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.

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.

Sox Win 8th Straight, beat Philly (5/6/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Kaleb Ort was sent back to Worcester and Zack Littell was called up to take his place. Littell went 6-0 with Minnesota in 2019 so hopefully they can get something out of him.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, the red hot Sox have won their eighth straight game by beating the Philadelphia Phillies. The Sox were down 1-0 when Rafael Devers keyed a 5 run rally to put the Sox up for good in the top of the fourth. The Phillies got two more runs off Corey Kluber (2-4, 6.29 ERA) who went 5 innings. Rob Refsnyder got a big two run double in the top of the sixth for the big insurance runs and they needed them because Brennan Bernardino allowed his first run of the season. Still, Kenley Jansen earned career save number 399 as the Sox locked down their eighth win in a row with a 7-4 victory over the Phillies at Citizens Bank Park.

                                                         8 in a row....ah ah ah

Bailey Falter got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo flied out to center and Justin Turner lined out to right to end the inning. Kluber got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Kyle Schwarber popped up to third to start. Trea Turner doubled to left but Bryce Harper flied out to center. Nick Castellanos flied out to right to end the inning.

Rafael Devers flied out to right to start the top of the second before Kike Hernandez grounded out to short. Jarren Duran popped up to third to end the inning. Bryson Stott was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the second but JT Realmuto flied out to center. A wild pitch moved Stott to center and naturally Alec Bohm singled to center to score him. Brandon Marsh lined out to center and Edmundo Sosa lined out to right to end the inning with the Phillies up 1-0.

                                                          Phillies take the lead

Christian Arroyo struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Raimel Tapia grounded out to second. Reese McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning. Schwarber grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Turner struck out swinging. Harper singled to right but Castellanos forced him at second to end the inning. 

Refsnyder broke up the perfect game in the top of the fourth with a base hit to left and Verdugo doubled to right. Turner walked to load the bases and Devers bashed a double into the gap to score both Refsnyder & Verdugo. Hernandez grounded out to third and Duran struck out swinging, but Arroyo cleared the bases with a base hit to left. Tapia singled to left and McGuire scored Arroyo with another base hit to left. That was it for Falter as Luis Ortiz got Refsnyder to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                            Devers starts the rally

Stott grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Realmuto grounded out to third. Bohm got a base hit to left and Marsh got a base hit to right to move Bohm to third. Sosa ripped a base hit to right to score Bohm but Schwarber flied out to right to end the inning with the Phillies down 5-2.

                                                           Sosa drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Verdugo walked to start. Turner grounded out to third to move Verdugo to second and Alex moved to third on the Devers base hit to left. Hernandez banged into a double play to end the inning.  The Phillies inched closer in the bottom of the fifth as Turner grounded out to third to start. Harper hit a home run all the way into the Potomac River but Castellanos grounded out to short. Stott grounded out to second to end the inning with the Phillies down 5-3. That was it for Kluber who was average, going 5 innings and allowing 3 runs. Still, at least he didn't get bombed.

                                                        Kluber leaves with the lead

Connor Brogdon came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Duran flied out to left to start. Arroyo doubled to center but Tapia flied out to left. McGuire walked and Refsnyder clubbed a double to left to score both runners, icing the game. Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                                               Refsnyder drives in a pair

John Schreiber came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Realmuto walked to start. Bohm forced him at second and Marsh forced Bohm at second. Sosa flied out to right to end the inning.

Seranthony Dominguez came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Turner flied out to center to start. Devers got a base hit to left but Hernandez flied out to center. Duran was plunked but Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino got tagged in the bottom of the seventh although Schwarber grounded out to first to start. Turner hit a home run all the way to Russia but Harper struck out swinging. Castellanos lined out to right to end the inning with the Phillies down 7-4.

                                                                 Home run Turner

Jeff Hoffman came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Tapia walked to start. Tapia stole second and McGuire dropped down a bunt to move him to third. Unfortunately Refsnyder struck out swinging so Verdugo was intentionally walked. Verdugo swiped second but Turner struck out swinging to end the inning. Stott popped up to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Sox manager Alex Cora wanted Josh Winckowski to pitch to Realmuto. Naturally Realmuto doubled to center but Bohm lined out to short. Marsh struck out swinging to end the inning.

Gregory Soto came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Devers struck out swinging to start. Hernandez popped up to first and Duran popped up to short to end the inning. Kenlsey Jansen came in for the save in the bottom of the ninth and Sosa singled past him to start. Schwarber struck out swinging, Turner flied out to left and Harper grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-4.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers. His 2 run double put the Sox up for good

                                                        Turner salutes our Hero

The Good:

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

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, stolen base and a run scored.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Raimel Tapia was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Reese McGuire was 1 for 2 with an rbi and a run scored.

Corey Kluber tossed 5 innings of 3 run ball to earn the win. He allowed 7 hits and struck out 1.

John Schreiber tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

Josh Winckowski tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 399th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 5.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brennan Bernardino allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That's eight in a row for the Red Sox who are firing on all cylinders. They're beating teams with timely hits, team speed and good pitching. Kluber didn't walk anyone despite allowing 3 runs and the bullpen surrendered just 1 run in 4 innings. The offense can't possibly keep up this pace of scoring 5-7 runs a game so they're going to have to fine tune the pitching. You got guys coming off the Injured List like Garrett Whitlock, Joely Rodriguez, Kutter Crawford and James Paxton which means somebody has to go. Still, getting fresh troops with the Sox trying to catch Tampa and Baltimore can't hurt. As long as they don't suffer any more catastrophic injuries to guys like Adam Duvall and Zack Kelly, they should be just fine. Somehow someway the rotation and bullpen will work itself out, hopefully for the better. The win improved the Sox to 21-14, 6.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 9 in a row and a series sweep against the Phillies tomorrow afternoon when Tanner Houck (3-1, 5.34 ERA) takes on Taijuan Walker of Philadelphia. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sale, Sox Drop Phillies (5/5/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. As expected, Kutter Crawford went on the Injured List with a bad hamstring and Kaleb Ort was brought back to take his place. Also the Sox sent a bag of cash to the Texas Rangers for 27 year old right handed pitcher Zack Littell. Littell went a surprising 6-0 with as 2.68 ERA for the Minnesota Twins back in 2019 but flopped since. He was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA for the Round Rock Express when the Sox got him so if nothing else, he could win Worcester a few games.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                        IN

It was a great night for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 3 of their second round NBA playoff series and down the street the Boston Red Sox won their seventh straight game by taking down the Philadelphia Phillies. Chris Sale (3-2, 6.57 ERA) looked like his vintage self hitting 98 on the gun and holding the powerful Phillies offense to just 3 runs in 6 solid innings. The Sox broke out to a 3-0 lead before the Phillies tied it in the fourth inning. The Sox rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth with Jarren Duran scoring the go-ahead run off a sac fly from Triston Casas. The trio of Richard Bleier, Chris Martin and the returning Kenley Jansen slammed the door in the final innings to preserve the victory. The Sox had won their seventh straight game by beating the Phillies 5-3 at Citizens Bank Park.

                                                      Jaylen Brown approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Phillies starter Zach Wheeler in the top of the first inning as old buddy Kyle Schwarber dropped a routine pop up by Raimel Tapia for an error to start. Masataka Yoshida moved Tapia to third with a grounder to first but Justin Turner struck out swinging. Rafael Devers got a base hit to right to score Tapia to put the Sox on top. Jarren Duran flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Sox strike first

Sale came out throwing gas in the bottom of the first as Schwarber flied out to right to start. Trea Turner popped up to first and Sale blew away Harper on a 98 mph fastball to end the inning.

Kike Hernandez struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Triston Casas lined out to second. Enmanuel Valdez dumped a base hit to center but Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. Nick Castellanos got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second but was thrown out at second by Tapia trying to stretch a double. JT Realmuto struck out swinging but Alec Bohm walked. Josh Harrison flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Tapia caught the Phillies asleep with a bunt single to start. Yoshida got a base hit to right to move Tapia to third and Raimel scored when Turner beat out a double play ball. Wheeler intentionally hit Devers but he was erased on the force by Duran. Hernandez stepped up with a base hit to left to score Yoshida. Casas grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                         Hernandez drives in a run

Sale responded by hitting Edmundo Sosa to start the bottom of the third before a passed ball moved him to second. A pissed off Sale punched out Dalton Guthrie, Schwarber and Turner all swinging to end the inning.

Valdez grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth before Wong lined out to right. Tapia lined out to third to end the inning. Suddenly Sale fell apart in the bottom of the fourth as Harper singled past him to start. Castellanos doubled to left to score Harper and Realmuto tripled into the right field corner. Bohm singled to right to score Realmuto to tie the game then took second on a wild pitch. Harrison grounded out to third, Sosa struck out swinging and Guthrie struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                      Phillies tie it up

Yoshida grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Turner was called out on an automatic strike three. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Schwarber struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Turner singled to center. Turner moved to second on the Harper grounder to first but Castellanos struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the sixth as Duran doubled to center to start. Hernandez blooped a single to center to put runners at the corners and Casas lifted a sac fly to center to score Duran. Connor Brogdon came in for Wheeler and Valdez smacked a base hit to right to score Hernandez. Valdez swiped second but Wong flied out to left. Tapia grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                                            Valdez drives in a run

Sale returned for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth as 

                                                           Sale gets it done

Gregory Soto came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to short to start. Devers grounded out to third and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Richard Bleier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Guthrie struck out swinging to begin. Schwarber grounded out to second but Devers did a back flip onto a Turner grounder for an error. Harper grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Andrew Vasquez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Duran struck out swinging to start. Hernandez flied out to center but Casas drew a walk. Christian Arroyo pinch hit for Valdez but Casas took second on a balk. Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning. Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Castellanos grounded out to third to start. Realmuto lined out to right and Bohm also flied out to right to end the inning.

Wong grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth before Tapia struck out swinging. Yoshida got plunked and left the game forcing Alex Verdugo to run for him. Turner grounded out to third to end the inning. Kenley Jansen made his return to close out the bottom of the ninth with Bryson Scott pinch hitting for Harrison. Scott struck out swinging but Sosa singled to right. Brandon Marsh pinch hit for Guthrie and walked, but Schwarber struck out swinging. Turner struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of the Night is Chris Sale. He returned to form by tossing 6 innings of 3 run ball while hitting 98 on the gun. He also struck out 10 batters.

                                                          Hero Sale

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Enmanuel Valdez was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a stolen base.

Richard Bleier pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Chris Martin tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his seventh save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly: 

Raimel Tapia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored 2 runs.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Justin Turner was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

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

Triston Casas was 0 for 2 but walked and drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Alex Verdugo ran for Yoshida in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Sox are red hot. They're getting offense from a balanced attack and Chris Sale had a bit of Dice K Disease but looked dominant for the first time in a long time. He was pumping 98 on the black and if he can stay healthy all year, at least they'd have their ace back. The rotation is going to be interesting to watch the next few weeks with James Paxton due to come off the injured list but it looks like Sale is going nowhere for now. As for the offense, its nice not having a black hole in the bottom of the order anymore. Valdez may not be showing the power he had in the minors but he's driving the ball all over the field. Same with Yoshida and Duran, not to mention the team speed with Jarren and Tapia. The Sox can run and hit....but it would be nice not to boot and throw the ball away. Still, when your only gripe is people making errors that are playing out of position to begin with, you know things are going well. Good to see Jansen back as well and once he shakes the rust off, that back end of the bullpen is going to be deadly. All in all it was a great win and they're rolling right now after winning 7 straight. The win improved the Sox to 20-14, 7.5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 8 straight wins and two in a row against the Phillies tomorrow night when Corey Kluber (1-4, 6.44 ERA) takes on Bailey Falter of Philadelphia. The game begins at 7:15 PM at Citizens Bank Park. 

Wong, Sox Knock Out Jays (5/2/23)

Did the Boston Red Sox win the Mookie Betts trade? Absolutely not, but for one night it worked out in their favor. On a night where Tanner Houck got lit up for 6 runs in 6 innings by the Toronto Blue Jays, it was the unlikely Connor Wong to the rescue. The Sox broke out to a 3-0 lead on home runs from Christian Arroyo and Masataka Yoshida along with a Rob Refsnyder rbi. After the Jays went up 6-3, Yoshida and Refsnyder drove in a run apiece before Wong tied it with a home run. In the bottom of the eighth, Wong belted his second home run of the night to put the Sox on top. Josh Winckowski earned his first career save in the ninth as the Sox had won their fourth straight game and second in a row 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Craig Hansen approves of the win

Houck got the ball in the top of the first inning and George Springer struck out swinging to start. Bo Bichette drew a walk but Vladimir Guerrero Jr flied out to left. Matt Chapman flied out to left to end the inning. Kikuchi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo greeted him with a double to right to begin. Verdugo moved to third on the Justin Turner fly out to right but Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging. Rafael Devers flied out to left to end the inning.

Daulton Varsho flied out to left to start the top of the second before Whit Merrifield flied out to right. Alejandro Kirk grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second although Kike Hernandez grounded out to second to start. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second but Christian Arroyo belted his first home run of the season completely over the Monster to put Boston on top. Connor Wong followed with a double high off the Monster but Raimel Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                            Arroyo puts the Sox on top

Danny Jansen walked to start the top of the third but Kevin Kiermaier flied out to center. Springer flied out to center and Bichette struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third as Verdugo doubled to left to start. Turner popped up to short but Refsnyder got a base hit to center. Verdugo scored but Refsnyder was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                    Nice hit, but dammit Refsnyder!

Guerrero Jr struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Chapman grounded out to third. Varsho doubled to center but Merrifield grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Hernandez flied out to center to start. Yoshida then pounded his fifth home run of the season to increase the lead. Arroyo grounded out to third but Wong lashed a base hit to left. Tapia grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Yoshida adds to the lead

Houck fell apart in the top of the fifth as Kirk grounded out to short to start. Jansen singled to left, Kiermaier ripped a base hit to right to move Jansen to third, then promptly stole second. Houck managed to strike out Springer swinging but Bichette walked to load the bases. Naturally Guerrero Jr ripped a base hit to left to score Jansen and Kiermaier before a passed ball scored Bichette to tie the game. Chapman singled to short and Varsho hit a 3 run home run all the way to San Juan, Puerto Rico to put the Jays on top. Merrifield lined out to left to end the inning but the Jays rallied for 6 runs to lead it 6-3.

                                                          Varsho caps the six run rally

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fifth as Verdugo was hit with a pitch to start. Turner singled to center and Refsnyder got a base hit to left to score Verdugo. Devers flied out to center to chase Kikuchi. Zach Pop came in and both runners moved over on the Hernandez grounder to the mound before Yoshida sliced a base hit to left to score Turner. Refsnyder moved to third but was stranded as Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.

                                                          Sox aren't going quietly

Due to the bullpen being overused, Houck pretty much had to come back for the top of the sixth. Kirk grounded out to short before Jansen struck out swinging. Kiermaier flied out to center to end the inning. Good work by Houck to suffer through six innings even though he had  Dice K Disease in the fifth inning. He allowed 6 runs in 6 innings allowing 6 hits and 3 walks.

                                                        Houck gets through it

The Sox wasted no time coming back in the bottom of the sixth as Wong clobbered his second home run of the year to tie the game. Tim Mayza replaced Pop on the mound and Tapia beat out a roller to short, but Verdugo appeared to beat out a double play ball. Blue Jays manager John Schneider challenged that Verdugo was out and the call was overturned, double play.  Turner hit a ground rule double to right to chase Mayza. Yimi Garcia came in to pitch but Sox manager Alex Cora countered by having Jarren Duran pinch hit for Refsnyder. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.

                                                           Wong ties it up

John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Springer flied out to right to start. Bichette struck out swinging but Guerrero Jr singled to right. Chapman grounded out to second to end the inning. Devers grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the seventh before Hernandez flied out to right. Yoshida walked but Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning.

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Varsho grounded out to short to start. Merrifield flied out to right and Kirk grounded out to third to end the inning. Erik Swanson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Wong smashed his second home run of the game to put the Sox on top. Tapia flied out to center, Verdugo grounded out to second and Turner struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-6.

                                                          Big night for Wong

Josh Winckowski came on for his first career save in the top of the ninth as Jansen popped up to second to start. Kiermaier singled to left but Springer banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-6.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Connor Wong. He went 4 for 4 and his 8th inning homer was the difference in the game.

                                                          Long Dong Wong is the Hero

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.

Justin Turner was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3 with a walk, a home run and 2 total runs batted in.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Richard Bleier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Josh Winckowski earned his first save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 1 in his only at bat.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4.

Tanner Houck allowed 6 runs in 6 innings of work including 6 hits and 3 walks.

The Ugly:

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Raimel Tapia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Its too early to celebrate but things are looking good for the Sox. They're getting timely offense and shutdown pitching out of the bullpen. Apart from the bench, which is mostly due to injury, the only problem the Sox has is their rotation. That can be fixed by simply having Houck and Kutter Crawford switch roles. Having a rotation of Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Crawford with Houck, Whitlock, Schreiber, Winckowski, Bleier and Jansen in the bullpen would be ideal. That's not including James Paxton who's due to come off the Injured List soon. It'll work itself out eventually. Offensively if Yoshida and Duran keep this pace up, they'll be 7 men deep in the lineup when Adam Duvall and Trevor Story return from injury. Wong had his best game of his Sox career and it was much needed against the dangerous Jays. Hopefully they can keep this momentum going and get back in the AL East race. The win improved the Sox to 17-14, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it five wins in a row and three straight against the Blue Jays tomorrow night when Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.11 ERA) takes on Alek Manoah of Toronto. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.