Sox Hold On, Defeat Blue Jays (4/26/14)

It was good news all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Bruins eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. That was too close for comfort although the Red Sox offense put a six spot on the board against Brandon Morrow of the Jays in the third inning. AJ Pierzynski belted a grand slam in that inning and the Sox as a unit had only 5 hits but that one was a big one. On the other side of the ball, Clay Buchholz (1-2, 6.66 ERA) held the Jays to just 3 runs in 7 innings of work. The bullpen bent as Junichi Tazawa got lit up for two runs to inch the Jays closer, but Chris Capuano and Koji Uehara slammed the door on the Jays. The Sox narrowly held on to win 7-6 at the Skydome.

                                                   Torey Krug (and pals) approves of the win

Morrow got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia walked to start. Shane Victorino popped up to second but David Ortiz walked. Mike Carp grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Jays jumped on Buchholz in the bottom of the first as Jose Reyes walked to start. Melky Cabrera got a base hit to left to move Reyes to third. Jose Bautista got a base hit to left to score Reyes, moving Cabrera to third and a wild pitch scored Melky. Juan Francisco struck out swinging but Dioner Navarro got a base hit to right to score Bautista. Colby Rasmus flied out to left and Brett Lawrie flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 3-0.

                                                             Jays got up big early

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Grady Sizemore walked to start. AJ Pierzynski walked but Will Middlebooks flied out to right to move Sizemore to third. Jonathan Herrera grounded into a double play to end the inning. Moises Sierra flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Ryan Goins hit a bullet right to Buchholz. It looked like Reyes beat out a grounder to short but Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call. New York Yankees manag....err Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre was in the bathroom so the call was overturned to end the inning.

Morrow completely fell apart in the top of the third although Jackie Bradley Jr took strike three to start. Pedroia flied out to left but both Victorino and Ortiz drew back to back walks. Blue Jays pitching Pete Walker came out to take a swing at the home plate umpire for squeezing Morrow and was thrown out of the building. A passed ball moved the runners over and Carp walked to load the bases. Sizemore walked to score Victorino and chase Morrow.  Chad Jenkins came in and suddenly Pierzsynki cracked a grand slam to put the Sox up for good. Middlebrooks then hit a home run for back to back jacks. Herrera grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                 Middlebrooks with the exclamation point

Cabrera struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Bautista flied out to right. Francisco and Navarro drew back to back walks but Rasmus flied out to center to end the inning.

JBJ took strike three to open the top of the fourth but Pedroia got a base hit to left. Pedroia got thrown out at second trying to steal and Victorino grounded out to short to end the inning. Lawrie got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Sierra flied out to right. Goins forced Lawrie at second and Reyes lined out to left to end the inning.

Ortiz was called out on strikes to begin the top of the fifth but Carp pounded a ground rule double over the left field wall. Sizemore doubled to center to score Carp and chase Jenkins from the game. Aaron Loup came in and Pierzynski moved Grady to third on a swinging bunt in front of the plate. Middlebrooks struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                            Sizemore drives in a run

Cabrera grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Bautista doubled to left. Francisco moved Jose to third with a grounder to first and Navarro was caught looking at strike three to end the inning. Navarro heaved his bat in frustration saying the strike was a ball when its the Toronto pitcher and he might have a point, some of the calls against Morrow were ugggggggly!

Herrera grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the sixth and JBJ lined out to third. Pedroia lined out to first to end the inning. Buchholz dominated the bottom of the sixth as Rasmus grounded out to second to start. Lawrie grounded out to third and Sierra flied out to center to end the inning.

Brett Cecil came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Victorino struck out swinging to start. Ortiz walked but Carp flied out to center. Sizemore struck out swinging to end the inning. Buchholz returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Goins got a base hit to center to start. Reyes grounded out to first to move Goins to second and Cabrera grounded out to second. Goins moved to third on the grounder but Bautista flied out to left to end the inning. Clay started off slow but hung on to allow 3 runs in 7 innings off 6 hits and 3 walks.

                                                            Good work Buchholz

Steve Delabar came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pierzynski grounded out to second to begin. Middlebrooks lined out to right and Herrera grounded out to second to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Francisco hit a home run all the way to Madagascar to cut the lead. Navarro singled to center and Rasmus singled to right before Lawrie beat out a double play ball. Edwin Encarnacion pinch hit for Sierra and got a base hit to center to score Navarro. Sox manager John Farrell kicked over a tub of gatorade and yanked Tazawa from the game. Chris Capuano came in to face old pal Jonathan Diaz who was pinch hitting for Goins. Diaz took strike three but Reyes walked to load the bases. Farrell took no chances and brought in Koji Uehara for the four out save. Uehara got Cabrera to fly out to left to end the inning with the Jays down 7-5.

                                                Encarnacion drives in a run

Sergio Santos took over for Delbar to pitch the top of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Pedroia grounded out to third and Victorino struck out swinging to end the inning. Uehara came back to close out the bottom of the ninth but Bautista hit a home run all the way to Hamilton, Ontario to cut the lead. Francisco struck out swinging but Navarro got a base hit to center. Rasmus struck out swinging but Lawrie got a base hit to center. Encarnacion flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-6.

                                                          Uehara is all smiles after the win

Hero of The Night is AJ Pierzynski. His grand slam put the Sox up for good in the third inning.

                                                              Grand Slam Hero

The Good:

David Ortiz walked 3 times and scored a run.

Mike Carp was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Grady Sizemore was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Clay Buchholz got the win by tossing 7 strong innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 3 walks.

Chris Capuano got the second out of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Junichi Tazawa allowed 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Shane Victorino was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Will Middlebrooks was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Koji Uehara got the save but allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Second game in a row after Victorino and Middlebrooks were back together that the Sox put up 7 plus runs. Pierzynski was the hero with the grand slam but the offense in general was a team effort. Middlebrooks hit a ball a mile and that was good to see after he was out for a while. If only Grady Sizemore would step it up, the offense would be as deadly as last year with Grady in the Jacoby Ellsbury role. Pitching wise Buchholz got lit up early but got stronger as the game went on. Junichi Tazawa's personal kryptonite is Toronto and today was no different. He hadn't allowed a run yet this year and he gets rocked. Uehara served up a bomb to Bautista but luckily the Sox had a 2 run lead at the time. One of the few times somebody tagged both members of the Orient Express but the Sox survived this one. Hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum until the end of the month and get back on track. The Sox look for a series sweep tomorrow against the Jays when Jon Lester (2-3) takes on RA Dickey of Toronto. The game begins at 1:05 PM at the Skydome.

Peavy, Sox Bash Blue Jays (4/25/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an unpopular roster move. Brock Holt has been sent down to Pawtucket and Will Middlebrooks has been activated. Holt had been getting on base a lot but Sox brass wants Jonathan Herrera's defense and the thinking is Middlebrooks will re-discover his bat. Then again, if anyone else goes down Brock is just a phone call away.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, now that was just what the doctor ordered. Jake Peavy (1-0, 2.87 ERA) tossed his best game of the season to win his first game of 2014. He allowed the Toronto Blue Jays to just one run in seven strong innings. Offensively the Sox pounced on Mark Buehrle early and often for 12 hits and 7 runs. The Sox scored another run against the Toronto bullpen while Boston's relievers held the fort for them. The returns of Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino helped big time and the Sox looked like themselves for the first time in a while as they won 8-1 over the Jays at the Skydome.

                                                          Leola Bell approves of the win

Buehrle got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia led off with a base hit to center. Shane Victorino grounded into a double play and David Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. Peavy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Reyes struck out swinging to start. Melky Cabrera struck out swinging and Jose Bautista popped up to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Mike Napoli walked to start. Jonny Gomes lined out to center but Xander Bogaerts doubled over the head of Edwin Encarnacion down the right field line. AJ Pierzsynski hit a sac fly to center to score Napoli and the returning Will Middlebrooks blooped a base hit to right to score Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr to left. Pedroia lashed a base hit to left to score both runners but was thrown out at second to end the inning trying to stretch a double with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                       "You're out you dummy!"

Encarnacion struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Dioner Navarro flied out to center. Juan Francisco got a base hit to right but Brett Lawrie lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Victorino grounded out to short to start. Ortiz then bashed his fifth home run of the season to add to the lead. Napoli doubled off the left field wall and Gomes walked, but Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                             Big Papi delivers

Colby Rasmus popped up to Bogaerts in foul territory to start the bottom of the third before Ryan Goins flied out to left. Reyes popped up to Middlebrooks in foul territory to end the inning.

Pierzynski lined out to Bautista to start the top of the fourth before Middlebrooks flied out to Cabrera. JBJ hit a triple into the gap in center but Pedroia popped up to right to end the inning. Cabrera lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Bautista doubled to right. Encarnacion walked but Bautista was thrown out trying to steal third. Navarro popped up to short to end the inning.

Victorino lined out to left to start the top of the fifth before Ortiz grounded out to first. Napoli singled to left and Gomes beat out a roller to third. Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning. Francisco struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Lawrie grounded back to the mound. Rasmus grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox added to the lead in the top of the sixth as Pierzynski singled to center to start. Middlebrooks hit a gap shot to center to score Pierzynski but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. JBJ walked and that was it for Buehrle as Neil Wagner came in to pitch. Pedroia hit a routine grounder to Reyes but his relay throw to Goins pulled Ryan off the back for an error. Victorino popped up to third and JBJ stole third base. Ortiz walked to load the bases and Napoli walked to score Pedroia. Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 7-0 Red Sox.

                                                           Sox walk in a run

Goins grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth but Reyes doubled to right. Cabrera got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners but Bautista took strike three. Encarnacion struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bogaerts popped up to third to begin the top of the seventh but Pierzynski got a base hit to right. Middlebrooks got plunked and both runners moved over on the JBJ grounder to first. Todd Redmond came in to pitch to Pedroia and Dustin lined out to right to end the inning. Peavy got tagged in his final inning as Navarro grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the eighth. Francisco hit a home run all the way to Santiago, DR to cut the lead. Lawrie walked but Rasmus struck out swinging. Goins grounded out to first to end the inning. Peavy was outstanding, allowing just 1 run in 7 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks.

                                                                  Good work Peavy

Victorino doubled to left to start the top of the eighth but Ortiz struck out swinging. Napoli grounded out to short and Gomes lined out to second to end the inning. Chris Capuano came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Reyes struck out swinging. Cabrera also went down hacking and Bautista watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the ninth and Bogaerts flied out to center to start. Pierzynski doubled to center then moved to third on the Middlebrooks grounder to short. JBJ lashed a double to left and Pedroia drew a walk. Victorino took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 8-1.

                                                         Bradley drives in the final run

Andrew Miller came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Encarnacion took strike three to begin. Navarro got an infield single to short but Francisco struck out swinging. Lawrie popped up to second to end the game. The Sox won the game 8-1.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jake Peavy. He held the Jays to just 1 run in 7 innings allowing 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out seven.

                                                        Hero Peavy

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Will Middlebrooks was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

AJ Pierzynski was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi, 2 runs scored and a stolen base.

Chris Capuano pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and hit a home run.

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

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

THIS is the team the Red Sox were looking for when they started the season. Victorino and Middlebrooks coming back healthy complete the lineup they were looking for when they signed Grady Sizemore and Pierzynski to replace Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jacoby Ellsbury. Not only that, this was Peavy's best start of the season and if he can have another season like he did last year, the Sox will be in contention as long as everyone stays healthy. Having Miller back healthy and the addition of Capuano has also helped tremendously. All in all, this was the first win since the beginning of April that felt remotely like 2013 with their guns back. Hopefully the Sox can ride the momentum back into contention from here on in. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon when Clay Buchholz (0-2) looks for his first win of the season against Brandon Morrow of Toronto. The game begins at 1:05 PM at the Skydome.

Yankees Bash Lester, Sox (4/22/14)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox lost to the New York Yankees. Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox are in trouble. They've played 21 games this season and have trailed in almost every single one of them. This time it was the New York Yankees and their new ace Masahiro Tanaka that added to Boston's misery. Tanaka mastered the Sox, allowing just 2 runs in 7 1/3 innings to keep the Yankees ahead. Meanwhile the Yankees blasted Sox ace Jon Lester for eight runs, knocking him out in the fifth inning. The only runs the Sox scored off Tanaka were solo home runs by David Ortiz and Mike Napoli but it wasn't nearly enough. Carlos Beltran hit a home run off Edward Mujica for the exclamation point as the Yankees crushed the Sox 9-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                        "THEY BEAT LESTER!!!!"

Lester got mauled in the top of the first inning as old pal Jacoby Ellsbury hit a ball off the top of the wall that a fan reached out and grabbed it for interference. The umpires ruled it a triple and Derek Jeter did the honors with a base hit to center to score him, putting the Yankees up for good two batters into the game. AJ Pierzynski managed to muff a ball and throw it away to advance Jeter all the way to third and Carlos Beltran ripped a base hit to center to score Jeter. Alfonso Soriano and Mark Teixeira both struck out swinging but Brian McCann walked. Yangervis Solarte flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                               Beltran drives in a run

Tanaka got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ellsbury made a great diving catch to rob Grady Sizemore of a hit. Dustin Pedroia doubled to the left field wall but David Ortiz struck out swinging. Mike Napoli also went down hacking to end the inning.

Ichiro Suzuki got a base hit to center to start the top of the second and Brian Roberts got a seeing eye single past the diving Xander Bogaerts. Ellsbury flied out to left but Jeter walked to load the bases. Beltran grounded into a double play to end the inning. Jonny Gomes popped up to third to begin the bottom of the second and Pierzynski struck out swinging. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Soriano doubled to center to start. Teixeira blooped a double down the right field line to score Soriano and McCann doubled off the scoreboard to score Teixeira. Solarte struck out swinging but Ichiro walked. Sizemore failed to catch a liner by Roberts for a single to load the bases but Ellsbury grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-0.

                                                     Yankees pour it on

Brock Holt grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr got a base hit to center. Sizemore grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Jeter was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the top of the fourth before Beltran struck out swinging. Soriano struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Ortiz smashed his fourth home run of the season before Napoli belted his fifth home run of the year for back to back jacks. Gomes popped up to left but Pierzynski doubled high off the Monster. Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                              Back to back jacks

The Yankees finished off Lester in the top of the fifth as Teixeira walked to start. McCann got a base hit to left off the Monster but Solarte struck out swinging. Ichiro went down hacking and Roberts hit a liner off the glove of Napoli for an error to score Teixeira. Ellsbury doubled to left to score both McCann and Roberts. Sox manager John Farrell had enough of Lester and yanked him after just 4 2/3 innings allowing 8 runs on 11 hits and 4 walks. Chris Capuano came in and Jeter immediately greeted him with a base hit to center to score Ellsbury. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees up 8-2.

                                                        Lester gets pounded

Holt grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and JBJ grounded out to first. Sizemore flied out to right to end the inning.

Soriano popped up to center to start the top of the sixth and Teixeira hit a bullet to Bogaerts. McCann was retired on a swinging bunt to end the inning. Pedroia flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Ortiz grounded out to short. Napoli doubled to center but Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning.

Solarte struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh but Ichiro doubled to left. Roberts flied out to center and Ellsbury grounded out to second to end the inning. Pierzynski struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh before Bogarts grounded out to third. Holt lined a base hit up the middle but JBJ's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Solarte to end the inning.

Edward Mujica came in to get tagged in the top of the eighth as Jeter grounded back to the mound to start. Beltran then hit a home run all the way to the Azores to increase the lead. Soriano grounded out to short and Teixeira struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 9-2.

                                                       Beltran goes yard

Brett Gardner took over in left to start the bottom of the eighth and Sizemore struck out swinging to start. Dellin Betances came in to pitch to Pedroia and caught him looking for strike three. Ortiz also watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Jonathan Herrera took over Pedroia with Junichi Tazawa in to pitch the top of the ninth. McCann singled off the Monster but Solarte flied out to center. McCann moved to second on the grounder to second by Ichiro. Roberts lined out to first to end the inning.

Dean Anna came in for Jeter to start the bottom of the ninth and Napoli grounded out to third to start. Gomes doubled off the Monster but Pierzynski grounded out to first to move Gomes to third. Bogaerts crushed a double off the Monster to score Gomes but Holt grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Yankees had won it 9-3.

                                                         Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Jon Lester. He got rocked for 8 runs in just 4 2/3 innings allowing 11 hits and 4 walks.

                                                          Lester The Jackass

The Good:

Mike Napoli was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.

Chris Capuano tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4.

Edward Mujica allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but hit a home run.

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

AJ Pierzynski was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Xander Bogarts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Jonathan Herrera played second base in the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

Great, now the Sox can't even beat the Yankees. The Yankees aren't exactly lighting the world on fire to start the season but they've handled the Red Sox so far this year. This was arguably Lester's worst game of the season while Tanaka blinded the Sox apart from two solo home runs back to back. Once again the offense was almost non existent and they can't possibly be this bad without Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino. Jackie Bradley Jr and Grady Sizemore went 1-7 combined in this one and so far the production just hasn't been there. Then again no one is really hitting to begin with. Lester was due for a stinker but this isn't an isolated incident where the bats just aren't working. The world series hangover is real, folks. Tomorrow might be interesting because Michael Pineda is pitching and he was shown after last week's game to have pine tar on his hand. We'll see if he tries any shenanigans tomorrow with people looking for it this time. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow against the Yankees when John Lackey (2-2) gets the start against Pineda. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Walkoff Orioles (4/20/14)

It was a great day for Boston sports as the Boston Bruins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox walked off the Baltimore Orioles. Going into the bottom of the sixth, the Sox looked dead in the water. Jake Peavy had allowed 5 runs before getting knocked out in the top of the sixth while Ubaldo Jimenez was pitching great for Baltimore. Suddenly the Sox turned the clock back a year as Jonny Gomes hit a three run over off Jimenez in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead. The Sox tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on bad defense by Baltimore while the Sox bullpen tossed zeroes. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Carp hit a fly ball to David Lough who threw the ball away. Dustin Pedroia scored to win the game 6-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Justin Florek approves of the win

The O's wasted no time getting to Peavy in the top of the first as Nick Markakis popped up to Brock Holt in foul territory to start. The pain in the ass Nelson Cruz then hit a home run all the way into Walden Pond on the first pitch to put the O's on top. Chris Davis walked and Adam Jones singled to center before Matt Wieters singled to right to score Davis, moving Jones to third. JJ Hardy hit a sac fly to center to score Jones and David Lough flied out to the right field wall to end the inning with the O's up 3-0.

                                                          O's go up early

Jimenez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Grady Sizemore walked to start. Sizemore stole second but Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third. David Ortiz grounded into the shift but Sizemore moved to third before Mike Napoli watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Jonathan Schoop struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Ryan Flaherty flied out to center. Markakis walked and Cruz singled to left, but Davis grounded out to first to end the inning. Jonny Gomes led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to short before Daniel Nava also grounded out to short. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jones singled to left to start the top of the third before Wieters popped up to left. Hardy struck out swinging and Lough took strike three to end the inning. AJ Pierzynski lined out to a leaping Lough to start the bottom of the third before Brock Holt walked. Sizemore struck out swinging but Holt stole second. Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning.'

Schoop almost hit a home run to Nebraska but the ball went foul and he eventually struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth. Flaherty was retired on a nubber in front of the plate but Markakis walked. Cruz took strike three to end the inning. Ortiz flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Napoli flied out to left. Gomes doubled to the left field wall but Nava struck out swinging to end the inning.

The O's struck again in the top of the fifth as Davis grounded into the shift to start. Jones grounded out to second but Wieters singled over the head of Holt. Hardy got a base hit to center and Lough hit a fan touched ground rule double into the right field seats to score Wieters. Schoop grounded out to short to end the inning with the O's up 4-0.

                                                          O's pour it on

The Sox tried to start a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts got a base hit to center to start. Pierzynski popped up to short, Holt took strike three and Sizemore popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

The O's finished off Peavy in the top of the sixth as Flaherty doubled off the Monster to start. Markakis popped up to second and Flaherty moved to third on the fly out to right by Cruz. Davis was intentionally walked but Jones ripped a base hit to left to score Flaherty. That was it for Peavy who got rocked for 5 runs in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed 10 hits and 4 walks and was lifted for Chris Capuano. Wieters lined out to left to end the inning with the O's up 5-0.

                                                      "I sucked tonight" - Peavy

The Sox began the comeback in the bottom of the sixth but Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Ortiz got a base hit to center and Napoli walked. Gomes then pulverized his second home run of the season to put the Sox back in it. That was it for Jimenez as Zack Britton came in to pitch and Nava grounded out to third. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                            Sox climb back in

Steve Lombardozzi pinch hit for Hardy to start the top of the seventh and took strike three. Lough's bunt attempt was snuffed out and Schoop popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Pierzynski struck out swinging to start. Holt got a base hit to center and Sizemore hit a grounder to Britton. He flipped to Flaherty but he dropped it for an error. Pedroia made Flaherty pay with a base hit to right to load the bases. Ortiz ripped a base hit to right to score Holt and chase Britton. Evan Meek (who will inherit nothing) came in to pitch to Napoli and Mike hit a grounder to third. Schoop bounced the throw home and Sizemore scored on the error to tie the game. Gomes hit one up the elevator shaft and Nava struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                           Tie game

Flaherty got a base hit to left to start the top of the eighth but Markakis struck out swinging. Junichi Tazawa came in just to face Cruz and got him to pop up to second. Andrew Miller came in to face Davis and struck him out swinging to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the eighth as Bogaerts grounded out to third to start. Pierzynski grounded out to second and Holt grounded out to first to end the inning.

Jones doubled into the left field corner to start the top of the ninth and Wieters grounded out to second to move him to third. Lombardozzi grounded back to the mound and that was it for Miller. Edward Mujica came in to face Lough and got him to strike out swinging to end the inning. Brian Matusz came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Sizemore struck out swinging to start. It looked like Pedroia hit a home run but an idiot fan reached out and grabbed the ball for an interference "double". Umpires got together but concluded that a fan touched it. When play resumed a wild pitch moved Pedroia to third and Ortiz was intentionally walked. Darren O'Day was brought in to face Napoli and ended up hitting him to load the bases. Mike Carp pinch hit for Gomes and hit a liner to Lough. Lough instinctively fired home but the throw was way off the mark. Pedroia made a mad dash for home and scored to win the game on the error. The Sox had won it 6-5.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Johnny Gomes. The Sox were down 5-0 in the sixth and his home run changed everything.

                                                     Jonny Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Chris Capuano tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa retired the only man he faced.

Andrew Miller tossed a full scoreless inning.

Edward Mujica got the win by retiring the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Mike Carp flied out to left in his only at-bat.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jake Peavy got rocked for 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings allowing 10 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5.

The Ugly:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

That might have been the most "2013" win of the season so far. Taking advantage of bad defense and winning by any means necessary. The Sox were down 5-0 and looked ready to pack it in when Gomes clobbered that home run. Then the O's blew it in the seventh then blew it again in the ninth. Buck Showalter is going to have a headache tonight because they had this game in the bag in more ways than one. Still, they won games last year like this so its good to see some of that carry over to this year. Peavy looked awful but he was due for a stinker, hopefully he'll be okay next start. Word is Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino could be returning sometime soon so that'll help the stagnant offense. Let's see if they can rise up to the occasion in tomorrow's big game. The Sox look to wrap up the series with Baltimore tomorrow morning on Patriots Day. Clay Buchholz (0-1) gets the start for Boston against Wei-Yin Chen of Baltimore. The game begins at 11:00 AM 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.

Nova, Yankees Edge Sox (4/13/14)

Looks like the magic of the 2013 season wore off in a hurry for the 2014 Boston Red Sox. The Sox have now lost eight of their first fourteen games including three out of four to the New York Yankees. Ian Nova stymied the Red Sox allowing just 2 runs while pitching into the eighth inning. Felix Doubront (1-2, 6.75) was game but surrendered three runs in 6 2/3 innings. The Sox jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Jonathan Herrera rbi single but Carlos Beltran hit a two run shot off Doubront in the bottom of the third. The Yankees made it 3-1 but Mike Napoli homered in the sixth to cut the lead to one. The Sox loaded the bases in the top of the eighth but couldn't deliver the knockout punch. The Yankees beat the Sox 3-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                 Losing three of four to the Yankees?

Nova got the ball in the top of the first inning and Grady Sizemore grounded out to short to start. Xander Bogaerts ripped a base hit to left but David Ortiz struck out swinging. Mike Napoli also struck out swinging to end the inning. Doubront got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner led off to lining out to a running Daniel Nava to start. Carlos Beltran lined a base hit to left and Jacoby Ellsbury doubled down the right field line. Alfonso Soriano lined a ball to center and Beltran trotted home....but Ellsbury was thrown out at third by Bradley to end the inning before the runner scored.

                                                                   Yerrrr out!

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Daniel Nava grounded out to second to start. AJ Pierzynski struck out swinging but Ryan Roberts lined a base hit to left. Jackie Bradley Jr lined a ball off Nova into shallow right for a base hit to move Roberts to third. Jonathan Herrera lined a base hit to center to score Roberts to put the Sox on top. Sizemore dumped a base hit to left but JBJ was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Yerrrr out!

Brian McCann led off the bottom of the second and Yangervis Solarte grounded out to third. Kelly Johnson walked and took second on a wild pitch but Francisco Cervelli flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Ortiz grounded out to third and Napoli grounded out to short to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third as Anna grounded out to first to start. Gardner singled to right and Beltran hit a home run all the way to Nepal to put the Yankees up for good. Ellsbury grounded out to first and Soriano grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-1.

                                                           Home run Beltran

Nava hit a rocket to Ellsbury to start the top of the fourth before Pierzynski grounded out to second. Roberts lined a base hit to left and JBJ lined out to left to end the inning. The Yankees got another run in the bottom of the fourth as McCann walked to start. Solarte walked and Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves ran to the mound to tell Doubront what happened in the latest episode of Supernatural. Johnson forced Solarte at second and it looked like Cervelli banged into a double play to end the inning. Yankees manager Joe Girardi challenged that Cervelli was safe at first and former Yankees manager Joe Torre DEMANDED the call be changed. Sure enough, the call was overturned as Cervelli was safe and McCann scored to increase the lead. Sox manager John Farrell ran out of the dugout and shouted at the umpires causing him to be ejected. Apparently Cervelli was hurt on the play and Ichiro Suzuki pinch ran for him. Anna flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.

                                       "I've had it up to here with you divotheads!" - Farrell

Herrera lined out to short to start the top of the fifth but Sizemore singled to center. Bogaerts flied out to center and Ortiz flied out to the right field warning track to end the inning. Gardner singled to center to begin the bottom of the fifth and moved to second on a fly ball to deep center by Beltran. Ellsbury flied out to right and Soriano struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Napoli smashed his third home run of the season to cut the lead. Nava flied out to center, Pierzynski grounded out to short and Roberts also grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                           Home run Napoli

McCann doubled to center to start the bottom of the sixth before moving to third on a grounder to short by Solarte. Johnson struck out swinging and Ichiro grounded out to second to end the inning. 

JBJ took strike three to start the top of the seventh before Herrera grounded out to third. Sizemore flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Anna flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Gardner lined out to a running Nava. Beltran doubled to left and that was it for Doubront. Felix fought well, going 6 2/3 innings while allowing 3 runs off 7 hits and 3 walks. Chris Capuano came in to get Ellsbury to ground out to second to end the inning.

                                                            Doubront deserved better

Bogaerts flied out to right to start the top of the eighth and that was it for Nova. Matt Thornton came in to face Ortiz and Ichiro made a great jumping catch to rob Big Papi of extra bases. David Phelps was brought in to face Napoli and Gardner missed catching a "double" by Napoli. Nava walked and Pierzynski was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Acting Sox manager Torey Lovullo had Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts but Mike struck out swinging to end the inning. Huge chance blown by the Sox there. Soriano flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth and McCann lined out to center. Solarte singled to center and Johnson grounded out to second to end the inning.

Shawn Kelley came in to close out the top of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Herrera took strike three and Gardner made yet another diving catch on Sizemore to end the game. The Yankees played a flawless defensive game to win 3-2.

                                                                  Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is a tough one but I'll go with David Ortiz. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout in a one run game. One hit or home run might have been the difference.

                                                                   Jackass Ortiz

The Good:

Grady Sizemore was 2 for 5.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Ryan Roberts was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Chris Capuano tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Mike Carp struck out swinging as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 but walked.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jonathan Herrera was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Felix Doubront took the loss but pitched relatively well, tossing 6 2/3 innings while allowing 3 runs. 

Final Thoughts:

The Sox had their chances but couldn't get it done when it counted. Its unfair to put too much blame on Carp because its very hard to come off the bench ice cold in the later innings and expect to produce. Still, the Yankees defense made a ton of great plays to rob the Sox of extra hits. Doubront pitched relatively well too so you just have to tip your cap to the Yankees for playing a great all around game. The Yankees took three of four and the Sox are in a bit of trouble moving forward. Usually the Sox come out like a house of fire against the Yankees in April but this time it was the other way around. There's still a series at Fenway coming up but still, this was no fluke. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to rebound in a three game set in Chicago against the White Sox. Jake Peavy goes for the Sox against Erik Johnson of Chicago on Tuesday night at 8:10 PM at Commiskey Park.