Jays Win Slugfest over Sox (4/28/15)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox announced they had sent Steven Wright back to Pawtucket and recalled Jackie Bradley Jr. With Daniel Nava struggling it makes sense to bring Jackie back considering he's a defensive wizard so at least they can get the defense out of Jackie they won't get out of Nava.

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As for the game, so much for Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.76 ERA) being the "ace" of the pitching staff. The Red Sox offense managed to pound out 8 runs on 13 hits but the Jays feasted on the terrible Red Sox pitching for 17 hits and 11 runs of their own. Once again the Sox couldnt match an AL East offense as the Jays smacked the Sox around 11-8 at Fenway Park

Buchholz trudged to the mound in the top of the first inning and Devon Travis led off by lining out to a running Mookie Betts in center. Xander Bogaerts made a diving stab to rob Josh Donaldson of a hit before Jose Bautista whiffed to end the inning. Drew Hutchison got the start for the Jays and Mr. Mookie popped up to Edwin Encarnacion who fell into the Sox dugout. Dustin Pedroia drew a walk but David Ortiz flied out to center. Hanley Ramirez lined out to right to end the inning.

Buchholz got Encarnacion to line out to center to start the top of the second but Russell Martin grounded a ball over the head of Clay for a base hit. Michael Saunders whiffed before Danny Valencia struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the second as Pablo Sandoval doubled off the left field grandstands to start. Daniel Nava moved Sandoval over with a grounder to second but Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to second. Xander Bogaerts lined a single past a diving Encarnacion to score Sandoval to give the Sox the lead. Ryan Hanigan drew a walk and Mr. Mookie blooped a single to right to score Bogaerts with another run. Pedroia bounced a seeing eye single up the middle to score Hanigan and send Betts to third. Ortiz blooped a single to left to score Betts to increase the lead. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                   Ortiz caps off the rally

Buchholz took the 4-0 lead and promptly pissed it away in the top of the third inning as Kevin Pillar drew a walk to start. Ryan Goins singled off the Monster to move Pillar to third and Travis singled home Kevin to put the Jays on the board. Donaldson singled home Goins and advanced Travis to third before Bautista hit a fly ball to Holt. Holt gunned it home but Travis jumped over the tag to score the run.

                                                 Jays pour it on

Ramirez kicked a base hit by Encarnacion which allowed Donaldson to score and Edwin to reach second. Martin was rung up for strike three but Saunders singled home Encarnacion to chase Buchholz. The "ace" lasted 2 2/3 innings and allowed 5 runs before leaving to a chorus of boos. Edward Mujica got Valencia to ground into a force to end the inning but the Jays roared back to take a 5-4 lead.

                                                           "Get out and stay out!" - Farrell

Sandoval tried to start a rally when he doubled off the Monster to start the bottom of the third, but Nava lined one right to second. Holt drew a walk but Bogaerts popped up to center. Hutchison got the slow footed Hanigan on a grounder back to him to end the inning.

Mujica returned for the top of the fourth inning and took a beating. Pillar beat out an infield single to third to start but Goins banged into a double play. Travis walked and took second on a balk before Donaldson walked. Bautista singled past the diving Pedroia to score Travis with another run and move Donaldson to third. Yet another balk scored Donaldson and Encarnacion stroked a seeing eye single to left to score Bautista. A lot of these hits were simply just finding holes as Valencia popped up to right to end the inning with the Jays ahead 8-4.

                                               If only the inning ended after the double play

Mr. Mookie tried to rally the Sox with a double off the Monster to start the bottom of the fourth before moving to third on the fly ball to center by Pedroia. Betts scored on the sac fly by Ortiz before Ramirez ripped a base hit up the middle. All of a sudden Ramirez took off for second and Martin made an amazing throw to gun him down to end the inning. The Sox got one back to trail 8-5.

                                                   Betts starts the rally

Anthony Varvaro took over for the top of the fifth inning and got Saunders looking to start. Valencia also watched strike three go by but Pillar drilled a base hit to right. Pillar swiped second and scored on the triple by Goins. Travis waived at strike three in the dirt to end the inning but the Jays were up 9-5

                                            RBI triple for Goins

Sandoval tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to begin. Nava drew a full count walk before Holt walked to load the bases with nobody out to chase Hutchison. Marco Estrada came in and the Sox choked their chance to come back away as Bogaerts waived at a changeup in the other batters box for strike 3. Hanigan lined out to left but Mr. Mookie walked to score Sandoval. With the tying run at first...Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox scored a run but still trailed 9-6 after that waste.

                                                     Sandoval scores a run

Varvaro returned for the top of the sixth and Donaldson effortlessly singled to center before Jose Bautista drew a walk. Encarnacion popped up to first in foul territory and that was it for Varvaro. Robbie Ross Jr was brought in to face Martin and he walked to load the bases. Saunders banged into a double play to end the inning,. Ortiz walked to open the bottom of the sixth but Ramirez popped up to second. Ortiz was erased on the force by Sandoval and Nava whiffed to end the inning.

Ross Jr got in major trouble in the top of the seventh as Valencia dumped a base hit to right to start. Pillar lined a ball off the third base bag and took second on the double as Valencia came within inches of being tagged out at third. Ross got a big out by getting Goins to waive out an outside corner slider before Travis grounded out to third. Donaldson flied out to right to end the inning. Good work by Ross to houdini out of that.

                                                           Ross gets it done

Holt led off the bottom of the seventh by taking strike three before Bogaerts grounded out to short...but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call but Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre DEMANDED the call stand, Bogaerts was out. Hanigan grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Jays iced the game in the top of the eighth against Craig Breslow as Bautista pulverized a solo home run completely out of Fenway to increase the lead. Encarnacion flied out to center but Martin walked. Saunders singled off the glove of Pedroia but Valencia was rung up for strike three. Pillar lined out to center to end the inning with the Jays ahead 10-6

                                              Bautista goes yard

Aaron Loup came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie took strike three to start. Pedroia was also frozen for strike three before Ortiz lined a double to the right field wall to beat the shift. Ramirez then blasted a 2 run bomb just inside the Pesky Pole to cut the lead. Sandoval singled to the left field wall to chase Loup. Liam Hendriks came in to pitch with Allen Craig pinch hitting for Nava. Craig grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were closer, trailing 10-8.

                                                      Ramirez brings the Sox closer

Just when the Sox had momentum, they pissed it away in the top of the ninth. Breslow got Goins looking on the outside corner and that was the end of his night. Junichi Tazawa came in and Sandoval nearly threw a grounder by Travis away but Craig scooped it out. Donaldson then bashed a 679,000 foot home run to wrap up the scoring. Tazawa punched out Bautista to end the inning but the Jays added to the lead 11-8.

                                                           Game over

Brett Cecil came in to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth and Holt went down swinging to start. Bogaerts poked a line out to left but Hanigan stroked a seeing eye single to left. Hanigan took second on a passed ball but Mr. Mookie grounded out to second to end the game. The Jays had survived the slugfest 11-8.

                                                        Another loss in the books


Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. He got hammered for 5 runs in 2 2/3 innings to take the loss.

                                                       Clay Jackass


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run

Pablo Sandoval was 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Allen Craig was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Edward Mujica was charged with 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Anthony Varvaro allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Craig Breslow allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Junichi Tazawa allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a walk but drove in a run.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 but walked.

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

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

Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

The Blue Jays offense is for real but if Clay Buchholz gets smacked around, what's going to happen to the other starters? Joe Kelly, Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson aren't that intimidating nor are any of them an ace. If Buchholz is not a true stopper this team is in big trouble. They got the bats in Betts, Ortiz, Ramirez, Sandoval and Bogaerts but they can't score 8-10 runs a game...and tonight proved they may not win even if they do! The bullpen giving up 6 runs was just as alarming as Buchholz not having it. The Sox have one game left in April and hopefully they can win this one. Tomorrow night is the rubber game of this set with "Slick" Rick Porcello (1-2) taking on RA Dickey at 6:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Baltimore Pounds Sox Into Submission (4/26/15)

Before the game Matt Barnes was sent back to Pawtucket and Heath Hembree was called up in his place. Barnes will rejoin the PawSox rotation as Hembree will aid the bullpen that's taken a beating lately.

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It was a bad day for Boston sports as the Cleveland Cavaliers swept the Boston Celtics out of the NBA playoffs and the Boston Red Sox lost to the Baltimore Orioles. The good news was the Red Sox offense scored 7 runs off 9 hits against the Orioles. The bad news the O's absolutely laid waste to the Sox collective bungholes with an 18 run, 20 hit barrage that lasted from the beginning all the way to the final pitch. Wade Miley (1-2, 8.62 ERA) pitched like crap but the bullpen wasn't any better as the O's took a nice big 18-7 dump on the Sox at Camden Yards.

                                                "This pitching staff sucks"

Bud Norris got the ball for Baltimore in the top of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts led off with a ground out to third. Dustin Pedroia flied out to center but Pablo Sandoval worked a walk. Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning. Miley didn't have much trouble in the bottom of the first as Everth Cabrera grounded out to third to begin the inning. Manny Machado popped up to right and Adam Jones grounded out to short to end the inning.

Nothing doing for the Sox in the top of the second inning as Mike Napoli whiffed to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt lined a base hit to center but Allen Craig flied out to center. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. The O's struck first in the bottom of the second as Delmon Young hit a routine fly ball to Betts..AND HE DROPPED IT! Young ended up at second and moved to third on the Chris Davis lineout to center. Stephen Pearce flied out to left but Young scored to give the Orioles the lead. Jimmy Parades lined out deep to left to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                    "I got it...I got it....I don't got it" - Betts

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third inning. Sandy Leon lined out to center and Mr. Mookie grounded out to short, but Pedroia doubled down the left field line. Sandoval drew another walk on a borderline pitch but Ramirez lined out to right to end the inning. The wheels not only fell off but burst into flames for Miley in the bottom of the third inning. Old friend Ryan Lavarnway blooped a single to right but Rey Navarro jacked one deep to center only for Betts to run it down. Cabrera singled and Machado walked to load the bases. Jones also walked to force in a run. Young singled home Cabrera and Davis doubled home two more runs. Pearce singled home Young and FINALLY that was it for Miley. Wade crapped his pants big time, lasting just 2 1/3 innings. Anthony Vavaro came in and Davis scored on the ground out by Parades. Lavarnway flied out to right to end the inning but the O's had iced it early 7-0.

                                              Nice going Miley

The Sox rolled over and died in the top of the fourth inning as Napoli hit one up the elevator shaft to begin. Holt singled but Craig flied out to center. Bogaerts popped up to short to end the inning. The hit parade continued in the bottom of the fourth as Navarro singled past Napoli to start. Cabrera grounded out to first and they could have had Navarro at second but Napoli threw the ball 50 feet to the left of second base. Machado walked and Navarro moved to third on the fly out by Jones. A wild pitch moved Machado to second and Young slammed a single to left to score both runners. Davis grounded out to third to end the inning but it was now 9-0.

                                                Its getting worse

The Sox continued to be asleep on offense in the top of the fifth inning. Leon popped up to third and Mr. Mookie popped up to center, but Pedroia singled. Sandoval popped up to center to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr came on to take a beating in the bottom of the fifth inning. Pearce lined out to left but Parades and Lavarnway stroked back to back singles, Ryan's hit off the glove of Pedroia. Navarro singled in the hole at short to score Parades to increase the lead. Cabrera whiffed and Machado grounded out but it was 10-0 O's. Yikes.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Napoli lined out to center but Holt walked. Craig grounded into a force to end the inning. The new call-up Heath Hembree was brought in to take a pounding in the bottom of the sixth. Jones struck out and Young lined out to right to give the illusion the Sox would have a clean inning....but Davis blasted a solo home run halfway to New York to increase the lead. Pearce walked and Parades tripled to the right field wall to score another run. Lavarnway struck out to end the inning but it was now 12-0.

                                             Oh what a mess

Somehow the Red Sox sprang to life in the top of the seventh although it was too little, too late. Bogaerts hit a comebacker to the mound but Leon singled to center. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Pedroia beat out a squibber for a base hit. Daniel Nava pinch ran for Pedroia with the game out of reach but somehow Sandoval blasted a 3 run home run to put the Sox on the board and chase Norris. Jason Garcia came in and Ramirez greeted him with a solo blast of his own. Napoli grounded out to short to end the inning but it was now 12-4 Sox.

                                               "I actually did somthing?" - Sandoval

The moral victory of scoring 4 runs evaporated quickly in the bottom of the seventh as the O's poured it on with Holt at second and Nava in right. Navarro doubled to center and Cabrera singled him to third. Machado whiffed but Jones singled to left to score another run. Young doubled into the gap to clear the bases and chase the incompetent Hembree from the game with the O's up 15-4.

                         Hembree - "I suck don't I?"  Farrell - "Yup"

Craig Breslow came in to stop the bleeding and instead he fell down and farted just like everyone else. Davis singled up the middle to advance Young to third and Pearce singled him home. Parades doubled down the right field line to score Young before Pearce scored on a passed ball. Lavarnway whiffed and Navarro lined out to left to end the inning with the O's up 18-4. Yuck.

                                                 Make it stop!!!!

David Lough took over for Jones as Holt worked a walk to open the top of the eighth inning. Craig lined out to third and Holt moved to second on the Bogaerts grounder. Leon hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning. Edward Mujica took the mound in the bottom of the eighth and somehow did NOT allow a run. Cabrera lined out to left and Machado popped up to right, but Lough singled for Baltimore's 20th hit on the day. Young grounded out to short to end the inning.

The torture finally came to an end in the top of the ninth but not before the Sox had one last rally in them. Parades moved from the DH slot to replace Machado at third which would have meant Garcia would have had to hit if the game continued past this half inning. Parades immediately goofed when he threw wide of first to allow Mr. Mookie to reach on an error. Nava flied out to left but Sandoval walked. Ramirez crushed a 3 run home run to left, just too bad they were down by 11 runs. Napoli whiffed but Holt walked again. Craig flied out to right to end the game. The O's massacred the Sox 18-7.

Jackass of the Night could be anybody on the pitching side but it has to be Wade Miley. He opened the floodgates and lasted just 2 1/3 innings while giving up the first 7 runs.

                                            Miley Jackass today


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4.

Pablo Sandoval was 1 for 2 with 3 walks, 2 total runs scored and a three run home run.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 5 with 4 rbi's coming off two home runs.

Brock Holt was 2 for 2 with 3 walks.

Edward Mujica pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Mike Napoli was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Allen Craig was 0 for 5.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4.

Anthony Varvaro gave up 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Robbie Ross Jr allowed a run in an inning of work.

Heath Hembree allowed 6 runs in just 1 1/3 innings.

Craig Breslow allowed 2 runs in just 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 5 with an error but scored a run.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 1 at the plate but scored a run.

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Holy moly that was BAD. Its one thing to lose a game but its another to get your brains completely beaten in. The O's were swinging at beachballs all game to pound out 18 runs off 20 hits. It didn't matter who was on the mound, they couldn't miss. The only plus side were Holt getting on base 5 times along with Sandoval and Ramirez going yard. If they can keep up that pace, if the pitching improves they should be ok going forward. The loss dropped the Sox to 10-9 on the season. Joe Kelly gets the start for the Sox tomorrow night at an unusual 6:40 start time. The Toronto Blue Jays are coming to town and Aaron Sanchez gets the ball in the first game at Fenway Park.

Rays Walkoff in 9th, Sox Fall Again (4/23/15)

It was a bad day for Boston sports. The Cleveland Cavaliers defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 3 of their first round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox have lost their first series of the year and they deserved to the way they failed to hit in the clutch in tonight's game against the Rays. The Rays and Sox battled to a 1-1 tie after three innings with Clay Buchholz tossing 6 solid innings while striking out ten batters. Alexi Ogando and Junichi Tazawa did their jovs but Anthony Varvaro did not. The Rays got outstanding pitching from Jake Odorizzi and the clutch hit when they needed in the ninth inning to defeat the Sox 2-1 at Tropicana Field.

                                                 Grumpy fans

Odorizzi got the ball and pitched outstanding to start the top of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts led the game off with a ground out to second and Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging. David Ortiz grounded out to second to end the inning. The schizophrenic Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and struck out David Dejesus looking to open. Steven Souza Jr grounded out to third and Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Pablo Sandoval doubled to right to start. Mike Napoli moved him over to third with a groundout and Daniel Nava brought him home with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead. Sad as it is, they would only have 2 hits the rest of the game. Allen Craig popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                  Sandoval gets on with a double

The Rays struck back in the bottom of the second as Evan Longoria pounded a ground rule double to left and moved to third on the Desmond Jennings ground out to second. Allen Dykstra was hit by a pitch and Logan Forsythe singled in Longoria. Buchholz recovered strike out Kevin Kiermaier looking and Rene Rivera swinging to retire the side with the game tied 1-1.

                                                  Rays tie it up

Xander Bogaerts continued his slump by flying out to center to start the top of the third. Sandy Leon grounded out  to first but Mr.Mookie got plunked. Betts stole second to keep the Sox perfect in stolen base attempts this season but Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning. Dejesus walked to lead off the bottom of the third but Clay struck out Souza Jr looking. Cabrera whiffed before Longoria grounded out to second to end the inning.

Odorizzi cruised in the top of the fourth as Ortiz whiffed to start. Sandoval grounded out to first and Napoli grounded out to short to end the inning. Jennings struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the fourth before Dykstra grounded out to first.Forsythe walked but Kiermaier struck out swinging as well to end the inning.

Nava struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Craig flied out to center. The defensive play of the game occurred after Bogaerts singled to right and Leon walked. Betts lashed one to center that Kiermaier dove to get. Had he missed, possibly both runners score. Instead it was a loud out and the game remained tied. 

                                                 What a catch by Kiermaier

Buchholz continued to be red hot as he got Rivera to fly out to start the bottom of the fifth. Dejesus grounded out to first and Souza Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

Pedroia Ortiz both flied out to deep center to start the top of the sixth. Sandoval flied out to left to end the inning. Cabrera walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Longoria struck out looking. Cabrera was erased on the fielder's choice by Jennings and Clay ended his outing by striking out Dykstra swinging to end the inning. Buchholz was almost unhittable as he allowed just 1 run in 6 innings while striking out ten.

                                            Buchholz deserved better

Napoli flied out to left to open the top of the seventh inning before Nava flied out to center. Craig singled to left and Bogaerts walked to chase Odorizzi. Brandon Gomes came in to pitch and Hanley Ramirez pinch hit for Leon. Hanley looked at strike three to end the inning, I could have done that!

                                          "You're supposed to swing the bat Hanley"

Alexi Ogando came on for the bottom of the seventh as Ryan Hanigan took over behind the plate. Forsythe grounded out to short to start and Kiermaier grounded out to second. Rivera walked but Dejesus flied out to left to end the inning.

Kevin Jepsen took over for Gomes for the top of the eighth and got Mr. Mookie to fly out to center to start. Pedroia grounded out to short and Ortiz reached first on an error by Dykstra. Could the Sox capitalize? NO! Sandoval grounded out to short to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa came on for the bottom of the eighth andSouza Jr grounded out to short to start. Cabrera singled to right but Longoria flied out to right. Jennings popped up to short to end the inning.

                                                        Tazawa gets it done

Rays closer Brad Boxberger was brought in to pitch the top of the ninth and Napoli flied out to right to start. Nava struck out swinging and Craig popped up to second to end the inning. 1 run in 9 innings for the new and improved offense? Pathetic. Anthony Varvaro (0-1, 2.25 ERA) was brought in to pitch the bottom of the ninth over Koji Uehara since the game was tied. The move backfired as Dykstra singled to right to start  and Tim Beckham pinch ran for him. Forsythe flied out to right but Kiermaier singled to left. The number 9 hitter, Rivera, slashed the game winning hit down the left field line to end it. Just like that, the Rays had taken 2 of 3 from the Sox with their 2-1 win.

                                                    Rays win

Jackass of the night is Anthony Varvaro for blowing the game in the 9th inning.

                                                    Nice going jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Sandy Leon walked once in two plate appearances.

Clay Buchholz pitched 6 solid innings and only allowed a single run while striking out 10. If the Sox offense had done anything, he would have won the game. 

Alexi Ogando pitched a scoreless 7th inning. 

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. 

Mike Napoli was 0 for 4. 

Hanley Ramirez struck out in his only plate appearance.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked, got hit with a pitch and stole second. 

Pablo Sandoval was just 1 for 4 but scored the team's only run.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 but drove in the team's only run with a sac fly. 

Allen Craig was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention: 

Ryan Hanigan caught the 8th and 9th inning.

Final Thoughts:

What a way to ruin a great start by Buchholz. The Sox 2,3 and 4 hitters combined to go 0 for 12 with 2 strikeouts. You're not going to win too many games with that kind of horrendous production from the heart of your order. The Sox dropped two in a row to the lowly Rays and looming on the horizon is three games with the defending AL East champion Baltimore Orioles. The New York Yankees have caught the Sox as well and its only a matter of time before the Sox get left in the dust unless they pick up their game. On paper their offense is stacked with a great mix of veterans and youth but their starters can only go six innings at a time. If they don't start going deeper into games, the bullpen will be toast by June at this rate. The Sox now head to Baltimore to face the Orioles with Rick Porcello on the mound facing Miguel Gonzalez tomorrow night in Baltimore. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Sox Blow Four Run Lead, Rays Win (4/22/15)

The Boston Red Sox had the Tampa Bay Rays dead to rights heading into the bottom of the sixth inning of tonight's game. The Rays refused to give up as they pounded out 12 total hits and completed a huge rally to take the lead in the next two innings Sox starter Joe Kelly was dominant through 5 innings but fell apart in the sixth. The Sox bullpen also faltered as an all-around bawful game cost the Sox big time. When the game was over, the Rays had stunned the Red Sox 7-5 in front of a paltry crowd of just over 12,000 fans at Tropicana Field. 

Rays starter Nathan Karns was hardly effective but Mr. Mookie Betts made his life easier with a ground out to third to begin the top of the first. Dustin Pedroia flied out to right but David Ortiz walked. Hanley Ramirez jacked one to the centerfield wall but Kiermaier tracked it down for the third out. Sox starter Joe Kelly got David Dejesus to strike out but allowed Steven Souza Jr to bash one over the left field fence to give Tampa a quick lead. Asdrubal Cabrera took strike three and Evan Longoria struck out swinging but the damage was done with the Rays leading 1-0.

                                                         Souza goes yard

Mike Napoli walked to open the top of the second but was erased on the Pablo Sandoval fielder's choice. Shane Victorino watched strike three go by and Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Desmond Jennings grounded out to Kelly to begin the bottom of the second before Allan Dykstra struck out looking. Logan Forsythe singled to right but Kiermaier grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the third although Ryan Hanigan grounded out to third to start. Mr. Mookie walked and Pedroia then swatted a pitch up in his eyes for a 2 run home run to give the Sox the lead. Pedroia didn't have his fourth home run until June of last year. Ortiz grounded out  to second but  Ramirez walked. Napoli singled and Ramirez motored all the way around, blowing past Brian Butterfield's stop sign to increase the lead. Napoli advanced to second but was stranded when Sandoval grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1. 

                                                      Pedroia hits a home run

Rene Rivera flied out to center to begin the bottom of the third. Dejesus struck out looking but Souza Jr doubled down the third base line. Cabrera flied out to left to end the inning.

Victorino was hit with a pitch to begin the top of the fourth but Bogaerts flied out to right. Hanigan also flied out to right but Victorino stole second base. He was stranded when Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning. Longoria grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth but Jennings beat out an infield single to third. Dykstra popped up to second and Forsythe popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox tacked on another one in the top of the fifth. Pedroia lined out to center but Ortiz crushed a 430 foot bomb to right to increase the lead. The homer moved Ortiz passed Chipper Jones on the all-time home run list and past Joe Dimaggio on the all-time RBI list. Ramirez singled to right and Napoli hit a ground rule double, but this is where the Sox lost the game. Sandoval grounded out to second and pinch hitter Allen Craig (for Victorino) flied out to left to end the threat. A base hit would have probably put the game out of reach but the Sox still led 4-1.

                                                       Ortiz passes Chipper and Joe D
 

Kelly showed no signs of struggle when he struck out Kiermaier looking to begin the bottom of the fifth. Rivera whiffed but Dejesus was hit by a pitch. Souza Jr grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth although Bogaerts went down hacking to start. Hanigan doubled to left and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Mr. Mookie singled him home Hanigan to increase the lead. Betts then got doubled off of first on the line drive out by Pedroia to right to end the inning. Who would have known how big that out was as the Sox still enjoyed a 5-1 lead?

                                               The Sox looked headed to victory

Suddenly the Rays came alive in the bottom of the sixth as Cabrera singled to center to start. Longoria singled to left and Jenning singled to center to load the bases. Dykstra dumped a base hit to center to score Cabrera and Forsythe walked to score Longoria. Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough of Kelly and pulled him before it could get any worse after just 5 innings and 3 runs (and counting) allowed.

                                             Kelly stinks the joint out in the sixth

Craig Breslow came in to pitch and Jake Elmore pinch ran for Dykstra. Brandon Guyer pinch hit for Kiermaier and hit an 0-2 fastball into center to tie the game. Breslow got Rivera to pop up to first and pinch hitter Tim Beckham (for DeJesus) to strike out swinging. Edward Mujica relived Breslow and Souza Jr struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                      Tie game

Could the Sox strike back in the top of the seventh with Bobby Wilson taking over for Souza?  Rays manager Kevin Cash made the bold move by bringing in his closer to get the heart of the order. Brad Boxberger punched out Ortiz, Ramirez and Napoli all swinging just like that. The Rays took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh as Cabrera singled to right to start. Allen Craig misplayed a single to right by Longoria, allowing Cabrera to reach third. Jennings banged into a double play but the go-ahead run scored. Elmore then crushed a solo home run for insurance to increase the lead. Forsythe walked and that was it for Mujica. Anthony Varvaro was brought in and Forsythe was gunned down trying to steal to end the inning but the Rays had iced it 7-5.

                                                        Elmore ices it

Kevin Jepsen was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and Sandoval struck out swinging to start. Allen Craig made it to second on an error by Longoria but Bogaerts struck out swinging too. Hanigan grounded out to second to end the inning. Varvaro returned for the bottom of the eighth and walked Guyer to start. Guyer advanced to second on the Rivera ground out to third.....but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it. Rays managed Kevin Cash challenged the out call at third but the call upheld. Beckham struck out looking to end the inning.

Steve Geltz was brought in to close out the game in the top of the ninth. Mr Mookie popped to first but Pedroia singled to left to bring the tying run to the plate....only for Ortiz to fly out to left. Ramirez ground out to second to end the game. The Rays stormed back to win it 7-5.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Edward Mujica. Yes Joe Kelly fell apart and Craig Breslow served up the 0-2 base hit, but Mujica gave up the go-ahead runs including a home run to Jake Elmore. 

                                               Mujica you jackass!



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a two run bomb.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Shane Victorino was hit and stole second before leaving the game. 

Anthony Varvaro pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Allen Craig was 0 for 2 after coming in for Victorino.

Joe Kelly allowed 5 runs in 5 innings of work, getting knocked out in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but walked, scored and drove in a run. 

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a walk but the one hit was a home run. 

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. 

Craig Breslow allowed the tying runs to score but gave up none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

This one hurt. The Sox had the game in the bag and give the Rays credit for not rolling over and dying. Still, Sox pitchers continue to struggle after the fifth inning and the team is not going to win too many games if this keep up. Kelly was cruising until the sixth and the normally reliable Breslow coughed up the lead. The Sox wasted a golden chance to put some early distance between themselves and the Rays in the AL East race by losing this one, hopefully it doesn't come back to bite them in September. Victorino left the game due to a hamstring pull and Xander Bogaerts looks lost at the plate...again. Pablo Sandoval has ONE extra base hit this season and the bullpen isn't going to last long at this rate. Still, its only April and these guys have plenty of time to get back in gear. The Sox are now in danger of dropping their first series of the year unless they can win tomorrow night. The Sox turn to staff "ace" Clay Buchholz to right the ship when he faces Jake Odorizzi at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.

O's Shut Down Sox (4/18/15)

Before the game, Shane Victorino was scratched due to sore ribs and Daniel Nava took his place. Mookie Betts also sat down in favor of Brock "The Hitman" Holt. In an eerily similar game to last night, the Boston Sox got shut down by the Baltimore Orioles.Clay Buchholz (1-2, 6.06 ERA) was in trouble all day but it was a much different outing than against the New York Yankees last week. The Yankees blasted him all over the field in that game, this time the O's blooped, poked and grounded balls that amazingly were able to find a hole. Still, it doesn't matter if its a 300 foot hit or a 50 foot hit, a hit is a hit and Clay allowed too many of them. The Orioles bullpen was able to keep the Boston Red Sox offense silent as they came away with a 4-1 win at Fenway Park.

Buchholz took the mound in the top of the first inning and Alejandro De Aza flied out to center to begin the game. Steve Pearce singled to left but Chris Davis struck out swinging. Adam Jones singled to right but Jimmy Paredes grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Clay didn't throw a lot of pitches but guys got on base, that trend would continue the whole game. O's starter Chris Tillman had no such struggle against an impotent Red Sox lineup. Brock Holt let the bottom of the first off and struck out swinging. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second and David Ortiz was thrown out at second trying to stretch a single into a double to end the inning.

                                                  The president sez "Nice going Ortiz"

Manny Machado grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Caleb Joseph struck out swinging. Ryan Flaherty singled to center but Everth Cabrera grounded out to second to end the inning. Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the second, Pablo Sandoval flied out to left and Mike Napoli grounded out to short to end the inning..

De Aza grounded out to second to begin the top of the third. Pearce and Davis both struck out swinging to end the inning. Daniel Nava grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third but Xander Bogaerts walked. Ryan Hanigan struck out looking but Holt singled Bogaerts to third. With a chance to put the Sox on top, Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                            Failed

The O's broke through in the top of the fourth as Adam Jones singled to left and Paredes doubled him to third. Machado scored Jones with a ground out and Joseph singled home Paredes to increase the lead. Flaherty and Cabrera both singled to load the bases but Buchholz got out of it by striking out De Aza and Pearce swinging to end the inning. Once again, the O's were getting hits but they were just balls finding a hole rather than smashes off the wall, it all counted for a 2-0 lead.

                                                         Jones starts the rally

Could the Sox answer? Ortiz singled to center and advanced to second on a wild pitch to start the bottom of the 4th. That was it as Ramirez struck out swinging, Sandoval grounded out to short and Napoli flied out to center to end the inning.

Buchholz transformed into Dice K in the top of the 5th. Davis and Jones singled before Hanley Ramirez dropped a fly out at the wall off the bat of Paredes to load the bases. The Sox defense stepped in with a 3-2-3 double play to bag Davis at home and Machado at first. Joseph walked to reload the bases but Flaherty struck out swinging to end the inning. Talk about dodging a bullet.

                                                    "I don't got it"

The Sox failed to capitalize in the bottom of the fifth as Nava struck out looking to begin. Bogaerts flied out to right but Hanigan walked. Holt singled to center and with the tying run at first....Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                           Failed

Buchholz finished his outing with a flourish in the top of the sixth. Cabrera flied out to left, De Aza grounded out to second and Pearce flied out to center to end the inning. Buchholz had given up 11 hits but only allowed one walk and 2 runs in 6 innings, normally that would be enough for a win.

                                                        Buchholz the hard luck loser

The Sox finally struck back in the bottom of the sixth. Ortiz doubled to right and moved to third on a Ramirez ground out. Tillman then chucked a routine grounder away to allow Sandoval to reach first and Ortiz to score. Napoli singled to left to put the tying run at second and chase Tillman. Brad Brach relieved Tillman and killed the rally by getting Nava to ground into a double play to end the inning. All that and the Sox still trailed 2-1.

                                                      Sox pull within a run

Alexi Ogando pitched the top of the seventh and struck out Davis swinging to start. Jones grounded back to the mound and Paredes grounded out to first to end the inning and keep the Sox in the game. Bogarts lined out to center to start the bottom of the seventh and Hanigan struck out looking. Holt singled. Holt beat out an infield single to first and stole second. With the tying run at second.....Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                   Even Lurch can't figure out how Pedroia became so unreliable

Anthony Varvaro took over for Ogando in the top of the eighth and Machado walked to start. Machado was erased on the failed bunt by Joseph. Flaherty lined out to right and Cabrera grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Darren O'Day relieved Brach and walked Ortiz to begin the bottom of the eighth. Mookie Betts pinch ran for Ortiz but it didn't do a lick of good as Ramirez banged into a double play. Sandoval struck out swinging to end the inning.

The O's put the game away in the top of the 9th against Robbie Ross Jr. De Aza was thrown out on a bunt attempt but Pearce singled to left. Davis then launched a home run into the monster seats to ice the game. Jones flied out to center and Paredes flied out to right to end the inning with the O's up 4-1. The Sox gave up Anthony Ranaudo for this??

                                              "DAMMIT! DAMMIT! DAMMIT!" - RRJr

Zach Britton came on to pitch the bottom of the 9th while David Lough was brought in to right field and Pearce replaced Davis at first. Napoli grounded back to the mound Allen Craig pinch hit for Nava and struck out looking. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the game. The O's had won it 4-1.

                                                          Dammit


Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I have to go with Dustin Pedroia. He was 0 for 4 with two strikeouts in key spots when the game was in reach.

                                                      Jackass Pedroia


The Good:

Brock Holt was 3 for 4 with a stolen base.

David Ortiz was 3 for 3 with a walk

Alexi Ogando pitched a scoreless seventh inning

Anthony Varvaro pitched a scoreless eighth inning.



The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and wasn't charged with an error, but he should have been.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Robbie Ross Jr let the game get out of hand by allowing the two run bomb to Chris Davis in the top of the 9th.

Allen Craig struck out in his pinch hit appearance.



The Ugly

Clay Buchholz pitched reasonably well, only allowing two runs and a walk in 6 innings. Only problem was the ELEVEN hits allowed.

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 but Tillman's error apparently was enough to give him an rbi.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 2 with a walk.



Honorable Mention:

Mookie Betts pinch ran for Ortiz but was erased on a double-play.




Final Thoughts:

For the first 10 games of this season, the Sox looked more like the 2013 team. They looked more like last year's bunch in this game. The Sox left men on base, banged into double plays, the bullpen failed to keep them in the game and they couldn't hit an ace starter in Tillman. It was the first time all year the Sox offense was completely shut down. At least Buchholz battled in this one and if the Sox had any kind of an offense, they could have pulled it out. Its early in the season but these are the losses that plagued the Sox last year, can't drop too many winnable games with a team like the Orioles. The Sox look to right the ship tomorrow afternoon in the third game of the series when Rick Porcello goes up against Miguel Gonzalez at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.