Guardians Pound Winckowski, Sox (7/26/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a series of roster moves. Connor Seabold was activated from the Injured List and sent down to Worcester, Darwinzon Hernandez was sent down to Worcester and Phillips Valdez was designated for assignment. Hernandez didn't show much promise and Valdez was a nice success story in 2020, but the Sox need to win and he's not helping. In the place of Hernandez, Josh Winckowski was activated from the Covid List to make tonight's start.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, so much for the Sox beating non-AL East teams. Josh Winckowski (3-5, 5.18 ERA) took a beating at the hands of the Cleveland Guardians. He allowed five runs in 3 innings to put the Sox in a hole although the offense rallied for two runs in the bottom of the frame. Then with the bases loaded and Austin Davis on the mound, Yolmer Sanchez threw a crucial grounder away for a two run error to put the game out of reach. Both teams scored another run but the game was settled as Cleveland beat the Red Sox 8-3 at Fenway Park. 

                                                                 Angry Sox Fan

Winckowski got tagged immediately in the top of the first as Steven Kwan lined out to left to start. Amed Rosario grounded out to short but Jose Ramirez walked. Josh Naylor got a base hit to left and Owen Miller got a base hit to center to score Ramirez. Andres Gimenez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Guardians up 1-0.

                                                       Miller drives in a run

Bryan Shaw got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder flied out to left to start. Alex Verdugo lined out to center but Xander Bogaerts doubled to center. JD Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Guardians struck again in the top of the second as Nolan Jones lined out to center to start Austin Hedges hit a home run all the way to Japan to increase the lead. Myles Straw flied out to right but Kwan singled down the first base line. Rosario flied out to left to end the inning with the Guardians up 2-0.

                                                             Home run Hedges

Christian Vazquez walked to begin the bottom of the second before Kevin Plawecki was rung up for strike three. Yolmer Sanchez flied out to center and Bobby Dalbec lined out to left to end the inning.

The Guardians iced the game in the top of the third as Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Naylor doubled to right then moved to third when Miller lined one off Winckowski but Bogaerts threw him out. Gimenez was hit with a pitch and Jones hit a home run all the way back to Cleveland to put the game out of reach. Hedges took strike three to end the inning but the Guardians were up 5-0. That was it for Winckowski who allowed 5 runs in just 3 innings, definitely not good enough.

                                                            Winckowski gets hammered

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Jaylin Davis hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to begin. Refsnyder was hit with a pitch and Verdugo beat out a double play ball. Bogaerts got a base hit to left to score Davis and chase Shaw. Nick Sandlin came in and Martinez was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Vazquez got a base hit to left to score Verdugo and Plawecki hit a fly ball to right. Bogaerts made a mad dash home and was called out on the throw. Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call but the umpires held it up with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                 "I was safe!!!!" - Bogaerts

Things fell apart in the top of the fourth with Austin Davis now on the mound. Straw got a base hit to center but Kwan took strike three. Rosario singled to right and Ramirez walked to load the bases. Naylor hit a double play ball to Sanchez who threw the ball away for an error to score Straw and Rosario. Ramirez and Naylor pulled off a double steal but Gimenez flied out to left to end the inning with the Guardians up 7-2.

                                                       Dammit Sanchez

Kirk McCarty came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Sanchez struck out swinging to start. Dalbec flied out to right but Davis drew a walk. Refsnyder forced Jaylin at second to end the inning.

Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Jones grounded out to short to start. Hedges walked but Straw grounded into a double play to end the inning. Verdugo flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Bogaerts lined out to right. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kwan got a base hit to center to begin the top of the sixth but Rosario struck out swinging. Ramirez reached first on a swinging bunt in front of the plate but Naylor flied out to left. Miller grounded out to second to end the inning. Vazquez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Plawecki lined out to center. Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and Gimenez walked to start. Jones grounded into a double play and Hedges went down hacking to end the inning. Dalbec whiffed to start the bottom of the seventh but Davis grounded out to short. Refsnyder singled to left and Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. 

Tanner Houck got tagged in the top of the eighth as Straw grounded out to third to start. Kwan singled off the glove of Vazquez then promptly stole second. Rosario got a base hit to right to score Kwan and Ramriez grounded out to second to move Amed all the way to third. Naylor struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians up 8-2.

                                                       Kwan scores a run

Eli Morgan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts doubled to left to start. Martinez went down hacking but Vazquez grounded out to first. Bogaerts moved to third on that grounder and scored on the Plawecki double to center. Sanchez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                         Plawecki drives in a run

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Miller struck out swinging to start. Gimenez went down hacking and Jones flied out to left to end the inning. Alex Call came in for Jones to start the bottom of the ninth with Emmanuel Clase on the mound. Dalbec flied out to center, Davis went down hacking and Refsnyder grounded out to second to end the game. The Guardians had won it 8-3.

                                                        Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Yolmer Sanchez. The Sox had just rallied to get back in the game and his two run error sealed the door shut for Cleveland.

                                                       Yolmer Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Jaylin Davis was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Hiro Sawamura tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless inning.

Kaleb Ort pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Josh Winckowski allowed 5 runs in 3 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

Austin Davis allowed 2 runs in an inning.

Tanner Houck allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Kevin Plawecki was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Final Thoughts:

When the eulogy for the season is written come the end of September, the lack of starting pitching depth was the story for this epic collapse. When Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale all got hurt, not a single rookie starter was able to fill in. Connor Seabold, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski totally sucked. You would think ONE of them would have shown some life, but nope. Winckowski getting pounded today and putting the Sox in the hole they couldn't climb out of has been going on since he was called up. His sinker should be a lot better than it is, maybe the lights are too bright for him at this time. Not just the pitching failed, the Sox almost stopped trying after Bogaerts was thrown out at the plate to kill that rally. They only got one more run the rest of the game while the Guardians poured it on. The Sox need to sell at the deadline and build for next year. Eovaldi, Martinez and Bogaerts will fetch a good haul if Sox GM Chaim Bloom can get a deal done. It makes no sense to keep this group for another two months because they have no chance in hell at winning anything the way its currently constructed. The less said of this awful game, the better. The loss drops the Sox to 49-49, 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the wild card. The Sox look to take the rubber game against the Guardians tomorrow night with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound against Cal Quantrill of Cleveland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Top Guardians (7/25/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox sent a sack full of cash to the Milwaukee Brewers for backup outfielder Abraham Almonte. The former major leaguer was with the Nashville Sounds in AAA before being bought. There might be guys going at the trade deadline next week so this may be a pre-emptive move once some deals are made.

                                                                         IN

As for the game, thank God the Sox are playing someone other than the AL East. The Sox bats were mostly silent against the Cleveland Guardians but their bats were even worse against Nick Pivetta and the Boston bullpen. Yolmer Sanchez drove in Jackie Bradley Jr to put the Sox up first in the third inning but Jose Ramirez tied it with a base hit in the fifth. Alex Verdugo and Christian Vazquez drove in runs in the bottom of the sixth to make a winner out of John Schreiber (3-1, 1.50 ERA). Garrett Whitlock slammed the door in the final two innings as the Sox snapped their losing streak with a 3-1 win at Fenway Park. 

                                                           Tori Black approves of the win

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Steven Kwan popped up to third to start. Amed Rosario flied out to right and Jose Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning. Zach Plesac got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rob Refsnyder lined out to first and Alex Verdugo lined out to center to end the inning. 

Josh Naylor grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Franmil Reyes got a base hit to left. Andres Gimenez got a base hit to left but Nolan Jones went down hacking. Austin Hedges also struck out swinging to end the inning. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Christian Vazquez grounded out to short. Franchy Cordero walked and Bobby Dalbec forced him at second to end the inning.

Myles Shaw singled to left to start the top of the third before Kwan flied out to right. It looked like Rosario grounded into a double play but Guardians manager Terry Francona challenged that Rosario was safe. The call was overturned and Amed was ruled safe but Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr doubled to center to begin. Yolmer Sanchez got a base hit to left to score Bradley but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. The rains came and delayed the game but when action resumed, Duran popped up to second. Refsnyder grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Sanchez drives in the run in the rain

Naylor walked to start the top of the fourth but Reyes struck out swinging. Gimenez walked and both runners moved over on the Jones grounder to first. Hedges grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ramirez booted a grounder by Verdugo to start the bottom of the fourth before Bogaerts flied out to right. A wild pitch moved Verdugo to second but Vazquez grounded out to third. Cordero walked but Dalbec took strike three to end the inning.

The Guardians struck back in the top of the fifth as Straw got a base hit to center to start. Kwan also got a base hit to left but Rosario grounded into a double play. Ramirez beat out a roller down the third base line to score Straw to tie the game. Naylor grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1. 

JBJ grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Sanchez grounded out to second. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Reyes struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth and Gimenez went down hacking as well. Jones walked and Hedges singled to left to chase Pivetta from the game. Pivetta tossed 5 2/3 innings of 1 run ball allowing 7 hots and 3 walks. John Schreiber came in and got Straw to force Hedges to end the inning.

                                                                Pivetta did well

The Sox took command in the bottom of the sixth as Refsnyder walked to start. Verdugo hot a rocket off the Monster and Kwan fell down trying to field it, allowing Refsnyder to score. Plesac left the game and Trevor Stephan came in to pitch to Bogaerts. Xander lined a base hit to right and Vazquez singled to center to score Verdugo. Cordero and Dalbec struck out swinging and Sam Hentges came in to face Bradley. JBJ flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                       Verdugo drives in a run

Schreiber returned for the top of the seventh and Kwan grounded out to short to start. Rosario struck out swinging but Ramirez singled to right. Naylor struck out swinging to end the inning. Sanchez grounded out to third to start the bottom of the seventh but Duran singled in the hole at short. James Karinchak came in to pitch to Refsnyder and Rob struck out swinging. Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning. 

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Reyes swung at air to start. Both Gimenez and Jones grounded out to short to end the inning. Bogaerts watched strike three go by to start the bottom of the eighth and Vazquez also left the bat on his shoulder for strike three. Cordero whiffed to end the inning.

The Lock returned to close out the top of the ninth and Owen Miller pinch hit for Hedges. Miller took strike three and Straw lined out to right. Kwan popped up to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-1.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Alex Verdugo. He drive in the go-ahead run uh the sixth inning.

                                                                  Alex Hero

The Good:

Franchy Cordero walked twice in four plate appearances. 

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

Yolmer Sanchez was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Nick Pivetta tossed 5 2/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6.

John Schreiber got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Garrett Whitlock got the save with 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

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

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

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

Final Thoughts:

Now that the Toronto Blue Jays left town, maybe the Sox can win a few games. They can't beat the AL East but they can beat anyone else apparently. This was a gutty win as the offense once again did almost nothing but the pitching held up big time. Pivetta, Schreiber and Whitlock got the job done and if Chris Sale didn't get hurt, Sox fans would be feeling better about their chances in the second half. The Sox are better off selling at the deadline next week and rumors are they just might. They still could add a few pieces but if they can't beat the AL East, what's the point? Still, gotta win the games they got now and tonight they did just that. The win improved the Sox to 49-48, 17 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East and 4.5 games behind the Blue Jays for the wild card. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Guardians tomorrow night when Josh Winckowski (3-4) takes on Bryan Shaw of Cleveland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Sweep Sox Out Of Fenway (7/24/22)

So much for this year's Boston Red Sox. One year after the Sox went from last place to Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, the Boston Red Sox have fallen flat on their face against the AL East in 2022. The Toronto Blue Jays finished off an embarrassing sweep of the Sox with yet another beat down. Rookie starter Brayan Bello (0-2, 10.50 ERA) got tagged for five first inning runs while the Sox defense committed three errors in the field. The Sox did rally to score a few runs but Hiro Sawamura allowed three runs in the top of the fifth to put the game away. The Sox did get two runs back but it wasn't enough as the Blue Jays swept the Sox 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                             Sox can't beat the AL East

Bello got ramrodded in the top of the first as George Springer singled in the hole at short. Vladimir Guerrero Jr doubled down the third base line but Lourdes Gurriel Jr lined out to second. Bo Bichette walked to load the bases but Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging. Cavan Biggio got a base hit to left but Cordero booted the ball for an error to score Springer and Guerrero. Biggio stole second but Matt Champan walked. Raimel Tapia tripled into the right field corner to clear the bases and ice the game instantly. Danny Jansen took strike three to end the inning with the Jays up 5-0.

                                                            Tapia is all smiles

Ross Stripling got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran doubled to right to begin. Christian Vazquez popped up to third and Alex Verdugo singled to left. Xander Bogaerts singled in the hole at short to score Duran, cutting the lead. Franchy Cordero grounded out to second but the runners moved over, only for Bobby Dalbec to take strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                       Bogaerts drives in a run

Springer got a base hit to right to start the top of the second and then took off for second. Vazquez threw the ball away and Springer took third on the error. Guerrero Jr grounded out to short before Gurriel Jr was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate. Bichette flied out to center to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Yolmer Sanchez walked. Jeter Downs grounded out to short to move Sanchez to second but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning.

Hernandez grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Biggio grounded out to first. Chapman doubled down the left field line and Tapia beat out an infield single to third. Jansen forced Chapman at third to end the inning. Vazquez popped up to second to start the bottom of the third before Verdugo grounded out to second. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.

Springer grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth but Guerrero Jr singled to center. Gurriel Jr singled to left but Bichette grounded into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Bello who got rocked for 5 runs in just 4 innings of work.

                                                           Not good enough from Bello

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Cordero got a base hit to left to begin. Dalbec popped up to first and JBJ flied out to left but Franchy stole second. Sanchez got a base hit to center to score Cordero. Sanchez was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                         Sanchez cuts the lead'

Hiro Sawamura came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the fifth as Hernandez walked to start. Biggio lined out to right but Chapman doubled to left. Tapia got a base hit to left to score Hernandez and Jansen ate up Downs on a grounder to score Chapman. Downs then made another error on a grounder by Springer to load the bases. Guerrero Jr then beat out a roller to first to score Tapia. Gurriel Jr grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Jays ahead 8-2.

                                                        Jays pour it on

Trevor Richards came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Downs flied out to right to start. Duran hit a triple to the centerfield triangle but Vazquez struck out swinging. Verdugo got a base hit to center to score Duran but Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                         Verdugo drives in a run

Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Bichette struck out swinging to start. Hernandez doubled to center but Biggio flied out to right. Chapman struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Cordero grounded out to short to start. Dalbec struck out swinging but JBJ clocked his third home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Sanchez walked and David Phelps came in to face Downs. Downs took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

                                                               JBJ with a home run

Austin Davis came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Tapia lined out to third to start. Jansen took strike three and Springer lined out to short to end the inning. Duran walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Vazquez flied out to right. Tim Mayza came in to face Verdugo and Alex banged into a double play to end the inning.

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Guerrero Jr got a base hit to right to start. Gurriel Jr popped up to third and Bichette took strike three, but Hernandez singled to center. Biggio walked to load the bases but Chapman hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Bradley Zimmer came in for Hernandez with Santiago Espinal in for Biggio and Yimi Garcia now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Bogaerts grounded out to third, Cordero flied out to right and Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Tapia struck out swinging to start. Jansen grounded out to third and Springer flied out to center to end the inning. Adam Cimber came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and JBJ singled to center to start. Sanchez and Downs struck out swinging but JBJ moved to second on defensive indifference. Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Jays had swept the Sox 8-4.

                                                                 Jays win
 

Jackass of The Night is Brayan Bello. He got rocked for 5 first inning runs to end the game early.

                                                                Jackass Bello

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Yolmer Sanchez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Garrett Whitlock tossed a scoreless inning.

Austin Davis pitched a scoreless inning.

Kaleb Ort pitched a scoreless inning.

Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Jeter Downs was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Hiro Sawamura allowed 3 runs in the 5th inning.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Franchy Cordero was just 1 for 4 with an error but stole a base and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox limped into the All-Star game after being embarrassed by the New York Yankees and they're limping out of the break after getting embarrassed by the Blue Jays. This was utter domination as they allowed 40 runs in three games and scored just 10 themselves. The Jays have a good offense but this was out of this world. What do you even say at this point? They can't beat the AL East and it just so happens to be the division they play more than anyone. They're better off blowing it all up a week from now and playing for next year. They can get top pitching or hitting prospects for Bogaerts, Martinez and Eovaldi so why not? They got Marcello Mayer, Nick Yorke, Bryan Mata and Niko Kavadas coming in a year or two so why not get something for the stars before they walk for nothing? It all goes back to the Mookie Betts trade because Verdugo is good but nowhere near Betts while Wong and Downs have been a huge let down. Also Andrew Benintendi or Franchy Cordero and Josh Winckowski also looks like a failure as well. There's still over sixty games left in the season but it can't end fast enough. Hopefully the end is near for this group a week from now. The Sox now welcome in the Cleveland Guardians in for a three game set. Tomorrow night Nick Pivetta gets the start against Zach Plesac of the Guardians. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Manoah, Jays Shut Down Sox (7/23/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Rafael Devers was placed on the Injured List with a bad hamstring and Jaylin Davis was called up from Worcester to take his place. The Sox are going to need Devers in August so may as well rest him now.

                                                                               OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, the Red Sox seem to invent new ways to lose this season. The good news was after allowing 28 runs last night, they only allowed a meager four. The bad news was Alek Manoah and the Toronto Blue Jays held them to just one. The Sox struck first in the second inning on a Bobby Dalbec home run but a third inning rally off Kutter Crawford (2-3, 4.50 ERA) where the Jays scored 3 runs was enough. Teoscar Hernandez tagged Ryan Brasier in the ninth and the Sox had just 7 total hits as a team to lose the game 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                                 Sox fans have had it

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and George Springer grounded out to second to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr flied out to right and Alejandro Kirk lined out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally against Manoah in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran took strike three to start. Christian Vazquez popped up to third but Alex Verdugo got a base hit to left. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to center but Franchy Cordero popped up to third to end the inning.

Bo Bichette walked to start the top of the second but Teoscar Hernandez grounded into a double play. Lourdes Gurriel Jr flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Bobby Dalbec clocked his eighth home run of the year to start before Jackie Bradley Jr singled to right. Yolmer Sanchez grounded out to second to move JBJ to second and Bradley took third on a wild pitch. Jeter Downs struck out swinging and Duran flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                  Dalbec goes yard

Naturally the Jays rallied in the top of the third as Matt Chapman singled to left and Santiago Espinal ripped a base hit to right that scored Chapman all the way from first. Cavan Biggio doubled to center and Springer got a base hit to center to score Espinal. Guerrero Jr lined out to center but Kirk hit a sac fly to right to score Biggio. Bichette struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 3-1.

                                                               Jays take the lead.

Vazquez singled to left to start the bottom of the third but Verdugo grounded into a double play. Springer made a jumping catch at the wall to rob Bogaerts of a double to end the inning.

Hernandez flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Gurriel Jr grounded out to third. Chapman struck out swinging to end the inning. Cordero grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth but Dalbec beat out a roller to the mound. JBJ forced Dalbec at second but Sanchez took strike three to end the inning.

Espinal struck out swinging to begin the top of the fifth and Biggio lined out to right. Springer flied out to center to end the inning. Downs struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fifth before Duran popped up to third. Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Guerrero Jr singled to right to start the top of the sixth but Kirk banged into a double play. Bichette took strike three to end the inning. That was it for Crawford who tossed six solid innings but allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk.

                                                              Crawford deserved better

Verdugo got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Cordero and Dalbec both watched strike three go by to end the inning.

John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hernandez took strike three to start. Gurriel Jr walked but Chapman struck out swinging. Gurriel Jr was picked off to end the inning. Yimi Garcia came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and JBJ popped up to third to start. Sanchez walked but both Downs and Duran took strike three to end the inning as the boo's rained down at Fenway.

Tanner Houck came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Espinal grounded out to third to start. Biggio grounded out to first but Springer walked. Guerrero Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. Adam Cimber came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Vazquez walked to start. Verdugo flied out to center but Bogaerts was hit with a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. Instead, Cordero struck out swinging and Jordan Romano came in to face Dalbec. Bobby flied out to center to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in to take a beating in the top of the ninth as Kirk singled to center to start. Bradley Zimmer came in to run for Kirk and promptly stole second. Bichette grounded out to second to move Zimmer to third and Hernandez doubled to left to score him. Gurriel Jr grounded out to short but Chapman walked. Chapman stole second but Espinal struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays ahead 4-1.

                                                        Sox can't do anything right

Danny Jansen came in for Hernandez to start the bottom of the ninth and JBJ grounded out to third. Sanchez grounded out to first and Kevin Plawecki pinch hit for Downs. Plawecki struck out swinging to end the game. The Jays had won it 4-1.

                                                          Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Franchy Cordero. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts including striking out with two men on.

                                                       Make contact, Jackass

The Good:

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with a home run.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless seventh.

Tanner Houck pitched a scoreless eighth.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jeter Downs was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Kevin Plawecki struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.

Yolmer Sanchez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Kutter Crawford took the loss by allowing 3 runs in 6 innings. He allowed 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out four.

Final Thoughts:

How? How the Red Sox THIS bad against the AL East? Not just the Blue Jays but everyone? This reminds me of the Red Sox getting destroyed by the National League back in 2002 when they got swept by the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks. But that was just 9 games. The Sox are now 12-28 vs the AL East and haven't won a series yet. If the Sox were a mediocre 19-21 they'd be in a playoff position. The Sox have the talent to win games but for some reason their bats just evaporate against Toronto. How do you get clowned by Alek Manoah? We're about a week and change away from the trade deadline and it might be time to sell. The starting rotation getting hurt at the end of June pretty much sank the season. JD Martinez, Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi are impending free agents and Sox GM Chaim Bloom might want to get something for them before they walk. They could get top rated prospects to help the rebuild if they choose to do that. Unless the rotation magically gets healthy and the Sox start beating AL East teams, standing pat would be detrimental not just this year but next year as well. Until then, here's another loss in a season full of them. The loss dropped the Sox to 48-47, 16.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello (0-1) takes on Ross Stripling of Toronto. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Embarrass Sox at Fenway (7/22/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Chris Sale was placed on the Injured List with a fractured pinkie finger and Connor Wong was sent back to Worcester. In their places, Brayan Bello and Yolmer Sanchez were called up from Worcester. Sucks that Sale got hurt AGAIN but this season is circling the drain anyway.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, this may be one of the most embarrassing games in Boston Red Sox history. Back in 2000 the Yankees beat the Sox 22-1 at Fenway and in 2016 the Angels spanked the Sox 21-2 but this game was worse for one reason, the collective effort was AWFUL. The Toronto Blue Jays utterly demolished the Red Sox by getting TWENTY-NINE hits as well as 28 runs. Nathan Eovaldi was toast after just 2 2/3 innings and 9 runs allowed but the Boston bullpen got annihilated for 19 runs after he was gone. Worst yet, Raimel Tapia hit an inside the park grand slam when Jarren Duran lost the ball in the lights and didn't bother to go after the ball. The Sox also made two errors as the Jays poured on the attack. Only two of the nine innings the Jays didn't score as the Sox ineptitude against the AL East continued with a 28-3 massacre by the Jays at Fenway Park.

                                         A microcosm of the season for both Duran and the Sox

The Jays wasted no time getting to Eovaldi in the top of the first as Raimel Tapia struck out swinging. Vladimir Guerrero Jr doubled to left and Alejandro Kirk singled in the hole at short to move Vlad to third. Bo Bichette grounded out to Eovaldi but Guerrero scored to put the Jays on top. Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                      The carnage begins

Kevin Gausman got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Santiago Espinal. Ron Refsnyder took strike three but Rafael Devers doubled to left. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Jays struck again in the top of the second as Lourdes Gurriel Jr got a base hit to center to start. Matt Chatman hit a home run all the way back to Toronto but Espinal popped up to short. Danny Jansen and Tapia both grounded out to short to end the inning with the Jays up 3-0.

                                                         It's about to get worse

Alex Verdugo grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Christian Vazquez got a base hit to right. Kevin Plawecki also got a base hit to right but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging. Jeter Downs struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Things fell apart in the top of the third as Guerrero Jr grounded out to short to start. Kirk singled to right, Bichette doubled to left and Hernandez walked to load the bases. Gurriel Jr singled to center to score Kirk and Bichette, but Chapman struck out swinging. Espinal got a base hit to right to score Hernandez and everyone moved up. Jansen walked to re-load the bases and the plug was pulled on Eovaldi. Austin Davis came in and Tapia hit a fly ball to center.....that Duran never saw..it bounced 20 feet behind him and he just stared at it. Verdugo had to throw it back in but by the time he sis, Tapia had made it around for an inside the park grand slam. Guerrero Jr walked and took second on a wild pitch but Kirk lined out to right to end the inning with the Jays up 10-0.

                                                      Eovaldi can't bear to watch this

Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Refsnyder lined out to right. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Jays teed off on Davis in the top of the fourth as Bichette struck out swinging to start. Hernandez hit a home run all the way to Venus but Gurriel Jr flied out to right. Chapman was hit with a pitch and Davis fielded a grounder by Espinal then threw it away for an error. Jansen hit a home run all the way to Mongolia to increase the lead. Tapia grounded out to short to end the inning with the Jays up by two touchdowns 14-0.

                                                      Home run derby at Fenway

Bogaerts struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Verdugo grounded out to second. Somehow Vazquez belted his 7th home run of the year to break up the shutout. Espinal threw a grounder by Plawecki away for an error and JBJ smashed his second home run of the season to cut the lead. Downs took strike three to end the inning but the Sox kicked a field goal to trail 14-3.

                                                                Home run JBJ

Things got much worse in the top of the fifth with Kaleb Ort on the mound. Guerrero Jr took strike three and Kirk grounded out to first, but Bichette singled to right. Hernandez got a base hit to right and Gurriel Jr singled to center to score Bichette. Chapman hit a pop up on the infield and naturally no one called it, allowing it to drop in for a "hit" to score Hernandez. Espinal walked and Jansen singled to right to score Gurriel. Tapia doubled to center to score Chapman and Espinal then Guerrero Jr got a base hit to left to score both runners. Finally Ort was pulled and Darwinzon Hernandez came in to get beat up. Kirk walked and JBJ missed a pop up by Bichette to score Guerrero. Hernandez singled to right to score Kirk and Gurriel Jr doubled to center to clear the bases. Chapman took strike three to end the inning but the Jays scored 11 runs with two outs in the inning to lead 25-3.

                                                           Jays are all smiles

Duran doubled to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Refsnyder took strike three. Devers lined out to left and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Bobby Dalbec came in for Devers as the massacre continued in the top of the sixth. Downs threw a grounder away by Espinal for an error and Jansen hit yet another home run to increase the lead. Tapia ate up Downs at second for another hit and Zack Collins pinch hit for Guerrero. Collins popped up to short but Kirk singled to center. Cavan Biggio pinch hit for Bichette and forced Kirk at second. Bradley Zimmer pinch hit for Hernandez and struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 27-3.

                                                          Jays can't miss tonight

The Sox got a run back against Jeremy Beasley in the bottom of the sixth as Verdugo flied out to left to start. Vazquez pounded his second home run of the night to cut the lead and Plawecki singled to left. JBJ and Downs both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 27-4.

                                                     Vazquez is still fighting

Yolmer Sanchez came in for Bogaerts with Jake Diekman now on the mound for the top of the seventh. Gurriel Jr singled to right but Chapman hit one up the elevator shaft. Espinal popped up to short but a wild pitch moved Gurriel to second. Jansen took strike three to end the inning for Boston's first scoreless inning of the game. Duran struck out swinging to open the bottom of the seventh but Jansen dropped a pop up by Refsnyder. Rob made him pay back by hitting his fourth home run of the season but Dalbec took strike three. Sanchez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 27-5.

                                                           Refsnyder jacks one

Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Tapia grounded out to third to start. Collins watched strike three go by and Kirk grounded out to third to end the inning. Franchy Cordero pinch hit for Verdugo and flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth. Vazquez grounded out to second and Plawecki also grounded out to second to end the inning.

Sanchez the infielder took over on the mound to start the top of the ninth and Biggio doubled to left. JBJ made a running catch to rob Zimmer of a hit but Gurriel Jr got a base hit to center. Chapman singled to left to score Biggio to wrap up the scoring. Espinal forced Chapman at second and Jansen popped up to third to end the inning with the Jays up 28-5.

                                     Sanchez didn't even allow the most runs by a pitcher

Anthony Banda came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and JBJ grounded out to short to start. Downs flied out to center and Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Jays had beaten the crap out of the Sox 28-5.

                                                             Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Jarren Duran. Lollygagging after fly balls you lost in the lights is a bad look, doesn't matter what the score is

                                                                Nice one Jackass          

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3.

Christian Vazquez was 3 for 4 with 2 home runs.

Kevin Plawecki was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Hiro Sawamura pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec struck out in his only at-bat.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Yolmer Sanchez struck out in his only at-bat and gave up a run in the ninth inning on the mound.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 1 in his only at-bat.

Jeter Downs was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

Nathan Eovaldi took the loss by allowing 9 runs in just 2 2/3 innings off 8 hits and 2 walks.

Austin Davis allowed 5 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Kaleb Ort allowed 8 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez allowed 5 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but hit a home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

I think its time to sell at the trade deadline. Xander Bogaerts, Nathan Eovaldi and JD Martinez are all free agents after this season and Sox GM Chaim Bloom might want to get something for them. Lourdes Gurriel Jr had 6 hits and the Sox as a team had 10, that's just inexcusable. Duran also needs to be sent back to Worcester because lollygagging after balls is what got Izzy Alcantara sent on a rocket ship to obscurity back in 2000. Speaking of 2000, the Sox getting smashed at home by the Yankees in June of 2000 was somehow not as bad as this. Getting beat by the World Champs is one thing, getting dominated by THIS Jays team is another. Jake Diekman and Hiro Sawamaura were the only pitchers not to give up runs and what do you say at this point? Here's the worst part, they allowed 27 runs to the Yankees in the two games before the all-star break and 28 in this one. That's 55 total runs in three games, that'll get you a one way ticket to last place in team ERA. The offense managed four home runs and scored 5 runs, not the best but any other night that would at least put them in a position to win. Jeter Downs looked as lost as Duran did so things are not looking good for the youngsters. The less said of this, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 48-46, 16.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Jays as Kutter Crawford (2-2) takes on Alek Manoah of the Jays. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.