Braves Bash Crawford, Sox (6/4/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Wilyer Abreu was placed on the 10 Day Injured List and Tyler Heineman was called up to take his place. Tyler O'Neill should be back tomorrow so Taylor's stay might be brief.

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As for the game, what a disaster for the Red Sox. For five innings the Sox matched the Atlanta Braves blow by blow. The Braves tagged Kutter Crawford (2-5, 3.51 ERA) for three runs but the Sox got three of their own off ace Max Fried. The killing blow came in the sixth when Ozzie Albies struck a three run home run off Crawford to put the game out of reach. Chase Anderson allowed two runs in relief and the Sox bats could do nothing else. The Braves had won the game 8-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                Sam Winchester dislikes Sox losses

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Michael Harris Jr grounded out to first to start the top of the first inning before Austin Riley took strike three. Marcell Ozuna grounded out to third to end the inning. Fried got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging and Connor Wong also went down hacking to end the inning.

The Braves struck first in the top of the second inning as Smith booted a grounder by Matt Olson for an error to start. Ozzie Albies doubled to right and Smith dropped the throw from Jamie Westbrook on an Adam Duvall grounder to score Olson and Albies. Jared Kelenic took strike three and Sean Murphy grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Braves up 2-0.

                                                    "I don't got it" - Smith

Rafael Devers led off the bottom of the second with a fly out to left. Jamie Westbrook lined out to center and Garrett Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning.

Orlando Arcia grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Harris Jr flied out to center. Riley struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Bobby Dalbec took strike three to start. Dominic Smith belted his second home run of the season to cut the lead but Ceddanne Rafaela lined out to center. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                That's one way to make up for the errors

Ozuna walked to start the top of the fourth before Olson grounded back to the mound to move Marcell to second. Albies struck out swinging and Duvall grounded out to third to end the inning. Refsnyder took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Wong drew a walk. Devers got a base hit to left Westbrook reached on catcher's interference, but Cooper struck out swinging. Somehow Dalbec got a base hit to right to score Devers and Wong to put Boston on top. Smith struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

                                                           Dalbec gives Boston the lead

Naturally Crawford coughed up the lead in the top of the fifth as Kelenic doubled to center to start. Murphy singled off the glove of Westbrook to score Kelenic and was forced at second by Arcia. Harris hit into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                              Tie game

Rafaela reached on an error by Riley to start the bottom of the fifth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Duran flied out to center but Refsnyder singled to center. Wong took strike three to end the inning.

The Braves took command in the top of the sixth inning as Riley walked to start. Ozuna singled off the glove of Devers but Olson popped up to short. Albies then hit a home run all the way to Spain to put Atlanta up for good. Duvall struck out swinging and Kelenic flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Crawford who got hammered for 6 runs in 6 innings off five hits and 2 walks.

                                                            Yeah that'll do it

Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Westbrook was hit with a pitch. Cooper and Dalbec both struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Murphy grounded out to third to start. Arcia hit a home run all the way to Bombay, India to increase the lead but Harris Jr grounded out to second. Riley lined out to center to end the inning with the Braves up 7-3.

                                                           So much for this game

Smith lined out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Rafaela went down hacking as well. Duran grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ozuna flied out to center to start the top of the eighth before Olson grounded out to first. Albies grounded out to second to end the inning. Pierce Johnson relieved Fried for the bottom of the eighth and Refsnyder lined out to second to start. Wong was plunked but Devers could only move Connor to second with a grounder to second. Westbrook took strike three to end the inning.

Anderson returned for the top of the ninth and Duvall grounded out to first to start. Kelenic struck out swinging but Murphy got hit with a pitch and had to leave the game. Zack Short came in to run for Murphy and Arcia singled to left. Harris singled to center to score Short and move Arcia to third, but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Braves up 8-3.

                                                        All Braves tonight

Travis d'arnaud took over for Short with Jesse Chavez now on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Cooper and blooped a single to left. David Hamilton pinch hit for Dalbec and flied out to left before Smith grounded into a double play to end the game. The Braves had won it 8-3.

                                                         Braves win

Jackass of The Night is Kutter Crawford. He got tagged for 6 runs in 6 innings to take the loss. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5 batters.

                                                        Jackass Crawford

The Good:

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Garrett Cooper was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

David Hamilton was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked, got hit with a pitch and scored a run.

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

Jamie Westbrook was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but got hit with a pitch.

Dominic Smith was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but did hit a home run.

Chase Anderson allowed 2 runs in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

I know the Braves threw their ace against the Sox but the injuries on the offensive side are rearing their ugly heads big time. Tyler O'Neill, Trevor Story, Triston Casas and Vaughn Grissom all out for a while is not looking good so far. Smith, Cooper, Westbrook and Dalbec aren't going to get it done long term. Crawford got jacked up in this one although had he not served up the meatball to Albies, it might have been a different story. The bottom line is the Sox suffered way too many injuries and they're gonna have to salvage something in the second half of the year once some guys come back, because its going to be a struggle until then with no ace pitchers and bench players in the lineup. The Braves are good but the Sox are down too many guys. The loss dropped the Sox to 30-31 on the season, 12.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Nick Pivetta (3-3) takes on Spencer Schwellenbach of Atlanta. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

O's Slam Crawford, Sox (5/29/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Tyler O'Neill was placed on the Injured List with a bad knee and Enmanuel Valdez was called up from Worcester to take his place. O'Neill has looked awful at the plate lately so this is more addition by subtraction. Hope he feels better soon.

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So much for beating the Baltimore Orioles. The Boston Red Sox were defeated by a real ace and their impotent offense was shut completely down. Corbin Burnes held the Sox to just 1 unearned run through 7 innings and 3 measly hits. Meanwhile Kutter Crawford (2-4, 3.29 ERA) crashed down to earth as he got rocked for 5 runs in the bottom of the second courtesy of a Gunnar Henderson grand slam. Chase Anderson allowed a home run to Ramon Urias as the inept Sox offense accomplished nothing else. The O's had taken two of three with their 5-1 victory at Camden Yards.

                                                       "This offense is awful"

Burnes began his dominance in the top of the first inning when Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging and Rob Refsnyder flied out to center to end the inning. Crawford got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Gunnar Henderson took strike three to start. Ryan Mountcastle lined out to right and Ryan O'Hearn struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Rafael Devers grounded out to third to start. Connor Wong lined a base hit to left and Colton Cowser threw the ball away, allowing Connor to reach second. Burnes had Wong picked off but Henderson dropped the throw for another error. Dominic Smith hit a grounder to second and Wong came all the way around to score the go-ahead run. A wild pitch moved Smith to second but Vaughn Grissom popped up to short. Smith was picked off to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                       Sox strike first

The O's iced the game early in the bottom of the second as Cowser was hit with a pitch to start. Anthony Santander got a base hit to left but Cedric Mullins popped up to short. Jorge Mateo flied out to center but Ramon Urias got a base hit to center to score Cowser. James McCann walked and Henderson hit a grand slam to the moon to ice the game. Mountcastle struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up for good 5-1.

                                                         Henderson ends it early

The Sox gave up in the top of the third as David Hamilton walked to start. Hamilton stole second but Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third, Duran lined out to center and Abreu flied out to right to end the inning. O'Hearn grounded back to the mound to begin the bottom of the third before Cowser flied out to center. Santander flied out to right to end the inning.

Refsnyder struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth before Devers walked. Wong struck out swinging and Smith grounded out to first to end the inning. Mullins went down hacking to start the bottom of the fourth but Mateo walked. Urias was hit with a pitch and Mateo was gunned down at third after a swinging strikeout by McCann to end the inning.

Grissom grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Hamilton grounded out to second. Rafaela popped up to first to end the inning. Henderson flied out to left to begin the bottom of the fifth but Mountcastle singled to center. O'Hearn forced Mountcastle at second and Cowser flied out to left to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth but somehow Abreu got a base hit to right. Refsnyder forced Abreu at second and Devers flied out to left to end the inning. Santander grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the sixth and Mullins grounded out to second. Mateo flied out to right to end the inning. That was it for Crawford who had one bad inning but it was a killer, allowing 5 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks.

                                                      One bad inning doomed Crawford

Wong caught the O's asleep with a bunt single down the third base line to start the top of the seventh. Smith grounded back to the mound to move Wong to second and Grissom walked....but Hamilton lined out to left. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Chase Anderson came in to get tagged in the bottom of the seventh as Urias hit a home run all the way to North Korea to wrap up the scoring. Abreu made a great diving catch to rob McCann of a double before Henderson took strike three. Mountcastle got a base hit to center but O'Hearn hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the O's up 6-1.

                                                          Urias adds to the lead

Danny Coulombe came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Duran. Gonzalez struck out swinging and Garrett Cooper pinch hit for Abreu. Cooper popped up to second but Refsnyder got a base hit to left. Devers popped up to third to end the inning. Enmanuel Valdez came in for Cooper to start the bottom of the eighth and Cowser flied out to center to start. Santander flied out to right and Mullins struck out swinging to end the inning.

Dillon Tate came in to close out the top of the ninth and Wong grounded out to third to start. Smith popped up to short but Grissom got a base hit to right. Hamilton got a base hit to center to move Grissom to third but Rafaela forced David at second to end the game. The O's had won it 6-1.

                                                             O's win

Jackass of The Night is Kutter Crawford. He got rocked for 5 runs in 6 innings including the backbreaking grand slam.

                                                             Jackass Crawford

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Vaughn Grissom was 1 for 3 with a walk.

David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Romy Gonzalez struck out as a pinch hitter.

Garrett Cooper was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but walked.

Chase Anderson allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Enmanuel Valdez played left field in the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox are now 0-7 in a series against a team over .500 this season which means the Sox haven't had a season where they've beaten good teams since 2021 and 2019 before that. The worst part is the Sox have just 1 win where they've fallen behind by 3 runs and ZERO when its four. The grand slam to make it 5-1 essentially ended the game because this team can't score. They get guys on base then they completely fall apart. Tyler O'Neill (before he got hurt) and Wilyer Abreu hit a bunch of solo home runs but suddenly can't do it when there's men on base. Crawford made one mistake to Henderson (which many have done all year as well) and that was the game. The rumors are floating that the Sox are going to be sellers at the trade deadline with Kenley Jansen and Tyler O'Neill as the prime targets. The problem is they aren't going to get much for them. The Sox have plenty of organizational depth for bats, outfielders and infielders but they need pitching. Dick Fitts had a perfect game after seven innings for Worcester tonight but they don't have much depth otherwise. Chaim Bloom drafted a ton of good hitting prospects but neglected the pitching and the Sox are paying for it now. Unless they can get a pitching prospect for Jansen or O'Neill, Sox GM Craig Breslow should just fart into the phone when they call about them. Corbin Burnes shut the Sox down and that's the kind of arm the Sox are missing. Hopefully they can either trade for or draft an ace in the upcoming draft/trade deadline. The loss dropped the Sox to 28-28, 9.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now come home for a four game set with the Detroit Tigers beginning tomorrow night. Nick Pivetta (2-3, 4.20 ERA) takes the hill up against Jack Flaherty of Detroit. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Cards Outslug Sox (5/17/24)

It was bad news all around as the Boston Bruins were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in Game 6 of their second round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox lost to the St. Louis Cardinals. Sox fans might have jumped the gun when it comes to anointing Brayan Bello (4-2, 3.96 ERA) as the ace of the Red Sox. Bello has been average this season including tonight's miserable start against the Cardinals. Bello got rocked for 5 runs in 4/23 innings to put the Sox in a hole. The Sox did fight back but it was after they got bested once again by Kyle Gibson. The normally reliable Sox bullpen melted down. Cam Booser and Chase Anderson allowed five runs combined with the St. Louis bats pounding out 14 hits and 10 runs. It all added up to the Cards outslugging the sox 10-6 at Busch Stadium.

                                               "I'm gonna need more beer watching the Sox"

Gibson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran walked to start. Wilyer Abreu forced Duran at second but Connor Wong got a base hit to left. Rafael Devers grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Cards wasted no time getting to Bello in the bottom of the first inning. Brendan Donovan ripped a ground rule double down the left field line and Lars Nootbaar hit a home run all the way to Central America to put the Cards on top. Paul Goldschmidt struck out swinging but Nolan Arenado got a base hit to center but Alec Burleson grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Cards up 2-0.

                                                              Home run for Nootbaar

The Sox struck back in the top of the second as Tyler O'Neill got a base hit to center to start. Dominic Smith doubled to left but Garrett Cooper struck out swinging. Vaughn Grissom struck out swinging but David Hamilton tripled down the right field line to tie the game. Duran walked and stole second but Abreu flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                    Hamilton ties it up

The Cards answered in the bottom of the second as Ivan Herrera lined out to short to start. Nolan Gorman hit a home run all the way to Finland to put St. Louis back on top. Masyn Winn grounded out to second and Michael Siani flied out to right to end the inning with the Cards up 3-2.

                                                       Gorman hits one out

The Sox fought back in the top of the third as Wong grounded out to third to start. Devers then bashed his seventh home run of the season to tie the game. O'Neill flied out to center and Smith grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                             Another home run for Devers

Donovan struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Nootbaar grounded out to second. Grissom booted a grounder by Goldschmidt but Arenado popped up to short to end the inning.

Cooper grounded out to third to open the top of the fourth before Grissom struck out swinging. Hamilton grounded out to second to end the inning. The Cards went up for good in the bottom of the fourth as Burleson hit a home run all the way to Rome to start. Herrera took strike three, Gorman struck out swinging and Winn grounded out to second to end the inning with the Cards up 4-3.

                                                              Another home run allowed

Duran got a base hit to center to start the top of the fifth but Abreu hit into a double play. Wong got a base hit to right but Devers forced him at second to end the inning. The Cards finally knocked out Bello in the bottom of the fifth as Siani grounded out to first to start. Donovan doubled to left but Nootbaar flied out to center to move Donovan to third. Goldschmidt singled to center to score Donovan and Sox manager Alex Cora finally yanked Bello. Brayan was batting practice, allowing 5 runs in 4 2/3 innings off 7 hits including 3 home runs. Cam Booser was brought in and Arenado singled to center to move Goldschmidt to third. Burleson flied out to left to end the inning with the Cards up 5-3.

                                                        "GAAAAAAADZOOKS!" - Bello

O'Neill flied out to left to start the top of the sixth before Smith flied out to center. Cooper flied out to center as well to end the inning. The Cards got another run in the bottom of the sixth as Herrera singled to left to start. Gorman flied out to center but Winn hit a home run all the way to Wales to increase the lead. Siani struck out swinging and Donovan popped up to first to end the inning with the Cards up 7-3.

                                                          Home run Winn

The Sox did fight back in the top of the seventh as Grissom walked to start. Hamilton doubled to left to chase Gibson and JoJo Romero came in to pitch. Duran grounded out to short to score Grissom and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Abreu. Refsnyder struck out swinging but Wong doubled to right to score Hamilton. With a chance to tie the game...Devers grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 7-5.

                                                         Wong drives in a run

Chase Anderson came in to take a beating in the bottom of the seventh as Nootbaar walked to start. Goldschmidt got a base hit to center but Arenado flied out to left. Burleson got a base hit to center to score Nootbaar and Herrera got a base hit to center to score Goldschmidt. Gorman struck out swinging and Winn forced Herrera at second to end the inning with the Cards up 9-5.

                                                        Cards pour it on

Andrew Kittredge came in to pitch the top of the eighth and O'Neill grounded out to second to start. Smith walked but was forced at second by Cooper. Grissom got a base hit to right but Hamilton lined out to left to end the inning. The Cards got another run in the bottom of the eighth as Siani grounded out to first to start. Donovan grounded out to second but Nootbaar walked. Goldschmidt walked and Arenado got a base hit to center to score Nootbaar. Burleson popped up to third to end the inning with the Cards up 10-5.

                                                         Arenado with another rbi

John King came in to close out the top of the ninth and Duran grounded back to the mound to start. Refsnyder hit a roller to King who threw the ball away for an error to allow Rob to reach second. Wong got a base hit to center to move Refsnyder to third and he scored when Devers beat out a double play ball. O'Neill lined out to center to end the game. The Cards had won the game 10-6.

                                                            Cardinals win

Jackass of the Night is Brayan Bello. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 5 runs off three home runs in 4 2/3 innings.

                                                            Jackass Bello

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base and an rbi.

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Connor Wong was 4 for 5 with an rbi.

Dominic Smith was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Vaughn Grissom was 1 for 3 with a walk and a runs scored.

David Hamilton was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3.

Garrett Cooper was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Cam Booser allowed 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Chase Anderson allowed 3 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 but hit a home run and drove in two total runs.

Tyler O'Neill was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Finally the Sox scored more than five runs and it just happens to be in a game where the pitching completely fails against a sub .500 team like the Cardinals. The Cards couldn't miss getting 14 total hits and Bello didn't look good at all. The problem is Sox fans are hyping him up to be the next Sox ace similar to Felix Doubront back in 2012 only to find out in 2013 that he wasn't. Losing to Kyle Gibson is a tradition worse than bellowing Sweet Caroline trailing in the eighth inning at Fenway Park. At least the offense looks like it can score a run now, that's one silver lining to the game. Devers got his power stroke back and Wong went 4 for 5. Other than that, the less said about this game the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-23, 8.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Cardinals when Kutter Crawford (2-2) takes the hill against Miles Mikolas of St. Louis. The game begins at 7:15 PM Eastern time at Busch Stadium.

Rays Edge Sox (5/15/24)

The good news was the Boston Celtics eliminated the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 5 of their second round NBA playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox once again failed to score more than four runs in a defeat to the Tampa Bay Rays. Taj Bradley held the punchless Sox to just 2 runs in 5 innings while the Rays bullpen surrendered just 1 run the rest of the way. The Sox were leading 2-1 when Tanner Houck (3-5, 2.17 ERA) was yanked in the sixth inning only for Greg Weissert and yet another fielding error gave the Rays a three run lead. Rafael Devers hit a home run to cut the lead but the Sox offense failed to generate any baserunners in the final two innings. The Sox have now gone 10 days without scoring more than four runs in regulation as the Rays won the game 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                            Al Horford scores more than the Red Sox

Houck got the ball in the top of the first and Yandy Diaz took strike three to start. Josh Lowe grounded out to second and Randy Arozarena struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first against Bradley as Jarren Duran doubled to center to start. Duran moved to third on the Wilyer Abreu fly ball to center and scored on the Connor Wong sac fly to center. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                                Sac fly for Wong

Jonathan Aranda grounded out to first to start the top of the second and Isaac Parades flied out to center. Richie Palacios was hit with a pitch but Jose Caballero struck out swinging to end the inning. Tyler O'Neill led off the bottom of the second by watching strike three go by then Dominic Smith went down hacking. Garrett Cooper lined out to second to end the inning.

The Rays almost struck back in the top of the third as Ben Rortvedt walked to start and Jose Siri got a base hit to center. Diaz grounded into a double play and Lowe grounded out to short to end the inning. David Hamilton grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Ceddane Rafaela did the same. Duran flied out to center to end the inning.

Arozarena flied out to right to start the top of the fourth but Aranda walked. Parades got a base hit down the third base line and Garrett Cooper booted a grounder by Palacios for an error that scored Parades. Caballero struck out swinging and Rortvedt grounded out to second to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                              Rays tie it on an error

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Abreu launched his fourth home run of the year to put the Sox back on top. Wong got a seeing eye single into left but Devers grounded into a double play. O'Neill took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                          Abreu goes yard

Siri took strike three to start the top of the fifth but Diaz drew a walk. Lowe got a base hit to left but Arozarena lined out to center. Aranda lined out to second to end the inning. Smith lined out to Bradley to start the bottom of the fifth before Cooper struck out swinging. Hamilton got a base hit in the hole at short, Rafaela walked and Duran was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Naturally Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Houck came back for the top of the sixth and froze Parades for strike three to start. Palacios got a base hit to center and Calaberro got base hit to left, but Rortvedt struck out swinging. Sox manager Alex Cora finally had enough of Houck as Tanner struggled big time allowing 5 hits and 3 walks in 5 2/3 innings. Greg Weissert came in and Siri immediately gave up a base hit to Siri that scored Palacios to tie the game. The Rays pulled off a double steal when Wong threw another ball away for an error and Diaz hit the kill shot with a base hit to left to clear the bases. Lowe struck out swinging but the Rays were up for good 4-2

                                                           Houck deserved better

The Sox did get one back in the bottom of the sixth against Phil Maton although Wong popped up to second to start. Devers clobbered his fifth home run of the season but O'Neill struck out swinging. Smith got a base hit to right and Cooper got a base hit to center, hut Hamilton grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                        Home run Devers

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Arozarena struck out swinging to start. Aranda took strike three and Parades went down hacking to end the inning. Shawn Armstrong came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh Rafaela lined out to center to start. Duran doubled off the Monster but Abreu struck out swinging. Wong flied out to right to end the inning.

Palacios grounded out to short to begin the top of the eighth and Caballero struck out swinging. Rortvedt lined out to center to end the inning. Jonny DeLuca took over for Aranda and Pete Fairbanks came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Devers grounded out to second, O'Neill went down hacking and Smith struck out swinging to end the inning.

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Siri flied out to center to start. Diaz grounded out to short and Lowe lined out to center to end the inning. Kevin Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Cooper struck out swinging to start. Hamilton took strike three and Rafaela grounded out to second to end the game. The Rays had won it 4-3.

                                                             Rays win

Jackass of The Night is Greg Weissert. He inherited a 2-1 lead and turned it into 4-3 in no time flat

                                                        Jackass Weissert

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Cam Booser tossed two scoreless innings.

Chase Anderson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

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

The Ugly:

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but the one hit was a home run.

Dominic Smith was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Garrett Cooper was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeout and an error.

David Hamilton was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 but walked.

Tanner Houck took the loss as he was charged with 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings but only 1 run was earned due to errors. He allowed 5 hits and 3 walks while striking out seven.

Final Thoughts:

What more can be said about this rancid Red Sox offense that hasn't already been said? Its been 10 days since they scored more than four runs in regulation and failing with the bases loaded was a microcosm of this run of ineptitude. They do enough to get men on base but once they're on, nobody can drive them in. Sure they can hit solo home runs but when there's men on base, they just swing at air. Can't even blame Cora for this one because Houck went further than he's ever gone in terms of pitch count and Wong threw the ball away on the double steal attempt with Weissert on the mound. Weissert was in the game because all the other relievers had to pitch in the 12 inning marathon last night. What can be done to fix the offense? For starters, Niko Kavadas is hitting .310 with 9 homers and 25 rbis in Worcester but the concern is none of the home runs came on pitches above 92 mph and he's a lousy first baseman. At this point its worth a try because Cooper is hitting .235 and he made a crucial error tonight while Dominic Smith is hitting .167. We all know Bobby Dalbec can't get it done so may as well go with Kavadas. This year is starting to remind us of 2017, 2014 and 1992 where the offense was tragic compared to the pitching. Hopefully the Sox can get their act together before they fall further behind in the standings. The loss drops the Sox to 22-21, 6.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to tie up the series tomorrow night against the Rays when Cooper Criswell (2-1, 2.10 ERA) takes on Zack Littell of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Guardians Hold Off Sox (4/25/24)

All the injuries the Boston Red Sox have suffered reared it's ugly head in today's game against the Cleveland Guardians. Chase Anderson (0-1, 5.52 ERA) was forced to start today's game due to injuries to the rotation and he left trailing 5-0 mostly due to a grand slam from Jose Ramirez. The depleted Sox bats fought bravely, erasing most of the deficit to pull within 5-4 going into the eighth inning. Then the bats went quiet and two throwing errors by Reese McGuire led to an insurance run scoring. Emmanuel Chase slammed the door and the Guardians took 2 of 3 in Cleveland 6-4 at Progressive Field.

                                            Even Hawkeye can't keep up with all the injuries

Tyrone McKenzie got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran took strike three to start. Rafael Devers got a base hit to right but Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging. Wilyer Abreu popped up to third to end the inning. Anderson got the ball in the bottom of the first and immediately was docked a ball because Abreu and Refsnyder went to the wrong parts of the outfield. It didn't matter as Steven Kwan popped up to short, but Tyler Freeman walked. Jose Ramirez got a base hit to right but Josh Naylor popped up to short. David Fry grounded out to third to end the inning.

Pablo Reyes led off the top of the second by drawing a walk but Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. David Hamilton dumped a pop up base hit in no mans land between short and center before Reese McGuire walked. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Duran went down hacking again to end the inning. Andres Gimenez flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Will Brennan hit a home run all the way into Lake Eerie to put the Guardians up for good. Gabriel Arias was hit with a pitch but Brayan Rocchio lined out to third. Arias stole second and Kwan walked. Freeman walked to load the bases and Ramirez pounded a grand slam to ice the game already. That was it for Anderson who allowed 5 runs in 1 2/3 innings. Brennan Bernardino came in and got Naylor to fly out to center to end the inning with the Guardians up 5-0.

                                                    Anderson gives up a grand slam

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Devers lined a base hit to left to start. Refsnyder tripled into the left field corner and scored on the Abreu sac fly to left. Reyes struck out swinging but Dalbec singled off the glove of Arias. Hamilton grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                         Sox start a comeback

Fry walked to start the bottom of the third but Gimenez grounded into a double play. Brennan doubled to center and Arias flied out to right to end the inning.

McGuire singled to left to start the top of the fourth but Rafaela grounded into a double play. Duran earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the inning. Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Rocchio struck out swinging to begin. Kwan caught the Sox infield asleep with a bunt single to Hamilton but Freeman flied out to center. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. 

Tim Herrin came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Devers singled to right to start. Refsnyder got a base hit to center but Abreu lined out to right. Nick Sandlin came in to face Reyes but Sox manager Alex Cora pinch hit Masataka Yoshida. Yoshida grounded back to the mound to move the runners over and Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Dalbec. Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning. Connor Wong took over for Yoshida to start the bottom of the fifth and Naylor flied out to right to start. Fry walked but Gimenez forced him at second. Brennan flied out to left to end the inning. 

The Sox rallied in the top of the sixth as Hamilton was plunked to start. McGuire singled to right and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Rafaela grounded out to second but Hamilton scored and McGuire went to third. Hunter Gaddis came in to face Duran and Jarren got a base hit to left to score McGuire. Devers flied out to right and Refsnyder grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                  Duran inches the Sox closer 

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Arias grounded out to short to start. Rocchio dropped down a bunt that fooled Weissert for a single then stole second. Kwan hit a bullet to Duran who doubled off Rocchio at second to end the inning. 

Scott Barlow came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Abreu grounded out to second to start. Wong grounded out to third and Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning. Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Freeman greeted him with a base hit to right. Freeman got thrown out at second trying to steal but Ramirez singled to center. Ramirez took off for second base and McGuire threw the ball over the first baseman's head for no reason for an error, Jose moving to third. Naylor was intentionally walked and he took off for second and McGuire spiked the ball like a football for another error to score Ramirez. Naylor went to third and tried for home on a fly ball to Abreu by Fry. Abreu gunned down Naylor at home to end the inning but the Guardians were up 6-4.

                                                                   Another damn error

Cade Smith came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Hamilton lined out to center to start. McGuire watched strike three go by and Rafaela went down hacking to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gimenez struck out swinging to open. Brennan grounded out to short and Arias grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Emmanuel Chase came in to close out the top of the ninth and Duran grounded out to second to start. Devers struck out swinging and Refsnyder popped up to third to end the game. The Guardians had won it 6-4.

                                                                  Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Chase Anderson. He gave up the grand slam that put the game out of reach.

                                                                   Jackass Anderson

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 2.

David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored. 

Pablo Reyes walked in two plate appearances.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Cam Booser tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless inning.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Connor Wong was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored but committed two costly errors.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Chris Martin allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox were THIS close to pulling off the win of the year but couldn't get it done. Being down 5-0 in the second inning of a bullpen game but coming back to win would be epic, but it didn't happen. Anderson put them in a hole and McGuire poured dirt on it with his errors at the end. There's no shame in the heart they displayed to get back in the game, but being without 3 of their guns came back to gaunt them. Vaughn Grissom walked 3 times in yesterday's Worcester Red Sox game so he might be back soon. All things considered, it was a game that simply slipped away. The less said of it, the better. The Sox now come back home for a three game set with the Chicago Cubs. Japanese sensation Shota Imanaga goes for the Cubs against Kutter Crawford (1-0, 0.66 ERA) of the Red Sox. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Bello, Sox Crush Pirates (4/19/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Yesterday Sox GM Craig Breslow sent a sack full of money to the Milwaukee Brewers for Vladimir Gutierrez. Gutierrez was one of the Cincinnati Reds top prospects, winning 9 games for them in 2021. He was actually on the Miami Marlins before being claimed by Milwaukee on April 5th. Just two weeks later he was placed on waivers and the Sox picked him up. This is mostly just minor league depth as the second move that was made saw Boston pull the plug on the Joe Jacques experiment. Jacques was designated for assignment and 31 year old career minor leaguer Cam Booser was called up to replace him. If the plan is to release Jacques, now they have Gutierrez to replace him. Who's Booser you ask? He was originally a rookie free agent signed by the Minnesota Twins back in 2013 and couldn't stay healthy, pitching just 12 games for High A in 2016 and 2017. He spent 2021 and 2022 in the independent leagues before signing with Worcester last year. From being out of baseball from 2018-2021 to the majors, that's a hell of a comeback.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                                 IN

The bad news was beloved member of the 2004 Boston Red Sox David McCarty passed away last night but the Red Sox honored him by thrashing the Pittsburgh Pirates. Brayan Bello (3-1, 3.04 ERA) put together his best start of the season, holding the Pirates to just one hit in six shutout innings. Rob Refsnyder made his triumphant return to the lineup with two big hits including a home run. Wilyer Abreu busted out with three hits including a home run and the Sox as a team clubbed four of them. In the ninth inning, career minor leaguer Cam Booser got to make his ML debut as the Sox won the game 8-1 at PNC Park.

                                                                RIP Dave

Quinn Priester got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to short to start. Wilyer Abreu smashed his first home run of the season to put Boston on top but Rob Refsnyder grounded out to short. Triston Casas belted his sixth home run of the season and Connor Wong grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                   Abreu and Casas demolish home runs

Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Oneil Cruz flied out to right to start. Bryan Reynolds walked and moved to second on the Ke'Bryan Hayes grounder to second. Ceddanne Rafaela booted a grounded by Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez to put runners at the corners but Andrew McCutchen took strike three to end the inning. 

The Sox ran themselves into outs in the top of the second as Masataka Yoshida lined one off of Priester to start. Bobby Dalbec got his first double of the season but Yoshida was thrown out at home trying to score from first. Priester threw a grounder by Enmanuel Valdez away for an error to put runners at the corners. Rafaela lined one past second base that scored Dalbec but Valdez somehow failed to run it out, getting forced at second. Rafaela stole second but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0. 

 

                                                        "Valdez you idiot!" - Rafaela

Jack Suwinski doubled to left to start the bottom of the second but Jared Triolo lined out to second. Michael A Taylor grounded out to short and Henry Davis grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Abreu grounded out to first to start the top of the third and Refsnyder grounded out to short. Casas walked and Wong got a seeing eye single into right but Yoshida took strike three to end the inning. Cruz struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third but Reynolds walked. Hayes popped up to second and Tellez struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Dalbec struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Valdez grounded out to first. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning. McCutchen grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Suwinski grounded out to second. Triolo lined out to second to end the inning.

The Sox got some insurance in the top of the fifth although Duran grounded out to first to start. Abreu got a base hit to right and Refsnyder launched his first home run of the season to increase the lead. That was it for Priester and Josh Fleming came in to pitch. Casas flied out to center but Wong singled to right. Yoshida was hit with a pitch but Dalbec grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                       Refsnyder jacks one

Taylor took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth and Davis went down hacking. Cruz was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning.

The Sox barrage continued in the top of the sixth with Roansy Contreras on the mound. Valdez flied out to center but Rafaela pounded his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Duran popped up to short and Abreu flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                             Rafaela's first of the year

Bello returned for the bottom of the sixth and Reynolds struck out swinging to start. Hayes took strike three and Tellez grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Bello who tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 1 hit and 2 walks while striking out 7.

                                                            Bello was great

The Sox poured it on in the top of the seventh as Refsnyder doubled to left to start. Casas took strike three and Wong struck out swinging but Yoshida walked. Dalbec walked to load the bases and Valdez doubled into the gap. Refsnyder and Yoshida scored but Dalbec was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox up 8-0.

                                                           You're out, you dummy!

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and McCutchen grounded out to short to start. Suwinski struck out swinging and Triolo lined out to left to end the inning. 

Hunter Stratton came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela flied out to right to start. Duran grounded out to second but Abreu doubled to center. Refsnyder lined out to second to end the inning. Taylor beat out a roller to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Davis got a base hit to left. Cruz struck out swinging and Reynolds flied out to left before Hayes lined out to right to end the inning.

Casas grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth and Wong struck out swinging. Yoshida grounded out to third to end the inning. Cam Booser made his ML debut in the bottom of the ninth facing pinch hitter Alika Williams. Alike tripled to left but McCutchen struck out swinging. Edward Olivares pinch hit for Suwinski and scored Williams with a grounder to third. Triolo grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-1.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brayan Bello. He tossed a 6 inning 1 hitter while allowing 2 walks and striking out seven guys.

                                                                Hero Bello

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run and 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 5.

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Chase Anderson tossed two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5.

Cam Booser made his ML debut by allowing a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and hit a home run.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with an error but stole a base, hit a home run and drove in two

Final Thoughts:

That was a good team win on the road against a team that's not that bad. It was good to see some of the struggling guys like Abreu and Rafaela hit some bombs and Refsnyder regaining his "sixth man" role is going to pay dividends once some key guys get back from injury. The Sox are decimated by injuries but they're going to live and die with their pitching. Tonight they lived with Bello's performance. Sox brass want him to be the ace of the staff and he pitched like one. So far Tanner Houck and Kutter Crawford have been great and tonight Bello took the next step. An encouraging sign is Connor Wong is hitting .349, better late than never. Not much to complain about in this one apart from Duran having a bad game, but he carried them for so long that he was due. In the era of the third wild card, the Sox need to tread water until some of their injuries heal. Rafael Devers, Vaughn Grissom and Tyler O'Neill will cut some of the fat off the roster and the sooner Garrett Whitlock comes back, the better. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the Pirates tomorrow afternoon when Crawford (0-0, 0.42 ERA) looks for his first win of the season against Mitch Keller of Pittsburgh. The game begins at 4:00 PM at PNC Park.