Basebawful Report of The Month

Christian Arroyo - 9 Good, 10 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero

Brayan Bello - 1 Good, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Brennan Bernardino - 3 Good, 1 Ugly.

Richard Bleier - 6 Good, 4 Bad, 1 Jackass

Ryan Brasier - 9 Good, 5 Bad

Triston Casas - 5 Good, 5 Bad, 13 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Honorable Mention

Yu Chang - 2 Good, 9 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Honorable Mention

Kutter Crawford - 4 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Bobby Dalbec - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

Rafael Devers - 8 Good, 6 Bad, 11 Ugly, 2 Hero, 1 Jackass

Jarren Duran - 8 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero

Adam Duvall - 3 Good, 2 Ugly, 2 Hero, 1 Jackass

Kike Hernandez - 12 Good, 6 Bad, 9 Ugly

Tanner Houck - 1 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Kenley Jansen - 8 Good, 1 Bad

Zack Kelly - 3 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly

Corey Kluber - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Chris Martin - 5 Good, 2 Bad

Reese McGuire - 9 Good, 7 Bad, 1 Ugly

Kaleb Ort - 6 Good, 4 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Nick Pivetta - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Rob Refsnyder - 7 Good, 6 Bad, 4 Ugly, 2 Honorable Mention

Chris Sale - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 2 Jackass

John Schreiber - 9 Good, 2 Bad, 3 Ugly

Raimel Tapia - 7 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly, 3 Honorable Mention

Justin Turner - 14 Good, 4 Bad, 11 Ugly

Enmanuel Valdez - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 4 Ugly

Alex Verdugo - 12 Good, 3 Bad, 12 Ugly, 2 Hero

Garrett Whitlock - 1 Hero, 2 Jackass

Josh Winckowski - 8 Good, 2 Ugly

Connor Wong - 7 Good, 9 Bad, 4 Ugly, 2 Honorable Mention

Masataka Yoshida - 8 Good, 2 Bad, 10 Ugly, 2 Hero, 1 Jackass

\

Most Valuable Player is Justin Turner with 14 Good

Least Valuable Player is Christian Arroyo with 10 Bad

The Ugliest Player of the Month is Triston Casas with 13 Ugly

The Heroes of the Month are Rafael Devers, Adam Duvall, Alex Verdugo and Masataka Yoshida with 2 Hero

Jackasses of The Month are Chris Sale and Garrett Whitlock with 2 Jackass

The Honorable Player of The Month is Raimel Tapia with 3 Honorable Mention

Sale, Sox Drop Guardians (4/30/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Thankfully Kaleb Ort was sent down to Worcester to make room for the returning Chris Martin. Ort was throwing 97 but straight, maybe Worcester can get him to alter his mechanics so that 97 might actually move. Martin may not be as automatic as Josh Winckowski and Kenley Jansen has been but he should be better than Ort was.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                          IN

The bad news was the Boston Bruins choked Game 7 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Florida Panthers but the Boston Red Sox beat the Cleveland Guardians in a drizzly, miserable game. Welcome back Chris Sale (2-2, 6.75 ERA) though. After he was tipping his pitches and getting roughed up by the Baltimore Orioles, Sale dominated the Cleveland Guardians today. He tossed 6 1/3 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 5 batters. Offensively the Sox kept up the pace by pounding out 7 runs off 9 hits and a bunch of walks. Logan Allen and Sale battled to a 0-0 tie after 4 innings but Alex Verdugo drove in two big runs in the fifth inning.  The Guardians got a run in the sixth inning but Connor Wong iced the game with a two run home run. Verdugo hit a home run and Arroyo drove in two more runs added to the lead. The trio of John Schreiber, Richard Bleier and Brennan Bernardino kept the Guardians scoreless the rest of the way. The Sox ended up taking 2 out of 3 from the Guardians including a 7-1 victory today at Fenway Park.

                                                             Happy fans

Sale got the ball in the top of the first inning and Steven Kwan grounded out to second to start. Sale struck out Amed Rosario swinging on a nasty slider and Jose Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning. Allen got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to begin. Justin Turner flied out to right and Rob Refsnyder lined out to left to end the inning.

Sale struck out Josh Bell swinging on a 94 mph fastball to start the top of the second before Oscar Gonzalez lined out to short. Andres Gimenez sliced a base hit to left but Sale froze Myles Straw with a 93 mph fastball on the black to end the inning. Rafael Devers grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Masataka Yoshida doubled high off the Monster. Christian Arroyo drew a walk but Connor Wong struck out swinging. Jarren Duran grounded out to short to end the inning.

Gabriel Arias flied out to a running Verdugo to start the top of the third before Turner caught a pop up by Cam Gallagher next to the Red Sox dugout. Kwan grounded out to second to end the inning. Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Verdugo grounded out to second. Turner hit a routine grounder to short but Rosario threw wide of first for an error. Refsnyder flied out to the right field warning track to end the inning.

Rosario lined a ball off Sale's glove to start the top of the fourth but Chris recovered to throw him out. Ramirez hit one up the elevator shaft and Bell lined out to Verdugo to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Devers struck out swinging to start. Yoshida went down hacking and Refsnyder also struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Guardians almost struck first in the top of the fifth as Devers booted a grounder by Gonzalez to start. Gimenez was plunked but Sale rebounded to strike out Straw swinging. Arias struck out swinging and Gallagher lined out to a running Duran to end the inning. Wong tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fifth and Duran blooped a ground rule double into the left field stands. Valdez struck out swinging but Verdugo blooped a base hit to left to score both runners to put the Sox on top. Turner took strike three but Refsnyder drew a walk. Ex-Sox pitching coach Carl Willis made a mad dash to the mound to inform Allen that Geordi La Forge was the Chief Engineer for the USS Enterprise. Devers took strike three on the outside corner to end the inning but the Sox led 2-0.

                                                           Sox strike first

Naturally the Guardians answered in the top of the sixth as Kwan blooped a double down the right field line to start. Rosario blooped a base hit to right but Verdugo foolishly threw 100 feet over Wong's head that scored Kwan and moved Amed to second. Ramirez hit a warning track fly ball to right to move Rosario to third but Bell hit a dribbler in front of the plate. Gonzalez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Guardians down 2-1.

                                                      Guardians get one back

Nick Sandlin came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Yoshida flied out to left to start. Arroyo slapped a base hit to left and Wong hit a home run completely out of Fenway to increase the lead. Duran popped up to left and Valdez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                            Wong hits one over the tower

Sale returned for one last batter in the top of the seventh and Gimenez flied out to center to start.That was it for Sale who tossed a gutty game by going 6 1/3 innings and allowing just 1 run. He allowed 3 hits and struck out 5. John Schreiber came in and froze Straw for strike three but Arias hit a seeing eye single to left. Josh Naylor pinch hit for Gallagher and grounded out to first to end the inning.

                                                      Sale gets it done

Peyton Battenfield came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Verdugo greeted him with his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Turner walked but Refsnyder banged into a double play. Devers and Yoshida worked back to back walks and Arroyo doubled off the centerfield wall to drive in both men. Wong grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                              Arroyo tacks it on

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Arroyo made a leaping grab to rob Kwan of a hit to start. Rosario grounded out to short and Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Duran grounded out to first to start the bottom of the eighth before Valdez doubled just out of the reach of Kwan to left. Verdugo walked but Turner struck out swinging. Refsnyder was rung up for strike three to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Bell lined out to a running Duran to start. Gonzalez grounded out to short and Gimenez grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-1.

                                                        Sox win

Hero of the Night is Alex Verdugo. He drove in 3 big runs including the first two to outscore the Guardians by himself.

                                                              Verdugo The Hero

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Chris Sale earned the win by tossing 6 1/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits and struck out 5 batters.

John Schreiber tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Richard Bleier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Brennan Bernardino tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

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

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

It must be the AL East which is the kryptonite because Sale once again looked great. Just like against Minnesota, he held the Guardians to just 1 run. His velocity was there, his command was there and it looked like he had everything figured out. Offensively they're continuing to click by knocking out Allen by the fifth inning and getting to the bullpen. As mentioned two days ago, if Yoshida, Duran and Valdez can contribute with Turner, Verdugo and Devers leading the charge, this team is going to be deadly when Trevor Story comes back. Wong hit a home run that would have went 450 feet on a normal day and Verdugo continues to be one of the best players in the AL. If Sale can stay healthy the Sox may not be in last place much longer, especially with the New York Yankees faltering. All in all it was a great all around win and the Sox now are in for a test with the Toronro Blue Jays coming to town. The Sox end the month of April with a 15-14 record, tied with the Yankees for last place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Blue Jays start Jose Berrios while the Sox counter with Corey Kluber. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Walkoff Guardians In Ten Innings (4/29/23)

For six innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox would cruise to an easy victory against the Cleveland Guardians. Rafael Devers hit a three run home run to support Brayan Bello, who tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball. Then Sox manager Alex Cora blew the lead beginning in the top of the seventh when he sent in Richard Bleier, Ryan Brasier and John Schreiber. Andres Gimenez hit a home run off Bleier before Brasier left the bases loaded. Schreiber gave up a 3 run double to Josh Naylor and Kenley Jansen gave up the tying run in the top of the ninth. After Enmanuel Valdez left the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, the Guardians took the lead against Brennan Bernardino in the top of the 10th. Then Christian Arroyo drove home Valdez in the bottom of the tenth and Alex Verdugo drove Christian in to win the game. The Sox had beaten the Guardians 8-7 in ten innings at Fenway Park.

                                                    Jayson Tatum approves of the win

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Steven Kwan lined a base hit past Enmanuel Valdez to start. Amed Rosario grounded into a double play but Jose Ramirez lashed a base hit to right. Josh Naylor struck out swinging on a changeup to end the inning. Plesac got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo doubled high off the Monster on the first pitch. Masataka Yoshida drew a four pitch walk but Justin Turner struck out swinging on a slider. Rafael Devers then crushed his 10th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Jarren Duran grounded back to the mound and Raimel Tapia popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                            Devers hits one out

The Guardians started the comeback in the top of the second as Josh Bell hit a home run all the way to Scranton to cut the lead. Oscar Gonzalez grounded out to third and Andres Gimenez struck out swinging before Bello blew away Mike Zunino to end the inning with the Guardians down 3-1.

                                                     Bello takes Bello deep

Enmanuel Valdez grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second before Rosario made a great play to rob Christian Arroyo of a hit. Connor Wong stroked a base hit to center but Verdugo grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Myles Straw lined out to center to start the top of the third before Kwan grounded out to second. Rosario struck out swinging on a nasty slider to end the inning. Yoshida slapped a base hit off the Monster but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Turner grounded out to short and Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.

Ramirez ripped a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but was thrown out trying to steal. Naylor blooped a single to right and stole second on the swinging strikeout by Bell. Bello blew away Gonzalez on a 97 mph fastball to end the inning. Duran flied out to the left field warning track to start the bottom of the fourth before Tapia doubled off the Monster. Valdez also doubled off the Monster to score Tapia with another run. Ex-Sox pitching coach Carl Willis had a chat with Plesac and Arroyo ripped a base hit up the middle to score Valdez. Wong dumped a base hit to left to chase Plesac from the game. Xzavion Curry came in and Verdugo moved the runners over with a grounder to first. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                      Way to go Valdez

Gimenez flied out to left to start the top of the fifth before Zunino grounded out to second. Straw drew a full count walk and Bello started clutching his hand. His index finger was bleeding from a hangnail and Kwan walked. Sox pitching coach Dave Bush sprinted to the mound to tell Bello that Rick & Morty was on in the clubhouse and Brayan got so excited that he got Rosario to ground back to him to end the inning. That was it for Bello who Sox manager Alex Cora didn't want to risk hurting any further. He threw 84 pitches and allowed just 1 run in 5 innings of work.

                                                             Bello did the best he could

Turner popped up to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Devers grounded a single up the middle. Duran popped up to third in foul territory but Tapia sliced a base hit to left. Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Ramirez hit a bullet...right to Devers for an out. Naylor beat out a grounder to third but Bell lined out to a running Duran. Gonzalez hit a bullet...also right to Devers to end the inning. Arroyo got a seeing eye single up the middle to start the bottom of the sixth before Wong ripped a base hit to left. Verdugo flied out to center but Arroyo went to third to put runners at the corners. Wong took off for second and Zunino threw the ball away allowing Arroyo to score and Wong to take third. Yoshida hit a bullet but right at Naylor and Turner flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                             Sox tack it on

The Guardians stormed back in the top of the seventh as Gimenez bashed a home run off the Pesky Pole to start. That was it for Bleier and Ryan Brasier was brought in to pour gas on the fire. Zunino grounded out to second but Straw walked. Kwan got a base hit to left but Brasier got Rosario to strike out swinging on a good slider. Ramirez walked on four pitches not even close and that was it for Brasier who left the bases loaded for John Schreiber. Naturally Naylor ripped a double down the right field line to clear the bases. Bell grounded out to second to end the inning but the Guardians were back in it down 6-5.

                                                 Naylor clears the bases

Enyel De Los Santos came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Devers took strike three to start. Duran flied out to left and Tapia grounded out to second to end the inning.

Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Will Brennan pinch hit for Gonzalez. Brennan grounded out to second, Gimenez grounded out to first and Zunino grounded out to third to end the inning. James Karinchak came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Valdez flied out to right to start. Arroyo walked but Wong took strike three. Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the top of the ninth but Straw whacked a base hit to right to start. Straw stole second as Arroyo had to eat a ball by Kwan to make sure he didn't go to third. Rosario took strike three but Ramirez got a base hit to center to score Straw. Naylor flied out to left and Bell flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.

                                                           First blown save all year

Eli Morgan came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Yoshida popped up to short to start. Turner singled to right but was forced at second by Devers. Duran singled to right to move Devers to third and Tapia walked to load the bases. With a chance to win....Valdez flied out to right to end the inning.

Naturally the Guardians scored in the top of the tenth with Brennan Bernardino now on the mound. Gabriel Arias ran for Bell at second but Brennan grounded out to third to start. Gimenez struck out swinging but Zunino ripped a base hit to left to score Arias with the go-ahead run. Straw singled off the glove of Valdez but Kwan struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians up 7-6.

                                                          Game looked over

The Sox answered in the bottom of the tenth against closer Emmanuel Clase with Valdez starting at second base. Arroyo smashed a base hit to center to score Valdez with the tying run. Wong dropped down a bunt to move Arroyo to second and Christian took third on a passed ball by Zunino. Verdugo slapped a base hit through the pulled in infield at short to score Arroyo with the winning run. The Sox had won it 8-7 in 10 innings.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of the Night is Christian Arroyo. He knocked in the tying run and scored the winning run.

                                                     Our Hero Arroyo

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 6 with an rbi and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a 3 run homer.

Raimel Tapia was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 3 for 4 with a stolen base.

Brayan Bello tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out six.

Josh Winckowski tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Richard Bleier allowed a run in a full inning of work.

Ryan Brasier was charged with 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Kenley Jansen allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Justin Turner was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored twice.

John Schreiber allowed 3 inherited runners to score in 1/3 of an inning.

Brennan Bernardino got the win by allowing a ghost runner to score in the tenth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Can't say the 2023 Red Sox aren't fun to watch. They may be frustrating like blowing a 6-1 lead with 9 outs to go but winning the game anyway at least shows they have balls. Bello looked good for the first time all season but the offense breaking out for 16 hits was a big help. There's absolutely no excuse for Brasier to be on the roster anymore. He's washed up and everyone knows it. They got Jake Faria and Ryan Sherriff in Worcester that can do what he and Kaleb Ort are doing. Brasier was nails in 2018 but that was 5 years ago. Schreiber is also becoming a concern because he was sitting at 97 last year and he's down to 95 this year. The Sox may be a .500 team but at least they're watchable. Hopefully the bottom of the offense, namely Duran and Yoshida can keep producing to help Verdugo, Turner and Devers. Once Trevor Story comes back, that could be a deadly 1-6 if Yoshida can continue to learn how to hit ML pitching. All in all a walkoff win is always fun and hopfully the Sox can keep the momentum going. The Sox end the month of April tomorrow afternoon in the rubber game against the Guardians. Chris Sale (1-2, 8.22 ERA) looks to bounce back against Logan Allen of Cleveland. The game begins at 1:35 PM.

Cleveland Drops Pivetta, Sox (4/28/23)

Before the game it was big news with some Boston Red Sox transactions. Tomorrow's starter Garrett Whitlock was placed on the Injured List with right ulnar neuritis and Brayan Bello was called up from Worcester to take his place. That's a huge blow to the rotation after Whitlock tossed arguably Boston's best game of the season a week ago. It'll be put up or shut up time for Bello moving forward. Chaim Bloom went dumpster diving and found 29 year old right handed pitcher Justin Garza off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels. Garza had given up 4 runs in 8 innings for the Salt Lake Bees before LA put him on waivers on April 21st. With the dearth of pitching in Worcester, what's one more mediocre castoff to go with the bunch that's already there?

                                                                              OUT

                                                                          IN

It was bad news all around as the Boston Bruins lost Game 6 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Florida Panthers and the Boston Red Sox lost to the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians got four early runs off Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.11 ERA) to put the game away early. Guardians ace Shane Bieber held the Sox to just two runs in 7 strong innings of work. Kutter Crawford allowed a big insurance run in the ninth inning and the Guardians dropped the Sox below .500 again with a 5-2 victory over them at Fenway Park.

                                                           Bruins and Sox both lose

The Guardians wasted no time getting to Pivetta in the top of the first as Steven Kwan singled to right to start. Amed Rosario popped up to second but Jose Ramirez singled to center to move Kwan to third. Josh Naylor hit a sac fly to left to put the Guardians up for good four batters into the game.  A wild pitch moved Ramirez to third and Josh Bell doubled him home to increase the lead. Andres Gimenez struck out swinging to end the inning but the Guardians had ended it early 2-0.

                                                       Guardians end it early

Bieber got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Alex Verdugo took strike three to start. Masa Yoshida grounded out to short and Justin Turner grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Guardians iced the game in the top of the second as Mike Zunino struck out swinging to start. Will Brennan was plunked, stole second and scored on the base hit to right by Myles Straw. Kwan hit a bullet to Devers who doubled off Straw to end the inning with the Guardians up 3-0.

                                                      Another run by Cleveland

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second although Rafael Devers grounded out to short to start. Triston Casas walked, Jarren Duran doubled to right and Kike Hernandez ripped a base hit to left to score Casas. Reese McGuire banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                      Hug happy Hernandez

Rosario struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Ramirez walked. Ramirez stole second before moving to third on the Naylor grounder to short. Bell walked but Gimenez struck out swinging to end the inning. Enmanuel Valdez lined out to first to start the bottom of the third before Verdugo grounded out to second. Yoshida grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Guardians put the game out of reach in the top of the fourth as Zunino hit a home run all the way into the Atlantic Ocean to increase the lead. Brennan lined out to short, Straw lined out to right and Kwan struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 4-1 Guardians.

                                                          Zunino hits one out

The Sox rolled over in the bottom of the fourth as Turner lined out to right to start. Devers walked but Casas flied out to left. Duran grounded out to short to end the inning.

Pivetta returned for one last inning in the top of the fifth and Rosario flied out to right to start. Ramirez lined out to center and Naylor grounded out to second to end the inning. Once again Pivetta needed 100 pitches to get through just five innings where he allowed 4 runs off 5 hits and 2 walks.

                                                           Pivetta wasn't good enough

The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fifth as Hernandez singled to center to start. McGuire struck out swinging but Valdez doubled Hernandez to third. All Verdugo could do was ground out to first to score Hernandez. Valdez went to third on the play but was stranded as Yoshida grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                            Sox get a run back

Kutter Crawford came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Bell grounded out to first to start. Gimenez doubled to left but Zunino took strike three. Brennan flied out to left to end the inning. Bieber dominated the bottom of the sixth as Turner flied out to left to start. Devers grounded out to first and Casas took strike three to end the inning.

Straw flied out to right to start the top of the seventh but Kwan beat out a roller to short. Rosario took strike three and Ramirez popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox got the tying run to the plate in the bottom of the seventh as Duran doubled to center to start. Hernandez popped up to first, McGuire struck out swinging and Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Naylor struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth before Bell grounded out to second. Gimenez popped up to third to end the inning. Trevor Stephan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Verdugo flied out to right to start. Yoshida hit a roller past second and managed to slide in with a double before moving to third on the Turner base hit to left. Rob Refsnyder pinch ran for turner but Devers struck out swinging. Casas grounded out to second to end the inning.

Zunino grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth but Brennan hit a home run all the way to Luxembourg to increase the lead. Straw flied out to left and Kwan grounded out to second to end the inning with the Guardians ahead 5-2.

                                                             Guardians get another run

Enmanuel Clase came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Duran hit a ground rule double just inside the left field foul line to start. Hernandez grounded out to third and McGuire grounded out to first to move Duran to third. Valdez grounded out to third to end the game. The Guardians had won it 5-2.

                                                                    Guardians win

Jackass of the Night is Nick Pivetta. He allowed four early runs in just 5 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                          Pivetta The Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 4.

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

The Bad:

Reese McGuire was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4.

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drew a walk.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4.

Kutter Crawford allowed a run but ate up 4 innings in the process.

Honorable Mention:

Rob Refsnyder ran for Turner in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Once again the Sox inability to hit in the clutch or get out of the first inning without giving up a run killed them. They are dead last in the league in first inning ERA and they seem to give up when trailing because of it. Its not a recipe for success if you give up runs immediately to start the game almost every game. The 2019 Red Sox had one of the worst records in baseball when trailing after 5 innings and this year's team could be on pace for a similar fate unless they get better starting pitching. There were some positives such as the rejuvenation of Jarren Duran and Kutter Crawford saving the bullpen for tomorrow with 4 strong innings. Valdez keeps getting hits as well so not was all a total loss. Still, with the AL East wreaking havoc on the rest of the league, the Sox can't afford to fall too far behind early and have to pray the other teams beat each other to climb in the standings. The Sox really need to win these games against non-AL East opponents to at keep pace with the others. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against Cleveland when Brayan Bello goes for the Sox up against Zach Plesac of the Guardians. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News: Portland Sea Dogs Preview (4/27/23)

Today is an off-day for the Boston Red Sox and instead of doing an On This Day, its time to look at their Double A team the Portland Sea Dogs. Right now their record stands at 1305 and the final dregs of the Dave Dombrowski era are combining with Chaim Bloom's picks from the last three years to form this year's team. Let's take a look at it.

                                                         Good ol Hadlock Field

First up is 25 year old left handed pitcher Skyler Arias. He was drafted at 19 by the Cleveland Indians in 2016 before being released in 2022. He spent last year in the Chicago White Sox system going 2-1 for their Single A team with a 3.91 ERA. This year so far he's 1-0 with a 2.16 ERA and this is clearly a reclamation project. I don't know why Chaim Bloom looks at castoffs and say "I can fix that guy" but hey, least Skyler has a paying job.

                                                        Arias the reclamation project

Next up was one of the 2020 trades made by Bloom, 24 year old right handed pitcher Zach Bryant. He was the player to be named in the Josh Osich trade and he had a solid year out of the bullpen for the 2021 Greenville Drive. Unfortunately he flopped last year in Portland going 1-4 with a 7.64 ERA before landing on the long-term injury list. The sad part was Bloom made a ton of trades for prospects in 2020 and only Bryant and Christian Koss remain from those trades.

                                                                Get well soon Bryant

Up next is one of the last Dave Dombrowski picks, 24 year old left handed pitcher Brendan Cellucci. Drafted in the 12th round back in 2019, Cellucci was straight batting practice for the Lowell Spinners and Greenville Drive in 2019 and 2021 before being mediocre last year for the Drive. This year he's posted an 8.59 ERA  and its unlikely he progresses any further. With the glut of pitching drafted by Bloom in 2021 and 2022, Cellucci is running out of time to make an impact.

                                                                   Cellucci may not last

Up next is the guy they got in the Frank German trade in February, 26 year old right handed pitcher Theo Denlinger. Denlinger was chosen by the Chicago White Sox in the seventh round of the 2021 draft 19 picks after the Sox took Wyatt Olds. He had a mediocre 2022 season for the Birmingham Barons before going to the Sox in the German trade. Sox GM Chaim Bloom has traded for several 2021 draft picks and the hope is Denlinger uses his 96 mph fastball to get guys out in Portland. He's currently 1-2 with a 1.23 ERA so we'll see how this goes. He played 5 years of college ball and wasn't that good so if the Sox get anything out of him, it will be a great underdog story.

                                                                  Keep fighting Theo

Up next is unquestionably the team's ace, 24 year old left handed pitcher Shane Drohan. The current number 12 ranked prospect in the system, Drohan was the fifth and final draft pick of the 2020 draft and he's been a solid starter for Salem & Greenville the last two years. So far this season he's 4-0 with a 0.78 ERA and looks to be headed to Worcester sooner rather than later. With the production line of aging veterans Worcester currently has like Matt Dermody and Ryan Sheriff, a fresh face like Drohan would be a welcome addition if he keeps pitching well.

                                                                Drohan looks promising

Up next is also one of the last of the Dombrowski boys, 24 year old right handed pitcher Ryan Fernandez. He was drafted in the 23rd round back in 2018 and dominated both Lowell in 2019 and Salem in 2021. Unfortunately he hit a wall in Greenville in 2021 and struggled last year in both Greenville & Portland. This year he hasn't allowed a run in 4 innings so hopefully last year was just a hiccup for Fernandez.

                                                          Fernandez needs to pick it up

Up next is a sad story, 27 year old right handed pitcher Michael Gettys. Gettys was originally a highly touted outfield prospect drafted in the second round by the San Diego Padres in 2014. After flaming out as an outfielder, the Boston Red Sox signed him following the 2020 season and converted him to a pitcher. After proving himself in Greenville in 2022 he became Portland's Mariano Rivera, going 2-0 with a 0.48 and 7 saves to end the season. Unfortunately its unlikely he pitches this season as he just underwent back surgery to repair a herniated disc that's been bothering him for seven years now. The Sox may bring him back next year, but who knows.

                                                               Get well soon Gettys

Up next is the team's elder statesman, 28 year old left handed pitcher Rio Gomez. Gomez was drafted by Dombrowski in the 36th round back in 2017 and spent the next three years as one of the better pitchers in the lower levels. He looked solid in 2021 but flopped in 2022 going 2-1 with a 6.55 ERA. This year he's currently 1-0 with a 4.32 ERA so it doesn't look good. Still, considering he was drafted in the 36th round, getting this far is an accomplishment onto itself.

                                                      28 and struggling in AA isn't good

Up next is the team's underdog, 22 year old right handed pitcher Luis Guerrero. The current number 25 ranked prospect in the system, Guerrero was drafted in the 17th round back in 2021 out of Junior College and was solid for the Florida Complex, Salem & Greenville last year. This year he has an ERA of 2.57 in 7 games so he's definitely showing some promise. Amazing how first round pick back in 2013 Trey Ball couldn't make it out of AA but a 17th round pick like Guerrero appears headed to Worcester at some point. Good luck Guerrero.

                                                    Sky's the limit for Guerrero

Up next is 24 year old right handed pitcher Cjih-Jung Liu. Three days before the Sox hired Chaim Bloom as GM back in 2019, the Sox signed Taiwanese free agent Liu to a contract. He was straight batting practice for Salem in 2021 and both Greenville & Portland in 2022. This year he's currently 2-1 with a 5.09 RTA and he's just one of many guys that was hampered by having no season in 2020. Still, if he doesn't do a better job, he's had it. There's plenty of pitchers in Salem and Greenville that can take his place.

                                                        Liu better improve quickly

Up next is injured 26 year old left handed pitcher Dominic LoBrutto. LoBrutto was drafted in the 18th round back in 2017 and looked to have hit a wall in Portland in both 2019 and 2021. Turns out he had an elbow injury and underwent Tommy John surgery last year. He won't be back until at least August this year so we'll see how he performs when the time comes. Get well soon.

                                                                Tommy John for LoBrutto

Moving right along to another reclamation project, 27 year old right handed pitcher Ryan Miller. Miller was drafted back in 2018 by the Arizona Diamondbacks and bounced around, ending up in the New York Yankees system last year as a terrible reliever for the Hudson Valley Renegades. So far this year he's posted an ERA of 1.13 in 8 innings so not all hope is lost. If the Sea Dogs can get anything out of him, that's a bonus.

                                                             Another reclamation project

Up next is another underdog story, 27 year old left handed pitcher Brendan Nail. Nail wasn't even drafted back in 2017, he was a rookie free agent who only pitched in 31 games between 2017 and 2019. He's been solid out of the bullpen for Greenville and Portland the last two seasons but at 27 years old, being in Double A isn't a good look. He better start dominating batters this year or he's had it, but even then, just making it this far after not even being drafted is remarkable. Good news is he hasn't allowed a run in 7 innings so far.

                                                                 Undrafted to Portland

Up next is one of the biggest head scratchers in Chaim Bloom's tenure as GM, 23 year old right handed pitcher Wyatt Olds. Olds was drafted in the 7th round back in 2021 after having a lousy senior year at Oklahoma University. He was terrible in Greenville last year going 4-9 with a 6.01 ERA and so far he's 0-1 with a 7.04 ERA this season. Its one thing for a highly touted prospect like the beforementioned Ball flame out, but when you draft a bum and he performs like a bum, what was Bloom expecting? Still, the season is young and he has time to turn things around....I hope.

                                                      A bum in college, a bum in the pros so far

Up next is another long term injured pitcher, 25 year old right handed pitcher Yusniel Padron-Artiles. Artiles. He was a 22nd round pick back in 2018 and has been batting practice at every level after dominating Lowell in 2019. Unfortunately he was hurt in the 2023 Caribbean Series in February and is expected to miss the entire 2023 season. So much for him.

                                                                   See you in 2024

Up next is struggling 26 year old right handed pitcher Cody Scroggins. Scroggins was drafted in the 9th round back in 2019 and apart from a 19 game stretch in Salem in 2021, he's been hammered at every level he's pitched in. He posted a 5.12 ERA last year between Greenville and Portland and this year he's allowed 5 runs in just 1 1/3 innings. Guys like this aren't expected to do anything because usually a new GM either trades the best prospects from, or cleans out, the previous regime. Scroggins may need a change of scenery at this point.

                                                                Struggling since 2021

Next up is the only pitcher on the roster with Major League experience, 27 year old right handed pitcher Sterling Sharp. He was drafted by the Washington Nationals in the 22nd round back in 2016 and made his ML Debut in 2020 with the Miami Marlins, getting hammered for 7 runs in 5 innings. He was batting practice for the Rochester Red Wings in 2021 and 2022 before finding new life with the Portland Sea Dogs at the end of last year. Maybe he's not good enough to make the big leagues again but he can be a good mentor to some of the guys like Drohan and Jacob Webb who are Worcester bound sooner or later. If he can pitch well in a few games, even better. He's currently 1-0 with a 1.00 ERA.

                                                            From Miami to Portland

Up next is 25 year old right handed pitcher Dylan Spacke. He was drafted in the 21st round back in 2019 and had a solid year with the Greenville Drive in 2021. He was hammered in Portland last year though, but this year he's allowed 1 run in 5 2/3 innings. Sometimes a guy needs a year to figure things out and hopefully this is the year Spacke takes the next step. Like I said earlier, there's plenty of pitchers in Greenville and Salem more than happy to take his place if he falters.

                                                       This could be the year for Spacke

Up next is 26 year old right handed pitcher Brian Van Belle. He was one of the casualties of Covid wiping out the 2020 as he signed as a rookie free agent after going undrafted that season. He was a mediocre starter in Greenville in 2021 before getting hammered in Greenville and Portland last year. Still, like Spacke, it may take a year to get it right and so far Van Belle has an ERA of 0.53 in 3 starts this year. If he can turn it around, Portland could be a playoff contender like they were last year. If not, say hello to the waiver wire.

                                                                   Starting to turn it around

Up next is 24 year old right handed pitcher Jacob Webb. Webb was drafted in the 14th round of the 2021 draft out of Miami Ohio University and looked impressive to end that season. Last year he went through Salem, Greenville and Portland as a solid reliever. It looks like Webb and Drohan are on the fast track to Worcester, so let's see if Webb can keep the momentum going. So far he's 1-1 with a 1.74 ERA this season and could be the first Bloom draft pick to make Worcester full time depending how he or Drohan pitch. Good luck Webb.

                                                                  Let's go Webb

Last up from the pitcher side is 25 year old right handed pitcher Ryan Zeferjahn. Quite frankly, the 2019 third round pick has mostly stunk since he's been drafted. He allowed 12 runs in 22 innings for Lowell in 2019 before posting a 6.91 ERA for Salem in 2021. He was batting practice in Greenville last year before suddenly getting a call up to Portland and pitching well. He allowed just 1 run in 10 innings to end last season and is currently injured. He hasn't made his season debut yet but hopefully he pitches as well as he did at the end of last year, let's see how this turns out.

                                                 Hope he pitches well when he returns

Moving on to offense, we begin with 23 year old catcher Matt Donlan. Donlan was a rookie free agent out of UConn signed after last year's draft and he had 4 hits in 8 games to end the year in Salem. This year he's on the Development List after just one at-bat this year. Still, to go from undrafted to Double A in under a year is an accomplishment no matter what he's hitting so far. Keep fighting Matt.

                                                           Undrafted to AA in one year

Next up is 25 year old switch hitting catcher Elih Marrero. Marrero was an 8th round pick back in 2018 and his best season was hitting .287 in Greenville in 2021. Last year he hit just .207 in Portland and this year he's hitting .125 so far. The Sox are going to need more output from the catcher position so Marrero needs to step it up this season.

                                                       Gonna have to do better than .207

Next up is 25 year old outfielder turned catcher Stephen Scott. After being drafted in the 10th round back in 2019, Scott was an average outfielder since. He hit .338 in Greenville at the end of 2021 but hit just .238 last year with 7 home runs. This year they converted him to catcher with Marrero and Donlan big question marks, the hope is one of those three can be a consistent hitter. Either that or they're just holding the fort until Nathan Hickey is ready. He's hitting .289 so far on the season.

                                                   From the outfield to behind the plate

Now for the infielder, first is 22 year old third basemen Alex Binelas. Binelas came over in the trade for Hunter Renfroe before last season an hit a paltry .206 between Greenville and Portland. The good news was he hit 25 home runs between the two levels and that is what the Sea Dogs will be looking for this season. So far he's hitting .191 with one home run so he may not be able to hit for average, but the more balls he hits out of the yard, the better.

                                                                Hits it out or not at all

Next up is up is 27 year old utility infielder Edwin Diaz....no, not the New York Mets pitcher. Diaz has hit a paltry .215 after TEN years in the minors and so far this year he's hitting .143 with 2 homers. I have absolutely no idea why he's on the roster, ask Chaim Bloom what he saw in Diaz that the rest of the league didn't.

                                                                 Hitting .215 in ten years

Up next is the one of the team's best players, 24 year old first baseman Niko Kavadas. The current number 20 ranked prospect in the system, Kavadas was drafted in the 10th round back in 2021 and blew threw every level he was at until making it to Portland last season. He hit just .222 with 2 home runs in Portland to end 2022 and is currently hitting just .184. If he shows the power and average he showed in Greenville and Salem, he could be on the fast track to Worcester before the year is over. 

                                                        Kavadas could be a good one

Next up is 25 year old shortstop "Boss" Christian Koss. Koss came over prior to the 2021 season in a trade with Colorado for Yoan Aybar and was solid for Greenville and Portland since. The current 28 ranked prospect is hitting just .148 this year and, like Zach Bryant, is one of the lone 2020 prospects Bloom traded for remaining. He may not make Boston but he might see Worcester this year if he picks up the pace.

    

                                                              Boss Koss needs to pick it up

Up next is the current 13 ranked prospect, 21 year old infielder Matthew Lugo. Carlos Beltran's nephew was drafted in the second round back in 2019 and hit .288 with 18 home runs for Greenville last year. This year he's currently hitting .250 with 10 rbis and he could be a call up to Worcester if he hits like he did last year. Like Kavadas, the sky is the limit for Lugo.

                                                                      21 year old phenom

Up next is the number 4 ranked prospect in the whole system, 22 year old third baseman Ceddanne Rafaela. Signed as a teenager in 2018, Rafaela had a breakout season in 2022, hitting .299 with 21 home runs, 28 stolen bases and 86 rbis between Greenville and Portland. This year he's currently hitting .303 with 10 rbis and its just a matter of time before he ends up in Worcester. The Sox have some exciting prospects coming up and Rafaela could be the best of them all.

                                                                   Breakout star in 2022

Next up is injured 25 year old first baseman Tyreque Reed. Reed was picked up in the Rule 5 draft prior to the 2021 season from Texas and had a good season for Greenville and Portland, hitting 17 home runs with a .271 average. Last year he struggled with injuries, hitting just .198 with 6 home runs. When he gets off the injured list, we'll see if he can return to the form he showed in Greenville in 2021.

                                                                    Good luck in 2023

Up next is the chosen one, 21 year old second baseman Nick Yorke. The number 6 prospect in the system was the 1st round pick back in 2020. He was as good as advertised in 2021 hitting .325 with 14 homers between Salem and Greenville. Last year Yorke hit a cement wall, hitting just .231 with 11 home runs for Greenville. This year he's hitting .246 with 2 home runs although at only 21 years old, he's going to have every chance to climb through the ranks the next few years. With the Sox in desperate need for a second baseman, Yorke needs to tear up AA this year to be in consideration for next season.

                                                          Very important year for Yorke

Up next is 24 year old right fielder Tyler Dearden. He was a 29th round draft pick in 2017 and has yet to advance past Portland. He hit just .263 last year with 8 home runs so this year he needs to pick up the pace or he'll never see Worcester. Especially with some of the kids they got in Greenville and Salem chomping at the bit. So far he's hitting .310 on the season.

                                                              Dearden needs to improve

Up next is 24 year old outfielder Tyler McDonough. Tyler was the third round pick back in 2021 and was as good as advertised in 2021, hitting .296 to finish the year in Salem last year Tyler struggled in Greenville, hitting just .230 with 9 home runs. This year he's currently hitting .148 with w home run and it would be nice if he could improve to give Worcester some outfield depth by the end of the season.

                                                         Needs to tear it up in Portland

Up next is 23 year old outfielder Corey Rosier. Rosier was chosen in the 12th round by the Seattle Mariners 8 picks after the Red Sox took Christopher Troye in the 2021 draft. He came over last year in the trade that sent Jay Groome to the San Diego Padres. He hit just .163 to end the year for Greenville and so far this year he's hitting .357 with 9 stolen bases. Bloom has an unusual attraction to the 2021 draft and it looks like he's stockpiling picks from that draft he had his eye on but weren't able to get. Hopefully Rosier rewards Bloom's faith by having a good season this year.

                                                                    Another 2021 draft pick

Last but certainly not least is another one of the team underdogs, 24 year old birthday boy outfielder Phillip Sikes. Sikes was chosen in the 18th round back in 2021 and showed some power by hitting 11 home runs last season between Greenville and Salem. This year he's hitting (insert) and it would be unfair to expect an 18th round pick to be any more than a depth player in Double A or Triple A, but the higher he climbs is a feather in his cap compared to other much higher drafted players that never made it that far.

                                                                  Keep on scrapping, Sikes

So there you have the 2023 Portland Sea Dogs, They have some definite rising talent in Drohan, Webb, Kavadas, Rafaela and Lugo but it would be nice to see some surprises come out of them as well. As with anything, the main goal isn't to win every game in sight but groom the ones Major League worthy for the future. It would be nice if they could make the playoffs this year, especially compared to how they lost to the Somerset Patriots last year. So far this year the pitching has been amazing but the offense has been non-existent. Still, the team is 13-5 and looks good so far. If you want to see the dregs of Dombrowski's drafts and the beginning of the Bloom era combined, come to Hadlock Field and see the Sea Dogs this year.

The Red Sox are back in action tomorrow night at home against the Cleveland Guardians. Nick Pivetta (1-1, 4.58 ERA) gets the start for the Red Sox againt Shane Bieber of Cleveland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.