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.

Angels Blank Sox (5/23/23)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 4 of their NBA East Finals series but the bad news was the Los Angeles Angels shut out the Boston Red Sox. For the second day in a row, the Boston bats went silent against Angels pitching. Struggling starter Griffin Canning looked like 1973 Nolan Ryan as he held the Sox to 2 measly hits in 7 innings. Brayan Bello (3-2, 4.08 ERA) was the hard luck loser allowing 2 runs in 7 strong innings. Any hope for a comeback ended when Joely Rodriguez gave up a two run bomb to Mike Trout in the bottom of the eighth. The Sox have now scored exactly 1 run in 18 innings as the Angels won this one 4-0 at Angels Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Canning got the ball in the top of the first and Alex Verdugo lined out to left to start. Masataka Yoshida flied out to left, but Justin Turner walked. Rafael Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Moniak hit a home run all the way to Mexico to put the Angels up for good just 1 batter into the first. Mike Trout struck out swinging but Shohei Ohtani singled inside the first base line. Hunter Renfroe forced Ohtani at second but Jared Walsh got a base hit to right. Brandon Drury struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.

                                                       That didn't take long

Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Kike Hernandez flied out to right. Triston Casas walked and Enmanuel Valdez got a base hit to right, but Reese McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning. Matt Thaiss grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Gio Urshela struck out looking. Zach Neto went down hacking to end the inning.

Verdugo grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Yoshida flied out to center. Turner took strike three to end the inning. Moniak flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Trout grounded out to second. Ohtani grounded out to first to end the inning.

Devers lined out to left to start the top of the fourth before Duran grounded out to first. Hernandez walked but Casas swung at air to end the inning. Renfroe grounded out to third to open the bottom of the fourth and Walsh took strike three. Drury grounded out to third to end the inning.

Valdez grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth before McGuire struck out swinging. Verdugo lined out to left to end the inning. Thaiss hit a home run all the way to the Baltic Sea to start the bottom of the fifth before Urshela grounded out to third. Neto got a base hit to center but Moniak flied out to center. Trout flied out to right to end the inning with the Angels up 2-0.

                                                        Thaiss hits one out

Yoshida flied out to left to start the top of the sixth before Turner grounded out to third. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. Ohtani lined out to left to start the bottom of the sixth before Renfroe lined out to left. Walsh flied out to right to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh before Hernandez lined out to right. Casas got a base hit to right but Valdez popped up to third to end the inning. Bello returned for one last inning in the bottom of the seventh and Drury grounded out to second to start. Thaiss struck out swinging but Urshela doubled to right. Neto grounded out to third to end the inning. Bello allowed 2 runs on 6 hits while striking out 6.

                                                           Hard luck Bello

Matt Moore came in to pitch the top of the eighth with Rob Refsnyder pinch hitting for McGuire. Rob walked and Verdugo forced him at second. Yoshida grounded into a double play to end the inning. Connor Wong took over behind the plate with Joely Rodriguez now on the mound to start the bottom of the eighth. Taylor Ward pinch hit for Moniak and doubled to left. Trout hit a home run all the way into the Pacific Ocean to ice the game. Ohtani took strike three but Renfroe doubled to left. Walsh walked and that was it for the incompetent Rodriguez. Justin Garza got Drury lined out to right and Thaiss to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 4-0.

                                                                 This one's over

Jacob Webb came in to close out the top of the ninth and Turner flied out to center to start. Devers struck out swinging and Duran went down hacking to end the game. The Angels had won it 4-0.

                                                               Angels win

Jackass of the Night is Joely Rodriguez. Not that the Sox were going to score any runs, he eliminated any hope for a comeback when he served up a two run jack to Mike Trout.

                                                       Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Triston Casas was 1 for 2.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3.

Rob Refsnyder walked as a pinch hitter.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Brayan Bello held the Angels to two runs in 7 innings. He allowed 6 hits while striking out 6.

Justin Garza got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Someone wake up the Boston Red Sox bats because they've gone completely asleep in two games against the Los Angeles Angels. Scoring one run last night and nothing tonight isn't going to get the job done. Trevor Story and Adam Duvall being out hurts but the offense shouldn't be THIS bad. Joely Rodriguez poured gas on the fire but the Sox weren't doing anything offensively anyway. Its one thing if it was an ace pitcher but Griffin Canning shut them down. It'll be a while before Duvall and Story come back so the Sox have to do something to score some runs, small ball, bunts....SOMETHING! Bello pitched a hell of a game and that's the only highlight really. If the bats can produce, Bello turning into an ace would help big time. The less said of this nonsense, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-23, 8.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow night when James Paxton (1-0) takes on Tyler Anderson of the Angels. The game begins at 9:30 PM at Anaheim Stadium.

Angels Edge Sox Late (5/22/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The struggling Richard Bleier was sent down to Worcester and lefty Brennan Bernardino was called up. This is like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic but something had to be done.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                    IN

As for the game, great pitcher's duel....too bad the Red Sox didn't win. Jaime Barria of the Los Angeles Angels and Tanner Houck of the Boston Red Sox locked into a duel for five innings with the only run scored on a Luis Rengifo rbi grounder. Masataka Yoshida tied it up in the sixth inning with an rbi single off Aaron Loup but the tide turned in the eighth inning. Mickey Moniak hit a back breaking home run off Kutter Crawford (1-2, 3.58 ERA) to put the Angels on top. The Sox did not have a base runner after Yoshida's single as the Angels bullpen locked it down to hand the Sox a 3-1 loss at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                          Jan's message to Kutter Crawford

Barria got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first and Justin Turner struck out swinging to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Moniak grounded out to first to start. Mike Trout struck out swinging but Shohei Ohtani walked. Old friend Hunter Renfroe lined out to third to end the inning.

Rafael Devers got a base hit to right to start the top of the second but Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Triston Casas popped up to third and Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning. The Angels struck first in the bottom of the second as Jared Walsh flied out to right to start. Brandon Drury walked but Matt Thaiss got a base hit to right to move Brandon to third. Luis Rengifo grounded out to first to score Drury. Zach Neto was hit with a pitch and Moniak got a base hit to right to load the bases, but Trout struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.

                                                         Rengifo drives in a run

Pablo Reyes popped up to second to start the top of the third before Connor Wong popped up to third. Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning. Ohtani struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Renfroe took strike three. Walsh went down hacking to end the inning. 

Yoshida got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth inning but Turner swung at air for strike three. Devers flied out to center and Duran went down hacking to end the inning. Drury singled in the hole at short to begin the bottom of the fourth but Thaiss grounded into a double play. Rengifo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

Casas struck out swinging to begin the top of the fifth before Valdez lined out to first. Reyes lined out to center to end the inning. Neto grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth before Moniak struck out swinging. Trout grounded out to second to end the inning. 

The Sox fought back against Aaron Loup now on the mound for the top of the sixth. Wong doubled to left to start and moved to third on a grounder to short by Verdugo. Yoshida got a base hit to right to score Wong with the tying run. Chris Devenski came in to pitch to Turner and Justin banged into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                         Yoshida drives in a run

Houck returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and Ohtani struck out swinging to start. Renfroe grounded back to the mound and Walsh took strike three to end the inning. Houck allowed just 1 run in 6 innings off 3 hits and 2 walks.

                                                       Houck deserved better

Devers' bunt attempt was snuffed out by Devenski to begin the top of the seventh and Duran grounded out to third. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. Kutter Crawford came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Drury doubled to left to start. Thaiss struck out swinging, Rengifo hit one up the elevator shaft and Zeto grounded out to short to end the inning.

Chase Silseth came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Valdez struck out swinging to start. Raimel Tapia pinch hit for Reyes and grounded out to third. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. The Angels struck in the bottom of the eighth with Kike Hernandez taking over at short. Moniak hit a home run all the way to Cuba to put the Angels up for good. Trout walked but Ohtani lined out to right. Renfroe and Walsh both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 2-1.

                                                                    Moniak ices it

Gio Urshela came in for Rengifo to start the top of the ninth and Verdugo grounded out to second to begin. Yoshida flied out to left and Turner grounded out to third to end the game. The Angels had won it 2-1.

                                                                   Angels win

Jackass of the Night is Kutter Crawford. He served up the meatball to Moniak that cost the Sox the game.

                                                              Jackass Crawford

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Tanner Houck tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Justin Turner was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Pablo Reyes was 0 for 2.

Raimel Tapia was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

None

Honorable Mention:

Kike Hernandez played short in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was a tough loss to swallow considering Houck pitched very well but when your offense is borderline useless, that's the breaks. The Sox had just 4 hits in the game and was held in check by everyone but Aaron Loup. Because of their inability to remain patient at the plate, they had just four baserunners in the game and that's not going to get the job done. Devers is hitting just .254 and Casas is hitting .176, that's why they're not scoring as many runs when two guys you depend on aren't hitting well. The less said of this game, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-22, 8.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Angels when Brayan Bello (3-1) gets the start against Griffin Canning of the Angels. The game begins at 9:30 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.

Wacha, Padres Blank Sox (5/21/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Sox GM Chaim Bloom called Ryan Brasier into his office and shouted YOUURREEEEEEEEE.....FIREDDDDDDDDDDD!!!! Brasier was shot out of a cannon after getting off to a poor start and with the rise of John Schreiber, Brasier was deemed expendable. With the Sox having a tendency to overuse the bullpen, this might not have been the best move. Time will tell.

                                                                 Bye bye Brasier

As for the game,  it was bad news all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics lost Game 3 of their Eastern Finals series with the Miami Heat and the San Diego Padres blanked the Sox with the help of an old friend. Michael Wacha improved to 5-1 with the Padres and showed why Sox GM should be headed for the chopping block as the guy who replaced him, Corey Kluber (2-6, 6.26 ERA) got lit up for 5 runs in just 2 1/3 innings. Richard Bleier and Nick Pivetta also got tagged for a few runs. Meanwhile Wacha threw six shutout innings and the Red Sox as a team was held to just 7 hits. It all added up to an embarrassing 7-0 loss to the Padres at Petco Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Wacha got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo flied out to center to start. Masataka Yoshida walked but Triston Casas struck out swinging. Rafael Devers flied out to right to end the inning. Kluber got hammered in the bottom of the first as Fernando Tatis Jr walked to start. Kluber booted a grounder by Jake Cronenworth for an error and Xander Bogaerts walked to load the bases. Juan Soto popped up to short but Matt Carpenter walked to score Tatis. Ha-Seong Kim struck out swinging but Rougned Odor doubled to right to clear the bases, icing the game in just the first inning. Trent Grisham flied out to right to end the inning with the Padres up 4-0.

                                                          Odor ices it

Soto made a great diving catch to rob Jarren Duran of a hit to start the top of the second but Raimel Tapia got a base hit to left. Kike Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Brett Sullivan doubled to center to start the bottom of the second but Tatis Jr grounded out to third. Cronenworth hit a bullet Enmanuel Valdez who tossed to Hernandez to double off Sullivan to end the inning.

Valdez popped up to short to start the top of the third but Reese McGuire lined out to center. Verdugo flied out to right to end the inning. The Padres knocked Kluber out in the bottom of the third although Devers made a great play to rob Bogaerts to start. Soto got a base hit to center and that was it for Kluber. Richard Bleier came in to pour gas on the fire as Carpenter hit a home run all the way to Nebraska to increase the lead. Kim grounded out to third and Odor flied out to left to end the inning with the Padres up 6-0.

                                                  "Yeah you're out, Kluber, now beat it!"

Yoshida got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth before Casas followed with a single to right. Devers grounded into a double play and Duran flied out to right to end the inning. Grisham grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Sullivan flied out to right. Nick Pivetta came in to pitch to Tatis Jr and Nick got him to fly out to right to end the inning.

Tapia got a base hit to center to start the top of the fifth but Hernandez struck out swinging. Valdez flied out to center but McGuire reached on a nubber in front of the plate. Verdugo lined out to right to end the inning. Cronenworth grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Bogaerts took strike three. Valdez threw a ball away by Soto for an error but Carpenter grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Yoshida struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Casas grounded out to first. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. The Padres struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Kim got a base hit to center to start. Odor doubled to left to score Kim but Grisham flied out to left. Sullivan took strike three and Tatis Jr went down hacking to end the inning.

                                                          Odor does it again

Tom Cosgrove came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Duran struck out swinging to start. Tapia struck out swinging and Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Pablo Reyes came in to play second with Joely Rodriguez now on the mound to start the bottom of the seventh. Cronenworth grounded out to second to start and Bogaerts went down hacking. Soto was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Nick Martinez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Reyes lined out to right to start. McGuire got a base hit to center but Verdugo forced him at second. Yoshida got a base hit to left but Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. Justin Garza came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Carpenter was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to begin. Kim struck out swinging and Odor popped up to third to end the inning.

Josh Hader came in to close out the top of the ninth with Jose Azocar in for Soto in left. Devers and Duran both struck out swinging but Tapia walked. Hernandez walked as well but Reyes grounded out to second to end the game. The Padres had won it 7-0.

                                                                     Padres win

Jackass of The Night is Corey Kluber. He got charged with 5 runs in 2 1/3 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks to take the loss.

                                                         Field the ball Jackass

    

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Raimel Tapia was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 3.

Joely Rodriguez pitched a scoreless inning.

Justin Garza pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and an error.

Pablo Reyes was 0 for 2.

Richard Bleier allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Nick Pivetta allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

This is the kind of game that makes you hate to be a Sox fan. You got Michael Wacha dominating on the mound with Xander Bogaerts over his shoulder at short.....for San Diego. Meanwhile Trevor Story is out for half of the season and Corey Kluber is a shell of himself. Not only that, you got Richard Bleier giving up bombs and Pablo Reyes and Enmanuel Valdez going 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error combined. Its only May and there's a lot of baseball left but Bloom doesn't look good right now. Nothing went right in this game and its a miracle the Sox are only 8 games out of first place. There's still time to turn it around but swapping Wacha with Kluber looks awful right now. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-21, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow continuing their west coast trip in Los Angeles in a three game set with the Angels. Kutter Crawford (1-1) takes on Chase Silseth of the Angels tomorrow night at 9:30 PM Eastern time at Angels Stadium.