Sox Drop Frustrating Game 4 Late (10/19/21)

It took 9 games into the post-season but Alex Cora's reliance on analytics FINALLY bit the Boston Red Sox big time in Game 4 of the American League Championship Series. The Red Sox jumped out to a 2-1 lead after the first inning thanks to a Xander Bogaerts home run and Nick Pivetta cruised, holding the Astros to just the one run in 5 innings. Sox manager Alex Cora inexplicably pulled Pivetta after just 65 pitches and three innings later, Jose Altuve made Cora pay with a game tying home run off Garett "The Lock" Whitlock. In the ninth inning Cora insanely put Nathan Eovaldi on 1 day's rest in the game and the Astros pounced on him and later Martin Perez for SEVEN runs. If that wasn't bad enough, the Sox knocked Astros starter Zack Greinke out in the second inning only for the Astros bullpen to throw 7 2/3 scoreless innings while giving up just three hits. It all added up to a maddening, never should have happened 9-2 defeat in Game 4 at Fenway Park.

                                                                   Tie series

The Astros set the tone against Pivetta in the top of the first although Jose Altuve popped up to left to start. Michael Brantley swung and missed at a strike three fastball up in his eyes but Alex Bregman hit a home run all the way to Sri Lanka to put the Astros up three batters into the game. Yordan Alvarez popped up to a running Christian Arroyo to end the inning but the Astros drew first blood and led 1-0.

                                                                 Bregman with a home run

The Sox of the first as Kyle Schwarber popped up to center to start. Kike Hernandez grounded out to short but Rafael Devers walked. Xander Bogaerts then blasted a two run home run completely out of Fenway to put the Sox on top. Alex Verdugo hit a routine grounder to third but Bregman's throw pulled the first basemen off the bag for an error. JD Martinez walked but Renfroe hit a bullet right to Bregman who flipped to second for the out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                         Bogaerts puts Boston on top

Pivetta got in trouble in the top of the second although Carlos Correa grounded out to short to start. Kyle Tucker struck out swinging but Devers threw a grounder by Yuli Gurriel away for an error. Chas McCormick walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over but Martin Maldonado flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Christian Vazquez walked to start. Vazquez moved to second on the grounder to first by Christian Arroyo and that was it for Grienke after just 1 1/3 innings. Brooks Raley came in to pitch and walked Schwarber but Hernandez struck out swinging. Devers flied out to right to end the inning, what a waste.

Pivetta cruised in the top of the third as Altuve popped up to third to start. Brantley grounded out to second and Bregman flied out to left to end the inning. Cristian Javier came in to pitch the bottom of the third and Bogaerts grounded out to third to start. Verdugo walked and stole second on the Martinez swinging strikeout but the ice cold Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Alvarez walked to start the top of the fourth but Correa hit a bullet to Verdugo in left. Tucker popped up to third and Gurriel popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox blew ANOTHER chance in the bottom of the fourth as Vazquez flied out to right to start. Arroyo hit a scintillating triple into the right field corner but Schwarber hit a pathetic grounder to short and Hernandez hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. 

Pivetta cruised in the top of the fifth as McCormick took strike three to start. Maldonado flied out to right and Altuve grounded out to third to end the inning. Even though he was through five innings at just 65 pitches, Sox manager went with the analytics and pulled Pivetta. It would prove fatal a few innings.

                                                            Pivetta gets it done

The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the fifth as Devers flied out to left to start. Bogaerts doubled to right but Verdugo flied out to left. Martinez went down hacking to end the inning.

Josh Taylor came in to pitch the top of the sixth as Brantley grounded out to second to start. Bregman flied out to right but Alvarez singled to right to chase Taylor. Adam Ottavino came in to get Correa looking to end the inning. Renfroe drew a leadoff walk to start the bottom of the sixth and chase Javier from the game. Phil Maton came in and Vazquez popped up to second. Arroyo struck out swinging and Schwarber flied out to center to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Tucker flied out to center to start. Gurriel grounded out to short but McCormick singled to right. Jason Castro pinch hit for Maldonado and lined out to first to end the inning. Kendall Graveman came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Hernandez grounded out to short to start. Devers flied out to right and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox were getting shut completely down by the Astros bullpen they feasted on for two straight days.

The Astros didn't wait around to tie the game in the top of the eighth as Altuve hit a home run to the Klingon Homeworld on the first pitch of the inning to tie the game. Brantley singled to center but Bregman banged into a double play. Alvarez flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Altuve does it again

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the eighth as Verdugo grounded out to third to start. Martinez struck out swinging but Renfroe walked. Vazquez flied out to left to end the inning. Say what you will about what happened in the 9th, but the fact the Sox were shut out by the Astros bullpen was the key to the game. For some ungodly reason, Cora decided to bring Nathan Eovaldi on 1 day's rest to pitch the top of the ninth and Correa laughed as he smashed a double to right. Tucker struck out swinging and Gurriel was intentionally walked to set up the double play. Aledmys Diaz pinch hit for McCormick struck out swinging to set the stage for Castro. On a 1-2 count, Eovaldi threw a perfect curveball on the outside corner.....called a ball. Castro took advantage by opening the floodgates with with a base hit to center to score Correa to put the Astros ahead. Altuve walked and that was it for Eovaldi. Martin Perez came in and Brantley cleared the bases with a double before Bregman was intentionally walked. Alvarez singled to left to score Brantley and Perez threw a routine grounder by Correa away to score Bregman. Tucker singled home Alvarez as boo's rained down at Fenway. Gurriel flied out to left to end the inning but the Sox inability to make plays cost them seven runs to put the game out of reach 9-2.

                                                       The scoreboard says it all

Jose Siri came in to play center with Ryan Pressly on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. To add insult to injury, the Sox blew one final rally. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Arroyo and took strike three before Schwarber struck out swinging. Hernandez and Devers stroked back to back singles before both runners moved over on a passed ball. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox got embarrassed and lost the game 9-2.

                                                              Astros win

Jackass of the Night is Nathan Eovaldi. He shouldn't have been brought in but he was one strike away from getting out of the inning and instead gave up the winning run.

                                                     Jackass Eovaldi

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a home run.

Hunter Renfroe waked twice in four plate appearances.

Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3.

Nick Pivetta tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball.

Josh Taylor got the first two outs of the sixth inning.

Adam Ottavino got the final out of the sixth inning.

The Bad:

Travis Shaw struck out as a pinch hitter.

Martin Perez allowed 3 inherited runners to score and 3 of his own.

The Ugly:

Kyle Schwarber was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a walk but scored a run.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3 but walked.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

This game was an unmitigated disaster and I called it all the way back in April. Cora was pulling starters all year long in the middle of no-hitters, perfect games and after just 60-70 pitches and it FINALLY bit him in the ass. Pivetta could have easily gone seven innings and then you could mix and match in the eighth inning. Still, it shouldn't have come to trying to hang on to a one run lead if the bats didn't hibernate after Greinke left the game. The Astros bullpen pitched a 7 2/3 inning shutout and that was was after the Sox scored 21 runs the previous two games combined. I don't want to hear that Eovaldi got robbed, one more pitch and he was out of the inning anyway. Still, he should have never been brought in to begin with. If Cora didn't burn the A-Team out from April to July, a healthy functioning Matt Barnes would have slammed the door. Its been proven for decades you don't trust a rookie in the playoffs and that's twice now Altuve has taken Whitlock deep in the eighth inning. All in all the downside of Cora reared its ugly head and it was bound to happen. The Sox aren't playing the Tampa Bay Rays anymore, the Astros know what it takes to get to the World Series. You're not going to beat them by putting Martin Perez in to clean up a mess or putting an exhausted starter in the ninth inning of a tied game. The only silver lining is the Astros have had to go to the bullpen early in three straight games, the Sox need to strike tomorrow early and build a lead. As for this game, this could be the momentum shifter for Houston. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon in pivotal Game 5 when Chris Sale takes the mound against Framber Valdez. The game begins at 5:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outslug Astros, Take Game 2 (10/16/21)

At least the Boston Red Sox won't be swept in the American League Championship Series. The Sox made history against the Houston Astros in Game 2 as they became the first team in post-season history to hit grand slams in consecutive innings. JD Martinez set the tone with a first inning grand slam against Houston starter Luis Garcia. The following inning Rafael Devers hit another grand slam off Jake Odorizzi to pretty much ice the game early. Kike Hernandez made some history of his own by tying the single post-postseason record for home runs with his fifth. Nathan Eovaldi held the high powered Astros offense to 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings to earn the win as Adam Ottavino and Garrett Whitlock continued to keep the Astros off the board. Darwinzon Hernandez allowed two home runs in the ninth inning but Ryan Brasier slammed the door to send the series back to Boston tied with a 9-5 victory in Game 2 at Minute Maid Park.

                                                               "Yeahhhh we won!" - Cora

The Sox wasted no time getting to Garcia in the top of the first inning as Kyle Schwarber led off with a double to right. Chas McCormick made a great diving catch to rob Kike Hernandez of a bloop single but Rafael Devers walked. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging but Alex Verdugo walked. JD Martinez put the Sox on top with a grand slam although Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                              Grand Slam Martinez

Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Altuve grounded out to short to start. Michael Brantley grounded out to second but Alex Bregman singled to left. Yordan Alvarez lined out to center to end the inning.

Kevin Plawecki walked on four pitches not even close to start the top of the second and Garcia started grabbing his knee. Sure enough, Houston's starter was done after one inning and old Tampa Bay Rays nemesis Jake Odorizzi came in to pitch. Christian Arroyo singled to right but Schwarber went down hacking. Hernandez got a base hit to left to load the bases and Devers made ML history with a grand slam to ice the game. No team had hit two grand slams in consecutive innings in the playoffs before. Bogaerts popped up to first but Verdugo singled to left. Martinez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-0.

                                                             Grand Slam Devers

Eovaldi kept the lead in the bottom of the second as Carlos Correa hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Kyle Tuckler grounded out to first and Yuli Gurriel popped up to second to end the inning.

Renfroe struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Plawecki flied out to center. Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning. McCormick struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the third before Martin Maldonado grounded out to short. Altuve hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Sox had another record in the top of the fourth although Schwarber struck out swinging to start. Hernandez then joined an exclusive club including Todd Walker and David Ortiz with his fifth home run in a single post-season. Devers took strike three but Bogaerts got a base hit to center. Verdugo hit a ground rule double to right but Martinez took a full count strike three down the middle to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-0.

                                                  5th home run for Hernandez this October

The Astros rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Hernandez made a running grab to rob Brantley of extra bases to start. Bregman grounded out to second but Alvarez walked. Correa blooped a single to right and Tucker just missed a home run by inches, settling for an rbi double off the left field wall to score Alvarez. Sox pitching coach Dave Bush sprinted to the mound to tell Eovaldi that radar spelled backwards is radar and Gurriel sliced a base hit to right to score both runners. McCormick struck out swinging to end the inning with the Astros inching closer down 9-3.

                                                    Astros fight back

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Renfroe grounded out to third to start. Plawecki popped up to third and Arroyo flied out to left to end the inning. Eovaldi recovered in the bottom of the fifth as Maldonado struck out swinging to start. Altuve popped up to first and Brantley grounded out to short to end the inning.

Blake Taylor came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Schwarber took strike three to start. Hernandez watched strike three go by and Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. The Astros almost rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Bregman popped up to first to start. Naturally Alvarez ripped a base hit to right and Sox manager Dr. Quick Hook Cora pulled Eovaldi at the first sign of trouble AGAIN. Eovaldi allowed 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings as Cora made the bullpen have to get the remaining 11 outs. Adam Ottavino came in and somehow struck out Correa swinging but Tucker moved Alvarez to third with a base hit to center. Gurriel grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                             Eovaldi gets the job done

Bogaerts struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Verdugo lined out to center. Martinez ripped a base hit to center but Yimi Garcia replaced Taylor. Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and McCormick struck out swinging to start. Jason Castro pinch hit for Maldonado and walked but Altuve flied out to center. Brantley grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eighth as Vazquez took strike three to start. Arroyo grounded out to second but Schwarber walked. Bobby Dalbec pinch ran for Schwarber, Hernandez was plunked and Devers popped up to first to end the inning. The Lock returned for the bottom of the eighth and Bregman went down hacking to start. Alvarez popped up to shallow left and Correa grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ryne Stanek came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Bogaerts greeted him with a leadoff double into the right field corner out of the reach of Tucker to start. Verdugo moved Bogaerts to third with a grounder to first but Martinez just happened to hit a rocket right to third, getting Bogaerts tagged out on the double play to end the inning. Darwinzon Hernandez came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Tucker went down hacking to start. Gurriel hit a home run all the way to Oklahoma to cut the lead but Aledmys Diaz pinch hit for McCormick. Diaz struck out swinging but Castro hit a home run to Santo Domingo to cut the lead even more. Sox manager Alex Cora had enough of Darwinzon and replaced him with Ryan Brasier. Altuve hit one to the left field wall but Verdugo made the catch to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-5.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is JD Martinez. His grand slam in the first inning set the tone for the game.

                                                                JD Hero

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Nathan Eovaldi got the win with 5 1/3 innings of 1 run ball. He struck out 3 and walked just 1 batter.

Adam Ottavino got the final two outs of the sixth inning.

Garrett Whitlock tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Christian Vazquez struck out in his only plate appearance.

Darwinzon Hernandez allowed two home runs in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Kyle Schwarber was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a walk but the one hit was a grand slam.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 2 but walked and scored.

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

Honorable Mention:

Bobby Dalbec pinch ran and played first base.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox are in big trouble, that's for sure. Yes, the Sox won the game but the Astros still put 5 runs on the board in a game they were hopelessly behind. If they're going to be averaging 5 runs a game, the Sox don't stand much of a chance in a seven game series. Still, a win is a win and the Sox needed both grand slams to ice the game early. Eovaldi pitched well but Cora pulling him in the sixth inning has gotten old this season. Its only a matter of time before the bullpen implodes, but until then its time to enjoy the win. Hernandez has reached Todd Walker status just 2 games into the ALCS and there's at least three more games to play to break the record. If the Sox offense can continue to roll, they'll be able to hang with the Astros. Historically the Astros are better at home but now they must play the next three games at Fenway Park. The Sox HAVE to win at least one of them if they want to push this to Game 6 where Eovaldi goes again. The Sox pitching needs to improve in a hurry because they're not going to survive giving up 4-5 runs a game, or possibly more. Still, Eovaldi pitched well and the bats showed up today to get the win. As crazy as it sounds, especially going into the season, the Sox are three wins away from the World Series. The series resumes Monday night with Jose Urquidy going for the Astros against Eduardo Rodriguez for the Sox at 8:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Astros Edge Sox, Take Game 1 (10/15/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made two roster moves before the American League Championship Series began. Matt Barnes and Austin Davis were removed from the roster as Darwinzon Hernandez and Hiro Sawamura have been added. Davis had been inconsistent since the Sox traded for him in July and Matt Barnes never recovered the mojo he had from April to July. Hernandez gives them a power lefty and Sawamura hopefully can resurrect the magic he had from April to July as well.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                   IN

As for the game, the Houston Astros showed why they've been close to or in the World Series for the last 5 years now. The Boston Red Sox had a 3-1 lead after 5 innings but the vaunted Astros offense demolished the Red Sox bullpen for 4 runs in the later innings. Jose Altuve hit a 2 run home run off Tanner Houck to tie it in the sixth, Carlos Correa hit a solo home run off Hansel Robles to put the Astros up in the seventh and the Astros got another run in the eighth inning to ice it. Kike Hernandez provided the Sox only offense with a home run in the third and a home run in the ninth but it wasn't enough as the Astros drew first blood with a 5-4 Game 1 win at Minute Maid Park.

Framber Valdez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez led off by beating the shift with a base hit to start. Kyle Schwarber banged into a double play although Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. Rafael Devers blooped a base hit right in front of Alex Bregman and Bogaerts motored around to third. JD Martinez walked to load the bases but Hunter Renfroe lined out to center to end the inning. The Astros wasted no time getting to Sale in the bottom of the first as Jose Altuve walked to start. Michael Brantley lined out to center but Alex Bregman singled to left. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Yordan Alvarez scored Altuve with a sac fly to left. Carlos Correa grounded out to second to end the inning with the Astros up 1-0.

                                                              Astros strike first

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second although Alex Verdugo got a base hit to left to start. Christian Arroyo banged into a double play and Christian Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning. Sale got in trouble again in the bottom of the second as Kyle Tucker popped up to second to start. Yuli Gurriel and Chas McCormick both singled to left before Martin Maldonado was plunked to load the bases. Somehow Sale struck out Altuve swinging and Hernandez made a great diving catch to end the inning.

                                                               Hernandez with a great catch

Speaking of Hernandez, it was him who hit a leadoff home run to tie the game in the top of the third to start the frame. Schwarber grounded out to short but Bogaerts walked. Devers singled to center and Altuve booted a grounder by Martinez to score Bogaerts on the error. Renfroe doubled to left to score Devers  but Verdugo struck out swinging to chase Valdez. Yimi Garcia came in and Arroyo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                       Hernandez does it all

Dr Quick Hook Cora appeared in the bottom of the third although Bregman grounded out to short to start. Alvarez and Correa stroked back to back base hits but Sale struck out Tucker swinging. Sox manager Alex Cora bounded out of the dugout and decided to cut his losses before any further damage could be done, pulling Sale after just 8 outs. Adam Ottavino got Gurriel to ground out to second to end the inning but the Sox bullpen now had to get the next 19 outs.

                                                        Sale doesn't last long

Cristian Javier came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Vazquez flied out to right to start. Hernandez doubled to left but Schwarber struck out swinging. Bogaerts also went down hacking to end the inning. Ottavino cruised in the bottom of the fourth as McCormick struck out swinging to start. Maldonado flied out to right and Altuve grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Devers flied out to right to start. Martinez took strike three and Renfroe went down hacking to end the inning. Josh Taylor came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Brantley singled to center to start. Bregman flied out to center and Alvarez struck out swinging to bring Cora out of the dugout. Ryan Brasier was summoned to face Correa and Carlos ripped a base hit to left. Tucker lined out to center to end the inning with no damage.

Phil Maton came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Verdugo walked to start. Arroyo looked to have actually beat out a bunt attempt but Astros manager Dusty Baker challenged the call. Sure enough, Arroyo was called out and all Vazquez could do was move Verdugo to third with a grounder. Hernandez went down hacking to end the inning. Taylor Houck came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the sixth as Gurriel hit one up the elevator shaft to start. McCormick singled to center but Maldonado flied out to left. The Sox were 10 outs from victory but naturally Altuve hit a home run all the way to San Antonio to tie the game. Brantley took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                               Altuve ties it up

Brooks Raley came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Schwarber singled to left to start. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Devers flied out to center to chase Raley. Ryan Stanek came in and Martinez grounded into a force to end the inning. The Astros took command in the bottom of the seventh with Hansel Robles now on the mound. Bregman grounded out to short to start and Alvarez went down hacking....but Correa hit a home run all the way to Austin, Texas to put the Astros up for good. Tucker grounded out to first to end the inning with the Astros up 4-3.

                                                            Astros jump in front

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the eighth as Kendall Graveman came in to pitch. Danny Santana pinch hit for Renfroe and struck out swinging before Verdugo flied out to center. Arroyo got a base hit to left and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Vazquez only to fly out to right to end the inning. Kevin Plawecki came in to catch with Hiro Sawamura in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Gurriel walked, McCormick singled to left and Maldonado was plunked to load the bases with nobody out. Altuve hit a sac fly to score Gurriel and that was it for Sawamura. Martin Perez came in to get Brantley to hit into a double play to end the inning but the Astros had iced it with a 5-3 lead.

                                                           Safe at home

Ryan Pressly came in to close out the top of the ninth and Hernandez greeted him with a solo home run to put the Sox within one. That was it though as Schwarber grounded out to second, Bogaerts grounded out to short and Devers grounded out to short as well to end the game. The Astros had survived Kike Hernandez and won the game 5-4.

                                                    Astros take Game 1

Jackass of the Night is Hiro Sawamura. The run he was allowed ended up being the difference in the game.

                                                        Sawamura Jackass

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 4 for 5 with 2 solo home runs.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Hunter Renfroe was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3.

The Bad:

Danny Santana struck out as a pinch hitter.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Kyle Schwarber was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked twice and scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Chris Sale allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Kevin Plawecki caught the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

This game was a sucker punch to the gonads. The Sox bats were silenced by the Astros bullpen after Framber Valdez was out of the game and the Sox bullpen imploded after the fifth inning. The Astros offense is damn good, the second best in all of baseball, but the Sox can't afford to get into grinders with them. Chris Sale once again wasn't ready for primetime and the Sox are better off shutting him down if this continues. At this point Martin Perez has a better chance to go 5 innings than Sale does. Even then, had Houck, Sawamura and Robles done their job the Sox would have won. Thankfully this is only the first game and its a Best of 7. This is no time to panic but this definitely was a lot more disconcerting if they had simply lost 7-1 or 9-8. Still, Hernandez is on a roll and hopefully the Sox just took their best punch and can come back tomorrow. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon in Game 2 when Nathan Eovaldi goes for the Sox up against Luis Garcia of the Astros. The game begins at 4:20 PM at Minute Maid Park

Rays Blank Sox, Take Game 1 (10/7/21)

Well this sucks. After the emotional victory over the New York Yankees in the Wild Card one game playoff it seemed like the Boston Red Sox were heading to the playoffs with momentum. Instead they fell flat on their face as the 100 win Tampa Bay Rays showed why they dominated the Red Sox to win the AL East crown. Shane McClanahan tossed 5 shutout innings for the Rays and their vaunted bullpen held the Red Sox scoreless the rest of the way. Eduardo Rodriguez lasted just 1 2/3 innings while allowing 2 runs to put the Sox in a hole. Nick Pivetta was rocked for 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings as the Rays cruised. The Sox offense outhit the Rays 9 to 6 but not one of them in the clutch when it was desperately needed. Prognosticators and irate Yankee fans predict the Rays will win in three games and it looks like that may happen after the Sox dropped Game 1 by a score of 5-0 at Tropicana Field. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

                                                         

McClanahan got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Kyle Schwarber got a base hit in the hole at second then took second on the strikeout swinging by Xander Bogaerts. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rays wasted no time getting to Rodriguez in the bottom of the first inning as Randy Arozarena walked to start. Wander Franco doubled home Arozarena to put the Rays up for good two batters into the game. Brandon Lowe flied out to right but Franco moved to third on the fly out to left by Nelson Cruz. Yandy Diaz singled home Franco but Jordan Luplow grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 2-0.

                                                            Rays take the lead

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Hunter Renfroe singled to left to start. Lowe bobbled a routine grounder by Alex Verdugo and everyone was safe. The rally ended as Bobby Dalbec banged into a double play and Christian Vazquez lined out to center to end the inning. Old Sox prospect Manny Margot walked to start the bottom of the second but Mike Zunino flied out to center. Kevin Kiermaier struck out swinging and Sox manager Alex Cora decided that Rodriguez just didn't have it tonight. Rodriguez was falling behind on every batter and Cora felt Garrett Richards was a better option. Richards got Arozarena to ground out to short to end the inning.

                                                          Rodriguez doesn't last long

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third inning as Christian Arroyo grounded out to third to start. Hernandez grounded out to second and Schwarber also grounded out to second to end the inning. Nick Pivetta came in to get tagged in the bottom of the third although Franco struck out swinging to start. Lowe grounded out to second but Cruz hit a home run all the way to Jupiter to increase the lead. Diaz walked but Luplow struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays up 3-0.

                                                         Cruz adds to the lead

Bogaerts grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth but Devers got a hit to left. Renfroe popped up to first but Verdugo singled to center. Needing a clutch hit...Dalbec grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Margot grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth but Zunino singled to right. Kiermaier grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Vazquez flied out to right to start. Arroyo singled to left but Hernandez popped up to first. Schwarber grounded into a force to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fifth when Arozarena hit a home run all the way to Brazil to increase the lead. Franco flied out to left, Lowe grounded out to second and Cruz flied out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 4-0.

                                                        Arozarena hits one out

JT Chargois came in for the top of the sixth with Joey Wendle taking the place of Luplow to start. Bogaerts singled to center but Devers flied out to center and Renfroe banged into a double play to end the inning. Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Diaz lined out to right to start. Wendle struck out swinging and Margo also went down hacking to end the inning.

David Robertson came in to pitch the the top of the seventh as Verdugo grounded out to third to start. Dalbec flied out to right and Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Rays embarrassed the Sox in the bottom of the seventh as Zunino flied out to left to start. Kiermaier flied out to center but Arozarena walked. Franco doubled to left to chase Pivetta from the mound. Josh Taylor came in and paid so little attention to Arozarena that Randy stole home to light up the crowd. popped up to second to end the inning but the Sox looked silly letting Arozarena steal home, trailing 5-0.

                                                          Arozarena steals home

J.P. Feyereisen came in to pitch the top of the eighth and the Sox blew another rally. Arroyo got a base hit to right but Hernandez flied out to right. Schwarber and Bogaerts ripped back to back singles to load the bases but Devers struck out swinging. Renfroe popped up to first to end the inning and Boston's final rally. Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Cruz grounded out to second to start. Diaz grounded out to short and Wendle lined out to left to end the inning.

Feyereisen came back for the top of the ninth and Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Dalbec hit one up the elevator shaft and Vazquez flied out to right to end the game. The Rays had shut out the Sox and took Game 1 by a score of 5-0.

                                                              Sad Devers

Jackass of the Night is Nick Pivetta. Not that the Sox were going to do anything offensively anyway, but Pivetta turning a 2-0 game into 5-0 put the Sox in a hole they couldn't get out of

                                         "Yeah you're out, Jackass. Now beat it!" - Cora

The Good:

Kyle Schwarber was 2 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 3.

Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4.

Eduardo Rodriguez allowed 2 runs in just 1 2/3 innings.

Josh Taylor allowed Arozarena to steal home.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 4.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Not the start the Red Sox were looking for, that's for sure. After their beat down of the Yankees, the Sox weren't given much of a chance in this series and this game proved why. The Sox couldn't even get one run off the Rays vaunted pitching and their offense made Eduardo Rodriguez look silly. Not only that but Arozarena stealing home made the Sox look like they don't belong out there with the 100 win Rays. This has been a season of redemption for the Sox after they fell from grace in 2019 and crashed last year. Still, if the bats don't wake up this season is going to end sooner rather than later. Still, this isn't a one game playoff so the Sox still have at least two more games to right the ship before its too late. The Sox need to make a statement in Game 2 and Chris Sale will be starting for them. If the Sox have any hope of extending this series, Sale needs to bring his A game. The Rays will counter with Shane Baz and Game 2 begins tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Tropicana Field.

Orioles Embarrass Fading Red Sox (9/30/21)

If the Boston Red Sox don't make the playoffs, this was a fitting end to a frustrating season. Eight days ago the Sox had won 7 games in a row and were in control of their own destiny. Instead of locking up the wild card or even hanging around in the AL East race, the Sox lost 5 out of 6 games and are now one or two losses away from elimination. The Sox were playing the 106 loss Baltimore Orioles and dropped two of three to them, including tonight's game. Alex Wells came into the game with an ERA over 7 and he held the Sox to just 1 measly run in six innings. Meanwhile Nick Pivetta (9-8, 4.56 ERA) finished his season by getting yanked in the fifth inning after giving up a 3 run jack to Ryan Mountcastle. Garrett Richards, the 10 million dollar man signed by Chaim Bloom allowed 3 runs in relief to put the game out of reach. The season looks to be crashing down with a 6-2 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards.

                                                               3 more games to go

Wells got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez launched the very first pitch out of the yard for his 19th home run of the season. Kyle Schwarber popped up to first but Xander Bogaerts walked. JD Martinez flied out to center and Hunter Renfroe popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Hernandez wasted no time

Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Cedric Mullins struck out swinging to start. Ryan Mountcastle struck out swinging and Austin Hays went down hacking to end the inning.

Alex Verdugo took strike three to start the top of the second before Kevin Plawecki flied out to right and Jose Iglesias grounded out to short to end the inning. Trey Mancini grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second before Pedro Severino struck out swinging. Kelvin Gutierrez lined out to right to end the inning.

Hernandez struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Schwarber got a base hit to right. Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. The O's took command in the bottom of the third as Tyler Nevin walked to start. Nevin took second on a wild pitch and Pat Valaika got a base hit to center to move Nevin to third. Valaika took second on a wild pitch but Jahmai Jones watched strike three go by. Mullins also took strike three and with one out away from escaping.....Mountcastle hit a home run all the way to Bangladesh to put the O's up for good. Hays grounded out to third to end the inning with the O's up 3-1.

                                                           Mountcastle goes deep

Devers grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Martinez grounded out to short. Renfroe grounded out to first to end the inning. Mancini flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Severino struck out swinging again. Gutierrez got a base hit to left but Nevin flied out to left to end the inning.

Verdugo grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth before Plawecki grounded out to second. Iglesias flied out to center to end the inning. Valaika doubled to right to start the bottom of the fifth but Jones popped up the bunt to Plawecki. Mullins struck out swinging but Pivetta was asked to intentionally walk Mountcastle. All of a sudden here came Alex Cora to yank Pivetta at just 87 pitches and not even through with the fifth inning. Pivetta allowed the 3 run homer to Mountcastle in 4 2/3 innings along with 3 other hits and 2 walks. Ryan Brasier got Hays to force Mountcastle to end the inning.

                                                                Not good enough

Hernandez flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Schwarber walked. Schwarber moved to second on the grounder to first by Bogaerts and Devers flied out to left to end the inning. Garrett Richards poured gas on the fire in the bottom of the sixth as Mancini singled to center to start. Severino hit one up the elevator shaft but Gutierrez got a base hit to left. Both runners moved over on a wild pitch and Nevin got a base hit to left. Verdugo turned and threw the ball behind him into the stands for an error to score both runners. Ryan McKenna pinch hit for Nevin and took third on a wild pitch. Valaika hit a sac fly to center to score McKenna and Jones struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                              Nevin drives in a pair

Joey Krehbiel came in to pitch the top of the seventh with Richie Martin in for Jones. Martinez doubled to center and Renfroe drew a walk to start. Both runners moved over on a grounder to first by Verdugo and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Plawecki and a wild pitch scored Martinez. Needing a big hit to extend the inning...Shaw struck out swinging. Iglesias lined out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2. Fitting the two September additions did nothing with the season in the balance.

                                                    Sox know they're cooked

Adam Ottavino came in to pitch with Christian Vazquez coming in to catch the bottom of the seventh and Mullins grounded out to second to start. Mountcastle struck out swinging but Hays singled to left. Hays was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Hernandez flied out to center to start the top of the eighth with Dillon Tate on the mound but Schwarber walked. Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mancini flied out to center to start. Severino got a base hit to left but Gutierrez was frozen for strike three. McKenna popped up to second to end the inning.

Cole Sulser came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers flied out to right to start. Martinez flied out to center but Renfroe beat out a single to short. Verdugo grounded out to second to end the game. The Orioles had won 6-2.

                                                              O's win

Jackass of The Night is Garrett Richards. He came in to a 3-1 game and left after allowing 3 runs to ice the game.

The Good:

Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Hunter Renfroe was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ryan Brasier got the final out of the fifth inning.

Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 2.

Travis Shaw struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jose Iglesias was 0 for 3.

Nick Pivetta allowed 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings of 4 hits and 2 walks.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Vazquez caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

What more needs to be said? The writing was on the wall was back in June when The A-Team had to come in every night for 3-4 innings and that pace couldn't last. Even getting Hansel Robles and Austin Davis was like putting a band-aid on an amputated limb. Cora kept yanking the starters and then the bullpen collapsed. The offense was always hit or miss but it really went south in September which is why the Sox are one or two losses from elimination with 3 games to play. Maybe the only good thing about not making the playoffs is Alex Cora may get the axe. Yanking guys early all year burned out the bullpen leading to allowing more runs after the starter leaves. Pivetta left tonight when it was 3-1 and if Pivetta was allowed to continue, the game might have turned out differently. Losing to the 107 loss Orioles was the icing on the cake. Still, there's three games left and you never know what might happen. They may right the ship after all, unlikely, but possible. The loss drops the Sox to 89-70, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for the first wild card and tied with the Seattle Mariners for the second one. The Sox now travel to Washington DC for the final series of the season against the Nationals. Eduardo Rodriguez (11-8) takes on Josh Rogers of Washington tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Nationals Park.

Sox Late Rally Sinks Mariners (9/14/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Martin Perez was removed from the Covid List and Kaleb Ort was sent back to Worcester. The Sox need some quality starts from Perez if the Sox hope to make it to the playoffs.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                           IN

As mentioned in the past, this series against the Seattle Mariners is very important because they're right in the thick of things for the AL wild card. For five innings it looked like the Mariners were going to win their second straight when they took a 2-1 lead against Nathan Eovaldi. Bobby Dalbec tied the game up with a home run in the sixth and the Sox had a furious rally in the eighth. Kyle Schwarber hit a pinch hit bases loaded double and Alex Verdugo followed with a two run home run. JD Martinez drove in another run but the Mariners rallied in the ninth off Hiro Sawamura and Austin Davis. Davis struck out Kyle Seager to preserve the 8-4 win for the Sox at T-Mobile Park.

                                                      Josie Canseco approves of the win

Tyler Anderson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Hunter Renfroe flied out to right and Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and JP Crawford got a base hit to right. Mitch Haniger, Kyle Seager and Ty France all struck out swinging in order to end the inning.

Rafael Devers got a base hit to center to start the top of the second before JD Martinez went down hacking. Bobby Dalbec flied out to left and Kevin Plawecki grounded out to short to end the inning. Abraham Toro hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the second before Jarred Kelenic flied out to left. Jake Fraley struck out swinging to end the inning.

Alex Verdugo grounded back to the mound to start the top of the third before Jose Iglesias popped up to short. Jake Bauers flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Cal Raleigh struck out swinging. Crawford went down hacking to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth as Devers went down hacking to start but Martinez clobbered his 26th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Dalbec and Plawecki both grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                    Martinez puts Boston on top

The Mariners answered in the bottom of the fourth as Haniger got a base hit to left to start. Seager beat out a roller to third and France got a base hit to center to score Haniger. Toro hit a routine fly to Renfroe who dropped it for an error to load the bases. Kelenic struck out swinging but Fraley hit a sac fly to center to score Seager. Bauers watched strike three go by to end the inning but the Mariners were up 2-1.

                                                           Mariners take the lead

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Verdugo singled to right to start. Iglesias singled to left but Hernandez lined out to right to chase Anderson. Casey Sadler came in to pitch and Renfroe took strike three. Bogaerts forced Iglesias at second to end the inning. The Mariners threatened in the bottom of the fifth as Raleigh doubled to right to start. Crawford flied out to center and Haniger struck out swinging, but Seager was intentionally walked. A wild pitch moved both runners over but France grounded out to first to end the inning. Once again Sox manager Alex Cora pulled a starter early as Eovaldi was done after just five innings, allowing 2 runs off 5 hits and a walk.

                                                         Eovaldi didn't last long

Anthony Misiewicz came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Devers grounded out to first to start. Martinez struck out swinging but Dalbec cracked his 22nd home run of the season to tie the game. Plawecki lined one off the pitcher for a single but Verdugo flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                             Dalbec ties it

Darwinzon Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Toro grounded out to third to start. Kelenic took strike three and Fraley grounded out to short to end the inning.

Joe Smith came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Iglesias struck out swinging to start. Hernandez grounded out to short and Renfroe took strike three to end the inning. Luis Torrens pinch hit for Bauers to start the bottom of the seventh and popped up to right. Raleigh was frozen for strike three but Crawford walked. Hernandez was finished and Adam Ottavino came in to face Haniger. Mitch grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the eighth as Bogaerts tripled into the right field corner to start. Drew Steckenrider came in to pitch to Devers and walked him. Martinez grounded out to third but Devers moved up to second. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Dalbec and walked to load the bases. Kyle Schwarber pinch hit for Plawecki and hit a gap shot into right field. Bogaerts and Devers scored easily but Shaw tried for home as well. Toro fired home but Raleigh couldn't field it for an error. Shaw was safe and Schwarber ended up on third. Christian Vazquez ran for Schwarber and Yohan Ramirez was brought in to face Verdugo. Alex stepped up by belting his 13th home run of the season to ice the game. Iglesias was hit with a pitch but Hernandez flied out to center. Iglesias moved to second on a wild pitch but Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-2.

                                                           Sox explode in the eighth

Michael Feliz came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Seager walked to start. France flied out to left and Toro banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the ninth with old pal Matt Andriese now on the mound. Bogaerts singled to right and Devers was hit with a pitch. Martinez got a base hit to center to score Bogaerts. Shaw hit one up the elevator shaft and Vazquez grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 8-2.

                                                   Martinez adds to the lead

Suddenly the Mariners woke up against Hiro Sawamura in the bottom of the ninth. Kelenc struck out swinging and Fraley hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts. He threw to first.....and Shaw dropped it for an error. Torrens and Raleigh hit back to back base hits to load the bases and Sox manager Alex Cora yanked Sawamura. Austin Davis came in and Crawford hit a sac fly to left to score Fraley, but now there were two outs. Haniger got a base hit to left to score Torrens and cut the lead in half. Seager struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-4.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Kyle Schwarber. His pinch hit bases clearing double put the Sox up for good.

                                                        Hero Schwarber

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk, a hit by pitch and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 3.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Jose Iglesias was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Nathan Eovaldi allowed 2 runs in 5 innings of work allowing 5 hits and a walk, he also struck out nine.

Darwinzon Hernandez tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Adam Ottavino got the win by getting the final out of the seventh inning.

Michael Feliz pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Hiro Sawamura allowed 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Travis Shaw walked and scored as a pinch hitter but committed an error.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 1 but scored a run as a pinch runner.

Austin Davis allowed 2 inherited runners to score but got the final two outs of the game.

Final Thoughts:

That was the most clutch pinch hit of the season so far by Schwarber. The Sox were in a tie game with the season hanging in the balance with every game remaining and Schwarber got the job done. Hats off to Verdugo too for the insurance home run and to both JD Martinez and Bobby Dalbec for driving in runs. Once again Cora pulled a starter early and if the Sox don't make the playoffs, the bullpen wearing down is the biggest reason why. Sawamura looked awful but he was out for weeks with Covid so maybe he just wasn't feeling well. If Cora let his starters pitch longer, maybe they wouldn't have to rely on the bullpen EVERY SINGLE GAME. Still, the bats got it done in this one and they needed the victory to keep pace with the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays. The win improved the Sox to 82-65, 9 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East and tied with Toronto for the wild card. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Mariners tomorrow afternoon when Tanner Houck takes on Marco Gonzales of Seattle. The game begins at 4:05 PM Eastern time at T-Mobile Park.