Red Sox Walkoff Cubs (4/28/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Mercifully, the Sox pulled the plug on the Joely Rodriguez experiment by designating him for assignment. In his place the Sox called up spring training pickup, 30 year old right handed pitcher Naoyuki Uwasawa. Uwasawa was batting practice for the Tampa Bay Rays and they cut him, so naturally the Sox picked him up. For Worcester he was mediocre allowing 8 runs in 15 innings. Can't be any worse than Rodriguez...right?

                                                                           OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, talk about a roller coaster. The Boston Red Sox cruised to a 4-1 lead over the Chicago Cubs due to Tanner Houck and the Boston bats. Connor Wong drove in two runs and Jarren Duran drove in two with a triple. Houck left the game in the seventh after allowing a run but the Cubs spoiled the party in the top of the eighth. Mike Tauchman hit a three run homer off Chris Martin to tie the game but the Sox wouldn't go quietly. With Rafael Devers at first and Jarren Duran at third, Tyler O'Neill hit a pop up to Dansby Swanson that he dropped, scoring Duran to win the game. The Sox had walked off the Cubs 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                              Happy fans

Houck got the ball in the top of the first and Nico Hoerner grounded out to third to start. Mike Tauchman flied out to left and Ian Happ grounded out to first to end the inning. Hayden Wesneski got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded back to the mound to start. Rafael Devers hit a routine grounder to Hoerner but he booted it for an error. Tyler O'Neill drew a walk but Wilyer Abreu flied out to center. Connor Wong grounded a base hit up the middle to score Devers and move O'Neill to third to put the Sox on top. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Wong helps out

Christopher Morel went down hacking to start the top of the second before Michael Busch took strike three. Dansby Swanson struck out swinging to end the inning. Enmanuel Valdez flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Bobby Dalbec got a infield single by the pitcher's mound. Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to first but Dalbec swiped second base. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Matt Mervis grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Miguel Amaya struck out swinging. Pete Crow-Armstrong grounded out to short to end the inning. Devers got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third before moving to second on an O'Neill grounder to the mound. Abreu grounded out to first but Wong lined a base hit off the third base bag to score Devers with another run. Yoshida got a base hit to center to move Wong to third but Valdez popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. 

                                                              "I'm a bear, rawr" - Wong

The Cubs threatened in the top of the fourth although Hoerner grounded to second to start. Tauchman got a base hit to left and Happ got a base hit to right. Morel struck out swinging and Busch lined out to left to end the inning. Dalbec took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth and Rafaela went down hacking. Duran flied out to left to end the inning. 

Abreu made a great catch to rob Swanson of extra bases to start the top of the fifth before Mervis struck out swinging. Amaya went down hacking to end the inning. Richard Lovelady came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Devers walked to start. O'Neill took strike three, Abreu flied out to right and Wong flied out to center to end the inning. 

Armstrong grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth before Valdez made a great play to rob Hoernerof a hit. Tauchman struck out swinging to end the inning. Yency Almonte came in to pitch and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Yoshida. Rob walked but Valdez hit one up the elevator shaft. Dalbec struck out swinging but Rafaela doubled to right. Duran cleared the bases with a triple into the centerfield triangle. Devers was intentionally walked but O'Neill took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                          Duran with a triple

The Cubs struck back against Houck in the top of the seventh as Happ took strike three to start. Morel lined out to right but Busch was a plunked. Swanson singled to short and Mervis got a base hit to right to score Busch. That was it for Houck as he allowed just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings off 4 hits while striking out 9. Chris Martin came in and got Amaya on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning with the Cubs down 4-1.

                                                     Houck did a good job

Daniel Palencia came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh as Abreu struck out swinging to start. Wong and Refsnyder grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Cubs roared in the top of the eighth as Armstrong got a base hit to left to start. Hoerner singled to right but Tauchman hit a home run all the way to Nebraska to tie the game. Happ struck out swinging, Morel went down hacking and Busch flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                        Tauchman jacks one

Valdez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth before Dalbec took strike three. Rafaela lined out to center to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Swanson grounded out to short to start. Nick Madrigal pinch hit for Mervis and popped up to first and Amaya struck out swinging to end the inning. Mark Leiter Jr hadn't allowed an earned run all year when he came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Duran walked to start. Devers lined a base hit to left that moved Duran to third but O'Neill hit a pop up to Swanson.....DROPPED! Duran scored and the Sox had won the game 5-4.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Tyler O'Neill. He drove in the winning run in the bottom of the ninth.

                                                              Tyler O'Hero

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 2.

Rob Refsnyder walked and scored a run in two plate appearances.

Tanner Houck allowed one run in 6 2/3 innings allowing 4 hits while striking out 9.

Kenley Jansen got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Chris Martin allowed 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but stole a base.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a roller coaster as the Sox dominated this game for seven innings then immediately fell apart in the eighth. Connor Wong is on fire lately and it comes at a good time with Triston Casas gone and Jarren Duran slumping....although it was Duran who got the two run triple and scored the winning run. Houck once again looked damn good but Chris Martin stole a victory from him. Still, O'Neill is fast becoming a legend in Boston and his big hit tonight is another notch on his gun. The best news wasn't on the field but off of it. Brayan Bello looked good and felt pain free while Vaughn Grissom went 4 for 4 in Worcester tonight, plus Garrett Cooper is on his way. If those three are back healthy soon, then we won't have to worry about Valdez, Dalbec and Chase Anderson....if nobody else gets hurt. Still, even though the team is only 3 games over .500, the fact they're surviving with all the injuries they've had is hope for the future when they get their guns back....or at least the ones that aren't out for the season. The Tampa Bay Rays and Toronto Blue Jays have been struggling so the Sox aren't even last place for now. One has to wonder how good the team would be with no injuries the way Abreu, Wong and Rafaela seem to be turning the corner with Devers and O'Neill delivering. Gotta roll out the team you have and the team they have is still in the thick of things. The Sox have an off-day tomorrow then welcome in the San Francisco Giants for a three game set starting Tuesday night. Cooper Criswell (1-1, 2.38 ERA) gets the start for Boston against Logan Webb of the Giants. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Annihilate Cubs (4/27/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. They sent a sack full of cash to the Chicago Cubs for 33 year old first baseman Garrett Cooper. Cooper was designated for assignment by the Cubs although he was an all-star in Miami back in 2022. This is a definitely a low risk, high reward move since they gave up nothing for him. At least he should be better than Bobby Dalbec.....we hope.

                                                                       IN

It was a great day for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of their first round NHL playoff series, the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 3 of their first round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox crushed the Chicago Cubs. The Red Sox took their season long frustration at home out on the Chicago Cubs as they blasted them for 21 hits and 17 runs. Ceddanne Rafaela led the charge by going 4 for 4 with 7 rbis and Tyler O'Neill yet another home run. The bullpen pitched the entire game and blanked the Cubs. Josh Winckowski and Brennan Bernardino held the Cubs scoreless for four innings and Justin Slaten (2-0, 0.55 ERA) continued his strong start with two scoreless innings to earn the win. The Sox iced the game with a 6 run fifth inning and put up six runs in the bottom of the eighth against Cubs infielders on the mound. Pablo Reyes of all people slammed the door in the ninth inning as the Sox laid waste to the Cubs 17-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Jaylen Brown approves of the win

Winckowski got the ball int the top of the first inning and Nico Hoerner grounded out to first to start. Mike Tauchman was hit with a pitch but Ian Happ lined out to left. Christopher Morel got a base hit to center to move Tauchman to third but Michael Busch grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Brown in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran doubled to left to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging but Tyler O'Neill swatted his ninth home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Wilyer Abreu grounded out to second and Connor Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                       Another home run for O'Neill

The Cubs threatened in the top of the second as Dansby Swanson took strike three to start. Matt Mervis grounded out to first but Yan Gomes dropped a base hit to left. Pete Crow-Armstrong hit a rocket off the Monster for a double but Hoerner grounded out to short to end the inning. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the second but Enmanuel Valdez took strike three. Bobby Dalbec popped up to first but Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to left to move Yoshida to third. Duran grounded out to third to end the inning.

Tauchman grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Happ grounded out to short. Morel hit a liner to a running O'Neill to end the inning. For a "opener", Winckowski did damn good by pitching 3 innings of shutout ball.

                                                                Wink gets it done

Devers got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third before O'Neill struck out swinging. Abreu went down hacking and Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Busch grounded out to first to start. Swanson lined out to right and Mervis walked on four pitches not even close. Gomes dumped a base hit to right but Armstrong struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Yoshida got a base hit to right to begin. Valdez got a base hit to center and Dalbec dropped down a bunt to move both runners over. Rafaela hit a liner to deep right to score Yoshida and move Valdez to third to chase Brown. Luke Little came in to face Duran and he walked, but Devers went down to hacking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                            Sox get another run

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Hoerner lined out to center to start. Valdez made a nice play to rob Tauchman of a base hit and Happ lined out to Enmanuel to end the inning. O'Neill hit a 430 foot double off the top of the Monster for a double to start the bottom of the fifth before moving to third on a wild pitch. Abreu hit a ground ball to Busch but second baseman Hoerner went to field it as well. Nobody covered first and Abreu was credited for an rbi "single" because O'Neill scored. Wong got hit in the foot and hopped his way to first before both runners moved over on the Yoshida grounder to third. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Valdez and got hit in the foot as well to load the bases. On a 3-2 count....Dalbec hit a ball off the glove of Little for a "single" to score Abreu. David Hamilton pinch ran for Refsnyder and old pal Colten Brewer came in to face Rafaela. Ceddanne stepped up with a bases clearing double off the Monster to ice the game. Rafaela swiped third then scored on the Duran grounder to third. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-0.

                                                         It was Rafaela's day

Morel struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Busch went down hacking. Swanson grounded out to third to end the inning. O'Neill led off the bottom of the sixth with a pop up to first and Abreu flied out to left. Wong flied out to right to end the inning.

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Mervis flied out to right to start. Gomes struck out swinging and Armstrong lined out to second to end the inning. Nick Madrigal came in for Hoerner and Alexander Canario took over for Happ to start the bottom of the seventh. Yoshida ate up Madrigal with a rocket that was ruled an error but Hamilton flied out to left. Dalbec struck out swinging but Rafaela smashed his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Duran popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox up 11-0.

                                                               Him again

Pablo Reyes took over for Reyes to start the top of the eighth and Hoerner lined out to right to start. Tauchman struck out swinging and Madrigal went down hacking to end the inning. Patrick Wisdom came in to play third with Mervis the infielder taking over on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Reyes grounded out to short but O'Neill got a base hit to right. Abreu hit a pop up in no man's land to the left for a single but Wong flied out to the left field warning track. Yoshida doubled to the centerfield gap to score O'Neill and Hamilton ripped a base hit to left to score Abreu. Dalbec hit doubled to center to score both runners and he scored on the Rafaela double to the left field wall. Duran hitting a seeing eye single up the middle to move Rafaela to third and finally Cubs manager Craig Counsell pulled Mervis. Wisdom took over on the mound and Reyes ripped a base hit to center to score Rafaela. O'Neill walked to load the bases and Abreu grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 17-0.

                                                       "Lot of offense today" - Yoshida

Reese McGuire came in to catch with Pablo Reyes himself on the mound for the top of the ninth. Wisdom grounded out to first but Busch singled to center. Canario walked but Mervis lined out to center. Gomes flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 17-0.

                                                    Reyes closes out the win

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. He was 4 for 4 with a 2 run homer, 7 total rbis, a stolen base and 3 runs scored.

                                                            Hero Rafaela

The Good:

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

Pablo Reyes was 1 for 2 with an rbi at the plate and pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Tyler O'Neill was 3 for 5 with a walk, a 2 run homer and 3 total runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 6 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 4 for 5 with an rbi with 3 runs scored.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 2.

Rob Refsnyder was hit with a pitch as a pinch hitter.

David Hamilton was 1 for 2 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Josh Winckowski tossed 3 scoreless innings as an opener.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless inning.

Justin Slaten got the win with 2 scoreless innings.

Cam Booser pitched 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Reese McGuire caught the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

What a massacre. The Sox have been awful at home this season and needed a win like that to feel good about themselves. They ran up the score in the eighth but Rafaela had a good breakout game. The Sox are going to need him to step it up with their guns out with injury and he did it today. Yoshida also had a couple of hits and O'Neill continued to become a fan favorite with yet another home run. The pitching was the key to this one as Winckowski, Bernardino, Slaten, Booser and Reyes preserved the shutout. Slaten is off to a similar start Garrett Whitlock did back in 2021, hopefully they won't ruin him like they did Whitlock. One of the rising stars besides Rafaela is Abreu. He's starting to find his stroke at the plate and they're going to need him moving forward. On the injury front Nick Pivetta is making a miraculous recovery from his flexor strain and pitched a simulated game today. Vaughn Grissom got a hit and a walk down in Worcester and it looks like O'Neill's concussion has cleared. The Sox will get Brayan Bello and Garrett Whitlock back in a couple of weeks and hopefully Grissom will be joining them. The Sox are treading water right now but luckily for them the New York Yankees have scuffled a bit while Toronto and Tampa Bay are worse than they are. Once they get their guns back (besides Lucas Giolito and Trevor Story), they might be dark horses for future success....you never know. The Sox look to take two of three from the Cubs tomorrow afternoon when Tanner Houck (3-2, 1.65 ERA) takes on Hayden Wesneski of Chicago. The game begins at 7:00 PM at Fenway Park.

Imanaga, Cubs Drop Sox (4/26/24)

With all the injuries the Boston Red Sox have suffered, the only thing keeping them afloat have been the starting pitching. Well tonight the starting pitching failed as well. Kutter Crawford (1-1, 1.35 ERA) looked mortal for the first time all season as the Chicago Cubs pounded him for 10 hits and 4 runs in six innings. The Cubs jumped out to a 3-0 lead when Tyler O'Neill hit a home run. That was the highlight as Crawford departed after allowing a fourth run and Joely Rodriguez allowed 3 runs by himself in the seventh inning to put the game on ice. Crawford got pounded and the AAA lineup failed to score as the Cubs had won the game 7-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Ja'Lynn Polk is disgusted with the Sox

Crawford the ball in the top of the first inning and Nico Hoerner who beat out a roller to second to start. Mike Tauchman flied out to center, Ian Happ took strike three and Christopher forced Hoerner at second to end the inning. Imanaga got the ball in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran lined out to him to start. Tyler O'Neill grounded out to short. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Cubs struck first in the top of the second as Michael Busch doubled to center to start. Dansby Swanson got a base hit to center and Matt Mervis singled to right to score Busch, putting Chicago up for good. Miguel Amaya hit a bullet to Bobby Dalbec who doubled off Mervis for a double play. Pete Crow-Armstrong originally ruled as being hit with a pitch but Sox manager Alex Cora appealed that he wasn't actually hit. The good news was the umpire ruled he wasn't hit, the bad news was Armstrong ripped a base hit to left to score Swanson to ice the game. Hoerner popped up to second to end the inning but the Cubs were up for good 2-0.

                                                             Mervis puts Chicago up

The Sox laid down in the bottom of the second as Rafael Devers struck out swinging to start. Connor Wong was retired on a squibber in front of the plate and Pablo Reyes grounded out to third to end the inning.

Tauchman struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Happ struck out swinging. Morel doubled to center an Busch struck out swinging to end the inning. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Enmanuel Valdez struck out swinging as well. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning.

The bungling Sox appeared again in the top of the fourth as Swanson singled to left to start. Mervis flied out to center and Amaya hit a routine grounder to Reyes who spiked the ball like a football for an error to move Swanson to third. Armstrong then scored Swanson with a safety squeeze to increase the lead. Hoerner grounded out to short to end the inning with the Cubs up 3-0.

                                                            Good play by Armstrong

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Duran's bunt attempt was snuffed out. O'Neill belted his eighth home run of the year to cut the lead and Refsnyder walked. Devers singled to right but was forced at second by Wong. Reyes lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                     Home run O'Neill

The Cubs took the run scored personally in the top of the fifth as Tauchman singled to center to start. Happ singled to right to move Tauchman to third but Morel popped up to first. Busch hit a sac fly to left to score Tauchman and Swanson grounded out to second to end the inning with the Cubs ahead 4-1.

                                                             Cubs get another run

Dalbec struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Valdez flied out to center. Swanson threw a grounder by Rafaela away for an error to put Ceddanne at second but Duran flied out to right to end the inning.

Mervis flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Amaya flied out to left. Armstrong singled to center but Hoerner grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Crawford who allowed 4 runs in 6 innings off TEN hits.

                                                  "Some offense would have been nice" - KC

O'Neill tried to start a rally with a base hit down the third base line but Refsnyder popped up to second. Devers took strike three and Reyes went down hacking to end the inning.

Joely Rodriguez came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Tauchman walked to start. A wild pitch moved Mike to second but Happ grounded out to third. Tauchman stole third and scored on the Morel base hit to left. Busch reached on a swinging bunt in front of the plate but Swanson struck out swinging. Patrick Wisdom pinch hit for Mervis and hit a double to the Monster to score both runners but Amaya grounded out to first to end the inning with the Cubs up 7-1.

                                                      Wisdom with an rbi double

Somehow Dalbec got a base hit down the third base line to start the bottom of the seventh but Valdez flied out to right. That was it for Imanaga as Keegan Thompson came in to face Rafaela. Ceddanne lined out to second and Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Armstrong flied out to center to start. Horner grounded out to first and Tauchman grounded out to first to end the inning. O'Neill popped up to first to start the bottom of the eighth but Refsnyder walked. Devers grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Happ flied out to left to start the top of the ninth and Morel took strike three. Busch got a base hit to left but Swanson popped up to short to end the inning. Nick Madrigal came in to play third in the bottom of the ninth and Wong flied out to center to start. Reyes singled to left but Dalbec struck out swinging. Valdez pounded a ground rule double down the right field line but Rafaela lined out to center to end the game. The Cubs had won it 7-1.

                                                                  Cubs win

Jackass of The Night is Joely Rodriguez. He allowed 3 runs in the seventh inning to put the game completely out of reach.

                                                     Joely Jackass

The Good:

Tyler O'Neill was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Rob Refsnyder walked twice in four plate appearances.

Zack Kelly tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was0 for 4.

Kutter Crawford took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 6 innings of work. He allowed 10 hits and struck out four.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4.

Pablo Reyes was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Another dreary loss in a game that was over before the second inning was over. The lack of offense and defense is appalling but tonight the pitching let them down. The worst part is there's nothing the Sox can do about it. Most of the lineup doesn't belong in the big leagues but injuries have AAA backups starting in MLB. Joely Rodriguez also has no business on the team but again, the 40 man roster is decimated. Just have to hang on until some of the guys that can come back, do. In the era of the third wild card where you can make the playoffs with a mediocre record, the Sox are not out of anything yet. Hopefully Brayan Bello, Garrett Whitlock and Vaughn Grissom come back soon. One last thing to squawk about is Masataka Yoshida was 6 for 11 against Imanaga in Japan and he was benched for tonight's game. Not that he was going to go 4 for 4 with 4 home runs but the fact he had success wasn't a good look for Sox manager Alex Cora. The grumbling is that Cora doesn't want to play him because he's not a good defender and isn't a true power threat as DH. Sox are paying 18 million dollars for a pinch hitter, gotta love it. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Cubs in the second game of this set when Josh Winckowski (1-1, 4.20 ERA) takes on Ben Brown of Chicago. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Guardians Hold Off Sox (4/25/24)

All the injuries the Boston Red Sox have suffered reared it's ugly head in today's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Chase Anderson (0-1, 5.52 ERA) was forced to start today's game due to injuries to the rotation and he left trailing 5-0 mostly due to a grand slam from Jose Ramirez. The depleted Sox bats fought bravely, erasing most of the deficit to pull within 5-4 going into the eighth inning. Then the bats went quiet and two throwing errors by Reese McGuire led to an insurance run scoring. Emmanuel Chase slammed the door and the Guardians took 2 of 3 in Cleveland 6-4 at Progressive Field.

                                            Even Hawkeye can't keep up with all the injuries

Tyrone McKenzie got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran took strike three to start. Rafael Devers got a base hit to right but Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging. Wilyer Abreu popped up to third to end the inning. Anderson got the ball in the bottom of the first and immediately was docked a ball because Abreu and Refsnyder went to the wrong parts of the outfield. It didn't matter as Steven Kwan popped up to short, but Tyler Freeman walked. Jose Ramirez got a base hit to right but Josh Naylor popped up to short. David Fry grounded out to third to end the inning.

Pablo Reyes led off the top of the second by drawing a walk but Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. David Hamilton dumped a pop up base hit in no mans land between short and center before Reese McGuire walked. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Duran went down hacking again to end the inning. Andres Gimenez flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Will Brennan hit a home run all the way into Lake Eerie to put the Guardians up for good. Gabriel Arias was hit with a pitch but Brayan Rocchio lined out to third. Arias stole second and Kwan walked. Freeman walked to load the bases and Ramirez pounded a grand slam to ice the game already. That was it for Anderson who allowed 5 runs in 1 2/3 innings. Brennan Bernardino came in and got Naylor to fly out to center to end the inning with the Guardians up 5-0.

                                                    Anderson gives up a grand slam

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Devers lined a base hit to left to start. Refsnyder tripled into the left field corner and scored on the Abreu sac fly to left. Reyes struck out swinging but Dalbec singled off the glove of Arias. Hamilton grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                         Sox start a comeback

Fry walked to start the bottom of the third but Gimenez grounded into a double play. Brennan doubled to center and Arias flied out to right to end the inning.

McGuire singled to left to start the top of the fourth but Rafaela grounded into a double play. Duran earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the inning. Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Rocchio struck out swinging to begin. Kwan caught the Sox infield asleep with a bunt single to Hamilton but Freeman flied out to center. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. 

Tim Herrin came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Devers singled to right to start. Refsnyder got a base hit to center but Abreu lined out to right. Nick Sandlin came in to face Reyes but Sox manager Alex Cora pinch hit Masataka Yoshida. Yoshida grounded back to the mound to move the runners over and Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Dalbec. Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning. Connor Wong took over for Yoshida to start the bottom of the fifth and Naylor flied out to right to start. Fry walked but Gimenez forced him at second. Brennan flied out to left to end the inning. 

The Sox rallied in the top of the sixth as Hamilton was plunked to start. McGuire singled to right and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Rafaela grounded out to second but Hamilton scored and McGuire went to third. Hunter Gaddis came in to face Duran and Jarren got a base hit to left to score McGuire. Devers flied out to right and Refsnyder grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                  Duran inches the Sox closer 

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Arias grounded out to short to start. Rocchio dropped down a bunt that fooled Weissert for a single then stole second. Kwan hit a bullet to Duran who doubled off Rocchio at second to end the inning. 

Scott Barlow came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Abreu grounded out to second to start. Wong grounded out to third and Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning. Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Freeman greeted him with a base hit to right. Freeman got thrown out at second trying to steal but Ramirez singled to center. Ramirez took off for second base and McGuire threw the ball over the first baseman's head for no reason for an error, Jose moving to third. Naylor was intentionally walked and he took off for second and McGuire spiked the ball like a football for another error to score Ramirez. Naylor went to third and tried for home on a fly ball to Abreu by Fry. Abreu gunned down Naylor at home to end the inning but the Guardians were up 6-4.

                                                                   Another damn error

Cade Smith came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Hamilton lined out to center to start. McGuire watched strike three go by and Rafaela went down hacking to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gimenez struck out swinging to open. Brennan grounded out to short and Arias grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Emmanuel Chase came in to close out the top of the ninth and Duran grounded out to second to start. Devers struck out swinging and Refsnyder popped up to third to end the game. The Guardians had won it 6-4.

                                                                  Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Chase Anderson. He gave up the grand slam that put the game out of reach.

                                                                   Jackass Anderson

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 2.

David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored. 

Pablo Reyes walked in two plate appearances.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Cam Booser tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless inning.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Connor Wong was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored but committed two costly errors.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Chris Martin allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox were THIS close to pulling off the win of the year but couldn't get it done. Being down 5-0 in the second inning of a bullpen game but coming back to win would be epic, but it didn't happen. Anderson put them in a hole and McGuire poured dirt on it with his errors at the end. There's no shame in the heart they displayed to get back in the game, but being without 3 of their guns came back to gaunt them. Vaughn Grissom walked 3 times in yesterday's Worcester Red Sox game so he might be back soon. All things considered, it was a game that simply slipped away. The less said of it, the better. The Sox now come back home for a three game set with the Chicago Cubs. Japanese sensation Shota Imanaga goes for the Cubs against Kutter Crawford (1-0, 0.66 ERA) of the Red Sox. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Criswell, Sox Blank Guardians (4/24/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox got even more bad news. Brayan Bello was placed on the Injured List with a strained lat muscle and becomes the next member of the team to be knocked out. Zack Kelly was called up to take his place and now the Sox are down 4/5's of their intended starting rotation. Lucas Giolito, Nick Pivetta, Garrett Whitlock and now Bello are gone. The rumor is Pivetta may not be as injured as initially feared and lat/obliques take a few weeks to heal so they may get all three of them back by the middle of May. No idea what they're going to do until then.

                                                                          IN

                                                                                IN

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff series but the good news was not only did the Boston Bruins defeat the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series but the Boston Red Sox finally defeated the Cleveland Guardians. The road warrior Sox have done it again. Facing a red hot Guardians team, the Sox shut them out due to the brilliant pitching of Cooper Criswell (1-1, 2.38 ERA), Joely Rodriguez and the returning Zack Kelly. The undermanned Sox also got big lifts from the returning Rafael Devers and big games from Wilyer Abreu and Connor Wong. Wong slugged two home runs while Abreu went 4 for 5 with an rbi. The Sox as a unit pounded out 16 hits and 8 runs while holding the Guardians scoreless the entire game. The Sox may be losing players on a daily basis but they won tonight's game 8-0 at Progressive Field.

                                                    The Bruins approve of the win

The Sox jumped on Guardians starter Carlos Carrasco in the top of the first inning although Jarren Duran grounded out to first to start. Rafael Devers singled to center but Tyler O'Neill struck out swinging. Wilyer Abreu hit a double to left to score Devers and put the Sox on top. Enmanuel Valdez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Abreu drives in a run

Criswell got the ball in the bottom of the first and Steven Kwan flied out to right to start. Andres Gimenez was hit with a pitch but Jose Ramirez flied out to right. Josh Naylor flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Connor Wong belted his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Pablo Reyes struck out swinging and Bobby Dalbec grounded out to first, but Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to left. Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                   Home run Wong

Will Brennan flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Tyler Freeman flied out to left. Estevan Florial got a base hit to right but Bo Naylor grounded out to second to end the inning.

Devers walked to start the top of the third but O'Neill banged into a double play. Abreu ripped a base hit to center and moved to second on a wild pitch, but Valdez grounded out to first to end the inning. Brayan Rocchio struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third but Kwan singled to left. Gimenez struck out swinging and Ramirez popped up to second to end the inning.

Wong was plunked to start the top of the fourth and moved to second on a passed ball. Reyes grounded out to short but Wong moved to third on a fly out to center by Dalbec. Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning. Josh Naylor popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Brennan flied out to center. Freeman grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth although Duran took strike three to start. Devers pounded his third home run of the season to increase the lead but O'Neill flied out to center. Abreu singled to right but Valdez took strike three to end the inning with Boston up 3-0.

                                                             Home run Devers

Florial took strike three to start the too of the fifth but Bo Naylor singled to center. Rocchio banged into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Criswell as he did the best he could, throwing 5 innings of shutout ball while allowing just 3 hits.

                                                           Criswell gets it done

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Wong blasted his second home run of the game to increase the lead. Reyes singled to left and that was it for Carrasco. Tyler Beede came in to face Dalbec and Reyes promptly stole second. Dalbec struck out swinging but Rafaela ripped a base hit to left. Reyes came around to score and Rafaela took second on the throw. Ceddanne stole third but Duran grounded out to first. Devers pounded a ground rule double down the left field line to score Rafaela but O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                         That's two for Wong

Joely Rodriguez came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Kwan grounded out to third to start. Gimenez struck out swinging but Ramirez hit a ground rule double to left. Ramirez stole third but Josh Naylor grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Pedro Avila came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Abreu grounded out to first to start. Valdez grounded out to first but Wong singled to right. Reyes flied out to center to end the inning. Brennan grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Freeman lined out to third. Florial grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Dalbec singled off the glove of Rocchio to start the top of the eighth but was forced at second by Brennan when Rafaela's line drive fell in. Duran and Devers both struck out swinging to end the inning. Zack Kelly made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and Bo Naylor struck out swinging to start. Rocchio grounded out to second and Kwan beat out an infield single to short....but wait! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Kwan was out and sure enough, he was out to end the inning.

O'Neill singled to center to start the top of the ninth and Abreu doubled to left. Valdez scored Tyler with a sac fly and Wong got a base hit to left to score Abreu but Reyes lined out to left. Wong took second on a wild pitch but Dalbec grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 8-0.

                                                            Valdez drives in a run

Kelly returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and Gimenez struck out swinging to start. Ramirez also went down hacking and Josh Naylor grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-0.

                                                                  Sox win

Hero of The Night is Connor Wong. He hit two home runs, went 4 for 4 and drove in 3 total runs.

                                                        Connor The Hero

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 4 with a walk, a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 4 for 5 with an rbi.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a stolen base, rbi and a run scored.

Cooper Criswell got the win by tossing 5 shutout innings. He allowed 3 hits and struck out 3 batters.

Joely Rodriguez tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Zack Kelly tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Tyler O'Neill was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Pablo Reyes was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but stole a base and scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

A 16 hit Boston attack is just what the doctor ordered. Abreu and Wong have been hot lately and they definitely carried the load in this one. Devers made a triumphant return but the real story was the pitching. Criswell and Kelly started the year in Worcester and tossed a combined 7 shutout innings in this one. The other two were provided by the much maligned Joely Rodriguez. Offensively the Sox have been struggling big time but getting to Carrasco early set the pace. Even Rafaela got a couple of hits and that's encouraging considering the Sox are going to be without Triston Casas and Trevor Story pretty much the rest of the season. Losing Brayan Bello is going to hurt long term but for now the Sox got it done. The Sox look to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon when Triston McKenzie goes for Cleveland against Captain TBD of the Red Sox. The game begins at 1:10 PM at Progressive Field.

Guardians Late Rally Drop Sox (4/23/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Taylor Heineman became the latest player to join the growing Injury List with a hamstring pull. Taking his place is the returning Tyler O'Neill back from his concussion. The Arizona Diamondbacks also claimed Joe Jacques off waivers so he's gone. Lastly, Sox GM Craig Breslow signed independent league pitcher Adam Smith. Smith was drafted in the 14th round back by the San Diego Padres in 2021 twenty-four picks after the Sox took Jacob Webb. No idea what Breslow sees in him other than the Greenville Drive pitching staff isn't doing too well.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                             IN

As for the game, the Cleveland Guardians flipped a switch for the fourth consecutive game against the Boston Red Sox. Tanner Houck (3-2, 1.65 ERA) locked into a pitcher's duel with Ben Lively of Cleveland for six innings. Wilyer Abreu took Lively deep in the top of the seventh but the Guardians woke up in the bottom of the frame. The Guardians got two runs off Houck to take the lead and after Connor Wong was foolishly picked off in the top of the eighth, Cam Booser allowed two runs in the bottom of the frame. The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth and the Guardians had won it 4-1 at Progressive Field.

                                                "Another late blown lead?"

Lively got the ball in the top of the first and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Jarren Duran lined out to center but the returning Tyler O'Neill singled to left. Wilyer Abreu grounded out to short to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Steven Kwan grounded out to third to start. Andres Gimenez struck out swinging and Jose Ramirez grounded out to first to end the inning.

Rob Refsnyder beat out a roller to third to start the top of the second but Enmanuel Valdez grounded into a double play. Connor Wong popped up to short to end the inning. Josh Naylor struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second but Will Brennan singled to left. Tyler Freeman forced Brennan at second  and Estevan Florial struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Bobby Dalbec flied out to center to start the top of the third before Pablo Reyes took strike three. Rafaela also took strike three to end the inning. Bo Naylor grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third before Brayan Rocchio singled to center. Kwan walked but Gimenez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before O'Neill also went down hacking. Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. Ramirez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth but Josh Naylor got a base hit to left. Brennan flied out to left and Freeman grounded into a force to end the inning.

Refsnyder doubled to center to start the top of the fifth but Valdez struck out swinging. Wong popped up to first and Dalbec grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Florial struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Bo Naylor grounded out to second. Rocchio grounded out to second to end the inning.

Reyes grounded out to short to begin the top of the sixth before Rafaela earned the hat trick by watching strike three go by. Duran lined out to center to end the inning. Kwan walked to start the bottom of the sixth before moving to second on the Gimenez grounder to second. Ramirez hit a bullet to Dalbec and Josh Naylor flied out to center to end the inning.

O'Neill flied out to center to start the top of the seventh but Abreu crushed his second home run of the season to put Boston on top. Refsnyder singled to right to chase Lively. Scott Barlow came in to pitch and Refsnyder was thrown out at second trying to steal. Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                             Home run Abreu

Naturally as soon as the Sox took the lead Brennan effortlessly doubled to center to start the bottom of the seventh. Freeman laughed as he got a base hit to center to score Brennan with the tying run. Freeman easily stole second and Florial walked to chase Houck. It all fell apart for Tanner as he allowed 2 runs off 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out four. Brennan Bernardino came in and David Fry pinch hit for Naylor, drawing a walk to load the bases. Rocchio hit a sac fly to left but Kwan popped up to center to move Florial to third. Gimenez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Guardians up for good 2-1.

                                                   Houck deserved better

Hunter Gaddis came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Wong greeted him with a base hit to left. Reese McGuire pinch hit for Dalbec and struck out swinging before Wong got himself picked off. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Reyes and was hit with a pitch and was replaced by pinch runner David Hamilton. Rafaela flied out to center to end the inning, nice going Wong. The Guardians iced it in the bottom of the eighth against Cam Booser as Ramirez hit a home run all the way to Pasadena to start. Josh Naylor grounded out to first but Ramon Laureano pinch hit for Brennan. Laureano took strike three but Freeman walked and scored on the Florial double to right. Fry was intentionally walked and Rocchio struck out swinging with the Guardians up 4-1.

                                                             Ramirez ices it

Emmanuel Chase came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Duran, O'Neill and Abreu all went down hacking to end the game. The Guardians had won it 4-1.

                                                          Guardians win

Jackass of the Night is Connor Wong. You can't get yourself picked off in a situation like that, it was inexcusable.

                                                           You're out you Jackass

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 3 for 3.

Masataka Yoshida was hit with a pitch.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 2.

Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.

Pablo Reyes was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Cam Booser allowed 2 runs in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Tyler O'Neill was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Tanner Houck took the loss but only allowed 2 runs in 6 innings. He allowed 5 hits on 3 walks while striking out four.

Brennan Bernardino allowed the go-ahead run to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton ran for Yoshida and played short in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Another frustrating loss in a season full of them. It was announced before the game that essentially Triston Casas is out for the year with a fractured rib. Yes, he fractured a rib simply swinging a bat. Sox manager Alex Cora said moving forward Bobby Dalbec is his starting first baseman and internally he must be puking his guts out that he's out of guys to stick in because his roster is decimated by injury. Niko Kavadas isn't on the 40 man roster so unless Sox GM Craig Breslow wants to release Dalbec outright, we're stuck with Bobby for a while. At least O'Neill is back and its a matter of time before Devers returns. Its too bad Houck took another loss because his offense couldn't score but that's also on Refsnyder and Wong for getting thrown out on the bases at critical moments. Gotta tip your cap to the Guardians who are now 17-6 on the season for seeming to know exactly when to turn up the heat against the Sox late in the game. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow evening against Carlos Carrasco of Cleveland. Who's pitching for Boston? Who the hell knows. The game begins at 6:10 PM at Progressive Field.