Memorial Day Hitting Launches Sox Into First (5/27/13)

The best case scenario of last night's final thoughts came true after all. Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves (2-1, 6.57 ERA) pitched to the best of his abilities, hurling 6 innings of 1 run ball as the Red Sox bats woke up to defeat the visiting Philadelphia Phillies. Home runs by Mike Napoli and Dustin Pedroia aided Aceves in the 9-3 win at Fenway Park.

                                           Uncle Sam approves of the Memorial Day win

Aceves got the ball in the top of the first and Ben Revere grounded out to second to start. Michael Young grounded back to the mound but Jimmy Rollins pounded a ground rule double. Ryan Howard whiffed to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the inning. Jacoby Ellsbury singled off starter Tyler Cloyd and advanced to second on the ground out by Daniel Nava. Dustin Pedroia hit a cheap 300 foot home run to right to give the Sox the lead lead. David Ortiz whiffed but Mike Napoli hit a much further home run over the bullpen to increase the lead. Stephen "PU" Drew walked but Mike Carp flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                             3-0 Boston, thanks Napoli

Delmon Young grounded out to short to begin the top of the second inning. Domonic Brown  hit a routine ground ball to Aceves who dropped a leg on it and laid on top of it for a pinfall attempt, being charged with an error. Aceves redeemed himself by inducing John Mayberry Jr to hit into an inning ending double play.

Cloyd settled down in the top of the second as Jarrod Saltalamacchia flied out to left to begin. Jose Iglesias singled and Ellsbury hit a ground rule double but they were stranded when Nava lined out to left. Pedroia flied out to right to end the inning.

The lone blemish against Aceves came in the top of the third. Freddy Galvis whiffed but Erik Kratz smashed a 1 out home run that cut the lead. Revere walked but was doubled off first on a line drive hit by Young to center, ending the inning.

                                                        Kratz tags Aceves

That's as close as Philly got as the Sox put the game away in the bottom of the third. Ortiz hit a lead off double and Napoli drove him home with a ground rule double. PU Drew singled home Napoli to extend the lead. Carp struck out but Saltalamacchia singled to chase Cloyd. Michael Stutes came on in relief and got Iglesias to pop up to first. Ellsbury hit a double that scored Drew but Saltalamacchia was stupidly thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1

                                               Mr. Jones does not approve of Salty's base-running decisions.

Aceves returned to the mound in the top of the fourth inning and allowed a leadoff single to Rollins. Howard grounded into a double play but Young singled. Brown popped up to second to end the inning. Stutes cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Nava grounded out to first, Pedroia grounded out to second and Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning.

The Phillies threatened in the top of the fifth inning as Mayberry singled to start. Galvis flied out to left and Kratz struck out, but Revere singled Mayberry to third With a threat mounting, Aceves snared a line drive off the bat of Young to effectively end the game.

                                                     Aceves doing his happy dance on the mound

The Sox added some more insurance in the bottom of the 5th. Napoli whiffed but PU Drew singled and Carp doubled him over to third. Saltalamacchia singled home Drew and Carp scored on an error by Mayberry Jr. Iglesias whiffed and Jeremy Horst came on to pitch to Ellsbury. Jacoby grounded out to third but it was 8-1 Sox.

The Phillies had one last chance to do damage trailing 8-1 in the top of the 6th. Rollins walked and Howard singled him over to third. Aceves got a huge strikeout of Young and a pop up to third by Brown before walking Mayberry. With the bases loaded, Freddy Galvis lined out to end the threat. It was like Aceves chucked a bowling ball into the guts of the Phillies and their fans...like this:

                      An accurate description of the end of the top of the 6th and Phillies fans' reaction

The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the 6th as Nava whiffed to start. Pedroia walked and Pedro Ciriaco pinch ran for him. Ortiz singled but both Napoli and PU Drew watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Clayton "Vigo" Mortensen replaced Vulture for the top of the 7th and walked Kratz to start. Revere lined out to center and Young lined out to second. Rollins grounded out to second to end the inning. Antonio Bastardo came out for the bottom of the seventh and Carp hit one up the elevator shaft to begin. Saltalamacchia flied out to left and Iglesias popped up to second to end the inning.

Mortensen came back for the top of the eighth and Howard doubled to begin. Howard was thrown out at third on a ground ball by Young and that was it for Mortensen. Andrew Miller relieved Mortensen and immediately served up a 2 run homer to Brown to cut into the lead. Mayberry beat out an infield single to second but was erased on the force by Galvis. Kratz whiffed to end the inning but it was now 8-3.

                                              Brown cuts into the lead.

The Sox answered in the bottom of the 8th with Mike Adams on the mound. Ellsbury grounded out to first and Nava whiffed, but Ciriaco singled. Ortiz and Napoli walked to load the bases before Drew walked to score Ciraco. Justin De Fratus replaced the wild Adams to retire Carp on a ground out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-3.

Miller got the call to end the top of the ninth but ran into trouble when Revere singled. He recovered to get Young to fly out to center. Miller struck out Rollins and Howard to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-3.

                                        Another good win by the Sox


Her of the Night is Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves. Aceves was outstanding with 6 innings of 1 run, 4 strikeout ball, getting key outs when needed. 

                                                  Aceves is the Hero


The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Pedro Ciriaco singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbi's and 2 runs scored including a solo home run.

Stephen Drew was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with an rbi.



The Bad:

Daniel Nava was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.\



The Ugly:

Mike Carp was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Jose Iglesias was just 1 for 4.

Clayton Mortensen gave up a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Andrew Miller gave up a run in 1 2/3 innings.





Final Thoughts:

Hard to believe but the Sox are back in first place. It was a good win and redemption for Vulture who looked like he was going to be unconditionally released following his last disasterous outing against Oakland. Unfortunately for the pitching staff, someone's got to go. Franklin Morales is back and either Mortensen, Miller, Aceves or Wilson has to go. All signs point to Aceves going back to Triple A but at least he'll go down on a much higher note than last time he left. It was a good win and encouraging to see the bats wake up, especially those of Ciriaco and Drew who knows Iglesias is young and hungry. A slip up by either veteran means their days are numbered.  The win put the Sox at 32-20 and the Yankees loss puts the Sox alone in first.The Sox look to stay in first place but will have to work for it as Ryan Dempster goes up against superstar Cliff Lee tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Raindance Lackey Shuts Down Indians (5/24/13)

Big news came before the game as Ryan Lavarnway was optioned back to Pawtucket as Shane Victorino and Will Middlebrooks were placed on the 15 day disabled list. Taking their places is the returning David Ross coming off the DL and....*shudders* Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves. Oh and I forgot....guess who's back? Jose Iglesias finally earned his long awaited call up.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                                IN

As for the game, the last time John Lackey (3-4, 2.72 ERA) pitched in the rain he was outstanding, giving up just 1 run in 6 innings. Tonight he was even better, going 7 innings and giving up an unearned run to lead the Red Sox to victory over the Cleveland Indians. Mike Carp struck a big home run and the Sox rolled over the Indians 8-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Aaron Burr approves of the win

Lackey got the ball to start the top of the first inning and froze Michael Bourn to start. Jason Kipnis grounded out to third and Asdrubal Cabrera whiffed to end the inning. Old buddy Justin Masterson got the start for the Indians and he whiffed Jacoby Ellsbury to start. Daniel Nava and Dustin Pedroia both grounded out to first to end the inning.

Nick Swisher grounded out to second to start the top of the second inning but Carlos Santana walked. The ancient Jason Giambi banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second. David Ortiz walked and Mike Napoli singled to put two men on. Jarrod Saltalamacchia flied out which moved Ortiz to third. The much maligned Mike Carp stepped to the plate and crushed a 3 run home run to put the Sox on the board. Stephen "PU" Drew grounded out to second and the returning Jose Iglesias took strike three to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.

                                           Game is over in the second inning thanks to Carp

The Sox defense nearly pissed the lead away in the top of the second. Mark Reynolds and Michael Brantley hit back to back singles but Drew Stubbs lined out to short. Michael Bourn whiffed but the baserunners pulled off a double steal on Saltalamacchia, Reynolds scoring when Saltalamacchia fired the ball 627 feet over the head of Iglesias at third. More runs with 2 outs. Kipnis walked and he too stole 2nd off Saltalamacchia. Luckily John got Cabrera to ground out to first to end the inning with the Sox leading intact 3-1.

                                               Flounder hates bad throws

Masterson settled down in the bottom of the third as Ellsbury grounded out to short to start. Nava singled but Pedroia grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Lackey got the Indians to beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fourth inning. Swisher grounded out to first, Santana grounded out to short and Giambi also grounded out to first to end the inning. Masterson matched Lackey in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz grounded out to first, Napoli looked at strike three and Saltalamacchia grounded out to third to end the inning.

Lackey whiffed Reynolds to open the top of the fifth before Brantley grounded out to short. Stubbs whiffed to end the inning. Masterson stayed tough as Carp grounded out to third, PU Drew grounded out to second and Iglesias whiffed to end the inning.

Lackey got Bourn to ground back to the mound to start the top of the sixth inning. Kipnis walked and moved to second on the Cabrera groundout, but Swisher whiffed to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth although Ellsbury watched strike three go by to start. Nava worked a owalk then Pedroia and Ortiz hit back to back singles to load the bases. Napoli then hit a ground ball that should have been two but the relay throw to first pulled Swisher off the bag allowing Nava to score. Unfortunately Pedroia was too greedy and he was thrown out at home. Still, the Sox led 4-0.

                                                  Nice going you greedy bastard

Lackey returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh. Santana grounded out to first to start before Giambi whiffed. On Lackey's 109th pitch, he struck out Reynolds to end the inning. After Dempster's disaster yesterday, this was a much needed breath of fresh air. Lackey went 7 innings while giving up just the unearned run on 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8.

                                       Lackey has pitched 13 innings in the rain, 2 earned runs

The Sox put the game away in the bottom of the 7th against a trio of former Red Sox pitchers. Saltalamacchia led off with a double off Masterson who was replaced by old friend Rich Hill. Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Carp and was hit by a pitch. Drew struck out but Iglesias singled to load the bases. Ellsbury then singled home Saltalamacchia and Gomes. Nava popped up to third and old pal Matt Albers replaced Hill. Ellsbury swiped second and Pedroia singled him (and Iglesias) home to wrap up the scoring. Ortiz walked but Napoli grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-1.

                                                     Gomes gets hit and scores

Gomes took over in left and Koji Uehara replaced Lackey for the top of the 8th. Brantley doubled to lead off the inning but Koji got Stubbs to pop up to second. Bourn flied out to right and Kipnis flied out to center to end the inning. Vinnie Pestano got the bottom of the eighth and Saltalamacchia flied out to center to start. Gomes whiffed and PU Drew flied out to right to end the inning.

Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves worked mop up duty in the top of the 9th. Cabrera singled to lead off the inning but Swisher whiffed. Santana flied out to center and Giambi grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-1

Tonight's co-heroes of the night are John Lackey and Mike Carp. Carp's three run home was all the offense the Sox needed while Lackey shut the Indians completely down.

                                                     Hero of the Night 1: Lackey

                                                    Hero of the Night 2: Carp

The Good:

Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a 2 run single.

David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Carp and was hit by a pitch, then scored.

Jose Iglesias made his return by going 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th.

Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless 9th.



The Bad:

Stephen Drew was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 but drove in two runs and scored.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Good win and even better pitching by Lackey. If only he could start in the rain more often.  It was nice for the Sox not to score all their runs in one inning and the defense of Iglesias is already an improvement over Middlebrooks. Anything he brings on offense is a bonus. The injury to Victorino hurts but if Carp can keep his uncanny streak of good starter/bad pinch hitter, they should be fine until Shane gets back. Ellsbury needs to heat up and maybe today is the start. The win puts the Sox at 29-20, 1 game behind the Yankees. Tomorrow Jon Lester goes for the Sox opposite Scott Kazmir of the Indians at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park in Game 3 of this series.

A's Bomb Sox in Rain Shortened Game (4/23/13)

It was a bad night for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff series to the New York Knicks and the Boston Red Sox got smacked around by the Oakland A's. Last night it was the Sox who danced all over the A's, tonight it was the complete opposite. Facing a guy who didn't want to be out there and a knuckleballer out of his element, the A's pounded out 13 hits and 13 runs in just 7 innings before the umpires showed mercy on the Sox by calling the game. The A's took game 2 of this 3 game set at Fenway Park.

                                                    "Aceves you suck!"

Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves (1-1) got the start and initially started out well. He struck out Coco Crisp to begin the top of the first inning. John Jaso lined out and Seth Smith looked at strike three to end the inning. Bartolo Colon got the start for Oakland and he dominated. Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino both flied out to left but Dustin Pedroia rolled one just past Colon for an infield single. Mike Napoli whiffed to end the inning.

The first signs of trouble started in the top of the second inning. Jed Lowrie flied out but Brandon Moss singled. Josh Donaldson walked but Josh Reddick flied out. Chris Young popped up to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the second inning. Daniel Nava flied out and both Will Middlebrooks and Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out to end the inning.

The A's exploded in the top of the third due to ineffectiveness and lousy defense. Eric Sogard walked, Crisp singled and Jaso walked to load the bases immediately. Smith walked to force home Sogard but Lowrie looked at strike three. Things unraveled when Moss singled home two runs and a balk was called on Aceves to advance the remaining runners to second and third. Donaldson scored Smith with a sac fly and Aceves goofed again. Napoli heroically fielded a grounder by Reddick but Aceves was late getting to the bag. The worst part was Aceves threw the ball up into the Red Sox radio booth for an error to score Moss. ANOTHER balk was called to move Reddick to third and he scored when Middlebrooks fielded a grounder and threw the ball into the NESN broadcast booth. Sogard grounded out but the incompetence had put the Sox in a 6-0 hole.

                                                             "This sucks"

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third. Jonny Gomes lined out, Stephen Drew flied out and Ellsbury struck out to end the inning.

Aceves returned for the top of the fourth and Sox manager John Farrell found out very quickly that he didn't want to be out there. Crisp grounded out but Jaso lashed a straight fastball for a double. Smith then crushed another straight fastball for a 2 run home run to put the game out of reach 8-0. Lowrie lashed another straight fastball for a single and Farrell had enough, pulling the disgruntled starter for 28 year old rookie knuckleballer Steven Wright. For someone to quit on the team like that is inexcusable.

                                               "Man, can't wait till Farrell pulls me"

Wright did manage to get Moss to bang into a double play to end the inning, whoopie. The incompetent Sox offense accomplished nothing in the bottom of the fourth with the weather getting colder and rainier as time went on. Victorino lined out and both Pedroia and Napoli grounded out to end the inning.

Wright returned for the fifth and was hammered, apparently he doesn't pitch well in rainy weather.  Donaldson singled but Reddick struck out. Both Young and Sogard walked to load the bases and Crisp doubled home Donaldson and Young. Jaso singled home the remaining runners and took second on a passed ball by Saltalamacchia. Jaso was erased on the force out by Smith and Lowrie flied out to end the inning with the A's ahead 12-0. The Sox mustered their only offense in the bottom of the fifth. Nava grounded out and Middlebrooks flied out but Saltalamacchia and Gomes hit back to back singles. That was it as Drew popped up to end the inning.

The A's got another one in the top of the 6th off Wright. Moss and Donaldson worked back to back walks and Reddick doubled home Moss. Young flied out, Sogard struck out and Chris Wells pinch hit for Crisp. Wells flied out to end the inning but the Raiders kicked the field goal to lead the Patriots 13-0.....uh, I mean the A's led the Red Sox 13-0. Ellsbury walked in the bottom of the 6th and moved to third on groundouts by Victorino and Pedroia. Napoli popped up to end the inning. 6 shut-out innings by Colon, where was this in 2008?

                                       Washed up at age 35 in 2008, ace at age 40 in 2013

Pedro Ciriaco took over for Pedroia and Mike Carp replaced Napoli in the batting order but was in left field with Nava moving to first base. Wright returned for another beating but actually weathered the storm so to speak. Jaso singled but Smith flied out. Lowrie struck out but Moss singled. Donaldson struck out to end the inning. He got rocked and rolled but Wright saved the bullpen for better days. He competed better than Aceves did, that's for sure.

                                   Not the ideal way to make your major league debut

Colon finished the night with a flurry, striking out Nava, Middlebrooks and Saltalamacchia in short order. Heavier rain came in and with the score a complete blowout, the umpires showed mercy and called the game. Technically this meant Bartolo Colon, the same guy who was washed up on the Red Sox 5 years ago, pitched a complete game 3 hit shut-out. The A's had won it 13-0, unreal.

Jackass of the Night is easy. Alfredo Aceves not only crapped himself, he refused to clean it up and grooved easily hittable fastballs until John Farrell had no choice but to pull him out. I don't think we'll be seeing Aceves again for a long time after a stunt like that.

                                                           Thanks for nothing Jackass


The Good:

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 1 for 3.

Jonny Gomes was 1 for 2.



The Bad:

Shane Victorino was 0 for 3.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Daniel Nava was also 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a throwing error.

Stephen Drew was 0 for 2

Steven Wright took a beating to save the rest of the Red Sox bullpen for better days. He was tagged for 5 runs off 6 hits and 4 walks in 3 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 2 but walked once.



Honorable Mention:

Pedro Ciriaco played second base in the top of the seventh.

Mike Carp played left field in the top of the seventh.



Final Thoughts:

Simply put the Red Sox did nothing wright in all facets of the game. They couldn't pitch, hit or defend at all and the 13-0 final reflected that. The stinkeroo put a damper on what was a pretty good April so far considering David Ortiz missed most of it. The good news is I don't think we'll be seeing Aceves for a while so hopefully the pitching staff can pull together without him. Hopefully the Royals game gave Allen Webster the confidence he needed to really be "The Chosen One" which would keep Aceves and John Lackey from stinking up the mound in the future. Tomorrow afternoon Jon Lester (3-0) goes one on one with Brett Anderson in Game 3 of the series at 4:05 PM.

Lester Outduels Peavy, Red Sox Edge White Sox (4/28/12)

After the Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox by a combined score of 20-6 the past two nights, the monster match between aces Jon Lester (1-2, 4.65 ERA) and Jake Peavy pretty much meant runs were going to be at a premium. Sure enough only one run was scored during tonight's game but thankfully it was Boston that got it. Adrian Gonzalez drove in Ryan Sweeney in the top of the fourth inning and that was it for the game. Peavy heroically went the distance for Chicago while Lester shut down the White Sox for seven innings. The much maligned Red Sox bullpen got it done as the one-two punch of Franklin Morales and Vicente Padilla stoned the White Sox in the eighth inning and Alfredo Aceves slammed the door in the ninth. The Red Sox have now won six games in a row and three straight against Chicago with a 1-0 victory at Comiskey Park.

                                                   Bill Williamson approves of the win

Peavy got the ball in the top of the first and Mike Aviles led off with a grounder to third to start. Ryan Sweeney struck out swinging and Dustin Pedroia lined out to right to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first as Alejandro De Aza flied out to center to start. Alexei Ramirez struck out swinging but Adam Dunn drew a walk. Paul Konerko ripped a double to left that Ross bobbled...but Dunn didn't see it and stopped at third. That was a huge mistake as Alex Rios popped up to right to end the inning.

Adrian Gonzalez popped up to left to begin the top of the second before David Ortiz was frozen for strike three on a nasty curveball. Kevin Youkilis popped up to center to end the inning. Dayan Viciedo grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Tyler Flowers struck out swinging on a curve in the dirt. Brent Morel also struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off the top of the third by striking out swinging and Cody Ross flied out to left. Marlon Byrd walked but Aviles waived at strike three to end the inning. The White Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Gordan Beckham grounded out to second to start. De Aza also grounded out to second and Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the fourth as Sweeney broke his bat popping up to shallow right but Beckham failed to make the catch for a "double". Pedroia hit a weak liner to third but Gonzalez lined a base hit to right to score Sweeney. Ortiz flied out to left and Youkilis forced Gonzalez at second to end the inning with Boston ahead 1-0.

                                                     Sweeney scores a run

Dunn took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Byrd failed to catch a double by Konerko. Rios took a strike that should have been ball four before hitting a bullet....right to Byrd. Viciedo struck out swinging to end the inning.

Saltalamacchia struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Ross flied out to the left field fence. Byrd got a base hit to left but Aviles popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. Flowers grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Morel drilled a base hit to center. Pedroia made a good running catch on a Beckham pop up and De Aza grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sweeney ripped a base hit to center to start the top of the sixth as White Sox analyst Steve Stone brought up how Andrew Bailey tore a thumb muscle two days before Spring Training ended. Pedroia beat out a double play ball but Gonzalez flied out to right. Ortiz popped up to right to end the inning. Ramirez popped up to Pedroia to start the bottom of the sixth. Pedroia made a great snag to rob Dunn of a hit before Konerko struck out swinging to end the inning.

The BoSox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Youkilis grounded back to the mound to begin. Saltalamacchia popped up to third in foul territory and Ross flied out to Viciedo in foul territory to end the inning. Lester returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Rios took strike three to start. Viciedo hit a roller just inside the third base bag for a hit and Aviles airmailed Pedroia on a grounder by Flowers for a "single". Lester recovered to get Morel to force Viciedo at second and Beckham to force Morel to end the inning. Lester was outstanding, tossing 7 innings of shutout ball allowing just 5 hits and a walk while striking out seven.

                                                        Good work by Lester

Byrd flied out to center to start the top of the eighth before Aviles also flied out to center. Sweeney took strike three to end the inning. Franklin Morales came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and De Aza popped up to short to start. Ramirez ripped a base hit to center but Dunn struck out swinging. That was it for Morales as Sox manager Bobby Valentine wanted Vicente Padilla to pitch to Konerko. Paul walked but Rios grounded out to second to end the inning.

Peavy returned to finish his outing in the top of the ninth and Pedroia struck out swinging to start. Gonzalez flied out to right and Ortiz popped up to short to end the inning. Peavy was outstanding but made just one mistake to Gonzalez. Alfredo Aceves came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Viciedo grounded out to second to start. Kosuke Fukudome pinch hit for Flowers and grounded back to the mound and the pain in the ass AJ Pierzynski pinch hit for Morel. AJ struck out swinging to end the game. The BoSox had won it 1-0.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jon Lester. He tossed 7 shutout innings to keep the White Sox off the board. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out 7.

                                                               Hero Lester

The Good:

Ryan Sweeney was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Marlon Byrd was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Franklin Morales got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

Vicente Padilla got the final out of the eighth inning.

Alfredo Aceves earned his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Mike Aviles was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 3.

Jarrod Salatalamacchia was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Cody Ross was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

After scoring 20 runs the last two nights, a let down was inevitable. Thank goodness Jon Lester was up to the task when Jake Peavy stoned the offense cold. Even more impressive was the trio of Morales, Padilla and Aceves got the job done tonight. White Sox broadcasters Steve Stone and Ken Harrelson was saying how bad the Red Sox bullpen is this entire series but tonight the bullpen delivered. Not only that, Marlon Byrd has been what the doctor ordered after Jason Repko couldn't hit a ball off a tee for two weeks after Jacoby Ellsbury got hurt. Ellsbury and Carl Crawford won't be back for a while so hopefully Byrd can bridge the gap until one of them return. Lester didn't give an inch tonight with runs at a premium so hats off on them taking a close, one run game. The BoSox look to make it seven wins in a row and a series sweep of the White Sox tomorrow afternoon when Josh Beckett (2-2) takes on Gavin Floyd of the White Sox. The game begins at 2:20 PM eastern time at Comiskey Park.

Ross, Sox Edge Twins (4/23/12)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Jason Repko was placed on the Disabled List after hurting his shoulder crashing into the wall and the Sox brought up 2007 Lancaster Jethawk leader Lars Anderson to replace him. The Sox are desperate for outfield help with Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury out so hopefully Anderson can give them something.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                   IN

After the embarrassing loss on Fox Saturday baseball and the rainout last night, the Boston Red Sox regrouped and rebounded in tonight's game against the Minnesota Twins. Things looked good early when the Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a Jarrod Saltalamacchia two run homer but the Twins rallied for 5 runs against Jon Lester. Cody Ross hit a two run home run in the seventh to tie the game as Lester hung on to go seven innings. Sox manager Bobby Valentine brought Daniel Bard out of the bullpen to keep the game tied and in the top of the ninth, Cody Ross hit another home run to put the Sox on top. Alfredo Aceves slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth and the Sox had won the game 6-5 at Target Field.

                                                             Leola Bell approves of the win

Jason Marquis got the start for the Twins in the top of the first and Mike Aviles dropped a base hit just in front of Chris Parmalee to start. Ryan Sweeney struck out swinging but Dustin Pedroia blooped a base hit to center to move Aviles to third. Adrian Gonzalez hit a sac fly to left to score Mike but Pedroia was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Sox take the lead

Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first and Denard Span walked to start. Jamey Carroll banged into a double play but Joe Mauer ripped a base hit to center. Josh Willingham struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as David Ortiz led off with a check swing base hit down the vacated third base line. Kevin Youkilis forced David at second but Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Cody Ross took strike three and Marlon Byrd made his Red Sox debut after going 3 for 43 with the Cubs and grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                       Saltalamacchia hits one out

Justin Morneau flied out to center to start the bottom of the second but Ryan Doumit singled to left. Danny Valencia banged into a double play to end the inning.

Aviles flied out to left to start the top of the third but Sweeney doubled to right. Sweeney was thrown out at third on a grounder to short by Pedroia and Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning. Chris Parmalee struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Trevor Plouffe flied out to center. Span struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ortiz ripped a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but Youkilis was robbed of a hit by a diving Span. Saltalamacchia banged into a double play to end the inning. The Twins exploded in the bottom of the fourth as Carroll grounded back to the mound to start. Mauer singled to left and Willingham walked, but Morneau was called out on strikes. Doumit doubled down the left field line to score both runners and Valencia smashed a two run home run all the way to the jungle of Peru to give the Twins the lead. Parmalee grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 4-3.

                                                           Twins take the lead

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Ross grounded out to third to begin. Byrd grounded out to third and Aviles flied out to left to end the inning. The Twins got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Plouffe walked to start. Span dumped a base hit to center to move Plouffe to third and Trevor scored on the double play ball hit by Carroll. Mauer walked but Willingham grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 5-3.

                                                            Carroll brings a run in

Sweeney singled to right to start the top of the sixth before Pedroia dumped a base hit to left. Gonzlez beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Ortiz did hit into one to end the inning. Lester came back for the bottom of the sixth and Morneau hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Doumit grounded out to third and Valencia grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh although Youkilis grounded out to third to start. Saltalamacchia ripped a base hit to right and Ross smashed his fourth home run of the season to tie the game. Byrd got a base hit to left to chase Marquis. Jared Burton came in to get Aviles to fly out to left and Sweeney grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                             Ross ties it up

Lester came back for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Parmalee flied out to right to start. Plouffe grounded out to short and Span grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Lester got roughed up for 5 runs but held on to go 7 innings.

                                                    Not great but it'll do

Pedroia struck out swinging to open the top of the eighth and that was it for Burton. Brian Duensing came in to pitch to Gonzalez and Adrian flied out to center. Ortiz went down hacking to end the inning. Franklin Morales came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Carroll sliced a base hit down the right field line only for Sweeney to boot it for an error to allow Jamey to take third. Morales got a big out when Mauer grounded out to first and Sox manager Bobby Valentine turned to Daniel Bard to bail him out. Willingham lined out to third and Morneau was intentionally walked to set up a force. Doumit popped up to short to end the inning. That was the turning point in the game to hold the Twins with a runner on third and nobody out.

The Sox capitalized in the top of the ninth with Matt Capps now on the mound. Youkilis grounded out to short and Saltalamacchia flied out to center, but Ross smashed his second home run of the game to put Boston on top. Byrd flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                      Ross does it again

Alfredo Aceves came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Valencia grounded back to the mound to start. Parmalee singled to center to put the tying run on and Clete Thomas pinch ran for him. Plouffe flied out to left and Span grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-5.

                                                                 Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Cody Ross. He hit the two run homer to tie the game and the go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth.

                                                      Happy Hero

The Good:

Ryan Sweeney was 2 for 4.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and two total runs scored.

Franklin Morales got the first out of the eighth inning.

Daniel Bard got the win with 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Alfredo Aceves earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Mike Aviles was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

Marlon Byrd was just 1 for 4.

Jon Lester allowed 5 early runs but battled to toss 7 innings, allow 6 hits and strike out 4.

Final Thoughts:

Of the 5 measly wins the Sox have this season, two of them happened to be ninth inning rallies. Coming off the embarrassing loss to the New York Yankees, the Sox needed to make a statement against the Twins and for 5 innings it didn't look good. Thank goodness for Saltalamacchia and Ross in this one. Ross has been the best free agent signing of the off-season with five home runs already including two tonight. Lester didn't look good at all again but at least he battled through seven innings. Bringing Bard out of the bullpen was a little peculiar but it got the job done. The Sox have a lot of work to do to right the ship but they took a good first step by the way they won. Not letting Carroll score the go-ahead run in the eighth led to Ross' blast in the ninth. Hopefully things are looking up for the Red Sox because that was truly a gutty win. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Twins tomorrow night when Josh Beckett (1-2) takes on Nick Blackburn of Minnesota. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Target Field.

Sox Homer Way Past Rays (4/14/12)

Before the game Jacoby Ellsbury was placed on the Disabled List with a dislocated shoulder. Usually that means he'll be out about two weeks to a month, not what the struggling Boston Red Sox need right now with Carl Crawford already out. Rifle armed 23 year old Che-Suan Lin was brought up from Pawtucket to take Ellsbury's place for the time being. Hopefully Lin can hit as well as he can throw.

                                                                  OUT

                                                                            IN

The bad news was the Washington Capitals defeated the Boston Bruins in double overtime of Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series. The good news was the Boston Red Sox knocked around the Tampa Bay Rays. After the Sox plastered the  Rays yesterday in the Home Opener, today they picked up where they left off by clubbing five home runs as a team. Jarrod Saltalamacchia, Dustin Pedroia, David Ortiz, Mike Aviles and Cody Ross all went yard for the Sox as they bashed the Rays into submission. The Rays did manager to beat up Clay Buchholz (1-0, 9.82 ERA) for 4 runs in the first inning on a 3 run bomb by Luke Scott but hung on to go seven innings. Ortiz and Ross combined for 9 rbis against Jeremy Hellickson and the Tampa bullpen to put the game out of reach. This is what the offense is capable of with their heads on straight and they beat the Rays 13-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                             Sox win

The Rays shelled Buchholz right off the bat in the top of the first as Desmond Jennings led off with a walk. Carlos Pena doubled to right to score Jennings and put the Sox behind in all eight games they've played so far. Evan Longoria grounded out to short and Matt Joyce struck out swinging, but Ben Zobrist walked. Luke Scott then hit a home run all the way to Argentina to increase the lead. Jeff Keppinger lined out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 4-0.

                                                              Scott hits one out

Hellickson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Aviles led off with an infield single to first. Aviles got picked off and Dustin Pedroia flied out to right, but Adrian Gonzalez walked. Kevin Youkilis forced Gonzalez at second to end the inning.

Buchholz settled down in the top of the second as Jose Molina struck out swinging to start. Sean Rodriguez dropped a base hit to left but Jennings flied out to center. Rodriguez moved to second on a balk but Pena grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox offense woke up in the bottom of the second although David Ortiz grounded out to first to start. Cody Ross flied out to left but Ryan Sweeney walked. Jarrod Saltalamacchia smacked his first home run of the year to dead center to cut the lead. Darnell McDonald flied out to right to end the inning but the Sox were down 4-2.

                                                  Saltalamacchia goes deep

The Rays answered in the top of the third as Longoria flied out to center to start. Joyce walked but Zobrist flied out to right. Scott doubled home Joyce to increase the lead but Keppinger grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 5-2.

                                                            Scott does it again

Aviles flied out to center to start the bottom of the third but Pedroia smashed his second home run of the year over everything in left to cut the lead. Gonzalez grounded out to short and Youkilis grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were down 5-3.

                                                    Pedroia sends one over the Monster

Molina singled to right to start the top of the fourth and went to second on a sacrifice bunt by Rodriguez. Jennings flied out to right and Pena struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz dropped a base hit to right to start. Ross lined out to center but Sweeney doubled to center. Saltalamacchia flied out to left but McDonald walked to load the bases. Aviles flied out to right to end the inning.

Longoria took strike three to start the top of the fifth but Joyce singled in the hole at second. Zobrist flied out to left and Scott grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Pedroia was rung up for strike three to start. Gonzalez popped up to third but Youkilis got a base hit to left. Ortiz then struck his first home run of the season into the Red Sox bullpen to tie the game. Ross flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                                      Ortiz hits one out

The Rays beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Keppinger grounded out to third to start. Molina and Rodriguez both grounded out to short to end the inning. Burke Badenhop came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Sweeney took strike three to start. Saltalamacchia flied out to center and McDonald took strike three to end the inning.

Despite his early inning struggles, Buchholz returned for the top of the seventh inning. Jennings popped up to third, Pena grounded out to short and Longoria struck out swinging to end the inning. He allowed 5 early runs but battled to toss 7 innings.

                                                        7 innings for Buchholz

The Sox took command in the bottom of the seventh as Aviles struck his first home run of the season into the Monster seats to put the Sox on top. Pedroia grounded out to short to chase Badenhop. JP Howell came in to pitch and Gonzalez doubled off the Monster. Youkilis walked and Ortiz singled to left to load the bases. Ross stepped up with a double off the Monster to score Gonzalez and Youkilis. Sweeney grounded out to second and Saltamacchia struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-5.

                                                           Aviles puts the Sox on top

Franklin Morales took over for the top of the eighth inning and Elliot Johnson pinch hit for Joyce to start. Johnson struck out swinging, Zobrist grounded out to short and Scott grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the eighth with Dane De La Rosa now on the mound. McDonald walked and Aviles doubled to left before Pena misplayed a grounder by Pedroia for a "single" to load the bases. Gonzalez hit into a 4-2-3 double play but Youkilis walked to reload the bases. Ortiz doubled down the left field line to clear the bases and Ross smashed his first home run of the season over the Monster to wrap up the scoring. Sweeney grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 13-5.

                                                      Sox pour it on

Alfredo Aceves came in to mop the game up in the top of the ninth with Che-Suan Lin making his major league debut replacing Ross in center. Keppinger flied out to right to start and Molina struck out swinging. Rodriguez took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 13-5.

                                                                       Sox win

Hero of the Night is Mike Aviles. His solo home run in the seventh inning put the Sox up for good.

                                                      Aviles The Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 3 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 4 for 5 with 5 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Cody Ross was 2 for 5 with 4 rbis and a run scored.

Darnell McDonald walked twice in four plate appearances.

Franklin Morales pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Ryan Sweeney was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a 2 run homer.

Clay Buchholz allowed 5 runs but earned the win by going 7 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5.

Honorable Mention:

Che-Suan Lin made his ML debut by playing centerfield in the ninth

Final Thoughts:

The Sox bats showed up today and this is what they're capable of when they're firing on all cylinders. Once Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford come back, they should be virtually unstopabble. Ortiz and Ross drove in 9 runs and Aviles hit the big home run in the bottom of the seventh to put the Sox ahead. Aceves and Morales also stepped up to hold the Rays off after Buchholz left the game. The bottom line is the Sox early season struggles offensively should be over, now they just have to pitch better. Buchholz had a terrible start but hung on to go 7 innings but him, Jon Lester and Josh Beckett are the anchors of the rotation. They can't be giving up 4-5 runs a game or else even this offense can't bail them out every night. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the Sox can keep up the momentum in the next game. The Sox look to sweep the Rays tomorrow afternoon when Felix Doubront takes the mound opposite Matt Moore of the Rays. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.