Basebawful Report of the Month

Jonathan Arauz - 1 Bad

Christian Arroyo - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 4 Ugly, 1 Hero

Xander Bogaerts - 11 Good, 1 Bad, 11 Ugly, 1 Hero

Jackie Bradley Jr - 5 Good, 6 Bad, 9 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Ryan Brasier - 6 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Ugly

Franchy Cordero - 8 Good, 6 Bad, 6 Ugly, 1 Hero

Kutter Crawford - 1 Good, 1 Bad

Bobby Dalbec - 8 Good, 5 Bad, 6 Ugly, 2 Hero, 3 Honorable Mention

Tyler Danish - 7 Good, 3 Bad

Austin Davis - 5 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Rafael Devers - 7 Good, 2 Bad, 12 Ugly, 2 Hero

Jake Diekman - 6 Good, 2 Bad

Jeter Downs - 1 Bad

Jarren Duran - 6 Good, 2 Bad, 4 Ugly

Nathan Eovaldi - 2 Good

Kike Hernandez - 1 Good, 3 Ugly

Rich Hill - 1 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero

Tanner Houck - 9 Good, 2 Bad

JD Martinez - 6 Good, 4 Bad, 14 Ugly

Nick Pivetta - 3 Good, 2 Hero

Kevin Plawecki - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Rob Refsnyder - 6 Good, 4 Ugly, 1 Hero

Hansel Robles - 4 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Jackass

Yolmer Sanchez - 1 Good

Hiro Sawamura - 6 Good, 2 Jackass

John Schreiber - 14 Good

Connor Seabold - 1 Jackass

Trevor Story - 8 Good, 5 Bad, 10 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Matt Strahm - 5 Good, 3 Bad, 2 Ugly

Phillips Valdez - 1 Good

Christian Vazquez - 7 Good, 4 Bad, 8 Ugly, 2 Hero, 1 Honorable Mention

Alex Verdugo - 10 Good, 3 Bad, 8 Ugly, 3 Hero

Michael Wacha - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Hero

Garrett Whitlock - 1 Bad, 1 Hero

Josh Winckowski - 2 Good, 1 Hero

Most Valuable Player is John Schreiber with 14 Good

The Least Valuable Players are Jackie Bradley Jr and Franchy Cordero with 6 Bad

The Ugliest Player of the Month is JD Martinez with 14 Ugly

Hero of the Month is Alex Verdugo with 3 Hero

The Jackasses of the Month are Hiro Sawamura and Hansel Robles with 2 Jackass

The Honorable Player of the Month is Bobby Dalbec with 3 Honorable Mention

Off-Day News (6/30/22)

Today is an off-day but the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Jarren Duran and Tanner Houck was reinstated from the Restricted List and Yolmer Sanchez was sent back to Worcester. Silvino Bracho was traded to the Atlanta Braves for a bag of cash so it was nice to know ya.

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On this day in Basebawful History:

2000 - White Sox bash Red Sox

2013 - Sox beat Jays for 50th win

2017 - Sox beat Jays in 11 innings

2018 - Sale, Sox blank Yankees

2019 - Yankees sweep Sox out of London

2021 - Sox beat Royals in the rain

The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon against the Chicago Cubs. Rich Hill goes for the Sox against Adrian Sampson of Chicago. The game begins at 1:20 PM at Wrigley Field.

Sox Beat Jays in 10 Innings (6/29/22)

Good lord the Boston Red Sox need to get the hell out of Toronto in a bad way. For the second straight game not having their closer caused the Sox to blow an easily obtainable save. Nick Pivetta did the best he could in his start by holding the high powered Toronto Blue Jays to just two runs in six plus innings of work. Meanwhile a Rob Refsnyder sac fly and an Alex Verdugo two run bomb put the Sox ahead in the top of the sixth inning. Once again Sox manager Alex Cora used John Schreiber in the seventh inning and the Jays didn't wait until the ninth this time. Raimel Tapia doubled home Lourdes Gurriel Jr against Ryan Brasier in the bottom of the eighth to tie the game. The Sox pushed the game to extra innings where JD Martinez was hit with the bases loaded and Verdugo doubled home two more runners to give the Sox a 6-3 lead. Once again the Blue Jays rallied, pushing two runs across the plate against Matt Strahm before George Springer popped up to Trevor Story to end it. The Sox showed a lot of balls and survived to win 6-5 in 10 innings at the Skydome.

                                                       The Boogeyman approves of the win

Alek Manoah got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder flied out to right to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging and JD Martinez also went down hacking to end the inning. Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first and George Springer lined out to left to start. Bo Bichette grounded out to second and Vladimir Guerrero Jr grounded out to short to end the inning.

Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Alex Verdugo hit a rocket to Matt Chapman. Christian Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Jays struck first in the bottom of the second as Alejandro Kirk walked to start. Lourdes Gurrierl Jr lined out to center but Raimel Tapia got a base hit to center. Chapman struck out swinging but Santiago Espinal got a base hit to center to score Kirk to put Toronto on top. Cavan Biggio struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                                 Espinal drives in a run

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Cordero caught the Jays asleep with a bunt single down the third base line to start. Cordero took off for second and Kirk threw the ball away as Franchy made it to third on the error. Yolmer Sanchez made his Red Sox debut by drawing a walk but Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to Espinal. Refsnyder stepped up with a sac fly to center to score Cordero with the tying run. Devers popped up to third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Tie game

Pivetta got in trouble in the bottom of the third although Springer lined out to left to start. Bichette got a base hit in the hole at short and moved to second on the grounder to short by Guerrero Jr. Kirk was hit with a pitch and Gurriel Jr walked to load the bases but Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning.

Martinez struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Bogaerts grounded out to third. Verdugo lined out to center to end the inning. Chapman flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Espinal grounded out to short. Biggio flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Vazquez singled to right to start. Cordero got a base hit to center and both runners moved over on the sacrifice bunt by Sanchez. With a chance to take the lead....JBJ struck out swinging and Refsnyder grounded out to first to end the inning. The Jays capitalized on the failure when Springer hit a home run all the way to Cleveland to put Toronto on top to start the bottom of the fifth. Bichette struck out swinging, Guerrero Jr took strike three and Kirk flied out to center to end the inning but the Jays led 2-1.

                                                               Springer breaks the tie

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth although Devers popped up to third to start. Martinez flied out to center but Bogaerts singled in the hole at third. Verdugo then pounded his sixth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                              Home run Verdugo

Gurriel Jr lined out to right to start the bottom of the seventh before Tapia grounded out to first. Chapman drilled a base hit to center but Espinal lined out to a running Bradley to end the inning.

Cordero doubled to center to start the top of the seventh but Sanchez flied out to left. JBJ grounded out to first to move Franchy to third but Refsnyder grounded out to short to end the inning. Biggio walked to start the bottom of the seventh and chase Pivetta from the game. Pivetta tossed 6 plus innings and held the high powered Jays to two runs while striking out 5 batters. John Schreiber came in and Springer forced Biggio at second before George took second on a wild pitch. Bichette lined out to first and Guerrero Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                                 Good job Pivetta

Adam Cimber came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Devers flied out to left to start. Martinez lined out to first and Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning. The Jays tied it against Ryan Brasier in the bottom of the eighth although Kirk grounded out to third to start. Gurriel Jr doubled to right and Bradley Zimmer pinch ran for him. Tapia hit a shot to center that JBJ missed for a double to score Zimmer with the tying run. Chapman struck out swinging but Espinal walked. Biggio took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                         Tapia ties it up

Jordan Romano came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Verdugo grounded out to third to start. Vazquez walked and Trevor Story pinch ran for him. Cordero ripped a base hit to right to move Story to third but Sox manager Alex Cora made the laughable decision to have Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Sanchez. Naturally Dalbec struck out swinging on a pitch not even close although Cordero stole second. With another chance to do damage....JBJ flied out to center to end the inning. Kevin Plawecki took over behind the plate with Matt Strahm now on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Springer walked but Bichette struck out swinging. Guerrero Jr struck out swinging but Kirk flied out to right to end the inning.

David Phelps came in to pitch the top of the tenth with JBJ starting at second base. Refsnyder and Devers both walked to load the bases before Martinez was hit with a pitch to bring home Bradley to put the Sox on top. Tim Mayza replaced the incompetent Phelps but Bogaerts hit into a 3-2-3 double play. Verdugo iced the game with a double to center to score Devers and Martinez. Story was intentionally walked and Cordero grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                              Its Verdugo's night

Strahm came back to finish off the bottom of the tenth with Kirk starting at second base. Teoscar Hernandez pinch hit for Zimmer and struck out swinging before Gabriel Moreno pinch hit for Tapia. Moreno flied out to center but Chapman singled to left to move Kirk to third. Espinal ripped a base hit to center to score Kirk and Biggio doubled home Chapman to put the tying run at third. With the game on the line....Springer popped up to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-5 in 10 innings.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of the Night is Alex Verdugo. He drove in 4 big runs including the difference making double in the tenth inning.

                                                       Dugie Hero

The Good:

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Trevor Story walked in his only plate appearance.

Franchy Cordero was 4 for 5 with 2 stolen bases and a run scored.

Yolmer Sanchez dropped down a bunt and walked in his two plate appearances.

Nick Pivetta held the Jays to just two runs in 6 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 5.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch, drove in a run and scored a run.

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

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Matt Strahm got the win but allowed 2 runs in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Kevin Plawecki caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Good win by the Sox to salvage this series without their leadoff hitter and closer but the true test is going to be the next upcoming month. The Sox are going to playing against the AL East from July 4th to the 24th and this will be their chance to sink or swim. Right now they're clinging to the first wild card and the month of July will determine if they will be selling or buying at the deadline. If the Sox can get Chris Sale back as well as some of their other role players like Kike Hernandez, they may have a chance to be buyers at the deadline with some distance between them and the other AL East times. Verdugo and Cordero stepped it up tonight offensively and Pivetta deserved the win. Now they get Tanner Houck and Jarren Duran back for the month of July so all the talking heads can shut up about it. The Sox had a good month of June to climb out of their hole but July is going to be very tough. The win improved the Sox to 43-33, 1/2 game in front of the Jays for the first wild card. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night in Chicago against the lowly Cubs. Rich Hill goes for the Sox up against Adrian Sampson of the Cubs. The game begins at 1:20 PM at Wrigley Field.

Jays Walkoff Sox (6/28/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Connor Seabold was sent back to Worcester and 29 year old journeyman pitcher Silvino Bracho was called up to replace him. Bracho was a reliever for the Arizona Diamondbacks for years and signed as a minor league free agent before this season started. He may not even get into a game.

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As for the game, oh boy here comes the talking heads in the Boston media. The Boston Red Sox blew their 15th save of the season and people are going to be talking about it for a while. Without their closer Tanner Houck (or their leadoff hitter Jarren Duran), the Sox dropped a tough game to the Toronto Blue Jays where they got walked off in the ninth. The Jays got to Sox starter Michael Wacha for four runs in the first three innings and Wacha was done after five innings. The Sox bats heroically battled back to rally from being down 4-1 to tie the game in the seventh on a Rob Refsnyder home run. Christian Vazquez knocked home Xander Bogaerts to give the Sox the lead in the top of the eighth but then not having Houck loomed large. John Schreiber pitched the seventh and Tyler Danish pitched the eighth so Sox manager Alex Cora decided Danish should stay in to close out the bottom of the ninth. Right on cue the Jays came alive to put the first two men on and Hansel Robles did the honors by allowing both of them to score. The Sox blew the game and second place in one fell swoop as the Jays walked off the Sox 6-5 at the Skydome.

                                                    This one is gonna hurt

Jays starter Ross Stripling got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder got a base hit to right to start. The rally ended as Refsnyder was thrown out trying to steal on the called strike three on Rafael Devers. JD Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Jays ended the game early against Wacha in the bottom of the first although George Springer popped up to first to start. Bo Bichette and Vladimir Guerrero Jr both walked before Teoscar Hernandez doubled to left to score Bichette. Lourdes Gurriel Jr grounded out to third but Matt Chapman smacked a double JUST over the glove of Alex Verdugo off the wall to score both runners. Santiago Espinal singled off the glove of Wacha but Gabriel Moreno flied out to right to end the inning with the Jays up big already 3-0 Toronto.

                                                  Missed it by THAT much

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the second although Xander Bogaerts popped up to short to start. Raimel Tapia made a great diving catch to rob Alex Verdugo of a hit but Trevor Story belted his 12th home run of the season to cut the lead. Christian Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox were down 3-1.

                                                          Story hits one out

Tapia walked to start the bottom of the second but Springer popped up to short. Bichette grounded out to second to move Tapia to second but Guerrero Jr lined out to center to end the inning.

Franchy Cordero flied out to left to start the top of the third but Christian Arroyo drew a walk. Refsnyder flied out to center and Devers flied out to right to end the inning. Hernandez flied out to center to start the bottom of the third but Gurriel Jr doubled to right. Chapman flied out to right to move Gurriel to third and he scored on the Espinal single to center. Moreno got a base hit to right to move Espinal to third but Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 4-1.

                                                             Jays add another run

The Sox rolled over in the top of the fourth as Martinez lined out to center to start. Bogaerts somehow got a double to left but could only move to third on the grounder to second by Verdugo. Story grounded out to short to end the inning. Springer grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Bichette lined out to center. Guerrero Jr grounded out to short to end the inning. 

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Vazquez singled to center to start. Cordero doubled to right but Arroyo popped up to first. Refsnyder grounded out to second but Vazquez scored to cut the lead in half. Devers popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

 

                                                   Refsnyder drives in a run

Wacha came back for one more inning in the bottom of the fifth and Hernandez singled in the hole at short to start. Gurriel Jr took strike three and Hernandez was foolishly doubled off first on a pop up to Vazquez by Chapman to end the inning. Wacha didn't have his best stuff as he allowed 4 runs in just 5 innings of work, forcing the bullpen to pitch the rest of the game.

                                                          Wacha only goes 5 innings

Adam Cimber came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Martinez struck out swinging to begin. Bogaerts lined out to second but Verdugo got a base hit to left. Story lined out to center to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Espinal grounded out to short to start. Moreno flied out to center but Tapia singled to left. Tapia moved to third on a base hit to right by Springer and George swiped second. Bichette took strike three to end the inning. 

The Sox fought back in the top of the seventh with Trent Thornton on the mound. Vazquez grounded out to short but Cordero drew a walk. Arroyo forced Franchy at second but Refsnyder smashed his second home run of the season to tie the game. Tim Mayza came in to pitch and Devers ripped a single to left. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox had tied the game 4-4.

                                                           Refsnyder ties it up

John Schreiber came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh but Guerrero Jr beat out a roller to third to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and Gurriel Jr banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth as Bogaerts walked to start. Verdugo singled to center but Story struck out swinging. Vazquez stepped up with a base hit to right to score Bogaerts with the go-ahead run. Matt Gage came in to pitch and Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Cordero. Dalbec walked to load the bases but the play of the game came when Arroyo hot a rocket...right to Espinal who doubled off Vazquez to end the inning with the Sox ahead just 5-4.

                                                           Vazquez puts Boston on top

Tyler Danish came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Jackie Bradley Jr taking over for Arroyo. Chapman flied out to right, Espinal struck out swinging and Moreno grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Jordan Romano came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Refsnyder lined out to right to start. Devers walked but Martinez flied out to left. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. With Tanner Houck out for the series, Sox manager Alex Cora had no choice but to let Danish come back to close out the bottom of the ninth. As expected, Alejandro Kirk pinch hot for Tapia and effortlessly singled to left. Bradley Zimmer ran for Kirk and Springer walked on 5 pitches not even close. Cora threw the towel in by sending in Hansel Robles to pitch to Bichette and Bo laughed as he ripped a base hit to right to score Zimmer to tie the game. Guerero Jr ended matters with a base hit to left to score Springer to end the game. The entire world saw this coming with no closer as the Jays won it 6-5.

                                                          Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Hansel Robles. He allowed the tying and winning runs to score in the bottom of the ninth.

                                               Another blown save for the Jackass

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5 with 3 total rbis and a 2 run homer.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Bobby Dalbec walked as a pinch hitter.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Michael Wacha was hammered for 4 runs in just 5 innings of work.

Tyler Danish took the loss by being charged with the winning runs in the ninth.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drew a walk.

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

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Jackie Bradley Jr played centerfield in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

There's a lot to be said about this game and a lot of fingers are being pointed. While its a shame that Houck isn't pitching this series, putting this entirely on him is asinine. The Sox had plenty of chances to score more runs and the Sox pitchers could have stepped up tonight. Sox manager Alex Cora deserves some of the blame by using Schreiber in the seventh and trying to squeeze two innings out of Tyler Danish. It wasn't even Danish that allowed the final two hits, Robles should have been able to get the job done or at least come in to start the inning. All this stresses the importance of one more experienced bullpen arm to this team. With Chris Sale and Josh Taylor close to returning, the answer may come sooner rather than later. The Sox have the whole month of July and their death march through the AL East before they can gauge if they will be sellers or buyers at the trade deadline. Fans and media pundits alike are bringing up this loss and this series of Boston's inability to beat AL East teams and its tough to ignore the hate now. The Sox need to win tomorrow night BADLY if they want to shut some of these people up. The loss dropped the Sox to 42-33, 1/2 game behind the Jays for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow night when they send Nick Pivetta (8-5) to the mound up against Alek Manoah of Toronto. The game begins at 7:07 PM at the Skydome.

Jays Bash Seabold, Sox (6/27/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made roster moves. Tanner Houck and Jarren Duran was placed on the Restricted List for the upcoming series in Toronto. Former 2019 gold glove second baseman Yolmer Sanchez and top pitching prospect Connor Seabold was promoted from Worcester for this series. Not having their budding leadoff hitter and closer isn't a good start for an important series against the Blue Jays. In minor moves, the Worcester Red Sox released pitcher Thomas Pannone and first baseman Roberto Ramos. Like I said here two months ago, Pannone was a journeyman minor leaguer just taking a roster spot until they could find someone better. The rise of Brayan Bello made Pannone expendable so he was sent packing. Ramos actually had one moment in the sun, hitting a walkoff home run on May 19th for the WooSox. Apart from that he was hitting .158 and with Triston Casas expected to be healthy soon, it was bye bye to Ramos too.

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As for the game, Seabold (0-1, 13.50 ERA) should have stayed in Worcester. The rookie making only his second big league start got hammered by one of the best offenses in the league. He made the Jays swing and miss a lot but when they didn't miss, it was a disaster. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, George Springer and Matt Chapman all hit long balls and the Jays pounded Seabold for 9 hits and 7 runs, chasing him in the fifth inning. Meanwhile Kevin Gausman continued his mastery over the Sox by tossing 7 shutout innings while allowing just 4 hits. The Sox bullpen admirably held the Jays to just one hit in 3 1/3 innings and the bats rallied for a few runs in the ninth but it wasn't enough. The Jays opened the salvo in this three game set with a convincing 7-2 win over the Sox at the Skydome.

                                                 Live look at the Sox offense tonight

Gausman got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers flied out to left and JD Martinez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Seabold made his season debut in the bottom of the first and the Jays wasted no time getting to him. George Springer walked and Bo Bichette doubled to left to score George to put the Jays up for good two batters into the first. Vladimir Guerrero Jr struck out swinging and Alejandro Kirk forced Bichette at third on a grounder to short before Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                        Jays take the lead

Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to open the top of the second and Alex Verdugo flied out to center. Trevor Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Lourdes Gurriel Jr took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Matt Chapman flied out to right. Santiago Espinal grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to start the top of the third and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging. Bobby Dalbec got a base hit to left before he swiped second. Refsnyder walked but Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. The Jays shelled Seabold in the bottom of the third although Cavan Biggio grounded out to short to start. Springer hit a home run all the way to Vancouver, Bichette got a base hit to center and Guerrero Jr hit a home run into the Baltic Sea to ice the game. Kirk was hit with a pitch, Hernandez ripped a base hit to left but Gurriel Jr struck out swinging. Chapman struck out swinging to end the inning but the Jays had virtually ended it 4-0.

                                                          This one's over

The Sox failed to respond against Gausman in the top of the fourth as Martinez went down hacking to start. Bogaerts took strike three but Verdugo got a base hit to center. Story struck out swinging again to end the inning. Espinal struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Biggio doubled to right. Springer grounded out to third and Bichette struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Vazquez struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before JBJ flied out to right. Dalbec hit a rocket but right to Chapman to end the inning. Guerrero Jr flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth but naturally Kirk doubled to right. Hernandez singled Kirk to third and Alejandro scored when Gurriel Jr beat out a double play ball. Chapman pounded a home run all the way to the moon to FINALLY chase Seabold. The kid was thrown right in the fire against one of the best offenses in the league and he wilted, allowing 7 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Danish came in and to get Espinal to pop up to second to end the inning with the Jays up 7-0.

                                                   Seabold gets shelled

Gausman continued his masterpiece in the top of the sixth as Refsnyder grounded out to short to start. Devers got a lucky double off the second base bag but Martinez flied out to center. Somehow Bogaerts walked but Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Biggio was hit to start. Springer forced Biggio at second before Bichette flied out to right. Guerrero Jr took strike three to end the inning. 

Story earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to start the top of the seventh but Vazquez got a lucky single to left. Christian moved to second on the grounder to second by JBJ but Dalbec struck out swinging. Guasman continued to dominate the Sox with 7 shutout innings. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh inning and Kirk grounded out to third to start. Hernandez struck out swinging to but Gurriel Jr singled to left. Chapman forced Gurriel at second to end the inning.

Bradley Zimmer came in for Hernandez with David Phelps now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Refsnyder flied out to center, Devers flied out to left and Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. Not a single Sox batter apart from Devers reached second bass tonight. Hansel Robles came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Espinal took strike three to start. Biggio struck out swinging and Springer popped up to first to end the inning. 

Shaun Anderson came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning and Bogaerts got a base hit to center to start. Verdugo singled to right to move Xander to third and Story hit a sac fly to right to score Bogaerts. Vazquez got a base hit to right to move Verdugo to third but JBJ popped up to short. Vazquez took second on defense indifference and Dalbec lined one off of Anderson to score Verdugo. Refsnyder flied out to center to end the game with the Jays winning it 7-2.

                                                               Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Connor Seabold. He got shelled in his second ML start, allowing 7 runs off 3 home runs in just 4 2/3 innings.

                                                    Not ready for prime time, Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a stolen base.

Tyler Danish got the final out of the fifth inning.

Austin Davis pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Hiro Sawamura pitched a scoreless seventh inning. 

Hansel Robles pitched a scoreless eighth inning. 

The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

If there was ever a "throw away" game it was this one. Seabold had no business being thrown into the fire against an offense like that but the real story was the Sox inability to hit Gausman. They had a similar problem back in 2016 but this is 2022. The Sox better figure him out quick or Jays manager Charlie Montoya is going to rig his rotation to have Kevin face them every time like when the Jays lined up Roy Halladay in 2003. The offense was a whole bag of nothing but there were two bright spots. The bullpen held the foot and none of the important relievers were forced to pitch and Bobby Dalbec had a good game. Verdugo, Vazquez and Dalbec have picked it up lately and the Sox are going to need them with Bogaerts dealing with a shoulder injury and Martinez cooling off. Still, it was only one game and the Sox have two more against Toronto to take. The Sox have a big stretch coming up on July 4th but they can make a statement now by taking the next two games if they can. Seabold definitely needs to work on his command in Worcester because at times he looked unhittable but they pounded every mistake he made. The loss dropped the Sox to 42-32, a half game ahead of the Jays for the first wild card. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night when Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.34 ERA) takes on Ross Stripling of Toronto. The game begins at 7:07 PM at the Skydome.

Sox Sweep Sloppy Guardians (6/26/22)

The Cleveland Guardians may be the team of the future in the American League but the youngest team in the league made too many mistakes against the Boston Red Sox. The Sox have now won seven straight games including this one on the back of bad defense, timely hitting and good pitching. Rich Hill (3-4, 4.09 ERA) held the young Guardians to just 1 run in 6 innings of work. Meanwhile the Guardians dropped catchable balls, threw balls away and bumbled around to give the Sox a 3-0 lead. Trevor Story drove in two big runs in the sixth inning but the Guardians rallied for a run against Ryan Brasier and another off Hansel Robles. The Sox broke it open late with 15 total hits and 11 walks as Tanner Houck closed it out in the bottom of the ninth. The Sox had won their seventh straight game and swept the Guardians out of Cleveland with a 8-3 victory at Progressive Field

                                                             Cornholio approves of the win

Civale got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran worked a four pitch walk to start. Duran was promptly thrown out trying to steal second and Rafael Devers lined out to center. JD Martinez ripped a base hit up the middle and Xander Bogaerts was plunked, but Alex Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Hill got the ball in the bottom of the first and Owen Miller walked to start. Amed Rosario hit into a double play and Jose Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Trevor Story singled off the second base bag to start. Franchy Cordero walked but Christian Vazquez grounded into a double play. Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. Franmil Reyes doubled to the left field wall to start the bottom of the second but Oscar Gonzalez grounded out to short. Andres Giminez walked on four pitches not even close and Reyes moved to third on the force at second by Ernie Clement. Luke Maile lined out to left to end the inning.

Duran beat out a roller to second to start the top of the third and Devers ripped a base hit to center. Martinez hit a double play ball to third but Giminez threw the ball to first away for an error to score Duran. Bogaerts lined out to left but Verdugo got a base hit to left. Story forced Alex at second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0. 

                                                               Duran scores a run

The Guardians wasted a chance of their own as Myles Straw doubled to center to start the bottom of the third. Miller walked on four pitches not even close but Rosario hit a bullet to Devers who doubled Straw off second. Ramirez got a base hit up the middle but Reyes struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Cordero hustled out a double off the glove of Miller to start the top of the fourth and Gonzalez misplayed a double by Vazquez to score Franchy. JBJ struck out swinging but Gonzalez misplayed another double by Duran. Devers was intentionally walked to load the bases and Martinez hit a double play ball to short, but Miller dropped the throw to first to score Vazquez with another run. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0 on just plain bad defense.

                                                            Guardians play hot potato

Gonzalez took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth but Gimenez caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single. Clement banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the fifth with Anthony Gose now on the mound. Verdugo walked to start but Story flied out to right. Cordero took strike three but Vazquez drew a walk. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning. Maile flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fifth before Straw lined out to left. Miller struck out swinging to end the inning.

Sam Hentges came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Duran grounded back to the mound to start. Devers grounded out to short but Martinez walked to start. Bogaerts walked and Verdugo got a base hit to center to load the bases. Story stepped up with a base hit to center to score Martinez and Bogaerts to ice the game. Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Cordero and forced Story at second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                  Story drives in a pair

The Guardians finally got to Hill in the bottom of the sixth as Rosario walked to start. Ramirez doubled to left but Reyes struck out swinging. Gonzalez grounded out to third but Rosario scored to put the Guardians on the board. Gimenez flied out to center to end the inning with the Guardians down 5-1. That was it for Hill who battled to toss 6 solid inning and hold the Guardians to just 1 run.

                                                       Hill gets the job done

The Sox got another run in the top of the seventh with Tanner Tully now on the mound. Vazquez doubled to right to start before moving to third on the JBJ flying out to center. Duran grounded out to short but Devers ripped a base hit to center to score Vazquez. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                             Devers drives in a run

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh but Devers threw a grounder by Clement into the centerfield bleachers for an error to start. Maile grounded out to short to move Clement to third but Straw hit a bullet to Dalbec. Miller singled to right to score Clement to cut the lead. Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians down 6-2.

                                                      Miller drives in a run

Verdugo walked to start the top of the eighth but Story popped up to first. Dalbec banged into a double play to end the inning. The Guardians tagged Hansel Robles in the bottom of the eighth as Ramirez doubled to right to start. Reyes grounded out to third and Gonzalez lined out to first, but Gimenez singled to right to score Ramirez to cut the lead in half. Clement struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians down 6-3.

                                                           Guardians inch closer

The Sox broke it open in the top of the ninth as Vazquez grounded out to third to start. JBJ walked but Duran lined out to left. Devers got a base hit to right and Martinez scored JBJ with a double to left. Bogaerts was intentionally walked to load the bases but a wild pitch scored Devers with another run. Verdugo walked to re-load the bases but Story popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                   Martinez drives in a run.

Since he won't be pitching in Toronto, Tanner Houck came in to close out the bottom of the ninth. Maile grounded out to second to start and Straw struck out swinging. Miller lined out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of the Night is a tough one with the entire offense producing so I'll go with Rich Hill. He held the young guns of Cleveland to just one run in 6 solid innings.

                                                            Hero Hill

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 3 with 3 walks.

Trevor Story was 2 for 6 with 2 rbis and a stolen base.

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Tanner Houck tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Hansel Robles allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked twice and scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Ryan Brasier allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox are rolling heading into Toronto after winning seven games in a row and 5 out of 6 against the Central leading teams. The Sox offense had 15 hits and 11 walks in the game and when they're firing on all cylinders, they are almost unstoppable. If Story were to ever get back over .250 with the way Bogaerts, Vazquez, Martinez and Devers are hitting, who could beat them? This was also one of Hill's gutsiest games of the season as he didn't look good at all in the early innings but still battled to give the Sox six solid innings. Apart from the usual Devers wild throw and Robles, there wasn't much to complain about in this one. That's where the good news ends as the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays both won their games today so the Sox only gained ground on the Toronto Blue Jays. Now the Sox have to go to Toronto without Duran and Houck who are both unvaccinated. The Sox can survive three games without Duran but not having their closer is going to be a problem against one of the better offenses in the American League. Not only that, because Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Whitlock are still out, the Sox are going to turn to 26 year old starter Connor Seabold to make his season debut tomorrow night. Former 2019 gold glover Yolmer Sanchez will also be called up from Worcester to take Duran's spot. As for this game, the Sox made a statement that they were for real and hopefully they can keep the momentum going in Toronto. The win improved the Sox to 42-31, 1.5 games ahead of the Rays for the first wild card. The Sox now travel to Toronto without Duran and Houck for a three game set with the Blue Jays. Connor Seabold will make his season debut against Kevin Gausman of the Jays. The game begins at 7:07 PM at the Skydome.

Verdugo, Sox Drop Guardians (6/25/22)

Its starting to feel like the Boston Red Sox have figured things out. They have now won six games in a row and 4 out of 5 against Central Division leading teams. Tonight Josh Winckowski (3-1, 3.60 ERA) continued his hot streak by holding the Cleveland Guardians to just two runs in 5 1/3 innings. Alex Verdugo launched a 447 foot three run home run off Guardians starter Shane Bieber in the top of the sixth to put Boston on top. The bullpen had a little bit of traffic on the bases but the quartet of Jake Diekman, Matt Strahm, John Schreiber and Tanner Houck slammed the door. With the New York Yankees getting no-hit by the Houston Astros and the Milwaukee Brewers defeating the Toronto Blue Jays, the Sox are now all alone in second place after their 4-2 victory over the Guardians at Progressive Field.

                                                       JD Davison approves of the win

Bieber got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran got a base hit to left to start. Rafael Devers lined out to short but Duran swiped second base. JD Martinez flied out to right to move Duran to third but Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Winckowski got the ball in the bottom of the first and Steven Kwan got a base hit to center to start. Amed Rosario grounded into a double play and Jose Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Alex Verdugo walked to start the top of the second but Trevor Story banged into a double play. Bobby Dalbec took strike three to end the inning. Franmil Reyes lined out to center to start the bottom of the second and Andre Gimenez struck out swinging. Owen Miller beat out a roller to third and Richie Palacios got a base hit to left, but Austin Hedges struck out swinging.

Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to left to start the top of the third but Kevin Plawecki got a base hit to center. Duran flied out to left and Devers took strike three to end the inning. The Guardians struck first in the bottom of the third as Myles Straw grounded out to third to start. Kwan walked and Rosario tripled into the gap in center to put Cleveland on top. Jose Ramirez hit a sac fly to right to score Rosario but Reyes took strike three to end the inning with the Guardians ahead 2-0.

                                                  Rosario puts the Guardians on top

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Martinez lined out to center to start. Bogaerts flied out to center and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Gimenez got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Miller hit a chopper to Story. Trevor stepped on second but blew the throw to first for an error to put Miller at second. Palacios grounded out to second to move Miller to third and Hedges struck out swinging to end the inning.

Story grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth but Dalbec grounded out to second. JBJ drew a walk but Plawecki struck out swinging to end the inning. Straw grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Kwan grounded out to second. Rosario lined out to left to end the inning.

Duran made a rookie mistake after he doubled off the left field wall to start the top of the sixth. Duran was foolishly thrown out by a mile trying to take third on a dropped strike by Hedges and Devers popped up to center. All of a sudden Martinez got a base bit to center, Bogaerts sliced a base hit to right and Verdugo hit a 3 run 447 foot bomb to put the Sox on top.

                                                      A no doubter for Verdugo

Ramirez grounded out to first to start the bottom of the sixth but Reyes ripped a base hit to right to chase Winckowski. Despite throwing just 77 pitches, that was it as Josh allowed 2 runs in 5 1/3 inning while striking out four. Jake Diekman came in and got a double play ball hit to Bogaerts but Dalbec whiffed on the throw back to first to allow Giminez to reach. Miller popped up to center to end the inning.

                                                     Winckowski with a decent start

Dalbec watched strike two and three go by to start the top of the seventh before JBJ grounded out to second. Plawecki grounded out to third to end the inning. Oscar Gonzalez pinch hit for Palacios and naturally sliced a base hit to right to begin. Hedges walked on four pitches not even close but Straw popped up to center. Diekman somehow struck out Kwan swinging on a big sweeping curve and that was it for Jake. John Schreiber came in and struck out Rosario on three straight sliders to end the inning.

Trevor Stephan came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Duran slapped a base hit through the hole at short to start. Duran swiped second but Cleveland manager Terry Francona challenged that Duran's hand came off second. The call stood and Devers hit a bullet into right to put runners at the corners. Martinez was given a gift ball four call to load the bases with nobody out for Bogaerts. Unfortunately Bogaerts forced Duran at home and Verdugo forced Devers at home as well. Naturally Story struck out swinging to squander the inning and the game after leaving the bases loaded with nobody out. Naturally the Guardians took advantage in the bottom of the eighth against Matt Strahm although Ramirez popped up to Bradley to start. Reyes walked but Gimenez flied out to right to bring up Miller. Sox pitching coach Dave Bush made a mad dash to the mound to let Strahm know that The Book of Boba Fett was on in the clubhouse. Strahm was so excited he got Miller to pop up to a running Duran to end the inning.

Enyel De Los Santos came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Dalbec walked to start. JBJ flied out to the centerfield warning track but Plawecki doubled off the left field wall. Christian Arroyo pinch ran for Plawecki and Duran ripped a base hit to center to score Dalbec but Christian was thrown out at home by a mile. Duran did take second on the throw home but Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                  You're out you dummy!

Tanner Houck came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with Christian Vazquez now behind the plate. Gonzalez hit a liner to Bradley to start and Josh Naylor pinch hit for Hedges. Naylor grounded out to first and Straw flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of the Night is Alex Verdugo. His 3 run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                             Verdugo The Hero

The Good:

Jarren Durran was 4 for 5 with an rbi and two stolen bases.

Kevin Plawecki was 2 for 4.

Josh Winckowski got the win with 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

Jake Diekman tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

John Schreiber got the final out of the seventh inning.

Matt Strahm pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Tanner Houck earned his sixth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Christian Arroyo was thrown out at home as a pinch runner.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

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

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Vazquez caught the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That's six wins in a row for the Sox who seem to have things figured out. Duran is hitting too well to take him out of the leadoff spot and the trio of Schreiber, Straham and Houck have become their late inning three punch. Rob Refsnyder has been a spark plug who can play anywhere and could be their Brock Holt with Kike Hernandez still out. The final piece of the puzzle will be the rotation if and when the walking wounded get healthier. Chris Sale is due to pitch in Portland next week while Nathan Eovaldi is still suffering from a bad back. Garrett Whitlock still has a bad hip and James Paxton still hasn't started his rehab from Tommy John yet. Nick Pivetta, Winckowski and Michael Wacha has pitched very well with the others out and Rich Hill at least eats innings. After the Cleveland series the Sox will be without Duran and Houck for the Toronto series which means we may see Connor Seabold at some point. That's a crisis for another day, as of right now the Sox have battled their way back to second place and gained three games on the Yankees. The win improved the Sox to 41-31, 11 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Guardians and win their seventh game in a row tomorrow afternoon with Rich Hill (2-4, 4.42 ERA) taking the mound against Aaron Civale of Cleveland. The game begins at 1:40 PM Eastern time at Progressive Field.