Dickey, Jays Drop Lester & Sox (4/27/14)

Just when you think the Boston Red Sox are going on a run, they fall completely flat on their face. After taking the first two games against the Toronto Blue Jays, they lay an egg against Jays ace RA Dickey while their own ace Jon Lester (2-4, 3.10 ERA) get pounded. The Sox struck first with a Jackie Bradley Jr rbi single but Brett Lawrie hit a home run to tie it. The Sox couldn't get a run off Dickey while the Jays rallied for a run in the third and two more in the seventh to take a commanding lead. The Jays then got three runs off Andrew Miller and Burke Badenhop in the bottom of the eighth to put the game away. It was a crushing loss for the Red Sox as they dropped the game 7-1 at the Skydome.

Dickey got the ball in the top of the first and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Grady Sizemore and Mike Napoli both struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Reyes flied out to right to start. Melky Cabrera struck out swinging and Jose Bautista popped up to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as AJ Pierzynski lined out to short to start. Will Middlebrooks popped up to first but Jonny Gomes got a base hit to left. Xander Bogaerts struck a single to center and Jackie Bradley Jr blooped a base hit to left to score Gomes. David Ross forced Bradley at second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Sox strike first

The Jays answered in the bottom of the second as Edwin Encarnacion lined out to a sliding Bradley to start. Brett Lawrie hit a home run all the way to Newfoundland to tie the game. Juan Francisco and Moises Sierra both struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Lawrie ties it

Pedroia struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Sizemore was frozen for strike three. Napoli got a base hit to center but Pierzynski went down hacking to end the inning. The Jays took command in the bottom of the third as Josh Thole drilled a base hit down the third base line to begin. Jonathan Diaz dropped down a bunt to move Thole to second but Reyes struck out swinging. Cabrera doubled to right to score Thole and Bautista flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 2-1.

                                                           Jays take the lead

Middlebrooks popped up to short to start the top of the fourth before Gomes popped up to left. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Encarnacion lined out to center to start. Lawrie struck out swinging and Francisco popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as JBJ grounded out to short to start. Ross popped up to short and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Lester matched Dickey in the bottom of the fifth as Sierra lined out to short to start. Thole grounded out to second and Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sizemore grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Napoli popped up to short. Pierzynski grounded out to short to end the inning. Reyes popped up to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Cabrera flied out to left. Bautista struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Middlebrooks got hit with a pitch to start. Gomes popped up to first but Bogaerts doubled to left to chase Dickey. Steve Delabar came in to face JBJ and Bradley popped up to third. Ross flied out to center to end the inning. Lester fell apart in the bottom of the seventh as Encarnacion doubled to left to start. Lawrie also doubled down the left field line to score Edwin to ice the game. Francisco flied out to center to move Lawrie to third and Brett scored on the grounder to Lester by Sierra. Thole took strike three to end the inning but the game was over 4-1. Lester allowed four runs in 7 innings off five hits.

                                                       Lester wasn't good enough

Colby Rasmus took over for Sierra in the top of the eighth and Pedroia got a base hit to right to start. Sizemore flied out to right, Napoli lined out to center and Pierzynski grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Andrew Miller crapped his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Diaz grounded out to second to start. Reyes singled in the hole at second but Ross dropped a pop up by Cabrera for an error. That proved costly as Melky got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners. Bautista grounded a ball up the middle that Bogaerts couldn't corral for a "single" to score Reyes. Sox manager John Farrell kicked the air as he stormed out of the dugout to take the ball from Miller. Burke Badenhop came in and immediately allowed a double to center to Encarnacion to clear the bases. Lawrie took strike three.

                                                                  Jays finish it off

Esmil Rogers came in to close out the top of the ninth as Middlebrooks struck out swinging to start. Gomes took strike three and Bogaerts went down hacking to end the game. The Jays had won it 7-1.

                                                          Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Jon Lester. He got rocked for four runs in 7 innings off 5 hits while striking out 7.

                                                             Jackass Lester

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ross was 0 for 3 with an error.

Andrew Miller allowed 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Burke Badenhop allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

The story of the Red Sox this season is just when you think they're about to go on a nice long win streak, they fall flat on their face. Their offense accomplished nothing today against RA Dickey while the Jays offense systematically got to Lester little by little. Then after they got to Lester, they got three runs off Badenhop and Miller. The Sox just can't seem to build momentum no matter what's in front of them. Grady Sizemore looks like he can't hit anymore while Gomes, Bradley and Ross all looked terrible at the plate. I know Shane Victorino and David Ortiz didn't play ahead of the off-day tomorrow but they should have gotten more than one measly run. Hopefully they can bounce back in the next one. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox come home for a three game set with the Tampa Bay Rays. John Lackey (3-2) takes on old pal Erik Bedard of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Peavy, Sox Bash Blue Jays (4/25/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an unpopular roster move. Brock Holt has been sent down to Pawtucket and Will Middlebrooks has been activated. Holt had been getting on base a lot but Sox brass wants Jonathan Herrera's defense and the thinking is Middlebrooks will re-discover his bat. Then again, if anyone else goes down Brock is just a phone call away.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, now that was just what the doctor ordered. Jake Peavy (1-0, 2.87 ERA) tossed his best game of the season to win his first game of 2014. He allowed the Toronto Blue Jays to just one run in seven strong innings. Offensively the Sox pounced on Mark Buehrle early and often for 12 hits and 7 runs. The Sox scored another run against the Toronto bullpen while Boston's relievers held the fort for them. The returns of Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino helped big time and the Sox looked like themselves for the first time in a while as they won 8-1 over the Jays at the Skydome.

                                                          Leola Bell approves of the win

Buehrle got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia led off with a base hit to center. Shane Victorino grounded into a double play and David Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. Peavy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Reyes struck out swinging to start. Melky Cabrera struck out swinging and Jose Bautista popped up to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Mike Napoli walked to start. Jonny Gomes lined out to center but Xander Bogaerts doubled over the head of Edwin Encarnacion down the right field line. AJ Pierzsynski hit a sac fly to center to score Napoli and the returning Will Middlebrooks blooped a base hit to right to score Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr to left. Pedroia lashed a base hit to left to score both runners but was thrown out at second to end the inning trying to stretch a double with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                       "You're out you dummy!"

Encarnacion struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Dioner Navarro flied out to center. Juan Francisco got a base hit to right but Brett Lawrie lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Victorino grounded out to short to start. Ortiz then bashed his fifth home run of the season to add to the lead. Napoli doubled off the left field wall and Gomes walked, but Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                             Big Papi delivers

Colby Rasmus popped up to Bogaerts in foul territory to start the bottom of the third before Ryan Goins flied out to left. Reyes popped up to Middlebrooks in foul territory to end the inning.

Pierzynski lined out to Bautista to start the top of the fourth before Middlebrooks flied out to Cabrera. JBJ hit a triple into the gap in center but Pedroia popped up to right to end the inning. Cabrera lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Bautista doubled to right. Encarnacion walked but Bautista was thrown out trying to steal third. Navarro popped up to short to end the inning.

Victorino lined out to left to start the top of the fifth before Ortiz grounded out to first. Napoli singled to left and Gomes beat out a roller to third. Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning. Francisco struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Lawrie grounded back to the mound. Rasmus grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox added to the lead in the top of the sixth as Pierzynski singled to center to start. Middlebrooks hit a gap shot to center to score Pierzynski but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. JBJ walked and that was it for Buehrle as Neil Wagner came in to pitch. Pedroia hit a routine grounder to Reyes but his relay throw to Goins pulled Ryan off the back for an error. Victorino popped up to third and JBJ stole third base. Ortiz walked to load the bases and Napoli walked to score Pedroia. Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 7-0 Red Sox.

                                                           Sox walk in a run

Goins grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth but Reyes doubled to right. Cabrera got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners but Bautista took strike three. Encarnacion struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bogaerts popped up to third to begin the top of the seventh but Pierzynski got a base hit to right. Middlebrooks got plunked and both runners moved over on the JBJ grounder to first. Todd Redmond came in to pitch to Pedroia and Dustin lined out to right to end the inning. Peavy got tagged in his final inning as Navarro grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the eighth. Francisco hit a home run all the way to Santiago, DR to cut the lead. Lawrie walked but Rasmus struck out swinging. Goins grounded out to first to end the inning. Peavy was outstanding, allowing just 1 run in 7 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks.

                                                                  Good work Peavy

Victorino doubled to left to start the top of the eighth but Ortiz struck out swinging. Napoli grounded out to short and Gomes lined out to second to end the inning. Chris Capuano came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Reyes struck out swinging. Cabrera also went down hacking and Bautista watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the ninth and Bogaerts flied out to center to start. Pierzynski doubled to center then moved to third on the Middlebrooks grounder to short. JBJ lashed a double to left and Pedroia drew a walk. Victorino took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 8-1.

                                                         Bradley drives in the final run

Andrew Miller came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Encarnacion took strike three to begin. Navarro got an infield single to short but Francisco struck out swinging. Lawrie popped up to second to end the game. The Sox won the game 8-1.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jake Peavy. He held the Jays to just 1 run in 7 innings allowing 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out seven.

                                                        Hero Peavy

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Will Middlebrooks was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

AJ Pierzynski was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi, 2 runs scored and a stolen base.

Chris Capuano pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and hit a home run.

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

THIS is the team the Red Sox were looking for when they started the season. Victorino and Middlebrooks coming back healthy complete the lineup they were looking for when they signed Grady Sizemore and Pierzynski to replace Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jacoby Ellsbury. Not only that, this was Peavy's best start of the season and if he can have another season like he did last year, the Sox will be in contention as long as everyone stays healthy. Having Miller back healthy and the addition of Capuano has also helped tremendously. All in all, this was the first win since the beginning of April that felt remotely like 2013 with their guns back. Hopefully the Sox can ride the momentum back into contention from here on in. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon when Clay Buchholz (0-2) looks for his first win of the season against Brandon Morrow of Toronto. The game begins at 1:05 PM at the Skydome.

Red Sox Walkoff Orioles (4/20/14)

It was a great day for Boston sports as the Boston Bruins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox walked off the Baltimore Orioles. Going into the bottom of the sixth, the Sox looked dead in the water. Jake Peavy had allowed 5 runs before getting knocked out in the top of the sixth while Ubaldo Jimenez was pitching great for Baltimore. Suddenly the Sox turned the clock back a year as Jonny Gomes hit a three run over off Jimenez in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead. The Sox tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on bad defense by Baltimore while the Sox bullpen tossed zeroes. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Carp hit a fly ball to David Lough who threw the ball away. Dustin Pedroia scored to win the game 6-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Justin Florek approves of the win

The O's wasted no time getting to Peavy in the top of the first as Nick Markakis popped up to Brock Holt in foul territory to start. The pain in the ass Nelson Cruz then hit a home run all the way into Walden Pond on the first pitch to put the O's on top. Chris Davis walked and Adam Jones singled to center before Matt Wieters singled to right to score Davis, moving Jones to third. JJ Hardy hit a sac fly to center to score Jones and David Lough flied out to the right field wall to end the inning with the O's up 3-0.

                                                          O's go up early

Jimenez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Grady Sizemore walked to start. Sizemore stole second but Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third. David Ortiz grounded into the shift but Sizemore moved to third before Mike Napoli watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Jonathan Schoop struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Ryan Flaherty flied out to center. Markakis walked and Cruz singled to left, but Davis grounded out to first to end the inning. Jonny Gomes led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to short before Daniel Nava also grounded out to short. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jones singled to left to start the top of the third before Wieters popped up to left. Hardy struck out swinging and Lough took strike three to end the inning. AJ Pierzynski lined out to a leaping Lough to start the bottom of the third before Brock Holt walked. Sizemore struck out swinging but Holt stole second. Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning.'

Schoop almost hit a home run to Nebraska but the ball went foul and he eventually struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth. Flaherty was retired on a nubber in front of the plate but Markakis walked. Cruz took strike three to end the inning. Ortiz flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Napoli flied out to left. Gomes doubled to the left field wall but Nava struck out swinging to end the inning.

The O's struck again in the top of the fifth as Davis grounded into the shift to start. Jones grounded out to second but Wieters singled over the head of Holt. Hardy got a base hit to center and Lough hit a fan touched ground rule double into the right field seats to score Wieters. Schoop grounded out to short to end the inning with the O's up 4-0.

                                                          O's pour it on

The Sox tried to start a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts got a base hit to center to start. Pierzynski popped up to short, Holt took strike three and Sizemore popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

The O's finished off Peavy in the top of the sixth as Flaherty doubled off the Monster to start. Markakis popped up to second and Flaherty moved to third on the fly out to right by Cruz. Davis was intentionally walked but Jones ripped a base hit to left to score Flaherty. That was it for Peavy who got rocked for 5 runs in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed 10 hits and 4 walks and was lifted for Chris Capuano. Wieters lined out to left to end the inning with the O's up 5-0.

                                                      "I sucked tonight" - Peavy

The Sox began the comeback in the bottom of the sixth but Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Ortiz got a base hit to center and Napoli walked. Gomes then pulverized his second home run of the season to put the Sox back in it. That was it for Jimenez as Zack Britton came in to pitch and Nava grounded out to third. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                            Sox climb back in

Steve Lombardozzi pinch hit for Hardy to start the top of the seventh and took strike three. Lough's bunt attempt was snuffed out and Schoop popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Pierzynski struck out swinging to start. Holt got a base hit to center and Sizemore hit a grounder to Britton. He flipped to Flaherty but he dropped it for an error. Pedroia made Flaherty pay with a base hit to right to load the bases. Ortiz ripped a base hit to right to score Holt and chase Britton. Evan Meek (who will inherit nothing) came in to pitch to Napoli and Mike hit a grounder to third. Schoop bounced the throw home and Sizemore scored on the error to tie the game. Gomes hit one up the elevator shaft and Nava struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                           Tie game

Flaherty got a base hit to left to start the top of the eighth but Markakis struck out swinging. Junichi Tazawa came in just to face Cruz and got him to pop up to second. Andrew Miller came in to face Davis and struck him out swinging to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the eighth as Bogaerts grounded out to third to start. Pierzynski grounded out to second and Holt grounded out to first to end the inning.

Jones doubled into the left field corner to start the top of the ninth and Wieters grounded out to second to move him to third. Lombardozzi grounded back to the mound and that was it for Miller. Edward Mujica came in to face Lough and got him to strike out swinging to end the inning. Brian Matusz came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Sizemore struck out swinging to start. It looked like Pedroia hit a home run but an idiot fan reached out and grabbed the ball for an interference "double". Umpires got together but concluded that a fan touched it. When play resumed a wild pitch moved Pedroia to third and Ortiz was intentionally walked. Darren O'Day was brought in to face Napoli and ended up hitting him to load the bases. Mike Carp pinch hit for Gomes and hit a liner to Lough. Lough instinctively fired home but the throw was way off the mark. Pedroia made a mad dash for home and scored to win the game on the error. The Sox had won it 6-5.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Johnny Gomes. The Sox were down 5-0 in the sixth and his home run changed everything.

                                                     Jonny Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

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

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Chris Capuano tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa retired the only man he faced.

Andrew Miller tossed a full scoreless inning.

Edward Mujica got the win by retiring the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Mike Carp flied out to left in his only at-bat.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jake Peavy got rocked for 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings allowing 10 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5.

The Ugly:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

That might have been the most "2013" win of the season so far. Taking advantage of bad defense and winning by any means necessary. The Sox were down 5-0 and looked ready to pack it in when Gomes clobbered that home run. Then the O's blew it in the seventh then blew it again in the ninth. Buck Showalter is going to have a headache tonight because they had this game in the bag in more ways than one. Still, they won games last year like this so its good to see some of that carry over to this year. Peavy looked awful but he was due for a stinker, hopefully he'll be okay next start. Word is Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino could be returning sometime soon so that'll help the stagnant offense. Let's see if they can rise up to the occasion in tomorrow's big game. The Sox look to wrap up the series with Baltimore tomorrow morning on Patriots Day. Clay Buchholz (0-1) gets the start for Boston against Wei-Yin Chen of Baltimore. The game begins at 11:00 AM at Fenway Park.

Orioles Shell Lackey, Sox (4/18/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Ryan Roberts was designated for assignment and Brock Holt was brought up from Pawtucket. Roberts clearly wasn't the answer and they want to give Holt a chance. He hit .200 last year so I don't see how this is going to be the answer. Oh well.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                       IN

It was bad news all around as the Boston Bruins lost Game 1 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Detroit Red Wings and the Boston Red Sox got beat by the Baltimore Orioles. John Lackey (2-2, 5.25 ERA) got fed his lunch, allowing 6 runs in 5 1/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole. The Sox did rally in the fifth inning to cut the lead in half but Jonathan Schoop drove in two big runs to put the game out of reach. Darren O'Day slammed the door in the ninth and the Orioles beat the Sox 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Randy Quaid is angry again

Lackey got the ball in the top of the first and Nick Markakis doubled down the right field line although Sox manager John Farrell challenged the ball was foul. Replays showed the ball was foul but Yankees manag....err head of MLB Operations Joe Torre DEMANDED the call stand, and the call stood. Delmon Young struck out swinging but Markakis moved to third on the grounder to short by Chris Davis. Adam Jones got a base hit in the hole at short to score Markakis then stole second. Nelson Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                                           Jones drives in a run

Chris Tillman got the ball in the bottom of the first but Grady Sizemore grounded back to the mound to start. Daniel Nava struck out swinging but Dustin Pedroia walked. Mike Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning.

Matt Wieters walked to begin the top of the second but JJ Hardy flied out to center. Steve Lombardozzi struck out swinging and Wieters was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Mike Carp got a base hit to center to start. Xander Bogaerts walked but AJ Pierzynski flied out to right. Jackie Bradley Jr singled in the hole at second to load the bases but Brock Holt took strike three. Sizemore flied out to center to end the inning, what a waste.

The O's struck again in the top of the third as Jonathan Schoop grounded a base hit up the middle to start. Markakis doubled to right to score Schoop but Young flied out to left. Davis walked to load the bases and Cruz singled to right to score two runners. Wieters flied out to right and Hardy flied out to left to end the inning with the O's up 4-0.

                                                          Cruz drives in a pair

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Nava popped up to Schoop in foul territory to start. Pedroia lined out to left and Napoli popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Lombardozzi struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Schoop flied out to right. Markakis also flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Carp doubled to center to start. Bogaerts popped up to third and Pierzynski popped up to short, but JBJ walked. Holt got a seeing eye single up the middle to score Carp to put the Sox on the board. Sizemore struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                      Holt drives in a run

The O's struck again in the top of the fifth as Young singled to left to start. Davis and Jones both struck out swinging but Cruz walked. Wieters singled under the glove of Carp to score Young and Hardy got a base hit to left to score Cruz. Lombardozzi popped up to short to end the inning with the O's up 6-1.

                                                         Hardy ices it

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fifth as Nava doubled off the Monster to start. Pedroia dumped a base hit to right to score Nava but Napoli flied out to left. Carp popped up to third but Bogaerts walked. Pierzynski drilled a base hit to center to score Pedroia, cutting the lead in half. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-3.

                                                      Pierzynski drives in a run

The O's finished off Lackey in the top of the sixth as Schoop blooped a single to shallow left to start. Markakis popped up to left but a wild pitch moved Schoop to second. Young walked and that was it for Lackey. He got knocked out after 5 1/3 innings allowing 6 runs on 10 hits and 4 walks while striking out six. Andrew Miller came in and Davis struck out swinging before Jones forced Young at second to end the inning.

                                                       Not Lackey's night

Brian Matusz came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Holt lined out to right to start. Sizemore got a base hit to right but Nava struck out swinging. Pedroia forced Holt at second to end the inning.

The O's got to Burke Badenhop in the top of the seventh as Cruz grounded out to short to start. Wieters flied out to right but Hardy got a base hit to right. Lombardozzi singled to left and Schoop doubled to left to score Hardy. Markakis walked but Young popped up to first to end the inning with the O's up 7-3.

                                                        Schoop drives in a run

David Lough came in for Young to start the bottom of the seventh and Napoli doubled off the Monster to start. Carp hit one up the elevator shaft and Bogaerts got a base hit to left. Napoli scored but Bogaerts was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Pierzynski was plunked but JBJ took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 7-4.

                                                          You're out, you dummy!

Davis struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth before Jones grounded out to short. Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as Holt was initially called out on a grounder to second but the call was overturned when replays showed Brock was safe. Sizemore grounded out to third to send Holt to second but Nava grounded back to the mound. That was it for Matusz as Darren O'Day was brought in to face Pedroia. Dustin grounded out to third to end the inning.

Edward Mujica came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Wieters grounded back to the mound to start. Hardy flied out to center but Lombardozzi got a base hit to center. Schoop doubled high off the Monster to score Steve and wrap up the scoring. Markakis grounded out to first to end the inning with the O's up 8-4.

                                                    Another rbi for Schoop

Napoli flied out to center to start the bottom of the ninth but Carp drew a walk. Bogaerts flied out to center and Pierzynski grounded out to first to end the game. The O's had won it 8-4.

                                                        O's win

Jackass of the Night is John Lackey. He allowed 6 runs to the Orioles to put the game out of reach.

                                                    "You jackass" - Pedroia

The Good:

Mike Carp was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Andrew Miller got the final 2 outs of the sixth inning.

The Bad:

Edward Mujica allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Grady Sizemore was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Daniel Nava was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

AJ Pierzynski was just 1 for 4 with a hit by pitch and an rbi.

Burke Badenhop allowed a run in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Simply put, THIS is the April Boston Red Sox management had in mind for last season. The Sox have now lost 10 of their first 17 games and pretty much that was the design of last year's team. It only took 365 days for it to happen. Lackey and the bullpen got served their lunch by the Orioles and the offense did manage four runs, but Lackey's bad start was too much to overcome. Even if the bullpen didn't give up anymore runs after Lackey left, its doubtful the Sox would have been able to score enough to win anyway. Nava, Pedroia, Pierzynski and JBJ are all hitting under .256 and that's not going to cut it if the Sox have any hope of repeating as champions this year. Its only one game so no need to hit the panic button just yet. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when Felix Doubront takes the hill against Bud Norris of the Orioles. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

White Sox Walkoff Red Sox On Error (4/15/14)

One thing's for sure when it comes to the Boston Red Sox, the magic of last year is completely gone. Not only are the bats not getting it done, they're not winning the close games anymore. Jake Peavy of the Red Sox and Erik Johnson of the Chicago White Sox locked in a pitcher's duel through six innings. Adam Dunn hit a home run off Peavy but Daniel Nava hit one off Johnson. In the bottom of the ninth, Burke Badenhop (0-2, 7.71 ERA) allowed a base hit to Alexei Ramirez and Chris Capuano came in to get the final out. It didn't happen as Adam Eaton walked and Xander Bogaerts threw a grounder by Marcus Semien away to end the game. The White Sox had won the game 2-1 over the Red Sox at Commiskey Park.

                                                       Foamy can't stand errors

Johnson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Grady Sizemore led off with a broken bat fly out to right. Xander Bogaerts took strike three and David Ortiz popped up to third to end the inning. Peavy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Adam Eaton struck out swinging to start. Marcus Semien popped up to Mike Napoli and Conor Gillaspie struck out swinging to end the inning.

Napoli took strike three to start the top of the second and Daniel Nava ripped a liner right to Ramirez. AJ Pierzynski got a big hand from his old fans before grounding out to short to end the inning. The White Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Jose Abreu grounded out to short to start....but wait! White Sox manager Robin Ventura challenged the call, but it was upheld. Adam Dunn immediately hit a home run to Nebraska to put Chicago on top. Dayan Viciedo doubled to left but Alejandro De Aza took strike three. Ramirez walked but Tyler Flowers was rung up for strike three on a questionable pitch to end the inning with Chicago ahead 1-0.

                                                      Home run Dunn

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the third as Ryan Roberts struck out swinging to start. Jackie Bradley Jr walked and Jonathan Herrera singled to center, but all Sizemore could do was move the runners over with a fly out to center. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Eaton grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Semien popped up to center. Gillaspie grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The BoSox struck back in the top of the fourth as Ortiz struck out swinging to start. Napoli also struck out swinging but Nava crushed his second home run of the year to tie the game. Pierzynski struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           Nava ties it up

Abreu struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Dunn drew a walk. Viciedo grounded a base hit up the middle but De Aza took strike three. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Roberts flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and JBJ grounded out to second. Herrera struck out swinging to end the inning. Peavy cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Flowers struck out swinging to start. Eaton flied out to center and Semien grounded out to second to end the inning.

Sizemore grounded out to second to open the top of the sixth before Bogaerts flied out to center. Ortiz flied out to right to end the inning. Gillaspie grounded out to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Abreu walked. Dunn walked and both runners moved over on the grounder to short by Viciedo. De Aza flied out to left to end the inning. That was it for Peavy as he allowed just 1 run in 6 solid innings. He allowed 3 hits and 4 walks in his outing.

                                                        Good work Peavy

The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Napoli got a base hit to left to start. Nava lined out to short and Pierzsynki missed a home run by 10 feet before walking. Roberts struck out swinging and that was it for Johnson. Scott Downs came in to face JBJ and struck him out swinging to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez grounded out to short to start. Flowers struck out swinging but Eaton singled off the glove of Herrera. Semien lined out to right to end the inning.

Herrera grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth before Sizemore also grounded out to second. Jake Petricka came in to pitch to Bogaerts and Xander struck out swinging to end the inning. Andrew Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gillaspie lined out to left to start. Abreu grounded out to second but Dunn walked to chase Miller. Burke Badenhop came in to pitch with Leury Garcia in to run for Dunn. Viciedo hit a comebacker to Badenhop to end the inning.

Ortiz grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth but Napoli walked to chase Petricka. Donnie Veal came in to face Jonny Gomes pinch hitting for Nava. Gomes struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved Napoli to second. Sox manager John Farrell sent Dustin Pedroia in to run for Napoli and Pierzynski was plunked. Daniel Webb came in to face Mike Carp pinch hitting for Roberts and Carp grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Things came to a crashing halt in the bottom of the ninth as De Aza walked to start. De Aza was thrown out at second trying to steal but Ramirez got a base hit to left. Flowers took strike three and John Farrell wanted Chris Capuano to face Eaton. Adam walked and Semien hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts.....who threw low to first, Carp unable to pick it for an error to score Ramirez. The White Sox had walked off the Red Sox 2-1.

                                                          White Sox win

Jackass of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His error in the ninth led to the walkoff win

                                                                Nice error Jackass

The Good:

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 with a home run.

AJ Pierzynski walked and was hit with a pitch in four plate appearances.

Jonathan Herrera was 1 for 3.

Jake Peavy allowed 1 run in 6 innings allowing 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 8.

Junichi Tazawa tossed a full scoreless inning.

Andrew Miller got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4.

Johnny Gomes struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Carp was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Burke Badenhop took the loss on an unearned run in a full inning.

Chris Capuano was on the mound for Bogaerts' game ending error.

Honorable Mention:

Dustin Pedroia ran for Napoli in the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

The magic of 2013 is gone, that's for sure. The Sox used to win games like this but this year they just don't. Scoring just 1 run the entire game is inexcusable in itself especially since they mad men on base all game, but to lose on an error is just a sucker punch to the gonads. Peavy battled his ass off and Tazawa did what he could to keep the game tied, but the Boston offense just couldn't get anything going. The losses of Shane Victorino, Jacoby Ellsbury and Stephen Drew are all rearing their ugly heads because the replacements aren't doing so well. Still, its only April and there's a long way to go. They should be able to figure it out moving forward. The BoSox look to bounce back tomorrow night against Chicago when Clay Buchholz takes the hill against Jon Danks of the ChiSox. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

Yankess Pound Lackey, Defeat Sox (4/12/14)

Well that didn't take long for the Boston Red Sox. Fans were hoping the Sox would turn the corner after beating the New York Yankees yesterday but the good vibes lasted just 24 hours before the Yankees struck back. John Lackey (2-1, 3.86 ERA) got pummeled by the Yankees for six runs and didn't make it out of the sixth inning. The Yankees broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning with back to back home runs by Brian McCann and Alfonso Soriano before adding two more runs. The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh against Hideki Kuroda and Matt Thornton to plate two runs and have the tying run at first. Mike Carp then was foolishly thrown out trying to steal and Kelly Johnson hit a home run off Burke Badenhop. Shawn Kelley slammed the door in the ninth and the Yankees evened this opening series against each other with a 7-4 victory at Yankee Stadium.

                                                         Randy Quaid is angry again

Kuroda got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Daniel Nava singled to center and David Ortiz singled to right, but Mike Napoli hit one up the elevator shaft. Mike Carp grounded out to first to start. The Yankees wasted no time getting to Lackey in the bottom of the first as Brett Gardner grounded out to second to start. Brian Roberts grounded out to first but Jacoby Ellsbury caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down to third. Carlos Beltran hit a home run all the way to Sorrento, Italy to put the Yankees on top. Brian McCann struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                        Beltran strikes first

The Sox answered in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right to start. AJ Pierzynski smacked his first home run of the season to tie the game. Jonathan Herrera struck out swinging and Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to first. Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                               Home run AJ

Alfonso Soriano grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Kelly Johnson beat out a roller to short. Johnson moved to second on the Yangervis Solarte grounder to second and Dean Anna popped up to short to end the inning.

Nava grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Ortiz flied out to center. Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning. Gardner struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third and Roberts grounded back to the mound. Ellsbury singled to center and stole second, but Beltran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Carp flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Bogaerts grounded out to third. Pierzynski singled to center and Herrera walked, but JBJ flied out to left to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fourth as McCann and Soriano hit back to back jacks to begin. Johnson and Solarte struck out swinging before Anna flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-2.

                                                       Soriano with the dagger

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Pedroia doubled to center. Pedroia moved to third on the grounder to second by Nava but Ortiz popped up to short. Napoli popped up to center to end the inning. Gardner grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Roberts flied out to left. Ellsbury struck out swinging to end the inning.

Carp struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Ellsbury dropped a pop up by Bogaerts for an error. Pierzynski struck out swinging and Herrera grounded out to third to end the inning. The Yankees finished off Lackey in the bottom of the sixth as Beltran doubled to center and McCann hit a home run all the way to Nogales, Mexico to ice the game. Soriano got a base hit to right but Johnson banged into a double play. Solarte got a base hit to left and finally the plug was pulled on Lackey. He got hammered for 10 hits, 6 runs and four home runs in 5 2/3 innings. Craig Breslow came in and Solarte moved to second on a wild pitch. Anna took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 6-2.

                                                     Longball Lackey

The Sox came out swinging in the top of the seventh as JBJ walked to start. Pedroia struck out swinging but Nava walked to chase Kuroda. Old friend Matt Thornton came in and Ortiz took strike three, but both runners pulled off a double steal. Napoli was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Carp drilled a base hit to left to score JBJ & Nava to cut the lead. Dellin Betances came in to pitch to Bogaerts and.....Nava was thrown out second to end the inning with the Sox still down 6-4.

                                                             Sox strike back

Gardner singled to center to start the bottom of the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Roberts. That was it for Breslow as Andrew Miller was brought in to face Ellsbury. Jacoby walked but Beltran struck out swinging and McCann popped up to short to end the inning.

Adam Warren came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Bogaerts struck out swinging to start. Pierzynski grounded out to short and Herrera struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees tagged Burke Badenhop in the bottom of the eighth as Soriano grounded out to short to start. Johnson then hit a home run to the outer jungle of Mongolia to increase the lead. Solarte singled to right and Anna doubled to right.....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Anna was safe at second, but the call was upheld. Gardner popped up to center and Roberts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-4.

                                                      Another home run

Shawn Kelley came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Ichiro Suzuki now in right. JBJ flied out to left, Pedroia flied out to center and Nava grounded out to first to end the game. The Yankees had won it 7-4.

                                                            Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Mike Carp. You can't get yourself thrown out in that situation representing the tying run with the Yankees on the ropes.

                                                            Jackass Carp

The Good:

AJ Pierzynski was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Craig Breslow pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Andrew Miller pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

John Lackey took the loss allowing 6 runs on 10 hits and four home runs.

Burke Badenhop allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Daniel Nava was just 1 for 4 but stole a base, walked and scored a run

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Tough loss for the Sox that might have been an epic comeback victory. Sad part is those were the type of victories the Sox would pull out of their collective asses last year, too bad its a new year. A lot of things went right this game by coming back again and again but giving up the long ball and Carp getting thrown out were backbreakers. Ortiz popping up with a man on third was also a killer and its a sign that this year is different. Kuroda pitched well but the Yankees bullpen isn't the same without Mariano Rivera anymore. The Sox should be able to get to the bullpen and they shot themselves in the foot in this one. We're only twelve games into the season but the Sox are definitely coming out of the gate ice cold. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow when Felix Doubront (1-1) takes the mound against Ian Nova of the Yankees. The game begins at 8:10 PM at Yankee Stadium.