Sox Rally Falls Short Against Reds (5/30/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Corey Kluber was placed on the Paternity List and Ryan Sherriff was recalled from Worcester to take his place. Congratulations to Corey.

                                                                          OUT

                                                              IN

As for the game, that was a sucker punch to the gonads. For 7 innings it was all Cincinnati Reds as they took advantage of a hasty Alex Cora decision to score 8 runs. Brayan Bello (3-3, 3.89 ERA) had allowed just 1 run through four innings but the bullpen completely imploded. Thanks to a Jose Barrero grand slam, the Reds scored 7 runs off Justin Garza and Joely Rodriguez. The Sox rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh but Spencer Steer got a run off Ryan Sherriff. Suddenly the Sox sprang to life scoring 5 runs to put the tying run at third base against Alexis Diaz. Triston Casas struck out to end the rally and the game. The Reds had won the game 9-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                     ''Casas.......''

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and TJ Friedl grounded out to short to start. Matt McLain singled to right to right and moved to second on a Jonathan India grounder back to the mound. Jake Fraley walked and Tyler Stephenson walked to load the bases. Spencer Steer forced Tyler at second to end the inning. Blake Lively got the ball in the bottom of the first and Raimel Tapia grounded out to second to start. Rafael Devers flied out to center and Justin Turner flied out to right to end the inning.

The Reds struck first in the top of the second as Kevin Newman took strike three to start. Will Benson singled to center and Stuart Fairchild singled to right to move Benson to third. Friedl beat out a double play ball to score Benson to give Cincinnati the lead. McClain took strike three to end the inning with the Reds up 1-0.

                                                               Safe...but not by much

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Masataka Yoshida walked to start. Jarren Duran doubled to center but Triston Casas grounded out to second. Kike Hernandez walked to load the bases but Enmanuel Valdez struck out swinging and Reese McGuire lined out to short to end the inning.

India grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Fraley grounded out to second. Hernandez threw a ball by Stephenson away for an error and Steer got a base hit to right to move Tyler to third. Newman lined out to a running Yoshida to end the inning. Tapia flied out to left to start the bottom of the third before Devers flied out to center. Turner grounded out to third to end the inning.

Benson tripled to left to start the top of the fourth but Fairchild grounded out to short. Friedl struck out swinging and McLain whiffed as well to end the inning. That was it for Bello who tossed 4 innings allowing just 1 run, but took 97 pitches to do it.

                                                    Short and sweet for Bello

Jose Barrero came in for Friedl to start the bottom of the fourth as Yoshida grounded out to second to start. Duran and Casas both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Justin Garza came in to pitch the top of the fifth and India singled to left to start. Fraley doubled to center to score India just like that. Stephenson struck out swinging and Steer grounded out to short to move Fraley to third. Newman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Reds up 2-0.

                                                               Reds score another

The Sox blew it again in the bottom of the fifth as Hernandez got a base hit to center to start. Valdez and McGuire both struck out swinging, but Tapia doubled to center. Hernandez tried to score from first but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

The Reds got another run in the top of the sixth as Benson got a base hit to right to start. A wild pitch moved Benson to second and Fairchild struck out swinging. Barrero walked and McLain hit a grounder to Hernandez who turned and spiked the ball like a football, doing a backflip for an error that scored Benson. Indian popped up to first and that was it for Garza. Joely Rodriguez struck Fraley out swinging to end the inning with the Reds up 3-0.

                                                          Bad throw by Hernandez

Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Turner grounded out to third. Yoshida got a base hit to center and that was it for Lively. Alex Young got Duran to line out to right to end the inning.

The Reds looked to have put the game away in the top of the seventh as Stephenson walked to start. Steer got a base hit to left and Newman walked to load the bases. Benson forced Stephenson at home but Fairchild walked to score Steer. Barrero then pounded a grand slam into the Charles River to increase the lead. That was it for Rodriguez as Ryan Sherriff came in to get McLain to line out to third. India struck out swinging to end the inning with the Reds up 8-0.

                                                              That should do it

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh against Fernando Cruz on the mound. Casas grounded out to first before Hernandez struck out swinging. Valdez got a base hit in the hole at third and McGuire doubled to center to score Enmanuel. Tapia then tripled into the right field corner to score McGuire and Devers drilled a base hit to right to score Raimel. Turner flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                          Devers drives in a run

Naturally the bullpen couldn't hold it down in the top of the eighth as Fraley grounded back to the mound to start. Stephenson tripled into the centerfield triangle and scored on the Steer sac fly to left. Newman grounded out to first to end the inning with the Reds up 9-3.

                                                            Reds score again

Buck Farmer came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Yoshida got a base hit to center to start. Duran grounded out to second to move Masataka to second but Yoshida got doubled off on the bullet to right by Casas to end the inning.

Benson popped up to short to start the top of the ninth and Fairchild struck out swinging. Barrero singled to left and McLain flied out to center to end the inning. Eduardo Salazar came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hernandez lined out to right to start. The Sox rallied when Valdez walked, McGuire doubled him to third and Tapia got a base hit to right to score Enmanuel. Devers got a base hit to center to score McGuire and send Tapia to third and Turner got a base hit to right to score Raimel. Alexis Diaz came in to pitch and Yoshida doubled to center to score Devers, representing the tying run. Pablo Reyes ran for Yoshida and Duran grounded out to short to score Turner, sending Reyes to third. Unfortunately Casas struck out swinging to end the game. The Reds had won 9-8.

                                                             Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Joely Rodriguez. He allowed 5 runs including a grand slam to put the game out of reach.

                                                        Jackass Rodriguez

The Good:

Raimel Tapia was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 3 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Justin Garza allowed 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk but struck out and committed an error.

Brayan Bello took the loss but allowed just 1 run in 4 innings.

Ryan Sherriff allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Pablo Reyes pinch ran for Yoshida in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

This game was a microcosm of the season with the bullpen failing to keep the game close and the Sox being unable to land the knockout punch. The Sox damn near erased a 9-3 deficit but fell one base short. It shouldn't have gotten to that point if Bello didn't nibble for 4 innings to drive up his pitch count. It also would help if Justin Garza and Joely Rodriguez didn't vomit up their intestines. It also didn't help THAT is who the Sox have to rely on because Chaim Bloom neglected the bullpen in the off-season. After running The A-Team into the ground in 2021, the bullpen imploded at the end of 2022. Kenley Jansen and John Schreiber can't save them every day. Just another reason why Bloom shouldn't be here. Kudos to the offense for damn near pulling off the upset without Alex Verdugo and Trevor Story, just was just too big a hole to dig out of. The loss dropped the Sox to 28-26, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound night against the Reds when James Paxton takes on Luke Weaver of Cincinnati. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (5/29/23)

On this day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful history:

2013 - Phillies shell Lackey, Sox

2016 - Sox beat Jays in 11 innings

2017 - Cabrera, White Sox defeat Red Sox

2018 - Porcello guides Sox past Jays

2019 - Indians knock out Sox

2021 - Venable manages Sox past Marlins

2022 - Sox rout Orioles

The Sox return home to face the Cincinnati Reds starting this tomorrow night. Brayan Bello (3-2) takes on Ben Lively of the Reds. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Drop Two of Three To Arizona (5/28/23)

If the Boston Red Sox want to prove they can hang with the big boys, they're going to have to do better than to drop two of three games to the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tanner Houck (3-4, 5.30 ERA) got blitzed in the first inning on a 2 run Corbin Carroll home run and a Josh Rojas rbi single. Geraldo Perdomo hit a home run in the bottom of the second and that was basically the game. Merrill Kelly held the Sox scoreless into the seventh inning when Alex Verdugo hit a bases loaded single to score Triston Casas. Rafael Devers then struck out to end the rally. Justin Turner hit a home run in the eighth inning but Raimel Tapia couldn't drive in the tying runs. The tying run came to the plate in the ninth inning but Miguel Castro slammed the door. The Diamondbacks had won it 4-2.

                                                          "Damndamndmandamndamn!!!"

Kelly got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo popped up to third to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to first and Justin Turner struck out swinging to end the inning. Houck got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Pavin Smith flied out to center to start. Ketel Marte singled to right and Corbin Carroll hit a home run all the way to Texas to put the Diamondbacks up for good 3 batters into the game. Christian Walker struck a base hit to left, Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled to center and Josh Rojas singled to left to score Walker. Gabriel Moreno forced Rojas at second and Jake McCarthy lined out to left to end the inning with Arizona up 3-0.

                                                      Diamondbacks strike first

Masataka Yoshida singled to right to start the top of the second but Jarren Duran took strike three. Triston Casas also took strike three and Kike Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Diamondbacks got another run in the bottom of the second as Geraldo Perdomo hit a home run all the way to New Mexico to increase the lead. Smith grounded out to first, Marte struck out swinging and Carroll grounded out to second to end the inning with Arizona up 4-0.

                                                      Another home run

Enmanuel Valdez took strike three to start the top of the third but Connor Wong doubled to right. Verdugo moved Wong to third with a grounder to second but Devers grounded out to first to end the inning, Walker lined out to center to start the bottom of the third before Gurriel Jr grounded out to short. Rojas struck out swinging to end the inning.

Turner flied out to left to start the top of the fourth but Yoshida walked. Duran and Casas both struck out swinging to end the inning. Moreno lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before McCarthy took strike three. Perdomo was also caught looking to end the inning. That was it for Houck who lasted just 4 innings and allowed 4 runs.

                                                            Houck gets rocked

Hernandez flied out to left to start the top of the fifth and Valdez lined out to center. Wong grounded out to third to end the inning. Joely Rodriguez came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Smith popped up to third to start. Marte singled to left and promptly stole second. Carroll flied out to center and Walker struck out swinging to end the inning.

Verdugo took strike three to start the top of the sixth before Devers also watched strike go by. Turner got a base hit to right but Yoshida was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Nick Pivetta took over on the mound for the bottom of the sixth and Gurriel Jr singled to left to start. Rojas flied out to center but Moreno got a base hit off the glove of Valdez. McCarthy took strike three but a wild pitch moved the runners over. Perdomo flied out to right to end the inning.

Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Casas got a base hit to right. Hernandez walked and Andrew Chafin came in to pitch to pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder. Refsnyder walked to load the bases but Wong flied out to left. Pablo Reyes pinch ran for Refsnyder and Verdugo got a base hit to left to score Casas. With a chance to tie or go-ahead....Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                     Verdugo tried to rally the guys

Smith lined out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Marte flied out to right. Carroll struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Kyle Nelson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Turner greeted him with his sixth home run of the season. Yoshida singled off the glove of Nelson but Duran took strike three. Casas struck out swinging and Jose Ryuz came in to face Hernandez. Enrique walked and Raimel Tapia pinch hit for Reyes. Tapia flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox still down 4-2.

                                                             Turner hits one out

Walker flied out to right to start the bottom of the eighth and Gurriel Jr struck out swinging. Rojas flied out to right to end the inning.

Miguel Castro came in to close out the top of the ninth and Reese McGuire pinch hit for Connor Wong....only to strike out swinging. Verdugo got a base hit in the hole at third then moved to second on the grounder to short by Devers. Turner struck out swinging to end the game. The Diamondbacks had won 4-2.

                                                             Diamondbacks win

Jackass of the Night is Rafael Devers. He struck out with the bases loaded in the eighth inning and grounded out in the ninth inning representing the tying run.

                                                            Disgruntled Jackass

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Justin Turner was 2 for 5 with a home run.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3.

Kike Hernandez walked twice in four plate appearances.

Rob Refsnyder walked as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3.

Joely Rodriguez pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Nick Pivetta tossed 3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Raimel Tapia was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.

Tanner Houck allowed 4 runs in 4 innings off 6 hits.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Pablo Reyes ran for Refsnyder in the eighth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Another loss where the Sox couldn't deliver the knockout punch. Devers failed in the 7th and the 9th to get the tying runs in but he wasn't the only one. The Sox had men on base in the final innings and couldn't get it done. It didn't help Tanner Houck didn't have it tonight but they still should be good enough to score more than two runs with that many guys on base. This season was supposed to be better than last year but between starting pitching inefficiency and lack of offense, its starting to look just like 2022. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 28-25, 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox return home to face the Cincinnati Reds starting this Tuesday night. Brayan Bello (3-2) takes on Ben Lively of the Reds. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Edge Diamondbacks (5/27/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Garrett Whitlock was activated from the Injured List to make tonight's start against the Arizona Diamondbacks while Brennan Bernardino was optioned back to Worcester. I don't know why they keep Whitlock as a starter, he's much better off in the bullpen.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                             IN

It was a great day all around in the world of sports. The Uso Brothers defeated Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa at WWE Money In The Bank, the Boston Celtics stunned the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and the Boston Red Sox knocked off the Arizona Diamondbacks. Garrett Whitlock (2-2, 5.14 ERA) came off the injured list to toss 5 gutty innings, surrendering just one run. The Sox bats didn't do much against Zach Davies and the Arizona bullpen but it was good enough. Ketel Marte homered off Whitlock in the bottom of the first but rbis from Kike Hernandez and Reese McGuire proved to be just enough. The trio of Kutter Crawford, Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen held the fort and the Sox had beaten Arizona 2-1 at Chase Field.

                                                          The Celtics approve of the win

Davies got the ball in the top of the first inning and Raimel Tapia struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo walked but Justin Turner flied out to right. Masataka Yoshida singled in the hole at second but Verdugo was foolishly picked off to end the inning. Whitlock got the ball in the bottom of the first and te Diamondbacks struck first. Pavin Smith lined out to left to start but Ketel Marte hit a home run all the way to Tucson to put Arizona on top. Corbin Carroll grounded out to first but Christian Walker singled off the glove of Turner. Lourdes Gurriel Jr lined out to first to end the inning with Arizona up 1-0.

                                                       Arizona strikes first

Jarren Duran singled to right to start the top of the second inning but Triston Casas flied out to right. Kike Hernandez struck out swinging and Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning. Josh Rojas grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Gabriel Moreno grounded out to third. Jake McCarthy grounded out to first to end the inning.

Reese McGuire grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Tapia grounded out to second. Verdugo walked and Turner flied out to right to end the inning. Geraldo Pedromo took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Smith struck out swinging. Marte flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth as Yoshida got a base hit down the line at third to begin. Duran struck out swinging but Casas got a base hit to center. Hernandez got a base hit to left to score Yoshida and chase Davies. Pablo Reyes pinch hit for Valdez and Kyle Nelson came in to face him. Reyes walked and McGuire dropped down a safety squeeze bunt to score Casas. Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                              Hernandez ties it up

Carroll flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Walker flied out to center. Gurriel Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tommy Henry came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Verdugo flied out to right to start. Turner grounded out to short and Yoshida flied out to left to end the inning. Whitlock returned for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth and Rojas grounded out to second to start. Moreno struck out swinging but McCarthy doubled to left. Perdomo grounded out to second to end the inning. Whitlock returned to allowed 3 hits and a run while striking out 4 batters.

                                                             Good work Whitlock

Duran caught the Dbacks asleep with a bunt that Henry threw away for an error to start the top of the sixth. Casas flied out to right and Austin Adams came in to pitch to Hernandez. Enrique struck out swinging and a wild pitch moved Duran to third. Reyes grounded out to short to end the inning. Kutter Crawford came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Smith grounded out to first to start. Marte and Carroll both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Scott McGough came in to pitch the top of the seventh and McGuire took strike three to start. Tapia lined out to right and Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning. Walker lined out to first to start the bottom of the seventh before Gurriel Jr popped up to short. Rojas struck out swinging to end the inning.

Turner struck out swinging to open the top of the eighth but Yoshida drew a walk. Duran and Casas both struck out swinging to end the inning. It looked like Moreno grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the eighth but Arizona manager Torey Lovullo challenged that he was safe. The umpires upheld the call and Crawford apparently jammed his ankle. Chris Martin came in to pitch and McCarthy grounded out to second. Pedromo flied out to right to end the inning.

Miguel Castro came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hernandez grounded out to third to start. Reyes lined out to left and McGuire grounded out to second to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Smith flied out to left to start. Marte flied out to center and Carroll struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it2-1.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of The Night is Garrett Whitlock. He got the win with 5 gutty innings coming off the Injured List allowing just 1 run off 3 hits.

                                                            The Lock is The Hero

The Good:

Alex Verdugo walked twice in four plate appearances.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4.

Kutter Crawford tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Chris Martin got the final 2 outs of the eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 11th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Raimel Tapia was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Justin Turner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Pablo Reyes was 0 for 2 but walked.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Not having Trevor Story and Rafael Devers sucks but the pitching held up in this one. Garrett Whitlock tossed a gutty game but now Kutter Crawford might be hurt again. Hopefully he just jammed his ankle instead of spraining it. The real problem, as mentioned earlier, is the offense. They have a team of utility players right now and are too far behind in the standings to wait around for Devers and Story to come back. The Sox should be thinking about trading some prospects for another bat. The Tampa Bay Rays are red hot right now and Boston has to strike soon or it'll be another lost season. Not having a cavalcade of injuries in June and July would help too. Still, this was a good win against a tough team and hopefully the pitching continues to hold up. The win improved the Sox to 28-24, 9 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series against Arizona tomorrow afternoon when Tanner Houck (3-3) takes on Merrill Kelly of the Diamondbacks. The game begins at 4:10 PM Eastern time at Chase Field.

Sale, Casas Wrangle The Diamondbacks (5/26/23)

The good news was the Boston Red Sox finally won a road game against a good team. Chris Sale (5-2, 4.72 ERA) tossed 5 strong innings while holding the Arizona Diamondbacks to just one run. The real star of this one was Triston Casas who had three big hits and an rbi. A Kike Hernandez two run shot iced the game in the top of the fourth. Josh Winckowski and Brennan Bernardino shut the door in relief and the Sox had beaten Arizona 7-2 at Chase Field.

                                                        Tiffany Stratton approves of the win

Brandon Pfaadt got the ball in the top of the first inning and Raimel Tapia grounded out to second to start. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging but Justin Turner doubled to left. Masataka Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning. Sale got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ketel Marte flied out to right to start. Emmanuel Rivera struck out swinging and Lourdes Gurriel Jr flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Rob Refsnyder got a base hit down the third base line to start. Triston Casas smacked a double to right to score Rob but Kike Hernandez struck out swinging. Enmanuel Valdez struck out swinging but Connor Wong hit a ground rule double down the left field line to score Casas. Tapia got a base hit to right to score Wong but Verdugo forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                          Tapia makes it 3-0

Christian Walker popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Evan Longoria lined out to third. Corbin Carroll singled to center but Nick Ahmed grounded out to short to end the inning.

Turner lined out to center to start the top of the third before Yoshida took strike three. Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning. Jake McCarthy took strike three to start the bottom of the third before Jose Herrera got a base hit to right. Marte grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Casas got a base hit to right and Hernandez blasted his fourth home run of the season to ice the game. Valdez grounded out to first and Wong hit one up the elevator shaft, but Tapia got a base hit to right to chase Pfaadt. Luis Frias came in to allow Verdugo to get a base hit to center to move Tapia to third, but Turner struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 5-0.

                                                          Home run Hernandez

The Diamondbacks struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Rivera singled to right to start. Gurriel Jr tripled into the centerfield gap to score Rivera but Walker popped up to first. Longoria took strike three and Caroll grounded out to second to end the inning. Good work by Sale to strand Gurriel at third with nobody out and the Sox up 5-1.

                                                         Diamondbacks get a run back

Yoshida struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Refsnyder walked. Casas took strike three but Refsnyder stole second. Hernandez walked but Valdez lined out to center to end the inning. Sale returned for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth as Ahmed flied out to left to start. McCarthy walked and stole second but Herrera grounded out to short. A wild pitch moved McCarthy to third and Marte popped up to third to end the inning. That was it for Sale who threw just 73 pitches and allowed 4 hits, a run and a walk while striking out 3.

                                                              Short but sweet for Sale

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth as Wong struck out swinging to start. Tapia grounded out to second but Verdugo doubled to right. Turner got a base hit to center to score Alex and Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                              The cover of GQ

With a 5 run lead, Sox manager Alex Cora didn't want to stretch Sale so Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the top of the sixth. Rivera grounded out to short to start and Gurriel Jr struck out swinging. Walker popped up to third to end the inning.

Kevin Ginkel came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Refsnyder struck out swinging to start. Casas popped up to third and Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning. Pavin Smith pinch hit for Longoria and grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh. Carroll popped up to third and Geraldo Perdomo pinch hit for Ahmed. Perdomo flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the eighth as Valdez struck out swinging to start. Wong doubled off the glove of Carroll but Tapia grounded out to short. Verdugo singled to left to score Wong but Turner grounded out to third to end the inning with Boston ahead 7-1.

                                                          Happy Sox bench

The Diamondbacks fought back in the bottom of the eighth as McCarthy grounded out to second to start. Herrera and Marte stroked back to back base hits and Rivera singled off the glove of Hernandez to score Herrera. Gurriel Jr forced Rivera at second and Walker flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                                 Arizona gets a run back

Jose Ruiz came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Yoshida grounded out to third to start. Refsnyder lined out to second but Casas doubled to center. Hernandez walked and Valdez flied out to center to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Smith took strike three to start. Carroll popped up to second but Perdomo walked. Perdomo took second and third on defensive indifference and Gabriel Moreno pinch hit for McCarthy. Moreno popped up to Casas to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 7-2.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Triston Casas. His  double in the second started the rally that propelled the Sox to victory.

                                                                 Casas Hero

The Good:

Raimel Tapia was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Justin Turner was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a 2 run home run.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Chris Sale got the win with 5 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 4 hits and a walk while striking out three.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Josh Winckowski allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

I understand trying to handle Sale with kid gloves after his injury issues but you gotta let him off the leash soon. You don't want to burn out the bullpen early like they did in 2021 but still, a good win is a good win. Casas, Hernandez and Tapia were the stars of this one but the problem is two of them aren't the guys to carry a team. Still, with Trevor Story out and Rafael Devers getting the night off, scoring 7 runs without them is nothing to sneeze at. Winckowski ate up 3 innings so the bullpen should be ready to go tomorrow if needed. All in all the Sox needed to snap their four game losing streak against a good team and they did. The win improved the Sox to 27-24, 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Arizona tomorrow night when Garrett Whitlock (1-2) takes on Zach Davies of Arizona. The game begins at 7:15 PM Eastern time at Chase Field.

Off-Day News: (5/25/23)

On this day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful history:

2000 - Jays outslug Sox

2001 - Sox beat Jays on Nomo's gem

2013 - Sox rally past Indians

2016 - Sox bash Rockies

2017 - Sox sweep Rangers

2018 - Sox release Ramirez, beat Braves

2019 - Astros walkoff Sox

2021 - Braves beat Sox

2022 - White Sox knock off Red Sox

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night against the Arizona Diamondbacks when Chris Sale (4-2) takes on Brandon Pfaadt of Arizona at 9:40 PM Eastern time at Chase Field.

Angels Sweep Sox, Paxton Pounded (5/24/23)

The Boston Red Sox crashed down to earth big time as they dropped their fourth game in a row and third in a row to the Los Angeles Angels. James Paxton (1-1, 5.14 ERA) got shelled for 5 runs in just 3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of. The Sox got a run back off Ty Anderson on a Kike Hernandez doubled in the top of the fourth, but Mike Trout hit a two run bomb off Nick Pivetta in the bottom of the frame to ice it. The Sox bats scratched out two runs late in the game but it wasn't enough as the Angels completed the sweep 7-3 at Angel Stadium.

                                                           "Damn Paxton"

Anderson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder lined out to short to start. Justin Turner walked but Masataka Yoshida grounded into a double play to end the inning. Paxton got the ball in the bottom of the first and Taylor Ward flied out to right. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rafael Devers singled to center to open the top of the second but Kike Hernandez flied out to center. Pablo Reyes got a base hit to left but Devers was thrown out at third after Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. The Angels iced the game early in the bottom of the second as old friend Hunter Renfroe walked to start. Brandon Drury doubled down the left field line and Gio Urshela hit a sac fly to center to score Renfroe to put the Angels up for good just two innings into the game. Luis Rengifo struck out swinging but Chad Wallach walked. Zach Neto hit a home run all the way to Cuba to ice the game and Ward grounded out to third to end the inning with the Angels up 4-0.

                                                         Angels pour it on early

Raimel Tapia grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Duran took strike three. Refsnyder flied out to center to end the inning. The Angels struck again in the bottom of the third as Trout took strike three to start. Ohtani then hit a home run all the way to China to increase the lead. Remfroe lined out to right but Drury singled to right. Urshela walked but Rengifo took strike three to end the inning with the Angels up 5-0.

                                                        Home run Ohtani

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth although Turner flied out to center to start. Yoshida doubled to center but Devers flied out to left. Hernandez doubled to left to score Yoshida but Reyes grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                           Sox get one back

That was it for Paxton who allowed 5 runs in 3 innings and Nick Pivetta came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth. Wallach struck out swinging to start but Neto singled to center. Ward flied out to center but Trout clobbered a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to increase the lead. Ohtani popped up to short to end the inning with the Angels up 7-1.

                                                                Trout jacks one

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Wong flied out to left to start. Tapia walked but Duran took strike three. Refsnyder got a base hit to left but Turner grounded out to third to end the inning. Renfroe grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Drury popped up to second. Urshela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Yoshida grounded out to second to begin the top of the sixth before Devers lined out to short. Hernandez flied out to right to end the inning. Rengifo struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Wallach flied out to right. Neto hit a ground rule double down the left field line but Ward flied out to right to end the inning.

Reyes Moronta came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Reyes popped up to first. Wong somehow belted his fifth home run of the year to cut the lead and Tapia singled to right. Duran grounded out to second to move Tapia to second and Refsnyder walked. Both runners moved over on a wild pitch and Turner walked to load the bases. Chris Devenski came in to face Yoshida and Masa grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 7-2.

                                                        Wong hits one out

Justin Garza came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Trout grounded out to short to start. Ohtani grounded out to short and Renfroe flied out to left to end the inning.

Jared Walsh came in for Rengifo to start the top of the eighth and Devers grounded out to first to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and Reyes popped up to first to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Drury grounded out to third to start. Urshela popped up to second but Walsh walked. Wallach popped up to first to end the inning.

Aaron Loup came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Wong walked to start. Tapia grounded out to short to move Wong to second and Duran grounded out to second to move Connor to third. Refsnyder got a base hit to center to score Wong but Turner lined out to center to end the game. The Angels had won it 7-3.

                                                        Angels win

Jackass of the Night is James Paxton. He put the Sox in a early hole by allowing 5 runs in 3 innings to take the loss.

                                                              Jackass Paxton

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Raimel Tapia was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Justin Garza pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Nick Pivetta allowed 2 runs in 3 innings.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Pablo Reyes was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

The best way to describe the Red Sox is they are treading water and making no progress. They nosedived off a cliff in 2022 and never really recovered. So far this season they've been outclassed by just about every team they've played and the Angels are no exception. Paxton didn't pitch well but the fact that Chaim Bloom banked on Trevor Story to replace Xander Bogaerts might cost him his job sooner rather than later. The offense just hasn't been there and it doesn't look like it will improve either. A whole season of meh might be in store. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-24, 9.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox continue their road trip by traveling to Arizona for a three game set with the Diamondbacks. This Friday night Chris Sale (4-2) takes on Brandon Pfaadt of the Diamondbacks at 9:40 PM Eastern time at Chase Field.

Angels Blank Sox (5/23/23)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 4 of their NBA East Finals series but the bad news was the Los Angeles Angels shut out the Boston Red Sox. For the second day in a row, the Boston bats went silent against Angels pitching. Struggling starter Griffin Canning looked like 1973 Nolan Ryan as he held the Sox to 2 measly hits in 7 innings. Brayan Bello (3-2, 4.08 ERA) was the hard luck loser allowing 2 runs in 7 strong innings. Any hope for a comeback ended when Joely Rodriguez gave up a two run bomb to Mike Trout in the bottom of the eighth. The Sox have now scored exactly 1 run in 18 innings as the Angels won this one 4-0 at Angels Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Canning got the ball in the top of the first and Alex Verdugo lined out to left to start. Masataka Yoshida flied out to left, but Justin Turner walked. Rafael Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Moniak hit a home run all the way to Mexico to put the Angels up for good just 1 batter into the first. Mike Trout struck out swinging but Shohei Ohtani singled inside the first base line. Hunter Renfroe forced Ohtani at second but Jared Walsh got a base hit to right. Brandon Drury struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.

                                                       That didn't take long

Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Kike Hernandez flied out to right. Triston Casas walked and Enmanuel Valdez got a base hit to right, but Reese McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning. Matt Thaiss grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Gio Urshela struck out looking. Zach Neto went down hacking to end the inning.

Verdugo grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Yoshida flied out to center. Turner took strike three to end the inning. Moniak flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Trout grounded out to second. Ohtani grounded out to first to end the inning.

Devers lined out to left to start the top of the fourth before Duran grounded out to first. Hernandez walked but Casas swung at air to end the inning. Renfroe grounded out to third to open the bottom of the fourth and Walsh took strike three. Drury grounded out to third to end the inning.

Valdez grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth before McGuire struck out swinging. Verdugo lined out to left to end the inning. Thaiss hit a home run all the way to the Baltic Sea to start the bottom of the fifth before Urshela grounded out to third. Neto got a base hit to center but Moniak flied out to center. Trout flied out to right to end the inning with the Angels up 2-0.

                                                        Thaiss hits one out

Yoshida flied out to left to start the top of the sixth before Turner grounded out to third. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. Ohtani lined out to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Renfroe lined out to left. Walsh flied out to right to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh before Hernandez lined out to right. Casas got a base hit to right but Valdez popped up to third to end the inning. Bello returned for one last inning in the bottom of the seventh and Drury grounded out to second to start. Thaiss struck out swinging but Urshela doubled to right. Neto grounded out to third to end the inning. Bello allowed 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 6.

                                                           Hard luck Bello

Matt Moore came in to pitch the top of the eighth with Rob Refsnyder pinch hitting for McGuire. Rob walked and Verdugo forced him at second. Yoshida grounded into a double play to end the inning. Connor Wong took over behind the plate with Joely Rodriguez now on the mound to start the bottom of the eighth. Taylor Ward pinch hit for Moniak and doubled to left. Trout hit a home run all the way into the Pacific Ocean to ice the game. Ohtani took strike three but Renfroe doubled to left. Walsh walked and that was it for the incompetent Rodriguez. Justin Garza got Drury lined out to right and Thaiss to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 4-0.

                                                                 This one's over

Jacob Webb came in to close out the top of the ninth and Turner flied out to center to start. Devers struck out swinging and Duran went down hacking to end the game. The Angels had won it 4-0.

                                                               Angels win

Jackass of the Night is Joely Rodriguez. Not that the Sox were going to score any runs, he eliminated any hope for a comeback when he served up a two run jack to Mike Trout.

                                                       Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Triston Casas was 1 for 2.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3.

Rob Refsnyder walked as a pinch hitter.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Brayan Bello held the Angels to two runs in 7 innings. He allowed 6 hits while striking out 6.

Justin Garza got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Someone wake up the Boston Red Sox bats because they've gone completely asleep in two games against the Los Angeles Angels. Scoring one run last night and nothing tonight isn't going to get the job done. Trevor Story and Adam Duvall being out hurts but the offense shouldn't be THIS bad. Joely Rodriguez poured gas on the fire but the Sox weren't doing anything offensively anyway. Its one thing if it was an ace pitcher but Griffin Canning shut them down. It'll be a while before Duvall and Story come back so the Sox have to do something to score some runs, small ball, bunts....SOMETHING! Bello pitched a hell of a game and that's the only highlight really. If the bats can produce, Bello turning into an ace would help big time. The less said of this nonsense, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-23, 8.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow night when James Paxton (1-0) takes on Tyler Anderson of the Angels. The game begins at 9:30 PM at Anaheim Stadium.