Yankees Shut Down Sox (7/31/20)

If you were to tell me the Boston Red Sox would hold the high powered New York Yankees to 3 runs through 7 innings I would have said the Sox should win. Not only did the Sox lose, they lost badly. The immortal Jordan Montgomery held the Sox to 5 hits and a run in n 5 2/3 innings. The Yankees bullpen allowed just a walk in the next 3 1/3 as the offense went quiet as a mouse. Ryan Weber (0-2, 11.57 ERA) failed to get out of the fourth inning and the Yankees easily defeated the Red Sox 5-1 at Yankee Stadium.

Montgomery got the ball in the top of the first and Kevin Pillar struck out swinging to start. JD Martinez grounded out to second and Rafael Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Weber got the ball in the bottom of the first and DJ LeMahieu somehow grounded out to third to start. Shockingly Aaron Judge grounded out to short but Gleyber Torres singled to left. Giancarlo Stanton grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts popped up to second to start. Christian Vazquez popped up to short and Alex Verdugo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Yankees almost struck in the bottom of the second as Aaron Hicks walked to start. Somehow Luke Voit flied out to right and Gio Urshela lined out to center. Brett Gardner walked but Kyle Higashioka grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Chavis blasted his first home run of the year to put Boston on top. Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed but Jose Peraza lined a base hit past LeMahieu. Pillar singled to center to put Montgomery on the ropes but Martinez hit a bullet to Judge who doubled off Pillar to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                             Chavis with a home run

The Yankees wasted no time pounding Weber in the bottom of the third as LeMahieu singled to center to begin. Judge effortlessly crushed a 700,000 foot bomb to put the Yankees up for good. Torres grounded out to third and Stanton flied out to left, but Hicks walked. Voit grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 2-1 Yankees.

                                                              Judge hits one out

The Sox looked to rally in the top of the fourth when Devers was plunked to start. Bogaerts singled to left but Vazquez was rung up for strike three. Verdugo hit a routine grounder to Montgomery who booted it to load the bases. This time Chavis banged into a double play to end the inning. Weber didn't last long in the bottom of the fourth as Urshela swatted a 30,000 foot home run to ice the game. Gardner walked but was forced on the Higashioka grounder. Sox manager Ron Roenicke decided to cut his losses and lift Weber after just 3 1/3 innings. Giving up only 3 runs can only be classified as a miracle. Phillips Valdez came in and got LeMahieu to ground into a force before striking out Judge swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.

                                                              Weber doesn't last long

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as JBJ grounded out to second to start. Peraza went down hacking and Pillar lined out to center to end the inning. Valdez held the fort in the bottom of the fifth although Torres beat out an infield single to start. Torres moved to second on a grounder by Stanton then to third on a grounder by Hicks. Voit struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox had their only scoring chance in the top of the sixth when Martinez walked to start. Devers banged into a double play but Bogaerts singled to chase Montgomery who threw his best game ever against the Sox. Chad Green came in and the Sox offense said "we're through for the night." Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning. Valdez did what he could to keep the Sox in the game in the bottom of the sixth. Urshela singled to start but was forced at second by Gardner. Higashioka flied out to left but LeMahieu singled to right. Valdez struck out Judge again swinging to end the inning. Valdez has been a nice find in this dreary season so far.

                                                     Valdez keeps the Sox in it

3-1 may have been 300-1 in the top of the seventh as Verdugo whiffed badly to start. Chavis lined out weakly to center and JBJ whiffed again to end the inning. Austin Brice came in for the bottom of the seventh and Torres grounded out to short to start. Stanton was hit with a pitch but was thrown out trying to steal on a strike em' out, throw em out double play by Hicks to end the inning.

Peraza took strike three to begin the top of the eighth before Pillar also watched strike three go by. Adam Ottavino came in and get Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. Colten Brewer came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth inning as Voit walked to start. Tyler Wade pinch ran for Voit and Urshela grounded out to short. A passed ball moved Wade to third but Gardner cleared the bases with a 10,000 foot home run. Higashioka lined out to short and LeMahieu singled to left. Judge grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 5-1 Yankees.

                                                    Damn Yankees

Jonathan Holder came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers whiffed to start. Bogaerts became the first baserunner since the 6th inning with a walk but was erased on the Vazquez force. Verdugo grounded out to end the game. The Sox were lifeless as the Yankees won it 5-1.

                                                                This sucks



Jackass of the Night is Colten Brewer. Not that the Sox offense gave a damn, but him giving up 2 runs in the eighth put the game completely out of reach.

                                                         Nice going Jackass



The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Michael Chavis was 1 for 3 with a solo home run.

Jose Peraza was 1 for 3.

Phillips Valdez tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Austin Brice pitched a scoreless 7th inning.



The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Ryan Weber took the loss by allowing 3 runs in just 3 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Kevin Pillar was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch




Final Thoughts:

Remember last September when Chris Sale and David Price were out for the season and the Red Sox were borderline unwatchable. Who would have thought that the Sox would even be worse now? Sale's gone, Price is gone, Eduardo Rodriguez is out for a while and the worst part is the Sox brass didn't replace any of them. At least the Sox had Mookie Betts to watch back then, now they don't even have that. Say what you will about the trashbag pitching, the offense is the real culprit of this bad start. The Sox haven't scored more than 6 runs since Opening Day and its hard for them to get motivated when management clearly gave up on them. The most telling thing was manager Ron Roenicke after the game saying he started Weber because there's nobody else. Roenicke may be a figurehead but at least he knows what's going on. Chaim Bloom left the team out to dry this season, possibly under orders from John Henry and the team itself has to sit there and take a beating day after day. The Yankees aren't nearly as good as their fans claim to be but the Sox are out-manned and outgunned. The loss drops the Sox to 3-5 and its not going to get any better tomorrow night. Zack Godley gets the start against Masahiro Tanaka at 7:07 PM PM at Yankee Stadium.

Orioles Bash Sox on Patriots Day (4/15/19)

It was a bad day all around for Boston sports. The Toronto Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Baltimore Orioles knocked out the Boston Red Sox. Not even Patriot's Day could wake the Red Sox up from their miserable start to the season. On a day they historically played well, today they did not. Dan Straily had been hit hard in every game he pitched this season for the Orioles but today he pitched like Mike Cuellar. The miserable Sox offense mustered just 4 hits and a run while the bullpen surrendered 7 runs as the Orioles laughed at the Sox 8-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                               This team sucks

Velazquez got the ball in the top of the first inning and walked Jonathan Villar on a full count. Trey Mancini popped up to first and Dwight Smith banged into a double play turned by Christian Vazquez at second base to end the inning. The Sox couldn't touch Dan Straily in the bottom of the first as Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short, Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to the mound and Mitch Moreland grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The O's struck back in the top of the second as Rio Ruiz walked to start. A wild pitch moved Ruiz to second and he scored on the Renato Nunez single, although Nunez was thrown out at second trying to stretch. Chris Davis walked and moved to second when Rafael Devers botched a routine grounder by Jesus Sucre. Richie Martin walked to load the bases but Cedric Mullins whiffed and Villar popped up to first to end the inning with the O's ahead 1-0.

Nothing happened in the bottom of the second as JD Martinez grounded out to third to begin. Xander Bogaerts flied out to left before Devers drew a walk. Steve Pearce whiffed to end the inning.

Velazquez returned for one more inning in the top of the third and Mancini greeted him with a single. Smith banged into a double play before Ruiz flied out to center to end the inning. The four walks killed Velazquez otherwise he may have gone longer than 3 innings. Blake Swihart lined out to left to open the bottom of the third before Vazquez grounded out to short. Pedroia flied out to left to end the inning.

                                                   "This team sucks"

Marcus Walden came in to pitch the top of the fourth and he punched out the side. Nunez, Davis and Sucre all whiffed in short order. The no-hitter continued in the bottom of the fourth as Mr. Mookie whiffed, Moreland grounded out to short and Martinez lined out to center to end the inning.

The O's iced it in the top of the fifth as Martin walked to start and moved to second on the Mullins grounder. Villar singled home Martin but Mancini whiffed. Smith put the exclamation point on the horrid season the Sox have had with a 290 foot home run just inside the Pesky Pole to ice the game. Ruiz looked at strike three to end the inning with the O's up for good 4-0.

                                                   "The Sox suck" - Smith

The Sox did manage to fight back in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts singled to start before Devers singled him to third. Controversy erupted when Pearce beat out a double play ball to score Bogaerts with Devers sliding hard into second. O's manager Brandon Hyde challenged that Devers used an illegal slide but the call stood on replay. Hyde then bolted out of the dugout with a bat and took a swing at 1st base umpire Mark Wegner. Luckily he missed and was thrown out of the game, being escorted out of the park by heavily armed security. The rally ended as Swihart lined out to right and Vazquez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                          YERRRRR OUT!

Colten Brewer took over for the top of the sixth and almost crapped his pants. Nunez singled to center but Davis looked at strike three. Sucre singled Nunez to third but Martin hit a grounder to the mound. Nunez was throw out in a rundown and Pearce bailed out Bogaerts when Bogaerts missed a pop up from Mullins but Pearce made a sliding catch underneath him to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the sixth against Jimmy Yacabonis. Pedroia flied out to the centerfield warning track, Mr. Mookie popped up to second and Moreland flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                       This team sucks

Brandon Workman took over for the top of the seventh and Villar whiffed to start. Mancini grounded out to third and Smith hit a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Martinez tried to start a rally in the bottom of the seventh with a double to right to begin. He was stranded as Bogaerts whiffed to chase Yacabonis. Paul Fry came in, Devers lined out to left and Pearce whiffed to end the inning.

Heath Hembree came in for the top of the eighth and vomited up his intestines. Ruiz grounded out to first to start but Nunez doubled. Davis smashed a 400,000 foot bomb to further humiliate the Sox. Sucre walked but was doubled off first after Pearce made a great diving catch off a Martin line drive followed by a throw to first to end the inning with the O's ahead 6-1.

                                                         Davis woke up

Swihart walked to start the bottom of the eighth and Evan Phillips came in to pitch and Vazquez lined out to right. Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning.

The O's poured it on in the top of the ninth after Tyler Thornburg made a mad dash to the mound. Mullins grounded out to third but Villar walked. Mancini doubled before Smith scored both runners with a double of his own. Ruiz grounded back to the mound before Nunez struck out to end the inning with the O's up 8-1.

Joey Rickard came in to play right with Miguel Castro on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Mr. Mookie walked but Moreland banged into a double play. Martinez singled but Bogaerts flied out to center to end the game. The O's had won it 8-1.

Jackass of the Night is Marcus Walden. The 3 runs he allowed in the top of the fifth was the difference in the game.

                                                      Walden the Jackass


The Good:

JD Martinez was 2 for 4.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Colten Brewer pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 7th inning.



The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 4.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.

Heath Hembree allowed 2 runs in the 8th inning.

Tyler Thornburg allowed 2 runs in the 9th inning.



The Ugly:

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

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Steve Pearce was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Blake Swihart was 0 for 2 but walked.

Hector Velazquez took the loss by allowing a run in 3 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Another horrific loss in a season that's down the drain. Just when it seems the Sox turn the corner they fall flat on their face. Getting beat up by the Orioles in 3 out of 4 games (needing another miracle rally to salvage one of which) puts the exclamation point on what a terrible team this is. Its amazing how this is the exact same team that won 108 games last year and blitzed through the World Series. They don't hit, pitch or field well and it doesn't look like anything will change soon. Betts looks lost and the starters have no command apart from David Price and Eduardo Rodriguez. If the Sox need a wakeup call, they're going to get it tomorrow night when they play the New York Yankees. James Paxton goes for New York With Chris Sale (0-3) looking to right himself at the special start time of 6:30 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Price, Sox Blank Orioles (4/14/19)

It was a good say for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics defeated the Indiana Pacers in Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles. The Red Sox offense continued to struggle for most of the game but finally a starter stepped up with a gem. David Price (1-1, 3.79 ERA) tossed 7 spectacular innings and Xander Bogaerts struck the kill shot in the 8th inning to defeat the Orioles. Price's 7 shutout innings were instrumental as the Sox finally won a game with a 4-0 victory at Fenway Park.

                                              Marcus Morris approves of the win

Price cruised in the top of the first inning as Jonathan Villar popped up to first to start. Joey Rickard whiffed and Trey Mancini lined out to short to end the inning. The Sox couldn't crack John Means in the bottom of the first as Andrew Benintendi whiffed badly on a pitch that bounced to start. Mr. Mookie Betts hit a pathetic grounder back to the mound and Steve Pearce whiffed on a 3-2 slider in the dirt to end the inning.

Renato Nunez hit one of the hardest hit balls to left to start the top of the second before JD Martinez had to nearly fall into the bullpen to rob Hanser Alberto of a home run. Martinez then had to dive into the right field corner to rob Jesus Sucre of a triple before Chris Davis grounded out to first to end the inning. Somehow JD Martinez was hit with a pitch to begin the bottom of the second and more shocking that Xander Bogaerts singled him to third. Naturally Dustin Pedroia hit a piece of crap pop up to right and Eduardo Nunez banged into a double play to end the inning.

Price turned on the heat in the top of the third by blowing away both Richie Martin and Cedric Mullins to start. Villar then hit an absolute rocket Betts had to climb the wall to get to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Rafael Devers hit a measly pop up to short before Christian Vazquez whiffed on a 3-2 pitch in the dirt. Somehow Benintendi killed his own foot with a foul ball but still poked a double into the left field corner. Naturally Mr. Mookie his a routine pop up to center to end the inning.

                                                    Down goes Benintendi

Benintendi keeled over as soon as he got back in the dugout. He had to be hauled off on a gurney headed to Mass General while Blake Swihart replaced him in left for the top of the fourth. Rickard hit a routine grounder to Devers who picked the ball up and spiked it like a football, doing the funky chicken after for an error. Price whiffed Mancini and the alert Vazquez gunned down Rickard trying to steal third. Price blew away Nunez to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Pearce singled to right to begin. Martinez doubled Pearce to third and Bogaerts scored him with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead. Martinez took third on the throw but was thrown out at home when Pedroia hit a piece of crap grounder back to the mound. Dustin took second when Martinez was caught in the rundown and Nunez walked. Devers hit a piece of crap grounder to short to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                        Yerrrrrrrr out!

Price cruised in the top of the fifth as Alberto flied out to right, Sucre popped up to first and Davis popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox failed to score as usual in the bottom of the fifth as Vazquez hit a measly pop up to left, Swihart hit a pathetic grounder to third and Betts hit a worthless grounder to short to end the inning.

The O's almost struck back in the top of the sixth as Martin effortlessly doubled to start before Price somehow froze Mullins for strike three. Villar whiffed and Devers robbed Rickard of a sure double on a line drive to end the inning. That was it for Means as Evan Phillips came on to pitch the bottom of the sixth. Pearce was plunked but Bogaerts took a 2-2 pitch right down the middle for strike three. Pedroia reached on an error by Martin but Nunez whiffed on a full count pitch in the dirt to end the inning. As good as Price has been, the offense was downright horrible.

Right on cue the O's almost took the lead in the top of the seventh as Mancini effortlessly crushed a double off the Monster to start. Betts climbed the wall to rob Nunez of a tying double before Alberto somehow grounded back to the mound Sucre popped up to first to end the inning and Price's afternoon. He was outstanding tossing 7 shutout innings while allowing just 3 hits.

                                                  Price stepped it up

The Sox failed to get any insurance runs against Paul Fry in the bottom of the seventh as Devers grounded out to first, Vazquez grounded out to second and Swihart whiffed to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier took over for the top of the eighth and he punched out Davis to start. Rio Ruiz pinch hit for Martin and walked before Betts made a running over the shoulder grab on Mullins in center. Villar lined one over the head of Brasier to center to send Ruiz to third. Dwight Smith pinch hit for Rickard and Betts made another mad dash to snare the line drive to end the inning. Villar moved to short, Smith went to left, Mancini moved to right, Alberto went to second and Ruinz stayed at first to start the bottom of the eighth. Mr. Mookie singled up the middle to chase Fry as Josh Lucas came in to pitch. Pearce was rung up for strike three on a check swing of a pitch headed to the backstop but Martinez singled to left. Bogaerts iced the game with a 3 run bomb to dead center on a slider that didn't slide to ice it. Miguel Castro came in and froze Pedroia for strike three before Nunez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                  X gonna give it to ya

Matt Barnes had the top of the ninth and made it interesting by walking Mancini to start. Barnes froze Nunez for strike three but Alberto singled to right. Sucre moved both runners over with a groundout to short but Davis looked at strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-0.

Hero of the Night is David Price. He was amazing tossing 7 shutout innings while allowing just 3 hits while striking out 7.

                                                   Price is the Hero



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 2 before leaving.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 8th.

Steve Pearce was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with 4 total rbis including a 3 run home run.



The Bad:

Blake Swihart was 0 for 2 with a strikeout

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with an error.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Looks like Price has it figured out this year, time for Chris Sale, Rick Porcello and Nathan Eovaldi to follow suit. The Sox offense was mostly dormant today but came alive when needed but the real story was Price pitching well. Yes it was the against the Orioles but the fact he didn't walk anyone is a breath of fresh air after last night's disaster. The Sox needed a start like that to rest their beleaguered bullpen for tomorrow's morning game. Patriots Day will see Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez take on Dan Straily at the special start time of 11:00 AM at Fenway Park.

Sox Walkoff on Jays (4/11/19)

The bad news was the Toronro Maple Leafs defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of their first round NHL playoff series. The good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. For the 12th game out of 13 the Boston Red Sox fell behind in a game. For the 11th time out of those 13 it was by multiple runs. After Nathan Eovaldi melted down in the third inning, the Sox trailed 5-0 and seemed headed to their 10th loss in 13 games. Instead the Sox rallied to tie the game in the 7th, fall behind in the 8th and stun the Toronto Blue Jays in the bottom of the ninth. Mitch Moreland and Rafael Devers made sure the fans went home happy in the shocking 7-6 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                           Jump for Joy

Eovaldi started out well by striking out Billy McKinney to begin the top of the first. Freddy Galvis singled and Justin Smoak walked, but Randal Grichuk banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox missed a golden chance to break the game open early in the bottom of the first against Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez. Andrew Benintendi led off with a base hit and Mr. Mookie Betts was plunked. Mitch Moreland whiffed and JD Martinez walked to load the bases. The rally ended as Xander Bogaerts whiffed and Rafael Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. What a waste!

Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez whiffed open the top of the second inning before Danny Jansen walked. Brandon Drury banged into a double play to end the inning. Dustin Pedroia whiffed to open the bottom of the second inning but Jackie Bradley Jr drew a walk. JBJ was erased on the force by Blake Swihart before Benintendi grounded into a force as well to end the inning.

The Jays exploded in the top of the third inning as Lourdes Gurriel Jr walked. Gurriel was erased on the Socrates Brito force before McKinney flied out to left. One out away from a clean inning the floodgates opened as Galvis singled and Smoak crushed a 100,000 foot home run to Newton to give the Jays the lead. Grichuk walked and Tellez smashed an honest to goodness 500 foot home run to make the crowd boo. Jansen whiffed to end the inning but for the 12th time in 13 games, the Sox were trailing. For the 11th time in those games, it was by multiple runs as the Jays led 5-0.

                                                    500 foot blast

Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Grichuk dropped a routine pop up by Mr. Mookie to begin. Moreland whiffed but Martinez doubled to the centerfield wall to score Betts. Bogaerts lined out to left but Devers doubled in Martinez and Pedroia singled in Devers. JBJ grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox showed some life and were down 5-3.

                                                   Pedroia drives one in

Eovaldi came back for the top of the fourth and froze Drury for strike three to start. Gurriel Jr singled but Brito grounded into a double play to end the inning. Sanchez recovered in the bottom of the fourth as Swihart grounded to first to begin. Benintendi walked but Mr. Mookie whiffed. Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning.

Eovaldi came back for one more inning in the top of the fifth and got McKinney to fly out to right to start. Galvis singled but was doubled off by Moreland on a line drive to Mitch by Smoak to end the inning. Eovaldi came down with Dice K Disease in the third inning but pitched well otherwise. He left after 5 allowing 5 earned runs, not good.

                                             Not Eovaldi's best stuff

The Sox ran themselves out of tying the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Martinez grounded out to short to start but Bogaerts singled to left. Devers walked and two straight wild pitches scored Bogaerts and sent Devers to third. Devers then made a mistake as Pedroia hit a pop up to shallow center and Devers never saw where the ball landed. He ran home and was thrown out by a mile to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                     Yerrrrrr out....by a mile

Heath Hembree came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Grichuk popped up to second to start. Tellez and Jansen both whiffed to end the inning. Tim Mayza replaced Sanchez for the bottom of the sixth and JBJ whiffed to start. Swihart struck out swinging before Benintendi grounded out to short to end the inning.

Colten Brewer had the top of the seventh inning and Drury grounded out to second to begin. Gurriel Jr and Brito both whiffed to end the inning. The Sox rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh against Joe Biagini. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Moreland swatted his 5th home run of the season to take Eovaldi off the hook. Martinez flied out to center but Bogaerts walked to chase Biagini. Thomas Pannone came in to throw one pitch to Devers to get him to pop up to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                               Tie game

As soon as the Sox clawed back in it, the Jays went ahead again in the top of the eighth against Ryan Brasier. McKinney whiffed but Galvis smashed a 40,000 foot home run to give the Jays the lead. Smoak grounded out to first before Grichuk grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays up 6-5.

                                                     Jays take the lead AGAIN!

Javy Guerra came in for the bottom of the eighth and the Sox went quietly. Pedroia flied out to center, JBJ looked at strike three and Swihart grounded out to short to end the inning.

Marcus Walden (2-0, 0.00 ERA) had the top of the ninth and things looked bleak when Tellez singled to start. Jansen was plunked but Drury popped up to second. Gurriel Jr walked but Walden got a huge out by punching out Brito. McKinney grounded out to first to end the inning. Good work Walden to get out of that jam. Ken Giles came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Benintendi grounded out to second. Mr. Mookie worked a full count walked and Moreland was the hero again with a double off the top of the centerfield wall to tie the game. Eduardo Nunez pinch ran for Moreland and Martinez was intentionally walked to get to Bogaerts. Nunez swiped third base which caused the rattled Giles to walk Bogaerts. Devers ended matters with a base hit to right to win the game. The Sox worked a hell of a rally to win the game 7-6.

                                                  WE WON!!!!

We have Co-Heroes of the Night. The first is Mitch Moreland for tying the game twice in the 7th and the ninth.

                                                         Hero Number 1

The other Hero is Rafael Devers for his first walkoff hit of his career.

                                                       Hero Number 2


The Good:

Eduardo Nunez stole third and scored the winning run as a pinch runner in the ninth.

JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Colten Brewer pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Marcus Walden earned the win with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Nathan Eovaldi allowed 5 runs in just 5 innings of work off 6 hits, 4 walks and 2 home runs.

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked, was plunked and scored 2 runs.

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

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox have just 4 wins on the season and 3 of the 4 were huge rallies. Whenever the Red Sox rotation wants to pitch well on the day the bats are working would be nice. Its pretty bad when we're 13 games in and the starters have zero wins on the season. Eovaldi still has no command, Chris Sale's velocity is gone, Rick Porcello has been batting practice, Eduardo Rodriguez keeps nibbling with no faith in his stuff and David Price has been average. There's always a chance to turn it around but its never a good thing to start the year 4-9. Still, a win is a win and the New York Yankees aren't lighting it up either with their 5-7 record. The offense will be there but its time for the rotation to step up as well. Tomorrow night Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 12.38 ERA) looks to get his head out of his rear end when he takes on David Hess and the incoming Baltimore Orioles. If the Sox can't beat these guys they don't deserve to win the division. Game 1 of this set starts tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Blank Diamondbacks (4/7/19)

So that's what winning a game feels like? After dropping 8 of the first 10 games of the season it appeared the Boston Red Sox would never win a game. Today was no different as the Sox scored one measly run of offense in 9 innings. It just so happened thanks to the Boston bullpen, one run was all the sox needed via a Mitch Moreland solo shot. After the bullpen led by Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez slammed the door the Sox ended their miserable road trip with a 1-0 win over the Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

                                                        Old Popsy approves of the win

Arizona starter Merrill Kelly was outstanding and he began his dominance in the top of the first inning. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to first but Xander Bogaerts singled. Moreland banged into a double play to end the inning. Velazquez cruised in the bottom of the first as Jarrod Dyson grounded out to first, Edwin Escobar lined out to left and David Peralta grounded out short to end the inning.

Kelly cruised in the top of the second inning as JD Martinez grounded out to short to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to short as well before Blake Swihart whiffed to end the inning. Hector cruised in the bottom of the second as Adam Jones popped up to third, Christian Walker whiffed and Ketel Marte was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Eduardo Nunez grounded out to third to open the top of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr somehow singled to left. Velazquez himself bunted foul for strike three but Benintendi singled JBJ to third. With a chance to put the Sox on top...Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning. Velazquez came back for one more inning in the bottom of the third and retired Nick Ahmed on a fly out to center. John Ryan Murphy broke up the perfect game with a base hit to center and moved to second on the Kelly sacrifice bunt. Dyson whiffed to end the inning. Pretty good effort by Velazquez in a short spot start, 3 innings 1 hit and no runs.

                                                       Velazquez gets it done

Moreland whiffed to open the top of the fourth before Martinez grounded out to short. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Brandon Workman came in for the bottom of the fourth and Escobar flied out to left to start. Peralta lined out to right before Jones whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the fifth as Swihart lined out to right, Nunez flied out to right and JBJ flied out to center to end the inning. Marcus Walden made his season debut in the bottom of the 5th and Walker doubled to start. Marte grounded out to first and Walker moved to third before Ahmed hit a grounder to short. Bogaerts fired home and threw out Walker before Murphy popped up to second to end the inning.

Desperate for pitching, Sox manager Alex Cora let Walden hit away in the top of the sixth. Walden took strike three and Benintendi whiffed before Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning. Walden got Kelly to ground back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth before Dyson grounded out to short. Escobar walked but Peralta whiffed to end the inning.

                                                          Solid effort by Walden

The Sox finally broke through in the top of the seventh as Moreland swatted his third home run of the year to give the Sox the lead. Martinez flied out to right, Devers whiffed and Swihart flied out to left to end the inning but Boston led 1-0.

                                                        Moreland with the big fly

Nine outs from victory, Cora called in the big guns with Matt Barnes coming in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Jones grounded out to third, Walker whiffed and Marte grounded out to third to end the inning.

Kelly returned for the top of the eighth and finished with a flurry. Nunez and JBJ both whiffed before Barnes took strike three to end the inning. Letting Barnes hit meant he came back for the bottom of the eighth and he got Ahmed to ground out to short to start. Murphy whiffed and Wilmer Flores pinch hit for Kelly only to ground out to short to end the inning.

Jon Duplantier came in for the top of the ninth and Benintendi greeted him with a single. Bogaerts lined out to center and Benintendi moved to second on a wild pitch. Moreland flied out to center before Martinez was intentionally walked. Devers drew a full count walk to load the bases but Swihart whiffed to end the inning. Mr. Mookie Betts came in to play right with Ryan Brasier in to close the bottom of the ninth. Dyson whiffed and Escobar popped up to third, but Peralta doubled to put the tying run at second. Tim Locastro pinch ran for Peralta but Jones grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had grinded out a 1-0 victory to end the road trip with a moral victory.

                                                      A rare win for the Sox


Hero of the Night is Mitch Moreland. His solo home run was the only run of the game.

                                          Carlos Febles gives a thumbs up to our Hero



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.

Hector Velazquez tossed 3 scoreless innings.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 4th inning.

Marcus Walden earned the win with 2 scoreless innings.

Matt Barnes pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Ryan Brasier earned his second save with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Mookie Betts played right field in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

At last the horrendous road trip is over. The Sox couldn't have possibly played worse and were lucky to win the three games that they did. The 3 wins were a miracle comeback and two skin of their teeth wins. The rotation looks like garbage and the offense is terribly inconsistent. Apart from that they're in good shape. Starting the season with 11 straight road games put them behind the 8-ball and they may not recover. Moreland's homer was all they needed today but they can't rely on shutting teams out every game. Hopefully the offense warms up when they come home and home is where they'll be for most of the remaining month. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox come home to collect their rings in their home opener. The Sox take on the Toronto Blue Jays and Matt Shoemaker at 2:00 PM with Chris Sale going for Boston at Fenway Park.

Sox Annihilated by Diamondbacks (4/5/19)

Its getting ridiculous at this point at just how bad the Boston Red Sox are right now. After getting humiliated in Seattle and Oakland, tonight the Sox reached a new low by getting pounded by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dbacks pounded out 18 hits and 15 runs to hand Rick Porcello (0-2, 13.50 ERA) and the Sox their possibly worst loss of the season. Arizona starter Zack Godley drove in as many runs as he allowed and a meaningless rally in the ninth made the final score a little better but in the end it was a 15-8 massacre at Chase Field.

                                                         Red Sox fans right now

The Sox offense did nothing in the top of the first inning as Andrew Benintendi led off by striking out swinging. Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center before Mitch Moreland flied out to left to end the inning. Porcello took the ball in the bottom of the first and got Jarrod Dyson to ground out to third to begin. Eduardo Escobar whiffed but David Peralta singled. Adam Jones squibbed one in front of the plate and was ruled safe on catcher's interference by Blake Swihart. Christian Walker grounded into a force to end the inning.

JD Martinez led off the top of the second by grounding out to third to start. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right and Rafael Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Porcello stayed tough in the bottom of the second by freezing Ketel Marte to start. Nick Ahmed grounded out to short and Alex Avila looked at strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning as Swihart singled to right to begin. Blake moved to second on the Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounder then to third on the Porcello grounder. Benintendi doubled to left to score Swihart and put Boston on top. Mr. Mookie singled Benintendi to third but Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           "We scored?" - Benintendi

Arizona found the concept of the Red Sox offensive by tying the game in the bottom of the third. The pitcher Godley singled before Dyson beat out an infield single. Escobar walked to load the bases but Porcello got a big double play by Peralta that did tie the game, but put two outs on the board. Jones walked to put runners at the corners but he was thrown out at second trying to steal by Swihart to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

The Sox were done offensively against Godley in the top of the fourth. Martinez grounded out to short, Bogaerts grounded out to third and Devers whiffed to end the inning. The Diamondbacks exploded in the bottom of the fourth although Walker grounded out to second to begin. Marte then blasted a 900 foot bomb to dead center to give Arizona the lead. Ahmed doubled and Avila walked to set up the biggest blunder of the day. Godley hit a flare to center that Holt, Betts and Martinez couldn't get to for a single to score Ahmed. Dyson singled off the glove of Holt to score Avila and send Godley to third. Escobar grounded out to first but Godley scored for another run. Peralta flied out to left to end the inning with the Diamondbacks ahead 4-1. Godley had more hits and as many rbis as the entire Red Sox.

                                                    Nothing going right for Boston

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth inning as Swihart grounded out to short, Holt whiffed and Porcello grounded out to third to end the inning. Porcello got rocked in the bottom of the fifth as Jones crushed a 5,000 foot bomb to increase the lead. Porcello got mad and froze both Walker and Marte but Ahmed singled. Avila doubled Ahmed home and Sox manager Alex Cora had enough of Porcello.  Last year's 17 game winner was batting practice again by giving up 7 runs in just 4 2/3 innings with 3 walks and two home runs. Brian Johnson came in and struck out Godley to end the inning but the game was over 7-1 and Porcello took his frustration out on the water cooler.

                                             Cora "Yeah you're out Rick, now beat it!"

The Sox threatened to score in the top of the sixth although Benintendi whiffed to start before Mr. Mookie walked. A wild pitch moved Betts to third but Moreland whiffed. Martinez and Bogaerts both walked to load the bases and one swing of the bat could have put the Sox back in it. Andrew Chafin came in to pitch and Devers killed the rally by grounding back to the mound to end the inning. The Diamondbacks poured it on in the bottom of the sixth as Dyson and Escobar stroked back to back singles to start. Peralta whiffed but Jones doubled home Dyson. Johnson intentionally walked Walker to get to Marte and Marte pulled a Troy O'Leary by belting a grand slam halfway to New Orleans to put the game out of reach. Ahmed hit a ground rule double and moved to third on the Avila ground out. Ildemaro Vargas pinch hit for Chafin and smashed a 2 run bomb for more pain. Duson grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 14-1. What a disaster.

                                              Johnson can't bear to look

Marte moved to short with Vargas at second with Matt Koch on the mound to begin the top of the seventh. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt as Swihart grounded out to second and Holt grounded out to short. Jackie Bradley Jr pinch hit for Johnson and grounded out to short to end the inning. Tyler Thornburg bolted out of the bullpen and sprinted to the mound for the bottom of the seventh. Escobar lined out to right but Peralta singled. Peralta was erased on the force by Jones and Walker whiffed to end the inning with Thornburg running back to the dugout as fast as he could.

Somehow the Sox offense woke up in the top of the eighth with the game out of reach. Benintendi singled and Mr. Mookie smashed a 2 run homer to dead center to give hope for future games. Moreland grounded out to second and Martinez grounded out to short but Bogaerts singled. Devers singled and Swihart doubled both men home. Had Brian Johnson not crapped his pants, this game would have been a lot closer. Holt grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 14-5 Arizona.

                                                 Betts hits one out

At this point, Sox manager Alex Cora said the hell with it and sent Eduardo Nunez out to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Somehow Nunez got Marte to ground out to second before Koch flied out to center. Naturally Avila homered off the infielder to wrap up the scoring for Arizona. Vargas flied out to center to end the inning but it was 15-5.

                                              Nunez really does play every position

Nunez stepped off the mound and into the batter's box to lead off the top of the ninth with an infield hit to third. He was erased on the force by Benintendi but Mr. Mookie hit a ground rule double. Moreland then launched a 3 run bomb into the left field seats to cut into the lead. Had the bullpen locked down the Diamondbacks after Porcello left, the Sox would have been in the lead. Yoan Lopez replaced Koch and Martinez singled to keep things going....but Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox made the final score better in the final two innings but still got their asses kicked 15-8.

Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He allowed 7 runs and failed to go 5 innings, allowing 3 walks and 2 home runs.

 

                                                 Water cooler Jackass



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and an rbi

Mookie Betts was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 total runs scored and a 2 run home run.

Blake Swihart was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Tyler Thornburg tossed a scoreless 7th inning.



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Brian Johnson got lit up for 7 runs in just 1 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Eduardo Nunez was 1 for 1 at the plate but allowed a run in an inning pitch.




Final Thoughts:

This season sucks. It doesn't matter who they play at this point because they just get stomped. In every game but the 1-0 loss they were behind 3-4 runs by the fifth inning. They're not even competitive at this point. Its good to see the offense wake up even if it was too late and the pressure was off. Just the fact they woke up at all is a silver lining to a horrific start to the season. Porcello and Johnson looked terrible and Alex Cora sandbagging Spring Training cost them big time. If they lose out on the Division by a game or two, you can look at this poor start as to why. The less said of this disaster the better. Tomorrow night the Sox take on the Diamondbacks with Luke Weaver on the mound for Arizona and David Price going for the Sox at 7:10 PM Eastern time at Chase Field.

A's Pound Sloppy Sox, Take Three of Four (4/4/19)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox announced Steve Pearce was activated off the Disabled List and put in the starting lineup for today's game. Sam Travis was sent down to Pawtucket to make room for Pearce on the roster. This is good news for he's their lefty killer and he spells Mitch Moreland.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                   IN

As for the game, yet another epic disaster in what's fast becoming a terrible season. Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 12.38) continued to struggle this season by surrendering 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings of work to the Oakland A's. Last year's wild card winners took it to the Red Sox in this four game set. If it wasn't for a comedy of errors the Sox would have been swept. Today was no different as the A's pounded out 7 runs and 13 hits and the Sox offense dissipated after the third inning as the A's took 3 out of 4 from the Sox in the 7-3 loss at the Oakland Coliseum.

                                                        "Another loss......"

Brett Anderson had a 33 scoreless inning streak at home on the line and Mr. Mookie greeted him with a base hit to right on the first pitch. Andrew Benintendi dropped down a sacrifice bunt but Anderson lollygagged to first so first baseman Mark Canha went to second because Betts was lollygagging himself thinking the out was going to first. Betts was safe at second and runners were on for the returning Steve Pearce.....who whiffed on a pitch in the dirt. JD Martinez singled to right but Mr. Mookie didn't try for home when he would have been safe. The bases were loaded and Xander Bogaerts broke the scoreless streak with a walk to score Betts with the game's first run. Eduardo Nunez hit a measly pop up to first but Brock "The Hitman" Holt walked to score Benintendi with another run. Christian Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

Rodriguez took the ball in the bottom of the first and Robbie Grossman led off with a pop up to right field to begin. Marcus Semien lined a rocket right to Betts but Stephen Piscotty singled to left. Rodriguez blew away Khris Davis on 3 pitches to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to start the top of the second before Mr. Mookie watched strike three go by. Benintendi flied out to right to end the inning. Rodriguez kept the A's down in the bottom of the second although Chad Pinder singled up the middle to start. Mark Canha popped up to third but Pearce ran over to snare the ball. Pinder was erased on a force by Jurickson Profar before Ramon Laureano grounded back to Rodriguez to end the inning.

Pearce launched a ball off the left field wall to open the top of the third but his hamstring was so bad he got thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Martinez then crushed an opposite field home run to right to increase the lead. Bogaerts drew a walk but Nunez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                       Martinez goes yard

The A's exploded in the bottom of the third as Josh Phegley doubled into the left field corner to start before moving to third on the fly ball to right by Grossman. Semien drew a full count walk and Piscotty blasted a 50,000 foot bomb to tie the game. Davis lashed a single to center and Pinder flied out to the right field wall. Betts had to run up the wall to rob Canha of a home run to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                    The A's tie it up

Holt tried to start a rally by poking a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth.Vazquez grounded out to short but Holt moved to second. JBJ flied out to left but Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked. Benintendi beat out an infield single to load the bases....but Pearce whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning. The A's took command in the bottom of the fourth althoughn Rodriguez somehow froze Profar with an inside fastball to begin. Naturally once Laureano walked, the rattled Rodriguez allowed a single to Phegley and a double by Grossman to sore Ramon to put the A's up for good. Semien popped up to center as Betts and Bradley Jr committed a huge mental error by letting a pop up drop for a ground rule double for two more runs to score. Rodriguez walked Davis and Sox manager Alex Cora had seen enough. The last two runs shouldn't have scored but Rodriguez once again nibbled and got his ass handed to him in just 3 2/3 innings. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in and got Pinder to ground into a force at third but it was all over as the A's led 6-3.

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

The Sox rolled over and died in the top of the fifth as Martinez popped up to center to begin. Somehow Bogaerts singled to left but naturally Nunez popped up in foul territory to first. Holt grounded out weakly to first to end the inning. Velazquez returned for the bottom of the fifth as Canha hit a seeing eye single in the hole at short to begin. Profar banged into a double play and Laureano flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Vazquez popped up to center to begin. JBJ somehow singled up the middle to chase Anderson. Lou Trevino came in to pitch to Mr. Mookie and got rung up on a terrible pitch up and in. JBJ swiped second on the strikeout but Benintend took a curveball right down the middle for strike three to end the inning. Sox manager Alex Cora barked at the home plate umpire as the team was clearly frustrated.

The A's iced the game in the bottom of the sixth although Velazquez got Phegley to pop up to first in foul territory to start. Grossman whiffed but Semien singled to right. Piscotty beat out an infield hit and Davis hit a seeing eye single up the middle to score Semien. Everything Oakland hit found a hole while the Sox couldn't hit the ball out of their hands. Pinder popped up to first to end the inning but it was 7-3 A's.

Joakim Soria took over for the top of the seventh and Pearce was rung up for strike three to start. Martinez popped up to left and Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning. Heath Hembree got the call to pitch the bottom of the seventh and got Canha to fly out to left to start. Profar lined out to right before Hembree keeled over. He refused medical attention and naturally Laureano hit yet anothr seeing eye single to left. Laureano swiped second but Phegley whiffed to end the inning.

Pinder took over at second with Matt Chapman taking Profar's spot in the lineup at third base. Liam Hendriks came in to pitch and Blake Swihart pinch hit for Nunez to begin the top of the eighth. Swihart singled to right but Holt flied out to left. Rafael Devers pinch hit for Vazquez only to erase Swihart on a force. JBJ whiffed to end the inning. Hembree returned for the bottom of the eighth and Grossman flied out to left to start. Semien lined out to right but Piscotty walked. Davis whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox had one final kick in the ass in the top of the ninth inning when Mr. Mookie walked to start. Benintendi dropped a base hit in front of Laureano and he gunned down Betts at third by a mile, shades of Bogaerts from Tuesday night. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Pearce only to line out to right. Martinez grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox dropped to 2-6 on the season with their 7-3 loss to Oakland.

Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. The struggling lefty once again nibbled, backed away and didn't trust his stuff. This led to him allowing 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings including the backbreaking 3 run home run.

                                                  Nice going Jackass



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with a solo home run.

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

Blake Swihart singled as a pinch hitter.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Heath Hembree tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Steve Pearce was just 1 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a stolen base.

Hector Velazquez allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Maybe its time to think this team isn't as good as it thinks it is. Not only have the Red Sox trailed in all 8 games they played so far, they needed lucky breaks just to win 2 of them. For all intents and purposes they should be 0-8 on the season. The worst part is they fall behind by multiple runs every game and they're not even competitive. Both Seattle and Oakland would have 3 run leads by the 5th inning and the game was over. They're not pitching or fielding well and Sox manager Alex Cora is getting more mad at the media for sandbagging Spring Training than he is at his own team. It will be a miracle if they're not 10 games out by the end of April at this rate. Not only is Rodriguez pitching like crap but everyone is all over him. Cora, Dennis Eckersley and Dave O'Brien in the TV both, the fans...everyone is fed up with him having no faith in himself. The Sox continue their horrid road trip with the spanking at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tomorrow night Rick Porcello (0-1, 13.50) gets pounded as Zack Godley shuts down the Sox offense at 7:05 PM at Chase Field.