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.
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
Another home run for O'Neill
Wink gets it done
Sox get another run
It was Rafaela's day
Him again
"Lot of offense today" - Yoshida
Reyes closes out the win
Hero Rafaela
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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