Alex Cora Hired as Manager (10/22/17)

It took just 11 days but less than two weeks after John Farrell was fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox, they have found his replacement. Former Red Sox infielder and current bench coach of the Houston Astros, Alex Cora was named as the new manager of the Sox.

                                                 Welcome back Alex

The decision to hire Cora is based on his ability to coach younger players. John Farrell clearly was not getting through to Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and some of the other guys that completely underperformed in 2017. Cora's ability to keep Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and the other Astros in check was a huge reason why he was available as a managerial choice.

When Farrell was first hired in 2013, he was inheriting a team of veterans and some holdovers from the 2007 Red Sox, primarily his former pitchers Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester. In the last 4 years all the veterans and holdovers with the one exception of Dustin Pedroia are gone. The Sox inablity to perform in the playoffs cannot entirely be blamed on Farrell, but it sure didn't help that a lot of players regressed in 2017. Not just Betts and Bogaerts but Hanley Ramirez fell apart as well. Going into the season Andrew Benintendi was supposed to be a shoo-in as rookie of the year but Aaron Judge blew him out of the water. The pitching staff performed admirably but offensively the Sox underperformed and it was time for Farrell to go. Someone had to take the fall for back to back no-shows in the playoffs and it made sense to can him.

The Sox will be banking on Cora to right the likes of Betts and Bogaerts but how he handles the pitchers will be his real challenge. As incompetent as he was with pinch hitters and batting lineups, Farrell has proven he can get through to pitchers. Drew Pomeranz was a huge bust up from the moment he was traded here until the moment Farrell gave Pomeranz a huge tongue lashing against Oakland. After that, Drew became one of the best starters in the American League, winning 17 games. Can Cora get through to him to keep up that kind of streak moving forward?

                                                             Cora at the plate

Whether or not the Sox sign some free agents or make some trades is up in the air at this point, but the Sox had to move on from Farrell and with the Sox going with a young core of Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr, Benintendi, Bogaerts, Christian Vazquez and Rafael Devers, they needed someone they could connect with. With the New York Yankees vastly improving, the Sox need to get their heads out of their collective asses from ownership on down if they want to keep their stranglehold on the AL East title.

Cora was apart of the 2007 Red Sox world championship team and the Astros are on their way to becoming champions so Alex does bring some championship pedigree to the table. If nothing else, 2018 should be interesting to see what he can do. After all, he can't be any worse than Bobby Valentine....right?

Indians Sweep Sox, Ortiz Retires (10/10/16)

Well that's that. A season of redemption after two last place finishes for the Boston Red Sox comes to an end in short order in the 2016 ALDS at the hands of the advancing Cleveland Indians. The Sox dropped the game 4-3 and sent David Ortiz off into retirement without one last ring. A crushing end to what was a successful season less than two weeks ago when the Sox ripped off 11 straight wins to take control of the AL East Division crown. Good luck to Terry Francona, Coco Crisp and Andrew Miller in the ALCS.

                                               Good luck Indians against the Blue Jays

Clay Buchholz got the start for the Red Sox and immediately Carlos Santana greeted him with an infield single. Jason Kipnis struck out but Fransisco Lindor singled as well. Mike Napoli lined out and Jose Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning. Josh Tomlin got the start for Cleveland and the Sox offered little resistance in the bottom of the first inning. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third, Brock "Hitman" Holt grounded out to second and Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to right to end the inning.

Lonnie Chisenhall poked one into center for a leadoff single in the top of the second. Coco Crisp flied out and Tyler Naquin struck out. Roberto Perez grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance to take the lead in the bottom of the second. David Ortiz worked a walk but Hanley Ramirez flied out. Xander Bogaerts singled but Andrew Benintendi banged into a double play to end the inning.

Buchholz battled in the top of the third inning as Santana grounded out to start. Kipnis struck out but Lindor doubled into the gap. Napoli grounded out to end the inning. Once again the Sox mustered no offense in the bottom of the third. Sandy Leon and Jackie Bradley Jr both looked at strike three as Pedroia grounded out to end the frame.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth. Ramirez singled and Chisenhall walked. Crisp bunted both runners over and they both scored on the Naquin single. Perez grounded out and Santana whiffed but the damage was done, the Indians had a 2-0 lead. Could the Sox answer in the bottom of the fourth? Hell no! Hitman Holt struck out, Mr. Mookie flied out and David Ortiz grounded out to end the inning.

That was it for Buchholz as Drew Pomeranz came in to pitch the top of the fifth. Not a single Sox starter went past 5 innings in this series, nice going Buchholz.

                                                        Bye bye Buchholz

Kipnis struck out, Lindor popped out and Napoli whiffed in short order. The Sox finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Ramirez flied out but Bogaerts singled. Benny The Kid doubled home Bogaerts but Leon whiffed. JBJ grounded out but the Sox were back in it 2-1.

                                                Bogaerts slides in safely and its 2-0.

Just when the crowd was back in it, the Indians in the top of the sixth quieted it. Ramirez walked and Chisenhall bunted him over to second. Coco Crisp was benched for the 2007 World Series in favor of Jacoby Ellsbury and he finally got his revenge by launching a 2 run home run into the Monster seats to give the Indians a 4-1 lead.

                                              Crisp with one final F-U to the Red Sox

Rajai Davis pinch hit for Tyler Naquin and Sox manager John Farrell pulled Pomeranz for Joe Kelly. The big trade deadline acquisition had crapped himself one last time. Davis popped up and Perez grounded out to end the inning. Why Farrell decided to bring in Pomeranz and not Kelly the whole time just cost them 2 crucial runs.

                                                        "Thanks a lot you bum" - JF

 Indians manager Terry Francona wasted no time in bringing in Andrew Miller with a 3 run lead. Somehow the Sox tagged him. Pedroia singled and Aaron Hill pinch hit for Holt, only to strike out. Nice going Farrell. Mr. Mookie doubled and Ortiz drove in his final run with a sac fly to cut the lead in half 4-2. Ramirez struck out to end the inning.

                                                The last RBI for Big Papi

Kelly returned for the top of the seventh with Hill now at third base. Santana grounded out, Kipnis popped up and Lindor struck out to end the inning in short order. Miller came back for the bottom of the seventh and Bogaerts grounded out. Chris Young pinch hit for Benny The Kid and worked a walk. Leon lined out and JBJ struck out to end the inning.

Young stayed in left field as Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning. Napoli struck out, Ramirez flied out and Chisenhall grounded out to end the inning. Bryan Shaw relieved Miller in the bottom of the eighth and got Pedroia to strike out. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Hill and singled but was erased on the Mr. Mookie fielder's choice. Ortiz walked and Ramirez singled home Mookie to pull within one. John Farrell made another stupid move by pinch running Marco Hernandez for David Ortiz. The crowd reigned down boo's as Ortiz was out of his possibly final game. Sure enough the move backfired as Bogaerts lined out to end the inning but the Sox had cut the lead to 4-3.

                                                      Regular season star, Postseason dud

Shaw stayed at third base as Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came on to pitch the top of the ninth. Michael Martinez pinch hit for Coco Crisp and struck out. Davis struck out and Perez hit one up the elevator shaft to end it. Indians closer Cody Allen took the mound to close out the bottom of the ninth. Young flied out and Leon struck out, but JBJ singled. Pedroia walked to put the tying run in scoring position but Shaw flied out to right to end the game. The Indians had won 4-3 and swept the Red Sox out of the ALDS. A pathetic end to a promising season.

                                                  Good luck Terry

Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. Yes Drew Pomeranz gave up the deciding home run but Buchholz was about as ineffective as it got in 4 innings of work. He gave up 6 hits and a walk to go along with the 2 runs allowed.

                                           One last Jackass award for Buchholz


The Good:

In his final game, David Ortiz walked twice in 3 plate appearances before being lifted for Marco Hernandez

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 before being lifted for Chris Young

Joe Kelly tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Aaron Hill pinch hit for Holt and struck out

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a hat-trick of 3 strikeouts.

Drew Pomeranz gave up the two run bomb to Coco Crisp that ended up being the game decider.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a walk but scored a run.

Travis Shaw singled in his first at bat but made the final out of the season with 2 men on.

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Chris Young was 0 for 1 but walked.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.


Honorable Mention:

Marco Hernandez pinch ran for David Ortiz in the bottom of the eighth.



Final Thoughts:

All good things must come to and end and unfortunately the Red Sox got it two-fold. Not only is their season over but that's it for David Ortiz. Arguably the most clutch post-season hitter of all time retires with 540 home runs, 3 world series rings and 14 years of memories. It hurts to say goodbye but at least Ortiz went out with one of the best seasons of his career. Its better to go out on top than as a pinch hitter on a crappy team 20 games out of first in August. This Red Sox team is beginning to gell with budding stars such as Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr with Andrew Benintendi almost the odds on favorite to win Rookie of the Year next year. If they can secure another starter, get Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez back healthy and sign Edwin Encarnarcion, the Sox will be right back in the playoffs next year for sure. Christian Vazquez should be back to full strength next year and Sam Travis could be waiitng in the wings to take over first base if Hanley Ramirez has a down season or if Travis Shaw slumps. As for this year, it was a hell of a ride. After two last place finishes to come back and win the division was a step in the right direction. The sky is the limit for the young bats in the lineup, let's see what next year holds.

                                               Goodbye David Ortiz and thank you.

Rays Stun Sox (8/30/16)

If the Boston Red Sox dont ultimately win the American League East this season, losses like tonight will be the reason why. In a game they needed to win, the Sox led 3-0 but the Tampa Bay Rays clawed their way back to not only tie the game, but win it with a pair of well timed homers. The Sox failed to touch the Tampa bullpen and the Rays shocked the Sox 4-3 at Fenway Park.

Drew Pomeranz got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Rays pounced on him. Logan Forsythe led off by grounding out to short to start but Brock "The Hitman" Holt misplayed a ball hit by Kevin Kiermaier for a double. Pomeranz froze Evan Longoria on an outside curve for strike three but Brad Miller lined a base hit off the glove of Dustin Pedroia for an rbi single. Matt Duffy grounded out to second to end the inning but the Rays were up 1-0.

                                                            1-0 Tampa

Dustin Pedroia returned to the lineup by beginning the bottom of the first with a bloop single to right against Jake Odorizzi. The Sox pissed on themselves as Xander Bogaerts whiffed badly on a hit and run and Pedroia was thrown out by a mile at second. David Ortiz grounded out weakly to short to end the inning.

Pomeranz came back for the top of the second inning and Tim Beckham whiffed on a 3-2 fastball. Steven Souza Jr walked on a full count but Corey Dickerson whiffed on a 94 mph fastball. Luke Maile whiffed as well to end the inning. Mr. Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the second by popping up to short to start before Hanley Ramirez popped up to second. Travis Shaw whiffed to end the inning.

Pomeranz opened the top of the third by getting Forsythe to pop up to right to start. Kiermaier popped up to left and Longoria was run up on a check swing in the dirt to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Holt grounded out to first, Bryan Holaday flied out to center and Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed to end the inning.

Miller opened the top of the fourth inning with a single up the middle but Duffy flied out to right. Beckham walked but Souza took an inside fastball for strike three. Dickerson popped up to short to end the inning. Odorizzi got Pedroia to ground back to the mound to begin the bottom of the fourth before Bogaerts popped up to short. Ortiz popped up to second to end the inning.

A graphic on NESN showed Dutch Leonard pitched a no-hitter on this day 100 years ago before the top of the fifth began. Pomeranz struck out Maile on a breaking ball in the dirt before Forsythe grounded out to third. Kiermaier hit a little squibber to Pedroia who gloved it to first for the third out to end the inning. Mr. Mookie popped up to center to begin the bottom of the fifth before Ramirez tucked a cheap 298 foot pop up home run right around the Pesky Pole to tie the game. Shaw whiffed on a high fastball up and away but Holt doubled off the Monster. Holaday whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                   Tie game!

Pomeranz returned for the top of the sixth and got Longoria to pop up to center to start. Miller popped up to Shaw into the shift before Duffy grounded out to short to end the inning. JBJ led off the bottom of the sixth with a pop up before Pedroia walked. Bogaerts doubled down the left field line and Souza made a diving catch to rob Ortiz of extra bases but Pedroia scored to give the Sox the lead. Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked and the Sox got a gift when Ramirez popped up to right but Miller and Souza got crossed up, letting the ball drop to score Bogaerts and advance Betts to third. Shaw earned the hat trick with his third strikeout to end the inning but it was 3-1 Sox.

                                                Ramirez gets it done again....by accident

Could Pomeranz pitch with the lead? NO! Beckham started off the top of the seventh with a single but Souza flied out to center. Dickerson whiffed on a high fastball but Maile crushed a 2 run home run into the Monster seats to tie the game. Sox manager John Farrell stormed out of the dugout and chucked a bag of sunflower seeds at Pomeranz as he ran off the mound. Pomeranz looked to be much improved until that home run, now leaving with a no decision at 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball.

                                                Good, but not good enough

Matt Barnes replaced Pomeranz and immediately walked Forsythe. The alert Holaday gunned down Logan trying to steal to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

Enny Romero took over for the bottom of the seventh as Chris Young pinch hit for Holt only to strike out swinging. Holoday grounded out to third before JBJ whiffed to end the inning.

The enigmatic Clay Buchholz was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pedroia made an outstanding stab to rob Kiermaier of a sure hit to begin. Longoria then crushed a home run completely out of Fenway to give the Rays the lead. Miller grounded out to first and Duffy grounded out to third to end the inning with the Rays ahead 4-3.

                                              Dammit Clay

The heart of the Sox order did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Pedroia grounded out to third, Bogaerts looked at strike three on the outside corner and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel hadn't pitched in 6 days so he was summoned to pitch the top of the ninth inning. Beckham took him for a single off the Monster on a 3-2 count before Nick Franklin pinch hit for Souza Jr, only to fly out to left. Dickerson flied out to deep right and the alert Beckham tagged up, moving to second. Pedroia made another play to make a bang bang throw to first on Maile.....OUT! But wait! Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged the call and sure enough Maile was ruled safe to put runners at the corners. Forsythe struck out to end the threat and the inning.

                                                 Pedroia making all the plays

Rays closer Alex Colome came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning and Mr. Mookie grounded out to second to begin. Ramirez put the tying run on with a single in the hole at second but Shaw earned the golden sombrero with his fourth strikeout of the game. Ramirez made it to second on a passed ball and Young walked to put the go-ahead run on. Sandy Leon pinch hit for Holoday but took strike three down the middle to end the game. The Rays had won it 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. He came in to protect a tie game and immediately coughed it up.

                                                   Clay the Jackass again


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 3 for 4 including 2 total rbis and a solo home run.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 before leaving the game.

Chris Young walked once in two plate appearances.

Drew Pomeranz pitched well even if he did give up the home run at the end. He ended with 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball.

Matt Barnes escaped the seventh inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Travis Shaw earned a golden sombrero by going 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts.

Bryan Holaday was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr earned a hat trick by going 0 for 3 with 3 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

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

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked.



Final Thoughts:

That was a backbreaking loss considering the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays tonight in their respective game. The Sox could have been just 1 game back of Toronto had they were able to pull out the game. The problem with this year's team is they are complete frontrunners. Once they fall behind they're almost guaranteed not to come back. If they are tied they find a way to win and if they have a lead, generally they keep it (tonight not withstanding) but if they are behind they don't fight back more often than not. The loss dropped the Sox to 73-59, 2 games behind Toronto for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to bounce back with tonight's birthday boy Steven Wright (13-6, 3.18 ERA) on the mound facing Drew Smyly. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outslug Rays (8/29/16)

If the Sox have any hope of catching the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East division title they're going to have to beat the likes of the Tampa Bay Rays. Tonight the Sox did just that even without Dustin Pedroia who was away grieving for a lost relative. "Slick" Rick Porcello (18-3, 3.26 ERA) was just what the doctor ordered, tossing 7 innings of 3 run ball while the offense lit up the Rays. When all was said and done the Sox had defeated the Rays 9-4 at Fenway Park.

                                           Corporal Chesty approves of the win

Porcello got the ball to begin the top of the first and Logan Forsythe greeted him with a single to right. Kevin Kiermaier blew a hit and run and Forsythe was gunned down by the alert Sandy Leon trying to steal. Kiermaier looked at strike three to boot moments later. Evan Longoria grounded out to second to end the inning. Matt Andriese took the ball in the bottom of the first and Brock "The Hitman" Holt led off by grounding out to second to start. Xander Bogaerts whiffed on a high fastball and David Ortiz whiffed on a change in the dirt to end the inning.

Brad Miller began the top of the second by lining one off the glove of Hanley Ramirez but it went right to Holt who still got Miller at first. Matt Duffy lined out to the busy Ramirez before Logan Morrison grounded into the shift in right to end the inning. Mr. Mookie Betts began the bottom of the second by swatting a tremendous home run off the Selfeo sign in the Monster to give the Sox the lead. Betts joins Ted Williams and Tony Conigliaro as the only Red Sox players to hit 30 homers in one year before the age of 24. Hanley crushed a 400 foot double to center then moved to third on the ground out by Travis Shaw. Ramirez was thrown out at home on the grounder by Chris Young, nothing you can do when you're off on contact with the infield in. Leon singled to left before Jackie Bradley Jr walked to load the bases. Holt singled home Hanley but Leon was thrown out at home to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                        Betts with number 30

The Rays struck back in the top of the third as Nick Franklin singled through the shift  as did Corey Dickerson, sending Franklin to third. Doesn't get much more lucky than that. Bobby Wilson singled home Franklin to put the Rays on the board. Holt couldn't corral a pop up by Forsythe to load the bases with nobody out. Pitching coach Carl Willis jogged to the mound and informed him that the legend of the rent was way hardcore. Kiermaier hit a ground ball to first but a poor throw by Hanley was only able to nab Dickerson at home. Longoria scored Wilson with a sac fly to tie the game but Miller whiffed to end the nning with the game tied 2-2.

                                            "AH DAMMIT!" - Porcello

Bogaerts popped up to third to begin the bottom of the third before Ortiz grounded out to first. Mr. Mookie popped up to second to end the inning.

Duffy wasted no time popping up to short to begin the top of the fourth before Morrison grounded into the shift for the second out. Franklin took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Hanley opened with a base hit to left and Shaw smacked a ground rule double. Young smoked a double off the glove of Longoria to score both runners to give the Sox the lead. Leon whiffed badly on a pitch in the dirt and JBJ did the same. Holt ended the bad swing parade with an rbi double to center. Bogaerts popped up to Miller in foul territory to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                  Ramirez scores the go-ahead run

Could Porcello pitch with the lead in the top of the fifth? Franklin smacked a ground rule double to right before Wilson advanced him to third with a grounder to short. Bogaerts made a great play to rob Forsythe of a hit and fired to first....SAFE! But wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call and it was correctly overturned, but the run scored. Kiermaier popped up to Shaw to end the inning but it was now 5-3 Sox.

Ortiz led off the bottom of the fifth with a double off the top of the centerfield wall and Mr. Mookie scored him with a double off the base of the Monster to chase Andriese. Danny Farquhar replaced Andriese and Hanley flied out to deep center as Betts advanced to third. Shaw singled off the glove of Forsythe to score Betts with another run. Young whiffed before Leon grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                                          Betts scores the seventh run

Porcello cleaned out Longoria before getting him to ground out to short to begin the top of the sixth. Miller watched strike three go by before Duffy whiffed to end the inning. Farquhar returned for the bottom of the sixth and JBJ whiffed to begin. Holt grounded back to the mound before Bogaerts flied out to left to end the inning.

Porcello returned for the top of the seventh with 91 pitches on his arm and whiffed Morrison on a pitch in the dirt to start. Franklin popped up to short and Dickerson whiffed to end the inning. 7 innings of 3 run ball by Porcello, damn good.

Brad Boxberger took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and the Sox kicked his ass. Ortiz popped up to Miller who made the catch on top of the tarp before Mr. Mookie grounded out to first. Hanley walked, Shaw singled in the hole to right and Young walked to load the bases. Leon hit a grounder up the middle for a hit that scored Hanley and Shaw. JBJ grounded out to end the inning but the Sox were up 9-3.

                                           Goat in the second, hero in the seventh

Clay Buchholz got the ball in the top of the eighth inning and immediately allowed a single to Wilson to start. Forsythe walked and Kiermaier lined a broken bat single to left to load the bases. Sox pitching coach Carl Willis went to the mound to inform Buchholz that getting 10 yards on a screen pass is a first down. Longoria lined out to a running JBJ in center but Wilson scored and Forsythe advanced to third. Miller popped up to right and Duffy was rung up for strike three on a bad call to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.

                                             This guy sucks!

Xavier Cedeno came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Holt poked a single to left to begin. Bogaerts whiffed but Holt swiped second. Ortiz walked but Mr. Mookie popped up to center. Ramirez lined out to a running Dickerson to end the inning.

Marco Hernandez took over at third with Fernando Abad on the mound to begin the top of the ninth. Morrison whiffed before Franklin poked yet another hit to right. Dickerson banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-4.

                                                       Another win


Hero of the Night is a tough one with everyone contributing on offense but I'll go with Mookie Betts. Mr. Mookie got the party started with a home run and later added another rbi double. He's been something else this year.

                                                        Mookie the Hero


The Good:

Brock Holt was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Travis Shaw was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Chris Young was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's.

Fernando Abad pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Clay Buchholz allowed a run in the eighth inning.



The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Marco Hernandez played third in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That was a good bounce back win after last night's disaster against Kansas City. The Sox are still hanging around the AL East division race and they're gonna need a good September to win it. Porcello is on pace to win 22 games in the biggest turnaround since Jim Lonborg 50 years ago. The Sox are gonna need him and Price if they want to make it to October. Ortiz, Betts and Ramirez could be vital as well. The win improved the Sox to 73-58, 2 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Drew Pomeranz (2-3, 4.06 ERA) goes for the Sox up against Jake Odorizzi.

Sox Smash Royals, End Streak (8/27/16)

That's more like it. After a pitiful 3 game losing streak, the Boston Red Sox got back on track against the Kansas City Royals. Dustin Pedroia nearly broke a major league record with 11 straight hits but fell one short. David Price (13-8, 3.97 ERA) tossed 6 solid innings of 2 run ball while the offense pounced on the world champs for 12 hits and 8 runs. The Sox got back on track with an 8-3 victory over the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                 The Gronk approves of the win

Price got the ball in the top of the first and Paulo Orlando hit a bullet right to Jackie Bradley Jr to start. Cheslor Cuthbert singled past the diving Aaron Hill into left before Lorenzo Cain beat out a double play ball. Eric Hosmer was frozen on a 95 mph fastball on the back to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Royals starter Danny Duffy in the bottom of the first inning as the scorching hot Dustin Pedroia led off with a base hit to center. Xander Bogaerts blasted his 16th home run of the season completely out of Fenway to give the Sox the lead 2 batters into the game. The Royals then played a game of "I got it...I don't got it" as David Ortiz' routine pop up fell in for a "single". Ortiz then tried to take second on a wild pitch but Salvador Perez fired a bullet to second to nail Big Papi. Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center but Hanley Ramirez dumped a base hit to right. Sandy Leon popped up to first to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                 Bogaerts puts Boston up early

The Royals immediately answered in the top of the second although Kendrys Morales popped up to first to start. Perez then swatted a line drive home run into the Monster Seats to put the Royals on the board. Alex Gordon followed with a double high off the Monster and he scored on the double to left by Alcides Escobar. Christian Colon popped up to Hanley on the infield before Orlando waived at a pitch in the dirt to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                Royals tie it up

The Sox countered in the bottom of the second as Chris Young walked to start. Hill flied out to deep right as a passed ball moved Young to second. Jackie Bradley Jr drove home Young with a ground rule double into the right field corner to give the Sox the lead. Pedroia doubled off the Monster to score JBJ but Escobar threw the ball away to allow Pedroia to advance to third. He was stranded as Bogaerts grounded out to second as did Ortiz to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                 Pedroia drives in another run

Price got Cuthbert to pop up to third to start the top of the third before Cain grounded out to second. Hosmer walked but Morales struck out swinging to end the inning. Duffy cruised in the bottom of the third as Mr. Mookie flied out to the centerfield warning track to start. Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley told a story of how back in 1998, 41 year old Paul Molitor dropped a bunt on Eck to walkoff the Twins over the Red Sox. What Eck forgot is none other than a young David Ortiz scored the tying run in the 6th inning of that game for the Twins. Back to this game, Ramirez grounded out to second and Leon was caught looking for strike three to end the inning.

                                                 "How DARE you try to win the game Paul!"

Price whiffed Perez on an 88 mph cutter to start the top of the fourth before Gordon lined out to a running Betts. Escobar whiffed on a 90 mph cutter to end the inning. The Sox added to the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Sox broadcaster Dave O'Brien finally pointed out David Ortiz played in the game Eck was talking about. Young drew a four pitch walk before Hill was out on a bang bang play at first after a great play by Hosmer. JBJ took a horrible strike three call but the red hot Pedroia singled home Young to increase the lead. Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                               Pedroia 7 for his last 7

Price continued to pitch well in the top of the fifth as Colon was retired on a swinging bunt to Leon to start. Orlando grounded out to third but Cuthbert doubled down the left field line. Cain flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox displayed some power in the bottom of the fifth although Ortiz flied out to the right field warning track to start. Mr. Mookie and Hanley then belted back to back home runs to light up the crowd. Leon grounded out to third and Young flied out to right to end the inning but it was 7-2 Sox.

                                                   Hanley and Mookie go back to back

Price was nearly perfect in the top of the sixth as Hosmer whiffed to start. Morales grounded out to short but Perez walked. Price finished his outing by catching Gordon looking to end the inning. Price went 6 solid innings while allowing just 2 runs while striking out 7.

                                                   Good work Price

Old nemesis Chien-Ming Wang came in for the bottom of the sixth and the Sox tagged him too. Hill walked but JBJ whiffed. Pedroia continued his hot streak with a base hit up the middle to go 11 for 11 and Bogaerts pounded a ground rule double into the right field corner to score Hill. Ortiz grounded out to second and Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 8-2 Sox.

                                                 Another rbi for Bogaerts

Brad Ziegler was first out of the bullpen in the top of the seventh and Escobar popped up to first to start. Bogaerts made a great play to rob Colon of a hit and also retired Orlando on a grounder to end the inning. Billy Burns took over for Cain to start the bottom of the seventh and Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Leon grounded out to second and Young flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning.

Clay Buchholz was summoned for the top of the eighth and Cuthbert grounded out to short to start. Burns beat out an infield single to second....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call and replays showed he was OUT! Hosmer drew a walk but Hanley fell on his ass making a catch to rob Morales of a hit to end the inning. Sox fans stood in the bottom of the eighth to see if Pedroia could tie the major league record of 12 straight hits. First Hill grounded out to short before JBJ poked a base hit to center. The record remained intact as Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning. Oh well!

Robbie Ross Jr came in for the top of the ninth with Travis Shaw now at third base. Perez jacked a home run off the hands of a fan in the centerfield bleachers to cut the lead. Ross got mad and caught Gordon looking for strike three before Escobar was rung up for strike three on a check swing. Colon got plunked but Betts made a running catch on Orlando to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                   Big win for the Sox.



Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He drove in as many runs by himself as the entire Royals did and hit the big two run home run.

                                                     X-Man Hero



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 4 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Chris Young walked twice and scored 2 runs in 4 at bats.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

David Price got the win with 6 innings of 2 run ball. He struck out 7 batters as well.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Clay Buchholz pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Robbie Ross Jr gave up a run in the ninth inning.



The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Travis Shaw played third base in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That was an impressive win against the red hot Duffy who was 11-1 coming into this game. Not only that but Price pitched his ass off in this one. Buchholz pitched well out of the bullpen and the offense continues to click. Would have been nice to see Pedroia tie the ML record for consecutive hits but at least the game was well in hand when he hit into the double play. Mookie Betts needs a strong September to challenge Mike Trout in the AL MVP race but then again, the entire teams need a strong September to win the AL East race. All in all it was a good win against the current champs and hope they can continue the trend. The win improved the Sox to 72-57, 1 game behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the champs tomorrow night. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-5) goes up against Yordano Ventura at 8:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Tigers Late Rally Snaps Streak (8/18/16)

If the Boston Red Sox want a shot at the playoffs this year, they need to stop with these late inning blown leads. 5 times in the past few weeks the Sox had a late lead only to blow it, and tonight made six courtesy of the Detroit Tigers. Clay Buchholz held the Tigers to 1 measly run in 6 innings while Matthew Boyd held the Sox to a run through six as well. The Sox broke through with 2 runs in the top of the eighth but the combination of Junichi Tazawa and Brad Ziegler gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Sox got the tying run to second base in the top of the ninth but Francisco Rodriguez retired both Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts to end the game. The Tigers had rallied past the Sox 4-3 at Comerica Park.

Boyd got the ball in the top of the first inning and Aaron Hill struck out swinging to start. Xander Bogaerts flied out to left and Mr. Mookie Betts got a base hit to center. Hanley Ramirez got a base hit to right but Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ian Kinsler flied out to JBJ to start. Erick Aybar got a base hit to right but Miguel Cabrera grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Sandy Leon grounded out to second to start the top of the second and Bryan Holaday flied out to left. Deven Marrero grounded out to short to end the inning. The Tigers struck first in the bottom of the second as old friend Victor Martinez grounded out to third to start. JD Martinez got a base hit to left and it looked like Jackie Bradley Jr caught a sinking line drive by Casey McGehee. The Tigers challenged that it was a trap and sure enough, it was called a trap to move Martinez to third. Sox manager John Farrell argued that even if it was a trap, Martinez was tagged out. The umpires told Farrell to get lost and he started yelling at them in the dugout. Home plate umpire Scott Barry told Farrell to shut up and John ran out of the dugout challenging him to a fight. Barry had to tell him that it wasn't Farrell that was ejected but third base coach Brian Butterfield. When things calmed down, old pal Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a sac fly to center to score Martinez. Andrew Romine got a base hit to right but Alex Presley grounded out to first to end the inning with the Tigers up 1-0.

                                     "What he say?" - JF  "GET OUTTA HERE!" - SB

Andrew Benintendi got a base hit to right to start the top of the third and Hill drew a walk. Bogaerts struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie flied out to center to move Hill to third. Ramirez walked to load the bases but JBJ flied out to left to end the inning. Kinsler flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Aybar's bunt was snuffed out by Buchholz. Cabrera got a base hit to right but Victor Martinez flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth as Leon crushed his seventh home run of the season to tie the game. Holaday flied out to right, Marrero lined out to third and Benintendi took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        What a season for Leon so far

JD Martinez grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and McGehee grounded out to short. Saltalamacchia flied out to left to end the inning.

Hill got a base hit to left to start the top of the fifth and Bogaerts lined out to left. Mr. Mookie forced Hill at second and Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Romine struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and but Presley got a base hit to right. Kinsler lined out to left and Aybar grounded out to second to end the inning.

JBJ grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth and Leon flied out to center. Sox analyst Jerry Remy admitted he gets to the ballpark around 7 AM for day games because he hates waiting around in his hotel room. Then he said eventually he'll get there at 5 AM. Holaday lined out to center to end the inning. Buchholz came back for the bottom of the sixth and Cabrera was hit with a pitch to start. JD Martinez popped up to short and JD Martinez struck out swinging. McGehee also went down hacking to end the inning. That was it for Buchholz who tossed 6 solid innings allowing just 1 run off 6 hits.

                                                            Buchholz was on today

Travis Shaw pinch hit for Marrero to start the top of the seventh with old pal Alex Wilson now on the mound. Shaw struck out swinging and Benintendi flied out to left. Hill popped up to second to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Saltalamacchia flied out to left to start. Romine lined out to center and Presley flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the eighth as Bogaerts beat out a roller to second to start. Mr. Mookie blooped a base hit to right and Ramirez singled up the middle to score Bogaerts. Justin Wilson came in to pitch to Bradley and JBJ grounded into a double play....only for Betts to score on a wild pitch. Leon walked but Holaday struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                           Sox score the go-ahead runs

Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and crapped his pants big time. Kinsler ripped a base hit to left, Aybar doubled to right and Cabrera got a base hit to center to score Kinsler and chase Tazawa. Brad Ziegler poured gas on the fire as Victor Martinez singled to right to score Aybar. Tyler Collins ran for Cabrera as JD Martinez walked to load the bases. McGehee hit a grounder to short and Bogaerts came home to force Collins then Justin Upton ran for Victor Martinez. Saltalamacchia struck out swinging but Romine walked to score Upton to put the Tigers on top. Presley grounded out to second to end the inning with the Tigers up 4-3.

                                                           Tigers take the lead

The Sox did try to rally in the top of the ninth with Francisco Rodriguez no on the mound. Shaw walked to start and Brock "The Hitman" Holt ran for him. Andrew Benintendi beat out a double play ball and the Tigers challenged that he was out. The umpires said he was safe and David Ortiz pinch hit for Hill. Ortiz got a base hit to center and Dustin Pedroia ran for him. With the tying run at second....Bogaerts grounded out to first to move the runners over. With the game on the line....Mr. Mookie hit a bullet to Kinsler to end the game. The Tigers had won it 4-3.

                                                           Tigers win

Jackass of The Night is Brad Ziegler. Yes, Tazawa put the runners on but Ziegler allowed all 3 of them to score, including walking home the go-ahead run with 2 outs.

                                                                Jackass Ziegler

The Good:

Aaron Hill was 1 for 3 with a walk.

David Ortiz singled as a pinch hitter.

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Sandy Leon was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Travis Shaw walked in 2 plate appearances.

Clay Buchholz pitched 6 innings of 1 run ball allowing 6 hits.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4.

Deven Marrero was 0 for 2.

Bryan Holaday was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Junichi Tazawa was charged with 3 runs in the eighth inning to take the loss.

The Ugly:

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

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Brock Holt ran for Travis Shaw in the ninth inning.

Dustin Pedroia ran for Ortiz in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

How many games is that now in the past few weeks the Sox have blown in the eighth or ninth inning? The two blown games against the New York Yankees, the Robinson Cano home run off Fernando Abad, the Los Angeles Angels rally and the Minnesota Twins scoring 7 runs in the 7th inning. Every team has blown leads but you'd think with the bullpen they have it wouldn't be as frequent. Still, its not entirely Tazawa and Ziegler's fault, only getting one run off Matthew Boyd should have been a clue it wasn't going to be their day. Still, this could be the end of the line for Tazawa which is a shame, he was the man from 2012-15. Overworked relief pitchers have a shelf life and apparently his is expired. Still, its only one loss but it still stings. The loss dropped the Sox to 67-53, 1.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Tigers when "Slick" Rick Porcello (16-3) takes on Michael Fulmer of Detroit. The game begins at 8:10 PM eastern time at Comerica Park.

Sox Rally Past Diamondbacks (8/13/16)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox are starting to make their push for the playoffs for the first time in three years. The Sox beat the Arizona Diamondbacks after their spot starter Clay Buchholz only lasted 4 1/3 innings. Arizona took a 3-1 lead over Boston when Robbie Ross Jr (2-2, 3.80 ERA) allowed an inherited runner to score from Buchholz. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fifth against Archie Bradley scoring 3 runs to take the lead. Brock "The Hitman" Holt smacked a two run home run in the bottom of the sixth for some insurance. Things got hairy in the eighth when Matt Barnes walked the bases loaded but Brad Ziegler struck out the next three batters to keep the lead. Craig Kimbrel locked it down in the ninth and the Sox had won 2 in a row against Arizona 6-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Otar The Mad approves of the win

Buchholz got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jean Segura grounded out to second to start. Michael Bourn flied out to center and Paul Godschmidt struck out swinging to end the inning. Bradley got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dustin Pedroia popped up to short. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jake Lamb walked to start the top of the second but Rickie Weeks grounded into a double play. Yasmany Tomas grounded out to short to end the inning. David Ortiz struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second and Hanley Ramirez lined back to Bradley. Travis Shaw popped up to short to end the inning.

Chris Owings walked to start the top of the third but Oscar Hernandez flied out to center. Socrates Brito grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Sandy Leon got a base hit to right to start. Brock Holt forced Sandy at second but Andrew Benintendi singled to left. Pedroia dumped a base hit to right to score Holt and move Benintendi to third. Bogaerts struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                 Safe!

The Diamondbacks struck back in the top of the fourth as Segura lined out to third to start. Bourn got a base hit to center, Goldschmidt walked and both runners pulled off a double steal. Lamb grounded out to second to score Bourn and Weeks got a base hit to right to score Goldschmit. Tomas grounded out to second to end the inning with Arizona up 2-1.

                                                                  Arizona takes the lead

Ortiz grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth and Ramirez grounded out to second. Shaw popped up to short to end the inning.

The Diamondbacks struck again in the top of the fifth as Owings singled to center to start. Hernandez flied out to left and that was it for Buchholz. He'd be charged with 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks in his first start in over a month. Robbie Ross Jr got Brito to fly out to left but Segura walked. Bourn got a base hit to right to score Owings but Goldschmidt forced him at second to end the inning with the Diamondbacks up 3-1.

                                              "This one's on me, Clay. I got Wright hurt" - JF

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fifth as Leon belted his fifth home run of the season to start. Segura and Brito nearly collided on a routine pop up by Holt for an error to allow Brock to reach second. Benintendi doubled to center to score Holt and moved to third on a grounder to second by Pedroia. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Mr. Mookie chopped a base hit over Lamb's head to score Benintendi. Ortiz walked but Ramirez popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                                 Leon starts the rally

Ross froze Lamb for strike three to start the top of the sixth and that was it for Robbie. Junichi Tazawa came in and Weeks flied out to center, but Shaw couldn't come up with a grounder by Tomas for an error. Owings grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Shaw popped up to short to start. Leon walked and Holt smashed his 6th home run of the season to increase the lead. That was it for Bradley as Steve Hathaway was brought in to face Benintendi. Andrew took strike three and Randall Delgado came in to face Pedroia. Dustin got a base hit to left but Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                          Hitman Home Run

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hernandez drilled as base hit to left to start. Brito struck out swinging and Segura grounded into a double play to end the inning. Daniel Hudson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie popped up to second to start. Ortiz lined out to right and Ramirez also flied out to right to end the inning.

Things looked bad when Bourn, Goldschmidt and Lamb walked consecutively to load the bases with nobody out to start the top of the eighth. Brad Zeigler came in and struck Weeks out swinging on 3 pitches. Tomas went down hacking and Fenway erupted when Owings swung at air to end the inning. Ziegler had pulled the Houdini to get out of the jam.

                                                       Outstanding job by Ziegler

Adam Loewen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Aaron Hill pinch hit for Shaw. Hill popped up to first, Leon grounded out to third and Holt flied out to center to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the top of the ninth and Phil Gosselin pinch hit for Hernandez. Gosselin struck out swinging and Brandon Drury pinch hit for Brito. Drury flied out to right and Segura grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-3.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brad Zeigler. He pulled the Houdini in the top of the eighth to keep the Sox on top.

                                                                     Hero Ziegler

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 3 with a walk, a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Junichi Tazawa got the final 2 outs of the 6th inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 19th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Matt Barnes walked the bases loaded in the top of the eighth.

Clay Buchholz allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run and he scored 3 runs.

Robbie Ross Jr allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Final Thoughts:

What an effort by Ziegler and the Red Sox there. Having to start Buchholz with Steven Wright down, surviving that, then surviving the eighth inning. Sandy Leon would probably be in contention for AL MVP if he was brought up just a month earlier. Bogaerts and Betts are cooling off big time due to bumps & bruises with limited days off since the all-star break but the bottom of the order got it done tonight. Benintendi, Holt and Leon stepped up big time and the Sox would be in a playoff spot if the season ended now. Still, there's 47 games left in the season and the Sox need a nice winning streak to the catch the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles. The Sox have a death march against the AL East next month that might decide the division but they can get ahead of the curve with a streak now. If only Wright didn't get hurt, Buchholz isn't giving them much. The win improved the Sox to 63-52, 2 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox go for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon when "Slick" Rick Porcello (15-3) takes on Zack Greinke of Arizona. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.