Reds Bash Crawford, Sox (6/21/24)

The Boston Red Sox win streak came to an end at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds and a comedy of errors. Andrew Abbott held the Sox bats to just 2 home runs in 5 2/3 innings and the bullpen allowed just 3 hits the rest of the way. Meanwhile Kutter Crawford (3-7, 3.59 ERA) got plagued by bad defense as he left the game in the seventh trailing 3-2. Cam Booser threw a bunt away for a 2 run error to essentially ice the game. The Sox bats failed to rally against Alexis Diaz in the ninth and the Reds snapped the Sox streak with a 5-2 win at Great American Ballpark.

                                                                  Bad game all around

Abbott got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging but Tyler O'Neill walked. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. The Reds tagged Crawford in the bottom of the first as TJ Friedl flied out to right to start. Elly De La Cruz struck out swinging but Jeimer Candelario hit a home run all the way to France to put the Reds on top. Spencer Steer popped up to short to end the inning with the Reds up 1-0.

                                                               Reds strike first

The Sox answered in the top of the second as Connor Wong blasted his sixth home run of the season to tie the game. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to short, Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging and Enmanuel Valdez went down hacking to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Wong ties it up

The Reds got another one in the bottom of the second as Jake Fraley struck out swinging to start. Jonathan India hit a home run all the way to Deep Space 9 to put the Reds back on top. Santiago Espinal flied out to right but Will Benson walked. Luke Maile walked and Friedl was hit with a pitch the load the bases. De La Cruz took strike three to end the inning with the Reds up 2-1.

                                                              India goes yard

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to start. Duran clobbered his 7th home run of the season to tie the game but Gonzalez struck out swinging. O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                            Duran ties it up

The longballs continued as Candelario hit his second home run of the game to but the Reds back on top in the bottom of the third. Steer flied out to left but Fraley got a base hit to right. India grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Reds up 3-2.

                                                            Candelario does it again

Devers struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Wong popped up to third. Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning. Espinal grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Benson took strike three. Maile struck out swinging to end the inning.

Dalbec flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Valdez got a base hit to left. Rafaela flied out to right but Duran flied out to left to end the inning. Friedl took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth and De La Cruz went down hacking. Candelario lined out to left to end the inning.

Gonzalez got a base hit inside the bag at first to start the top of the sixth but O'Neill struck out swinging. A passed ball moved Gonzalez to second but Devers struck out swinging. Fernando Cruz came in to pitch to Wong and Connor swung at air to end the inning. Steer grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Fraley flied out to center. India also flied out to center to end the inning.

Yoshida grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Dalbec took strike three. Valdez flied out to center to end the inning. The Reds finished off Crawford in the bottom of the seventh as Valdez threw a grounder by Espinal away for an error. Benson flied out to center but Maile doubled to right to chase Kutter. Crawford would be charged with 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings although only 3 were earned. Cam Booser came in and Friedl dropped down a bunt. Booser threw the ball 100 feet over the head of Connor Wong for an error to score Espinal and Maile. Cruz walked and Stuart Fairchild pinch ran for Friedl. Candelario struck out swinging and that was it for Booser. Brad Keller came in and Devers threw a ball hit by Steer away for the third error of the inning. Fraley lined out to left to end the inning with the Reds up 5-2.

                                                        Crawford deserved better

Nick Martinez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Duran got a base hit to center but David Hamilton pinch hit for Gonzalez and flied out to right. O'Neill took strike three to end the inning. India walked to start the bottom of the eighth and Espinal got a base hit to right. O'Neill gunned down India at third but Espinal made it to second on the throw. A wild pitch moved Espinal to third but he was thrown out at home on a grounder to second by Benson. Maile lined out to short to end the inning.

Alexis Diaz came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers flied out to center to start. Wong got a base hit to center and took second on defensive indifference. Yoshida struck out swinging and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Dalbec. Smith grounded out to second to end the game. The Reds had won 5-2.

                                                              Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Cam Booser. His error in the seventh led to the insurance runs scoring to put the game out of reach.

                                                              Nice throw Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 3.

Brad Keller tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 but struck out and made a crucial error in the seventh.

Kutter Crawford was charged with 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss but only 3 were earned. He allowed 5 hits and walked 2.

Final Thoughts:

What a way for the win streak to end. Not that the Sox were doing much offensively but those 3 errors turned a 3-2 game into 5-2 and out of reach. In a one run game they could have played small ball and used their speed to their advantage. Instead, their bad defense cost them this game. Crawford didn't pitch that bad but errors by Valdez and Booser were killer. Its a shame because the Reds aren't that good and the Sox need to win to keep pace with the New York Yankees. The Sox might be playing for the wild card in September if the Sox can't gain ground on them in the meantime. The loss dropped the Sox to 40-36, 10 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Reds when Nick Pivetta gets the start for Boston against Frankie Montas of Cincinnati. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Great American Ballpark.

Verdugo, Yankees Pound Sox (6/14/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox officially released Garrett Cooper. With Masataka Yoshida and Tyler O'Neill healthy, either Cooper or Dominic Smith had to go and Smith had been slightly more productive. Hope Garrett hooks on somewhere else.

                                                                  Bye bye Cooper

It was a bad night all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics lost Game 4 of the NBA Finals to the Dallas Mavericks and the Boston Red Sox got dispatched by the New York Yankees. As for the game, did anyone expect anything different? Alex Verdugo returned to Fenway for the first time since he was traded to the Yankees and belted the first pitch he saw out of the yard. Ironically the game could have ended right there because the Boston bats were as silent as Fenway after that moment. Luis Gil held the Sox to just 4 hits and a run in 5 innings before the Yankees bullpen held the Sox to just 1 hit in the final four innings. Meanwhile Brayan Bello (6-4, 5.00 ERA) got mashed for 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings, failing to go at least five again. Cam Booser and Zack Kelly held the fort for a while but Chase Anderson was roughed up for 3 runs in the ninth inning. It all added up to a 9-1 ass kicking by the Yankees at Fenway Park.

                                                     Verdugo gets the last laugh??

Bello got the ball in the top of the first and Anthony Volpe struck out swinging to start. Juan Soto doubled to left but Aaron Judge struck out swinging. Old buddy Alex Verdugo stuck a middle finger in the face of Boston by hitting a 2 run home run all the way to the moon to put the Yankees up for good just four batters into the game. Giancarlo Stanton walked and Anthony Rizzo singled to left to put runners at the corners but Gleyber Torres flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                       It just had to be Verdugo

Gil dominated the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. David Hamilton flied out to right and Tyler O'Neill popped up to third to end the inning.

Oswaldo Cabrera grounded out to second to start the top of the second before Jose Trevino grounded back to the mound. Volpe grounded out to second to end the inning. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Masataka Yoshida grounded out to short. Connor Wong singled to center but Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Soto grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Judge took strike three. Verdugo grounded out to third to end the inning. Smith flied out to center to start the bottom of the third but Rafaela got a base hit to right. Duran singled to left but Hamilton flied out to center. O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox gagged in the top of the fourth as Stanton got a base hit to left to start. Rizzo walked but Torres grounded into a double play. Naturally when Cabrera hit a grounder to first, Bello dropped the throw for an error to score Stanton. Trevino flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-0.

                                                      Only needs the Benny Hill theme

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Devers walked to start. Yoshida walked but Wong forced Masataka at second. Valdez doubled to center to score Devers but Smith struck out swinging. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                         Valdez drives in a run

The Yankees kept coming in the top of the fifth as Volpe got a base hit to center then stole second on the Soto strikeout swinging. Volpe stole third, Judge walked and Verdugo doubled to left to score Volpe. Stanton struck out swinging and that was it for Bello. He would be charged with 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Cam Booser came in to pitch and Rizzo singled to right to score Judge but Torres grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-1.

                                                       Bello wasn't good enough

Duran walked to start the bottom of the fifth before Hamilton flied out to center. O'Neill struck out swinging but Devers walked. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning.

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Cabrera struck out swinging to start. Trevino struck out swinging and Volpe also went down hacking to end the inning. Tommy Kahnle came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth as Wong walked to start. Valdez walked but Smith struck out swinging. Rafaela struck out swinging and Caleb Ferguson came in to face Duran. Jarren struck out swinging to end the inning.

Soto lined out to center to start the top of the seventh before Judge flied out to center as well. Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning. Hamilton took strike three to start the bottom of the seventh before ONeill went down hacking. Devers also swung at air to end the inning.

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Stanton went down swinging to start. Rizzo took strike three and Torres flied out to left to end the inning. Victor Gonzalez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Yoshida lined out to left to start. Wong grounded out to second but Jamie Westbrook pinch hit for Valdez. Westbrook got a base hit to center to chase Gonzalez. Michael Tonkin came in to face pinch hitter Bobby Dalbec and punched him out swinging to end the inning.

The Yankees poured gas on the fire in the top of the ninth as Cabrera lined out to right to start. Trevino then hit a home run all the way to Peru but Volpe grounded out to short. Soto walked and Judge doubled to left to score him. Verdugo continued to torment the Sox with a base hit to right to score Judge and O'Neill threw the ball away to allow Alex to reach second. A wild pitch moved Verdugo to third but Stanton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 8-1.

                                                             It was Verdugo's night

Rafaela popped up to first to start the bottom of the ninth but Duran walked. Hamilton flied out to left and Duran took second on defensive indifference. O'Neill struck out swinging to end the game. The Yankees had won 8-1.

                                                             Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Brayan Bello. The bats took the night off but Bello didn't help by allowing 5 runs in 4 2/3 innings off 6 hits, 3 walks and an error.

                                                          Bello Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Rafael Devers walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.

Jamie Westbrook singled in his only at bat.

Cam Booser got the final out of the fifth inning.

Zack Kelly tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 5 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Bobby Dalbec struck out in his only plate appearance.

Chase Anderson allowed 3 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3 but walked.

Ceddane Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

You can always count on the Yankees to come in and take a dump on the heads of the Red Sox, especially when there's a guy with an axe to grind. It was well documented  about the problems between Verdugo and Sox manager Alex Cora last year on a team abandoned by the now fired Chaim Bloom. Now Verdugo gets his revenge with the Yankees on a team 28 games over .500. The Yankees are the odds on favorites to win the world series and the Red Sox are on track to finish last for the third year in a row. Way to go John Henry! You can easily see why as the Sox group of rag-tags aren't good enough offensively and pitching wise, they got creamed today. If Brayan Bello is your second best pitcher, you're not even close to contention. Add the fact that Chris Sale turned back the clock six years and it just seems like a doomed organization. The loss dropped the Sox to 35-35, 14 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to not get embarrassed tomorrow against the Yankees when Cooper Criswell goes for Boston against Carlos Rodon of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Rally In 5th Sinks Phillies (6/12/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox got some interesting news. Former 2020 5th round pick Shane Drohan was returned to the Worcester Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox. As bad as Chicago has been this season, they STILL didn't give Drohan a chance to start. The joke's on them now. Welcome back Shane.

                                                          He's baaaaaaackkkkkkkk

It was a great night all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in tonight's game. The Phillies got 4 runs off starter Nick Pivetta through four innings but the Sox got a run in the fourth and plated five in the fifth to go ahead. David Hamilton hit a two run home run in the sixth inning although the Phillies rallied late for a run against Zack Kelly. Kenley Jansen got tagged for a run in the ninth but still slammed the door on the Phillies. The Sox had pulled it out 8-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                      Jayson Tatum approves of the win

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kyle Schwarber walked to start. Nick Castellanos doubled to left but Bryce Harper got a base hit off the glove of Bobby Dalbec to score Schwarber. Alec Bohm struck out swinging but Bryson Stott scored Castellanos by beating out a double play ball. Whit Merrifield popped up to short to end the inning with the Phillies up 2-0.

                                                        Phillies go up early

Cristopher Sanchez got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran led off with a liner to third to start. Rob Refsnyder lined out to left and Tyler O'Neill got a base hit to left but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning.

David Dahl led off the top of the second with a grounder to short before Rafael Marchan lined out to left. Johan Rohas got a base hit to center and Schwarber walked again, but Castellanos lined out to right to end the inning. Rafael Devers got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the second before Connor Wong flied out to right. Jamie Westbrook hit a bullet to Harper, who doubled off Devers to end the inning.

The Phillies got another run in the top of the third as Harper walked to start. Bohm forced him at second but Stott walked. Merrifield singled to right to score Bohm with another run. Dahl doubled to left to score Stott to seemingly ice the game. Marchan took strike three and Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Phillies up 4-0.

                                                              Phillies are up big....for now

Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before David Hamilton lined out to second. Ceddanne Rafaela walked and Duran got a base hit to short, then a wild pitch moved the runners over. Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning.

Schwarber flied out to right to start the top of the fourth but Castellanos tripled to right. Harper took strike three and Bohm struck out swinging to end the inning. Pivetta got rocked for 4 runs in 4 innings and Sox manager Alex Cora felt he had to take him out to give the Sox a chance.

                                                             Not good enough, Nick

The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as O'Neill grounded out to third to start. Devers tripled into the right field corner and Wong drew a walk. Westbrook hit a sac fly to right to score Devers to break up the shutout. Dalbec forced Wong at second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                    Sox get a run back.

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Stott took strike three to start. Merrifield popped up to second and Dahl flied out to left to end the inning. Suddenly the Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth as Hamilton got a base hit to right to start. Rafaela got a base hit to left to move Hamilton to third and Duran hit a routine grounder to Merrifield...thrown away for an error to score Hamilton and Rafaela. That was it for Sanchez as Jose Ruiz came in to allow Refsnyder to get a base hit to left. O'Neill hit a sac fly to left to score Duran but Devers took strike three. Wong got a abse hit off the glove of Merrifield to move Refsnyder to third. Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Westbrook and smacked a double to center. Refsnyder and Wong scored but Valdez was thrown out in a rundown to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                             Valdez drives in a pair

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Marchan grounded out to second to start. Rojas struck out swinging and Schwarber went down hacking to end the inning. Spencer Turnbull came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Dalbec walked to start. Hamilton launched his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Rafaela grounded out to short but Duran doubled to left. Refsnyder grounded out to second but Duran foolishly was thrown out at home trying to score from second to end the inning with the Sox up 8-4.

                                                                    Home run David

Castellanos walked to start the top of the second and that was it for Kelly. Brennan Bernardino came in and got Harper to line out to third. A wild pitch moved Castellanos to second and Bohm grounded out to short. Stott doubled to right to score Castellanos and Merrifield walked. Dahl grounded out to first to end the inning with the Phillies down 8-5.

                                                          Stott gets an rbi

O'Neill walked to start the bottom of the seventh and Devers walked as well. Wong struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved the runners over. Valdez walked to chase Turnbull. Seranthony Dominguez got Dalbec to fly out to right and Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Marchan grounded out to third to start. Rojas flied out to center but Schwarber singled to center. Castellanos was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Gregory Soto came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Rafaela singled in the hole at third to start. Duran forced Rafaela at second but Refsnyder was hit with a pitch. O'Neill struck out swinging and Devers lined out to left to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the top of the ninth and Harper hit a ground rule double into the left field line. Harper went to third on a balk and Bohm hit a sac fly to score Harper. Stott struck out swinging but Merrifield walked. Dahl flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 8-6.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is David Hamilton. He started the fifth inning rally and his two run homer in the sixth proved the be the margin of victory.

                                                                   Hamilton Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Tyler O'Neill was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jamie Westbrook drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Enmanuel Valdez knocked in two runs and walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Cam Booser pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Nick Pivetta allowed 4 runs in 4 innings off 6 hits and 4 walks.

Zack Kelly allowed a run in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refnsyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Kenley Jansen allowed a run in the ninth inning but still earned his 10th save.

Final Thoughts:

Well that's more like it. What looked to be another routine loss turned into a good win. The Sox rallied big time in this one and it came at a good time. The Sox came into this one after losing 3 of their last 5 games and needed a win. Pivetta got rocked but the bullpen held Philly to just 2 runs in 5 innings so the Sox could surge ahead. One thing to watch for is the 8-9-1 speed threat of Hamilton, Rafaela and Duran. That could be a lot of stolen bases and 1st to 3rds on a team desperate for offense and no ace pitcher. Still, rather have a win than a loss. The win improved the Sox to 34-34, 14 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the NL East leaders tomorrow night when Tanner Houck (6-5) takes on Aaron Nola of Philadelphia. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Phillies Drop Lifeless Sox (6/11/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Garrett Cooper was designated for assignment and Masataka Yoshida was finally activated off the Injured List. Cooper was only here because Triston Casas and Tyler O'Neill got hurt. Now that Yoshida is healthy, Cooper is expendable.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, you'd think after playing their hearts out against the Chicago White Sox to avoid losing 3 of 4 and an off-day would rejuvenate the Red Sox. WELL YOU'RE WRONG! HA HA HA! The Sox slept walked in tonight's game against Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies. Wheeler held the Sox to 3 measly hits and a walk in 7 innings. Meanwhile old pal Kyle Schwarber added to his old team's misery with two home runs off Kutter Crawford (2-6, 3.47 ERA). Crawford himself was charged with 4 runs but the incompetent Red Sox defense contributed to 2 of them being unearned. The bullpen hung tough but the offense gave up as the Phillies took the game 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Live look at the Red Sox

The Phillies tagged Crawford immediately in the top of the first as old pal Kyle Schwarber hit the first pitch of the game out of the yard for a home run. Nick Castellanos flied out to right, Bryce Harper lined out to left and Alex Bohm popped up to short to end the inning with the Phillies ahead 1-0.

                                                            That didn't take long

The Sox answered against Wheeler in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran got a base hit to left to start. David Hamilton doubled to center and Rob Refsnyder hit a sac fly to score Duran, moving David to third. Rafael Devers popped up to first and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1. The Sox would have just two hits the rest of the game.

                                                           Sox tie it up

Bryson Stott singled to right and Refsnyder booted the ball for an error to move Stott to second to start the top of the second. Edmundo Sosa popped up to third, David Dahl struck out swinging and Garrett Stubbs went down hacking to end the inning. Connor Wong singled to center before Dominic Smith flied out to center. It looked like Wong stole second on the Enmanuel Valdez swinging strikeout, but the Phillies challenged the call. Sure enough, replays showed Wong was out to end the inning.

Johan Rojas grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Schwarber struck out swinging. Devers made a hell of a play to rob Castellanos of a hit to end the inning. Rafaela popped up to short to start the bottom of the third before Duran popped up to third. Hamilton lined out to first to end the inning.

Bad defense cost the Sox in the top of the fourth as Harper walked to start. Bohm struck out swinging but Stott doubled to center. Sosa took strike three and Dahl hit a routine grounder to second. Valdez threw to first and Smith dropped the ball for an error to score both runners. Stubbs singled to right to move Dahl to third but Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Phillies up 3-1.

                                                         Phillies score on an error

Refsnyder struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Devers also went down hacking. Yoshida walked but Wong grounded out to second to end the inning.

Schwarber struck again with another home run to begin the top of the fifth. Castellanos struck out swinging and Harper grounded out to first, but Bohm got a base hit to center. Stott flied out to left to enf the inning with Philly up 4-1.

                                                         That's two for Tazawa

Smith grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth before Valdez flied out to left. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Crawford returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Sosa struck out swinging to start. Dahl lined out to left and Stubbs took strike three to end the inning. Kutter was game but was charged with 4 runs in 6 innings although only 2 were earned.

                                                     Crawford deserved better

Duran lined out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Hamilton watched strike three go by. Refsnyder grounded out to second to end the inning.

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rojas took strike three to start, Schwarber struck out swinging and Castellanos grounded out to third to end the inning. Dahl made a great running catch to rob Devers of a double to start the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida flied out to right. Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Harper got a base hit to right to start. Bohm grounded into a double play and Stott grounded out to first to end the inning. Old pal Matt Strahm came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jamie Westbrook pinch hit for Smith. Westbrook struck out swinging and Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Valdez. Dalbec struck out swinging and Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Sosa walked to start. Dahl flied out to center and Stubbs forced Sosa at second. Stubbs stole second but Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning. Cristian Pache came in to play left with Jose Alvarado in to close out the bottom of the ninth. Duran grounded out to short but Hamilton got a base hit to center. Refsnyder popped up to first and Devers struck out swinging to end the game. The Phillies had won the game 4-1.

                                                               Phillies win

Jackass of the Night is Dominic Smith. He was 0 for 2 at the plate and his error cost the team two crucial runs.

                                                                 Nice error, Jackass

The Good:

David Hamilton was 2 for 4.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Cam Booser pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Chase Anderson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jamie Westbrook struck out as a pinch hitter.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with an error but drove in a run.

Masataka Yoshida was o for 2 with a hit by pitch.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 but was thrown out trying to steal.

Kutter Crawford took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 6 innings, but only 2 of the runs were earned. He allowed 6 hits and a walk while striking out 8.

Final Thoughts:

Watching Kyle Schwarber hit home runs left and right is another reason Chaim Bloom should be fired. He banked on Franchy Cordero and Bobby Dalbec being the answer and not re-signing Schwarber killed them ever since. Having Schwarber in 2022 and especially this season might be the difference in the playoffs and last place. I'd say Matt Strahm had a middle finger game as well but bullpen arms are a lot more common to replace. The bullpen was a strength in this one as they didn't allow a run after Crawford left the game. The offense just didn't have it in this one, give credit to Wheeler for pitching a hell of a game. Just have to tip your cap and come back tomorrow. The loss dropped the Sox to 33-34, 14 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Phillies when Nick Pivetta takes on Cristopher Sanchez of Philadelphia. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Crush White Sox (6/6/24)

It was a great night all around as the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals and the Boston Red Sox smashed the hapless Chicago White Sox. The Boston bats woke up big time today as they hammered out 24 total hits and 17 total runs. Jarren Duran, Rob Refsnyder and Dominic Smith all had 3 hits or more with Duran hitting a home run. Speaking of home runs, Enmanuel Valdez clobbered a 3 run shot and Jamie Westbrook went yard as well. On the other side, Tanner Houck (6-5, 1.91 ERA) pitched great, holding the White Sox to 3 hits and just two runs. Cam Booser slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth and the BoSox crushed the White Sox 14-2 at Comiskey Park.

                                                Krystaps Porzingis approves of the win

The BoSox wasted no time tagging Colas in the top of the first inning as Jarren Duran led off with his fifth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Enmanuel Valdez lined out to right but Rob Refsnyder doubled to center. Rafael Devers struck out swinging but Tyler O'Neill walked. Dominic Smith lined out to left to end the inning with the BoSox up 1-0.

                                                                Duran starts the party

Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Zach Deloach took strike three to start. Nicky Lopez grounded out to first and Luis Robert Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

The BoSox rallied in the top of the second as Connor Wong was plunked to start. David Hamilton doubled to right and Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to left to score Wong & Hamilton. Duran flied out to center and Valdez flied out to right, but Refsnyder beat out a roller to third. Devers flied out to left to end the inning with the BoSox up 3-0.

                                                               Rafaela drives in a pair

Gavin Sheets lined out to center to start the bottom of the second before Andrew Vaughn struck out swinging. Paul DeJong was hit with a pitch but Korey Lee grounded out to second to end the inning. 

O'Neill struck out swinging to start the top of the third inning but Smith got a base hit to short. Wong flied out to left and Hamilton grounded out to second to end the inning. Lenyn Sosa grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Ellis grounded out to second. DeLoach grounded out to first to end the inning.

The BoSox struck again in the top of the fourth as Rafaela dumped a base hit to center...booted by Ellis for an error to move Ceddanne to second. Duran walked and Valdez smashed his fifth home run of the season to ice the game. Refsnyder struck out swinging and Vaughn made a diving stab to rob Devers of a single, but O'Neill ripped a base hit to center. Smith walked and Wong got a base hit to right to score O'Neill. Hamilton flied out to center to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-0.

                                                            Valdez jacks one

Lopez grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the fourth before Robert Jr struck out swinging. Sheets lined out to center to end the inning.

Tim Hill came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Rafaela grounded out to second to start. Duran got a base hit on a roller to second before moving to second on a grounder to second by Valdez. Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning. Vaughn struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before DeJong grounded out to short. Lee flied out to left to end the inning.

The BoSox struck again in the top of the sixth when Devers lined a base hit to left to begin. O'Neill got a base hit to right and Smith drilled a base hit to center to score Devers. Wong got a base hit to center to score O'Neill before Hamilton grounded back to the mound to move the runners over. Rafaela hit a seeing eye single into left to score Smith and chase Hill from the game. Jared Shuster came in and Duran hit a sac fly to center to score Wong with another un before Valdez walked. Refsnyder took strike three to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 11-0.

                                                              Smith drives in a run

With the game out of reach, Bobby Dalbec came in for Devers to start the bottom of the sixth and Sosa got a base hit to center to start. Ellis grounded out to first to move Sosa to second and Lenyn scored on the double to left by DeLoach. Lopez struck out swinging and Robert Jr took strike three to end the inning but the White Sox were down 11-1.

                                                        Chicago gets a run back

The BoSox struck again in the top of the seventh as Dalbec lined out to short to start. Jamie Westbrook pinch hit for O'Neill and hit his first home run to increase the lead. Smith got a base hit to center then took second on a wild pitch. Wong walked and Hamilton beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Rafaela got a base hit to left to score Smith and chase Shuster. Duran singled in the hole at short to load the bases but Valdez flied out to left to end the inning with Boston ahead 13-1.

                                                           First homer for Westbrook

Houck returned for one last inning in the bottom of the seventh and Sheets lined out to left to start. Vaughn then hit a home run all the way to Wrigley Field to cut the lead but DeJong struck out swinging. Lee took strike three to end the inning. That was it for Houck who tossed 7 strong innings allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits.

                                                             Good work by Houck

Oscar Colas came in for Sheets to start the top of the eighth and Refsnyder doubled to left to start. Dalbec blooped a single past Lopez and both runners moved over on the fly ball to center by Westbrook. Smith grounded out to short to score Refsnyder and Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 14-2.

                                                     Another rbi for Smith

Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Sosa lined out to left to start. Ellis took strike three and DeLoach watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Danny Mendick the third baseman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hamilton got a base hit to center to start. Rafaela lined out to right but Duran got a seeing eye single into left. Valdez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Booser returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and Lopez struck out swinging to start. Mendick walked and Colas got a base hit to right, but Vaughn popped up to first. DeJong flied out to right to end the game. The Red Sox had won 14-2.

                                                           Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Tanner Houck. He tossed 7 innings of 2 run ball to earn the win. He allowed just 3 hits while striking out 9.

                                                           Hero Houck

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 4 for 5 with a walk, a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 3 for 6 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 2.

Tyler O'Neill was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jamie Westbrook was 1 for 2 with a home run.

Dominic Smith was 3 for 5 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

David Hamilton was 2 for 6 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 4 for 6 with 4 rbis and a run scored.

Cam Booser pitched two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

The Ugly:

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 6 with a walk but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

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

Final Thoughts:

That was a total massacre and much needed for the Red Sox. If the Sox have any chance of getting back in the AL East race they need to beat up the bad teams and they did that today. Everything they hit found a hole or left the yard and you don't get too many days like that. The great news was Tanner Houck once again looked great and only needing Cam Booser saved the bullpen for tomorrow. Rafaela finally busted out in a hurry and kudos to Jamie Westbrook for getting his first career home run. Hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum to a nice hot streak as the month of June heats up. The win improved the Sox to 32-31, 12.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Boston looks to make it two in a row against Chicago tomorrow night when Cooper Criswell (3-2, 3.92 ERA) takes on Garrett Crochet of Chicago. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.