Red Sox Walkoff Astros in 10 Innings (8/1/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Brennan Bernardino was the odd man out as the Sox activated Steven Matz for tonight's game. Jorge Alcala would have made sense to be the one to go but apparently the Sox don't want too many lefties in the bullpen.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                   IN

As for the game, the talking heads in the Boston media predicted the Sox were toast after the lackluster trade deadline but they started the second half with a walkoff victory against the Houston Astros. Cooper Criswell tossed 7 amazing innings, holding the Astros to just 1 run to give the Sox a chance. Hunter Brown was equally tough, holding the Sox to just a Wilyer Abreu sac fly through seven innings. In the bottom of the 10th, Roman Anthony drilled a base hit to center to score Abreu to win the game. The Sox had walked off the Astros 2-1 in 10 innings.

                                                       Liv Morgan approves of the win

Criswell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jeremy Pena got a base hot to center to start. Jose Altuve grounded into a double play but Jesus Sanchez got a base hit to right. Criswell threw a pickoff throw away but Sanchez was thrown out trying to get to third to end the inning. Brown got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roman Anthony grounded out to first to start. Alex Bregman got a base hit to right but Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Abraham "El" Toro popped up to short to end the inning.

The Astros struck first in the top of the second as Carlos Correa popped up to third to start. Yainer Diaz grounded out to third but Christian Walker hit a home run all the way to Sweden to put the Astros on top. Trammell struck out swinging to end the inning with the Astros up 1-0.

                                                     Houston strikes first

Trevor Story lined out to center to start the bottom of the second before Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging. Carlos Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cam Smith grounded out to short to start the top of the third before former Sox prospect Mauricio Dubon lined out to second. Pena singled to left and Altuve walked, but Sanchez grounded out to first to end the inning. Wilyer Abreu flied out to left to start the bottom of the third before Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third. Anthony got a base hit to right and Bregman lashed a base hit to left, then Sanchez threw the ball away allowing both runners to move up. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Correa lined out to center to start the top of the fourth and Diaz grounded out to third. Walker struck out swinging to end the inning. El Toro struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Story also went down hacking. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning.

Trammell grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth but Story threw a grounder by Smith away for an error. Smith made a boo-boo by getting doubled off first on a fly out to right by Dubon to end the inning. Narvaez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Abreu flied out to center. Rafaela grounded out to first to end the inning.

Pena got a base hit to left to start the top of the sixth but was forced at second by Altuve. Altuve was picked off by the alert Narvaez but Sanchez got a bae hit to left. Correa struck out swinging to end the inning. Anthony grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Bregman lined out to third. Duran doubled to center but El Toro flied out to left to end the inning.

Diaz doubled to center to start the top of the seventh but Walker popped up to second. Trammell took strike three but Smith walked. Dubon flied out to center to end the inning. Criswell was outstanding, holding the Astros to just 1 run off 7 hits and 2 walks.

                                                         Great effort by Criswell

The Sox picked up Criswell in the bottom of the seventh as Story walked to start. Story swiped second and Yoshida was plunked. Shocking the whole world, Narvaez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. The gamble worked as Abreu hit a sac fly to left to score Story to tie the game. Rafaela hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Abreu ties it up

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pena flied out to right to start. Whitlock booted a grounder by Altuve for an error but Sanchez took strike three. Correa flied out to center to end the inning. Bryan Abreu came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Anthony grounded out to second to start. Bregman popped up to third and Duran grounded out to first to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Diaz struck out swinging to start. Walker flied out to right and Chas McCormick pinch hit for Trammell. McCormick grounded out to third to nd the inning. Josh Hader came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Toro. Gonzalez grounded out to short but Story doubled to left. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Yoshida and walked. Narvaez popped up to second and Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the 10th with McCormick starting at second base. Smith lined out to center to move McCormick to third, but Chas was thrown out at home on a grounder to short by Dubon. Pena flied out to left to end the inning. Ramon Urias came in for Pena with Bennett Sousa on the mound for the bottom of the 10th. Abreu started at second and Rafaela caught Diaz asleep at the plat with a swinging bunt to put runners at the corners. Rafaela took second on defensive indifference and Anthony belted a ball into the centerfield triangle to score Abreu. The Sox had walked it off 2-1 in 10 innings.

                                                               Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Roman Anthony. His walkoff hit in the 10th won the game.

                                                   Roman Hero

The Good:

Alex Bregman was 2 for 4.

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder walked as a pinch hitter.

Cooper Criswell tossed 7 innings allowing 1 run off 7 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Arolids Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Greg Weissert got the win with a scoreless 10th inning.

The Bad:

Abraham Toro was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Fans were ready to riot after the lackluster trade deadline but that took some serious balls to win this game. Criswell was basically last man standing in terms of rotation depth and he responded with one of the best games of the season. Ceddanne Rafaela and Carlos Narvaez have cooled off but Alex Bregman and rookie Roman Anthony have stepped it up big time. The way Whitlock and Chapman have pitched this season, you have essentially 7 innings to beat the Sox. The Sox may have committed 3 errors but Weissert getting out of that jam in the 10th inning led to victory. The Sox have been finding ways to lose winnable games but outlasting Hunter Brown and taking this one was huge. Steven Matz and Dustin May aren't going to light the world on fire but that's who they're going to have to depend on moving forward. As of right now the Sox are in a playoff spot. Where they end up in 51 games remains to be seen. The win improved the Sox to 60-51, 4 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Astros tomorrow afternoon when Walker Buehler goes for the Sox against Colton Gordon of Houston. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Cardinals in Game 2 (4/6/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox brought up rookie pitcher Hunter Dobbins to make his major league debut. He was 1-1 with a 2.61 ERA for Worcester last year to end the year. He can throw 99 on the gun and it'll be interesting to see how this plays out.

                                                                       IN

As for the game, don't look now but the Red Sox have gotten red hot. After a pathetic start to the season, the Sox have won 5 straight games including a massacre of the St. Louis Cardinals in Game 2 of today's doubleheader. Hunter Dobbins (1-0, 3.60 ERA) won his major league debut by holding the Cardinals to just 2 runs in 5 gutty innings. Meanwhile the bats exploded and looked like a juggernaut. Alex Bregman drove in six runs with a 3 run home run sprinkled in. Rafael Devers and Wilyer Abreu both had 3 rbis apiece with both Ceddanne and Jarren Duran busting out of their slumps with 3 hits apiece. Every member of the starting nine had at least one hit before some of them left the game. The only drawback was the Cards bats were relentless to score 7 runs on 12 hits of their own. The Sox countered with 22 hits and 18 runs to run away with this one 18-7 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Beth Rona approves of the win

The Cards jumped all over Dobbins in the top of the first as Lars Nootbaar grounded out to second to start. Wilson Contreras doubled to the centerfield wall and Brendan Donovan poked a double down the third base line to score Contreras. Nolan Arenado walked but Dobbins picked him off. Alec Burleson struck out swinging to end the inning with the Cards up 1-0.

                                                       Donovan gives St. Louis the lead

Mikolas got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran swung at air 3 feet over his head to start. Rafael Devers hit a bullet single off the Monster and moved to third when Alex Bregman got a base hit up the middle, booted by Victor Scott for an error. The red hot Wilyer Abreu drilled a base hit into right to score Devers to tie the game. Both runners moved over on the Trevor Story grounder to the mound but Kristian Campbell grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           Abreu drives in a run

Dobbins dominated in the top of the second as Jordan Walker grounded out to third to start. Pedro Pages and Scott both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the second as Romy Gonzalez dumped a base hit to right to start. Carlos Narvaez doubled off the Monster and Ceddanne Rafaela lashed a base hit to right to score Gonzalez, moving Carlos to third. Naturally Duran hit a measly pop up to short but Devers walked on a bad full count call. Bregman took advantage with a two run double off the Monster to increase the lead. Abreu continued his hot streak with a two run double into the gap in center to push the lead further. Story moved Abreu to third on a grounder to second but Campbell flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                            Bregman with the big double

Winn lined out to a running Rafaela to start the top of the third but once again Nootbaar got a seeing eye single into left. Somehow Contreras sliced a base hit to right but Abreu gunned down Nootbaar at third. Donovan hit yet another seeing eye single into right but Arenado grounded out to first to end the inning. Gonzalez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Narvaez flied out to center. Rafaela blooped a base hit to right and promptly stole second. Duran got a seeing eye single to right to score Rafaela to increase the lead. Devers got a seeing eye single of his own up the middle to move Duran to third. That was it for Mikolas as Cards manager Oliver Marmol brought in Gordon Graceffo to pitch to Bregman. Alex then launched a three run bomb to ice the game. Abreu was rung up for strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 10-1.

                                                                Home run Bregman

The Cardinals fought back in the top of the fourth as Duran totally whiffed on a pop up by Burleson for a "double" to start . Walker walked but Pages struck out swinging. Scott grounded out on a roller to first but Winn hit a 40 foot chopper "single" to score Burleson. Nootbaar flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 10-2.

                                                                  Winn drives in a run

Story grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Campbell sliced a base hit to right. Gonzalez struck out swinging and Narvaez forced Campbell to end the inning.

Contreras was hit with a pitch to start the top of the fifth but Donovan lined out to Campbell. Arenado got a base hit to center but Burleson struck out swinging. Walker grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Dobbins who battled to toss 5 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

                                                               First start for Dobbins

Rafaela grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth but Duran caught the Cards asleep with a seeing eye grounder into right that he stretched to a double. Devers hit a 470 foot blast....to dead center off the Monster for an rbi double. Any other park and that was gone. Bregman popped up to short and Abreu lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 11-2.

                                                                Long double for Devers

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Pages grounded out to third to start. Scott grounded out to second and Winn struck out swinging to end the inning. Thomas Saggase came in for Arenado with Michael Siani in for Scott to start the bottom of the sixth. Story doubled to the left field wall to start but Campbell grounded out to third. Gonzalez grounded out to Donovan to move Story to third and Narvaez scored him with a double into the left field corner. Rafaela drew a walk and Duran hit a ball in the hole at short to score Story. Devers doubled off the centerfield wall to clear the bases and increase the lead. Bregman then doubled into the left field corner to score Devers with another run. John King was summoned to face Abreu and Wilyer grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 16-2.

                                                      Duran gets in on the fun

Cooper Criswell came in to pitch the top of the seventh with David Hamilton replacing Story at short, Triston Casas taking over for Bregman and Rob Refsnyder in for Duran. Refsnyder dropped a pop up from Nootbaar for a 2 bag error to start. Contreras grounded back to the mound to move Nootbaar to third and Donovan walked. Saggese hit a sac fly to left to score Nootbaar and Burleson grounded out ton first to end the inning with the Cards down 16-3.

                                                           Cards get a run back

Story grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh but Campbell drew a walk. Gonzalez got a seeing eye single into right and Narvaez walked to load the bases. A passed ball scored Campbell and Rafaela beat out a grounder to short to score Gonzalez, moving Narvaez to third. That was it for John King as Chris Roycroft came in to pitch to Refsnyder. Rob flied out to left and Connor Wong pinch hit for Devers and grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 18-3.

                                                           Rafaela beats it out

Criswell returned for the top of the eighth and Walker flied out to left to start. Pages grounded out to second and Siani grounded out to second to end the inning. Roycroft returned for the bottom of the eighth and Casas was robbed of a home run by Walker to start. Abreu struck out swinging and Hamilton also went down hacking to end the inning.

Criswell returned to close out the top of the ninth and Winn got yet another seeing eye single to left to start. Nootbaar flied out to left and Luken Baker pinch hit for Contreras. Baker hit a routine grounder to Gonzalez who threw the ball away for an error. Donovan made him pay with a double off the Monster to score Winn. Sagges then hit a home run all the way to Cuba to make the fans groan. Burleson grounded out to short but Walker got a base hit to center to keep the torture going. Pages flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won the game 18-7.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Alex Bregman. He was 4 for 5 with a three run home run and 6 total rbis, damn near outscoring the Cardinals by himself.

                                                         Hero Bregman

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 4 for 4 with a walk, 3 rbis and 4 runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 6 with 3 rbis.

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 4 with a walk, stolen base, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Hunter Dobbins earned the win in his major league debut by tossing 5 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Brennan Bernardino tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 1 at the plate with an error.

Connor Wong was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Triston Casas was 0 for 1 at the plate.

David Hamilton was 0 for 2.

Cooper Criswell allowed 5 runs in 3 innings of work despite getting the "save".

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Kristian Campbell was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was definitely a great end to opening weekend, wasn't it? The Sox scored 36 runs in three games and swept their way back over .500. Nobody in their right mind thought that Devers and Bregman were going to stink forever and now that they got their timing down, they're going to be a tough duo to stop. If Story and Casas get into a groove, now other teams are really in trouble. Abreu is having a hell of a start to the season, hopefully he can keep this up. Campbell is right behind him and once again, it would be unfair to expect it to last, but enjoy it while its happening. The only drawback to this entire series is the pitching allowed 20 runs in three games as well. The Cards bats were almost as relentless which means the Sox better improve their pitching in a hurry. The good news is you won't be seeing Criswell or Sean Newcomb once the injured starters come back. Still, knowing that Hunter Dobbins wasn't afraid of the bright lights means the Sox have pitching depth just in case someone else goes down. Sox fans have a lot to be happy about for the first time in years and hopefully they carry this momentum into Toronto for the next series. The Sox look to make it six wins in a row tomorrow night when they welcome in the Toronto Blue Jays for a four game set. "Big" Dick Fitts (0-1, 4.50 ERA) takes the mound against Easton Lucas of the Blue Jays. The game begins at 6:45 PM at Fenway Park.

Royals Drop Criswell, Sox (7/12/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Justin Slaten was placed on the Injured List with right elbow inflammation and Trey Wingenter was optioned down to Worcester. In their places the Sox called up Cam Booser and Cooper Criswell, with Criswell to make the start in tonight's game. Slaten hasn't pitched well lately so if he's hurt, it makes perfect sense. Hope he gets well soon.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, when you call up a spot starter and he doesn't pitch well, you pretty much have no chance to win the game. Tonight the Kansas City Royals blitzed Cooper Criswell (3-4, 4.50 ERA) for five early runs. Salvador Perez, Adam Frazier, Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr all drove in runs to put the game away early. Ceddanne Rafaela knocked in Jamie Westbrook in the bottom of the second but Cole Ragans shut down the Sox the rest of the way, going 7 innings. Greg Weissert allowed a run in the eighth and the Royals had won this game 6-1 at Fenway Park.

The Royals wasted no time getting to Criswell in the top of the first as Adam Frazier got a base hit to center to start. Bobby Witt Jr got a base hit to left and Vinnie Pasquantino singled in tbe hole at short. Salvador Perez hit a sac fly to left to score Frazier and both runners moved over on the Michael Massey grounder to first. Old friend Hunter Renfroe flied out to left to end the inning with the Royals up 1-0.

                                                       That didn't take long 

Ragans got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder got a base hit off the glove of Pasquantino to start. Jarren Duran flied out to left, Tyler O'Neill popped up to second and Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Royals iced the game in the top of the second as MJ Melendez doubled down the right field line to start. Maikel Garcia dropped down a bunt to move Melendez to third and Kyle Isbel walked. Frazier got a base hit to center to score Melendez, Witt was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Pasquantino hit a sac fly to right to score Isbel. Perez got a base hit to left and Frazier scored, but Witt was thrown out at home on the play to end the inning with the Royals up 4-0.

                                                              Perez drives in a run

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Connor Wong struck out swinging to start. Romy Gonzalez grounded out to short but Jamie Westbrook doubled to left. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to center to score Westbrook then took third on a wild pitch. David Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1. 

                                                           Rafaela refuses to give up

Massey lined out to right to start the top of the third and Renfroe grounded out to third. Melendez singled to left, Garcia got a base hit to center and Isbel walked to load the bases. Frazier lined out to second to end the inning. Refsnyder grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third and Duran grounded out to first. O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Royals got another run in the top of the fourth as Witt Jr hit a home run all the way to Chicago to start. Pasquantino grounded out to second, Perez popped up to second and Massey also grounded out to second to end the inning with the Royals up 5-1.

                                                        All Royals in this one

Devers got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Wong forced him at second. Gonzalez grounded into a double play to end the inning. 

Renfroe flied out to left to start the top of the fifth. Melendez struck out swinging and Garcia grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Westbrook grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Rafaela popped up to short. Hamilton grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Criswell returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Isbel grounded out to second to start. Frazier popped up to third and Witt hit obe up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Criswell got hammered for 5 runs in 6 innings off 9 hits and 2 walks.

                                                          Game but lousy start by Criswell

Refsnyder walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Duran struck out swinging. O'Neill flied out to center and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Pasquantino popped up to short. Perez flied out to right and Massey grounded out to second to end the inning. Wong flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Gonzalez grounded out to second. Westbrook took strike three to end the inning. 

Greg Weissert came in to get tagged in the top of the eighth as Renfroe popped up to short to start. Melendez hit a home run all the way to Angola but Garcia took strike three. Isbel flied out to center to end the inning with the Royals up 6-1.

                                                           Home run Melendez

Freddy Fermin took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth with Chris Stratton now on the mound. Rafaela beat out a roller to third and Hamilton drew a walk. Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Refsnyder and struck out swinging. Duran and O'Neill also struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Frazier hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the ninth and Witt flied out to center. Pasquantino flied out to right to end the inning. Nick Anderson came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Devers grounded out to second to start. Wong grounded out to third and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Gonzalez. Smith grounded out to first to end the game. The Royals had won it 6-1.

                                                                 Royals win

Jackass of The Night is Cooper Criswell. He got rocked for 5 runs in 6 innings off 9 hits and 2 walks.

                                                             Jackass Criswell

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Jamie Westbrook was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with an rbi.

Cam Booser pitched a scoreless seventh inning. 

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu struck out as a pinch hitter. 

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. 

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

David Hamilton was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Greg Weissert allowed a run in two innings of work. 

Final Thoughts:

Some days you get routed early and lose all hope, this was one of those days. As soon as the Sox were down by 5 they just turned it off. One of the reasons the Sox might not make the playoffs this year is having to start guys like Criswell or have "openers" because they don't have a true ace. The New York Yankees have Gerrit Cole and the Los Angeles Dodgers have Tyler Glasnow and Yobu Yamamoto. The Sox have Tanner Houck. It would have been nice to see the Sox rally but right from the get go they got taken off their game. Hopefully tomorrow will be different, The loss dropped the Sox to 51-43, 6 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Royals when Kutter Crawford (5-7) goes for the Sox against Seth Lugo of Kansas City. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Pound Rodon, Yankees (6/15/24)

Turnabout is fair play a day after the Boston Red Sox were knocked around by the New York Yankees. This time it was the Red Sox that ambushed Carlos Rodon and the Yankees early on in tonight's game for five runs. The Yankees did manage two runs off Sox starter Cooper Criswell but Justin Slaten (4-2, 3.06 ERA) and the Boston bullpen held the fort. Enmanuel Valdez and Jarren Duran drove in some late runs and Kenley Jansen slammed the door in the ninth as the Sox beat the Yankees 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    George Clinton approves of the win

Criswell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Volpe struck out swinging to start. Juan Soto walked but Aaron Judge forced him at second. Alex Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox blitzed Rodon in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran doubled to left to start. Rob Refsnyder flied out to right but Tyler O'Neill doubled off the Monster to score Duran. Rafael Devers walked and Connor Wong singled off the glove of Gleyber Torres to score O'Neill. Masataka Yoshida flied out to left but Jamie Westbrook doubled off the Monster to score Devers. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                          Westbrook caps off the rally

The Yankees answered in the top of the second as Giancarlo Stanton singled to left to start. Anthony Rizzo walked and Torres moved both runners over with a grounder to second. Austin Wells struck out swinging but DJ LeMahieu got a base hit to center to score both runners. Volpe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees down 3-2.

                                                      LeMahieu brings the Yankees closer

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Ceddanne Rafaela singled to right to start. Duran lined out to left and Refsnyder forced Rafaela at second. O'Neill got a base hit to right and Devers doubled to center to score both runners. A wild pitch moved Devers to third and Wong walked. Yoshida lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 5-2.

                                                              Devers drives in a pair

Soto took strike three to start the top of the third and Judge grounded out to second. Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. Westbrook struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third before Dalbec watched strike three go by. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Stanton ripped a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but Rizzo took strike three. Torres lined out to left and Wells also was frozen for strike three to end the inning. As usual Alex Cora pulled a guy too early and Criswell was done after 88 pitches, 4 innings and 2 runs allowed so he couldn't get the win.

                                                     Short and sweet for Criswell

Duran took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Refsnyder walked. O'Neill and Devers both went down hacking to end the inning.

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Rafaela booted a grounder by LeMahieu for an error to start. Volpe forced LeMahieu at second then Soto walked. Judge walked to load the bases and Verdugo forced Volpe at home. Stanton struck out swinging to end the inning. Wong grounded back to the mound to open the bottom of the fifth before Yoshida did the same. Westbrook struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rizzo grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Torres popped up to third. Wells took strike three to end the inning. Ron Marinaccio came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Dalbec walked to start. Rafaela caught LeMahieu asleep at third with a bunt but Duran struck out swinging. Refsnyder took strike three and O'Neill flied out to right to end the inning.

LeMahieu struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Volpe lined out to second. Suddenly Soto hit a home run all the way to Nepal to cut the lead. Judge got a base hit to right and that was it for Slaten. Brennan Bernardino got Verdugo to force Judge at second to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-3.

                                                         "That's a home run"

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the seventh as Devers flied out to left to start. Wong struck out swinging but Yoshida pounded a ground rule double into the bullpen. Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Westbrook and drilled a base hit to center. Yoshida looked to have scored but Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged that he was out. Replays showed Yoshida was safe and the run counted. Valdez stole second but Dalbec flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                         SAFE!

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Stanton struck out swinging to start. Rizzo and Torres drew back to back walks before Wells singled to center to load the bases. Jahmai Jones pinch ran for Wells and LeMahieu hit a grounder to short. It looked like Jones was out at second as Rizzo scored but once again Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged the call. Once again Boone was told to shove it and Jones was out. Kenley Jansen came in for the 4 out save and Oswaldo Cabrera pinch ran for LeMahieu. Volpe flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                          "We scored?" - LeMahieu

Jose Trevino took over for Jones with Victor Gonzalez now on the mound for New York to start the bottom of the eighth. Rafaela doubled to left and Duran lined a base hit to center. Rafaela scored and Duran took second on the throw home. Refsnyder walked but O'Neill grounded into a double play. Trevino tried to pick Duran off the third, but the throw went wide allowing Jarren to score. Devers took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 8-4.

                                                          Duran adds to the lead

David Hamilton took over for O'Neill to start the top of the ninth and Soto flied out to center to start. Judge also flied out to center and in a symbolic twist of fate, Verdugo made the last out with a liner to left. The Sox had won it 8-4.

                                                           Jansen locks it down

Hero of The Night is Rafael Devers. His 2 run double in the second gave the Sox all the runs they'd need.

                                                          Devers The Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Tyler O'Neill was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Jamie Westbrook was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Enmanuel Valdez singled, scored and stole a base.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 4.

Cooper Criswell allowed 2 runs in 4 innings while striking out 6.

Brennan Bernardino retired the only man he faced.

Kenley Jansen earned is 11th save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Greg Weissert allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.

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

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Justin Slaten got the win but allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

The shoe was on the other foot in this one. After the Yankees and Verdugo embarrassed the Red Sox last night, it was Boston's turn. Getting to Rodon early was very important considering Criswell started and things got hairy in the eighth. Thankfully Jansen put the fire out and the Sox got some insurance in the later innings. The Yankees one weakness is the bullpen and the Sox exploited it tonight. They may be a mile out of first place but beating the Yankees is never a bad thing. There's still 90 games left to turn it around, as unlikely as that may seem. The win improved the Sox to 36-35, 13 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win the series tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Kutter Crawford (2-6) takes on Marcus Stroman of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Crochet, White Sox Stop Red Sox (6/7/24)

The lack of starting pitching depth reared its ugly head again as the Boston Red Sox were forced to send Cooper Criswell (3-3, 4.13 ERA) up against Chicago White Sox ace Garrett Crochet. The Red Sox did take a 2-1 lead on Crochet on an error by Garrett and a straight steal of home by Jarren Duran. Then the White Sox got three runs off Criswell in the bottom of the fourth to pretty much put the game away. Greg Weissert served up back to back home runs to Gavin Sheets and Andrew Vaughn and Paul DeJong hit an rbi off Brad Keller to wrap it up. The White Sox had beaten the Red Sox 7-2 at Comiskey Park.

                                                          Losing to the White Sox now?

Crochet got the ball in the top of the first and Jarren Duran flied out to center to start. Rob Refsnyder lined out to second but Connor Wong got a base hit in the hole at second. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Criswell got the ball in the bottom of the first and Corey Julks grounded out to third to start. Nicky Lopez lined out to left but Luis Robert Jr hit a home run all the way to Wrigley Field to put the ChiSox up. Gavin Sheets struck out swinging to end the inning with the White Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Robert goes yard

Tyler O'Neill flied out to center to start the top of the second before Jamie Westbrook struck out swinging. Garrett Cooper took strike three to end the inning. Andrew Vaughn lined out to left to start the bottom of the second before Paul DeJong lined out to right. Oscar Colas was hit with a pitch but Korey Lee struck out swinging to end the inning.

The BoSox struck back in the top of the third as Bobby Dalbec walked to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Crochet threw a grounder by Duran away for an error to score Dalbec. Duran somehow stole home and Refsnyder got a base hit to center. Refsnyder was picked off and Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 2-1.

                                                    "I really fooled em" - Duran

Disaster struck in the bottom of the third when Lenyn Sosa hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Suddenly Tyler O'Neill collapsed and had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the local ICU with knee discomfort. David Hamilton took Tyler's spot and Julks lined out to right. Lopez grounded out to first to end the inning.

The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Devers singled to left to start. Hamilton dropped down a bunt but Devers was thrown out at second. Hamilton swiped second and stole third on the walk to Wesbrook. Cooper struck out swinging and Dalbec flied out to right to end the inning. The White Sox surged ahead in the bottom of the fourth as Robert Jr flied out to left to start. Sheets walked but Vaughn singled past the diving Hamilton. DeJong got a base hit to left and Duran threw the ball away allowing Sheets to score. Colas singled off the glove of Westbrook to score Vaughn and DeJong. Lee grounded out to first and Sosa forced Colas at third to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                           Chicago takes the lead

Rafaela struck out swinging to begin the top of the fifth before Duran went down hacking. Refsnyder was plunked but Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. Julks popped up to first to start the bottom of the fifth but Lopez got a base hit to center. Naturally here came Sox manager Alex Cora at the first sign of trouble to remove the starter before completing the fifth inning, Criswell was charged with 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings off 5 hits and a walk. Greg Weissert came in to strike out Robert Jr swinging to end the inning.

                                                          Need more from Criswell

Devers struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Hamilton flied out to left. Westbrook flied out to center to end the inning. The White Sox iced it in the bottom of the sixth as Sheets hit a home run all the way to Nashville to start. Vaughn then hit a home run all the way to Knoxville for back to back jacks. DeJong flied out to left, Colas grounded out to short and Lee grounded out to second to end the inning with the ChiSox up 6-2.

                                                            Back to back home runs

Jonathan Cannon came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Cooper got a base hit to left to start. Dominic Smith pinch hit for Dalbec and struck out swinging before Rafaela singled to center. Duran struck out swinging and Refsnyder lined out to left to end the inning. Brad Keller came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Sosa struck out swinging to start. Julks took strike three and Lopez flied out to center to end the inning.

Duke Ellis took over for Julks to start the top of the eighth and Wong got a base hit to left to start. Devers struck out swinging, Hamilton took strike three and Westbrook grounded out to short to end the inning. The ChiSox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Robert Jr flied out to right to start. Sheets walked but Vaughn lined out to left. DeJong doubled to left to score Sheets and Colas grounded out to short to end the inning with Chicago up 7-2.

                                                              DeJong with an rbi

Cooper popped up to first to start the top of the ninth before Smith grounded back to the mound. Ellis bobbled a pop up from Rafaela for an error before Ceddanne took second on defensive indifference. Duran grounded out to short to end the game. The White Sox had won it 7-2.

                                                           White Sox win

Jackass of the Night is Greg Weissert. The Sox were in the game until he served up back to back jacks.

                                                             Jackass Weissert

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4.

Bobby Dalbec walked and scored a run in two plate appearances.

The Bad:

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 1 before leaving the game.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Cooper Criswell was charged with 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings to take the loss. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out 2.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts and an error but stole a base and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

David Hamilton was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but stole two bases.

Jamie Westbrook was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Garrett Cooper was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Brad Keller allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox just can't go on any sustained win streak because of how bad their pitching is. With Lucas Giolito out for the season and Sox GM Craig Breslow hampered by Sam Kennedy financially, they have to throw out guys like Cooper Criswell against aces like Garrett Crochet. The results spoke for themselves in this one. The offense wasn't going to do much but the bullpen allowing 3 runs on top of Criswell getting knocked around in the fourth didn't help. There's not much you can do but hope to survive the fifth spot in the rotation but that's not going to get you to the playoffs. The loss dropped the Sox to 32-32, 12.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Red Sox look to bounce back against Chicago tomorrow when Brayan Bello (6-2) takes on Nick Nastrini of the White Sox. The game begins at 4:10 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.