Sox Trade Chris Sale to Atlanta (12/30/23)

What started out promising for the Boston Red Sox has become yet another embarrassing off-season no different than the past two.

On December 12th, the Los Angeles Dodgers fleeced the entire league by signing Shohei Ohtani to a 10 year, 700 million dollar deal. The kicker is that they will pay Shohei 2 million a year until he retires then backload his contract so it doesn't count against the Luxury Tax. MLB will probably investigate and make a future ruling to prevent such chicanery but this move gave the Dodgers the financial ability to sign free agent prize Yoshinobu Yamamoto on December 22nd. If that's not all, the Dodgers pulled off a trade the Red Sox should have made and got Tampa Bay Rays ace Tyler Glasnow and old pal Manny Margot for prospects Ryan Pepiot and Johnny DeLecua. All in all the Dodgers within the span of two weeks got three potential ace pitchers (when Ohtani pitches again in 2025 anyway) and a good outfielder in Margot for money and two prospects. The Sox could have done all of that......or not.

                                                   Even New York is pissed

Red Sox CEO Sam Kennedy went on national television that the Red Sox are going "full throttle" and so far its been a lot of hot air. The rumors swirling is that not only were these guys "too expensive" but the Sox are looking to shed payroll. Those rumors turned out to be true as the Sox made another salary dump when they traded fading former ace Chris Sale to the Atlanta Braves for 22 year old shortstop prospect Vaughn Grissom.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                       IN

The rise and fall of Chris Sale is pretty much a microcosm of the Boston Red Sox fortunes the last seven years. Sale was the second coming of Pedro Martinez the first half of the 2017 but began to fade in the second half, still finishing with a 17-8 record. In 2018 he was on track for 20 wins when he suffered an arm injury in August and barely pitched again the rest of the regular season. He was a shell of himself in October but did manage to close out the World Series in Game 5. In 2019 he was batting practice, going 6-11 before shutting down in August. Then it all went to hell as he got Tommy John surgery in February of 2020 and didn't return until August of 2021. He did go 5-1 at the end of 2021 but once again was a shell of himself in October. He pitched in just two games in 2022 and missed most of 2023 but finished strong going 6-5 with a 4.30 ERA. He's 34 years old and there's no way in hell he pitches a full year again so it makes sense to get something out of him. The problem is by failing to sign Yamamoto, Ohtani and trading for Glasnow, who the hell replaces him?

                                                     Sale's shining moment

Oh it gets worse, the guy they got has no power and can't play the field. Grissom is a great contact hitter, hitting above .300 every year from 2021-23 in the minors and .280 in 23 games for Atlanta this season. The drawbacks is he only hit 9 big league home runs in 64 games and 216 at-bats and he is a horrendous short-stop. Now the rumor is they're going to move him to second base which is actually one of Boston's needs this year. Like I said, he can hit for contact then he's the modern day Marty Barrett. Problem is the team doesn't have many power threats besides Devers.

                                           Grissom made his ML debut against Boston

Now if you want to take the Boston media's "everything stinks" side, the Sox just gave up their former ace to save money for a guy who can't play defense or hit home runs. The Sox now have to rely on a rotation of Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford, Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock and Tanner Houck. Obviously the off-season is far from over with Lucas Giolito, Blake Snell and Jordan Montgomery still available but the Sox have done nothing but trade talent for prospects going back to the Alex Verdugo trade. Combine that with the spending spree by the Dodgers and the New York Yankees trading for Verdugo and Juan Soto, the Sox are in the exact same position they were a year ago.

                                                        Boston media

Now if you want to take the Boston twitter "everything is awesome" side, the Sox finally got rid of Sale and they addressed a need by getting a proven infielder that at least can hit. The Sox have no idea if Nick Yorke, Mikey Romero or Marcelo Mayer is going to develop so to see someone like Grissom being able to hit in the majors is encouraging. If you put Grissom at second, now you have Casas at first, Story at short, Devers at third, Duran in center, Abreu in right, O'Neil in left, Wong behind the plate and Yoshida at DH. The Sox are rumored to be interested in Teoscar Hernandez as a free agent but even if they don't get him, the lineup is starting to take shape. Another thing is Grissom may never see the Sox. You could package him, Rich Fitts and others to get a Dylan Cease or Jesus Luzardo. Sale was never going to be the same again so this is definitely a win for Boston Twitter.

                                                              Boston Twitter

Now if you're a realist, the Sox are definitely not better than last year at the moment with the losses of Verdugo & Sale but the off-season isn't over yet. There's still time to make some moves but they better hurry. Getting a Blake Snell and trading for a potential ace could change the complexion of the team instantly. Either way, Sox GM Craig Breslow better do something.

Red Sox Trade For Tyler O'Neill (12/8/23)

Okay....didn't see THAT one coming. With the trade of Alex Verdugo and the departures of Adam Duvall and Justin Turner, the Boston Red Sox outfield was looking a bit thin. Yes they still had Wilyer Abreu, Jarren Duran and Masataka Yoshida but they didn't have that "veteran" presence that Duvall and Turner brought, until now. Last night Sox GM Chaim Bloom traded minor league right handed pitcher Victor Santos and Sox reliever Nick Robertson to the St. Louis Cardinals for the jacked up outfielder Tyler O'Neill.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                        IN

So who did the Sox give up? Robertson was the centerpiece of the Kike Hernandez trade this past season and naturally he allowed 9 runs in 12 innings when he got to Boston. Santos was considered a steal when ex-Sox GM Chaim Bloom traded CJ Chatam for him in July of 2021 going 4-2 in 8 starts with a 2.58 ERA down the stretch in Portland. He just hasn't developed since, putting mediocre numbers in Portland & Worcester in 2022 and not pitching at all in 2023 due to injury. The trades for Greg Weissert and Justin Slaten made Robertson expendable and getting Rich Fitts signaled the end for Santos. Good luck in St. Louis to both.

                                                             Bye bye Robertson & Santos

Now the question is, who did they get? Right handed hitting Tyler O'Neill is the modern day Gabe Kapler, backup outfielder with a bodybuilder physique. He had a breakout year in 2021 slamming 34 home runs, driving in 80 while hitting .286 but regressed after that. He's hit just 33 home runs since and hit .228 in 22 and .231 in 23. 

                                                           Gabe Kapler 2.0

The rumor is they're going to shift Yoshida to DH and need someone to take his spot in left, which is where O'Neill had been playing for the Cardinals. The drawbacks are not only did he regress in the last two seasons but he too, like Verdugo, clashed with his manager Oliver Marmol in St. Louis. Why Breslow would trade a headache and then trade for another headache is a headscratcher indeed. Still, he's only making about $5 million which is half of what Verdugo was making and less than both Duvall & Turner. Why is that significant? The Sox unloaded enough aging talent to possibly sign Yoshinobu Yamamoto and getting O'Neill at least fills the holes left by Duvall, Turner & Verdugo. Hopefully it all works out, otherwise, all you're stuck with is another headcase that puts up half the numbers Verdugo did. God help us!

Sox Lose Drohan, Yankees Get Soto (12/6/23)

Its early in the hot stove season but the New York Yankees put a cigarette out on the heads of the Boston Red Sox as they acquired superstar outfielder Juan Soto and gold glove outfielder Trent Gresham from the San Diego Padres for essentially flotsam and jetsam. The Yankees sent mediocre reliever Michael King, mediocre catcher Kyle Higashioka, young pitchers Jhony Brito and Randy Vasquez and number 2 ranked pitching prospect Drew Thorpe who went 11-2 between Hudson Valley and Somerset last season. With the Alex Verdugo trade yesterday, the Yankees added three quality bats and defenders while giving up essentially pitching prospects, King, Weissert and Higashioka. The only concern in New York is Rich Fitts and Drew Thorpe were supposed to be their future stars on the mound and now they're gone. But their need was offense after finishing 29th out of 30 teams in batting average, even worse than the Red Sox.

                                                            Yankees get stronger

And what did the Red Sox do at the winter meetings? Get weaker of course. For the second year in a row the Sox got plundered in the Rule 5 draft. Number 3 ranked pitching prospect Shane Drohan, who dominated Portland last year before flopping in Worcester, went to the Chicago White Sox. 22 year old Salem Red Sox pitcher Jose Ramirez also went to the White Sox with Drohan. Brock Bell of the SAL Champion Greenville Drive went to the Cincinnati Reds, Ryan Fernandez of the Worcester Red Sox went to the St. Louis Cardinals, Ryan Miller of the Portland Sea Dogs went to the Los Angeles Angels, 22 year old right handed pitcher Railin Perez went to the Houston Astros, 21 year old first baseman Alexis Hernandez went to the Toronto Blue Jays and 20 year old Dominican prospect Johnfrank Salazar also went to the Cardinals. The biggest loss was Worcester fan favorite Ryan Fitzgerald going to the Kansas City Royals, he was their unofficial franchise player. So after the Sox lost 9 guys, who did they get? Just one...28 year old backup catcher Mickey Gasper of the New York Yankees. They lost one of their best pitching prospects and their most popular triple A player and got just a backup catcher closer to retirement than prospect status. Not good.

                                                     Breslow's one pick.....a backup catcher

Not all was lost though. The Sox did make one move that might work out. They traded 10th round pick, left handed pitcher Ryan Ammons to the New York Mets for 26 year old right handed pitcher Justin Slaten. Slaten was picked up in the Rule 5 draft by the Mets from the Texas Rangers. He put up good numbers for Round Rock in AAA and he's closer to ML ready than Ammons was coming off an injury. If nothing else, he could be Worcester's closer this coming season. Ammons becomes the first casualty of the 2023 draft class that actually signed.

                                                                    OUT

                                                                       IN

All in all this was a bad day for the Red Sox. The Yankees got a generational talent in Soto and the Sox got a triple A backup catcher and a triple A relief pitcher. Combined with losing 9 guys in the Rule 5 draft....fans are getting impatient. They have every right to be after the franchise steered right into the toilet after the 2019 season and totally sucked the last two years. Still, if the endgame of getting pitchers like Fitts and Slaten is to get Dylan Cease or unloading Alex Verdugo's contract means more money for Yoshinobu Yamamoto, go for it. The only difference is with the Yankees reloaded on offense, the Sox now HAVE to make a move. If Breslow fails to make a splash, its going to be another long year in Boston.

Red Sox Trade Verdugo To The Yankees (12/5/23)

It was bound to happen but the feud between Boston Red Sox outfielder Alex Verdugo and manager Alex Cora has come to an end as the enigmatic outfielder has been traded to none other than the New York Yankees. The Yankees were looking for a left handed bat that can take advantage of the short porch in right field and the Red Sox needed pitching depth. It looked like both teams got what they wanted.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                 IN

So who did the Sox get in return? 23 year old right handed pitcher Rich Fitts was taken by the Yankees in the 6th round of the 2021 draft 17 slots after the Red Sox picked Daniel McElveny. He was 11-5 with a 3.48 ERA for Double A Somerset, which is better numbers than Portland's Hunter Dobbins (another 2021 draft pick) put up when Hunter went 5-5 with a 4.27 ERA. The Sox needed pitching depth and getting a guy like that who can start the year in Worcester is part of what they need. This was definitely the centerpiece of the trade so new Sox GM Craig Breslow better be right about this.

                                              11 wins and a 3.48 ERA in 27 starts

The Sox also got a proven major leaguer as they also got 28 year old right handed relief pitcher Greg Weissert. Weissert pitched in 29 games for the Yankees the last two years posting a combined 4.60 ERA. Best case scenario is he's a reliable bullpen option for a bullpen that's broken down three years in a row due to overuse of starters.

                                                    Major league experience

The final piece is the Yankees 2023 8th round pick, right handed pitcher Nicholas Judice out of Louisanna-Monroe University. Judice is a 6 foot 8 monster but only throws in the low 90's. Worst case scenario is he's the right handed version of Henry Owens but you never know. He did strike out 66 batters in 53 innings so this is definitely a crap shot pick. The Red Sox selected Trennor O'Donnell in the 8th round and he hasn't pitched since he got drafted either. 

                                                             6'8 soft tosser.....like Henry Owens

Now if the Sox choose to keep these guys, they got themselves a potential future starter, a proven major league bullpen piece and a wild card that may or may not be good. They may not keep them though. One of the moves Breslow could make is trade for a stud starter just like how Jed Hoyer traded for Josh Beckett and Dave Dombrowski traded for Chris Sale. Sacrificing Fitts, Judice and other prospects to get a Dylan Cease could be on the table. Verdugo was also due to make 9 million dollars this year and now that comes off the books. The Sox are now free of Corey Kluber's 10 million, James Paxton's 4 million and Adalberto Mondesi's 3 million so that's a grand total of 26 million with those four gone. The prospects could help land them Cease in a trade and the 26 million could help land Yoshinobu Yamamoto if the Sox can outbid other teams. If that's Breslow's endgame, I'm all for it.

                                                     Wheelin and dealin'

In other news, the Boston Red Sox landed the 12th overall pick in the MLB draft lottery tonight. Two notable selections the Sox have picked at number 12 in the past were Jay Groome back in 2016 and a fella out of Georgia Tech in the 1994 draft named Nomar Garciaparra. Not saying the Sox are going to draft a future major leaguer like Groome or a stud like Nomah' but its possible.

                                                          12th overall in 1994

As it stands right now the Sox lineup looks like this:

CF - Duran

RF - Abreu

1B - Casas

3B - Devers

LF - Yoshida

SS - Story

2B - Rafaella

DH - ???

C - Wong

Bench - McGuire, Valdez, Refsnyder

I'd love to see the Sox sign a good defensive third baseman and shift Devers over to DH to cut down on errors but it doesn't seem likely. Still, as it stands now the Sox have some pop and speed in their lineup, money freed up to sign a top flight starter and plenty of prospects to trade for a top flight starter. Get it done Breslow.

Sox Drop Embarrassing Game to A's (7/19/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox announced Jake Faria cleared waivers and returned to Worcester. Yippie.....

                                                                 Back to Worcester

As for the game, talk about taking two giant steps backward. After winning 8 of 9, the Sox fell flat on their face against the worst team in baseball. After getting blanked yesterday, Brayan Bello (7-6, 3.60 ERA) got hammered by the A's for three 2 run home runs in today's game. Meanwhile the Sox offense put up 5 runs on the board through six innings but couldn't get a clutch hit when it counted the rest of the way. With Connor Wong at second base, Rob Refsnyder hit a measly pop up to end the game to give the A's a 6-5 win at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                     "Can't get a clutch it!"

Ken Waldichuk got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Sox immediately struck. Rob Refnsyder walked to start but Masataka Yoshida flied out to center. Justin Turner then belted his 15th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Rafael Devers flied out to right but Adam Duvall got a base hit to left. Duvall took off for second and Shea Langeliers threw the ball away, allowing Duvall to reach third on an error. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                               Home run Turner

The A's answered against Bello in the bottom of the first as Tony Kemp got a base hit to center and JJ Bleday hit a home run all the way to San Jose just like that. Jordan Diaz struck out swinging, Seth Brown popped up to third and Tyler Soderstrom grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                     Kiss that one goodbye

Kike Hernandez tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to start the top of the second. Connor Wong forced Hernandez at second but Yu Chang flied out to right. Wong got thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Langeliers grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second but Jace Peterson walked. Cody Thomas then hit his first home run of the season to put the A's up for good. Nick Allen struck out swinging but Kemp was plunked. Bleday forced Kemp at second to end the inning with the A's up 4-2.

                                                             That one is gone

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Refsnyder grounded out to short to start. Yoshida struck out swinging and Turner flied out to right to end the inning. Diaz grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third but Brown walked. Soderstrom banged into a double play to end the inning.

Devers took strike three right down the middle to start the top of the fourth before Duvall did the same. Verdugo drew a walk but Hernandez flied out to right to end the inning. The A's iced it in the bottom of the fourth as Langeliers doubled to right and Peterson hit a home run all the way to the outer reaches of Mongolia to put the game out of reach. Thomas struck out swinging, Allen grounded out to third and Kemp grounded out to second to end the inning with the A's up 6-2. That was it for Bello who got beat up by the worst team in baseball, allowing 6 runs in just 4 innings.

                                                      "I sucked today" - Bello

The Sox did fight back in the top of the fifth as Wong walked to start. Chang struck out swinging and Wong scored all the way around on a base hit to center by Refsnyder. Yoshida doubled to right to chase Waldichuk and Lucas Erceg came in to face Turner. Turner grounded out to second but Refsnyder scored to cut the lead. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 6-4.

                                                       Refsnyder brings the Sox closer

Joely Rodriguez came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and it was the A's turn for stupidity. Bleday doubled to right and Diaz beat out a roller to short to put runners at the corners. Brent Rooker pinch hit for Brown and hit a grounder to second. For some reason Bleday hesitated going home so after Rooker was thrown out at first, Bleday was gunned down at home by Turner for the double play. Solderstrom struck out swinging to end the inning. Had the Sox come back to win, that would have been the play of the game.

It looked like the Sox would come back when Duvall singled to left to pen the top of the sixth. Verdugo struck out but Peterson threw Hernandez' grounder into the stands to score Duvall. Angel Felipe came in to pitch and Wong struck out swinging. Sox manager Alex Cora countered by having Triston Casas pinch hit for Chang but he too struck out swinging to end the inning with the A's ahead 6-5.

                                                                       Whoooooops!!!

Josh Winckwoski came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Langeliers struck out swinging to start. Peterson grounded out to short but Thomas hit a seeing eye single to left. Allen took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox failed to tie the game in the top of the seventh as Refsnyder lined out to center to start. Yoshida popped up to third and Turner lined out to short to end the inning. Kemp singled to center to start the bottom of the seventh but Bleday flied out to center. Diaz singled to left but Rooker struck out swinging. Soderstrom struck out swinging to end the inning.

The ineptitude continued in the top of the eighth with Sam Long now on the mound. Devers flied out to left, Duvall also flied out to left and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Just to get him some work, Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Langeliers popped up to third to begin. Peterson walked but Thomas flied out to center. Allen struck out swinging to end the inning. Valiant effort by the bullpen to shut the door after Bello left the game.

Aledmys Diaz came in for Soderstrom with Trevor May in to close out the top of the ninth. Jarren Duran pinch hit for Hernandez and flied out to left, but Wong walked to put the tying run on. Casas struck out swinging again but Wong stole second. With the tying run in scoring postion......Refsnyder lined out to right to end the game. The Sox had lost 2 of 3 to the worst team in baseball 6-5.

                                                          A's win

Jackass of the Night is Brayan Bello. He got lit up by the worst team in baseball, allowing 6 runs off three home runs in just 4 innings.

                                                            Jackass Bello

The Good:

Adam Duvall was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3.

Connor Wong walked twice, stole a base and scored a run.

Joely Rodriguez pitched a scoreless fifth inning

Josh Winckowski tossed two scoreless innings

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Yu Chang was 0 for 2 with a strikeout

Triston Casas was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 but walked, stole a base, drove in a run and scored twice

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4 but drove in 3 total runs including a two run homer.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but drew a walk.

Final Thoughts:

Its been that kind of season for the Sox who have lost series to all three of the last place teams in baseball this year. Unlike last year where they beat up the bad teams but were completely incompetent against AL East teams, this year is the total opposite. If the Sox end up missing the playoffs this year by a few games when all is said and done, look at all these losses to bottom feeding teams as to the reason why. Losing two of three to a team that's not even trying to hide the fact they're tanking is inexcusable. The worst part is Paxton and Bello got beat up and they've been their best starters this season. They desperately need another starter since Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Chris Sale remain out. They got plenty of talent in the minors to make a move so its up to Sox GM Chaim Bloom whether he wants to blow it up or add in a few weeks. As of right now they're an incomplete team due to injuries. The loss dropped the Sox to 51-46, 9 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox have an off-day tomorrow and they come back home Friday night to play the enigmatic New York Mets. James Paxton (5-2, 3.51 ERA) looks to rebound the Sox against Kodai Senga of the Mets. The game begins Friday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Pivetta, Sox Blank Hapless A's (7/17/23)

No starter? No problem for the Boston Red Sox. Against the worst team in baseball, the Sox feasted on them and set some records in the process. Nick Pivetta (6-5, 4.44 ERA) tossed 6 no-hit innings in relief while setting the Red Sox relief record for strikeouts with 13. On the other side of the ball, Connor Wong led the Boston attack with 3 hits and 3 rbis. Justin Turner knocked in two runs, Yu Chang added one, Adam Duvall added one and the Sox ran away with this one 7-0 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                       Farenheit approves of the win

Paul Blackburn got the start for Oakland and the Sox wasted no time scoring. Jarren Duran doubled to right to start before moving to third on the Alex Verdugo ground out to second. Justin Turner then hit a sac fly to right to score Duran with the first run. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Turner drives in a run

Brennan Bernardino was the "opener" and he got the ball in the bottom of the first. Zack Gelof struck out swinging but Jordan Diaz was hit with a pitch. Ryan Noda got a base hit to right but Brent Rooker banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Adam Duvall doubled to left to start. Triston Casas got a base hit to left but Christian Arroyo popped up to second. Connor Wong ripped a base hit to left to score Duvall but Yu Chang grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                          Wong gets it done

Tyler Soderstrom grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Shea Langeliers struck out swinging. JJ Bleday grounded out to second to end the inning. Good work by Bernardino to allow no runs to keep the Sox on top.

                                                    Bernardino gets it done

Duran grounded out to first to start the top of the third but Verdugo doubled to center. Turner lined out to left and Yoshida also flied out to left to end the inning. Nick Pivetta came in to pitch the bottom of the third and Nick Allen struck out looking to start. Seth Brown flied out to right but Gelof walked. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Duvall went down hacking to start the top of the fourth but Casas walked. Arroyo lined out to center and Wong took strike three to end the inning. Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Noda went down hacking to start. Rooker struck out swinging and Soderstrom took strike three to end the inning.

Chang struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Blackburn made a great stab of a Duran line drive. Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Langeliers grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Bleday flied out to left. Allen grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth as Turner doubled to right to begin. Yoshida got a base hit to left to put runners at the corners and Duvall scored Turner with a sac fly to right. Yoshida swiped second, Casas drew a walk and Arroyo dumped a base hit to right to load the bases. Wong ripped a double to left to score Yoshida & Casas and Chang scored Arroyo with a grounder to third. That was it for Blackburn as Sam Moll came in to pitch to Duran. Jarren flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                                  Wong ices the game

Pivetta was relentless in the bottom of the sixth as Brown struck out swinging to start. Gelof went down hacking and Aledmys Diaz pinch hit for Jordan Diaz. Aledmys took strike three to end the inning.

Verdugo struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Turner flied out to right. Yoshida took strike three to end the inning. Noda struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and got so mad he attacked home plate umpire Emil Jimenez with a bat. He had to be escorted out by armed security as Rooker also struck out swinging. Soderstrom also went down hacking to end the inning.

                                                           Yerrrrr out!

Cody Thomas came in for Noda with Angel Felipe now on the mound for Oakland to start the top of the eighth. Duvall grounded out to short, Casas went down hacking and Arroyo flied out to center to end the inning. Pivetta returned for one last inning in the bottom of the eighth and Langeliers struck out swinging. Bleday walked but Allen struck out swinging. Brown flied out to left to end the masterpiece. Pivetta tossed 6 no-hit innings of relief while striking out 13 batters, Dick Radatz never did that.

                                                          Outstanding job

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth as Wong singled to left to start. Chang popped up to second but Duran drew a walk. Verdugo walked to load the bases and Turner scored Wong by forcing Duran at third. Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-0.

                                                      Turner drives in a run

Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Gelof struck out swinging to begin. Diaz struck out swinging but Thomas walked. Rooker went down hacking to end the game. Sox pitchers had struck out 18 batters and won the game 7-0.

                                                            Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Nick Pivetta. He earned the win by throwing 6 no-hit innings while striking out 13 batters, a new Red Sox relief record.

                                                Hero Pivetta

The Good:

Adam Duvall was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Triston Casas was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Connor Wong was 3 for 4 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

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

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but stole a base and scored a run.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Yu Chang was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

I know the A's are terrible but 18 strikeouts are still 18 strikeouts. Bernardino, Pivetta and Martin mowed down the A's and with Rafael Devers out with a calf strain, Connor Wong took command tonight. Both Wong and Casas are starting to hit a little better and that's desperately needed, especially with Trevor Story rumored to be near a return. Pivetta was outstanding and the combination of Pivetta & Bernardino may be unorthodox but its working. The Sox still need to get key guys back from injury like Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, Chris Sale, Story and Devers. If they get those guys back, the Sox may be primed for an October run. The win improved the Sox to 51-44, 8 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. It should be noted that the New York Yankees are in last place this late in the season for the first time since 1990. Guess what happened in 1990, the Sox won the AL East. The Sox look to make it four wins in a row and two against the A's tomorrow night when Alex Cora picks a name out of a hat to face Luis Medina of Oakland. The game begins at 9:40 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Sox Homer Parade Tames Cubs (7/14/23)

Good news Boston Red Sox fans, they picked up where they left off before the All-Star break. After going into the break winning five in a row, the Sox made it six after downing the Chicago Cubs. The Sox as a team hit five home runs in this one, two of them by Rafael Devers who's not happy about not being an All-Star. On the other side of the ball, Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.14 ERA) won his seventh game of the year by tossing six solid innings while allowing just three runs. Josh Winckowski and Brennan Bernardino slammed the door in the next two innings before Kenley Jansen earned his 20th save by getting out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning. It all added up to an 8-3 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

                                                 Dr. Brian Virgil approves of the win

Kyle Hendricks got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second and Justin Turner took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Tauchman grounded out to first to start. Nico Hoerner took strike three and Ian Happ lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second when Rafael Devers launched his 21st home run of the season to put Boston on top. Alex Verdugo grounded out to short but Adam Duvall clobbered his seventh home run of the season to increase the lead. Triston Casas got a base hit to center but Connor Wong struck out swinging. Yu Chang also struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                         Devers & Duvall go yard

Seiya Suzuki struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second before Cody Bellinger struck out swinging. Christopher Morel beat out a roller to third but Jared Young grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Duran legged out a double to left to start before making a mad dash to third on a fly out to center by Yoshida. Turner hit a sac fly to right to score Duran and Devers belted his second home run of the night to increase the lead. Verdugo singled to center and stole second, but Duvall grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                          Devers does it again

The Cubs tagged Bello in the bottom of the third as Miles Mastrobuoni struck out swinging to start. Tucker Barnhart doubled to center and Tauchman doubled to center to score Barnhart. Hoerner singled in the hole at short but Happ popped up to third. Suzuki grounded out to second to end the inning with the Cubs down 4-1.

                                                                   Cubs get one back

The Sox got that run right back when Casas belted his 10th home run of the season to start the top of the fourth. Wong grounded out to third, Chang struck out swinging and Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                           Casas says "kiss it goodbye"

The Cubs answered in the bottom of the fourth as Bellinger hit a home run all the way to Indiana to cut the lead. Morel struck out swinging, Young grounded out to second and Mastrobuoni flied out to left to end the inning with the Cubs down 5-2.

                                                    Home run Bellinger

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Turner grounded out to third but Devers got a base hit to right. Anthony Kay came in to face Verdugo and walked him before both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Duvall struck out swinging to end the inning. Barnhart singled to right to start the bottom of the fifth but was gunned down by Verdugo trying to stretch a double. Tauchman grounded out to second and Hoerner grounded out to third to end the inning.

Casas lined out to center to start the top of the sixth before Wong struck out swinging. Chang lined out to left to end the inning. Happ lined out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Suzuki grounded out to short. Bellinger smashed a home run all the way to Neptune to cut the lead and Morel singled in the hole to short. Young popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3. That was it for Bello who tossed 6 solid innings allowing just 3 runs on 8 hits. He did strike out 5 batters.

                                                        Bello gets it done

The Sox iced the game in the top of the seventh inning with Mark Leiter Jr now on the mound. Duran grounded out to first to start but Yoshida singled to center. Turner then belted his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead. Devers went down hacking and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                         Turner jacks one out

Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Mastrobuoni flied out to left to start. Barnhart struck out swinging and Tauchman flied out to left to end the inning.

Javier Assad came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Duvall watched strike three go by to start. Casas grounded out to short and Wong did the same to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Christian Arroyo taking Casas' spot. Hoerner flied out to center, Happ took strike three and Suzuki struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth when Chang belted his fourth home run of the season to add to the lead. Duran singled to left and Yoshida also got a hit to left before Turner moved Jarren to third with a line out to center. Devers took strike three and Verdugo grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3. 

                                                            Chang launches one

Tayler Scott came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Bellinger flied out to left to start. Morel singled to center and moved to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by Wong. Young walked but Mastrobuoni struck out swinging. Barnhart walked to load the bases and Sox manager Alex Cora threw his hands up, pulling Scott for closer Kenley Jansen. Tauchman struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                                    Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers, his two home runs powered the offense to victory

                                                               Hero Devers

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Triston Casas was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Brayan Bello got the win by allowing 3 runs in 6 solid innings. He gave up 8 hits and struck out 5.

Josh Winckowski tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Kenley Jansen got the only man he faced out.

The Bad:

Connor Wong was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a 2 run homer and drove in 3 total runs.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Adam Duvall was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Yu Chang was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Tayler Scott left the bases loaded after 2/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Arroyo played second base in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Big win tonight as not only did it set the tone to start the second half but they move into a tie for fourth place with the New York Yankees who lost tonight to the Colorado Rockies. The Sox are only 2 games behind the Houston Astros for the final wild card so the Sox are definitely within striking distance. They need to get their injured pitchers back if they have any hope for October because their lineup and bench is as good as anyone and Sox manager Alex Cora can mix and match the bullpen, but without Whitlock, Sale and Houck they can forget about a stretch run. Still, a win is a win and they all count. The win improved the Sox to 49-43, 8.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it seven wins in a row and two over the Cubs when James Paxton 5-1, 2.73 ERA takes on Marcus Stroman of the Cubs. The game begins at 2:20 PM Eastern time at Wrigley Field.