Pivetta, Sox Blank Hapless A's (7/17/23)

No starter? No problem for the Boston Red Sox. Against the worst team in baseball, the Sox feasted on them and set some records in the process. Nick Pivetta (6-5, 4.44 ERA) tossed 6 no-hit innings in relief while setting the Red Sox relief record for strikeouts with 13. On the other side of the ball, Connor Wong led the Boston attack with 3 hits and 3 rbis. Justin Turner knocked in two runs, Yu Chang added one, Adam Duvall added one and the Sox ran away with this one 7-0 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                       Farenheit approves of the win

Paul Blackburn got the start for Oakland and the Sox wasted no time scoring. Jarren Duran doubled to right to start before moving to third on the Alex Verdugo ground out to second. Justin Turner then hit a sac fly to right to score Duran with the first run. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Turner drives in a run

Brennan Bernardino was the "opener" and he got the ball in the bottom of the first. Zack Gelof struck out swinging but Jordan Diaz was hit with a pitch. Ryan Noda got a base hit to right but Brent Rooker banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Adam Duvall doubled to left to start. Triston Casas got a base hit to left but Christian Arroyo popped up to second. Connor Wong ripped a base hit to left to score Duvall but Yu Chang grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                          Wong gets it done

Tyler Soderstrom grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Shea Langeliers struck out swinging. JJ Bleday grounded out to second to end the inning. Good work by Bernardino to allow no runs to keep the Sox on top.

                                                    Bernardino gets it done

Duran grounded out to first to start the top of the third but Verdugo doubled to center. Turner lined out to left and Yoshida also flied out to left to end the inning. Nick Pivetta came in to pitch the bottom of the third and Nick Allen struck out looking to start. Seth Brown flied out to right but Gelof walked. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Duvall went down hacking to start the top of the fourth but Casas walked. Arroyo lined out to center and Wong took strike three to end the inning. Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Noda went down hacking to start. Rooker struck out swinging and Soderstrom took strike three to end the inning.

Chang struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Blackburn made a great stab of a Duran line drive. Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Langeliers grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Bleday flied out to left. Allen grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth as Turner doubled to right to begin. Yoshida got a base hit to left to put runners at the corners and Duvall scored Turner with a sac fly to right. Yoshida swiped second, Casas drew a walk and Arroyo dumped a base hit to right to load the bases. Wong ripped a double to left to score Yoshida & Casas and Chang scored Arroyo with a grounder to third. That was it for Blackburn as Sam Moll came in to pitch to Duran. Jarren flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                                  Wong ices the game

Pivetta was relentless in the bottom of the sixth as Brown struck out swinging to start. Gelof went down hacking and Aledmys Diaz pinch hit for Jordan Diaz. Aledmys took strike three to end the inning.

Verdugo struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Turner flied out to right. Yoshida took strike three to end the inning. Noda struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and got so mad he attacked home plate umpire Emil Jimenez with a bat. He had to be escorted out by armed security as Rooker also struck out swinging. Soderstrom also went down hacking to end the inning.

                                                           Yerrrrr out!

Cody Thomas came in for Noda with Angel Felipe now on the mound for Oakland to start the top of the eighth. Duvall grounded out to short, Casas went down hacking and Arroyo flied out to center to end the inning. Pivetta returned for one last inning in the bottom of the eighth and Langeliers struck out swinging. Bleday walked but Allen struck out swinging. Brown flied out to left to end the masterpiece. Pivetta tossed 6 no-hit innings of relief while striking out 13 batters, Dick Radatz never did that.

                                                          Outstanding job

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth as Wong singled to left to start. Chang popped up to second but Duran drew a walk. Verdugo walked to load the bases and Turner scored Wong by forcing Duran at third. Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-0.

                                                      Turner drives in a run

Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Gelof struck out swinging to begin. Diaz struck out swinging but Thomas walked. Rooker went down hacking to end the game. Sox pitchers had struck out 18 batters and won the game 7-0.

                                                            Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Nick Pivetta. He earned the win by throwing 6 no-hit innings while striking out 13 batters, a new Red Sox relief record.

                                                Hero Pivetta

The Good:

Adam Duvall was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Triston Casas was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Connor Wong was 3 for 4 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

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

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but stole a base and scored a run.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Yu Chang was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

I know the A's are terrible but 18 strikeouts are still 18 strikeouts. Bernardino, Pivetta and Martin mowed down the A's and with Rafael Devers out with a calf strain, Connor Wong took command tonight. Both Wong and Casas are starting to hit a little better and that's desperately needed, especially with Trevor Story rumored to be near a return. Pivetta was outstanding and the combination of Pivetta & Bernardino may be unorthodox but its working. The Sox still need to get key guys back from injury like Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, Chris Sale, Story and Devers. If they get those guys back, the Sox may be primed for an October run. The win improved the Sox to 51-44, 8 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. It should be noted that the New York Yankees are in last place this late in the season for the first time since 1990. Guess what happened in 1990, the Sox won the AL East. The Sox look to make it four wins in a row and two against the A's tomorrow night when Alex Cora picks a name out of a hat to face Luis Medina of Oakland. The game begins at 9:40 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Cubs Pound Paxton, Sox (7/15/23)

It took James Paxton's (5-2, 3.51 ERA) worst start all season to snap the Boston Red Sox's six game win streak as the Chicago Cubs took their advantage. After bad defense put the Sox in a 2-0 hole in the bottom of the third, Cody Bellinger hit a backbreaking grand slam to put the game out of reach. Triston Casas hit a 2 run bomb to put the game at 8-3 but Brandon Walter allowed two runs in the seventh inning. The Cubs pounded out 12 hits and 10 runs to take the game 10-4 at Wrigley Field.

                                                           Angry Sox fan

Marcus Stroman got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Masataka Yoshida took strike three but Justin Turner pounded a ground rule double down the left field line. Rafael Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. Paxton got the ball in the bottom of the first and Nico Hoerner struck out swinging to start. Seiya Suzuki struck out swinging and Ian Happ grounded out to second to end the inning.

Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to open the top of the second before Triston Casas grounded out to short. Christian Arroyo flied out to right to end the inning. Cody Bellinger flied out to right to start the bottom of the second before Yan Gomes flied out to right. Trey Mancini struck out swinging to end the inning.

Connor Wong singled to center to start the top of the third before Enrique Hernandez flied out to center. Duran walked but Yoshida banged into a double play to end the inning. The floodgates opened in the bottom of the third as Christopher Morel walked to start. Miguel Amaya was plunked and Patrick Wisdom walked to load the bases with nobody out. Hoerner then hit a routine grounder that Hernandez failed to corral for a "base hit" to score Morel, putting the Cubs up for good. Suzuki then hit a grounder to Devers who stepped on third to force Wisdom then turned and inexplicably fired the ball into the left field bleachers for an error to score Amaya. Hoerner and Suzuki pulled off a double steal and Happ drew a walk. Bellinger then crushed a grand slam all the way to Edenia, Minnesota to ice the game. Gomes singled to center but Mancini forced him at second. Morel struck out swinging to end the inning with the Cubs up 6-0. That was it for Paxton who allowed 6 runs in just 3 innings

                                                               So much for this game

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the fourth as Turner doubled to right to begin. Devers grounded out to short to move Turner to third and Justin scored on the grounder to short by Verdugo. Casas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 6-1.

                                                                Sox get one back

Tayler Scott came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the fourth as Amaya doubled to right to start. Wisdom hit a home run all the way to Bombay, India to make this one a laugher. Hoerner lined out to right but Suzuki got a base hit to right. Happ popped up to second but Bellinger walked. Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning with the Cubs up 8-1.

                                                        That one's out of here

Arroyo grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Wong lined out to right. Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Joely Rodriguez came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Mancini grounded out to third to start. Morel struck out swinging and Amaya took strike three to end the inning.

Duran took strike three to start the top of the sixth and Yoshida flied out to left. Turner flied out to center to end the inning. Joe Jacques came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Wisdom grounded out to third to start. Hoerner grounded out to second and Suzuki took strike three to end the inning.

Julian Merryweather took over for Stroman in the top of the seventh and Dervers doubled to center to start. Verdugo flied out to center but Casas belted his 11th home run of the season to cut the lead. Arroyo and Wong both struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox were down 8-3.

                                                           Casas gets two back

Jorge Alfaro came in for Wong and Brandon Walter came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh only for Happ to get a base hit to center to start. Bellinger got a base hit to center and Gomes flied out to right. Both Bellinger and Happ got into rundowns but Happ was thrown out at third. Mancini got a base hit to right and Morel got a base hit to left to score Bellinger. Amaya got a base hit to center to score Mancini but Wisdom flied out to right to end the inning with the Cubs up 10-3.

                                                     The beating continues

Michael Fulmer came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Hernandez walked to start. Duran walked and Yoshida moved both runners over with a grounder to first. Turner grounded out to third but Hernandez scored to cut the lead. Devers took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 10-4.

                                                          Sox get a run back

Walter returned for the bottom of the eighth and Hoerner struck out swinging to start. Suzuki struck out swinging but Happ got a base hit to right. Bellinger struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Daniel Palencia came in to close out the top of the ninth and Verdugo lined out to right to start. Casas struck out swinging but Arroyo doubled to left. A wild pitch moved Arroyo to third but Alfaro was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the game. The Cubs had won it 10-4.

                                                               Cubs win

Jackass of The Night is James Paxton. He allowed 6 runs in 3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                          Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran walked twice in four plate appearances.

Justin Turner was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3.

Joely Rodriguez pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Joe Jacques pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jorge Alfaro was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Tayler Scott allowed 2 runs in the fourth inning.

Brandon Walter allowed 2 runs 2 innings of work.

The Ugly:

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

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a two run home run.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Enrique Hernandez was 0 for 2 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That game was a root canal with no painkiller. The Cubs beat their brains in for 12 hits and 10 runs. The sad part was that was James Paxton's worst start all season as he had been solid up to this point. Another problem the Sox have is relief pitching, especially when they're down. A good bullpen has relievers that can settle things down for the bats to bop their way back but Tayler Scott and Brandon Walter prevented any hope of a comeback. Granted some of the Sox best relievers are down but this is a concern moving forward. The Sox bullpen turned a 6-1 game into 10-4 and that can't happen in the second half. Rafael Devers and Kenley Jansen are practically screaming at Sox GM Chaim Bloom to do something to help the team at the trade deadline and another good reliever will help. The best thing to do about this game is to forget about it and try to start a new win streak. The loss dropped the Sox to 49-44, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series with the Cubs tomorrow afternoon when Kutter Crawford (3-4) takes on Justin Steele of Chicago. The game begins at 2:20 PM eastern time at Wrigley Field.

Sox Homer Parade Tames Cubs (7/14/23)

Good news Boston Red Sox fans, they picked up where they left off before the All-Star break. After going into the break winning five in a row, the Sox made it six after downing the Chicago Cubs. The Sox as a team hit five home runs in this one, two of them by Rafael Devers who's not happy about not being an All-Star. On the other side of the ball, Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.14 ERA) won his seventh game of the year by tossing six solid innings while allowing just three runs. Josh Winckowski and Brennan Bernardino slammed the door in the next two innings before Kenley Jansen earned his 20th save by getting out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning. It all added up to an 8-3 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

                                                 Dr. Brian Virgil approves of the win

Kyle Hendricks got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second and Justin Turner took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Tauchman grounded out to first to start. Nico Hoerner took strike three and Ian Happ lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second when Rafael Devers launched his 21st home run of the season to put Boston on top. Alex Verdugo grounded out to short but Adam Duvall clobbered his seventh home run of the season to increase the lead. Triston Casas got a base hit to center but Connor Wong struck out swinging. Yu Chang also struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                         Devers & Duvall go yard

Seiya Suzuki struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second before Cody Bellinger struck out swinging. Christopher Morel beat out a roller to third but Jared Young grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Duran legged out a double to left to start before making a mad dash to third on a fly out to center by Yoshida. Turner hit a sac fly to right to score Duran and Devers belted his second home run of the night to increase the lead. Verdugo singled to center and stole second, but Duvall grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                          Devers does it again

The Cubs tagged Bello in the bottom of the third as Miles Mastrobuoni struck out swinging to start. Tucker Barnhart doubled to center and Tauchman doubled to center to score Barnhart. Hoerner singled in the hole at short but Happ popped up to third. Suzuki grounded out to second to end the inning with the Cubs down 4-1.

                                                                   Cubs get one back

The Sox got that run right back when Casas belted his 10th home run of the season to start the top of the fourth. Wong grounded out to third, Chang struck out swinging and Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                           Casas says "kiss it goodbye"

The Cubs answered in the bottom of the fourth as Bellinger hit a home run all the way to Indiana to cut the lead. Morel struck out swinging, Young grounded out to second and Mastrobuoni flied out to left to end the inning with the Cubs down 5-2.

                                                    Home run Bellinger

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Turner grounded out to third but Devers got a base hit to right. Anthony Kay came in to face Verdugo and walked him before both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Duvall struck out swinging to end the inning. Barnhart singled to right to start the bottom of the fifth but was gunned down by Verdugo trying to stretch a double. Tauchman grounded out to second and Hoerner grounded out to third to end the inning.

Casas lined out to center to start the top of the sixth before Wong struck out swinging. Chang lined out to left to end the inning. Happ lined out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Suzuki grounded out to short. Bellinger smashed a home run all the way to Neptune to cut the lead and Morel singled in the hole to short. Young popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3. That was it for Bello who tossed 6 solid innings allowing just 3 runs on 8 hits. He did strike out 5 batters.

                                                        Bello gets it done

The Sox iced the game in the top of the seventh inning with Mark Leiter Jr now on the mound. Duran grounded out to first to start but Yoshida singled to center. Turner then belted his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead. Devers went down hacking and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                         Turner jacks one out

Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Mastrobuoni flied out to left to start. Barnhart struck out swinging and Tauchman flied out to left to end the inning.

Javier Assad came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Duvall watched strike three go by to start. Casas grounded out to short and Wong did the same to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Christian Arroyo taking Casas' spot. Hoerner flied out to center, Happ took strike three and Suzuki struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth when Chang belted his fourth home run of the season to add to the lead. Duran singled to left and Yoshida also got a hit to left before Turner moved Jarren to third with a line out to center. Devers took strike three and Verdugo grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3. 

                                                            Chang launches one

Tayler Scott came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Bellinger flied out to left to start. Morel singled to center and moved to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by Wong. Young walked but Mastrobuoni struck out swinging. Barnhart walked to load the bases and Sox manager Alex Cora threw his hands up, pulling Scott for closer Kenley Jansen. Tauchman struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                                    Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers, his two home runs powered the offense to victory

                                                               Hero Devers

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Triston Casas was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Brayan Bello got the win by allowing 3 runs in 6 solid innings. He gave up 8 hits and struck out 5.

Josh Winckowski tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Kenley Jansen got the only man he faced out.

The Bad:

Connor Wong was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a 2 run homer and drove in 3 total runs.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Adam Duvall was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Yu Chang was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Tayler Scott left the bases loaded after 2/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Arroyo played second base in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Big win tonight as not only did it set the tone to start the second half but they move into a tie for fourth place with the New York Yankees who lost tonight to the Colorado Rockies. The Sox are only 2 games behind the Houston Astros for the final wild card so the Sox are definitely within striking distance. They need to get their injured pitchers back if they have any hope for October because their lineup and bench is as good as anyone and Sox manager Alex Cora can mix and match the bullpen, but without Whitlock, Sale and Houck they can forget about a stretch run. Still, a win is a win and they all count. The win improved the Sox to 49-43, 8.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it seven wins in a row and two over the Cubs when James Paxton 5-1, 2.73 ERA takes on Marcus Stroman of the Cubs. The game begins at 2:20 PM Eastern time at Wrigley Field.

ChiSox Bullpen Shuts Down BoSox (6/25/23)

Just when you think things can't get any worse for the Boston Red Sox, it does. The 34-44 White Sox were doing a bullpen game against Kutter Crawford (2-4, 4.01 ERA). Naturally Chicago scored four runs off Crawford on the back of Luis Robert's two home runs and an rbi from...you guessed it....Andrew Benintendi. Meanwhile the White Sox bullpen allowed just one measly run to Boston on an Adam Duvall rbi double. Brennan Bernardino and Kaleb Ort didn't allow any runs in relief, but the anemic Red Sox offense were held to just 5 hits as Chicago took the game 4-1 at Comiskey Park.

                                                  ''Lost to the White Sox bullpen...ugh''

Tanner Banks got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder grounded out to second to start. Justin Turner grounded out to second and Rafael Devers struck out swinging on a pitch not even close to end the inning. Crawford got the ball in the bottom of the first and Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second to start. Andrew Vaughn flied out to right and Luis Robert Jr popped up to center to end the inning. 

The BoSox tried to rally in the top of the second inning as Adam Duvall doubled to right to start. Masataka Yoshida then got drilled in the right hand. Naturally Bobby Dalbec and Christian Arroyo struck out swinging but Kike Hernandez beat out a roller off the glove of Banks to load the bases. Caleb Hamilton took a curveball right down the middle for strike three to end the inning. Elroy Jimenez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Yasmani Grandal lined out to center. Jake Burger flied out to center to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first but Refsnyder lined out to right to start the top of the third inning. Turner and Devers both walked and Duvall somehow doubled off the left field wall to score Turner. Naturally Yoshida popped up to left and that was it for Banks. Jesse Scholtens came in to pitch and Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Triston Casas to hit for Dalbec. As usual, Casas popped up to left to end the inning with Boston up 1-0.

                                                            Duvall drives in a run

Gavin Sheets struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third inning but Elvis Andrus got hit with a pitch. Zach Remillard grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth inning as Arroyo flied out to right to start. Hernandez popped up to short and Hamilton struck out swinging again to end the inning. Benintendi ripped a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Vaughn struck out swinging. Robert then hit a home run all the way to Indonesia to put the ChiSox up for good. Jimenez grounded out to short but Grandal hit a swinging bunt down the third base line. Burger forced Grandal at second to end the inning but the White Sox up for good, 2-1.

                                                          Robert goes yard

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the fifth inning as Refsnyder grounded out to short to start before Turner took strike three. Devers walked but Duvall popped up to right to end the inning. Sheets walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Andrus lined out to right. Remillard flied out to center but Benintendi iced the game with a triple down the right field line to score Sheets. Vaughn struck out swinging to end the inning with the ChiSox icing it 3-1.

                                                             Benintendi slides in safe

Once again the BoSox failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Seby Zavala took over for Grandal. Yoshida grounded out to short, Casas popped up to center and Arroyo lined out to second to end the inning. Naturally Robert hit a home run to the moon to start the bottom of the sixth. Jimenez flied out to center, Zavala flied out to center as well and Burger took strike three to end the inning with Chicago up 4-1. That was it for Crawford who made essentially three mistakes, two of them to Robert to allow 4 runs in 6 innings of work.

                                                            Not his best stuff

The BoSox left more men on base in the top of the seventh as Hernandez lined out to center to start. Jarren Duran pinch hit for Hamilton and got a base hit to left. Refsnyder took strike three right down the middle but Turner moved Duran to third with a single in the hole at third. The ChiSox brought in Aaron Bummer to pitch to Devers and naturally he hit a pop up to right to end the inning. Connor Wong took over behind the plate in Refsnyder's spot with Brennan Bernardino coming in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Clint Frazier pinch hit for Sheets and struck out swinging before Andrus also took strike three. Remillard singled to center but Bernardino picked him off to end the inning.

Duvall hit a bullet right to Bummer's face to start the top of the eighth before Yoshida took strike three right down the middle. Casas also struck out swinging to end the inning, pathetic. Benintendi grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth and that was it for Bernardino. Kaleb Ort came in and Vaughn popped up to short. Robert Jr then dumped a base hit to left but Jimenez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Keynan Middleton effortlessly closed the door in the top of the ninth as Arroyo lined out to second to start. Hernandez grounded out to third and Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The White Sox had won the game 4-1.

                                                             White Sox win

Jackass of The Night is Triston Casas. He allowed Benintendi to score the third run and went 0 for 3 at the plate

                                                          Jackass Casas

The Good:

Justin Turner was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers walked twice in four plate appearances.

Adam Duvall was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 2.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Kaleb Ort tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec struck out in his only plate appearance.

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Caleb Hamilton was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Kutter Crawford took the loss by allowing 4 runs in just 6 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out four.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Can things get any worse for the Red Sox? Its bad enough they penny pinched in the off-season and now the product on the field is suffering. With Chris Sale on the downside of his career, the Red Sox don't have a legitimate ace anymore. Trotting out Corey Kluber, Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta isn't going to cut it. Not to mention the real cataclysm was not scoring runs in a bullpen game against a team 10 games under .500. To say Chaim Bloom's tenure as GM has been a disaster class is an understatement. Apart from 3 months in 2021, they've been a sub .500 team since he took over. Not resigning ANY of their free agents and signing a washed up Kluber + unproven commodity in Yoshida would have most GM's on the unemployment line. Let's see how long Chaim lasts at this rate. The loss dropped the Sox to 40-39, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action at home against the Miami Marlins. Garrett Whitlock (4-2) takes on Sandy Alcantara of Miami this Tuesday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Walkoff Sox in 10 Innings (6/21/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox placed Corey Kluber on the Injured List with right shoulder inflammation and called up 25 year old speedster David Hamilton from Worcester. The Sox got Hamilton in the Hunter Renfroe trade where he stole 70 bases last year for the Portland Sea Dogs. He had already swiped 30 for Worcester this year so it'll be interesting to see if he becomes the next Dave Roberts.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, its one thing to lose because the other team played better, pitched better and or hit better but its another thing to lose on pure stupidity. That's what the Red Sox did against the Minnesota Twins in this game. The Sox took a 1-0 lead on Sonny Gray but the Twins took a 2-1 lead on Boston starter Garrett Whitlock. With the game tied at 3, the Sox had first and third with nobody out in the top of the sixth but Arroyo was thrown out trying to steal and the Sox didn't score. The Twins took the lead in the sixth and Alex Verdugo was thrown out trying to stretch a double in the seventh. In the eighth inning, David Hamilton made his ML debut by scoring the tying run on a Triston Casas double. In the top of the tenth, Alex Cora refused to play small ball and the Sox didn't score. Max Kepler did the honors with an rbi single off Kaleb Ort in the bottom of the tenth to win the game 5-4 in 10 innings at Targer Field.

                                                          Message to the Red Sox

Gray got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Alex Verdugo grounded out to first but Justin Turner walked. Turner stole second and Rafael Devers doubled to center to score Justin. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Sox strike first

Whitlock got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Edouard Julien flied out to center to start. Alex Kirilloff popped up to third and Carlos Correa struck out swinging to end the inning.

Triston Casas flied out to left to start the top of the second but Christian Arroyo got a base hit to center. Reese McGuire flied out to center and Enrique Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Twins took command in the bottom of the second as Byron Buxton doubled to right to start. Max Kepler got a base hit to center to score Buxton then moved to second on a Royce Lewis grounder to second. Joey Gallo took strike three and Christian Vazquez singled off the glove of Hernandez to score Kepler. Michael Taylor popped up to first to end the inning with the Twins up 2-1.

                                                          Twins take the lead

The Sox fought back in the top of the first and Duran took strike three to start. Verdugo popped up to third but Turner belted his 11th home run of the year to tie the game. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2. 

                                                            Turner ties it

It looked like Julien hit a home run to start the bottom of the third but it was ruled a double at the last second. Kirilloff flied out to left to move Julien to third and Edoard scored on the grounder to third by Correa. Buxton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 3-2.

                                                             Twins lead again

Yoshida got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth and took second when Taylor booted the ball for an error. Casas grounded out to second to move Yoshida to third but Arroyo struck out swinging. McGuire walked but Hernandez lined out to left to end the inning. Kepler struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Lewis doubled to left. Lewis took third on a wild pitch but got picked off by Whitlock. Gallo took strike three to end the inning. 

Gallo and Twins manager Rocco Baldelli were so irate they both grabbed samurai swords and chased home plate umpire David Rackley into the Twins bullpen, getting ejected from the game. When play resumed Willi Castro took over in left for the top of the fifth. Duran took strike three but Verdugo tripled to right. Turner got a base hit to center to score Verdugo but Devers struck out swinging. Yoshida flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                            Turner ties it again

Vazquez flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth and Taylor took strike three. Julien singled to center and Kirilloff did the same, but Correa forced Kirilloff at second to end the inning. 

Brock Stewart came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Casas singled to center to start. Arroyo got a base hit to right to move Triston to third and everything went to hell. Connor Wong pinch hit for McGuire and Arroyo was foolishly thrown out at second trying to steal. Wong and Hernandez both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Buxton popped up to short to start. Kepler then hit a home run all the way to Indiana to put Minnesota ahead again. Lewis lined out to left and Castro popped up to third to end the inning with the Twins up 4-3.

                                                    Kepler puts the Twins ahead

Kyle Farmer came in for Julien and Griffin Jax came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Duran's bunt was snuffed put by Jax to start. Verdugo got a base hit to center but was foolishly thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Turner flied out to right to end the inning. Whitlock came back for the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez lined out to center to start. Taylor grounded out to first and Farmer grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Whitlock who got tagged for 4 runs off 8 hits but lasted 7 innings.

                                                             Wasn't good enough

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth with Jhoan Duran now on the mound. Devers grounded out to first but Yoshida walked. Speedster David Hamilton made his ML debut by running for Yoshida, promptly stealing second. Casas doubled to center to score Hamilton but Arroyo grounded out to short. Wong grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4. 

                                                                       Casas ties it

Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Kirilloff struck out swinging to start. Correa grounded out to second and Buxton struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Hernandez to start the top of the ninth and struck out swinging. Duran struck out swinging and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Kepler struck out swinging to start. Lewis popped up to third amd Castro's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Jansen to end the inning.

Jovani Moran came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Verdugo starting at second base. Rather than bunt, Turner grounded out to short to start. Devers struck out swinging and Adam Duvall pinch hit for Hamilton. Duvall was intentionally walked and Pablo Reyes ran for him. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth with Castro on second. Vazquez was intentionally walked to start and Taylor dropped down a bunt to move Castro to third. Farmer got a base hit to center to score Castro with the winning run. The Twins had won it 5-4.

                                                               Twins win

Jackass of The Night should be Alex Cora but Christian Arroyo getting thrown out trying to steal with nobody out then killing the 8th inning rally didn't help.

                                               "Thanks for the help, Jackass" - EH

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Justin Turner was 2 for 4 with a stolen base, a walk, a home run, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 3 with a walk.

David Hamilton stole a base and stole a run as a pinch runner.

Adam Duvall walked as a pinch hitter.

Triston Casas was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Reese McGuire walked in 2 plate appearances.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Enrique Hernandez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rob Refsnyder struck out as a pinch hitter.

Kaleb Ort took the loss by allowing the winning run in the 10th.

The Ugly:

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

Garrett Whitlock went 7 innings but allowed 4 runs off 8 hits while striking out 6.

Honorable Mention:

Pablo Reyes ran for Duvall in the 10th.

Final Thoughts:

Games like that are frustrating because running into outs and being stubborn will cost you more games than win them. Arroyo getting thrown out at second when a double play would have scored a run was ridiculous and Verdugo getting greedy was big too. The worst was the 10th inning when Turner should have dropped down a bunt. Sox manager Alex Cora when asked said "We play for two, not one." That's a slap in the face to the bullpen thinking they can't get 3 outs without giving up the ghost runner and also extremely foolish, especially on the road when you get first dibs. Whitlock looked mortal in this one after two consecutive great starts but he still went 7. If he can keep up this pace, he can team with Chris Sale and James Paxton nicely. Hopefully tomorrow the Sox can clean up the mess because they can't afford to lose too many games like that when they're in last place. The loss dropped the Sox to 39-36, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon and take the series against the Twins when Justin Garza (0-1) is the "opener" for the Sox against Joe Ryan of Minnesota. The game begins at 1:10 PM eastern time at Target Field.