Indians Maul Sox in Bawful Effort (5/23/13)

It was a bad day for Boston sports. The New York Rangers staved off elimination with a Game 4 victory over the Boston Bruins of their second round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox lost to the Cleveland Indians. Throughout the year, there have been games the Sox never should have lost (Hanrahan's blown save in Baltimore) or could have won (most of the games the past week) but this one was an epic disaster that was over as soon as the first Cleveland Indians run scored. Terry Francona made his return to Fenway Park for the first time since the final game of the 2011 season (Jon Papelbon and Marco Scutaro's final games as well) and his Indians brought the pain on the Red Sox big time. Francona got a much deserved standing ovation for guiding the 2004 and 2007 Red Sox to World Series championships before the game started. Once the game was over, most of the fans had gone home or were groaning as the Indians trounced the Sox 12-3 at Fenway Park.

                                       Fans were pleased to see Francona, not the final score

Ryan Dempster (2-5, 4.69 ERA) got the ball to start the top of the first and Michael Bourn looked at strike three to begin the game. Jason Kipnis singled but Asdrubal Cabrera popped up to left. Michael Brantley flied out to the left field wall to end the inning. The Sox did nothing against Cleveland starter Zach McAllister in the bottom of the first as Jacoby Ellsbury whiffed to start. Daniel Nava singled but Dustin Pedroia popped up to second. David Ortiz also popped up to second to end the inning.

The Indians struck first as Carlos Santana (no relation to the guitar player) caught Will Middlebrooks asleep at third base and reached on a bunt single to lead off the top of the 2nd inning. Mark Reynolds walked but Yan Gomes struck out. Old friend Mike Avilies flied out but Drew Stubbs did what no Sox player has done consistently recently and that is to get a clutch hit. Stubbs doubled home the 2 runners for the quick lead. Bourn grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 2-0 Indians.

                                                      Stubbs makes it 2-0

Mike Napoli singled and Jarrod Saltalmacchia walked to lead off the bottom of the third but failed to score thanks to a Middlebrooks strikeout. Stephen "PU" Drew flied to center but Napoli took third. Mike Carp (in for the injured Shane Victorino) grounded out to end the threat.

The Indians struck again in the top of the third. Kipnis whiffed but Cabrera hit a one out single. Brantley and Santana both walked to load the bases. Reynolds singled home Cabrera and Brantley as Gomes worked another walk. Aviles beat out a double play ball to score Santana. Stubbs struck out but the Indians were up 4-0.

                                                            "Well this sucks" - Farrell

The Sox then showed some balls in the bottom of the third. Ellsbury caught Avilies asleep as he reached on a bunt single. Daniel Nava worked a walk and Dustin Pedroia singled....unfortunately Ellsbury was thrown out at home. It was a major miscalculation as David Ortiz then swatted a monsterous 3 run bomb to cut the lead. Napoli whiffed and Saltalamacchia lined out to short to end the inning but the Sox were back in it, 4-3.

                                              "Noooo these are lies!!!!!!" - Ellsbury

Red Sox manager John Farrell made a questionable decision. Rather than bring out Dempster for the 4th inning with 83 pitches on his arm, he relieved him with Clayton "Vigo" Mortensen.

                                            Another poor outing by Dempster

Dempster probably wasn't headed for 5 innings but it was obvious Vigo had nothing. Bourn hit a leadoff double, Kipnis popped up but Cabrera singled home Bourn. Brantley flied out to center but Satana walked. Reynolds grounded into a force to end the inning Mortensen finished the inning but the Sox were down 5-3.

                                                     Avilies is loving this

In keeping with a current theme for a while,  McCallister shut down the Sox in the bottom of the fourth. Middlebrooks looked at strike three before PU Drew grounded out to short. Carp grounded out to second to end the inning.

Pedro Ciriaco replaced Middlebrooks in the field for the top of the fifth, where the Indians scored again. Gomes flied out to left but Mortensen couldn't throw out Avilies on a swinging bunt. Stubbs flied out to right but once again the Sox inability to throw out runners bit them as Aviles stole second. Bourn then singled home Mike to extend the lead. Anyone else notice opponents seem to be doing their damage with 2 out? Kipnis flied to center to end the inning but it was 6-3 Indians.

Ellsbury watched strike three go by to begin the bottom of the fifth but Nava drew a walk. Pedroia flied out to center but Nava took second on a wild pitch. Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning,

The Tribe chased Vigo in the top of the sixth when Cabrera walked, Brantley singled and Santana walked as well to load the bases with nobody out. Alex Wilson relieved Vigo and gave up a single to Reynolds that scored Cabrera. Napoli dropped a pop up by Gomes who responded by doubling home 2 more runners. Avilies popped up to second but Stubbs tripled home everyone. A Bourn single wrapped up the scoring as the Indians put 6 runs on the board. Kipnis and Cabrera both struck out but it was now 12-3 Indians. Goodnight Red Sox.

                                                            Absolute Bawful

With the game well in hand, Cord Phelps replaced kipnis and Cody Allen took over on the mound for the bottom of the sixth. The only highlight was NESN cameras catching a fan taking forever to blow up a beach ball only for alert Fenway security to seize the beach ball and wrestle it to the ground. Apart from that, Napoli and Saltalamacchia both struck out before Ciriaco flied out to right to end the inning.

Craig Breslow took over on the mound in the top of the seventh and Brantley lined out to short to start. Santana walked and Reynolds singled, but Gomes banged into a double play to end the inning. Scott Barnes replaced Cody Allen and got PU Drew to fly out to center to start the bottom of the seventh. Carp whiffed and Ellsbury grounded out to the mound to end the inning,

Junichi Tazawa took over for the top of the eighth and got Avilies to ground out to short. Stubbs doubled to left but Bourn grounded back to the mound. Phelps grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                The lone highlight

The miserable night continued for the Sox in the bottom of the eighth. Nava singled but Pedroia struck out. Ryan Lavarnway pinch hit for Ortiz and doubled. Napoli whiffed and Saltalamacchia lined out to third to end the inning.

Andrew Miller got the call to pitch the top of the ninth and struck out Cabrera to start. Brantley watched strike three go by and Santana grounded out to short to end the inning. The night finally ended in the bottom of the ninth as Ciriaco whiffed to start. PU Drew grounded out to second and Carp grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Indians had won it 12-3.

On a game like this where bawful occurred all over the place, the Jackass of the Night is a tough one. Ultimately, its Vigo Mortensen. Mortensen took over a game that was 4 to 3 and gave up 5 runs in just 2 innings. If he was able to hold the fort, maybe the offense could have scored the tying run at some point.

                                             Sorry Vigo but you're a Jackass


The Good:

Daniel Nava was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a 3 run home run.

Ryan Lavarnway doubled as a pinch hitter.

Craig Breslow pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Pedro Ciriaco was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Stephen Drew was 0 for 4.

Mike Carp was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ryan Dempster got lit up for 4 runs in just 3 innings before being pulled.

Alex Wilson gave up 3 runs in just 1 inning.



The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with an error and a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Jarrod Saltalacmacchia was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Oh that was very bad. Another horrible loss where nothing goes right. Dempster pitched like absolute crap but so did Mortensen and Wilson. Dempster drops to 2-5 on the season with a hideous 4.69 ERA. All in all the Indians worked EIGHT walks, the Red Sox as a team had 7 hits. Truly pathetic. Worse news is Shane Victorino is hurt again and Middlebrooks is hobbled as well. David Ross comes off the concussion list tomorrow so some changes are going to be made within 24 hours. Rumor has it that Ryan Lavarnway is going back to Pawtucket to make room for Ross. At least Ryan got a hit in his last at bat. The loss drops the Sox to 28-20, a game behind the idle Yankees. They can't keep losing games like this if they want to compete in the division. They need a few 3-5 game win streaks to keep momentum going. John Lackey (2-4) looks to stem the tide tomorrow in yet another rain soaked game (potentially anyway) against old friend Justin Masterson. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park

Un-Clutch Sox Drops Second in a Row (5/21/13)

The good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Rangers in Game 3 of their second round NHL playoff series, the bad news was the Boston Red Sox got beat by the Chicago White Sox. During every baseball season every time goes through a stretch where they can't do anything right offensively. Even the 2003 Red Sox who set major league records for slugging percentage, total bases and extra base hits hit a few slumps. This year, however, is becoming more of a concern. All smart Sox fans knew this team was going to struggle to hit but not like this. The Sox set new standards for failure in a gut-wrenching 3-1 loss to the Chicago White Sox at Comiskey Park.

 

                                                "This offense sucks!" - Kermit

Jose Quintana got the start for Chicago and the slumping Jacoby Ellsbury lined out to center to start. Jonny Gomes and Dustin Pedroia both whiffed to end the inning. Felix Doubront got the start for the BoSox and got Alejando De Aza to ground back to the mound to begin the bottom of the first. Alexei Ramirez beat out an infield single to third but Alex Rios banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Bostonoffense failed to produce in the top of the second inning. David Ortiz popped up to third and Mike Napoli whiffed. Daniel Nava drew a walk but Will Middlebrooks grounded into a force to end the inning. Doubront kept pace in the bottom of the second as Paul Konerko grounded out to third to begin. Adam Dunn and Dayan Viciedo both struck out to end the inning.

The BoSox mustered nothing in the top of the third as Stephen "PU" Drew flied out to right to begin. Jarrod Saltalamacchia flied out to left and Ellsbury popped up to short to end the inning. Doubront brought the fire in the bottom of the third as Jeff Keppinger grounded out to short, Tyler Flowers whiffed and Tyler Greene flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fourth inning. Gomes and Pedroia grounded out to third and Ortiz grounded out to second to end the inning. Doubront matched Quintana in the bottom of the fourth as De Aza drew a leadoff walk, but Ramirez grounded into a double play. Rios grounded out to short to end the inning. Both pitchers were pitching very well.

The BoSox failed to get a hit in the top of the fifth inning as Napoli flied out to right to begin. Nava lined out to the right field wall but Middlebrooks flied out to center to end the inning. 5 innings and no hits allowed for Quintana. The ChiSox struck first in the bottom of the fifth inning although Konerko popped up to first to begin. Dunn grounded out to first but Viciedo singled. Keppinger had the lowest slugging percentage of anyone that qualified in the majors. Think of Jose Iglesias playing for Chicago. Well for some reason lady luck was not shining on the Red Sox as Keppinger hit his first homer of the year to give the Chisox a commanding lead. Flowers doubled but Greene grounded out to third to end the inning but Chicago was up 2-0.

                                                   The worst slugger in the league goes yard

The BoSox remained hitless in the top of the sixth inning as Drew popped up to short to begin. Saltalamacchia whiffed but Ellsbury worked a walk. Gomes struck out to end the inning. What a garbage performance by the BoSox offense. Doubront came back for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth. De Aza and Ramirez both grounded out to second but Rios singled. Konerko walked but Doubront got Adam Dunn to fly out to end the inning. 6 innings and 2 runs allowed is a huge improvement for Felix, its too bad he got zero run support

                                             Hard to win a game when your team has no hits

The Sox blew their biggest chance to get back in the game in the top of the seventh. Just as it seemed Quintana was going to throw a no-hitter, Ortiz, Napoli and Nava worked 3 straight hits to load the bases and chase the pitcher. In came unhittable Jesse Crain who punched out both Middlebrooks and PU Drew to end the threat.

                                                   Gotta tip your cap to the effort of Quintana

Rookie Alex Wilson relieved Doubront and continued his hot streak by pitching a clean bottom of the 7th. Viciedo and Keppinger flied out to right before Flowers grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox finally got on the board in the top of the eighth. Matt Thornton relieved Crain and Saltalamacchia greeted him with a walk. Ellsbury singled to once again put the tying runs on. Matt Lindstrom relieved Thornton and Red Sox manager John Farrell sent in Mike Carp to pinch hit for Gomes. If there was ever a situation to call for a bunt, this was it. Unfortunately Farrell was too conservative and let Carp hit away.....only he flied out without advancing either runner. Ironically a wild pitch during the next at bat with Pedroia up moved the runners. Pedroia then hit a ground ball to Ramirez at short who shockingly played hot potato with it, allowing Saltalamacchia to score and Ellsbury reach third. With the tying run on third and the go-ahead run on first.....all Ortiz had to do was hit a fly ball and the game was tied. Instead, Ortiz banged into a double play thus killing the rally. Still, the Sox had cut the lead and trailed 2-1

                                          There goes the bat, the ball and the ballgame.

All Wilson had to do was hold the fort in the bottom of the eighth and the Sox would have a chance to tie it in the ninth with one swing of the bat. He did manage to whiff Greene and get De Aza to line out to first, but Ramirez singled. Rios doubled home the insurance run and Konerko walked to chase Wilson from the game. Andrew Miller came in and struck out Dunn to end the inning but it was 3-1 Chicago.

ChiSox closer Addison Reed came in to finish off the game in the top of the ninth. Napoli whiffed, Nava flied out to left and Middlebrooks flied out to center to end the game. The ChiSox had taken the game with a 3-1 win.

                                                        Big loss for the BoSox


Jackass of the Night is David Ortiz. His double play in the top of the eighth inning was the difference in the game.

                                                               Ortiz is Jackass


THE GOOD:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Felix Doubront was the hard luck loser but hardly pitched like a loser. He threw 6 solid innings and gave up just a 2 run jack to Keppinger, unfortunately the Sox couldn't generate any offense.

Andrew Miller struck out the one batter he faced.



THE BAD:

Jonny Gomes who was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts

Mike Carp was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 4 with a strikeout

Stephen Drew was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



THE UGLY

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but did drive in a run.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 2 but walked and scored Boston's only run.

Alex Wilson was headed for 2 more perfect innings but was chased with a single, double and a walk.



Final Thoughts:

One of the worst fears about this team is becoming true, the lack of offense on this team is killing them right now. They've had the tying runs on base the past 2 games but couldn't get over the hump. They have guys that get can get on base but with Ortiz slowing down, they really don't have the guys to drive them in anymore. That's the main problem this team has is other than Ortiz and Napoli they don't have a legitimate rbi man. Middlebrooks was supposed to be but he's fallen flat on his face, hitting just .208. The good news is the situation is fixable. A trade can be made by either dumping one of their position players or one of their prospects to get a reliable rbi man. The loss drops the Sox to 27-19, 1 1/2 games behind the Yankees. Clay Buchholz hopes to avoid getting pounded like Jon Lester or become a hard luck loser by Doubront in the finale against spot starter Hector Santiago tomorrow afternoon at 3:00 PM at Commiskey Park.

Rangers Blank, Pound Sox (5/3/13)

It was a bad day for Boston sports. The New York Knicks eliminated the Boston Celtics with their Game 6 first round NBA playoff victory and the Boston Red Sox were shutout by the Texas Rangers. All good things must come to an end and the Boston Red Sox torrid 20-8 start was snapped by the Texas Rangers. Derek Holland was unhittable and Felix Doubront got rocked, leading to a decisive 7-0 victory by the Rangers in Arlington Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

"Boston Red Sox...zero...point..zero" - DW

Things went bad right from the start for the Sox offense in the top of the first against Holland. Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino both struck out before Dustin Pedroia grounded out to end the inning. Doubront hung tough in the bottom of the first inning. Ian Kinsler singled but was erased on the Elvis Andrus force. Lance Berkman popped up and old pal Adrian Beltre singled, but Andrus was gunned down at third by Victorino to end the inning. Guess Andrus forgot the cardinal rule of never making the first or third out at third base.

                                            SuperCiriaco flies to make the tag

David Ortiz got the Sox first hit with a bloop to right in the top of the second but Mike Napoli and Jonny Gomes both whiffed. Will Middlebrooks flied out to end the inning. The Rangers struck first in the bottom of the second inning. Nelson Cruz flied out and AJ Pierzynski grounded out but Jeff Baker doubled. Mitch Moreland singled him to third and shortstop Pedro Ciriaco fielded a ground ball by Crag Gentry, did a cartwheel and threw the ball straight up in the air to himself. This allowed Baker to score on the play. Kinsler flied out to end the inning but the Rangers led 1-0.

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third inning. Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Ciriaco grounded out and Ellsbury struck out to end the inning. Doubront battled in the bottom of the third inning. Andrus singled but Berkman grounded into a double play. Beltre and Cruz both singled but Pierzynski struck out to end the inning.

Holland remained red hot in the top of the fourth inning. Victorino singled but Pedroia struck out and Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning. The wheels fell off for Doubront in the bottom of the fourth inning. Baker popped up but Moreland singled. Gentry struck out but Kinsler singled. Andrus singled home Moreland and Berkman walked to load the bases. Beltre then cleared the bases with a double to make it 5-0 and chase Doubront. He played with fire all game and finally got burned.

Rookie Alex Wilson came in to put out the fire and Cruz singled home Beltre. Pierzynski lined out to end the inning with the Rangers holding a commanding 6-0 lead.

                                                     "Ohhhhhhhh those damn Rangers"

Old friend David Murphy came in to play left field in the top of the fifth inning as Holland continued to cruise. Napoli flied out but Gomes walked, only for Middlebrooks to ground into a double play to end the inning. Wilson got tagged in the bottom of the fifth as well. Murphy struck out but Moreland singled. Leonys Martin hit for Gentry and singled. Kinsler doubled home Martin to wrap up the scoring. Andrus flied out and Berkman grounded out to end the inning with the Rangers up 7-0.

The Sox got their only scoring threat in the top of the 6th inning. Saltalamacchia struck out but Ciriaco singled. Ellsbury singled but Victorino popped up. Pedroia grounded out to end the inning. Wilson returned for the bottom of the 6th inning and Beltre greeted him with a single before being erased on the Cruz double play. Pierzynski lofted a ground ball to Middlebrooks who fielded it but suddenly threw his glove up in the air and ran away screaming with his arms flailing over his head, allowing AJ to reach on the error. Murphy flied out to end the inning.

Holland returned for the top of the seventh and continues to dominate. Ortiz and Napoli grounded out but Gomes singled. Middlebrooks struck out to end the inning. Wilson returned briefly in the bottom of the seventh. Moreland flied out but Martin walked to chase him. Clayton "Vigo" Mortensen relieved Wlson and got Kinsler to fly out. Andrus grounded out to end the inning.

Holland returned for the top of the eighth and continued to dominate. Saltalamacchia flied out and Ciriaco struck out before Ellsbury somehow singled. Victorino popped up to end the inning. 8 shut out innings by Holland, woof.

                                  "This is confabulous....we can't hit for beans!"  - SV

Mortensen returned for the bottom of the eighth. Berkman popped up and Beltre grounded out, but Cruz walked and Pierzynski singled. Murphy struck out to end the inning.

Old pal Derek Lowe took the mound in the top of the ninth for the Rangers. Just like vintage Lowe, he was able to get Pedroia, Ortiz and Napoli all to ground out to end the game. The misery was over with the Rangers winning 7-0.

Jackass of the night is Felix Doubront. Even though the offense put up a goose egg, Doubront got knocked out in the fourth inning and left trailing 6-0. A better pitched game and maybe the Sox approach the later innings differently.

                                                     Doubront is a Jackass


The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4.

Jonny Gomes was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Clayton Mortensen pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.



The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Shane Victorino was just 1 for 4.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Pedro Ciriaco was 1 for 3 but his error led the game's first run to score.

Alex Wilson gave up the 7th run but pitched 2 2/3 innings of mop up duty.



Final Thoughts:

That as just terrible. They couldn't hit the lefty Holland if their lives depended on it and Doubront got lit up by a powerful Rangers lineup. The Sox have been swinging the bat well lately so they were bound to have a stinker. It was a shame but not the end of the world. The Sox drop to 20-9 and take on Texas in Game 2 of this series. Alexi Ogando goes for Texas with John Lackey getting the ball for the Sox at 8:05 PM.

Buchholz,Sox Pound Jays (5/1/13)

What a day for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics defeated the New York Knicks in Game 5 of their first round NBA playoff series and the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 1 of their first round NHL playoff series. As for baseball, how about those first place Boston Red Sox? It seems that this team that wasn't designed to win is firing on all cylanders lately. After going 18-8 in the month of April, they started off May with another dominating win. Clay Buchholz (6-0, 1.01 ERA) is having a Pedro Martinez-esque start to this year as the shut down the Toronto Blue Jays for 7 innings. The bats pitched in as well as they romped 10-1 at Skydome.

                                                       Kevin Garnett approves of the win

Mark Buehrle (1-2) got the ball to start the top of the first and Jacoby Ellsbury greeted him with a single. Jonny Gomes flied out and Ellsbury got picked off....or he would have if Buehrle didn't throw the ball away, allowing Jacoby to reach second. Dustin Pedroia and David Ortiz flied out to end the inning. Buchholz started strong in the bottom of the first. Brett Lawrie grounded out but Colby Rasmus walked. Jose Bautista struck out and Edwin Encarnarcion flied out to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava flied out but Will Middlebrooks was hit with a pitch. Stephen "PU" Drew then shocked Red Sox nation by swatting a 2 run home run to put the Sox on top 2-0. That was Drew's first home run of the year. David Ross flied out to end the inning. Buchholz made sure Toronto didn't answer in the bottom of the second. Adam Lind, Melky Cabrera and JP Arencibia all grounded out in short order to end the inning.

                                    Drew rounds the bases, check out the empty seats.

The Sox threatened in the top of the third inning. Ellsbury grounded out but Gomes walked. Jacoby was erased on the force by Pedroia and Ortiz grounded out to end the inning. Buchholz stayed tough in the bottom of the third, Maicer Izturis struck out but Munenori Kawasaki singled. Lawrie and Rasmus struck out to end the inning.

The Sox showed some power in the top of the fourth. Napoli and Nava cracked back to back home runs to increase the lead 4-0. Middlebrooks singled but PU Drew banged into a double play. Ross grounded out to end the inning. The Jays failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth. Bautista walked but Encarnarcion struck out. Lind and Cabrera flied out to end the inning.

                                                                Back to back Jacks

Buehrle settled down in the top of the fifth. Ellsbury struck out, Gomes flied out and Pedroia popped up in short order to end the inning. Buchholz cruised in the bottom of the fifth. Arencibia and Izturis grounded out and Kawasaki struck out to end the inning.

Buehrle returned for the top of the sixth inning. Ortiz doubled and Napoli walked but Nava flied out. Middlebrooks singled to load the bases but rally killer extraordinaire PU Drew hit into another double play to end the inning. Buchholz dominated the bottom of the sixth. Lawrie grounded out, Rasmus popped up and Bautista struck out to end the inning.

The Sox broke it open in the top of the seventh inning. Ross grounded out and Ellsbury lined out, but Gomes walked to chase Buehre. Esmil Rogers replaced Mark and crapped himself much to Sox fans delight. Pedoria singled Gomes to third and a wild pitch by Rogers scored Jonny. Ortiz was then intentionally walked and Napoli made the Jays pay belting a 3 run blast to break the game wide open. Nava lined out but it was now 8-0.

                                               "We got this bitch, Papi" - Napoli

Buchholz went one more inning and got Encarnarcion to fly out to start the bottom of the seventh. Lind walked and Cabrera singled him to third only to be thrown out at second trying to stretch into a double. Arencibia struck out to end the inning. Buchholz had tossed 7 shut out innings allowing just 2 hits and 3 walks. Amazing!

                                                       Another shut-out for Buchholz

Justin Germano was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth. Middlebrooks whiffed but PU Drew singled. Ross hit a ground rule double but Drew was stranded on back to back ground outs by Ellsbury and Gomes to end the inning. Rookie Alex Wilson got the call in the bottom of the eighth. Izturis singled but Kawasaki struck out. Lawrie tripled home Izturis to break up the shutout. Rasmus struck out but Bautista walked to chase Wilson. Clayton "Vigo" Mortensen came in to finish the inning. Encarnarcion grounded out to end the inning with the score 8-1.

The Sox weren't done scoring in the top of the ninth. Pedroia grounded out and Mike Carp pinch hit for Ortiz and blasted a solo home run. Napoli hit a ground rule double and Nava singled him in. Middlebrooks popped up but Drew singled. Ross popped up to end the inning with the Sox up 10-1. Mortensen returned for the bottom of the ninth. Mike Carp took over at first meaning the Sox had lost the DH, but since it was a 9 run lead, that didn't matter. Lind walked and Mark DeRosa pinch hit for Cabrera only to ground into a double play. Henry Blanco pinch hit for Arencibia and struck out to end the game. The Sox had won 10-1.

Hero of the night is Clay Buchholz. He mastered the Jays with 7 shutout innings, scattering 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8.

                                                         Hero of the Night: Clay Buchholz


The Good:

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. 

Mike Carp pinch hit for Ortiz and homered. 

Mike Napoli was 3 for 4 with 2 home runs, 4 rbis, a walk and 3 runs scored. 

Daniel Nava was 2 for 5 including a home run, 2 rbis, and a run scored. 

Will Middlebrooks was 2 for 4 with a run scored. 

Stephen Drew was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis, a home run and a run scored. 

Clayton Mortensen tossed 1 1/3 inning of scoreless relief.

The Bad:

Alex Wilson got knocked out in the 8th inning after allowing a run.



The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 5. 

Jonny Gomes was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run. 

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a run scored. 

David Ross was just 1 for 5.

Final Thoughts:

Another great start by Buchholz and another win for the Red Sox. They came out of the gate like a house of fire and May begins with more of the same. The addition of Ortiz has solidified the lineup and they're getting huge production out of the top of the order. Ellsbury is back healthy, Victorino is healthy, Napoli's hip has held up, Pedroia is a hit machine and Ortiz is Ortiz. Still would like to get more production out of the bottom of the order but wouldn't everyone? The win improved the Sox to 19-8, firmly in first place in the AL East. Tomorrow Ryan Dempster (1-2) takes the mound opposite JA Happ at 7:05

Offense Clicks Again to Defeat Astros (4/26/13)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics dropped Game 3 of their first round NBA playoff series against the New York Knicks. The good news was the Boston Red Sox came together to defeat the Houston Astros. The Sox offense is hotter than hell right now and the latest victims were once again the Astros. A balanced attack led by David Ross and Dustin Pedroia paced Ryan Dempster (1-2) as the Sox defeated the Astros 7-3 at Fenway Park.

                                               Chris Jericho approves of the win

Ryan Dempster got the start for the Sox in the top of the first and got Robbie Grossman to line out to second. Jose Altuve doubled but Jason Castro struck out. Dempster misfired with a pickoff throw and Altuve was safe at third but Ryan struck out Brandon Laird to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Erik Bedard in the bottom of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury reached on an infield single but Jonny Gomes struck out. Dustin Pedroia put the Sox on top with a double that scored Ellsbury. David Ortiz whiffed and Mike Napoli flied out to end the inning.

                                            Pedroia puts the Sox up 1-0 early

Dempster cruised in the top of the second inning. Carlos Pena and Chris Carter both struck out and Fernando "Cinco-cinco-cinco nuevedos-nuevedos" Martinez grounded out to end the inning.  The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second. Daniel Nava flied out and Will Middlebrooks popped up but David Ross crushed a 425 foot bomb over the Monster to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Pedro Ciriaco tripled to light up the crowd but Ellsbury grounded out to end the inning. Way to go Ross.

                                                      nWo Wolfpac approves

The Astros struck back in the top of the third inning. Matt Dominguez doubled to start and moved to third on the Marwin Gonzalez fly out. Grossman grounded out but Dominguez scored to cut the lead in half. Altuve flied out to end the inning but it was now 2-1 Sox. The Sox answered in the bottom of the third. Gomes struck out but Pedroia stroked a ground rule double. Ortiz struck out but Napoli doubled home Pedroia. Nava struck out to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-1.

The Astros threatened in the top of the fourth when Castro hit a leadoff double. Dempster recovered to strike out both Laird and Pena. Carter walked but Martinez whiffed to end the inning. Bedard returned for the bottom of the fourth and immediately regretted it as Middlebrooks and Ross smashed back to back jacks to chase him.

                                                   Middlebrooks blasts one

                                              Napoli loves Ross' effort

Paul Clemens took over for Bedard and Ciriaco lined out to left. Ellsbury and Gomes grounded out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

The Astros didn't go quietly in the top of the fifth. Dominguez hit a leadoff double but Gonzalez struck out. A wild pitch moved Dominguez to third as Grossman walked. Altuve hit a sac fly to score Dominguez but Castro lined out to end the inning. The Sox still led 5-2. The Sox got that run right back in the bottom of the fifth. Pedroia grounded out and Ortiz swatted his second home run of the year to make the crowd happy. Napoli and Nava struck out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                        Ortiz says "Hey look there's a hot dog stand"

Dempster returned for the top of the sixth and struck out Laird to start the inning. Pena walked but Carter struck out. Martinez grounded out to end the inning. Dempster had tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball, a solid effort.

                                        Solid effort by Dempster to keep the Sox on top

Clemens returned for the bottom of the sixth and struck out Middlebrooks. Ross remained red hot with a single. Ciriaco popped up as Ellsbury singled Ross to third. Jacoby swiped second but Gomes struc out to end the inning.

Clayton "Vigo" Mortensen took over for the top of the seventh and he plunked Dominguez. Gonzalez bunted his way on as Dominguez moved to third on the muff by Napoli. Grossman struck out and that was it for Mortensen. Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch and Altuve hit a sac fly to score Dominguez. Castro singled but Taz froze Laird to end the inning with the score now 6-3. Wesley Wright took over for the bottom of the seventh and Pedroia greeted him with a single. Ortiz grounded into a double play but Napoli doubled. Nava grounded out to end the inning.

Koji Uehara got the call for the top of the 8th inning. Pena grounded out but Carter doubled. Martinez advanced Carter with a ground-out and Dominguez struck out to end the inning. Rhiner Cruz got the call for the bottom of the 8th and the Sox quickly erased the save situation. Middlebrooks reached on an infield single and the red hot Ross singled again. Ciriaco blooped a single to load the bases but Middlebrooks was doubled off first on the scalding liner by Ellsbury. Gomes singled home Ross but Pedroia struck out to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

With the save situation gone, rookie Alex Wilson was brought in to pitch the top of the ninth inning. Gonzalez grounded out and Grossman struck out looking. Altuve flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3.

Hero of the Night is David Ross. The old pro went 4 for 4 with two home runs and 3 runs scored.

                                                  Hero of the Night: David Ross


The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Will Middlebrooks was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an rbi coming off his solo home run.

Pedro Ciriaco was 2 for 4.

Ryan Dempster earned the win with 6 innings of 2 run ball.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning

Alex Wilson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.


The Bad:

Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 with 2 stikeouts.

Clayton Mortensen allowed a run in just 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 5 with an rbi.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with his one hit being a solo home run.

Junichi Tazawa allowed an inherited runner to score but didn't give up any of his own in 2.3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

One game after I said they needed more production from the bottom of the order, Middlebrooks and Ross go off for 6 hits in 8 at-bats with 3 home runs. It obviously wont last but every win counts and tonight was another great effort by the Sox. 16 wins in 23 games is nothing to sneeze at, especially with a team not expected to contend. I will say if Napoli plays to his standard, that's a hell of a top four with him, Ortiz, Pedroia and Ellsbury. Carp off the bench has been good in spot starts although the Sox could probably upgrade Pedro Ciriaco with Jose Iglesias the slick fielder in Pawtucket. Tomorrow night is Game 3 of the four game set with Felix Doubront (3-0) matched up with Brad Peacock at 7:05 PM. Get your DVR's ready!