Rangers Attack Boston Bullpen, Avert Sweep (9/26/19)

The fact David Price and Chris Sale are out for the season is the reason why today's game between the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers was a "bullpen game" for Boston. It turned into one of the most boring, frustrating and excruciating losses to sit through this season. Rangers starter Mike Minor needed some chicanery to pad his strikeout totals for the season but the Rangers offense teeing off on the Sox bullpen was the real story. The Rangers got just 7 hits but made them count with a 5th inning grand slam being the exclamation point. When the dust settled the Rangers had averted a sweep with a 7-4 victory at Arlington Park.

Mike Minor got the start for Texas in the top of the first inning and Marco Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second and JD Martinez whiffed to end the inning. Travis Lakins got the "start" for Boston and Shin-Soo Choo walked to start. Choo moved to second on the Elvis Andrus grounder and Willie Calhoun hit a routine grounder to Sam Travis. Travis dove on the ball and wrestled it for an error but luckily Danny Santana grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Travis grounded out to third to open the top of the second inning before Brock "The Hitman" Holt popped up to first. Gorkys Hernandez flied out to left to end the inning. Lakins struck out Rougned Odor swinging to begin the bottom of the second before Nick Solak grounded out to short. Ronald Guzman flied out to right to end the inning. Lakins did his job by pitching 2 perfect innings of this dreary game.

                                                           Lakins finishes strong

Minor turned up the heat in the top of the third by blowing away Jackie Bradley Jr to start. Both Sandy Leon and Chris Owings were called out on strikes to end the inning. Brian Johnson was first out of the pen for the Sox in the bottom of the third and Jose Trevino lined out to left to start. Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded out to third but Choo walked. Andrus lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth when Marco Hernandez caught the Rangers asleep with a bunt single to start. Benintendi whiffed but Martinez singled Hernandez to third. Travis made up for his earlier error with a base hit to score Hernandez with the game's first run. Holt beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Gorkys Hernandez doubled home Martinez. JBJ singled home Holt but the rally ended when Leon grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                               Nice going Leon

The Rangers answered right back in the bottom of the fourth when Calhoun walked to start. Calhoun was erased on the force by Santana but Danny swiped second. Odor whiffed but Solak doubled home Santana. Guzman walked and Sox manager Alex Cora started the musical chairs in the bullpen by bringing in Trevor Kelley. Kelley struck out Trevino to end the inning but the Rangers were down 3-1.

                                             Nice going Johnson

Owings led off the top of the fifth by drawing a walk but got himself thrown out at second trying to steal. Marco Hernandez whiffed and Sox manager Alex Cora said to hell with this game and sat Andrew Benintendi in favor of Juan Centeno. Centeno grounded out to short to end the inning. Centeno took over behind the plate with Leon moving to first and Travis going to right with Mike Shawaryn now on the mound for the bottom of the fifth. Kiner started the rally with a single but Choo froze for strike three. Kiner swiped second and Andrus singled him to third. Andrus swiped second and Calhoun walked to load the bases. Santana then mashed a 500,000 foot grand slam to put the Rangers on top. Odor flied out to center but Solak singled to chase the incompetent Shawaryn. Colten Brewer came in as Solak swiped second on the incompetent Centeno but Guzman grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Rangers up 5-3.

                                               Great bullpen help.....

Martinez tried to start a rally in the top of the sixth with a base hit to center but Travis ended it by grounding into a double play. Holt singled to left but Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning. Ryan Weber got the ball in the bottom of the sixth and Trevino whiffed to start. Kiner grounded out to first but Choo walked. Andrus grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox showed some life in the top of the seventh when JBJ clubbed his 21st home run of the season to cut the lead. Leon hit one up the elevator shaft but Owings of all people tied the game with his third home run of the season. Marco Hernandez grounded out to first but Centeno singled to left to keep the rally going. Martinez walked and somehow the Sox pulled off a double steal with the two slowest guys on the team. Naturally Travis whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 5-5.

                                              Owings ties it up

The Rangers immediately retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Weber served up a 8,000,000 foot home run into the Gulf of Mexico to Calhoun to start. Santana struck out swinging but Odor smashed a 5,000 foot home run for the big insurance run. Solak lined out to right and Sox manager Alex Cora decided to piss everyone off with an unnecessary pitching change, bringing in Bobby Poyner to pitch to Guzman. Poyner got Guzman to fly out to left to end the inning but it was 7-5 Rangers.

                                                    Odor ices it

The Sox went quietly in the top of the eighth as Holt grounded out to first to start. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to short and JBJ popped up to short to end the inning. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in for the bottom of the eighth and Trevino grounded out to short to start. Kiner grounded out to third and Choo flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rangers pulled off some chicanery to get Minor his 200th strikeout of the season in the top of the ninth. Leon flied out to left and Owings popped up to first only for Guzman to drop it on purpose. Naturally Owings whiffed and the sparse crowd went wild for Minor's 200th strikeout. Even worse, rather than let Minor finish the game, Rangers manager Chris Woodward lifted him after 8 2/3 innings for Jose Leclerc. Leclerc punched out Marco Hernandez to end the game and give the Rangers the 7-5 win.

                                              Yeah yeah yeah....whoopie


Jackass of the Night is Ryan Weber. He served up not one, but two home runs after the Sox had fought to tie the game in the seventh.

                                                          Jackass Weber



The Good:

Juan Centeno was 1 for 2 at the plate and stole a base.

JD Martinez was 2 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with 2 total rbis including a solo home run.

Chris Owings was 1 for 3 with a walk including a solo home run.

Travis Lakins tossed two scoreless innings.

Colten Brewer retired the only man he faced.

Trevor Kelley struck out the only guy he faced.

Bobby Poyner retired the only man he faced.

Hector Velazquez pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Shawaryn gave up a grand slam in the bottom of the 5th inning.



The Ugly:

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Sam Travis was just 1 for 4 with an error but drove in a run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Gorkys Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Brian Johnson allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.




Final Thoughts:

Thank God there's only 3 games left in this awful season. The real death of the Sox were the lack of starting pitching depth. That fell squarely on former Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski who's only acquisition was Andrew Cashner who's been a titanic bust as both starter and reliever. These bullpen games are hard enough to sit through once per week, twice is just simply torture. The constant pitching changes slow the game to a crawl and since the games are meaningless to begin with, there's really no point in watching anymore. The next two games are about as useful as pants on a pig with the only drama left is if Eduardo Rodriguez can win 20 games in the season finale. Old time MLB writers are squawking about Guzman dropping the ball on purpose so Minor could pad his stats....are they forgetting Don Baylor dropping a pop up so Roger Clemens could strike out 20 in 1986? Eh, who cares?  The loss drops the Sox to an unimpressive 83-76 on the season. Tomorrow night the Sox begin their final homestand of the season when they welcome to the terrible Baltimore Orioles to Fenway. Asher Wojciechowski goes for the Orioles against Nathan Eovaldi (2-0) at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Blanked by Jays (9/11/19)

As the season continues to spiral for the Boston Red Sox, at least they could do is attempt to try. Its bad enough the Sox turtled last night after falling behind in the fifth inning, tonight they didn't even show up. While the JV bullpen put together by Dave Dombrowski got pounded for 11 hits and 8 runs, the Toronto Blue Jays held the Sox to just 2 hits and no runs. Its becoming beyond painful to be a Red Sox fan these days as the Jays bitchslapped the Sox 8-0 at the Skydome. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Wilmer Font effortlessly retired the Sox in the top of the first inning. Brock "The Hitman" Holt hit a puny fly out to left to start before Xander Bogaerts hit a weak grounder to third. Rafael Devers got a lucky single to left but JD Martinez popped up to right to end the inning. Bobby Poyner got the start for Boston and got Bo Bichette to line out to second to start. Cavan Biggio popped up to third and Vladimir Guerrero Jr popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Mitch Moreland went down swinging to begin. Andrew Benintendi popped up to third before Christian Vazquez reached on an error by Bichette. Vazquez swiped second but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez whiffed to start the bottom of the second before Randal Grichuk flied out to center. Teoscar Hernandez swung at air to end the inning.

                                              Good work by Poyner

Trent Thornton came in for the Jays and blinded the Sox in the top of the third inning. Marco Hernandez lined out to center to start before Holt whiffed. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Trevor Kelley came in for the bottom of the third and Jonathan Davis flied out to center to begin. Brandon Drury whiffed and Danny Jansen struck out swinging to end the inning.

Martinez whiffed to start the top of the fourth before Moreland flied out to center. Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning. The Jays broke through in the bottom of the fourth although Bichette struck out swinging to start. Biggio doubled, stole third and scored on the Guerrero Jr sac fly. Tellez continued to haunt the Sox with a solo home run to increase the lead. Grichuk singled to chase Kelley. Ryan Weber came in and Hernandes hit a single to right. Holt picked the ball up and threw it into the Jays bullpen for an error to move the runners over. Davis grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 2-0 Toronto.

                                                 Can anyone get him out?

As usual when the Sox fell behind, they stopped trying. Vazquez grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before JBJ whiffed badly. Hernandez also struck out swinging to end the inning. The Jays iced the game in the bottom of the fifth although Drury flied out to right to begin. Jansen, Bichette and Biggio all singled to load the bases before Guerrero knocked in two runs with a single that he stretched into a double. Goodnight Weber as Brian Johnson came in to get Tellez to pop up to short. One and done for Johnson as Travis Lakins came in just for Grichuk to double home both runners. Hernandez then blasted a 20,000 foot home run to wrap up the scoring. Davis took strike three but the Jays had a commanding 8-0 lead.

                                                 Hernandez ices it early

The top of the sixth came and went as Holt flied out to center to begin. Bogaerts grounded out to second and Devers lined out to left to end the inning. Juan Centeno came in to catch the bottom of the sixth with Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez now on the mound. Drury walked and Jansen singled but Bichette banged into a double play. Biggio walked but Guerrero Jr popped up to second to end the inning.

Nothing happened in the top of the seventh as Martinez whiffed to start. Moreland grounded out to second and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning. Sam Travis took over for Moreland with Mike Shawaryn on the mound for the bottom of the seventh. Tellez whiffed, Grichuk flied out to left and Hernandez was retired on a squibber in front of the mound to end the inning.

Anthony Alford took over for Grichuk with Jason Adam now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Centeno popped up to third to start before JBJ grounded out to first. Hernandez flied out to right to end the inning. Chris Owings took over at short for the bottom of the eighth and Davis struck out swinging to start. Drury walked but Jansen hit into a double play to end the inning.

Ryan Tepera came in to close out the top of the ninth and Holt greeted him with a single. Owings forced Holt at second and he was forced at second by Devers. Gorkys Hernandez pinch ran for Devers but Martinez grounded into a force to end the game. The Jays had shut out the Sox 8-0.

                                                Stumblin, bumblin Sox


Jackass of the Night is Travis Lakins. Not that the Sox were gonna score any runs but he allowed 2 inherited runners to score and a two run home run in short order.

                                                     September Jackass





The Good:

Bobby Poyner tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Brian Johnson retired the only man he faced.

Hector Velazquez pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Mike Shawaryn tossed 2 scoreless innings.




The Bad:

Chris Owings was 0 for 1.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Trevor Kelley gave up 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Ryan Weber was charged with 4 runs in just 2/3 of an inning.




The Ugly:

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 2 but walked.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 2.

Juan Centeno was 0 for 1.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



Honorable Mention:

Gorkys Hernandez pinch ran for Devers in the top of the ninth.

Sam Travis played first base in the later innings.




Final Thoughts:

Thankfully there are only 16 games left because this is a torture test at this point. The Red Sox are a team that's clearly given up from up top all the way on down. Alex Cora taking out the starters at the first sign of trouble, bullpen games, the offense regressing and failing to come back again and again. This is far worse than 2014 because that season was over at the trade deadline, this team had the unmitigated audacity to play mediocre in August to keep interest long enough before the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays made their runs. The loss dropped the Sox to 76-70, too many games out of first place in the AL East. Tomorrow is yet another bullpen game as Jhoulys Chacin is the sacrificial lamb against old friend Clay Buchholz at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Sox Fall To Jays (9/10/19)

You can look back on what caused the season to go down the drain for the Boston Red Sox but one stat that can't be overlooked is their inability to come back in the later innings. The Sox had a 3-2 lead over the Toronto Blue Jays when they allowed 2 runs in the bottom of the fifth thanks to the efforts of Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez. Even though it was a one run lead, it may as well have been 100 as the once mighty Sox offense turtled in the final 4 innings, getting just 1 hit the rest of the way. Nathan Eovaldi lasted just 4 1/3 innings as the Blue Jays ran the Sox losing streak to 4 with a 4-3 win at the Skydome.

                                              "Will you bums ever rally???"

The Sox wasted no time getting to Blue Jays starter TJ Zeuch in the top of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts continued his quest for a 30-100 season when he hit the first pitch of the game out of the yard for his 28th home run of the season. Rafael Devers followed with a single but was thrown out at second base. JD Martinez lined out to left but Mitch Moreland singled to almost the same spot. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                  Kiss this one goodbye

Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Bo Bichette greeted him with a base hit to left. Cavan Biggio whiffed but Bichette swiped second. Vladimir Guerrero Jr grounded out to short and Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez whiffed to end the inning.

The miserable Sox offense blew a chance to blow the game open in the top of the second inning. Christian Vazquez grounded out to third to start before Jackie Bradley Jr walked. Chris Owings singled to right but Marco Hernandez beat out a double play ball. Mr. Mookie walked to load the bases but the slumping Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Randal Grichuk took strike three to start the bottom of the second but Justin Smoak singled to left. Reese McGuire lined out to left before Jonathan Davis singled to center. Derek Fisher whiffed to end the inning.

Martinez grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Moreland flied out to left. Benintendi walked but Vazquez lined out to left to end the inning. The Jays tied it in the bottom of the third although Bichette grounded out to short to start. Biggio crushed a 45,000 foot home run to tie the game. Guerrero Jr grounded out to second before Tellez singled to right. Gruchuk whiffed to end the inning but it was 1-1.

                                                  Tie game

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as JBJ grounded out to short to start. Owings whiffed and Hernandez lined out to second to end the inning. Eovaldi got Smoak to ground out to first to start the bottom of the fourth but the Jays took the lead for good when McGuire cracked a 100,000 foot bomb. Davis grounded out to third but Fisher walked. Bichette flied out to right to end the inning but the Jays lead 2-1.

                                                        Jays take the lead

Somehow the Sox responded in the top of the fifth inning. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third but Devers doubled down the right field line. Martinez then lined a ball down the left field line but a fan reached over and snatched it, causing a fan interference ground rule double that scored Devers to tie the game. Goodbye Zeuch as Buddy Boshers came in to get Moreland to ground out to first although Martinez moved to third. Somehow Benintendi lined a base hit to center to score Martinez with the go-ahead run. Another pitching change saw Justin Shafer come in and Benintendi swiped second, but Vazquez whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                            Benintendi drives one in

Naturally after the Sox took the lead, they coughed it up in the bottom of the fifth. Biggio walked but Eovaldi punched out Guerrero Jr. All of a sudden Dr. Quick Hook Alex Cora came out to get Eovaldi. Despite the season being on the line, Cora stuck to his guns about pitch counts and took Nathan out. Eovaldi lasted just 4 1/3 innings and was charged with 3 runs.

                                                 Bye bye Eovaldi

Cora looked like a bigger fool when Josh Taylor came in and promptly served up a meatball for Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez to crushed completely out of the Skydome to give the Jays the lead back. Grichuk flied out to left and Smoak took strike three to end the inning but the Jays were up for good 4-3.

                                                         Tellez hits the killshot

As usual once the Sox were trailing, they went right in the tank in the top of the sixth inning. JBJ whiffe, Owings grounded out to third and Hernandez whiffed to end the inning. Brian Johnson came in for the bottom of the sixth and McGuire greeted him with a single before moving to second on a passed ball. Davis sacrificed him to third and Teoscar Hernandez pinch hit for Fisher. Hernandez walked to chase Johnson as Ryan Brasier came in to punch out Bichette. Biggio walked to load the bases but Guerrero Jr grounded into a force to end the inning. No wonder MLB wants to limit the amount of pitchers used in a game.

Derek Law came in to pitch the top of the seventh but it may as well been the retired Derek Lowe because the Sox were done for the night. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third, Devers popped up to first and Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning. Andrew Cashner came in for the bottom of the seventh and Tellez lined out to short to start. Grichuk doubled to center but Smoak popped up to short. McGuire walked but Davis took strike three to end the inning.

Tim Mayza came in for the top of the eighth and the Sox rolled over. Moreland grounded out to second and Benintendi grounded out to almost the same spot. For whatever reason, Jordan Romano was brought in to face Vazquez and Christian grounded out to second to end the inning. Matt Barnes had the bottom of the eighth and Hernandez flied out to right to begin. Bichette whiffed and Biggio flied out to center to end the inning.

Ken Giles came in to close out the top of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to begin. Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Owings and had the unmitigated audacity to beat out an infield single. Sox manager Alex Cora was so offended he send Gorkys Hernandez to run for him. Hernandez swiped second to put the tying run in scoring position but Marco Hernandez swung at a pitch headed for the backstop for strike three. Somehow Mr. Mookie walked but Devers popped up to center to end the game. The Sox had lost 4 in a row and failed to come back again in the 4-3 loss.

                                                     Another failure to come back


Jackass of the Night is Josh Taylor. He served up the two run jack to Tellez which ended up being the difference in the game.

                                                   Great job Jackass


The Good:

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

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi

Brock Holt singled as a pinch hitter.

Gorkys Hernandez stole a base as a pinch runner.

Ryan Brasier got the final two outs of the 6th inning.

Andrew Cashner pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Nathan Eovaldi allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Him pitching is a waste of time at this point, why throw him out there for 4 innings a pop if you've conceded the season?



The Ugly:

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Brian Johnson retired just one of the three men he faced.




Final Thoughts:

Say what you want about the state of the pitching but a glaring problem going into next year is the Sox waiving the white flag when they fall behind in the later innings. The Jays had the lead going into the sixth and allowed just 1 hit the rest of the way, the same offense that won 108 games last year just didn't care this year. You can squawk at Dr. Quick Hook for pulling Eovaldi or the bumbling bullpen but the bottom line is the offense doesn't come back. If they showed any of the fight they had last year, 5 wins here and there is the difference in being contenders and where they are now. Thankfully this miserable season is almost over. The loss dropped the Sox to 76-69, nowhere near anyone for a playoff spot. Tomorrow night is another worthless "bullpen game" as Bobby Poyner gets the start for the Sox up against Wilmer Font at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Twins Hang on, Defeat Sox (9/3/19)

Another frustrating loss in a season full of them for the Boston Red Sox. In a chance to prove they can hang with good teams, once again they fell flat on their face. "Slick" Rick Porcello (12-11, 5.63 ERA) once again was hammered, this time it was the Minnesota Twins who delivered the beating. The Sox fell behind 6-0 before rallying for 5 runs in the final few frames. The Sox had the tying run on in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't bring him in. The Twins had pounded one of the final nails in the Sox coffin with a 6-5 win at Fenway Park.

The Twins wasted no time getting to Porcello in the top of the first inning. Max Kepler was plunked but Jorge Polanco flied out to center. Nelson Cruz walked but Luis Arraez looked at strike three. Miguel Sano singled home Kepler to put the Twins on top. Jake Cave flied out to right to end the inning but the Twins were up 1-0.

                                                     Sano drives in a run

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the first against opener Randy Dobnak as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to first before Rafael Devers whiffed. Xander Bogaerts drew a walk but JD Martinez whiffed to end the inning.

CJ Cron grounded out to third to start the top of the second inning before Jason Castro whiffed. LaMonte Wade drew a walk but Kepler popped up to end the inning. Lewis Thorpe came in to pitch the bottom of the second and Andrew Benintendi hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Mitch Moreland whiffed but a Christian Vazquez fly out to center moved Benintendi to third. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Twins struck again in the top of the third as Polanco singled to right to begin. Cruz whiffed but Arraez doubled Polanco to third. Sano whiffed but Cave tripled into the right field corner to put the Twins up big. Cron popped up to short but it was 3-0 Twins.

                                                         Cave drives in two more

Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed to start the bottom of the third before Mr. Mookie grounded out to second. Devers took strike three to end the inning.

Castro singled to start the top of the fourth but Wade flied out to right. Kepler took strike three before Polanco grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts popped up to second to start. Martinez popped up to first and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning.

Porcello fell apart in the top of the fifth as Cruz smashed a 500,000 foot home run to start the inning. Arraez singled and Sano iced it with a 27,000 foot home run to chase Porcello. In a game the Sox had to win, Porcello lasted just 4 innings and allowed 6 runs, 2016 was a long time ago.

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

Josh Taylor came in and got Cave to ground out to short but plunked Cron. Brian Johnson came in and walked Castro. Wade advanced both runners by grounding out to first but Kepler grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                       Sano ices the game

The Sox pulled off a furious rally in the bottom of the fifth as Moreland walked to start. Vazquez singled and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Holt grounded out to short but Moreland scored to put the Sox on the board. JBJ walked to chase Thorpe. Trevor May got Mr. Mookie to fly out to right but Devers annihilated his 29th home run of the year to cut the lead. Bogaerts grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 6-4.

                                                    Number 29 for Devers

The Sox bullpen dominated the rest of the way as Marcus Walden came in for the top of the sixth. Polanco whiffed before Cruz grounded out to third. Arraez walked but Sano whiffed to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the sixth as Martinez whiffed to start. Benintendi struck out swinging before Moreland lined out to left to end the inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez came in to strike out the side in the top of the seventh. Cave whiffed to start before Cron looked at strike three. Castro whiffed to end the inning. Tyler Duffey came in for the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez whiffed to start. Holt whiffed but JBJ hit a ground rule double to bring the tying run to the plate. Sam Dyson came in to pitch and a wild pitch moved JBJ to third. Mr. Mookie walked but Devers flied out to left to end the inning.

Andrew Cashner came in for the top of the eighth and Wade grounded out to second to start. Kepler flied out to left as did Polanco to end the inning. Bryron Buxton came in for Wade in the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts flied out to left to begin. Martinez grounded out to short and Taylor Rogers came in to face Benintendi. Andrew made him pay by bashing a solo home run to center to cut the lead. Moreland was plunked and Chris Owings ran for him...only for Vazquez to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.

                                               Benintendi hits one out

Brandon Workman came in for the top of the ninth and Cruz whiffed to start. Arraez and Sano both whiffed to end the inning. The Sox bullpen was unhittable after Porcello left the game, too bad the offense couldn't complete the comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Holt singled to start and Marco Hernandez ran for him. Gorkys Hernandez pinch hit for JBJ and laid down a perfect bunt to move Hernandez to second. He was stranded as Mr. Mookie grounded back to the mound and Devers whiffed to end the game. The Twins had won it 6-5.

                                                   Dammit


Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. In a game he himself said they needed to win, he got shelled for 6 runs in 4 plus innings. Thanks for nothing.

                                                           Jackass Porcello



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

Mitch Moreland walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run in 4 plate appearances.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Gorkys Hernandez dropped down a bunt in the bottom of the ninth.

Josh Taylor retired the first batter of the fifth

Brian Johnson got the last two outs of the fifth.

Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a scoreless inning.

Andrew Cashner pitched a scoreless inning.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless inning.



The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 but drew a walk.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.



Honorable Mention:

Chris Owings pinch ran for Mitch Moreland and played second base.

Marco Hernandez ran for Brock Holt in the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That should do it in terms of fighting for a playoff spot. If they can't beat the Twins at home then they're certainly not beating the New York Yankees who come in right behind him. This series was either going to propel them with momentum or end it. It looks like its going to end because the atrocious rotation is killing them. Then again the offense is one of the worst in baseball in games they trail. Tonight's loss puts them at 3-61 when trailing after 7 innings, that's absolutely pathetic. That's 2012 Red Sox level of quitting. Thankfully there's only 24 games left of this nonsense and then its rebuilding time. The loss dropped the Sox to 74-64 5.5 games behind the Oakland A's for the second wild card. Tomorrow night Eduardo Rodriguez (16-5, 3.97 ERA) continues his march to 20 wins when he takes on Jose Berrios at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Angels Crush Sox Playoff Hopes (8/31/19)

If Boston Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski isn't fired at the end of the season, most Sox fans will be stunned. He ignored the bullpen issues all season and it tonight's loss to the Los Angeles Angels may have been one of the final nails in the coffin on the 2019 season. The Sox led the Angels 4-3 going into the 8th inning when the Angels pulled off a 7 run rally to put the game out of reach. What should have been a locked down win turned into a 10-4 defeat to further put the Sox out of playoff position.

                                            "Bullpen blows it again??"

The Sox wasted no time getting to Angels starter Dillon Peters in the top of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts led off with a base hit to center to begin. Betts was erased on the force by Rafael Devers before Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging. JD Martinez continued his hot streak with a double to right to score Betts to put the Sox on top. Sam Travis whiffed to end the inning with Boston up 1-0.

                                                   Martinez drives in a run

Josh Taylor was the opener for the Sox and David Fletcher singled to left to start. Mike Trout walked but Brian Goodwin whiffed. Albert Pujols walked to load the bases but Taylor froze Justin Upton for strike three. Kole Calhoun flied out to left to end the inning.

Andrew Benintendi flied out to center to start the top of the second before Christian Vazquez flied out to almost the exact same spot. Brock "The Hitman" Holt lined a ball off the glove of Luis Rengifo for a single but Sandy Leon popped up to short to end the inning. Marcus Walden came in to pitch the bottom of the first and Andrelto Simmons singled to short to begin. Rengifo forced Simmons at second but a wild pitch moved Luis to second. Kevan Smith walked but Fletcher flied out to center. Trout singled to right to score Rengifo and send Smith to third. Trout swiped second but Goodwin whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Trout ties it up

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Mr. Mookie doubled to left to begin before moving to third on the Devers grounder. Bogaerts lined out to first but Martinez singled home Betts. Fletcher booted a ball by Travis to allow him to reach on an error and Benintendi made the Angels pay with a base hit to right to score Martinez. Vazquez whiffed to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 3-1.

                                                    Vazquez picked a fine time to go into a slump

The Angels bashed Brian Johnson in the bottom of the third as Pujols doubled to right to begin. Pujols moved to third on the Upton fly out to right and scored on the Calhoun double. Simmons flied out to left but Rengifo tied the game with a double to right to score Calhoun. Smith grounded out to third to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                 Nice going Johnson

The Sox took the lead in the top of the fourth when Holt doubled to center to start. Leon dropped down a bunt to send Brock to third and Mr. Mookie scored Holt with a sac fly. Devers lined out to left to end the inning but the Sox led 4-3.

Johnson had a much easier bottom of the fourth as Fletcher grounded out to second to start. Trout whiffed and Goodwin grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the fifth as Bogaerts flied out to right to start. Martinez lined out to left and Travis grounded out to short to end the inning. Johnson got Pujols to fly out to left to open the bottom of the fifth before Upton whiffed. Calhoun whiffed to end the inning.

Benintendi popped up to third to begin the top of the sixth before Vazquez whiffed. Holt took strike three to end the inning. Johnson came back for one more inning in the bottom of the sixth and got Simmons to fly out to center to begin. Rengifo grounded out to third and Smith flied out to right to end the inning. Johnson allowed the 2 runs in the third but gave the Sox 3 scoreless innings after that.

Leon whiffed to begin the top of the seventh inning and that was it for Peters. Ty Buttrey came in and Betts was plunked before he swiped second. Devers flied out to left and Bogaerts popped up to first to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in for the bottom of the seventh and Fletcher grounded out to short to start. Trout whiffed but Goodwin doubled to right. Pujols grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew their chance to increase the lead in the top of the seventh when Luis Garcia walked Martinez to start. Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Travis and hit a ball back to the mound. Garcia threw wide of first and both runners were safe. Benintendi dropped down a bunt to move both runners over and Mitch Moreland pinch hit for for Vazquez. Moreland walked to load the bases but the normally reliable Holt banged into a double play to end the inning. Not making the same mistake twice two days in a row, Sox manager Alex Cora brought Jackie Bradley Jr in to replace Martinez in the lineup but in centerfield with Betts moving to right along with Ryan Brasier on the mound to start the bottom of the eighth. The Angels exploded as Upton and Calhoun ripped back to back singles to start. Simmons singled to left to score Upton to tie the game. Shohei Ohtani pinch hit for Rengifo but whiffed. Matt Thaiss pinch hit for Smith but flied out to center. One out away from going to the ninth tied, Fletcher doubled home Calhoun to give the Angels the lead. Trout was intentionally walked and Goodwin made the Sox pay by scoring Simmons and Fletcher with a base hit. That was it for Brasier who let the lead slip away. Josh Smith came in and Goodwin stole second. Pujols crushed a 500,000 bomb to ice the game. Upton whiffed to end the inning but the Angels rallied for 7 runs to ice the game 10-4.

                                                    Dammit

Jose Rodriguez came in for the top of the ninth and Leon grounded out to short to start. Mr. Mookie singled to right but was forced at second by Devers. Bogaerts hit a ground rule double to left and JBJ walked to load the bases which would have put the tying runs on if it wasn't for the Pujols homer. It didn't matter as Hernandez grounded out to third to end the game. The Angels had won it 10-4.

Jackass of the Night is Ryan Brasier. He allowed the go-ahead runs to score even before the Pujols homer.

                                                     Jackass Brasier



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 3 with a hit by pitch, rbi, stolen base and run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr walked in his only plate appearance.

Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Mitch Moreland walked as a pinch hitter.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless first inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 7th inning.



The Bad:

Sam Travis was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 2.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Marcus Walden allowed a run in the second inning.

Josh Smith served up the 3 run homer to Pujols in the 8th inning.



The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 5 but scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5.

Brian Johnson allowed 2 runs in 4 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Thanks a lot Dave Dombrowski. Since the Sox don't have a proven set-up guy, the Sox have to rely on scrap heap pickups like Brasier, Walden and Smith to get the job done. Guys like Barnes and Brasier must have their arms falling off from overuse because they just don't have pitching depth. That's on Dombrowski who went into the season legitimately thinking Colten Brewer and Tyler Thornburg was the answer to losing Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly. The Sox are trying desperately to hang on but with their rotation in shambles and their bullpen exhausted, it doesn't look good. Still, just the fact the offense has refused to quit shows at least they're going down swinging. The loss dropped the Sox to 73-63, 6 games behind the Cleveland Indians for the second wild card spot. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when David Price returns from the injured list to make the start up against Andrew Heaney at 4:00 PM Eastern time at Angel Stadium.

Sox Fall Flat in San Diego (8/25/19)

In a season full of frustrating losses, this one hurts real bad. Before the game both the Tampa Bay Rays and Cleveland Indians lost their games meaning had the Boston Red Sox won, they'd inch closer in the wild card race. Rather than come out full of fire, the Sox laid down and died, getting just four hits in the game. The San Diego Padres scored 3 runs in the first inning and that's all they needed as the lifeless Sox dropped the finale 3-1 at Petco Park.

                                         "Gutless losers!"

Lucchesi cruised in the top of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to flied out to center to start. Rafael Devers and and Xander Bogaerts both whiffed to end the inning. The Padres wasted no time getting to Johnson in the bottom of the first. Manny Margot effortlessly doubled before swiping third. Fransisco Mejia singled to left and Manny Machado ended the game with a backbreaking 2 run home run to put the Padres up for good. Hunter Renfroe walked but Eric Hosmer forced him at second. Ty France grounded out to short and Luis Urias flied out to center to end the inning with the Padres up for good 3-0.

                                          Of all people....

The Sox were deflated in the top of the second as JD Martinez weakly grounded out to short to start. Sam Travis grounded out weakly to second and Christian Vazquez grounded out weakly to first to end the inning. Austin Hedges walked to start the bottom of the third and took third on the sacrifice bunt by Luchessi. Hedges made a booboo when he was doubled off at second on a grounder by Margot before Mejia popped up to third to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to begin the top of the third but Chris Owings walked. Johnson bunted foul for strike three before Mr. Mookie popped up to center to end the inning. Johnson returned for one final inning in the bottom of the third and struck out Machado to start. Renfroe lined out to center but Hosmer walked. France doubled into the gap and Hosmer took off for home. Bogaerts gunned the relay throw to Vazquez....YER OUTTA THERE! Hosmer was out and so was Johnson. If it wasn't for the Machado home run Johnson would have given them a solid effort as a "opener".

                                         Another loss

The Sox finally got on the board in the top of the fourth inning although Devers grounded out to first to begin. Margot made a running catch off a 400 foot out by Devers but Martinez hit an absolute moonshot off the brick wall in left to cut the lead. Travis singled to center but Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                   Martinez hits one out

Ryan Brasier came in for the bottom of the fourth and JBJ made the play of the game when he climbed the centerfield wall to rob a triple from Urias. Hedges whiffed and Lucchesi took strike three to end the inning.

JBJ lined out to third to begin the top of the fifth before Owings lined out to center. Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Brasier and caught Lucchesi asleep with a bunt single. Mr. Mookie walked but the slumping Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Andrew Cashner came in for the bottom of the fifth and Margot lined one off the glove of Devers into the left field corner. Inexplicably Margot literally ran out of his shoe and fell down going from second to third and was tagged out by Devers. Mejia grounded out to second but Machado walked. Renfroe whiffed to end the inning.

                                                Oops

Wil Myers came in to play left with Craig Stammen now on the mound in the top of the sixth inning. Bogaerts whiffed to start before Martinez grounded out to short. Travis took strike three to end the inning. Cashner got Hosmer to ground out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before France flied out to center. Urias grounded out to short to end the inning.

Luis Perdomo came in to pitch the top of the seventh and cruised. Vazquez grounded out to second, JBJ whiffed and Owings grounded out to short to end the inning. Marcus Walden came on for the bottom of the seventh and got Hedges to ground out to third to begin. Myers whiffed but Margot walked. Josh Naylor pinch hit for Perdomo and flied out to left to end the inning.

Andres Munoz came in to pitch in the top of the eighth and the Sox blew their last chance. Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Walden and singled to left. Mr. Mookie hit a routine grounder to third but Machado booted it and everyone was safe. Devers then banged into a double play to kill the rally. Bogaerts did manage to walk but Martinez swung at strike three headed to the backstop to end the inning. They didn't deserve to win. Matt Barnes came in with Holt taking Owings spot for the bottom of the eighth. Machado flied out to right before Renfroe took strike three. Hosmer whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly against closer Kirby Yates in the top of the ninth. Travis grounded out to short to start before Vazquez whiffed. JBJ whiffed as well to end the game. 0The Sox failed to gained ground and went lifeless in the 3-1 defeat.

Jackass of the Night is Rafael Devers. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including the backbreaking double play in the eighth.

                                         Rafael Jackass


The Good:

Marco Hernandez singled as a pinch hitter.

Brock Holt singled as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless inning.

Andrew Cashner tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Brian Johnson allowed 3 runs in 3 innings to take the loss.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but the hit was a solo home run.

Sam Travis was just 1 for 4.

Chris Owings was 0 for 2 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

If I'm Alex Cora, I'd be kicking over water coolers in the clubhouse after this one. They had to have known the Rays, A's and Indians all lost and yet they laid an egg with the season on the line? Its a damn shame because the Sox bullpen stepped it up in this one. Take away the first inning and the Sox allowed 2 hits and no runs in the final 8 innings. Its unbelievable that the Sox laid down in this one considering what's at stake. They're running out of time and you'd think they'd have a sense of urgency especially against a beatable team like the Padres. I know things don't look good with Price hurt, Sale done for the year and the rest of the starters sucking but they still have a chance. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox travel to Colorado for a 2 game set with the Rockies. The Rockies have no idea who's pitching while the Sox throw "Slick" Rick Porcello (11-10, 5.49 ERA) out there at 8:40 PM Eastern time at Coors Field.

Phillies Edge Sox (8/20/19)

And this is why the Boston Red Sox are going nowhere this year. The Philadelphia Phillies came to Fenway and scored all their runs in the first inning of tonight's game. Thanks to the pitching of their ace Aaron Nola and to horrendous baserunning, that was all the runs they needed. Apart from a Jackie Bradley Jr home run the Sox couldn't get a clutch hit or that many hits in general as they missed a golden chance to gain ground on Tampa by dropping a 3-2 game at Fenway Park.

The Phillies blasted the incompetent Johnson in the top of the first inning. Rhys Hoskins walked but JT Realmuto popped up to second. Bryce Harper doubled and Jean Segura doubled home both runners to put Philly up for good 4 batters into the game. Corey Dickerson grounded out to short and Scott Kingery singled home Segura to increase the lead. Cesar Hernandez singled but Adam Haseley flied out to center to end the inning with the Phillies up for good 3-0.

                                                             Johnson gives it up

Nola cruised in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts whiffed to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to second before Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.

Johnson struck out Andrew Knapp to start the top of the second inning before Hoskins walked. Hoskins was erased on the force by Realmuto and Harper flied out to center to end the inning. JD Martinez walked to start the bottom of the second but Andrew Benintendi lined out to left. Christian Vazquez banged into a double play to end the inning.

Segura whiffed to start the top of the third inning before Dickerson took strike three. Kingery singled to center but was picked off to end the inning. The Sox somehow struck back in the bottom of the third inning as Mitch Moreland singled to left to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt flied out to left but Jackie Bradley Jr pounded his 15th home run of the year to cut the lead. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third and Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                     JBJ gets the Sox back in it

Hernandez singled to center to start the top of the fourth but was erased on the Haseley force. A wild pitch moved Haseley to second but Knapp struck out. That was it for Johnson who's awful first inning sealed his doom, allowing 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Marcus Walden came in and Hoskins singled to third but Realmuto whiffed to end the inning.

                                                     Tough loss for Johnson


The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts lined out to second to start. Martinez whiffed before Benintendi watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Phillies beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fifth as Harper grounded out to short to start. Both Segura and Dickerson grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth as Vazquez doubled to start. The rally ended as Moreland whiffed, Holt grounded out to second and JBJ grounded out to first to end the inning.

Josh Taylor came in for the top of the sixth and Kingery whiffed to start. Hernandez took strike three and Haseley grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally again in the bottom of the sixth when Mr. Mookie singled to left to begin. Mookie swiped second but Devers whiffed. Bogaerts flied out to left and Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came on for the top of the seventh and Knapp earned a hat trick with a strikeout. Hoskins grounded out to third and Realmuto lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the seventh as Benintendi grounded out to second to start. Vazquez and Moreland both whiffed to end the inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez came in for the top of the eighth and Harper flied out to center to start. Segura grounded out to second and Dickerson whiffed to end the inning. Jose Alvarez came in for Nola with Sam Travis pinch hitting for Holt. Travis flied out to right but JBJ singled to chase Alvarez. Mike Morin replaced Alvarez and Mr. Mookie whiffed. Devers lined out to center to end the inning.

Marco Hernandez came in to play second with Matt Barnes now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Kingery flied out to right to begin before Hernandez struck out. Haseley walked to break up a string of 16 in a row retired by Sox pitching. Knapp earned the golden sombrero but the ball got away on the strikeout and Knapp took first. Hoskins popped up to short to end the inning. One bad inning sealed the Sox fate as the bullpen was outstanding. Phillies closer Hector Neris came on for the bottom of the ninth and Bogaerts doubled to center to start. Martinez hit a routine grounder to short but Bogaerts foolishly tried for third and was thrown out by a mile. Chris Owings pinch ran for Martinez but was doubled off on a liner to first by Benintendi to end the game. Another tough loss as the Phillies won it 3-2.

                                                           Terrible loss


Jackass of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. Getting thrown out at third representing the tying run in the ninth is inexcusable

                                              You're out, Jackass



The Good:

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 3 with a 2 run home run

Marcus Walden tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a scoreless inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless inning.



The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brock Holt was 0 for 2.

Sam Travis was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Brian Johnson took the loss with 3 runs allowed in 3 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but stole a base.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Chris Owings pinch ran for Martinez in the ninth.

Marco Hernandez played second in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That was a huge loss considering the Tampa Bay Rays lost as well. The Sox bullpen held the Phillies scoreless after the first inning and couldn't take advantage. They had the tying run at second with nobody out 3 times and couldn't score a single run. These are the losses you can't have with only 35 games left. Can't even blame Johnson because the offense shoukd have scored more than 2 runs. Hopefully the Sox can come back tomorrow night. The loss dropped the Sox to 67-60, 6 games behind the Rays for the second wild card. Tomorrow the Sox look to bounce back with "Slick" Rick Porcello taking on Drew Smyly at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.