O's Drop Unclutch Sox (8/14/12)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. It was discovered that Kelly Shoppach was the one who blew the whistle on how horrible Sox manager Bobby Valentine is to the media so Sox GM Ben Cherrington shipped him to the New York Mets for a player to be named. It would have been a lot easier for Cherrington just to fire Valentine but oh well, bye bye Kelly. In his place the Sox finally activated closer Andrew Bailey off the Disabled List. Its too little, too late with the Sox hopelessly out of the AL East race but at least he can show something for next year.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                 IN

As for the game, with tensions buzzing over another media blowup, the Boston Red Sox found a new way to lose tonight against the Baltimore Orioles. The Sox as a team pounded out 11 hits....but only scraped out one run. A lot of guys got hits but none of them when it mattered. Josh Beckett (5-10, 5.19 ERA) continued his career nosedive by getting knocked out in the sixth inning after allowing 6 runs. Andrew Bailey made his too little, too late Red Sox debut by striking out the only man he faced, but by that point the O's already had a commanding lead. Reports of the Red Sox players hating Bobby Valentine are coming out and it shows as the Sox dropped another game 7-1 to the O's at Camden Yards.

Wei-Yin Chen got the ball for Baltimore in the top of the first and Jacoby Ellsbury slapped a leadoff single in the hole at short to start. Pedro Ciriaco dropped down the perfect bunt and almost beat it out. Dustin Pedroia lined one off the glove of Chen but Manny Machado gunned him down at first. Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Beckett got the ball in the bottom of the first and Nick Markakis grounded out to second to start. JJ Hardy popped up to short and Nate McLouth struck out swinging to end the inning.

Cody Ross grounded out to second to start the top of the second inning but Ryan Lavarnway singled to right. Carl Crawford beat out a fielder's choice and Mike Aviles struck out swinging to end the inning. Adam Jones popped up on the infield but Avilies sprinted past Beckett to make the catch. Matt Wieters walked and Chris Davis singled to right, but Mark Reynolds hit one up the elevator shaft. Manny Machado popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Machado made a good play to rob Danny Valencia of a hit to start. Ellsbury grounded out to first but Ciriaco doubled down the left field line. Pedroia walked but Gonzalez flied out to left to end the inning. The O's struck first in the bottom of the third as Omar Quintanilla clobbered a home run all the way to the Red Sea to start. Markakis grounded out to short, Hardy popped up to first and McLouth popped up to first to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                                            Home run Quintanilla

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth when Ross hit a ground rule double to the left field stands to start. Ross moved to third on a grounder to first by Lavarnway and scored on the Crawford base hit to center. Avilies struck out swinging and Valencia flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                    Crawford ties it up

Beckett cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Jones struck out swinging to start. Wieters lined out to center and Davis flied out to left to end the inning.

Ellsbury grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth and Ciriaco grounded out to short. Pedroia tripled into the right field corner but Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. The O's retook the lead in the bottom of the fifth as Reynolds hit a home run to Jupiter to start. Machado popped up to short, Quintanilla lined out to left and Markakis flied out to center to end the inning with the O's up 2-1.

                                                          Reynolds hits a home run

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the sixth and Ross singled to left to start. Lavarnway lined out to left but Crawford singled to right. Aviles struck out swinging and Valencia flied out to center to end the inning. The O's finally knocked out Beckett in the bottom of the sixth as Hardy got a base hit to left to start. McLouth popped up to third but Jones walked. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Jones hit a Baltimore chopper over all 3 defenders to score Hardy with another run. Davis lined a base hit to center to score Jones and chase Beckett. Josh would be charged with 6 runs before the inning was over. Mark Melancon came in to pitch and naturally he served up a 3 run homer to Reynolds all the way to Jacksonville, Florida to ice the game. Machado grounded out to short and Quintanailla struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was all but finished 7-1.

                                                Reynolds ices the game

Ellsbury dropped a base hit to right to start the top of the seventh and chase Chen. Darren O'Day came in and Ciriaco struck out swinging. Pedroia doubled to right and Gonzalez walked to load the bases, but Ross struck out swinging. Lavarnway took strike three to end the inning, what a waste. Melancon got Markakis to grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Hardy struck out swinging. McLouth grounded out to first to end the inning.

Old friend JC Romero came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Crawford flied out to center to start. Aviles also flied out to center but Valencia singled to left. Ellsbury grounded out to first to end the inning. Scott Posednik came in to play center for the bottom of the eighth and Jones struck out swinging to start. Wieters grounded back to the mound and that was it for Melancon. Andrew Bailey made his Red Sox debut by walking Chris Davis but striking out Reynolds swinging to end the inning.

                                                        Better late than never for Bailey

Matt Lindstrom came in to close out the top of the ninth and Ciriaco lined out to left to start. Pedroia flied out to right and Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the game. The O's had won it 7-1.

                                                                       O's win

Jackass of the Night is Josh Beckett. He got hammered for 6 runs in 5 1/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole too deep to climb out of.

                                              2006 Jackass Beckett returns

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 5.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Cody Ross was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Crawford was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Andrew Bailey struck out the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Mike Aviles was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Pedro Ciriaco was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Ryan Lavarnway was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Danny Valencia was just 1 for 4.

Mark Melancon allowed the 3 run homer to Reynolds in 2 1/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Scott Posednik played centerfield in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Not only is the season going down the drain, but if that wasn't bad enough,......this happened. Yessire bob, the players themselves have revolted against Valentine. Its been a long time coming to after the lackadaisical play as of late. Tensions have been bad virtually all season with incidents popping up here and there but now that its in full print in the media for the whole world to see, there's no denying it now. Its been a bad year anyway with long term injuries to David Ortiz, Carl Crawford, Jacoby Ellsbury, Will Middlebrooks and John Lackey missing the season with Tommy John surgery, but anyone that's left clearly has no love for Valentine. Its almost guaranteed Valentine won't be back next season to manage this team and hopefully the next guy in can get the most out of Gonzalez, Crawford, Pedroia, etc thast Bobby couldn't. A picture surfaced of Bobby Valentine sleeping in his office with Pedroia sarcastically saying "Here's our manager making the starting lineups" Its gotten pretty ugly around here. As for this game, how the heck do you crank out 11 hits but only 1 run? The O's only had 7 as a team but still plated 7 runs. Chen is a good pitcher but it wasn't like he was working on a 3 hit shutout. Once again the Sox are finding new ways to lose and the season can't end fast enough. The loss dropped the Sox to 57-60, 12.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Aaron Cook (3-5) looks to stop the bleeding against Miguel Gonzalez of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Aviles, Sox Pound A's (4/30/12)

Its been a bad month for the Boston Red Sox but at least it ends on a high note. The rejuvenated Red Sox offense beat up Tommy Milone and the Oakland A's. Mike Aviles hit a three run home run while David Ortiz hit two big flies of his own. Darnell McDonald went yard, Marlon Byrd drove in a few runs and the offense rolled to 11 hits and 11 runs. Meanwhile Clay Buchholz (3-1, 8.69 ERA) allowed just 1 run through the first six inning but fell apart in the seventh. After a 5 run beatdown, he was mercifully pulled and the bullpen pitched shutout ball after that. In the end the Sox had won their 7th out of their last 8 games including this one 11-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Alex Silva approves of the win

Buchholz got the ball in the top of the first and Jemile Weeks struck out swinging on a big curveball to start. Old friend Coco Crisp grounded out to first and guest Sox analyst Peter Gammons called Oakland's Stadium the "Al Davis Memorial Dump."  Another old buddy Josh Reddick walked and Yoenis Cespedes lined out to center to end the inning. Milone got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mike Aviles popped up to second to start. Dustin Pedroia reached on an error by Weeks and stole second, but Adrian Gonzalez lined out to Brandon Inge. Cody Ross swung at strike three in the dirt to end the inning.

The A's struck first in the top of the second as Seth Smith took strike three to start. Kurt Suzuki lined a base hit to center and Daric Barton, but Inge lined out to center. Chad Pennington ripped a base hit to left and then Keystone Kops took over. Suzuki stopped at third base but Barton overran second and got himself caught in a rundown. Nick Punto completely ignored Suzuki going home and tagged out Barton after Kurt scored. The inning was over but that mental error led to the A's leading 1-0.

                                                       Suzuki scores on a mental error

The Sox took their frustrations out on Millone in the top of the second as David Ortiz picked up Punto by lining a home run into the bullpen to tie the game. Kelly Shoppach took strike three but Darnell McDonald pounded a ground rule double into the bullpen. Marlon Byrd singled off the glove of Weeks to drive in Darnell to put Boston on top and moved to second on the Punto grounder to short. Byrd scored on the Aviles base hit to left and Pedroia also got a base hit to left. Gonzalez hit a routine grounder to Weeks who threw to first....UNDER THE GLOVE OF BARTON! The error was charged to Weeks as Aviles scored and both runners moved into scoring position. Ross grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      A nightmare for the A's

Buchholz settled down in the top of the third as Weeks grounded back to the mound to start. Crisp beat out a roller to short but during a pre-taped interview with Ortiz, Reddick grounded into a run-down double play to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Ortiz walked to start. Shoppach struck out swinging but McDonald hit a home run off the centerfield light tower to add to the lead. Byrd flied out to center and Punto took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                     Home run McDonald

Cespedes grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth before Smith struck out swinging. Punto made a great play to rob Suzuki of a hit to end the inning. Aviles grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth before Pedroia flied out to the centerfield wall. Gonzalez flied out to left to end the inning.

Barton took strike three to start the top of the fifth but Inge walked. Pennington was plunked but Weeks lined out to a running Byrd. Aviles made a great play to force Inge at second to end the inning. The Sox blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth although Ross grounded out to Pennington to start. Ortiz hit a ball deep to right and Reddick fell into the bullpen trying to make the catch, the ball popping out for a home run to increase the lead. Shoppach earned the hat trick by striking out swinging but Ingle bobbled a "single" by McDonald to chase Milone. Jordan Norberto came in to pitch and Byrd doubled off the top of the Monster to score McDonald. Punto walked and Aviles hit a 3 run bomb into the Monster Seats to make this a laughter. Pedroia popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-1.

                                      Reddick takes a tumble, a microcosm of the game

Reddick slapped a base hit down the right field line to start the top of the sixth but Cespedes hit into a double play. Smith struck out swinging on a nasty changeup to end the inning. Brian Fuentes came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Gonzalez grounded out to short to start. Ross grounded out to third and Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lars Anderson took over for Ross to start the top of the seventh as Anthony Recker pinch hit for Suzuki to start. Recker got a base hit to left and Barton walked. Inge lined out to short and Barton cleaned out Aviles to break up a double play ball by Pennington. Weeks walked to load the bases and at 94 pitches, Sox manager Bobby Valentine was sound asleep in the dugout. Crisp hit a seeing eye single into right to score both Recker and Pennington. Valentine was still asleep when Reddick smashed a home run all the way to Marblehead to cut the lead in half. Valentine finally woke up to get Buchholz out who was tagged for 6 runs in 6 2/3 innings, what a shame. Junichi Tazawa came in to pour gas on the fire as Cespedes ripped a base hit to center and Smith was hit with a pitch. Recker popped up on the infield and Punto DROPPED IT! Another error loaded the bases and Vicente Padilla was brought in to face Barton. Thankfully Padilla froze Barton for strike three to end the inning but it was now 11-6 Sox.

                                                   Buchholz deserved better

Jim Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Shoppach walked to start. McDonald flied out to center and Byrd grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Scott Atchison came in crap his pants in the top of the eighth as Inge lifted a base hit to center to start. Pennington singled to right and Weeks walked to load the bases with nobody out. Somehow Atchison struck out Crisp swinging and Valentine woke up from another nap to bring in Franklin Morales to face Reddick. This time Reddick grounded into a double play to end the inning. Punto struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth before Aviles flied out to center. Pedroia doubled off the centerfield wall and Gonzalez was intentionally walked to get to Anderson. Lars popped up to Inge to end the inning.

Alfredo Aceves came in to close out the top of the ninth with Ryan Sweeney taking over for Anderson in right to begin. Cespedes struck out swinging on a nasty curveball before Smith went down hacking as well. Recker doubled high off the Monster but Barton popped up to Punto to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-6.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Mike Aviles. His 3 run homer proved to be the biggest difference in the game. He also drove in 4 total runs.

                                                             Hero Aviles

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5.

David Ortiz was 2 for 3 with 2 home runs, a walk and 3 total runs scored.

Darnell McDonald was 3 for 4 with a two run home run and 3 total runs scored.

Marlon Byrd was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Vicente Padilla struck out the only man he faced.

Franklin Morales induced the inning ending double play in the eighth.

Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Cody Ross was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Lars Anderson was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Junichi Tazawa allowed a hit and hit a man without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 4 but drew a walk.

Kelly Shoppach was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Nick Punto was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and an error but walked and scored a run.

Clay Buchholz got the win but allowed 6 runs in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 7 hits and 5 walks.

Scott Atchison allowed 2 hits and a walk in just 1/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

Ryan Sweeney played right field in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Good win to start the homestand but there are definitely some underlying woes with the pitching. Not that Valentine being asleep at the wheel in the seventh inning helped, but Buchholz getting hammered was troubling. If he's only a 6 inning pitcher, that's bad news moving forward. Also the bullpen was a roller coaster with Tazawa and Atchison loading the bases only for Padilla and Morales to bail them out. Things worked out THIS time but given their horrendous start to the year, that's definitely something to keep an eye on. Its not for a few months but getting a bullpen ace at the deadline would be nice since Andrew Bailey won't be back until what looks to be August. Still, offensively the Sox have found their stroke and everyone is pitching in one way or another. Just as long as the pitching doesn't collapse again, they should be one of the best in baseball just like they were last year. The Sox better keep the momentum going because the New York Yankees have struggled out of the gate too, they're not doing much better. All in all it was a good win even if it got frustrating at times. The Sox end the month of April at 11-11, 3.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the A's tomorrow night when Felix Doubront (1-0) goes for the Sox against Jarrod Parker of the A's. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Floyd, White Sox Shut Down Red Sox (4/29/12)

It was bad news all around for the city of Boston as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series and the Chicago White Sox snapped the Boston Red Sox six game win streak. Gavin Floyd held the Boston lineup to just 1 run and 3 hits in 6 2/3 innings, following in Jake Peavy's footsteps from yesterday. Meanwhile the White Sox pounced on Josh Beckett (2-3, 4.45 ERA) for three early runs including an Adam Dunn home run. Beckett recovered to pitch into the seventh inning but the Red Sox could muster a Cody Ross rbi single. The White Sox got the insurance run in the bottom of the eighth and the White Sox bested Boston 4-1 at Comiskey Park.

                                                              Losing to Chicago?

Floyd got the ball in the top of the first and Mike Aviles flied out to center to start. Ryan Sweeney struck out swinging and Dustin Pedroia popped up to left to end the inning. The White Sox wasted no time getting to Beckett in the bottom of the first as Alejandro De Aza singled over the head of Adrian Gonzalez to start. Brent Lillibridge dropped down a bunt to move De Aza to second and Alejandro scored on the Alex Rios base hit to left to put the White Sox up for good. Adam Dunn hit the killshot with a two run home run to South America to ice the game. AJ Pierzynski struck out swinging and Alexei Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning with the game already over 3-0 Chicago.

                                                       Dunn puts the ChiSox up for good

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the second as Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. David Ortiz flied out to center and David Ross took strike three to end the inning. Beckett recovered in the bottom of the second as Kosuke Fukudome grounded out to first to start. Dayan Viciedo took strike three and Eduardo Escobar grounded out to first to end the inning.

Floyd dominated the top of the third as Nick Punto struck out swinging to start. Marlon Byrd also struck out swinging and Kelly Shoppach popped up to second to end the inning. The White Sox threatened in the bottom of the third as De Aza took strike three to start. Lillibridge dumped a base hit to right but Rios flied out to left. Lillibridge stole second and Dunn walked, but Pierzynski lined out to a running Ross to end the inning.

Aviles popped up to right to start the top of the fourth before Sweeney grounded out to second. Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning. Ramirez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Fukudome flied out to left. Viciedo singled to left but Escobar struck out swinging to end the inning.

Gonzalez grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Ortiz grounded out to second. Ross walked to break up the perfect game but Punto took strike three to end the inning. De Aza struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Lillibridge flied out to left. Rios struck out swinging to end the inning. Apart from that first inning, Beckett had pitched very well.

The no-hitter continued in the top of the sixth as Byrd grounded out to short to start. Shoppach flied out to right as White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson told a funny story of how Blue Moon Odom won a big money bet by walking on his hands around the length of Municipal Stadium. Aviles grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                       Kansas City handwalking champion

Dunn struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Pierzynski flied out to left. Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning. 

Sweeney struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh but Pedroia broke up the no-hitter with a base hit to center. Gonzalez struck out swinging but Ortiz doubled into the right field corner. Ross hit a seeing eye single to left to score Ortiz and chase Floyd from the game. Addison Reed came in and Punto grounded out to first to end the inning with the BoSox down 3-1.

                                                       Ross gets the BoSox on the board

Beckett ran out of gas in the bottom of the seventh as Fukudome grounded out to first to start. Viciedo popped up to first in foul territory but Escobar singled in the hole at first. De Aza and Lillibridge both walked to load the bases and chase Beckett. His one mistake to Dunn was the difference in the game as he left after 6 2/3 innings while allowing 3 runs. Scott Atchison came in to face Rios and got him to fly out to right to end the inning.

                                                               Beckett made one mistake

Lars Anderson pinch hit for Byrd to lead off the top of the eighth and flied out to left to begin. Jarrod Saltalamacchia pinch hit for Shoppach and struck out swinging but Aviles walked to chase Reed. Matt Thornton came in to pitch to Sweeney but Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine countered by bringing in Darnell McDonald to pinch hit for Ryan. McDonald took strike three to end the inning....I could have done that. Rich Hill made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and crapped his pants. Dunn walked and Brent Morel pinch ran for him. Pierzynski hit into a double play but Ramirez reached on a swinging bunt to Hill and Fukudome walked to chase Rich. Junichi Tazawa came in and Viciedo hit a single to left to score Ramirez for another run. Escobar flied out to center to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                         White Sox score another run

Thornton came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Pedroia lined out to second to start. Gonzalez struck out swinging to earn the hat trick and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the game. The White Sox had won it 4-1.

                                                           White Sox win

Jackass of the Night is Adrian Gonzalez. He was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts in a game where one swing of the bat could have made the difference.

                                                         Gonzalez The Jackass

The Good:

Cody Ross was 1 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.

Scott Atchison retired the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Ryan Sweeney was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Darnell McDonald struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Punto was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Marlon Byrd was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Lars Anderson was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Kelly Shoppach was 0 for 2.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out as a pinch hitter.

Rich Hill was charged with a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Mike Aviles was 0 for 3 but walked.

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

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Josh Beckett allowed just 3 runs but couldn't get out of the seventh inning. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks but struck out 8 batters.

Junichi Tazawa allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in the eighth inning.

Final Thoughts:

All good things must come to an end and the six game win streak was snapped. Its too bad the Red Sox couldn't generate any offense until it was too late because Beckett overcame his lousy first inning to pitch into the seventh inning. Punto leaving men on and Tazawa giving up the fourth run ruined any hope of a comeback. Just have to tip your cap to Gavin Floyd the same way Jake Peavy dominated last night. Hopefully the Sox bats can wake up in their next series because essentially they've scored two runs in the last two games against a starter. Getting good starts from Beckett and Jon Lester has certainly helped turn things around this month. Still, the bats lit up the White Sox the first two games and that's the kind of offense they should be having, not the one that's been shut down the last two games. The BoSox have one game left this month and now they return home for a set with the Oakland A's. Clay Buchholz (2-1) gets the start for Boston against Tommy Milone of Oakland tomorrow night. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Lester Outduels Peavy, Red Sox Edge White Sox (4/28/12)

After the Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox by a combined score of 20-6 the past two nights, the monster match between aces Jon Lester (1-2, 4.65 ERA) and Jake Peavy pretty much meant runs were going to be at a premium. Sure enough only one run was scored during tonight's game but thankfully it was Boston that got it. Adrian Gonzalez drove in Ryan Sweeney in the top of the fourth inning and that was it for the game. Peavy heroically went the distance for Chicago while Lester shut down the White Sox for seven innings. The much maligned Red Sox bullpen got it done as the one-two punch of Franklin Morales and Vicente Padilla stoned the White Sox in the eighth inning and Alfredo Aceves slammed the door in the ninth. The Red Sox have now won six games in a row and three straight against Chicago with a 1-0 victory at Comiskey Park.

                                                   Bill Williamson approves of the win

Peavy got the ball in the top of the first and Mike Aviles led off with a grounder to third to start. Ryan Sweeney struck out swinging and Dustin Pedroia lined out to right to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first as Alejandro De Aza flied out to center to start. Alexei Ramirez struck out swinging but Adam Dunn drew a walk. Paul Konerko ripped a double to left that Ross bobbled...but Dunn didn't see it and stopped at third. That was a huge mistake as Alex Rios popped up to right to end the inning.

Adrian Gonzalez popped up to left to begin the top of the second before David Ortiz was frozen for strike three on a nasty curveball. Kevin Youkilis popped up to center to end the inning. Dayan Viciedo grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Tyler Flowers struck out swinging on a curve in the dirt. Brent Morel also struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off the top of the third by striking out swinging and Cody Ross flied out to left. Marlon Byrd walked but Aviles waived at strike three to end the inning. The White Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Gordan Beckham grounded out to second to start. De Aza also grounded out to second and Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the fourth as Sweeney broke his bat popping up to shallow right but Beckham failed to make the catch for a "double". Pedroia hit a weak liner to third but Gonzalez lined a base hit to right to score Sweeney. Ortiz flied out to left and Youkilis forced Gonzalez at second to end the inning with Boston ahead 1-0.

                                                     Sweeney scores a run

Dunn took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Byrd failed to catch a double by Konerko. Rios took a strike that should have been ball four before hitting a bullet....right to Byrd. Viciedo struck out swinging to end the inning.

Saltalamacchia struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Ross flied out to the left field fence. Byrd got a base hit to left but Aviles popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. Flowers grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Morel drilled a base hit to center. Pedroia made a good running catch on a Beckham pop up and De Aza grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sweeney ripped a base hit to center to start the top of the sixth as White Sox analyst Steve Stone brought up how Andrew Bailey tore a thumb muscle two days before Spring Training ended. Pedroia beat out a double play ball but Gonzalez flied out to right. Ortiz popped up to right to end the inning. Ramirez popped up to Pedroia to start the bottom of the sixth. Pedroia made a great snag to rob Dunn of a hit before Konerko struck out swinging to end the inning.

The BoSox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Youkilis grounded back to the mound to begin. Saltalamacchia popped up to third in foul territory and Ross flied out to Viciedo in foul territory to end the inning. Lester returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Rios took strike three to start. Viciedo hit a roller just inside the third base bag for a hit and Aviles airmailed Pedroia on a grounder by Flowers for a "single". Lester recovered to get Morel to force Viciedo at second and Beckham to force Morel to end the inning. Lester was outstanding, tossing 7 innings of shutout ball allowing just 5 hits and a walk while striking out seven.

                                                        Good work by Lester

Byrd flied out to center to start the top of the eighth before Aviles also flied out to center. Sweeney took strike three to end the inning. Franklin Morales came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and De Aza popped up to short to start. Ramirez ripped a base hit to center but Dunn struck out swinging. That was it for Morales as Sox manager Bobby Valentine wanted Vicente Padilla to pitch to Konerko. Paul walked but Rios grounded out to second to end the inning.

Peavy returned to finish his outing in the top of the ninth and Pedroia struck out swinging to start. Gonzalez flied out to right and Ortiz popped up to short to end the inning. Peavy was outstanding but made just one mistake to Gonzalez. Alfredo Aceves came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Viciedo grounded out to second to start. Kosuke Fukudome pinch hit for Flowers and grounded back to the mound and the pain in the ass AJ Pierzynski pinch hit for Morel. AJ struck out swinging to end the game. The BoSox had won it 1-0.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jon Lester. He tossed 7 shutout innings to keep the White Sox off the board. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out 7.

                                                               Hero Lester

The Good:

Ryan Sweeney was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Marlon Byrd was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Franklin Morales got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

Vicente Padilla got the final out of the eighth inning.

Alfredo Aceves earned his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Mike Aviles was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 3.

Jarrod Salatalamacchia was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Cody Ross was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

After scoring 20 runs the last two nights, a let down was inevitable. Thank goodness Jon Lester was up to the task when Jake Peavy stoned the offense cold. Even more impressive was the trio of Morales, Padilla and Aceves got the job done tonight. White Sox broadcasters Steve Stone and Ken Harrelson was saying how bad the Red Sox bullpen is this entire series but tonight the bullpen delivered. Not only that, Marlon Byrd has been what the doctor ordered after Jason Repko couldn't hit a ball off a tee for two weeks after Jacoby Ellsbury got hurt. Ellsbury and Carl Crawford won't be back for a while so hopefully Byrd can bridge the gap until one of them return. Lester didn't give an inch tonight with runs at a premium so hats off on them taking a close, one run game. The BoSox look to make it seven wins in a row and a series sweep of the White Sox tomorrow afternoon when Josh Beckett (2-2) takes on Gavin Floyd of the White Sox. The game begins at 2:20 PM eastern time at Comiskey Park.

Red Sox Bash White Sox Again (4/27/12)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Rich Hill was activated from the Disabled List and Justin Thomas was sent back down to Pawtucket. Thomas was straight batting practice so if Hill is even just mediocre, that's a lot better than the former.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                IN

As for the game, the American League could be in big trouble if the Boston Red Sox bats have awoke from their slumber for the rest of the season. For the second straight game the Red Sox feasted on the Chicago White Sox for a double-digit run game. David Ortiz and the surprising Darnell McDonald supplied the home runs while McDonald knocked in 4 total to out produce the entire Chicago lineup by himself. Cody Ross, Kelly Shoppach and Marlon Byrd all drove in runs themselves to put this game away in the middle innings. On the other side, Daniel Bard (2-2, 3.72 ERA) looks to have things figured out as a starter. He held the White Sox to 3 runs (2 earned) in 7 strong innings while striking out six batters. Matt Albers mopped up the mess in the ninth inning as the Red Sox won their fifth game in a row and second straight blowout against the White Sox 10-3 at Comiskey Park.

                                                     Olivia Munn approves of the win

John Danks got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Aviles popped up to second to start. Dustin Pedroia flied out to center and Adrian Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Bard got the ball in the bottom of the first and the White Sox wasted no time tagging him. Alejandro De Aza led off by slicing a double down the left field line but Alexei Ramirez popped up to first. Adam Dunn walked but Paul Konerko struck out swinging. AJ Pierzynski doubled into the left field corner to score De Aza to give Chicago the lead. Alex Rios popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with Chicago up 1-0.

                                                      Pain in the ass Pierzynski does it again

The Red Sox wasted no time striking back in the top of the second as Kevin Youkilis worked a leadoff walk. David Ortiz pounded his fourth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Cody Ross grounded back to the mound, Kelly Shoppach struck out swinging and Darnell McDonald also grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Red Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                        Home run Big Papi

Dayan Viciedo flied out to left to start the bottom of the second but Brent Morel ripped a base hit over the head of Pedroia into right. Gordon Beckham struck out swinging but Morel swiped second on the out. De Aza took strike three to end the inning.

The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the third as Marlon Byrd popped up to right to start. Aviles got a base hit to center and Pedroia walked, but Gonzalez lined out to De Aza. Youkilis took strike three to end the inning, The White Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Ramirez hit a routine grounder to Youkilis who threw the ball into the left field bleachers for an error. Dunn took strike three but Darnell McDonald dropped a pop up by Konerko for a "single". Pierzynski forced Konerko at second but a passed ball scored Ramirez to tie the game. Bard bobbled a grounder by Rios to put runners at the corners but Viciedo popped up to short to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                 Nice throw Youk

Ortiz flied out to left on the first pitch of the top of the fourth before Ross grounded out to short. Shoppach launched his bat as he struck out swinging to end the inning. 

                                                    Shoppach's bat went further than the ball

Bard recovered in the bottom of the fourth as Morel popped up to shallow right to start. Beckham popped up to first in foul territory and De Aza grounded out to second to end the inning.

McDonald popped up to right to start the top of the fifth before Byrd also popped up to right. Aviles grounded out to third to end the inning. The White Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Ramirez struck out swinging to start. Dunn flied out to deep left but Konerko crushed a home run all the way to Green Bay, Wisconsin to put Chicago on top. Pierzynski grounded out to second to end the inning with the White Sox up 3-2.

                                                     Home run Konerko

The BoSox exploded in the top of the sixth as Pedroia flied out to left to start. Gonzalez walked and took second on a wild pitch before Youkilis walked as well. Ortiz ripped a base hit to right to load the bases and Ross lined a base hit to left to score Gonzalez to tie the game. Shoppach struck out swinging to earn the hat trick but McDonald cleared the bases with a double into the left field corner to put the Sox on top. Byrd ripped a base hit to center to score McDonald and chase Danks. Nate Jones came in to pitch and Aviles took strike three to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-3.

                                                    McDonald clears the bases

Bard cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Rios grounded out to second to start. Viciedo also grounded out to second and Morel popped up to short to end the inning.

The BoSox struck again in the top of the seventh as Pedroia and Gonzalez stroked back to back base hits to center to start. Youkilis struck out swinging and Ortiz flied out to center, but Ross lined a base hit to left to score Pedroia. Shoppach lifted a base hit to center to score Gonzalez and McDonald walked to load the bases. Dylan Axelrod relieved Jones and Byrd flied out to left to end the inning with Boston ahead 9-3.

                                                    Red Sox pour it on

Bard returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Beckham struck out swinging to start. De Aza flied out to a running Byrd and Ramirez lined out to first to end the inning. That was it for Bard who pitched well, holding the White Sox to just two earned runs, 3 total runs and 6 hits in seven strong innings.

                                                             Bard gets it done

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eighth as Aviles lined out to third to start. Pedroia singled to center and Gonzalez walked, but Youkilis struck out swinging. Nick Punto pinch hit for Ortiz to give David the night off and flied out to left to end the inning. Matt Albers took over for the bottom of the eighth and Dunn flied out to the centerfield wall to start. Konerko grounded out to short and Pierzynski grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Red Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth against Brent Lillibridge as Ross flied out to center to start. Shoppach launched his bat for the third time tonight and struck out swinging to earn the golden sombrero. McDonald launched his first home run of the season to put the exclamation point on the game. Byrd singled to left but Aviles flied out to left to end the inning with Boston ahead 10-3.

                                                          Home run McDonald

Albers returned to finish off the bottom of the ninth with Lars Anderson now at first base. Rios grounded out to first, Viciedo struck out swinging and Morel grounded out to second to end the game. The BoSox had won it 10-3.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of the Night is Darnell McDonald. His bases clearing double put the Red Sox on top for good.

                                                      McDonald Hero

The Good:

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

Adrian Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Cody Ross was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Marlon Byrd was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Daniel Bard earned the win by going 7 innings and allowing just 2 earned runs. He allowed 6 hits but struck out 6 batters.

Matt Albers tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Nick Punto was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked twice and scored two runs.

Mike Aviles was just 1 for 6 with a strikeout.

Kelly Shoppach was just 1 for 5 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Lars Anderson played first base in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Welcome back Red Sox offense. Youkilis seems to have figured it out and Marlon Byrd is filling in nicely after Jason Repko failed to replace Jacoby Ellsbury. Darnell McDonald had a hell of a game and hopefully the Sox can keep his pace up. Ortiz, Gonzalez and Pedroia are going to deliver the goods so the Sox may be in good shape after all. Bard pitched a hell of a game and that's three starts out of four he's looked good in before running out of gas. If the Sox can get Ellsbury and Carl Crawford back healthy and at full strength this lineup is going to be scary. Hopefully the Sox can fix the bullpen along the way but that'll be easy if they're willing to trade some prospects when the time comes. Boston looks to make it six wins in a row and three straight over the White Sox tomorrow evening when Jon Lester (0-2) takes on White Sox ace Jake Peavy in what should be a great pitcher's duel. The game begins at 8:10 PM eastern time at Comiskey Park.

Sox Sweep Twins (4/25/12)

The bad news was the Boston Bruins were eliminated in Game 7 of their first round NHL playoff series by the Washington Capitals but the good news was the Boston Red Sox swept the Minnesota twins for their third straight win. The Red Sox jumped out to a 7-1 lead thanks to a Mike Aviles three run home run, a Jarrod Saltalamacchia two run hit and two other run scored. Then the Twins came back as Clay Buchholz (2-1, 8.87 ERA) got knocked out in the sixth innings after allowing 5 runs. Scott Atchison, Justin Thomas and Matt Albers allowed rbis to cut the lead...but the trio of Vicente Padilla, Franklin Morales and Alfredo Aceves put Saturday behind them as they slammed the door on the victory. The Sox had held on to win 7-6 and sweep the Twins at Target Field.

                                                       Cael Sanderson approves of the win

Liam Hendriks got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Aviles grounded out to second to start. Ryan Sweeney struck out swinging but Dustin Pedroia doubled to left. Adrian Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning after 32 pitches. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Denard Span grounded back to the mound to start. Jamey Carroll walked and Joe Mauer dropped a base hit in front of Sweeney but Justin Morneau forced Joe at second. Chris Parmalee walked to load the bases but Trevor Plouffe popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the second inning as David Ortiz walked to start. Kevin Youkilis ripped a base hit to center to move Ortiz to third but Jarrod Saltalamacchia took strike three. Cody Ross dropped a base hit to left to score Ortiz but Marlon Byrd lined out to center. Aviles then pounded his third home run of the season to put the Sox up big early. Sweeney struck out swinging again to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                                Aviles with another homer

The Twins fought back in the bottom of the second although Sean Burroughs grounded out to short to start. Ben Revere doubled to center and Alexi Casilla dropped a base hit to left to score Revere to cut the lead. Casilla stole second and moved to third on the Span grounder to first, but Carroll grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins down 4-1.

                                                  Casilla drives in a run

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Pedroia beat out a roller to third to start. Gonzalez walked but Ortiz popped up to third in foul territory. Both runners moved over on the grounder to third by Youkilis but Saltalamacchia dropped a base hit to right. Pedroia and Gonzalez scored but Saltalmacchia was thrown out trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                 "You're out you dummy!"

Mauer grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third but Morneau got a base hit to left. Parmalee singled to right but Plouffe struck out swinging. Burroughs flied out to Byrd to end the inning.

Ross flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Byrd singled in the hole at second. Aviles lined out to center and Sweeney lined out to third to end the inning. Revere grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth but Casilla got a base hit to left. Span hit one off Buchholz for a single and both runners moved over on a grounder to third by Carroll. Mauer popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Plouffe missed a catch at the right field wall allowing Pedroia to reach third on a "triple". Gonzalez lifted an opposite field single to left to score Pedroia and chase Hendriks from the game. Anthony Swarzak came in and Ortiz flied out to left before Youkilis grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                       Sox are all smiles

Buchholz cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Morneau grounded out to second to start. Parmalee and Plouffe both grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Saltalamacchia flied out to left to begin. Ross struck out swinging and Byrd flied out to center to end the inning. Suddenly Buchholz fell apart in the bottom of the sixth with Darnell McDonald now in left. Burroughs struck out swinging but Revere caught Buchholz asleep with a bunt single. Casilla got a base hit to center but Span doubled into the right field corner to score Revere. Carroll walked to load the bases and that was it for Buchholz. He'd eventually be charged with 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings.

                                                          So much for Buchholz

Scott Atchison came in to pitch to Mauer and Joe lined a ball off him into left to score Casilla and Span. One and done for Atchison as Justin Thomas was brought in to face Morneau and Justin doubled to center to score Carroll. A scary moment occurred when Thomas hit Parmalee in the head with a fastball, knocking him out cold. Sox manager Bobby Valentine yanked Thomas out of the game with Danny Valencia running for Parmalee. Matt Albers came in and Plouffe got a base hit to center to score Mauer and cut the lead. 9 straight batters reached for Minnesota but Burroughs banged into a double play to end the inning with the Twins down 7-6.

                                                  Hope Parmalee is okay

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Aviles grounded out to third to start. Sweeney got a base hit to left but Pedroia hit into a double play to end the inning. Vicente Padilla came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Revere grounded out to third to start. Casilla grounded out to second and Span took strike three to end the inning.

Glen Perkins came in to pitch the top of the eighth and blew away the side. Gonzalez, Ortiz and Youkilis all went down hacking to end the inning. Franklin Morales came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Carroll struck out swinging to start. Mauer grounded out to first and Morneau flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth with Jared Burton now on the mound. Saltalamacchia grounded out to first, McDonald grounded back to the mound and Byrd struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins pitchers had retired 15 in a row after Gonzalez' single drove in the seventh run. Alfredo Aceves came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Valencia grounded out to short. Plouffe walked and Ryan Doumit pinch hit for Burroughs. Doumit singled to right and both runners moved over on the grounder to first by Revere. Casilla was hit with a pitch to load the bases but Span struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-6.

                                                          Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Mike Aviles. His 3 run home run put the Sox up big and helped the team to victory.

                                                         Hero Aviles

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Cody Ross was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Vicente Padilla pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Franklin Morales pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Alfredo Aceves earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Clay Buchholz got charged with 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. He allowed 10 hits and 3 walks.

Scott Atchison gave up a hit to the only man he faced.

Justin Thomas didn't record an out after giving up a hit and a hit batsmen.

The Ugly:

Ryan Sweeney was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

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

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeouts but drove in 2 runs.

Marlon Byrd was just 1 for 4.

Matt Albers allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was too close for comfort for the Red Sox. They won the game but they damn near blew a huge lead again. Losing Andrew Bailey in spring training took away their closer but it looks like the guys they brought in to be the set-up guys aren't going to get it done. With the slow start the starters have gotten off to, this team can ill-afford bullpen meltdowns like this and especially the natural disaster last Saturday. The good news is the offense is producing and they just won three in a row against the Twins. The Twins may be a bad team with a TV broadcast that can put you to sleep, but taking three in a row is nothing to sneeze at. Buchholz fell apart in the sixth inning and the sad part is no starter looks good right now. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Buchholz have the ability to dominate, apart from Beckett against the Tampa Bay Rays we really haven't seen it yet. Expecting Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard to pitch like those three would be unfair. Still, the offense is rolling and they did just enough to win. The Sox now move on to a set with the Chicago White Sox in the Windy City. Felix Doubront gets the start for the Red Sox against Phillip Humber of the White Sox. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.