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

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

                                                                 Back to Worcester

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

                                                     "Can't get a clutch it!"

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

                                                               Home run Turner

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

                                                     Kiss that one goodbye

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

                                                             That one is gone

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

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

                                                      "I sucked today" - Bello

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

                                                       Refsnyder brings the Sox closer

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

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

                                                                       Whoooooops!!!

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

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

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

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

                                                          A's win

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

                                                            Jackass Bello

The Good:

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

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3.

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

Joely Rodriguez pitched a scoreless fifth inning

Josh Winckowski tossed two scoreless innings

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Yu Chang was 0 for 2 with a strikeout

Triston Casas was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

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

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                       Farenheit approves of the win

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

                                                         Turner drives in a run

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

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

                                                          Wong gets it done

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

                                                    Bernardino gets it done

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

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

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

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

                                                                  Wong ices the game

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

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

                                                           Yerrrrr out!

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

                                                          Outstanding job

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

                                                      Turner drives in a run

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

                                                            Red Sox win

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

                                                Hero Pivetta

The Good:

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

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

Brennan Bernardino tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

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

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

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

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

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                 Dr. Brian Virgil approves of the win

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

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

                                                         Devers & Duvall go yard

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

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

                                                          Devers does it again

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

                                                                   Cubs get one back

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

                                                           Casas says "kiss it goodbye"

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

                                                    Home run Bellinger

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

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

                                                        Bello gets it done

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

                                                         Turner jacks one out

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

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

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

                                                            Chang launches one

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

                                                                    Red Sox win

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

                                                               Hero Devers

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Triston Casas was 2 for 4 with a home run.

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

Josh Winckowski tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Kenley Jansen got the only man he faced out.

The Bad:

Connor Wong was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

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

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but walked.

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

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

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

Honorable Mention:

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Sweep Tigers Behind Crawford, Casas (4/9/23)

The good news was the Boston Red Sox swept the Detroit Tigers out of Detroit but the bad news was the Sox may have lost outfielder Adam Duvall for a long period of time due to a bad wrist injury. Kutter Crawford (1-1, 8.00 ERA) bounced back big time by tossing 5 solid innings while allowing just a single run. Offensively Triston Casas stepped up by putting the Sox on the board in the second inning and belting a solo home run in the ninth inning. Justin Turner and Rob Refsnyder also knocked in runs to aid the cause. The Sox bullpen once again had to toss four innings but Kenley Jansen slammed the door in the ninth. All eyes are on Duvall but the Sox swept the Tigers with a 4-1 victory over the Tigers at Comerica Park.

                                                   Owowowowowowowww!!!!!

Boyd got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder drew a walk to start. Rafael Devers and Justin Turner both struck out swinging but Alex Verdugo got a base hit to center. Adam Duvall struck out swinging to end the inning. The Tigers wasted no time getting Crawford in the bottom of the first as Akil Baddoo flied out to right to start. Riley Greene flied out to center but Javier Baez singled in the hole at short. Kerry Carpenter looked to have struck out swinging to end the inning....but the ball was nowhere close to the plate and Carpenter made it to first. Naturally Spencer Torkelson lined a base hit to left to score Baez to put the Tigers on top. Nick Maton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers up 1-0.

                                                           Tigers go up first

The Sox answered in the top of the second as Christian Arroyo popped up to third to start. Kike Hernandez drew a walk and Triston Casas doubled into the right field corner to score him to tie the game. Connor Won popped up to third and Refsnyder lined out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                   Casas drives in a run

Miguel Cabrera was retired on a squibber to Crawford to start the bottom of the second before Jonathan Schoop flied out to right. Eric Haase struck out swinging to end the inning.

Devers grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Turner drew a walk. Verdugo then hit a bullet to Baez who doubled off Turner to end the inning. Baddoo flied out to left to open the bottom of the third before Greene struck out swinging. Baez singled to center but Carpenter lined out to right to end the inning.

Duvall singled in the hole at second to start the top of the fourth but Arroyo hit into a double play. Hernandez walked but Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. Torkelson looked to have beat out a grounder to short but Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that he never touched first. Sure enough the call was overturned, Torkelson was out. Maton and Cabrera struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the fifth as Wong doubled to left to start. Refsnyder struck a base hit to left to score Wong to put Boston on top. Devers popped up to short but Baez threw a grounder by Turner away. Verdugo popped up to short and that was it for Boyd. Jason Foley came in to pitch to Duvall and he forced Turner at second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                 Refsnyder aids the cause

Schoop singled to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Haase grounded into a double play. Baddoo doubled to right but Greene grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Crawford as Dr. Quick Hook Cora once again pulled a starter after 5 innings and just 64 pitches but Crawford did a good job, allowing just 1 run on 5 hits.

                                                       Crawford with a good start

Arroyo grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Hernandez took strike three. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. John Schreiber came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Baez grounded out to third to start. Carpenter was retired on a dribbler in front of the plate before Torkelson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the seventh with Alex Lange now on the mound. Wong grounded out to second before Refsnyder walked. Devers got a base hit to right to move Refsnyder to third and Rob scored on the sac fly by Turner to increase the lead. Verdugo grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                              Sox get another run

Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Maton struck out swinging to start. Cabrera grounded out to third and Schoop popped up to second to end the inning.

Trey Wingenter was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and Duvall grounded out to second to start. Arroyo grounded out to second and Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning. Chris Martin ran into trouble in the bottom of the eighth as Zack McKinstry pinch hit for Haase. McKinstry lined out to center to start but Baddoo singled to left to start. Greene singled to center before both runners moved over on the Baez grounder to first. Carpenter grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth with Jake Rogers in for Carpenter and Chasen Shreve now on the mound. Casas cracked his second home run of the season but Wong struck out swinging. Refsnyder grounded out to second but Devers got plunked. Turner struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                       Casas hits one out         

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and things went south when Duvall bent his wrist backward diving for a bloop single for Torkelson. Raimel Tapia came in for Duvall as Maton struck out swinging. Cabrera doubled to left with Ryan Kreidler pinch running for Miguel. Schoop walked to load the bases but McKinstry popped up to left. Jansen blew away Baddoo to end the game, the Sox had won it 4-1.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of the Night is Triston Casas. He tied the game in the second inning and hit a home run to double the offensive output of the Tigers by himself.

                                                                Casas Hero

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Kutter Crawford got the win by tossing 5 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 6.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Josh Winckowski tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Justin Turner was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4.

Adam Duvall was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked twice and scored a run.

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

Honorable Mention:

Raimel Tapia played center in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Its good the Sox won but losing Duvall is not what they need, especially with them being so lefty hitting. The bottom of the order is a black hole with Trevor Story out and the loss of Duvall would be even worse. Still, the positive signs were Crawford and the bullpen pitched well, Casas stepped up big and the Sox are back to over .500. Knock on wood but the trio of Jansen, Martin and Winckowski have allowed a combined one run so far this season. If only Cora would let his starters go 6-7, he'd save a lot of wear and tear on these guys moving forward. Still, a win is a win even if its a costly one such as this. If Duvall is out for a long period of time we may see Jarren Duran or Bobby Dalbec sooner rather than later. The Sox now travel to Tampa to take on the undefeated 9-0 Rays tomorrow evening. Nick Pivetta (0-1, 1.80 ERA) goes for the Sox against old pal Jalen "Twin Beeks" of the Rays. The game begins at 6:40 PM at Tropicana Field.

Sox Pound Tigers (4/8/23)

Guess the Boston Red Sox offense is back after all. After scoring a combined two runs in the last two games against the Pittsburgh Pirates, the Boston Red Sox scored six on Thursday against the Detroit Tigers and pounded them today. Rafael Devers was the star today, belting a second inning grand slam and a two run homer to give the Sox all the offense they'd need. Adam Duvall hit yet another bomb and the Sox bats pitched in to make this a laugher. Tanner Houck (2-0, 4.50 ERA) tossed 5 serviceable innings allowing just two runs before getting the quick hook. The only hiccup was Kike Hernandez making two errors and Ryan Brasier allowing runs in the ninth. Raimel Tapia also homered as the Sox pounded out 12 hits and 14 runs to win this one going way 14-5 at Comerica Park.

                                                     Triple H approves of the win

Wentz got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder popped up to first to start. Rafael Devers flied out to right and Justin Turner grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Akil Baddoo hit a liner off the glove of Turner for a base hit to start. Riley Greene banged into a double play and Javier Baez grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Masa Yoshida walked to start. Adam Duvall flied out to left but Alex Verdugo doubled to right. Christian Arroyo lined out to center but Kike Hernandez walked to load the bases. Connor Wong walked home Yoshida to put the Sox on top and Refsnyder walked to score Verdugo. That was it for Wentz as Garrett Hill came in to pitch to Devers with the bases loaded. The gamble failed as Devers pounded a grand slam to put the Sox up big early. Turner lined out to third to end the inning but the Sox were up 6-0.

                                                           Grand Slam Devers!

Could Houck pitch with a lead? YES! Kerry Carpenter struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Nick Maton walked. Spencer Torkelson struck out swinging and Matt Vierling grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox poured it on in the top of the third as Yoshida walked to start. Duvall belted his fourth home run of the year to increase the lead but Verdugo flied out to left. Arroyo popped up to short and Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 8-0 Red Sox.

                                                      Duvall with another home run

Zach McKinstry grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third before Jake Rogers took strike three. Baddoo grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Wong flied out to center to begin. Refsnyder struck out swinging and Devers flied out to center to end the inning. The Tigers roared back in the bottom of the fourth as Greene walked to start. Baez struck out swinging but Carpenter singled to right followed by Maton doubling to right to score Greene. Torkelson hit a sac fly to right to score Carpenter and cut the lead. Vierling grounded out to second to end the inning with the Tigers down 8-2.

                                                       Tigers get some runs back

Turner grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Yoshida drew a walk. Duvall forced Yoshida at second and Verdugo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Tigers beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as McKinstry grounded out to second to start. Rogers grounded out to short and Baddoo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Just like with Kluber, Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Houck after just 5 innings and 74 pitches. If he's trying to baby the starters in April, he better not pulling these guys in May or else its 2021 again.

                                                  Houck should go longer

Tyler Alexander came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Arroyo popped up to short to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and Wong grounded out to second to end the inning. Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Greene grounded out to first to start. Baez also grounded out to first....no wait! Apparently Wong interfered with Baez and Javier was awarded first. Carpenter walked and Baez moved to third on the fly out to right by Maton. Torkelson grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox got another one in the top of the seventh although Refsnyder lined out to right to start. Devers then blasted his second home run of the day to add to the lead. Turner grounded out to short and Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning but it was now 9-2 Boston.

                                                              Devers having quite a day

Kelly returned for the bottom of the seventh and Vierling grounded out to short to start. McKinstry grounded out to second and Rogers took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth as Duvall doubled to left to start and Verdugo drove him in with a base hit to right. Arroyo got a base hit to left and Verdugo went to third on the liner to center by Hernandez. Wong got a base hit to right to score Verdugo and Refsnyder singled to center to score Arroyo. Sox manager Alex Cora denied Devers a chance for a third home run as he sent Yu Chang to pinch hit for him. Chang lined out to right and Turner lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-2.

                                                        Wong drives in a run

Triston Casas came in to play first for Turner with Kaleb Ort now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Baddoo and Greene both struck out swinging but Hernandez dropped an elbow on a grounder by Baez for another error. The loss of Trevor Story is going to hurt big time if Hernandez continues to struggle like this. Carpenter got a base hit to right but Maton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ryan Kriedler took over for Carpenter and McKinstry was tasked to pitch the top of the ninth. Yoshida grounded out to first but Duvall doubled to left. Raimel Tapia pinch hit for Verdugo and crushed his first home run of the season to conclude the scoring for Boston. Arroyo got a base ht to right but Hernandez popped up to first. Wong forced Arroyo at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 14-2.

                                                        Tapia with his first of the year

The Tigers wouldn't let the Sox maintain the score as they rallied against Ryan Brasier in the bottom of the ninth. Torkelson flied out to right and Vierling struck out swinging, but McKinstry walked. Rogers was plunked and Baddoo singled to left to load the bases. Greene then ripped a base hit to right to score McKinstry and Rogers before Hernandez made ANOTHER error on a grounder by Baez to score Baddoo. Kriedler struck out swinging to end the game though. The Sox had won it 14-5.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers. He hit two home runs including a grand slam, driving in five runs to put the game away early.

                                                           Devers The Hero

The Good:

Masa Yoshida walked 3 times and scored twice in 5 plate appearances.

Adam Duvall was 3 for 5 with a two run home run and 3 total runs scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Raimel Tapia hit a 2 run home run in his only plate appearance.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Tanner Houck got the win by tossing 5 innings of 2 run ball. He struck out 4 and walked just two.

Zack Kelly pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Kaleb Ort tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Yu Chang was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Justin Turner was 0 for 5.

Ryan Brasier got tagged for 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in two runs and scored a run.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and 2 errors but walked and scored a run.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked, drove in two runs and scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Triston Casas played first in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like the offense was back on track thanks to the power of Devers & Duvall and the ability for Yoshida and Verdugo to get on base. The bottom of the order is still a problem with Wong and Hernandez, especially defensively but they got by this time. Houck looked like he could go another inning and Sox manager Alex Cora is going to hear plenty of boos if he keeps this up past April. The 2021 Sox crashed in July because of the A-Team being overused and if Cora makes the same mistake, it would be a mistake to let him manage past the season. This was Turner's worst game of the season so far but its better to have a bad game in a blowout win instead of one where he's desperately needed. Still the Sox are back to .500 and the starting pitching is starting to improve even with Cora's quick hooks. The Sox look for the series sweep tomorrow evening on Easter Sunday when Kutter Crawford (0-1, 15.75 ERA) takes on Matthew Boyd of the Tigers. The game begins at 6:40 PM Eastern time at Comerica Park.