventh and took the lead in the eighth against the Mets bullpen. The Sox bullpen then tried to give the game away by allowing 2 runs. As it was, the Sox won their second game of the season by the skin of their teeth 6-5 at Citi Field.
The Sox were futile in the top of the first inning as Andrew Benintendi popped up weakly to center to start. JD Martinez got a lucky double to center but Rafael Devers lined a weak shot to center. Mitch Moreland popped up weakly to left to end the inning. Naturally the Mets took 5 seconds to pounce on Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi. Brandon Nimmo flied out to left but Jeff McNeil, Pete Alonso and Michael Conforto easily singled to load the bases. Dominic Smith beat out a double play ball to score McNeil to put the Mets on top. Yoenis Cespedes whiffed to end the inning but the Mets were up 1-0.
The Sox did absolutely nothing in the top of the second as Christian Vazquez grounded out weakly to first to begin. Alex Verdugo grounded out weakly to second and Jose Peraza swung and missed at a pitch headed to the backstop to end the inning. Robinson Cano popped up to short to start the bottom of the second but Andres Giminez singled to left. Eovaldi picked off Giminez and struck out Rene Rivera swinging to end the inning.
deGrom laughed at the Sox in the top of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed badly to start. Tzu-Wei Lin closed his eyes and swung at a pitch in the dirt for strike three although Benintendi drew a lucky walk. Naturally Benintendi was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Eovaldi kept tough in the bottom of the third as Nimmo took strike three to start. McNeil flied out to left but Alonso was plunked. Conforto grounded out to short to end the inning.
Somehow the Sox rallied in the top of the fourth although Martinez grounded out weakly to third to start. Somehow Devers got a lucky double to left and Moreland took advantage of a blown strike three call to double him home to tie the game. A wild pitch moved Moreland to third but naturally Vazquez grounded back to the mound. Suddenly deGrom uncorked another wild pitch and Moreland scored to give the Sox their first lead since Opening Day. Verdugo grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 2-1.
Eovaldi nearly gave the lead back as Smith effortlessly singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth. Cespedes followed with a base hit to left but Cano banged into a double play. Somehow Giminez popped up to short to end the inning.
The Sox failed to add to the lead in the top of the fifth as Peraza flied out to center to start. JBJ whiffed again and Lin flied out to left to end the inning. Finally the Mets came back in the bottom of the fifth although Rivera whiffed to start. Nimmo effortlessly hit a 400,000 foot home run into the Long Island Sound to tie the game. McNeil walked and Alonso singled to center, but Conforto banged into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2. That was it for Eovaldi as Sox manger Ron Roenicke felt more than 5 innings was too much for anyone.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Benintendi flied out to left to start. Martinez lined out to center and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Marcus Walden came in for the bottom of the sixth and crapped his pants. He did manage to punch out Smith and Cespedes swinging, but Cano singled to center. Giminez then tripled past JBJ to give the Mets the lead. Rivera took strike three to end the inning but it was 3-2 Mets.
Somehow the Sox fought back in the top of the seventh against Seth Lugo. Moreland grounded out to third but Vazquez struck his second home run of the season to tie the game. Verdugo took strike three but Peraza flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Josh Osich was brought in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and struck out Nimmo swinging to start. McNeil was hit by a pitch and Alonso singled to third before both runners moved over on the grounder Conforto. JD Davis pinch hit for Smith and Roenicke countered by bringing in Heath Hembree. Hembree punched out Davis to end the inning.
Somehow the Sox rallied in the top of the eighth with Justin Wilson on the mound. Kevin Pillar pinch hit for JBJ and dumped a base hit to left to start. Xander Bogaerts pinch hit for Tzu-Wei Lin and drew a walk. Jonathan Arauz pinch ran for Bogaerts as both runners moved over on the sacrifice bunt by Benintendi. Martinez was intentionally walked to load the bases but Devers whiffed. Somehow Moreland singled past third base to score Pillar with the go-ahead run. Vazquez then singled home both Arauz and Martinez to increase the lead. Verdugo walked to re-load the bases and chase Wilson. Dellin Betances came in but Peraza whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.
6 outs from victory naturally the Sox bullpen almost imploded. Matt Barnes came in for the bottom of the eighth and Cespedes bashed a 900,000 foot home run to cut into the lead. Cano singled to left but Giminez whiffed. Wilson Ramos pinch hit for Rivera and banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.
Jeurys Famillia came in for the top of the ninth and Pillar grounded back to the mound to start. Arauz grounded out to first but Benintendi hit a ground rule double to left. Martinez whiffed to end the inning. 3 outs from victory Brandon Workman nearly imploded in the bottom of the ninth. Nimmo and McNeil drew back to back walks and Alonso blooped a single just over Moreland's head to load the bases. Somehow Workman froze Conforto for strike three but naturally Davis beat out an infield single to score Nimmo. Somehow Workman got Cespedes swinging on a curveball down in the dirt and Cano lined out to Peraza to end the game. Somehow the Sox had won the game 6-5.
Hero of the Night is Mitch Moreland. He drove in 3 big runs to guide the Sox to victory.
The Good:
Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 with a walk and a perfect sacrifice bunt.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis including a solo home run.
Kevin Pillar was 1 for 2 with a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts walked as a pinch hitter.
Nathan Eovaldi tossed 5 innings of 2 run ball, striking out 4.
Josh Osich got the first two outs of the 7th inning.
Heath Hembree got the win by striking out the only man he faced.
The Bad:
Jose Peraza was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.
Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Marcus Walden allowed a run in the bottom of the sixth inning.
Matt Barnes allowed a run in the bottom of the 8th inning.
The Ugly:
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 1 at the plate but scored a run.
Brandon Workman got the save but allowed a run in the bottom of the 9th.
Final Thoughts:
We won? ITS A MIRACLE!!! Who would have thought the Sox would lay down and die in 4 straight games, two of which against the Baltimore Orioles....only to survive the best pitcher in the National League. Eovaldi kept pace for 5 innings and the much maligned offense got to the Mets bullpen for 4 runs. The Sox needed a win like this to get back on track especially against a pitcher like deGrom. The team is still a mess so any win needs to be celebrated. The problem is the Sox can't keep up any momentum because of the bums in their rotation. So if the Sox only have a chance to win 1 game out of 5, by god they got this one! The win improved the Sox to 2-4 with 54 games to go. The Sox somehow try to make it two in a row against the Mets when they send Martin Perez (0-1, 7.20) to the mound against Steven Matz at 7:07 PM at Citi Field.
Tuesday, July 28, 2020
Mets Pound Sox at Fenway (7/28/20)
At this point its becoming painful to watch the Boston Red Sox this season. For the fourth day in a row they started someone off the scrap heap and for the fourth day in a row the pitching staff gave up at least 7 runs. Somebody named Matt Hall who only pitched in a few big league games previously got lit up for 3 runs in less than 3 innings against the New York Mets. Austin Brice and Ryan Brasier allowed 5 runs combined and the Sox offense remained asleep for the fourth game in a row. Hard to win games when you can't pitch or hit and the Sox didn't win this one. The Mets easily won this game 8-3 at Fenway Park.
Hall made his Red Sox debut in the top of the first inning and surprisingly did NOT crap his pants. Amed Rosario flied out to right and Pete Alonso went down hacking. Jeff McNeil grounded out to short to end the inning. Jose Peraza tried to start a rally in the bottom of the first against David Peterson with a base hit...but was thrown out at second trying to stretch. JD Martinez whiffed on a pitch not even close and Rafael Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.
As usual the Sox fell behind in the top of the second as JD Davis singled to start. Michael Conforto took strike three but old friend Yoenis Cespedes was hit with a pitch. Robinson Cano effortlessly doubled to left to score Davis to put the Mets up for good. Wilson Ramos grounded out to third but Brandon Nimmo walked to load the bases. Naturally Rosario laughed as he singled to right to score both Cespedes and Cano. JBJ had to climb the centerfield wall to rob Alonso of a home run to end the inning but the game was over 3-0.
"This is easy" - Rosario
As usual when the Sox fell behind, they failed to come back. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right to start but Kevin Pillar got a lucky infield single to short. Pillar took second when Conforto reached into the stands to get a pop up from Michael Chavis but Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to left to end the inning.
The end came quickly for Hall in the top of the third as McNeil flied out to left to start. Davis whiffed but Conforto drew a walk to chase him. Once again the Sox went with a bum to start the game and for the fourth straight game, they failed because of it. Hall lasted just 2 2/3 innings and gave up 3 runs.
Devers wants this season to end so bad
Austin Brice came in and Conforto stole second, but Cespedes struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox pulled off a perfect microcosm of their terrible season in the bottom of the third. Kevin Plawecki doubled to left to start and Andrew Benintendi walked. Jose Peraza drilled a single to load the bases but Martinez struck out swinging. Devers hit a bullet to Cano and the Mets caight Benintendi in a run-down to end the inning. Plawecki did score during the rundown, but in essence in the Sox had the bases loaded with nobody out and did nothing. The Sox were down 3-1 and the fans would boo if there were any.
"You're out you dummy!"
Somehow Brice didnt crap his pants in the top of the fourth inning. Cano walked but Ramos struck out swinging. Cano moved to second on the force by Nimmo but Rosario grounded back to the mound to end the inning. As usual the Sox failed to come back when trailing in the bottom of the fourth. Bogaerts lined out to right, Pillar lined out to center and Chavis flied out to right to end the inning.
The Mets iced the game in the top of the fifth although Alonso grounded out to second to start. McNeil singled and Davis bashed a 5,000,000 foot home run halfway to Delaware to put the game out of reach. That was it for Brice who surrendered two runs again. Colten Brewer came in and Confirto went down swinging. Cespedes grounded out to third to end the inning with the Mets up 5-1.
"Game over"
JBJ whiffed to begin the bottom of the fifth but Plawecki singled to third and took second on a throwing error. Benintendi walked but naturally Peraza banged into a double play to end the inning.
Plawecki made a rare error to allow Cano to reach in the top of the sixth. Ramos singled Cano to third but could only go to second on the Nimmo grounder. Somehow Brewer struck out Rosario swinging and got Alonso to fly out to left to end the inning. The Sox showed some life in the bottom of the sixth although Martinez grounded out to third to start. Devers doubled to center but Bogaerts lined out to left. Pillar doubled home Devers to cut the lead and chase Peterson. Drew Smith came in to pitch as Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Chavis. Naturally Moreland whiffed to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.
Pillar with an rbi
McNeil grounded out to second to open the top of the seventh but Davis was hit with a pitch. Conforto struck out swinging again and Cespedes also went down hacking to end the inning. Good to see Brewer toss 2 2/3 solid innings.
Yeoman's effort for Brewer
Jake Marisnick took over for Davis while playing center with Nimmo going to left with Justin Wilson on the mound for the bottom of the seventh. The Sox rolled over as JBJ popped to short, Plawecki grounded out to third and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning. Say what you will about the dumpster diving pitching, the offense has scored 4 runs a less in 4 straight games.
Ryan Brasier made his season debut in the top of the eighth and puked on himself. Cano singled to left and Andres Giminez ran for him. Giminez moved to second on the Ramos grounder and scored on the Nimmo double to right. Rosario grounded out to short but Alonso walked and McNeil cleared the bases with a double to center to wrap up the scoring. Marisnick flied out to center to end the inning with the Mets up 8-2.
"Make it stop" - Plawecki
Dellin Betances came in for the bottom of the eighth and Peraza grounded out to third to start. Martinez grounded out to short but Devers singled to left. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.
Sox closer Brandon Workman made his season debut in the top of the ninth inning but Conforto greeted him with a single to right. Cespedes banged into a double play and Giminez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox had a too little too late rally against Hunter Strickland in the bottom of the ninth. Pillar doubled to right and moved to third on the Moreland grounder. JBJ grounded out to short to score Pillar but Plawecki singled. How big were the 5 runs allowed by Brice and Brasier now? Benintendi whiffed to end the game, the Mets had won it 8-3.
Another loss
Jackass of the Night is Austin Brice. He turned a 3-1 game into a 5-1 one and the Sox couldn't recover
"This guy sucks!" - Umpire
The Good:
Jose Peraza was 2 for 4.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Kevin Pillar was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Kevin Plawecki was 3 for 4 with a run scored.
Colten Brewer tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 2.
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Matt Hall allowed 3 runs in just 2 2/3 innings.
Ryan Brasier allowed 3 runs in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and got caught in a run down, but walked twice.
Final Thoughts:
With MLB postponing games after the latest Covid outbreak, the Sox and their fans can't wait until the season gets cancelled. Its one thing for a pitching staff not to work out, like in 1997 and 2015, its another thing to not even make an attempt to improve it. The pitchers the Sox have sent out after Nathan Eovaldi aren't from the bargain bin, but from the bottom of the dumpster. Barely any of them should be in the league and they're in prominent positions on the Red Sox. How in the world can the Sox be competitive when they're down 3-5 runs before they even come to bat? The offense hasn't done themselves any favors either. They scored 13 runs on Opening Night and 12 runs total since. Having a new lineup by Sox manager Ron Roenicke every day isn't helping for consistency either. Can't even blame Roenicke because he's just an interim manager until Alex Cora comes back next year anyway. It would be nice if the Sox could find some starters that at least people have heard of. The Braves released Mike Foltynewicz because his velocity dropped from 94 to 89. As bad as all the guys that came after Eovaldi were, could he be any worse? The loss dropped the Sox to 1-4 on the season. The good news is tomorrow night the Sox will finally have a legitimate starting pitcher going. The bad news is Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 1.50 ERA) has to take on Mets ace Jake deGrom at 7:35 PM at Citi Field.
Hall made his Red Sox debut in the top of the first inning and surprisingly did NOT crap his pants. Amed Rosario flied out to right and Pete Alonso went down hacking. Jeff McNeil grounded out to short to end the inning. Jose Peraza tried to start a rally in the bottom of the first against David Peterson with a base hit...but was thrown out at second trying to stretch. JD Martinez whiffed on a pitch not even close and Rafael Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.
As usual the Sox fell behind in the top of the second as JD Davis singled to start. Michael Conforto took strike three but old friend Yoenis Cespedes was hit with a pitch. Robinson Cano effortlessly doubled to left to score Davis to put the Mets up for good. Wilson Ramos grounded out to third but Brandon Nimmo walked to load the bases. Naturally Rosario laughed as he singled to right to score both Cespedes and Cano. JBJ had to climb the centerfield wall to rob Alonso of a home run to end the inning but the game was over 3-0.
As usual when the Sox fell behind, they failed to come back. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right to start but Kevin Pillar got a lucky infield single to short. Pillar took second when Conforto reached into the stands to get a pop up from Michael Chavis but Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to left to end the inning.
The end came quickly for Hall in the top of the third as McNeil flied out to left to start. Davis whiffed but Conforto drew a walk to chase him. Once again the Sox went with a bum to start the game and for the fourth straight game, they failed because of it. Hall lasted just 2 2/3 innings and gave up 3 runs.
Austin Brice came in and Conforto stole second, but Cespedes struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox pulled off a perfect microcosm of their terrible season in the bottom of the third. Kevin Plawecki doubled to left to start and Andrew Benintendi walked. Jose Peraza drilled a single to load the bases but Martinez struck out swinging. Devers hit a bullet to Cano and the Mets caight Benintendi in a run-down to end the inning. Plawecki did score during the rundown, but in essence in the Sox had the bases loaded with nobody out and did nothing. The Sox were down 3-1 and the fans would boo if there were any.
Somehow Brice didnt crap his pants in the top of the fourth inning. Cano walked but Ramos struck out swinging. Cano moved to second on the force by Nimmo but Rosario grounded back to the mound to end the inning. As usual the Sox failed to come back when trailing in the bottom of the fourth. Bogaerts lined out to right, Pillar lined out to center and Chavis flied out to right to end the inning.
The Mets iced the game in the top of the fifth although Alonso grounded out to second to start. McNeil singled and Davis bashed a 5,000,000 foot home run halfway to Delaware to put the game out of reach. That was it for Brice who surrendered two runs again. Colten Brewer came in and Confirto went down swinging. Cespedes grounded out to third to end the inning with the Mets up 5-1.
JBJ whiffed to begin the bottom of the fifth but Plawecki singled to third and took second on a throwing error. Benintendi walked but naturally Peraza banged into a double play to end the inning.
Plawecki made a rare error to allow Cano to reach in the top of the sixth. Ramos singled Cano to third but could only go to second on the Nimmo grounder. Somehow Brewer struck out Rosario swinging and got Alonso to fly out to left to end the inning. The Sox showed some life in the bottom of the sixth although Martinez grounded out to third to start. Devers doubled to center but Bogaerts lined out to left. Pillar doubled home Devers to cut the lead and chase Peterson. Drew Smith came in to pitch as Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Chavis. Naturally Moreland whiffed to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.
McNeil grounded out to second to open the top of the seventh but Davis was hit with a pitch. Conforto struck out swinging again and Cespedes also went down hacking to end the inning. Good to see Brewer toss 2 2/3 solid innings.
Jake Marisnick took over for Davis while playing center with Nimmo going to left with Justin Wilson on the mound for the bottom of the seventh. The Sox rolled over as JBJ popped to short, Plawecki grounded out to third and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning. Say what you will about the dumpster diving pitching, the offense has scored 4 runs a less in 4 straight games.
Ryan Brasier made his season debut in the top of the eighth and puked on himself. Cano singled to left and Andres Giminez ran for him. Giminez moved to second on the Ramos grounder and scored on the Nimmo double to right. Rosario grounded out to short but Alonso walked and McNeil cleared the bases with a double to center to wrap up the scoring. Marisnick flied out to center to end the inning with the Mets up 8-2.
Dellin Betances came in for the bottom of the eighth and Peraza grounded out to third to start. Martinez grounded out to short but Devers singled to left. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.
Sox closer Brandon Workman made his season debut in the top of the ninth inning but Conforto greeted him with a single to right. Cespedes banged into a double play and Giminez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox had a too little too late rally against Hunter Strickland in the bottom of the ninth. Pillar doubled to right and moved to third on the Moreland grounder. JBJ grounded out to short to score Pillar but Plawecki singled. How big were the 5 runs allowed by Brice and Brasier now? Benintendi whiffed to end the game, the Mets had won it 8-3.
Jackass of the Night is Austin Brice. He turned a 3-1 game into a 5-1 one and the Sox couldn't recover
The Good:
Jose Peraza was 2 for 4.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Kevin Pillar was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Kevin Plawecki was 3 for 4 with a run scored.
Colten Brewer tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 2.
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Matt Hall allowed 3 runs in just 2 2/3 innings.
Ryan Brasier allowed 3 runs in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and got caught in a run down, but walked twice.
Final Thoughts:
With MLB postponing games after the latest Covid outbreak, the Sox and their fans can't wait until the season gets cancelled. Its one thing for a pitching staff not to work out, like in 1997 and 2015, its another thing to not even make an attempt to improve it. The pitchers the Sox have sent out after Nathan Eovaldi aren't from the bargain bin, but from the bottom of the dumpster. Barely any of them should be in the league and they're in prominent positions on the Red Sox. How in the world can the Sox be competitive when they're down 3-5 runs before they even come to bat? The offense hasn't done themselves any favors either. They scored 13 runs on Opening Night and 12 runs total since. Having a new lineup by Sox manager Ron Roenicke every day isn't helping for consistency either. Can't even blame Roenicke because he's just an interim manager until Alex Cora comes back next year anyway. It would be nice if the Sox could find some starters that at least people have heard of. The Braves released Mike Foltynewicz because his velocity dropped from 94 to 89. As bad as all the guys that came after Eovaldi were, could he be any worse? The loss dropped the Sox to 1-4 on the season. The good news is tomorrow night the Sox will finally have a legitimate starting pitcher going. The bad news is Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 1.50 ERA) has to take on Mets ace Jake deGrom at 7:35 PM at Citi Field.
Monday, July 27, 2020
Mets Annihilate Red Sox (7/27/20)
This may be the worst Boston Red Sox team in recorded history when this season is over. In yet another unmitigated disaster, the Sox laid a total egg against the New York Mets. The garbage bin pitching staff was lit up by the Mets almost effortlessly while the Sox offense gave up after the first inning. No Sox fan knew who Josh Osich and Jeffrey Springs were two weeks ago and they combined to give up 7 runs in 3 1/3 innings. Michael Wacha hasn't been effective in years yet he easily shut the Sox down for 5 innings. The Sox couldn't get the big hit when it mattered and the Mets won it 7-4 at Fenway Park.
The Sox were schizophrenic defensively in the top of the first inning with Josh Osich as the "opener". Amed Rosario hit a routine grounder to Jose Peraza who dove on the ball and dryland swam with it for an error. Pete Alonso lined out to center and Jeff McNeil hit a bullet off the glove of Rafael Devers. Xander Bogaerts picked it up and chased down Rosario although the umpires called him safe at third. Sox manager Ron Roenicke challenged the call and sure enough, replays showed Bogaerts got him on the heel and Rosario was out. McNeil then got picked off by Osich to end the inning.
"Hey get back here you!" - Bogaerts
Michael Wacha got the ball in the bottom of the first and Andrew Benintendi put down a drag bunt. He would have been out had Wacha not thrown the ball away, allowing Benintendi tor each. JD Martinez whiffed badly on a curve in the dirt before Rafael Devers also whiffed badly on a fastball right down the middle. Benintendi swiped second but Xander Bogaerts popped up to right to end the inning.
The Mets struck first in the top of the second as JD Davis walked to start. Michael Conforto effortlessly pounded a 2 run home run over the bullpen to put the Mets up for good. Somehow Osich struck out Wilson Ramos swinging and got Robinson Cano to ground out to second. Dominic Smith popped up to right to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-0.
No fans, no effort
As usual when the Sox fell behind, they didn't come back as Wacha easily cruised in the bottom of the second. Mitch Moreland weakly grounded out to first, Christian Vazquez weakly grounded to short and Alex Verdugo grounded into the shift to end the inning.
Jeffrey Springs made his Red Sox debut in the top of the third and Brandon Nimmo popped up to short to start. Rosario dumped a base hit to center and Alonso effortlessly pounded a home run off the Monster Seats to ice the game. Devers then threw a routine grounder by McNeil away for an error, but Springs somehow struck Davis out swinging. Conforto took strike three to end the inning but the game was over 4-0.
This sucks
Jackie Bradley Jr drew a 4 pitch walk to open the bottom of the third before Jose Peraza somehow singled to left but naturally Benintendi waived at a pitch nowhere near the plate and Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning.
The Mets tacked it on in the top of the fourth inning as Ramos hit a double off the centerfield wall one handed to start. Cano drew a full count walk and Smith blasted a 3 run bomb as the Mets dugout burst out laughing. Nimmo grounded out to first and finally Sox manager Ron Roenicke got Springs out of there. Springs was considered one of the worst pitchers last year so naturally the Sox signed him and also naturally he gives up 5 runs in 1 1/3 innings. Heath Hembree came in and Rosario grounded out to short before Alonso whiffed to end the inning with the Mets ahead 7-0.
Disgusting
The Sox finally showed some life in the bottom of the fourth although Devers lined out to short to start. Bogaerts gave up on strike three but Moreland pounded his second home run of the year to right to put the Sox on the board. Vazquez weakly popped up to right to end the inning with the Sox down 7-1.
Moreland breaks up the shutout
Zack Godley made his Red Sox debut in the top of the fifth and somehow struck out McNeil on a full count. Davis hit a chopper in front of the plate that both Godley and Vazquez booted for a "hit." Conforto was rung up on a check swing for strike three and Ramos grounded into a force to end the inning. Somehow Verdugo beat out an infield single to short to open the bottom of the fifth. Somehow JBJ singled up the middle to put two on and none out but naturally Peraza popped up to center. Benintendi hit a piece of crap grounder to Wacha to advance the runners but Martinez popped up weakly to right to end the inning. Say what you want about the pitching, but the Sox offense has scored fewer runs in three games than they did in two innings of Opening Day.
Godley returned for the top of the sixth and Cano popped up to first to start. Smith popped up to short but Nimmo singled to right. Rosario hit a seeing eye single to right but Alonso whiffed to end the inning. Devers showed how out of shape he was by failing to run out a booted grounder to start the bottom of the sixth against new pitcher Chasen Shreve. Bogaerts did give a glimmer of hope with his first home run of the season to cut the lead. Moreland tried to drag bunt but Shreve snuffed it out to retire him. Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning but it was 7-2 Mets.
Bogaerts with a home run
Godley came back for the top of the seventh and McNeil grounded out to first to start. Davis grounded out to second and Conferto whiffed to end the inning. If Roenicke had brought in Godley instead of Springs, maybe the Sox would have a chance now. The Sox offense failed to respond in the bottom of the seventh anyway as Jake Marisnick took over for Davis in center with Nimmo moving to right. Verdugo grounded out weakly to second, JBJ grounded out weakly to the mound and Peraza lined out to center to end the inning.
Godley cruised in the top of the eighth although Ramos singled to right to start. Godley struck out both Cano and Smith swinging before Nimmo was rung up to end the inning. Outstanding effort by Godley who struck out 7 in 4 innings of work.
Great effort by Godley
Meanwhile Benintendi continued to struggle by grounding out into the shift to start the bottom of the eighth against Jeurys Famillia. Martinez drew a walk and Devers finally broke out of his slump with an opposite field double off the Monster. Bogaerts could only score Martinez with a grounder to third. Moreland lined a base hit up the middle to score Devers to cut the lead. That was it for Famillia as Seth Lugo was brought in to pitch to Vazquez. On a full count...Vazquez swung and missed at a fastball down the middle to end the inning with the Sox down 7-4.
Phillips Valdez came in for the top of the ninth and froze Rosario for strike three to start. Alonso grounded back to the mound but McNeil singled to center. Marisnick popped up to Devers to end the inning. The game finally ended in the bottom of the ninth as Verdugo grounded out to second again to start. JBJ also grounded out to second and Peraza grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox drop their third straight game with a 7-4 loss.
Jackass of the Night is Jeffrey Springs. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings and put the game out of reach by allowing 5 runs.
Jackass Springs
The Good:
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored including a solo home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Heath Hembree retired the only two men he faced.
Zack Godley struck out 7 in 4 shutout innings pitched.
Phillips Valdez pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Josh Osich took the loss by allowing 2 runs in 2 innings.
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.
JD Martinez was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with an error but scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs including a solo home run.
Ryan Verdugo was just 1 for 4.
Jose Peraza was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
When notorious Red Sox buttkisser Dan Schaughnessy says the Sox gave up on this season, you know its serious. The Sox are trotting out pitchers that have no business being in the majors day after day and the only explanations are either Rachel Phelps secretly owns the team or they're tanking. If they're tanking, they sure picked the right year to do it with MLB in complete chaos with Covid cases popping up left and right. The Sox aren't even competitive at this point because the dumpster pitching puts the offense in a 5 run hole before they can even blink, and the offense presses to get something going because they have no choice. The Sox are going to have to score 8 runs a game in order to compete and that's damn near impossible. Tomorrow night the Sox lose to the Mets again with somebody named Matt Hall going for the Sox against nobody knows at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.
The Sox were schizophrenic defensively in the top of the first inning with Josh Osich as the "opener". Amed Rosario hit a routine grounder to Jose Peraza who dove on the ball and dryland swam with it for an error. Pete Alonso lined out to center and Jeff McNeil hit a bullet off the glove of Rafael Devers. Xander Bogaerts picked it up and chased down Rosario although the umpires called him safe at third. Sox manager Ron Roenicke challenged the call and sure enough, replays showed Bogaerts got him on the heel and Rosario was out. McNeil then got picked off by Osich to end the inning.
Michael Wacha got the ball in the bottom of the first and Andrew Benintendi put down a drag bunt. He would have been out had Wacha not thrown the ball away, allowing Benintendi tor each. JD Martinez whiffed badly on a curve in the dirt before Rafael Devers also whiffed badly on a fastball right down the middle. Benintendi swiped second but Xander Bogaerts popped up to right to end the inning.
The Mets struck first in the top of the second as JD Davis walked to start. Michael Conforto effortlessly pounded a 2 run home run over the bullpen to put the Mets up for good. Somehow Osich struck out Wilson Ramos swinging and got Robinson Cano to ground out to second. Dominic Smith popped up to right to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-0.
As usual when the Sox fell behind, they didn't come back as Wacha easily cruised in the bottom of the second. Mitch Moreland weakly grounded out to first, Christian Vazquez weakly grounded to short and Alex Verdugo grounded into the shift to end the inning.
Jeffrey Springs made his Red Sox debut in the top of the third and Brandon Nimmo popped up to short to start. Rosario dumped a base hit to center and Alonso effortlessly pounded a home run off the Monster Seats to ice the game. Devers then threw a routine grounder by McNeil away for an error, but Springs somehow struck Davis out swinging. Conforto took strike three to end the inning but the game was over 4-0.
Jackie Bradley Jr drew a 4 pitch walk to open the bottom of the third before Jose Peraza somehow singled to left but naturally Benintendi waived at a pitch nowhere near the plate and Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning.
The Mets tacked it on in the top of the fourth inning as Ramos hit a double off the centerfield wall one handed to start. Cano drew a full count walk and Smith blasted a 3 run bomb as the Mets dugout burst out laughing. Nimmo grounded out to first and finally Sox manager Ron Roenicke got Springs out of there. Springs was considered one of the worst pitchers last year so naturally the Sox signed him and also naturally he gives up 5 runs in 1 1/3 innings. Heath Hembree came in and Rosario grounded out to short before Alonso whiffed to end the inning with the Mets ahead 7-0.
The Sox finally showed some life in the bottom of the fourth although Devers lined out to short to start. Bogaerts gave up on strike three but Moreland pounded his second home run of the year to right to put the Sox on the board. Vazquez weakly popped up to right to end the inning with the Sox down 7-1.
Zack Godley made his Red Sox debut in the top of the fifth and somehow struck out McNeil on a full count. Davis hit a chopper in front of the plate that both Godley and Vazquez booted for a "hit." Conforto was rung up on a check swing for strike three and Ramos grounded into a force to end the inning. Somehow Verdugo beat out an infield single to short to open the bottom of the fifth. Somehow JBJ singled up the middle to put two on and none out but naturally Peraza popped up to center. Benintendi hit a piece of crap grounder to Wacha to advance the runners but Martinez popped up weakly to right to end the inning. Say what you want about the pitching, but the Sox offense has scored fewer runs in three games than they did in two innings of Opening Day.
Godley returned for the top of the sixth and Cano popped up to first to start. Smith popped up to short but Nimmo singled to right. Rosario hit a seeing eye single to right but Alonso whiffed to end the inning. Devers showed how out of shape he was by failing to run out a booted grounder to start the bottom of the sixth against new pitcher Chasen Shreve. Bogaerts did give a glimmer of hope with his first home run of the season to cut the lead. Moreland tried to drag bunt but Shreve snuffed it out to retire him. Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning but it was 7-2 Mets.
Godley came back for the top of the seventh and McNeil grounded out to first to start. Davis grounded out to second and Conferto whiffed to end the inning. If Roenicke had brought in Godley instead of Springs, maybe the Sox would have a chance now. The Sox offense failed to respond in the bottom of the seventh anyway as Jake Marisnick took over for Davis in center with Nimmo moving to right. Verdugo grounded out weakly to second, JBJ grounded out weakly to the mound and Peraza lined out to center to end the inning.
Godley cruised in the top of the eighth although Ramos singled to right to start. Godley struck out both Cano and Smith swinging before Nimmo was rung up to end the inning. Outstanding effort by Godley who struck out 7 in 4 innings of work.
Meanwhile Benintendi continued to struggle by grounding out into the shift to start the bottom of the eighth against Jeurys Famillia. Martinez drew a walk and Devers finally broke out of his slump with an opposite field double off the Monster. Bogaerts could only score Martinez with a grounder to third. Moreland lined a base hit up the middle to score Devers to cut the lead. That was it for Famillia as Seth Lugo was brought in to pitch to Vazquez. On a full count...Vazquez swung and missed at a fastball down the middle to end the inning with the Sox down 7-4.
Phillips Valdez came in for the top of the ninth and froze Rosario for strike three to start. Alonso grounded back to the mound but McNeil singled to center. Marisnick popped up to Devers to end the inning. The game finally ended in the bottom of the ninth as Verdugo grounded out to second again to start. JBJ also grounded out to second and Peraza grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox drop their third straight game with a 7-4 loss.
Jackass of the Night is Jeffrey Springs. He lasted just 1 1/3 innings and put the game out of reach by allowing 5 runs.
The Good:
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored including a solo home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Heath Hembree retired the only two men he faced.
Zack Godley struck out 7 in 4 shutout innings pitched.
Phillips Valdez pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Josh Osich took the loss by allowing 2 runs in 2 innings.
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.
JD Martinez was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with an error but scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs including a solo home run.
Ryan Verdugo was just 1 for 4.
Jose Peraza was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
When notorious Red Sox buttkisser Dan Schaughnessy says the Sox gave up on this season, you know its serious. The Sox are trotting out pitchers that have no business being in the majors day after day and the only explanations are either Rachel Phelps secretly owns the team or they're tanking. If they're tanking, they sure picked the right year to do it with MLB in complete chaos with Covid cases popping up left and right. The Sox aren't even competitive at this point because the dumpster pitching puts the offense in a 5 run hole before they can even blink, and the offense presses to get something going because they have no choice. The Sox are going to have to score 8 runs a game in order to compete and that's damn near impossible. Tomorrow night the Sox lose to the Mets again with somebody named Matt Hall going for the Sox against nobody knows at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.
Sunday, July 26, 2020
O's Pound Weber, Take Two of Three From Sox (7/26/20)
Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. After yesterday's disaster, Dylan Covey was sent to the "Alternate Training Site" since minor league baseball is cancelled this season. Basically without Pawtucket, the Sox can basically go "Don't call us, we'll call you." In his place the Sox called up Zack Godley from the training site. The Sox went for pennies on the dollar this season so get used to one bum after another coming and going.
OUT
IN
As for the game, good thing there's only 57 games left because the Sox are HORRIBLE. Ryan Weber (0-1, 14.73 ERA) shouldn't even be on a major league roster but somehow he's the Sox number 3 starter. He pitched like the bum he is by getting shelled for 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. The Sox offense could only scratch out 4 runs against the same Baltimore Orioles the Yankees took 17 of 19 games against last year. Bad offense and bad pitching leads to losses and today was no different as the Orioles took a 7-4 dump in Fenway Park and made the Sox clean it up.
Judge Doom hates bad pitching
Weber got the ball in the top of the first and crapped his pants. Austin Hays popped up to left to start the game before Anthony Santander lined out to a running Jackie Bradley Jr. O's manager Brandon Hyde was shown wearing a mask in the dugout before Jose Iglesias dumped a single into right. Rio Ruiz then ended the game early with a 2 run bomb into the bullpen to put the O's up 4 batters into the game. Hanser Alberto dropped down the bunt and Christian Vazquez throw pulled Michael Chavis off the bag. Chris Davis grounded into the shift to end the inning but the O's were up for good 2-0.
Ruiz goes yard
Wade LeBlanc got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Peraza popped up to center to start. JD Martinez gave up on a called strike three and Rafael Devers popped up harmlessly to right to end the inning.
Weber almost took another beating in the top of the second although Renato Nunez popped up to second to start. Chance Sisco walked but DJ Stewart popped up to center. Hays hit a sinking liner but JBJ made a great diving catch to rob him of a hit to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Bogaerts flied out to the right field corner. Kevin Pillar hit a routine pop up to center but Christian Vazquez smashed his first home run of the season into the Monster Seats, just missing the cardboard cutouts. Alex Verdugo went down hacking to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-1.
Vazquez with a home run
Weber failed to hold the fort in the top of the third as Santander walked to start and Iglesias effortlessly doubled off the wall to score him. Vazquez called for a pop up by Ruiz but Devers nearly cleaned him out to catch it, almost forgetting Iglesias at second to boot. Alberto flied out to the left field warning track and Verdugo made a sliding catch to rob Davis of a hit to end the inning with the O's up 3-1.
O's pour it on
The Sox rolled over in the bottom of the third as Michael Chavis whiffed to start. Jackie Bradley Jr hit a weak grounder to second and Peraza grounded out to third to end the inning.
Weber took another beating in the top of the fourth as Nunez effortlessly singled to left to start. Sisco drew another walk and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Stewart. Hays hit a deep fly ball to center to score Nunez and advance Sisco to third. Santander somehow golfed a pitch two inches off the ground into the Sox bullpen to chase Weber. As everyone expected, Weber got pounded for 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Another lousy start in a season about to be full of them.
Weber with a flat out dud for a start
Colten Brewer wasn't much better as Iglesias effortlessly singled to right before Ruiz drew a walk. Somehow Alberto struck out swinging to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 6-1. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez grounded out to short to start. Devers flied out to right and Santander reached into the stands to rob Bogaerts of a home run to end the inning.
Brewer returned for the top of the fifth and Davis lined out to left to start. Nunez whiffed and Sisco grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the fifth when Pillar blasted a solo home run onto Landsdowne Street to start. Vazquez grounded out to third, Verdugo grounded out to first and Chavis whiffed again to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.
Pillar goes yard
Marcus Walden made his Red Sox debut in the top of the sixth and Stewart grounded out to short to start. Hays walked but Santander lined out to center. Hays was then thrown out at second by the alert Vazquez trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth when JBJ hit a bullet off of LeBlanc to start. Peraza popped up to first and Martinez lined out to right, but Devers got his first hit of the season with a double to right. That was it for Wade Leblanc who blinded the Sox for 5 2/3 innings apart from two longballs, Miguel Castro came in and Bogaerts got a clutch hit with a base hit through the hole at short to score both runners. Bogaets was tagged out on a ground ball by Pillar to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 6-4.
Bogaerts inches the Sox closer
Walden got in a jam in the top of the seventh as Iglesias continued to stay hot with a double to center. Walden manged to snare a grounder by Ruiz to keep Jose at second but Alberto walked. Both runners moved over on a grounder by Davis but Walden punched out Nunez to end the inning. The Sox failed to rally in the bottom of the seventh as Vazquez flied out to right to start. O's manager Bruce Hyde replaced Castro with Tanner Scott and Verdugo grounded out to second. Chavis weakly grounded out to short to end the inning.
Matt Barnes was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and a blown strike three call led him walking Cisco. Stewart then took ball four on a pitch in the zone before Cedric Mullins pinch ran for him. Barnes came black to blow away Hays and get Santander to pop up to JBJ on a pitch an inch off the ground. The now dangerous Iglesias lined one off Barnes but Matt gathered the ball and threw to Chavis for the out to end the inning. JBJ tried to start a rally with a seeing eye single in the hole at short to start the bottom of the eighth to chase Scott. Cole Sulser came in and naturally Peraza banged into a double play. Martinez hit a routine grounder to Iglesias but he dropped it for an error. Devers failed to capitalize with a grounder to first to end the inning.
Austin Brice came in for the top of the ninth and crapped his pants again. Ruiz flied out to center but Alberto singled to right and Davis doubled off the centerfield wall to score Alberto with the killshot. Nunez hit what should have been a bomb over everything in left...but the wind blew it back where it was caught at the wall by Verdugo. Davis thought the ball was gone and he trotted home only to be doubled off second to end the inning with the O's up 7-4.
The game ended in the bottom of the ninth as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Pillar and whiffed on a pitch nowhere close. Vazquez dumped a base hit to right to keep the game going but Verdugo whiffed to end the game. The Sox dropped 2 of 3 at home to the lowly Orioles with a 7-4 defeat.
Dammit
Jackass of the Night is Ryan Weber. The supposed number 3 starter lasted just 3 2/3 innings and got shelled for 6 runs off two home runs.
Weber The Jackass
The Good:
Kevin Pillar was 1 for 3 with a solo home run.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Colten Brewer tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Marcus Walden tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Jose Peraza was 0 for 4.
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Andrew Benintendi struck out as a pinch hitter.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Austin Brice allowed a run in the top of the ninth.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but his one hit drove in 2 runs.
Final Thoughts:
Good thing this season only lasts 60 games because 162 games of this would be true torture. The Sox sandbagged this season and it shows. The offense looks lifeless apart from solo home runs here and there and the pitching is just dreadful. The worst part is, there's nothing they can do about it. Minor League Baseball is cancelled and there's no trade deadline so they're stuck with what they got the rest of the season. Weber is a bum, Martin Perez is a bum and most of their relievers are bums. Years of bad contracts doled out by Ben Cherrington and Dave Dombrowski put the Sox in this position. Weber has no business being in the majors and he's the Sox number 3 starter by default. Eduardo Rodriguez now has a heart condition brought on by Covid so he may not pitch at all this season. Only 57 games left of this crap....god help us. Tomorrow night the Sox take on the New York Mets in a 4 game set with the first two at Fenway. Michael Wacha goes for the Mets and will face Josh Osich, who Sox manager Ron Roenicke picked out of a hat, tomorrow night at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.
As for the game, good thing there's only 57 games left because the Sox are HORRIBLE. Ryan Weber (0-1, 14.73 ERA) shouldn't even be on a major league roster but somehow he's the Sox number 3 starter. He pitched like the bum he is by getting shelled for 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. The Sox offense could only scratch out 4 runs against the same Baltimore Orioles the Yankees took 17 of 19 games against last year. Bad offense and bad pitching leads to losses and today was no different as the Orioles took a 7-4 dump in Fenway Park and made the Sox clean it up.
Weber got the ball in the top of the first and crapped his pants. Austin Hays popped up to left to start the game before Anthony Santander lined out to a running Jackie Bradley Jr. O's manager Brandon Hyde was shown wearing a mask in the dugout before Jose Iglesias dumped a single into right. Rio Ruiz then ended the game early with a 2 run bomb into the bullpen to put the O's up 4 batters into the game. Hanser Alberto dropped down the bunt and Christian Vazquez throw pulled Michael Chavis off the bag. Chris Davis grounded into the shift to end the inning but the O's were up for good 2-0.
Wade LeBlanc got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Peraza popped up to center to start. JD Martinez gave up on a called strike three and Rafael Devers popped up harmlessly to right to end the inning.
Weber almost took another beating in the top of the second although Renato Nunez popped up to second to start. Chance Sisco walked but DJ Stewart popped up to center. Hays hit a sinking liner but JBJ made a great diving catch to rob him of a hit to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Bogaerts flied out to the right field corner. Kevin Pillar hit a routine pop up to center but Christian Vazquez smashed his first home run of the season into the Monster Seats, just missing the cardboard cutouts. Alex Verdugo went down hacking to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-1.
Weber failed to hold the fort in the top of the third as Santander walked to start and Iglesias effortlessly doubled off the wall to score him. Vazquez called for a pop up by Ruiz but Devers nearly cleaned him out to catch it, almost forgetting Iglesias at second to boot. Alberto flied out to the left field warning track and Verdugo made a sliding catch to rob Davis of a hit to end the inning with the O's up 3-1.
The Sox rolled over in the bottom of the third as Michael Chavis whiffed to start. Jackie Bradley Jr hit a weak grounder to second and Peraza grounded out to third to end the inning.
Weber took another beating in the top of the fourth as Nunez effortlessly singled to left to start. Sisco drew another walk and both runners advanced on a sacrifice bunt by Stewart. Hays hit a deep fly ball to center to score Nunez and advance Sisco to third. Santander somehow golfed a pitch two inches off the ground into the Sox bullpen to chase Weber. As everyone expected, Weber got pounded for 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Another lousy start in a season about to be full of them.
Colten Brewer wasn't much better as Iglesias effortlessly singled to right before Ruiz drew a walk. Somehow Alberto struck out swinging to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 6-1. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez grounded out to short to start. Devers flied out to right and Santander reached into the stands to rob Bogaerts of a home run to end the inning.
Brewer returned for the top of the fifth and Davis lined out to left to start. Nunez whiffed and Sisco grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the fifth when Pillar blasted a solo home run onto Landsdowne Street to start. Vazquez grounded out to third, Verdugo grounded out to first and Chavis whiffed again to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.
Marcus Walden made his Red Sox debut in the top of the sixth and Stewart grounded out to short to start. Hays walked but Santander lined out to center. Hays was then thrown out at second by the alert Vazquez trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth when JBJ hit a bullet off of LeBlanc to start. Peraza popped up to first and Martinez lined out to right, but Devers got his first hit of the season with a double to right. That was it for Wade Leblanc who blinded the Sox for 5 2/3 innings apart from two longballs, Miguel Castro came in and Bogaerts got a clutch hit with a base hit through the hole at short to score both runners. Bogaets was tagged out on a ground ball by Pillar to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 6-4.
Walden got in a jam in the top of the seventh as Iglesias continued to stay hot with a double to center. Walden manged to snare a grounder by Ruiz to keep Jose at second but Alberto walked. Both runners moved over on a grounder by Davis but Walden punched out Nunez to end the inning. The Sox failed to rally in the bottom of the seventh as Vazquez flied out to right to start. O's manager Bruce Hyde replaced Castro with Tanner Scott and Verdugo grounded out to second. Chavis weakly grounded out to short to end the inning.
Matt Barnes was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and a blown strike three call led him walking Cisco. Stewart then took ball four on a pitch in the zone before Cedric Mullins pinch ran for him. Barnes came black to blow away Hays and get Santander to pop up to JBJ on a pitch an inch off the ground. The now dangerous Iglesias lined one off Barnes but Matt gathered the ball and threw to Chavis for the out to end the inning. JBJ tried to start a rally with a seeing eye single in the hole at short to start the bottom of the eighth to chase Scott. Cole Sulser came in and naturally Peraza banged into a double play. Martinez hit a routine grounder to Iglesias but he dropped it for an error. Devers failed to capitalize with a grounder to first to end the inning.
Austin Brice came in for the top of the ninth and crapped his pants again. Ruiz flied out to center but Alberto singled to right and Davis doubled off the centerfield wall to score Alberto with the killshot. Nunez hit what should have been a bomb over everything in left...but the wind blew it back where it was caught at the wall by Verdugo. Davis thought the ball was gone and he trotted home only to be doubled off second to end the inning with the O's up 7-4.
The game ended in the bottom of the ninth as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Pillar and whiffed on a pitch nowhere close. Vazquez dumped a base hit to right to keep the game going but Verdugo whiffed to end the game. The Sox dropped 2 of 3 at home to the lowly Orioles with a 7-4 defeat.
Jackass of the Night is Ryan Weber. The supposed number 3 starter lasted just 3 2/3 innings and got shelled for 6 runs off two home runs.
The Good:
Kevin Pillar was 1 for 3 with a solo home run.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
Colten Brewer tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Marcus Walden tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Jose Peraza was 0 for 4.
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Andrew Benintendi struck out as a pinch hitter.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Austin Brice allowed a run in the top of the ninth.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but his one hit drove in 2 runs.
Final Thoughts:
Good thing this season only lasts 60 games because 162 games of this would be true torture. The Sox sandbagged this season and it shows. The offense looks lifeless apart from solo home runs here and there and the pitching is just dreadful. The worst part is, there's nothing they can do about it. Minor League Baseball is cancelled and there's no trade deadline so they're stuck with what they got the rest of the season. Weber is a bum, Martin Perez is a bum and most of their relievers are bums. Years of bad contracts doled out by Ben Cherrington and Dave Dombrowski put the Sox in this position. Weber has no business being in the majors and he's the Sox number 3 starter by default. Eduardo Rodriguez now has a heart condition brought on by Covid so he may not pitch at all this season. Only 57 games left of this crap....god help us. Tomorrow night the Sox take on the New York Mets in a 4 game set with the first two at Fenway. Michael Wacha goes for the Mets and will face Josh Osich, who Sox manager Ron Roenicke picked out of a hat, tomorrow night at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.