Sox Bash Royals (5/10/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Romy Gonzalez was placed on the Injured List with a bad quad injury and Nick Sogard was called up to take his place. Gonzalez was doing the best he could before the injury, hopefully this won't be for too long.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, one day after the Red Sox were held scoreless through 10 innings the Sox made sure that would not happen again. Boston broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fifth with a three run rally off Cole Ragans then tacked it on thereafter. Trevor Story hit a 3 run bomb in the top of the seventh and Carlos Narvaez struck a two run shot in the eighth. Rafael Devers got the final rbi while the Sox didn't have to worry about the other side of the ball. Ace Garrett Crochet (4-2, 1.93 ERA) dominated the Royals tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball to hold them in check. Liam Hendriks and Brennan Bernardino locked the game up and the Sox had avenged their loss the night before with a 10-1 victory at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                     John Cena approves of the win

Ragans got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers got a base hit to center but Alex Bregman took strike three. Kristian Campbell also watched strike three go by to end the inning. Crochet got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jonathan India grounded out to third to start. Bobby Witt Jr doubled to left and Salvador Perez got a base hit to center to move Witt to third. Mark Canha and Maikel Garcia both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Wilyer Abreu walked. Nick Sogard flied out to center but Abreu was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Vinnie Pasquantino took strike three to start the bottom of the second but Hunter Renfroe got a base hit to center. Freddy Fermin flied out to center and Drew Waters struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Carlos Narvaez grounded out to first to start. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third but Duran got a base hit to center. Devers doubled to left to score Duran but Bregman popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           Devers puts the Sox ahead

The Royals answered in the bottom of the third as India struck out swinging to start. Witt Jr got a base hit to left, stole second and took third on a balk. Perez struck out swinging but Canha singled off the Glove of Campbell to score Witt. Canha was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the game tied 1-1. 

                                                              Canha ties it up

Campbell struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Story did the same. Abreu lined out to center to end the inning. Garcia grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Pasquantino grounded out to second. Renfroe popped up to first to end the inning. 

The Sox rallied in the top of the fifth as Nick Sogard grounded out to short to start. Narvaez walked, Rafaela doubled to left and Duran singled to left to score Carlos. Devers got a base hit to center to score Rafaela and Bregman beat out a roller to short to score Duran. Campbell took strike three and Story struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                          Bregman extends the lead

Fermin took strike three to begin the bottom of the fifth but Story booted a grounder by Waters for an error. India flied out to center and Witt Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Taylor Clarke came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Abreu popped up to short to start. Sogard grounded out to second but Narvaez got a base hit to left. Rafaela forced Narvaez at second to end the inning. Perez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Canha lined out to center. Garcia also lined out to center to end the inning. 

Angel Zerpa came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Duran grounded out to third to start. Devers walked and Bregman got a base hit to left before both runners advanced on a grounder to Zerpa by Campbell. Story blasted his 6th home run of the season to ice the game and Abreu grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                               Story ices it

Crochet returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Pasquantino got a base hit to right to start. Renfroe hit a grounder to first that was thrown away by Sogard for an error but Fermin lined out to short. Waters hit a grounder to Bregman who tagged out Pasquantino but India walked to load the bases. Witt Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Crochet who dominated the Royals allowing 1 run off 7 hits and a walk through 7 innings. 

                                                      Great performance by Crochet

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth as Sogard got a base hit inside the bag at third. Narvaez clobbered his 4th home run of the season to increase the lead. Chris Stratton came in to pitch to Rafaela and Ceddanne tripled to left. Duran struck out swinging but Devers got a base hit to center to score Rafaela. Bregman flied out to right and Campbell popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-1.

                                                            Home run Narvaez 

Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Perez flied out to right to start. Canha lined out to second but Garcia got a base hit to left. Pasquantino got a base hit to right but Renfroe took strike three to end the inning. 

Cavan Biggio came in for Witt Jr to start the top of the ninth. Story and Abreu both struck out swinging but Sogard walked. Narvaez got a base hit to center but Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Fermin flied out to right to start. Waters struck out swinging and India grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-1.

                                                                     Sox win

Hero of The Night is Garrett Crochet. He allowed one run off seven hits and a walk while striking out nine batters through 7 innings.

                                                        Garrett Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 4 for 4 with a walk, 3 rbis and a run scored.

Alex Bregman was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Liam Hendriks pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 5 with the golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The down note was reportedly Sox owner John Henry came to talk to Rafael Devers to convince him to play first base the rest of the season. Apparently Devers told him to scram. Devers went 4 for 4 tonight so its not like he's not producing. Leave him where he is and go get Dominic Smith, or bring up someone from AAA. Penny pinching to piss off Devers doesn't seem productive. It overshadows a great win today and another fantastic pitching performance by Crochet. The Sox haven't had that kind of guy since Chris Sale in 2018. Sale was nowhere near that level from 2019-23 so Crochet is a breath of fresh air. The offense produced tonight and hopefully that trend continues moving forward. The Sox have been hee-hawing around .500 most of the season, now would be a good time to go on a run. Unlike the previous few seasons, they're not woefully behind already because other teams went on runs. The win improved the Sox to 21-20, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Royals tomorrow afternoon when Lucas Giolito (0-1) takes on Seth Lugo of Kansas City. The game begins at 2:10 PM at Kauffman Stadium.

Royals Drop Sox in 12 Innings (5/9/25)

We have a winner and new champion for most frustrating loss of the season for the Boston Red Sox. The Sox and the Kansas City Royals engaged in a battle of attrition, scoring no runs through the first 10 innings of tonight's game. Hunter Dobbins tossed 6 shutout innings for the Sox while Michael Lorenzen allowed just 3 hits in 7 shutout innings. The bullpen for both teams locked it down but the Sox got a run in the 11th only for the Royals to tie it. The Sox failed to score in the 12th and Freddy Fermin drove in Michael Massey to end the game. Sean Newcomb (0-4, 3.58 ERA) took the loss but if the bats weren't completely asleep they wouldn't have lost 2-1 to the Royals in 12 innings at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                                   Live look at the Sox

Lorenzen got the ball in the top of the first and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to third and Alex Bregman struck out swinging to end the inning. Dobbins got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jonathan India lined out to center to start. Bobby Witt Jr took strike three and Vinnie Pasquantino struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kristian Campbell flied out to right to start the top of the second and Wilyer Abreu popped up to third. Trevor Story popped up to second to end the inning. Salvador Perez took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Maikel Garcia grounded out to third. Michael Massey singled in the hole at second but Mark Canha flied out to right to end the inning.

Abraham Toro lined out to left to start the top of the third and Connor Wong struck out swinging. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning. Freddy Fermin flied out to left to begin the bottom of the third and Kyle Isbel got a base hit to center. India took strike three and Witt Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

Perez made a good stab on a Duran liner to start the top of the fourth but Devers got a base hit to right. Bregman lined out to left but a wild pitch moved Rafael to second. Campbell grounded out to second to end the inning. Pasquantino grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Perez singled in the hole at second. Garcia took strike three but Massey got a base hit to left. Canha grounded out to short to end the inning.

Abreu grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Story flied out to center. Toro singled off Lorenzen but Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. Fermin lined out to right to start the bottom of the fifth but Isbel tripled to right. India hit a grounder to short and not only did Isbel get caught in a rundown, but so did India to end the inning. Bad baserunning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the sixth as Rafaela doubled to left to start. Duran and Devers both struck out swinging but Bregman was hit with a pitch. Campbell took strike three to end the inning. Dobbins returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Witt Jr flied out to center to start. Pasquantino grounded out to first and Perez grounded out to short to end the inning. Dobbins tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 5 hits.

                                                           He deserved run support

Abreu flied out to left to start the top of the seventh and Story struck out swinging. Toro grounded out to second to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Garcia walked to start. Garcia stole second and Massey walked. Canha grounded into a double play and Fermin lined out to right to end the inning.

Old pal John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Wong got a base hit to center to start. Rafaela struck out swinging and Duran popped up to short. Lucas Erceg came in to face Devers and Rafael grounded out to second to end the inning. Justin Wilson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Isbel took strike three to start. India doubled to left and Drew Waters pinch ran for him. Witt Jr was intentionally walked and Pasquantinto struck out swinging. Justin Slaten came in to face Perez and got him to ground out to short to end the inning.

Bregman popped up to second to start the top of the ninth but Campbell got a base hit to right. Abreu flied out to right and Story grounded out to second to end the inning. Garcia grounded out to first to start the bottom of the ninth and Massey flied out to center. Cavan Biggio pinch hit for Canha and flied out to center to end the inning.

Carlos Estevez came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Story starting at second. Rather than bunt, Toro popped up to first to start. Wong struck out swinging and Rafaela lined out to left to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth with Biggio starting at second. Fermin struck out swinging and Hunter Renfroe pinch hit for Isbel. Renfroe struck out swinging and Waters popped up to first to end the inning.

Daniel Lynch came in to pitch the top of the 11th with Rafaela starting at second. Rather than bunt, Duran swung away and grounded out to short. At least that moved Ceddanne to third and Devers beat out a roller to short to score Rafaela...but wait! The Royals challenged Devers was out at first and sure enough, the call was overturned. The call was huge because Bregman got a base hit to left and Campbell grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                            Sox strike first

Garrett Whitlock came in to close out the bottom of the 11th with Waters starting at second. A wild pitch moved Waters to third and Witt Jr walked. Pasquantino got a base hit to right to score Waters. Perez and Garcia both struck out swinging and Brennan Bernardino came in to face the lefty Massey Massey popped up to third to end the inning.

Campbell started the top of the 12th at second base and once again the Sox refused to bunt. Abreu flied out to right and Steven Cruz came in to face Story. David Hamilton pinch ran for Campbell but Story popped up to short. Toro struck out swinging to end the inning. What was the point of Hamilton in there if he wasn't going to run? Sean Newcomb came in to pitch the bottom of the 12th with Massey starting at second. Biggio dropped down a bunt to move Massey to third and Fermin got a base hit to center to score Massey with the winning run. The Royals had won it 2-1 in 12 innings.

                                                              Royals win

Jackass of The Night should be Alex Cora but by default its Garrett Whitlock. Allowing the runner to go to third on a wild pitch is more embarrassing than being the victim of a bunt or base hit.

                                                             Jackass Whitlock

The Good:

Hunter Dobbins tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 5 hits while striking out 6.

Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Justin Wilson got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

Justin Slaten tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless 10th inning.

Brennan Bernardino got the final out of the 11th inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a strikeout. 

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 5.

Trevor Story was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Sean Newcomb allowed the winning run to score.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kristian Campbell was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Abraham Toro was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

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

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played second base in the final innings.

Final Thoughts:

Same story every year regardless of who the players are. Alex Cora yanks the starters early and then when the game goes to extra innings, he refuses to play small ball. As usual his response is "We play for two, not one". Well the Royals played for one and they won because of it. Dobbins pitched a hell of a game and so did the bullpen. Newcomb and Whitlock might have had clean innings if there wasn't a runner starting at second base. The Sox play so stupid its hard to watch. This is now the fourth year in a row the Sox have come out flat as a pancake and are .500 or worse by this point in the season. At what point do you take a serious look at the manager who's led the team every year this happened? The season isn't over by a long shot but being .500 or worse in the middle of May is getting old. If things aren't bad enough, apparently owner John Henry himself is here in Kansas City and he's expecting to talk with Rafael Devers tomorrow. Fans are speculating that he's going to say "play first base, or else" which still makes no sense. How hard was it to get Garrett Cooper and Dominic Smith last year, you mean to tell me Henry is so cheap he doesn't want to get someone like those two or at the very least roll with Toro for a while? They were so afraid of his glove in the field they told him to sit down and let Bregman play third. Now they want him to play out of position? No wonder he's mad. All in all this whole situation is toxic and needs to change immediately. The loss dropped the Sox to 20-20, 3 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Royals when Garrett Crochet (3-2) takes on Cole Ragans of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:10 PM eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

Sox Blank Rangers (5/8/25)

The bad news was Boston Red Sox starter Brayan Bello didn't have it tonight. He allowed 4 hits and 5 walks before getting knocked out in the fifth inning. The good news was he didn't allow a run before that and the Boston bullpen kept it that way. Meanwhile the Sox bats got to Texas Rangers starter Jack Leiter for four runs before knocking him out in the sixth inning. The Sox used some small ball to take a 2-0 lead in the second and Rafael Devers added a run in the fifth. Carlos Narvaez added another run in the sixth and Rafael Devers clobbered a home run in the seventh to wrap up the scoring. Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Liam Hendriks closed the door and the Sox had won this one 5-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Justin Rose approves of the win

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Josh Smith grounded out to second to start. Wyatt Langford singled to center and Joc Pederson walked, but Adolis Garcia beat out a double play ball. Marcus Semien struck out swinging to end the inning. Leiter got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran was hit with a pitch to start. Rafael Devers walked but Alex Bregman flied out to left. Kristian Campbell flied out to right and Wilyer Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. 

Evan Carter popped up to third to start the top of the second but Josh Jung walked. Dustin Harris grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Trevor Story got a base hit to left to start. Abraham Toro flied out to right but Story took second on a balk. Carlos Narvaez and Ceddanne Rafaela drew back to back walks to load the bases and a wild pitch scored Story, moving the runners over. Duran grounded out to second to score Narvaez but Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. 

                                                              Sox take the lead

Tucker Barnhart singled to right to start the top of the third and Smith got a base hit to left. Langford grounded into a 5-4 double play then promptly stole second. Pederson and Garcia drew back to back walks to load the bases but Semien popped up to second to end the inning. Bregman struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Campbell grounded out to second. Abreu flied out to right to end the inning. 

Carter grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Jung flied out to center. Harris grounded out to second to end the inning. Story lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Toro grounded out to second. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Rangers finished off Bello in the top of the fifth as Barnhart singled to right to start. Smith lined out to center but Langford forced Barnhart at second. Langford stole second and Pederson walked to chase Bello. Once again Alex Cora was managing the game like it was the World Series and yanked Bello after 4 2/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and 5 walks. Justin Slaten came in and Garcia grounded out to second to end the inning. 

                                                     Couldn't keep the walks down

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Rafaela doubled to center to start. Duran grounded out to second to move Ceddanne to third and Devers ripped a base hit to center to score Rafaela. Devers stole second but Bregman grounded out to third. Campbell took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Devers drives in a run

Semien flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and Carter hit one up the elevator shaft. Jung grounded out to short to end the inning. Abreu flied out to center to begin the bottom of the sixth and Story walked. Jacob Latz came in to pitch and Story stole second. Toro took strike three but Narvaez singled to center to score Story. Rafaela singled off the glove of Smith but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                              Narvaez brings one in

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Harris struck out swinging to start. Barnhart got a base hit to right and Smith walked, but Langford struck out swinging. A wild pitch moved the runners over but Pederson flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Devers belted his sixth home run of the season to start. Bregman flied out to center, Campbell flied out to left and Abreu popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                            Another blast by Devers

Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Garcia flied out to center to start. Semien popped up to short and Carter popped up to third to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth and Toro popped up to second. Narvaez took strike three to end the inning.

Henriks returned to close out the top of the ninth and Jung flied out to center to start. Harris popped up to third but Barnhart was hit with a pitch. Smith flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-0.

                                                             Hendriks locks it down

Hero of The Night is Rafael Devers. He was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis and a home run

                                                           Hero Devers

The Good:

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with a walk, a stolen base and 2 run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Brayan Bello tossed 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball allowing 4 hits and 5 walks.

Justin Slaten got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Liam Hendriks pitched two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Alex Bregman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

You would think Alex Cora would have learned his lesson to not pull starters early in April and May so much since he burnt the bullpen completely out in 2021 and 2023 but he still trudges on. Bello clearly didn't have his best stuff but it would have been nice to at least TRY to let him work out of it. Managing every game like its Game 7 of the World Series gets annoying and I'd rather risk a win in early May if it means Bello learns how to work out of trouble in the fifth inning. Apart from that, nothing else really went wrong apart from some guys going 0 fer....but that's every game. Still the bullpen had to throw the final 4 1/3 innings but at least they didn't allow a run this time. Offensively Devers carried the load and fans upset with him refusing to play first base can stick it in their hat. What are they going to do, trade him? Not with that contract. Besides, he's hitting well and that's what he's meant to do. This was a good team win and as been mentioned before, unlike the previous 3 years no one's ran away with the division early this time. The Sox are still in the thick of things despite their record. The win improved the Sox to 19-19, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Kansas City for a three game set with the Royals beginning tomorrow night. Hunter Dobbins goes for the Sox against Michael Lorenzen of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:40 PM eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

Sox Homer Barrage Drops Rangers (5/7/25)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of their second round NBA playoff series to the New York Knicks but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Texas Rangers. Alex Bregman smashed home run number 200 for his career and Wilyer Abreu smacked not one but two home runs. Sox starter Tanner Houck lasted just 4 2/3 innings allowing 3 runs but the Sox bullpen almost pitched a shutout the rest of the way. The Rangers bolted to a 2-0 lead but Bregman homered in the fourth and Abreu followed with one to tie the game. Abreu tied the game again in the sixth and Bregman put the Sox on top in the seventh with a 2 run single. Abreu hit another home run in the 8th but Josh Jung went deep against Aroldis Chapman. Chapman still slammed the door as the Sox had won the game 6-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Charles Heller approves of the win

Houck got the ball in the top of the first inning and Josh Smith grounded out to first to start. Wyatt Langford struck out swinging and Corey Seager grounded out to second to end the inning. Jacob Webb got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Rafael Devers walked but Alex Bregman grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Joc Pederson singled to left to start the top of the second but Marcus Semien flied out to right. Adolis Garcia grounded out to second to move Pederson to second and Carter flied out to center to end the inning. Kristian Campbell grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Wilyer Abreu hit one up the elevator shaft. Trevor Story flied out to right to end the inning.

Jonah Heim walked to start the top of the third and Josh Jung doubled to left. Smith struck out swinging and Houck threw the ball away allowing Langford to reach on an error to load the bases. Seager grounded out to second but Heim scored to put Texas on top. Pederson walked to reload the bases but Semien forced him at second to end the inning with the Rangers up 1-0.

                                                                 Rangers strike first

Seager threw a ball away allowing Romy Gonzalez to reach first to start the bottom of the third, but Connor Wong popped up to short. Ceddanne Rafaela forced Gonzalez at second and Duran flied out to left to end the inning.

The Rangers struck again in the top of the fourth as Garcia hit a home run all the way to Sweden to start. Carter grounded back to the mound but Heim was hit with a pitch. Jung flied out to right but Smith got a base hit to right. Langford flied out to center to end the inning with the Rangers up 2-0.

                                                              Home run Garcia

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Devers grounded out to short to start. Bregman then smashed his 200th career home run to cut the lead but Campbell grounded out to first. Abreu then clocked his 8th home run of the season to tie the game. Story lined out to right to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Abreu ties it up

The Rangers finished off Houck in the top of the fifth as Seager lined a ball off him to start. Pederson hit a ground rule double down the right field line but Semien grounded out to first. Garcia hit a sac fly to center to score Seager to put Texas back on top. That was it for Houck after 4 2/3 innings and 3 runs allowed. Justin Wilson came in and Carter grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rangers up 3-2.

                                                            Houck didn't last long

Gonzalez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Wong grounded back to the mound. Rafaela got a base hit to center and Duran got a base hit to right. but Devers lined out to right to end the inning.

Heim got a base hit to center to start the top of the sixth but Jung flied out to right. Heim took second on a wild pitch but Smith struck out swinging. Langford also went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Hoby Milner came in to pitch. Bregman doubled to left and Campbell got a base hit to right to move Alex to thrid. Abreu doubled to center and Bregman scored easily, but Campbell was thrown out at the plate. Jacob Webb came in to pitch and Story grounded back to the mound to move Abreu to third. It looked like Gonzalez beat out a grounder to third to score Abreu but the Rangers challenged that he was out. Sure enough, the umps overturned the call to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                Yerrrr out

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Abraham Toro came in for Gonzalez to start. Seager flied out to center and Blaine Crim pinch hit for Pederson. Crim grounded out to short and Semien lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Wong caught Jung asleep with a bunt to start. Rafaela singled to left and Robert Garcia came in to face Duran. Jarren lined out to short and Devers grounded out to move the runners along. Suddenly Bregman got a base hit to left to score both runners to put the Sox ahead. Campbell hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                             Bregman puts Boston ahead

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Garcia flied out to right to start. Carter grounded out to first and Heim grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox got more insurance in the bottom of the eighth with Caleb Boushley now on the mound. Abreu smashed his second home run of the game to start. Story took strike three, Toro was retired on a squibber in front of the plate and Wong grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                      Abreu with another bomb

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Jung led off with a home run into the Atlantic Ocean to start. Smith grounded back to the mound but Langford walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Seager flied out to right and Crim struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-4.

                                                           Chapman locks it down

Hero of The Night is Alex Bregman. He hit his 200th career home run and his two run single put the Sox up for good.

                                                             Bregman Hero

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 3 for 4 with 2 home runs and 3 total rbis.

Justin Wilson tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Brennan Bernardino got the win with a scoreless seventh inning.

Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 1.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Tanner Houck allowed 3 runs in just 4 2/3 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks.

Aroldis Chapman allowed a run in the ninth inning although he got the save.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but walked.

Kristian Campbell was just 1 for 4.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Houck and Chapman got tagged but other than that, not much to complain about in this one. Abreu had a hell of an April and it carried over to May so far and Bregman has been worth every penny. Hopefully Houck can get his act together because Lucas Giolito isn't right and it doesn't look like Kutter Crawford will pitch this season. Its a good thing no one in the AL East has gotten off to a start like they've had the last 3 years because the Sox are still within striking distance. Hopefully the Sox can win a few games in a row to jockey for position in the race. The Sox may be .500 but the year is young. The win improved the Sox to 19-19, 2.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the rubber game of this series tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello goes for the Sox against Jack Leiter of Texas. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Eovaldi, Rangers Smash Sox (5/6/25)

Boston Red Sox fans deserve to have tomatoes tossed at them for wanting to get rid of Nathan Eovaldi after the 2022 season. Not only was he an integral part of the Texas Rangers run to the World Series championship in 2023, he still has it two years later. Eovaldi shut down the Sox by going 6 innings and allowing just 1 run. Meanwhile the corpse of Lucas Giolito (0-1, 8.38 ERA) got rocked for 6 runs off TEN hits in just 3 2/3 innings by the Rangers offense. The Rangers turned a 1-0 game into 6-0 in the top of the fourth to knock Giolito out. Brennan Bernardino and Sean Newcomb pitched well in relief to hold the Rangers to no further runs, but the Sox got nothing besides a Kristian Campbell rbi offensively. It all added up to a 6-1 Rangers victory at Fenway Park.

                                                        Celtics and Sox are in trouble

The Rangers bumrushed Giolito out of the gate in the top of the first inning as Josh Smith got a base hit to left to start. Wyatt Langford forced him at second but Corey Seager struck out swinging. Joc Pederson singled to center to move Langford to third and Wyatt scored on a wild pitch, but Pederson was thrown out at second to end the inning with Texas up 1-0.

                                                                Rangers strike first

Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers got a base hit off the glove of Smith then took second on a wild pitch. Alex Bregman struck out swinging and Kristian Campbell grounded out to first to end the inning.

Marcus Semien grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Adolis Garcia walked. Evan Carter hit a bullet to Abraham Toro at first and Abraham doubled off Garcia to end the inning. Wilyer Abreu flied out to left to start the bottom of the second and Trevor Story grounded out to short. Toro flied out to left to end the inning.

Jonah Heim got a base hit to center to start the top of the third but Josh Jung struck out swinging. Smith flied out to left and Langford grounded out to second to end the inning. Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Ceddanne Rafaela lined out to center. Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Rangers finished off Giolito in the top of the fourth as Seager hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Pederson followed with a ground rule double in almost the same spot to score Seager. Semien got a base hit to right to move Pederson to third and Joc scored on the sac fly to right by Garcia. Carter got a base hit in the hole at short as Sox fans were screaming at manager Alex Cora to yank Gio. Cora just stood there as Heim got a base hit to center to score Semien but Jung flied out to right. Smith got a base hit to right to score Carter and Langford got a base hit to center to score Heim. Cora woke up from his nap, stumbled out of the dugout and finally pulled Giolito after the game was out of reach. Lucas allowed 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings off 10 hits and a walk while striking out 2. Brennan Bernardino came in and froze Seager for strike three but it was 6-0 Texas.

                                                       Giolito didn't have it tonight

Devers walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Bregman lined out to left. Campbell struck out swinging and Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning.

Pederson bunted foul for strike three to start the top of the fifth but Semien singled to left. Garcia singled to right but Garcia struck out swinging. Heim struck out swinging to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Toro got a base hit to left....only to get thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. That proved costly as Narvaez doubled to right but Rafaela lined out to first to end the inning.

Sean Newcomb came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Jung lined out to short to start. Smith walked and took second on a passed ball, but Langford struck out swinging. Seager grounded out to second to end the inning. Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Devers did the same. Bregman doubled to right and Campbell got a base hit to center to score Alex. Abreu lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 6-1.

                                                             Campbell refused to give up

Blaine Crim pinch hit for Pederson to start the top of the seventh and he grounded out to third to start. Semien struck out swinging but Garcia beat out a roller to third. Carter got a base hit to center but Heim grounded out to first to end the inning. Shawn Armstrong came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Story struck out swinging to start. Toro lined out to left and Narvaez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jung took strike three to start the top of the eighth but Smith singled to left. Langford forced Smith at second and a wild pitch moved Wyatt to second. Seager grounded out to first to end the inning. Rafaela popped up to first to start the bottom of the eighth and Robert Garcia came in to face Duran. Jarren took strike three and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning.

Crim flied out to right to start the top of the ninth and Semien flied out to center. Garcia singled off the glove of Story and Abreu had to make a great diving catch to rob Carter of extra bases to end the inning. Yeoman's effort by Newcomb to toss 4 scoreless innings to save the bullpen for tomorrow. Old pal Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Bregman popped up to second to start. Campbell took strike three but Abreu got a base hit to left. Abreu took second on defensive indifference but Story struck out swinging to end the game. The Rangers had won it 6-1.

                                                            Rangers win

Jackass of The Night is Lucas Giolito. He got hammered for 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings off 10 hits and a walk.

                                                          Jackass Giolito

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Abraham Toro was 1 for 3.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Sean Newcomb pitched 4 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Kristian Campbell was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Two games in a row you have to question what Sox manager Alex Cora is thinking. Putting a rookie in Campbell as your cleanup hitter was stupid enough but for a manager notoriously to a fault for yanking guys too early when pitching well, he sure left in Giolito to rot. It was obvious by the third run that he had nothing but Cora just stood there as he allowed 3 more runs to put the game out of reach. Not that the bats did anything against Eovaldi but if the game was a lot closer, maybe the Sox get lucky if Texas plays a bit tighter. As it was, the game was essentially over in the top of the fourth inning. Giolito looked like garbage but he's coming off UCL surgery suffered last March. Chris Sale had TJ surgery in February 2020 and didn't come back until August the following year. Hopefully Giolito can work himself back into shape. It was a bad loss in a season full of them and once again, if Cora hadn't won that ring in 2018 he would have been fired years ago. The loss dropped the Sox to 18-19, 2.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night when Tanner Houck goes one on one with Tyler Mahle. The game begins at 6:40 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (5/5/25)

Today is an off-day and the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Apparently the Player To Be Named Later in the Quinn Priester trade has been announced and its 22 year old right handed pitcher John Holobetz. He was Milwaukee's 5th round pick last year and he was 3-0 with a 3.00 ERA in 5 games this year for the Carolina Mudcats in Low A. He wasn't the Brewers highest rated prospect but at 6'3 190 pounds, that's the kind of guy Craig Breslow likes. We'll see what happens in 2-3 years.

                                                                Holobetz is in

On this Day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful History:

2000 - Sox hang on to beat Rays

2001 - Crawford, Sox outlast Zito and the A's

2013 - Rangers sweep Sox

2015 - Porcello, Sox blank Rays

2016 - Red Sox defeat White Sox

2017 - Twins walkoff Red Sox

2018 - Sox rally past Rangers

2019 - Red Sox beat White Sox as Bogaerts hits a grand slam

2021 - Tigers beat Sox in extra innings

2022 - Ohtani and the Angels shutout Sox

2023 - Sox beat Phillies behind Sale

2024 - Sox beat Twins but lose Refsnyder

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night at home against the Texas Rangers. Lucas Giolito goes for the Sox against old friend Nathan Eovaldi. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Rally Past Sox (5/4/25)

Well that game didn't end so well for the Boston Red Sox. Sometimes manager Alex Cora managing every game like its Game 7 of the World Series backfires and this is one of those times. Ace Garrett Crochet and the Boston bats built a 3-1 lead after 5 innings. Rather then send Crochet out for the 6th at just 89 pitches, Cora went to the bullpen and paid for it. Garrett Whitlock was asked to pitch 2 innings and he ran out of gas allowing 2 runs to score in the seventh. Justin Slaten (0-3, 6.57 ERA) then allowed 2 in the eighth to give Minnesota the lead. Wilyer Abreu hit a home run in the eighth and the Sox got the tying run on base in the ninth but the Twins held on to win 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Bad managing makes Jerry sad

Crochet got the ball in the top of the first inning and Byron Buxton hit the first pitch of the game all the way to Mongolia for a home run just like that. Ryan Jeffers grounded out to short and Ty France struck out swinging, but Carlos Correa singled off the glove of David Hamilton. Jonah Bride struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.

                                                                That didnt take long

Chris Paddack got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Trevor Larnach made a running catch at the wall on a Jarren Duran liner. Rafael Devers walked but Alex Bregman struck out swinging. Kristian Campbell lined out to right to end the inning.

Brooks Lee flied out to right to start the top of the second and Harrison Bader struck out swinging. Romy Gonzalez booted a grounder by Larnach but Trevor was then thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Wilyer Abreu singled to left to start. Gonzalez atone for his error with a base hit to right and Hamilton dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. The gamble worked as Carlos Narvaez got a base hit to left to score both Abreu & Gonzalez to put the Sox ahead. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to left but Duran popped up to short. Devers flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1. 

                                                              Sox take the lead

Christian Vazquez struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Buxton did the same. Jeffers got a base hit to center but France lined out to second to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third as Bregman walked to start. Campbell lined out to a running Buxton but Abreu singled to center to move Bregman to third. Gonzalez hit a sac fly to center to score Bregman but Hamilton flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1. 

                                                    Another rbi for Gonzalez

Correa grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth inning and Bride struck out swinging. Lee singled to left but Bader grounded out to short to end the inning. Narvaez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Rafaela flied out to right. Duran hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Larnach walked to start the top of the fifth amd Vazquez did the same. Buxton lined out to left, Jeffers flied out to center and France forced Larnach at third to end the inning. Foolishly Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Crochet at just 89 pitches and forced the bullpen to pitch the rest of the game. Crochet allowed 1 run in 5 innings off 4 hits and 2 walks.

                                                  Crochet should have gone longer

Devers popped up to first to start the bottom of the fifth and Bregman grounded out to short. Campbell flied out to right to end the inning. 

Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Correa flied out to right to start. Bride and Lee both struck out swinging to end the inning. Brock Stewart came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Abreu flied out to right to start. Gonzalez was hit with a pitch and stolen second while Hamilton struck out looking. Narvaez flied out to left to end the inning. 

The Twins fought back in the top of the seventh as Bader walked to start. Larnach popped up to short but Vazquez singled to center. Buxton grounded out to short to move the runners over and they both scored on the base hit to left by Jeffers. France struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                            Jeffers ties it

Louis Varland came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Duran grounded out to second and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Justin Slaten came in to crap his pants in the top of the eighth as Correa got a base hit to left to start. Kody Clemens pinch hit for Bride and lined out to second. Lee flied out to center but Bader doubled to center to score Correa. Larnach got a base hit to right to score Correa and DaShawn Keirsey Jr ran for Trevor. Vazquez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 5-3.

                                                            Twins take the lead

The Sox did fight back in the bottom of the eighth with Griffin Jax now on the mound. Bregman grounded out to short and Campbell did the same, but Abreu smashed his 7th home run of the year to cut the lead. Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                      Abreu hasn't quit yet

Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Buxton lined out to center to start. Jeffers flied out to center and France struck out swinging to end the inning. Jhoan Duran came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hamilton grounded out to second to start. Abraham Toro pinch hit for Narvaez to make his Red Sox debut and grounded out to first. Rafaela beat out a roller to third but Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Twins had won it 5-4.

                                                                  Twins win

Jackass of The Night is Justin Slaten. He gave up the 2 runs in the eighth inning to lose the game.

                                                             Jackass Slaten

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch, stolen base, rbi and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4.

Garrett Crochet tossed 5 strong innings allowing just 1 run off 4 hits and 2 walks.

Liam Hendriks pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 4.

David Hamilton was 0 for 3 with a strikeout. 

Garrett Whitlock allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

There comes a time when you realize a manager needs to go and this might be it for Alex Cora. How many times are the Sox going to come out flat as a pancake to begin the season and how many times is he going to yank a starter early only for the bullpen to blow it? Slaten & Whitlock are normally reliable but why was Whitlock asked to go 2 innings? Throw the analytics out the window and use your head. The season is young but this is the 4th year in a row the Sox are .500 are below by this point in the season or at least feels like it. If thst wasn't bad enough, the Boston front office apparently asked Rafael Devers to play first base rather than do what they did last year and get Garrett Cooper. Devers reportedly refused and the fanbase is divided. Half of them are smart enough to realize you dont put a 9 year vet out of position with no warning like that and the other half are screaming "grab a mitt and help da teammm". Either way this season sucks already and May just started. The loss dropped the Sox to 18-18, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East.  After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night at home against the Texas Rangers. Lucas Giolito gets the start against old pal Nathan Eovaldi of Texas at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.