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

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

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

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

                                                          Sox strike first

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

                                                        Lawrie ties it

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

                                                           Jays take the lead

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

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

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

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

                                                       Lester wasn't good enough

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

                                                                  Jays finish it off

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

                                                          Jays win

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

                                                             Jackass Lester

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ross was 0 for 3 with an error.

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

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Yankees Smash Doubront, Sox (4/24/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Alex Wilson was sent down to Worcester and the Red Sox finally activated Shane Victorino. The Sox need Victorino's bat since the rest of the outfield have underperformed so far this season. The sooner he can regain his rhythm, the better the offense will be.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                            IN

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 4 of their first round NHL playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox got their brains beaten in by an angry New York Yankees team. After social media had a field day calling the Yankees cheaters and flim-flammers for the shenanigans of Michael Pineda in last night's game, the Yankees took it out on the Red Sox, pounding Felix Doubront (1-3, 6.00 ERA) and the Boston bullpen for 14 hits and 14 runs. Meanwhile Yankees ace CC Sabathia held the Sox bats to just 2 runs in 6 innings. The Sox got three runs off Shane Greene but it wasn't nearly enough as the Yankees crushed the Sox 14-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                    "Allowing 14 runs to the Yankees...."

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Doubront in the top of the first inning as Jacoby Ellsbury took strike three to start. Derek Jeter grounded back to the mound and Carlos Beltran hit a routine grounder to Xander Bogaerts....off his hand for an error. Naturally Alfonso Soriano doubled off the bullpen wall to score Beltran, putting the Yankees up for good four batters into the game. A passed ball moved Soriano to third and Mark Teixeira walked. Brian McCann lined out to center to end the inning.

                                                         "I don't got it" - Bogaerts

Sabatahia got the ball in the bottom of the first as Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Shane Victorino struck out swinging but David Ortiz was hit with a pitch. Mike Napoli grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the second as Brett Gardner walked to start. Brian Roberts hit a routine grounder to Brock Holt who threw to second.....dropped by Pedroia for an error. A wild pitch moved the runners over and Yangervis Solarte doubled down the left field line to score both runners and ice the game. Ellsbury grounded out to second to move Solarte to third and Jeter hit a ball off of Holt for a "single" to put runners at the corners. It looked like Beltran was hit with a pitch to load the bases but the pitch went to the backstop. Yankees manager Joe Girardi challenged that it was a wild pitch and Yankees manag...errrr Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre DEMANDED the call changed, and sure enough....Solarte was sent home as a run scored with Jeter going to second. Beltran grounded out to third but Jeter moved to third on the play. Soriano lined out to right to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-0.

                                                        A comedy of errors

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Jonny Gomes walked to start. Bogaerts forced him at second but Holt walked as well. David Ross lined out to third and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Yankees finished off Doubront in the top of the third as Teixeira hit a home run all the way to Sweden to increase the lead. McCann grounded out to second and Gardner hit a routine grounder to Doubront who bobbled it for the third error in the game. Gardner swiped second and third before scoring on the Roberts base hit to center. Solarte popped up to third but Roberts stole second as the boo's rained down. Ellsbury doubled to center to score Roberts and Sox manager John Farrell had had enough of Doubront. The errors didn't help but he still allowed 7 runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Burke Badenhop came in to pitch and Jeter took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-0.

                                                       "Not your night, Felix" - Farrell

The Sox did rally in the bottom of the third as Pedroia walked to start. Victorino doubled off the third base bag and Ortiz hit a sac fly to center to score Pedroia. Napoli grounded out to short but Gomes doubled to center to score Victorino. A wild pitch moved Gomes to third but Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 7-2.

                                                      Gomes drives in a run

Beltran lined out to third to start the top of the fourth but Soriano doubled down the left field line. Teixeira flied out to center and McCann was intentionally walked. Gardner lined out to left to end the inning. Holt grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the fourth and Ross took strike three. JBJ was hit with a pitch but Pedroia watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fifth as Roberts grounded out to second to start. Solarte grounded back to the mound and Ellsbury grounded out to second to end the inning. Victorino flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Ortiz struck out swinging. Napoli took strike three to end the inning.

Jeter grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and that was it for Badenhop. He put the fire out  big time and Craig Breslow came in to pitch to Beltran. Carlos doubled off the Monster but Soriano flied out to right. Teixeira grounded out to third to end the inning. Gomes watched strike three go by to begin the bottom of the sixth but Bogaerts beat out a roller to third. Holt took strike three and Ross forced Bogaerts at second to end the inning.

The Sox fell apart in the top of the seventh as McCann got an opposite field base hit to left to start. Gardner walked and Roberts hit a grounder to Holt....who booted it for yet another error. The floodgates opened as Solarte got a base hit to right to score McCann and Garnder. Ellsbury hit a ground rule double down the right field line to score Roberts and Jeter singled to center to score Solarte and Ellsbury. Beltran forced Jeter at second but Soriano walked. Teixeira walked and FINALLY Farrell pulled the incompetent Breslow. Edward Mujica came in and McCann popped up to third in foul territory. Gardner grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 12-2 Yankees.

                                                           They can't do anything right.

The Sox did rally in the bottom of the seventh against Shane Greene making his major league debut. JBJ walked to start and Pedroia hit a routine grounder to Jeter. Jeter went OLE! for an error to move JBJ to third. Bradley scored on a passed ball and Pedroia moved up to second on the play. Victorino struck out swinging and Jonathan Herrera pinch hit for Ortiz with the game already over. Herrera walked and Napoli walked as well to load the bases to chase Greene. Adam Warren came in and Gomes hit a sac fly to right to score Pedroia, moving Herrera to third. Bogaerts doubled to center to score Herrera but Holt lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 12-5.

                                                      Bogaerts drives in a run

The Yankees struck back in the top of the eighth as Roberts lined one over the head of Pedroia into right to start. Solarte flied out to center but Ellsbury doubled off the Monster. A wild pitch scored Roberts and Jeter walked, but Beltran hit one up the elevator shaft. Soriano grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 13-5.

                                                          Another run scored

Ichiro Suzuki took over for Beltran to start the bottom of the eighth and Ross lined out to right to start. JBJ watched strike three go by and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Mike Carp the infielder came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Herrera came in to play second to Pedroia. Teixeira walked to start but McCann grounded into a double play to make the remaining fans laugh. Gardner, Roberts and Solarte all walked to load the bases then Ellsbury walked to score Gardner. Kelly Johnson pinch hit for Jeter and hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Yankees up 14-5.

                                                              Not exactly Koji Uehara

John Ryan Murphy came in for Teixeira with David Robertson now on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Victorino grounded out to third, Herrera flied out to center and Napoli grounded out to second to end the game. The Yankees had won it 14-5.

                                                              Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Felix Doubront. He got hammered for 7 runs in 2 2/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                                    Jackass Doubront

The Good:

David Ortiz was hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

Jonathan Herrera walked and scored a run in two plate appearances.

Jonnny Gomes was 1 for 2 with with a walk and 2 rbis.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Burke Badenhop tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

David Ross was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Carp got tagged for a run in the ninth inning as a pitcher.

Craig Breslow allowed 5 runs in an inning.

Edward Mujica allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but walked and scored two runs.

Shane Victorino was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was quite possibly Boston's worst game all season. Not just the incompetent pitching but all the errors early in the game that could have avoided the rallies to put the Sox in the hole they weren't able to get out of. Its been a microcosm of the season as the pitching has been mostly wretched but the offense has completely evaporated. The Sox only had 4 hits in the game and apart from Napoli and Bogaerts, not a single Sox starter is hitting over .257. That's a bad sign for the future, especially since they're the hunted this season. They snuck in the back door last year because nobody expected this team to gel together but this year, teams are going to be ready. The Yankees just blew their doors off in 2 out of 3 games at Fenway and Jacoby Ellsbury is making the Sox regret giving him up big time. Was he worth a 7 year deal? Hell no, but Grady Sizemore and Daniel Nava sure as hell isn't replacing him so far. Doubront looks like he took a step back as well but then again, NOBODY looked good tonight. It was all around bawful and the less said of this mess, the better. The Sox now travel to Toronto for a three game set with the Blue Jays. Tomorrow night Jake Peavy looks for this first win of the season against former Chicago White Sox ace Mark Buehrle. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Buchholz Hammered, Sox Lose Patriots Day (4/21/14)

One year after a walkoff win preceding the Boston Marathon, the Boston Red Sox could not repeat the magic on Patriots Day this year. Even with all the hype and the hooplah harking back to last year when the city came together following the bombing, the Sox couldn't get it done against the Baltimore Orioles. Clay Buchholz (0-2, 7.71 ERA) once again stunk the joint out as its become apparent he's not the same pitcher he was from the first half of 2013. He allowed six runs and was knocked out in the third inning. Meanwhile Boston fought bravely, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth and getting a David Ross home run in the bottom of the sixth. The O's tagged Craig Breslow for a run which proved to be the difference. A ninth inning rally fell short and the O's had beaten the Sox on Patriots Day 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Lost the game, won the day

Buchholz got the ball in the top of the first and Nick Markakis led the game off with a ground out to second base. Nelson "pain in the ass" Cruz struck out swinging but Chris Davis walked. Jonny Gomes then made a diving catch to rob Adam Jones of a hit to end the inning. Wei-Yin Chen got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brock Holt grounded out to second to begin. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short but not before nearly taking out Jonathan Schoop at third base when Pedroia lost control of his bat on a swinging strike two. David Ortiz drew a four pitch walk but Napoli forced Ortiz at second to end the inning.

The O's beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second as Steve Clevenger grounded out to second to begin. Schoop grounded out to short and Ryan Flaherty grounded out to Buchholz to end the inning. In the bottom of the second, last night's comeback starter Jonny Gomes did what he usually does, strike out swinging. Xander Bogaerts popped up to center and Daniel Nava struck out swinging to end the inning.

Steve Lombardozzi started the third inning rally with a single. David Lough singled and after Holt dropped his pop up into the stands, Markakis singled Lombardozzi home. Lough took third and he scored on Cruz' single. The hits kept on coming as Davis singled Markakis home and Cruz took third. Cruz scored on the force at second by Jones. Clevenger then doubled home Jones to make it 5-0 just like that. Not only have the Red Sox trailed in nearly every game they've played this season, they've trailed big. Schoop doubled home Clevenger and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. After breezing through the first two innings, Buchholz allowed 7 hits and was replaced by Burke Badenhop. After finishing last night's game less than 12 hours ago, the Sox needed Buchholz to pitch a good game with the rest of the troops tired....well he failed miserably. Luckily Badenhop got Flaherty to bang into a double play to end the inning. Just like that the game was over 2 1/2 innings into it.  

                                                       What a disaster

Could the Red Sox rally in the bottom of the third? Hell no! David Ross struck out swinging and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out looking to begin the bottom of the third. Holt grounded out to first to end the inning.

Picking up where he left off, Lombardozzi led off the top of the fourth with a single to right. Somehow Badenhop got Lough to line out to center but Markakis walked. Cruz banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox got their first runner of the day on a miracle walk by Pedroia to begin the bottom of the fourth. Somehow Ortiz singled to right but Napoli kept up the incompetence with a full count strike out swinging. More basebawful continued when Gomes lined out to Flaherty.....who doubled off Pedroia to end the inning.

Badenhop walked Davis to begin the top of the fifth, but recovered to strike out Jones looking and get Clevenger to bang into a double play. 3 double plays by Badenhop, talk about putting out the fire. The Sox finally struck in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts worked a lead-off walk. Nava somehow hit one in the hole at short and Ross nearly hit into a double play but beat out the relay throw to first. Somehow Jackie Bradley Jr hit a ground rule double into the right field seats to score Boegarts and advance Nava to third. Holt lined out to center but Ross scored to cut the lead. Pedroia then cut the lead in half with a double down the left field line to score Bradley Jr. Ortiz lined one off the glove at second but was thrown out at first to end the inning. The Sox cut the lead in half and trailed 6-3.

                                                     "We're not dead yet!" - Pedroia

Badenhop continued his scoreless streak by getting Schoop to ground out to short to begin the top of the 6th. Flaherty and Lombardozzi both grounded out to first to end the inning. 3 2/3 scoreless innings for Badenhop, great job to keep them in the game. Ryan Webb replaced Chen for the bottom of the sixth and Napoli struck out swinging to start. Nava watched strike three go by and Ross also went down hacking to end the inning.

Craig Breslow took over for the top of the seventh and Lough grounded out to first. Markakis flied out to right but Cruz walked. Cruz was the first base runner since Clevenger's double in the 3rd. He didn't go far as Davis grounded out into the shift to end the inning. Zach Britton took the mound for the bottom of the seventh and Nava flied out to right to start. David Ross clocked his first home run of the year to cut the lead but Bradley Jr grounded out to short. Holt singled to left and Pedroia walked, but with the tying runs on.....Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. Inching closer but still trailing 6-4.

                                                         Ross goes yard

The O's struck back in the top of the eighth as Jones got a base hit to left to begin. Clevenger hit a picture perfect ground ball to Pedroia but Bogaerts botched the relay throw and Steve was safe at first. Schoop flied out to center but Clevenger tagged up and advanced to second. Flaherty singled to center and Bradley Jr threw a hundred feet from home to score Clevenger, but Ross got Flaherty at second to end the inning. Still, it was back to a 3 run lead for Baltimore 7-4.

                                                           "You're out, you dummy!"

Darren O'Day replaced Britton for the bottom of the eighth and Mike Napoli greeted him with a blast to centerfield to cut the lead. Mike Carp pinch hit for Gomes and grounded out to short, great clutch hitting. Bogaerts lashed a base hit to left to put the tying run at the plate. Nava singled off the glove of O'Day and that was it for him, O's manager Buck Showalter brought in lefty Brian Matusz. For some reason, Sox manager John Farrell pinch hit Jonathan Herrera for Ross. The Sox then literally ran into a double play as Herrera struck out and Bogaerts stopped halfway to third and allowed himself to be tagged to end the inning with the Sox down 7-5.

                                                                Bawful

Carp stayed in left, AJ Pierzynski took over at the dish and Andrew Miller took the mound for the top of the ninth. Lombardozzi popped up to first and Lough popped up to short, then Bradley Jr made a basket catch to rob Markakis of a hit to retire the side. O's closer Tommy Hunter was brought in to finish the game. Bradley Jr grounded out to first and it looked like Holt did as well....until Lombardozzi threw the ball away. They ruled it a hit but it was clearly an error. Pedroia nearly tied the game but the ball hit the top of the centerfield wall for a double. Showalter then made the bold move by intentionally walking Ortiz to load the bases for Napoli, who ended last year's Patriots Day game with a wall ball. This year....he grounded out to second, but Holt scored to cut the lead. This left it up to Mike Carp, not the master of walkoffs, Jonny Gomes, to win the game. As expected, Carp grounded out to first to end the game. All that work only to lose 7-6.

                                                            Sox lose

Jackass of the Night is an easy one. With the Sox needing to rest their bullpen, Clay Buchholz went out and pitched miserably, lasting only 2 1/3 while giving up 7 hits and 6 runs that cost the Sox the game.

                                                        Jackass Buchholz

The Good:

Burke Badenhop kept the Sox in the game with 3 2/3 scoreless relief. 

Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless 9th. 

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run and an rbi. 

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi. 

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

The Bad:

Jonathan Herrera struck out with the tying runs on base in the 8th. 

Mike Carp came up twice with a chance to win the game and failed both times. 

Jonny Gomes was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts

The Ugly:

Craig Breslow allowed a run in two innings.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5 but that included a home run and an rbi groundout in the 9th. 

Xander Bogaerts countered going 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored by playing horrendous defense and running the bases horribly, leading to the defeat. 

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored on his lone hit.

Honorable Mention:

AJ Pierzynski caught the top of the 9th with no problems.

Final Thoughts:

Fun game, too bad they didn't win it. The Sox needed a lift from Buchholz and didn't get it, but rallied down 6-0 to put the tying run at third in the bottom of the ninth. A tremendous effort from Burke Badenhop kept the Sox in it but Breslow allowing the final run was a killer. Even though the Sox put up six runs there were too many instances of failing in the clutch, not to mention the bad baserunning by Bogaerts. That's a rookie mistake and hopefully there won't be too many of those this year. Its a shame the Sox lost this one after the emotional pre-game ceremony and all the talk about last year's heroics. Then again, maybe that's the problem. Maybe they can't get untracked because they're too focused on trying to do too much to replicate the success. They've trailed in almost every game this year and every game is different. For whatever reason they just don't execute when it matters. The worst part about this is now the New York Yankees are coming to town with the Sox exhausted bullpen ready for them to feast on. Tomorrow night Masahiro Tanaka goes for the Sox against Jon Lester (2-2) of Boston. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

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

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

                                                                      OUT

                                                                       IN

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

                                                       Randy Quaid is angry again

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

                                                           Jones drives in a run

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

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

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

                                                          Cruz drives in a pair

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

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

                                                      Holt drives in a run

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

                                                         Hardy ices it

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

                                                      Pierzynski drives in a run

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

                                                       Not Lackey's night

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

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

                                                        Schoop drives in a run

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

                                                          You're out, you dummy!

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

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

                                                    Another rbi for Schoop

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

                                                        O's win

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

                                                    "You jackass" - Pedroia

The Good:

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

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

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

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

The Bad:

Edward Mujica allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Grady Sizemore was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

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

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

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

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

Burke Badenhop allowed a run in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                       Foamy can't stand errors

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

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

                                                      Home run Dunn

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

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

                                                           Nava ties it up

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

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

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

                                                        Good work Peavy

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

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

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

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

                                                          White Sox win

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

                                                                Nice error Jackass

The Good:

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 with a home run.

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

Jonathan Herrera was 1 for 3.

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

Junichi Tazawa tossed a full scoreless inning.

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

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4.

Johnny Gomes struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Carp was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

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

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

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

Honorable Mention:

Dustin Pedroia ran for Napoli in the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                         Randy Quaid is angry again

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

                                                        Beltran strikes first

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

                                                               Home run AJ

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

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

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

                                                       Soriano with the dagger

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

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

                                                     Longball Lackey

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

                                                             Sox strike back

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

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

                                                      Another home run

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

                                                            Yankees win

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

                                                            Jackass Carp

The Good:

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

Craig Breslow pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Andrew Miller pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

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

Burke Badenhop allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

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

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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