Sox Walkoff O's in Season Finale (9/29/19)

The good news is the Boston Red Sox 2019 season is over with a victory. The bad news was they failed to accomplish the one thing they wanted to this month. As bad as this season has been, the lone brightspot has been the emergence of Eduardo Rodriguez. Rodriguez was gunning to be the first left-handed pitcher since Mel Parnell over 60 years ago to win 20 games on the season. Rodriguez held the Baltimore Orioles to 3 runs in 7 innings of work. The Sox rallied from a 3-0 deficit to take a 4-3 lead. In a microcosm of the season, the normally reliable Matt Barnes couldn't hold the lead and blew the save, denying E-Rod his 20 wins. The Sox offense took their frustration out on the Baltimore bullpen with Rafael Devers driving home Mookie Betts, in possibly Mookie's final game in Boston, to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. E-Rod was denied his 20th win but the Sox were winners in the season finale 5-4.

                                                     Sox win the finale

Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first and Hanser Alberto flied out to left to start. Austin Hays grounded out to second and Trey Mancini took strike three to end the inning. Former Sox prospect Chandler Shepherd got the ball for the O's in the bottom of the first and Mooloe Betts flied out to center to start. Rafael Devers whiffed and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rodriguez started the top of the second by striking out Renato Nunez swinging to start. Jonathan Villar also went down hacking and Mark Trumbo was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. JD Martinez struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second before Mitch Moreland grounded out to second. Christian Vazquez took strike three to end the inning.

The O's pounded Rodriguez in the top of the third as Steve Wilkerson walked to start. Austin Wynns flied out to center but Richie Martin caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single. Alberto singled to center to score Wilkerson and Hays doubled home Martin. Mancini forced Hays at third but Alberto scored. Nunez grounded out to first to end the inning but the O's were up 3-0.

                                                O's thought it was in the bag

The Sox rallied for E-Rod in the bottom of the third although Brock "The Hitman" Holt whiffed to start. Gorkys Hernandez motored around for a triple and Jackie Bradley Jr was plunked to put runners at the corners. Mr. Mookie singled home Hernandez to put the Sox on the board. Devers singled to right but Wilkerson booted the ball, allowing JBJ to score and putting Betts at third. A wild pitch moved Devers to second but Betts was thrown out at home on a grounder by Bogaerts. Martinez whiffed again to end the inning but the Sox were down 3-2.

                                                Mr. Mookie's possible last game

Rodriguez settled down in the top of the fourth as Villar lined out to third to start. Trumbo flied out to center and Wilkerson went down swinging to end the inning. Moreland singled to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Vazquez banged into a double play. Holt struck out swinging to end the inning.

Wynns flied out to center to open the top of the fifth but Martin singled to right. Alberto flied out to left and Hays flied out to center to end the inning. Shepherd was strong for one last inning in the bottom of the fifth and Hernandez lined out to left to start. JBJ flied out to left but Mr. Mookie singled to left. Devers flied out to left to end the inning.

                                             5 solid innings for Shepherd

Rodriguez cruised in the top of the sixth as Mancini whiffed to start. Nunez watched strike three go by and Villar grounded out to third to end the inning. Orioles manager Bruce Hyde sent Shepherd back for the bottom of the sixth but that ended quickly when Bogaerts walked to start. Shawn Armstrong came in and Martinez singled to right and a passed ball moved both runners over. Moreland walked to load the bases and Vazquez singled to left to score Bogaerts to tie the game. Hyde brought in Evan Pjillips to pitch to Holt and he got Martinez thrown out at home on a force. Hernandez popped up to second and JBJ whiffed to end the inning. The Sox had the bases loaded and nobody out and could only score one run to tie the game 3-3.

                                               Thanks for nothing Holt

Rodriguez came back for one final inning in the top of the seventh. Trumbo grounded out to second but Wilkerson walked. Wynns went down hacking as did Martin to end the inning. Rodriguez finished 2019 with 7 innings of 3 run ball while striking out 8.

                                                   E-Rod finishes strong

The Sox managed to take the lead for E-Rod in the bottom of the seventh. Mr. Mookie popped up to first but Devers doubled to right and Bogaerts singled him home to put the Sox 6 outs from E-Rod's 20th win. Martinez lined out to short and that was it for Phillips. Paul Fry got Moreland to ground out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                      Devers scores the go-ahead run.

In a microcosm of the season, the one thing the Sox wanted to do in September, they failed to do in the top of the eighth. Matt Barnes came in and got Alberto to hit a routine grounder to short....booted for an error. Hays whiffed but Mancini singled. Nunez popped up to first but Villar singled to right to tie the game and cost E-Rod his 20th win. The boo birds rained down as Barnes hunched over angry at himself. Barnes blew away Trumbo to end the inning but 20 wins went out the window as the game was tied 4-4.

                                                      "Sorry Eduardo"

Mychal Givens came in for the bottom of the eighth and Vazquez singled to left. Chris Owings pinch ran for Vazquez and stole second base. Holt singled Owings to third and once again only the Sox could screw this up. Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Gorkys and hit a bullet to Villar who doubled off Owings for the double play. JBJ flied out to right to end the inning, what a waste.

Sox closer Brandon Workman (10-1, 1.88 ERA) came in for the top of the ninth for his last appearance of the season with Sandy Leon now behind the plate. Workman struck out Wilkerson, Wynns and Martin swinging in short order. Great season Workman! With nothing else to play for, the Sox ended the game in the bottom of the ninth with Dillon Tate on the mound. Mr. Mookie walked and Devers singled off the glove of Martin. Betts caught Wilkerson asleep in right by racing around third. The throw was wild, Devers scored and THE RED SOX WIN! The Sox walked it off to end the season with a 5-4 win.

                                                            One last win


Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers. He was 3 for 5, scored a run and got the winning hit.

                                                    One last Hero


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Eduardo Rodriguez tossed 7 innings of 3 run ball while striking out 8.

Brandon Workman earned the win with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Marco Hernandez lined into a double play in his only at bat.

Matt Barnes allowed a run in the top of the eighth.



The Ugly:

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.



Honorable Mention:

Chris Owings pinch ran and played second base in the 9th inning.

Sandy Leon caught the final inning.




Final Thoughts:

WE MADE IT! WE MADEEEEE ITTTTTT!!!! The miserable 2019 season is over and the Sox went out in style. This was one of the most depressing seasons ever as the Sox came out flat as a pancake in April, played mediocre in May and June, then fell apart in July. The rotation never got out of the box then lost 3 of them to injury in short order. Chris Sale, David Price and Nathan Eovaldi were all but useless for most of the season, Rick Porcello regressed and E-Rod had to carry the team on his shoulders. Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski sat on his hands most of the season and thankfully got the axe before it could get worse. The Sox go into the off-season with no general manager and could lose Rick Porcello and JD Martinez to free agency. Mookie Betts is going to want to be the highest paid player in history so he may be gone before the end or start of next season. Its too bad because Rafael Devers, Christian Vazquez, Brandon Workman and Eduardo Rodriguez all had breakout seasons and they were wasted due to the lousy pitching. The Sox better get some starting help with Gerrit Cole and Patrick Corbin rumored to be free agents to offset the potential loss of Porcello. The Sox finished 2019 with a record of 84-78, perfectly mediocre. Here's to 2020 and hope to magus its better than this year.

Orioles Pound Sox at Fenway (9/28/19)

One thing is for sure, the 2020 Boston Red Sox better ditch this god awful "opener" idea. The reason the Tampa Bay Rays made it effective is because they're stacked with enough arms in their bullpen to get the job done. The Sox don't have those kind of arms and tonight's loss proved that. The lowly O's pounced on the "opener" Jhoulys Chacin for 4 early runs and another 4 runs off of complete bust Andrew Cashner. As been the Sox M.O. all season, as soon as they fell behind, they did not come back. The Sox led 3-2 after the first but the O's took the lead in the third inning. The Sox only scored 1 run the rest of the game and dropped the second to last game of the season 9-4 at Fenway Park.

                                   
The O's wasted no time getting to Chacin in the top of the first when Jonathan Villar lined the first pitch of the game into right for a double and DJ Stewart smashed a 400,000 foot home run 3 pitches later to give the O's the lead. Trey Mancini whiffed but Rio Ruiz singled to center. Renato Nunez popped up to second but Chris Davis walked. Steve Wilkerson flied out to right to end the inning but it was 2-0 Orioles.

                                                  The rout is on again

Somehow the Sox rallied against John Means in the bottom of the first inning. Jackie Bradley Jr singled to right but Rafael Devers popped up to third. Xander Bogaerts crushed his 33rd home run of the season to tie the game and JD Martinez clobbered his 36th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Sam Travis flied out to center and Brock "The Hitman" Holt struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 3-2 Sox.

                                                   JD gives the Sox the lead

Chacin failed to hold the lead in the top of the second inning as Austin Wynns struck out swinging to start. Richie Martin pulverized a 79,000 foot home run to tie the game. Villar took strike three and Stewart hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                   Tie game

The Sox failed to take the lead in the bottom of the second as Gorkys Hernandez flied out to center to start. Chris Owings whiffed and Sandy Leon went down hacking to end the inning.

The O's took the lead for good in the top of the third inning although Mancini grounded out to first to start. Ruiz popped up to first but Nunez put the O's on top with a 7,000,000 foot home run halfway to Maine to chase Chacin. The "opener" got lit up for 4 runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Bobby Poyner walked Davis when he was brought in but Wilkerson flied out to left to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-3.

         

                                                               Booooooooo!

As usual when the Sox fell behind, they stayed behind int he bottom of the third inning. JBJ whiffed to start before Devers flied out to left. Bogaerts walked but Martinez took strike three to end the inning.

Heath Hembree got the ball in the top of the fourth inning and Wynns struck out swinging to start. Martin grounded back to the mound and Villar popped up to first to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the fourth as Travis grounded out to third to start. Holt lined out to short but Hernandez walked. Owings grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in for the top of the fifth and Stewart walked to start. Mancini whiffed but Stewart was erased on the force by Ruiz. Nunez whiffed to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth although Leon grounded out to third to start. JBJ lined out to third but Devers and Bogaerts stroked back to back singles. With a chance to tie the game...Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.

Andrew Cashner came in to take one final beating this season in the top of the sixth inning. Davis greeted him with a double to left and Wilkerson sacrificed him to third. Wynns singled Davis home and Martin doubled Wynns home. Villar singled home Martin and swiped second base. Villar went to third on the grounder by Stewart and Mancini singled him home to chase the incompetent Cashner. Cashner ends his Sox career as one of the biggest busts in trade history, allowing 4 runs to put the game out of reach. Colten Brewer came in and got Ruiz to ground back to the mound to end the inning but it was 8-3 Orioles.

                                             Travis running around like a pinball machine

The Sox managed a feeble rally against Shawn Armstong in the bottom of the sixth inning as Travis walked to start. Holt flied out to left but Hernandez singled to center. Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Owings and struck out swinging but Leon beat out a dribbler to short to score Travis. How big were those Cashner runs now? Tanner Scott came in to pitch to JBJ and got him to ground into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

Brewer returned for the top of the seventh and Nunez whiffed to start. Davis grounded out to third but Wilkerson singled to center. Wilkerson stole second and Wynns whiffed to end the inning. Devers grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the seventh but O's manager Bruce Hyde HAD to make a pitching change, bringing in Branden Kline for absolutely no reason. Bogaerts singled to short, Martinez walked and Travis reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Representing the tying run....Holt banged into a double play to end the inning. Its been that kind of year.

Josh A Smith came in for the top of the eighth and Martin lined out to center to start. Villar walked but was erased on the Stewart force. Stewart was gunned down trying to steal by the alert Leon to end the inning. Austin Hays took over for Stewart in center with Wilkerson moving to right for the bottom of the eighth. Gorkys Hernandez walked to start and Bruce Hyde just had to make ANOTHER pitching change, bringing in Richard Bleier. Marco Hernandez singled to left but was erased on the Leon force. Naturally JBJ hit into a double play to end the inning.

Smith returned for the top of the ninth and Mancini greeted him with a 15,000 foot home run into the Charles River. Ruiz lined out to center, Nunez went down swinging and Davis took strike three to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 9-4.

                                                    One last kick in the pants

Thankfully the game ended in the bottom of the ninth as Devers flied out to right to start. Just to piss off the remaining fans, Bruce Hyde trudged to the mound and absolutely had to bring in Dillon Tate with a 5 run lead with 1 out in the ninth. Bogaerts grounded out to short and Martinez took strike three to end the game. The O's had won the game 9-4.

                                          Another easy win for Baltimore


Jackass of the Night is Andrew Cashner. He turned a 4-3 game into 8-3 in the blink of an eye to put it out of reach.

                                               One final Jackass for Cashner



The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and a home run.

Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Marco Hernandez was 1 for 2.

Bobby Poyner got the final out of the third inning.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless fourth inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Colten Brewer tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Chris Owings was 0 for 2 with a strikeout/

Jhoulys Chacin allowed 4 runs in just 2 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and hit a home run.

Sam Travis was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but knocked in a run.

Josh A Smith allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Thank god this miserable season is almost over. September has been absolutely dreadful to watch with no starting rotation, constant pitching changes and lack of clutch hitting. Today was a microcosm of the season with the "opener" failing miserably and their only trade acquisition falling flat on his face. The supposedly good offense once again did not come back when trailing and it all adds up to failure. Thankfully this nightmare is almost over and we never have to see most of these people again. There's no way Smith, Chacin or Cashner are coming back or the Juan Cetenos and Gorkys Hernandez of the world either. The loss dropped the Sox to 83-78 with one game left in the season. The only reason to tune into tomorrow's finale against the Orioles is Eduardo Rodriguez (19-6, 3.80 ERA) quest for 20 wins on the season. Standing in E-Rod's way is old Sox farmhand Chandler Shepherd. The game begins at 3:05 PM at Fenway Park.

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

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

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

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

                                                           Lakins finishes strong

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

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

                                               Nice going Leon

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

                                             Nice going Johnson

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

                                               Great bullpen help.....

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

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

                                              Owings ties it up

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

                                                    Odor ices it

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

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

                                              Yeah yeah yeah....whoopie


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

                                                          Jackass Weber



The Good:

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

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

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

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

Travis Lakins tossed two scoreless innings.

Colten Brewer retired the only man he faced.

Trevor Kelley struck out the only guy he faced.

Bobby Poyner retired the only man he faced.

Hector Velazquez pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

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



The Ugly:

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

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

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

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

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




Final Thoughts:

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

Porcello, Sox Rout Rangers (9/25/19)

If this was the final appearance of "Slick" Rick Porcello (14-12, 5.52 ERA) in a Boston Red Sox uniform, at least he went out with a quality start. The impending free agent won his 14th game of the season and 73rd in a Sox uniform with 6 innings of 3 run ball against the Texas Rangers. The Sox fell behind 3-0 in the first inning but tied the game with a rally in the top of the second. Christian Vazquez pounded his 23rd home run of the season to give the Sox the lead they wouldn't relinquish. Even though the Sox have nothing to play for, they won the game going away 10-3 at Arlington Park.

                                          Assistant D.A. Casey Novak approves of the win

Kolby Allard got the ball for the Rangers in the top of the first and Andrew Benintendi led off by striking out swinging on a full count. Rafael Devers grounded out to first and Bogaerts lined out to short to end the inning. Porcello got roughed up in the bottom of the first inning as Shin-Soo Choo doubled to right and moved to third on the Elvis Andrus base hit. Willie Calhoun was plunked to load the bases and Rougned Odor pounded a double to right. Choo and Andrus scored easy and Calhoun tried for home. Gorkys Hernandez fired home....YER OUTTA THERE! Odor took third but Calhoun was out at the plate. Danny Santana hit a hard ground out to second but Ronald Guzman singled home Odor. Scott Heineman grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 3-0 Rangers.

                                                      Calhoun is OUT!

The Sox wasted no time getting back in the game as JD Martinez led off the top of the second inning with a base hit to left. Martinez was erased on the Christian Vazquez force and Mitch Moreland singled Christian to third. Gorkys Hernandez drew a walk to load the bases and Jackie Bradley Jr scored JD with a ground out to put the Sox on the board. Chris Owings got a base hit to center, scoring Moreland and Hernandez to tie the game. Benintendi flied out to left to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 3-3.

                                                    Owings gets it done

Porcello was solid in the bottom of the second although Delino DeShields Jr singled to left to begin. Tim Federowicz went down swinging and Choo flied out to center, but DeShields stole second. Andrus was rung up for strike three to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the third although Devers grounded out to first to start. Bogaerts got a base hit to right but Martinez lined out to right. Vazquez then crushed his 23rd home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Hernandez lined out to center to end the inning but the Sox were on top 5-3.

                                                  Vazquez puts the Sox ahead

All of a sudden Vazquez keeled over in the dugout clutching his leg. Christian had to be hauled off on a gurney and rushed to the local ICU as Sandy Leon came in to catch the bottom of the third with Nick Solak pinch hitting for Calhoun. Solak singled to center but Odor whiffed. Santana was plunked but Porcello froze both Guzman and Heineman for strike three to end the inning.

Former Sox manager John Farrell's son Luke came in to pitch the top of the fourth and he walked JBJ to start. Owings took strike three and JBJ was thrown out at second trying to steal. Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning. Porcello cruised in the bottom of the fourth as DeShields Jr popped up to second to start. Federowicz struck out swinging and Choo grounded out to second to end the inning.

Farrell cruised in the top of the fifth as Devers watched strike three go by to start. Bogaerts flied out to right and Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning. Porcello matched Farrell as Andrus popped up to short to start before Solak grounded out to short. Odor was called out on strikes to end the inning.

The Sox got some insurance against new pitcher Brett Martin in the top of the sixth inning. Santana threw a routine grounder by Leon away and Moreland made Danny pay by crushing his 19th home run of the season to add to the lead. Hernandez and JBJ both whiffed but Owings singled to right. Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                     Moreland goes yard

Porcello finished with a flurry in the bottom of the sixth as Santana lined out to second to start. Guzman took strike three and Heineman lined out to left to end the inning. If that was Porcello's last start in a Sox uniform, it was a good one. He had some trouble in the first but tossed zeroes the rest of the way, leaving after 6 innings of 3 run ball.

                                                  One final win for Slick Rick

The Sox got another run in the top of the seventh when Devers greeted new pitcher Jonathan Hernandez with his 32nd home run of the year. Bogaerts whiffed, Martinez grounded out to second and Leon lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                  Devers with another home run

Trevor Kelley came in for the bottom of the seventh and DeShields Jr grounded out to first to start. Federowicz grounded out to short and Sox manager Alex Cora did some situational practice for next year when he brought in lefty Josh Taylor to face the lefty Choo. Taylor got Choo to ground out to first on the first pitch to end the inning.

Moreland led off the top of the eighth with a base hit to third but Hernandez flied out to left. JBJ and Owings both went down hacking to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came on for the bottom of the eighth and Andrus flied out to right to start. Solak went down swinging but Odor walked and Santana doubled him to third. Guzman grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox had one last rally in the top of the ninth against Ian Gibaut as Benintendi walked to start. Devers doubled him to third and Bogaerts scored Andrew with a sac fly. Martinez got a base hit to right to score Devers to wrap up the scoring. Sam Travis pinch ran for Martinez and Leon drew a walk, but Moreland whiffed to chase Gibaut. Taylor Guerriri got Hernandez to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-3.

Marco Hernandez came in for Bogaerts to play second with Owings moving to short and with Andrew Cashner on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Heineman whiffed, DeShields Jr grounded out to short and Federiwicz whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won their second straight against the Rangers with a 10-3 win.

Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. His two run home run put the Sox up for good

                                                    Hero Vazquez



The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Mitch Moreland was 4 for 5 with a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Chris Owings was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Rick Porcello got the win with 6 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 6 hits while striking out 8.

Trevor Kelley got the only two men he faced out.

Josh Taylor retired the only batter he faced.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Andrew Cashner pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 2 but walked and scored.

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.



Honorable Mention:

Sam Travis pinch ran for Martinez in the top of the ninth.

Marco Hernandez played second in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Just 4 games left in this dreary season but at least the Sox have some positives to look forward to. Devers & Vazquez really stepped up in not only this game but this season as well and Josh Taylor could be a lefty specialist on next year's team. Porcello could leave in free agency so if this was the end, thanks for the 73 wins, Cy Young award and the ring. The season may be down the drain but at least the Sox offense is still out there fighting. As long as they don't trade Betts and keep relatively healthy, next year's offense is still going to be deadly. As for this game, least they won which is more than what other teams in September can say. The meaningless win improved the Sox to a ho-hum 83-75 record with 4 games left. Tomorrow its another one of those damn bullpen games as Travis Lakins gets the "start" as the Sox look to sweep the Rangers. Mike Minor goes for the Rangers with the game set to be played at 1:05 PM locally at Arlington Park.

Rays Six Run Rally Sinks Sox (9/23/19)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox got some good news for once. Heath Hembree had been activated off the Injured List and would be available for the final 7 games of the season. This year may be a wash but he'll be needed next season for sure

                                                                      IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster in a season full of them. The Sox took a 4-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays when the Rays promptly scored 6 runs off Sox starter Jhoulys Chacin and the JV bullpen. As been their M.O. all season, as soon as the Sox fell behind they failed to come back. Blake Snell was hittable for the Rays but the bullpen was not as the Rays took 3 out of 4 in this series with a 7-4 win at Tropicana Field.

                                               Morty's reaction to Boston pitching

Snell took the mound in the top of the first inning and Marco Hernandez went down swinging to start. Mr. Mookie Betts drew a walk but Rafael Devers struck out swinging as well. Mr. Mookie swiped second and JD Martinez walked before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Sam Travis also went down swinging to end the inning. Chacin initially had a good bottom of the first as he struck out Joey Wendle swinging to begin. Tommy Pham went down hacking but Austin Meadows walked. Travis d'Arnaud flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr singled to center to begin. Gorkys Hernandez flied out to center, JBJ swiped second and Chris Owings walked. Sandy Leon hit one up the elevator shaft but Marco Hernandez pounded a ground rule double to put the Sox on top. That was it for Snell as Chaz Roe came in and got Mr. Mookie to pop up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                              Hernandez puts the Sox on top

Chacin cruised in the bottom of the second as Ji-Man Choi grounded out to first to start. Avisail Garcia grounded out to short and Brandon Lowe grounded out to first to end the inning.

Peter Fairbanks came in for the top of the third and the Sox struck again. Devers flied out to left and Martinez grounded out to short, but Sam Travis keeled over in the dugout and had to be rushed to the local hospital's ICU. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Travis and doubled to center before JBJ doubled Mitch home. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

Chacin blew away Kiermaier to begin the bottom of the third before Adames took strike three. Wendle grounded out to second to end the inning.

Austin Pruitt came in for the top of the fourth and the Sox nailed him too. Owings grounded out to first to start before Leon took strike three. Marco Hernandez walked and Mr. Mookie singled him to third. Devers singled home Hernandez and Martinez singled home Betts. Moreland walked to load the bases but JBJ missed the killshot by grounding out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                     Devers drives in a run

All of a sudden the Rays sprang to life in the bottom of the fourth although Pham whiffed to start. Meadows singled to right and d'Arnaud singled him to third. Choi then crushed a 970,000 foot home run to cut the lead. Garcia grounded out to third but Lowe smashed a 340,000 foot home run to tie the game and chase Chacin. He was nearly perfect for 3 1/3 innings but fell apart in a hurry.

                                                   So much for Chacin

Bobby Poyner came in to pour gas on the fire as Kiermaier was plunked and Adames cracked a 50,000 foot home run to put Tampa up for good. Wendle took strike three to end the inning but 3 Rays homers had given them the lead 6-4.

                                                   The Rays take the lead

As been their M.O. all season, the Sox quit when they fell behind in the top of the fifth inning. Oliver Drake got Gorkys Hernandez and Chris Owings to strike out swinging before Leon grounded out to short to end the inning. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez got the ball in the bottom of the fifth and Pham flied out to right to start. Meadows grounded out to first and d'Arnaud struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox quit in the top of the sixth inning as Marco Hernandez grounded out to second to start. Mr. Mookie lined out to center and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. The Rays wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Choi doubled to start. Garcia doubled home Choi but was thrown out at third trying to stretch by Mr. Mookie. Lowe whiffed and Kiermaier flied out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 7-4.

                                                     YERRRR OUT!

Daniel Robertson took over for Lowe but was at third with Wendle moving to second and Nick Anderson on the mound for the top of the seventh. Martinez and Moreland both struck out swinging but JBJ dumped a base hit to center. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Heath Hembree materialized out of thin air to pitch for the first time since August 1st in the bottom of the seventh inning. Adames lined out to center to start before Wendle grounded out to second. Pham flied out to right to end the inning. Welcome back Hembree!

                                                       Hembree is back

Diego Castillo came in for the top of the eighth and Owings whiffed to start. Leon flied out to center and Marco Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Brian Johnson came in for the bottom of the eighth and Meadows singled to start. d'Arnaud whiffed and Choi flied out to center before Jesus Aguilar pinch hit for Garcia. Aguilar walked and Guillermo Heredia pinch ran for him. Robertson whiffed to end the inning.

Emilio Pagan came in for the top of the ninth and the Sox rallied. Mr. Mookie and Devers stroked back to back singles to start but Martinez flied out to right. Colin Poche came in to pitch and Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Moreland...just to strike out swinging. Xander Bogaerts pinch hit for JBJ...just to take strike three to end the game. The Rays had won it 7-4.

                                                                 Another loss to the Rays


Jackass of the Night is Bobby Poyner. He allowed the go ahead home run to Adames that the Sox could got recover from.

                                                        Bobby Jackass


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Brian Johnson pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Sam Travis struck out in his only at bat.

Christian Vazquez struck out as a pinch hitter.

Xander Bogaerts struck out as a pinch hitter.

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 but struck out.

Jhoulys Chacin gave up 4 runs in just 3 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

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

Chris Owings was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Hector Velazquez allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Good thing this season is almost over because I can't stand watching this garbage anymore. The Sox keep throwing out scrubs to pitch and they hardly ever come back when trailing. It doesn't matter if its the Tampa Bay Rays or the Perkins Institute for the Blind, every game is the same this month more or less. The only thing left to look forward to is if Eduardo Rodriguez can get to 20 wins or not because this is unbearable at this point. It was nice to see Heath Hembree make his return, if nothing else than one less inning per game for one of the interchangeable scrubs. The loss dropped the Sox to 81-75 with just 6 games left in the season. The Sox now travel to Texas for their final road trip of the season. Eduardo Rodriguez (18-6) continues his march towards 20 wins when he goes up against Edinson Volquez at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Park.