Mariners Edge Sox Late (4/29/11)

It seems to be one step forward, one step back for the Boston Red Sox this month. After beating the Baltimore Orioles last night to feel good about themselves, they fell apart late against the Seattle Mariners in tonight's game. The problem was the bullpen was forced to throw 5 innings after Daisuke Matsuzaka regressed from his previous starts to throw just 4 innings. The Sox did take a 4-2 lead over Jason Vargas and the Mariners but Matt Albers and Bobby Jenks coughed up the game by the seventh inning. After the Mariners took the lead, not a single Sox batter reached base as Seattle dropped Boston 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         "Oh Jenks....."

Dice K got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Mariners wasted no time tagging him. Ichiro Suzuki popped up to left to start but Chone Figgins walked. Milton Bradley flied out to right but Miguel Olivo doubled off the Monster. Justin Smoak lined a base hit to right to score both runners to give the Mariners the lead. Jack Cust took strike three to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-0.

                                                          Smoak puts Seattle on top

Jason Vargas got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to first to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded back to the mound but Adrian Gonzalez dropped a base hit to right. Kevin Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning.

Adam Kennedy flied out to right to start the top of the second but Michael Saunders walked and swiped second. Brendan Ryan popped up to third and Ichiro flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second although David Ortiz grounded out to short to start. Jed Lowrie flied out to center but Mike Cameron wrapped his first home run of the season around the Pesky Pole to cut the lead. Jason Varitek flied out to Saunders to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-1.

                                               Home run Cameron

Dice K cruised in the top of the third inning as Figgins grounded out to second to start. Bradley took strike three and Olivo struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Darnell McDonald walked to start. Ellsbury forced McDonald at second but Pedroia flied out to center. Gonzalez singled Ellsbury to third and Youkilis drove Jacoby in with a base hit. Ortiz scored Gonzalez with a base hit into the shift to give the Sox the lead. Lowrie flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                       Ortiz puts the Sox on top

Dice K battled in the top of the fourth as Smoak flied out to center to start. Cust and Kennedy drew back to back walks but Saunders struck out swinging. Ryan lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth when Cameron launched his second home run of the game to add to the lead. Varitek singled to center but McDonald struck out swinging. Ellsbury singled in the hole at second but Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Cameron hits another out

The Mariners finally chased Dice K in the top of the fifth inning as Ichiro singled up the middle to start. All of a sudden Jason Varitek walked to the mound and asked if Dice K was okay. Within seconds Varitek frantically waived for the trainer who sprinted out of the dugout. Dice K started clutching his arm and left the game. He had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and sent to Mass General's ICU. Matt Albers came in ice cold and Figgins dropped a base hit to left. Bradley hit a double play ball to Gonzalez who threw to second to get Figgins but Albers dropped the throw to first for an error to score Ichiro. Olivo flied out to right and Smoak took strike three to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.

                                                       Dice K leaves with injury

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Gonzalez grounded out to first to start. Youkilis walked but was doubled off first on a bullet hit by Ortiz right to Smoak to end the inning.

Albers walked Cust to start the top of the sixth but Kennedy popped up to short. Saunders popped up to right and Ryan grounded into a force to end the inning. Lowrie grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third and Cameron popped up to second. Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bobby Jenks came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Ichiro singled to left and Figgins doubled past McDonald to start. Bradley struck out swinging but Olivo grounded out to second to score Ichiro to tie the game. Smoak walked and Cust doubled off the Monster to score Figgins with the go-ahead run. Kennedy grounded out to first to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-4.

                                                             Cust puts the M's on top

McDonald popped up to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Ellsbury took strike three. Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning.

Hideki Okajima came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Saunders walked to start. Ryan dropped down a bunt to advance Saunders to second but Ichiro walked. Figgins banged into a double play to end the inning. Jack Wilson took over for Kennedy and Jamey Wright came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Gonzalez flied out to Ichiro to start before Youkilis took strike three. Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning.

Daniel Bard came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Bradley grounded out to second to start. Olivo took strike threw and Smoak grounded out to second to end the inning. Brandon League came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Lowrie flied out to center to start. Cameron flied out to right and JD Drew pinch hit for Varitek. Drew took strike three to end the game, the Mariners had won it 5-4.

                                                          Mariners win

Jackass of the Night is Bobby Jenks. He took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the seventh inning.

                                                     Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4.

Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Mike Cameron was 2 for 4 with 2 solo home runs.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3.

Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

Jed Lowrie was 0 for 4.

JD Drew struck out as a pinch hitter.

Daisuke Matsuzaka got rocked for 3 runs in just 4 plus innings.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 2 with an error but walked.

Matt Albers allowed an inherited runner to score and committed an error in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Can this month end already? Every time the Red Sox look like they take the next step, they fall backwards. Jenks was supposed to be the answer to losing Billy Wagner in free agency but he got rocked tonight. The real problem was once the Mariners took the lead, the Sox offense went quietly in the final three innings. The offense is too good to be that unclutch so just add this game to the list of many they should have won. Its beyond frustrating at this point to see the Sox spoil a season that had so much promise. How does a team this good on paper lose 14 of their first 25 games? They've lost close games, they've lost blowouts, they just lose. Guess what they're going to do tomorrow? Probably going to lose. Tomorrow night John Lackey (2-2) goes up against Doug Fister of the Mariners at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Dice K Tosses Gem, Sox Blank Angels (4/23/11)

It was a big night in Boston with Anime Boston rocking the Hines Convention Center and the Boston Bruins winning Game 5 of their first round playoff series in double overtime against the Montreal Canadiens in the Boston Garden. 3,000 miles away it was even more Boston success thanks to the resurgent Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-2, 4.09 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Improving on his Patriots Day gem, Dice K was even better tonight with 8 shutout innings allowing just 1 hit and 3 walks while striking out 9. On the offensive side, Kevin Youkilis hit a 2 run homer and a balanced attack put 5 runs on the board. It all added up to a great night for Bostonians with a 5-0 shutout win over the Angels at Angels Stadium.

                                                     Nathan Horton approves of the win

Ervin Santana got the start for the Angels and Jacoby Ellsbury led off by taking strike three to start. Dustin Pedroia walked and stole second, but Adrian Gonzalez flied out to left. Kevin Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning. Dice K began his dominance in the bottom of the first as Maicer Izturis flied out to right to start. Erick Aybar struck out swinging and Bobby Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning although David Ortiz grounded out to second to start. Jed Lowrie doubled into the right field corner but JD Drew took strike three. Crawl Crawford singled off the glove of Aybar to score Lowrie with the go-ahead run but Jason Varitek struck out swining with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                              Crawford drives in a run

The Angels mounted their only threat in the bottom of the second inning as Torii Hunter walked to start. Vernon Wells flied out to center but Dice K almost got his head taken off on a liner by Alberto Callaspo that fell into left for a single. Hank Conger flied out to left and Mark Trumbo struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the third inning when Ellsbury got a base hit to center to start. Ellsbury swiped second and moved to third on the Pedroia fly out to center. Gonzalez dropped a base hit to right to score Ellsbury with another run. Youkilis struck out swinging at a high fastball but Ortiz lined a base hit to center, moving Gonzalez to third. Lowrie flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                         Ellsbury scores a run

Dice K cruised in the bottom of the third as Reggie Willits struck out swinging to start. Izturis also went down hacking and Aybar flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Drew took strike three to start. Crawford grounded out to second and Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning. Abreu walked to begin the bottom of the fourth but Hunter flied out to right. Wells flied out to center and Callaspo flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Ellsbury singled to center and swiped second. Pedroia popped up to first and Gonzalez struck out swinging, but Youkilis swatted his 4th home run of the season to ice the game. Ortiz struck out siwnging to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                         Youkilis goes yard

Dice K cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Conger took strike three to start. Trumbo went down swinging and Willits took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox scored again in the top of the sixth although Lowrie flied out to right to start. Drew popped up to third in foul territory but Crawford slapped a double down the left field line. Varitek doubled into the right field corner to score Crawford with another run, but Ellsbury flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                       Varitek finally gets a good hit

Nothing could stop Dice K in the bottom of the sixth as Izturis flied out to center to start. Aybar hit a broken bat liner to Youkilis but Abreu walked. Hunter grounded out to short to end the inning.

Santana cruised in the top of the seventh as Pedroia hit a bullet but right to Izturis to start. Gonzalez hit a 380 foot fly out to left and Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning. Dice K continued his dominance in the bottom of the seventh as Wells grounded out to short to start. Callaspo and Conger both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jason Bulger came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ortiz flied out to left to start. Lowrie singled to right and Drew hit a routine pop up to shallow right that Abreu slide and missed completely. Drew got credit for a "single" but Crawford flied out to center. Varitek lined out to third to end the inning.

                                                    "I don't got it....." - Abreu

Dice K returned for one last inning in the bottom of the eighth as Trumbo flied out to center to start. Howie Kendrick pinch hit for Willits and grounded out to second before Izturis also grounded out to second to end the inning. That was one of Dice K's best starts ever, allowing just 1 run in 8 shutout innings.

                                                                 Dice K Delivers

Peter Boujors took Trumbo's spot in the lineup for the top of the ninth and Ellsbury struck out swinging to start. Pedroia grounded out to third and Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning. Daniel Bard came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Aybar legged out an infield single to short to start. Aybar took second on defensive indifference but Abreu struck out swinging. Hunter struck out swinging and Wells grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-0.

                                                                    Sox win

Hero of the Night is Daisuke Matsuzaka. He pitched 8 shutout innings and allowed just a hit and 3 walks.

                                                           Dice K Hero

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 5 with 2 stolen bases and 2 runs scored.

Jed Lowrie was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Crawford was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 but walked and stole a base.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but hit a 2 run home run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

JD Drew was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

If Dice K rediscovers his 2008 form then this team is going to be very hard to beat this season. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett look like they've found their groove and if Dice K does as well, look out American League. Dice K was outstanding tonight and topped his Patriots Day game, which a lot of people didn't think possible. The offense was a balanced attack and if they can stay healthy all season, they'll be tough to beat too. Apart from Marco Scutaro there's not a single automatic out on this team and Scutaro isn't exactly 2007 Julio Lugo either. Its only a matter of time before Ortiz and Gonzalez start hitting rockets out of ballyards and if Ellsbury, Crawford and Pedroia are the on base machines they should be, this really could be the "best team evah". All in all it was a good win and the Sox look to sweep the Angels out of Anaheim on Easter Sunday tomorrow afternoon. John Lackey (1-2) looks to rebound against Matt Palmer of the Angels. The game begins at 3:30 PM Eastern time at Angels Stadium.

Dice K Dazzles, Bats Pound Jays on Patriots Day (4/18/11)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Rookie relief pitcher Felix Doubront was sent down to Pawtucket for more seasoning and the veteran reliever Hideki Okajima was called up to take his place. 4 years ago Okajima was an integral part of the Red Sox bullpen, hopefully he can rediscover the magic again during this call-up.

                                                                      OUT

                                                              IN

As for the game, welcome to the party Daisuke Matsuzaka (1-2, 6.43 ERA). After Josh Beckett and Jon Lester pitched back to back good games, Dice K just outshined both of them. Matsuzaka was dominant against the Toronto Blue Jays, holding them to just 1 hit and 1 walk in 7 shutout innings in one of his best games ever pitched. The Red Sox bats also made sure this game would be easy by knocking Jays starter Ricky Romero out early and erupting for 9 runs off 13 hits. Jed Lowrie went 4 for 5 with a home run as both Jacoby Ellsbury and Kevin Youkilis also homered for the Sox. The Sox are starting to heat up and they won their third straight game with a 9-1 rout of the Jays on Patriots Day at Fenway Park.

                                                       Tori Black approves of the win

Dice K began his dominance in the top of the first inning as Yunel Escobar led off with a fly out to right. Corey Patterson also flied out to right but Jose Bautista hit a grounder up the middle for a base hit. Adam Lind grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Romero in the bottom of the first as JD Drew led off with a triple off the centerfield wall. Dustin Pedroia walked but Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging. Kevin Youkilis also struck out swinging but David Ortiz walked. Jed Lowrie stepped up with a base hit to right to score Drew and Pedroia. Ortiz took third on the play but Carl Crawford popped up to shallow left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                       Lowrie stays hot

Aaron Hill led off the top of the second with a fly out to Crawford and JP Arencebia popped up to Jacoby Ellsbury. Travis Snider walked but Edwin Encarnacion flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Jason Varitek flied out to the centerfield warning track to start. Ellsbury lined out to short but Drew walked. Pedroia grounded a single into right but Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning.

Dice K cruised in the top of the third as Jayson Nix popped up to Youkilis to start. Escobar popped up to shallow center and Patterson struck out swinging on a fastball up to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third with Youkilis doubling off the top of the bullpen to start. Ortiz lined a base hit in the hole to right to score Youk and increase the lead. Lowrie lined another base hit to right but Crawford popped up to second to a chorus of boo's. Varitek forced Lowrie at second but Ortiz moved to third. Ellsbury popped up to shallow left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                                Ortiz drives in a run

Dice K cruised in the top of the fourth as Bautista grounded out to third to start. Lind popped up to left and Hill flied out to center to end the inning. Drew beat out an infield single up the middle to start the bottom of the fourth but Pedroia flied out to center. Gonzalez earned the hat trick with a swinging strikeout and Youkilis flied out to right to end the inning.

Sox analyst Jerry Remy complained that play-by-play man Don Orsillo cut him out of pictures together in the top of the fifth inning. Dice K was so excited to hear the news that he struck out Arencebia swinging. Snider flied out to left and Encarnacion grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Ortiz walked and Lowrie obliterated his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Crawford flied out to left to another round of boo's but Varitek walked to chase Romero. Luiz Perez was brought in and Ellsbury struck out swinging. Drew grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 5-0.

                                                        Lowrie hits one out

Matsuzaka cruised in the top of the sixth as Nix struck out looking on three pitches to start. Escobar flied out to right on the first pitch and Patterson lined out to center on the first pitch to end the inning. Dice K threw just 5 pitches in that inning and the Sox scored again in the bottom of the sixth. Pedroia walked to start but Gonzalez forced him at second. Youkilis then belted his second home run of the year into the bullpen to increase the lead. Ortiz grounded into the shift but Lowrie poked a base hit to left for his fourth hit of the day. Crawford broke out of his slump with a double off the Monster to score Lowrie, earning a standing ovation. Perez was done and Octavio Dotel was brought in to strike out Varitek looking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-0.

                                                    Career homer 114 for Youkilis

Dice K returned for one last inning in the top of the seventh as Bautista flied out to center to start. Youkilis took a tumble to haul in a pop up from Lind and Hill grounded out to third to end the inning. Dice K retired the last 16 in a row, allowed one hit and one walk in 7 shutout innings, outstanding!

                                                               Dice K delivers

John McDonald took over at second for Hill to start the bottom of the seventh and Ellsbury clobbered his fourth home run of the year into the Sox bullpen to wrap up the scoring. Drew popped up to center and Pedroia struck out swinging, but Gonzalez fooled Patterson with a ground rule double into the centerfield seats. Youkilis flied out to left to end the inning but it was 9-0 Sox.

                                                        Ellsbury a power hitter?

Alfredo Aceves came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Arencebia grounded out to short to start. Lowrie made a nice play to rob Snider of a hit and Encarnacion popped up to third to end the inning. That's 19 in a row retired by Sox pitching. Casey Janssen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Ortiz popped up to Bautista to start. Lowrie struck out swinging and Crawford grounded out to second to end the inning.

Tim Wakefield had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Nix popped up to short. Escobar broke up the string of 20 in a row retired with a home run all the way to Boylston Street. Patterson popped up to Youkilis in foul territory and Bautista flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it on Patriots Day 9-1.

Hero of the Night is Daisuke Matsuzaka. He tossed 7 shutout innings allowing just 2 base runners in a masterpiece.

                                                               Dice K Hero

The Good:

JD Drew was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Kevin Youkilis was 2 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Jed Lowrie was 4 for 5 with 4 total rbis, 2 total runs scored and a 2 run home run.

Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Tim Wakefield allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Carl Crawford was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 but walked.

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Honorable Mention:

Darnell McDonald played right field in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like the Sox are starting to come out of their slump. Not only has the offense woke up but so has the pitching. Dice K, Jon Lester and Josh Beckett have thrown 3 straight good games and Dice K in particular was outstanding today. If John Lackey and Clay Buchholz can pitch to their talent, this team is going to be very tough to beat, especially if the offense cooks like this. Lowrie when healthy is a difference maker and so is Ellsbury, those two could be the key to a good season if they can hold up. Crawford finally got an rbi double and if he gets hot, the AL is in big trouble. Its still early in the season but the signs of a great team are there if they can keep this up. The Sox spend the rest of the month playing AL West teams so now is the time to establish dominance over them and send a message that they're for real. The Sox now travel to Oakland to play a series with the A's. John Lackey (1-1, 15.28 ERA) looks to join the other starters in a resurgence against Brett Anderson of the A's. The game begins tomorrow night at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Rays Pound Dice K, Red Sox (4/11/11)

If you thought the season couldn't get any worse for the Boston Red Sox, think again. The Red Sox came into tonight's game 2-7 but the Tampa Bay Rays came into it 1-8. The Rays sure as hell didn't play like a 1-8 team as they decimated Daisuke Matzusaka (0-2, 12.86 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox pitching staff. The Rays who had lost 1/3 of their team in free agency crushed the Red Sox for 19 hits, 7 walks and 16 runs. Every starter but Dan Johnson had at least one hit and Dice K lasted just 2 plus innings while allowing 7 runs. Tim Wakefield allowed 5 of his own and Dan Wheeler allowed 4. The Red Sox scored 5 of their own but it wasn't close to enough as the Rays feasted on the Sox 16-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                        16 runs? We surrender!

Dice K got tagged by an old friend in the top of the first inning although Sam Fuld flied out to right to start. Old buddy Johnny Damon set the tone with a home run into the bullpen to put the Rays up two batters into the game. Matt Joyce took strike three and Dan Johnson grounded out to first to end the inning with the Rays ahead 1-0.

                                               A familiar sight in Boston, a Damon home run

Jeremy Hellickson got the start for Tampa in the bottom of the first and Carl Crawford flied out to left to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second but Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis drew back to back walks. David Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning, more woes with RISP.

The Sox whacked Dice K in the top of the second as Ben Zobrist smacked a double down the third base line to start. BJ Upton walked and Felipe Lopez singled to center to load the bases. John Jaso doubled off the Monster to score Zobrist and Upton then Reid Brignac cleared the bases with a base hit to right. Fuld then put the exclamation point with a 300 foot home run just around the Pesky Pole to ice the game just like that. Damon singled to center and Sox analyst Jerry Remy pointed out every ball hit was a straight fastball right down the middle. Damon moved to second on the Joyce grounder to second and to third on the liner off Dice K that he recovered to get Johnson at first. Zobrist was rung up for strike three to end the inning but it was 7-0 Rays.

                                                       Fuld ices the game

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as JD Drew grounded into the shift to start. Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out swinging and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Rays chased Dice K in the top of the third as Upton dropped a base hit to right and Lopez walked. Sox manager Terry Francona had seen enough and the boos rained down on Dice K as he left. He lasted just 2 innings and allowed 7 runs, brutal. Tim Wakefield came in and picked off Upton before getting Jaso to bang into a double play to end the inning.

                                                     Another horrible Dice K start

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third although Scutaro grounded out to third to start. Crawford grounded out to first but Pedroia walked. Gonzalez hit a liner to right that Joyce dove and missed completely. Pedroia scored and Gonzalez took third on the triple. Youkilis grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 7-1 Rays.

                                                  Joyce misses it completely

The Rays struck again in the top of the fourth inning although Brignac grounded out to second to start. Fuld doubled to center and Damon grounded a single up the middle to score Sam with another run. Ellsbury dove to make a great catch to rob Joyce of a hit and made another good running grab on a Johnson liner to end the inning with the Rays ahead 8-1.

                                                         Damon does it again

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz of all people tripled to center to start. Drew singled to center to score Ortiz to cut the lead. Saltlamacchia popped up to Fuld, Ellsbury lined out to center and Scutaro grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox were down 8-2.

                                                 Francona congratulates Big Papi

The Rays struck again in the top of the fifth as Zobrist grounded out to second to start. Upton hit a routine grounder to Scutaro who tried to kick the ball over to first for an error. Lopez flied out to right but Jaso doubled to left to score Upton with another run. LeBlanc lined out to first to end the inning with the Rays ahead 9-2.

                                                 "I don't got it" - Scutaro

The Sox looked to rally in the bottom of the fifth when Crawford hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to start but Fuld made an amazing diving catch to rob Pedroia of a double. Crawford moved to third on the Gonzalez grounder to short and Youkilis walked to put runners at the corners. Ortiz grounded into the shift to end the inning.

The Rays poured it on in the top of the sixth as Fuld tripled off the glove of Ellsbury to start. Damon walked and a passed ball scored Fuld, advancing Damon to second. Joyce singled to center to advance Damon to third but Johnson popped up to third. Zobrist doubled down the right field line to score both runners and chase Wakefield. Alfredo Aceves came in and got Upton to pop up to second and Lopez to ground out to short to end the inning but it was 12-2 Rays.

                                                  Rays poured it on

Old buddy Casey Kotchman replaced Lopez and Sean Rodriguez took over for Johnson to begin the bottom of the sixth. Drew grounded out into the shift to start but Saltalamacchia drew a walk. Ellsbury dropped a soft liner into center for a base hit to chase Hellickson. Adam Russell came in and got Scutaro to bang into a double play to end the inning.

Jed Lowrie came in for Gonzalez and Darnell McDonald replaced Drew to begin the top of the seventh. Jaso grounded out to second to start before Brignac flied out to left. Fuld was a single shy of the cycle but he flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Crawford ate up Brignac with a ground ball for an error to start. Pedroia and Lowrie drew back to back walks to load the bases but Youk hit a bullet to Zobrist who doubled Pedroia off at second for the double play. Cesar Ramos took over for Russell and Ortiz greeted him with a base hit to center to score Crawford and advance Lowrie to third. McDonald took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 12-3.

                                                       Ortiz drives in a run

Aceves cruised in the top of the eighth by striking out Damon swinging to start. Joyce popped up to left and Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox tacked on a run against Joel Peralta in the bottom of the eighth although Saltamacchia struck out swinging to start. Ellsbury then hit his second home run of the season just over the bullpen in right to cut the lead. Scutaro popped up to shallow left but Fuld dove and missed a bloop single by Crawford. Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 12-4 Tampa.

                                                        Ellsbury homers at Fenway

Dan Wheeler came in to take a pounding in the top of the ninth as Zobrist lashed a base hit up the middle to start. Upton hit a grounder that Scutaro dove to snare but threw away for an error to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Kotchman hit a grounder by the diving Lowrie for a base hit to score Zobrist with another run. Jaso flied out to center but Brignac lined a base hit into center to score Upton. Fuld needed a single for the cycle and did manage to line a hit into the left field corner, but he kept on going to second for another double to score Kotchman. Damon grounded out to short on a bang bang play but Brignac scored to increase the lead. Joyce grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 16-4 Rays.

                                                    The errors keep on coming

Kyle Farnsworth had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth and Lowrie hit a roller up the middle for a base hit to start. Youkilis dropped a double to center to send Lowrie to third and Ortiz scored Jed with a sac fly to left. McDonald took strike three and Saltalamacchia grounded out to second to end the game. The Rays embarrassed the Sox with a humiliating 16-5 victory.

                                                      Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Daisuke Matsuzaka. He lasted just 2 plus innings and put the Sox in  a 7-0 hole they couldn't climb out of. He allowed 7 runs on 2 walks and 8 hits.

                                                               Dice Jackass         

The Good:

Carl Crawford was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 1 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.

Jed Lowrie was 1 for 1 with a walk and a run scored.

Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

JD Drew was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

Alfredo Aceves tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Darnell McDonald struck out twice in two plate appearances.

Marco Scutaro was 0 for 4 with 2 errors.

Tim Wakefield allowed 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings.

Dan Wheeler allowed 4 runs in the top of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Of all the losses this season, this has to be the most embarrassing. Its one thing to lose to the American League champion Texas Rangers or to the New York Yankees, its another thing to get smashed by the 1-8 Tampa Bay Rays. It wasn't just that the Rays won, its how they did it. They couldn't miss even if you put blindfolds on them. Essentially Sam Fuld hit for the cycle if he stopped at first in the ninth and Damon turned back the clock 6 years. This season is coming apart at the seams before it even begins really. Who thought the "best team evah" would start 2-8? The starting pitching has been a complete nightmare the first 10 games of the season apart from Beckett last night. Matsuzaka again sucked a big one but the rotation is too good to keep up this stretch of ineptitude. How long will it go on before it bites them in the ass come September though? Tomorrow night the Sox look to rebound against the Rays and it will be a battle of aces. Jon Lester goes for the Sox up against David Price of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Drop Sox, Streak Reaches 5 (4/6/11)

Another game, another loss for the Boston Red Sox as the season continues to get out of hand before it really starts. Tonight it was Daisuke Matsuzaka (0-1, 5.40 ERA) who got the short end of the stick against the Cleveland Indians. Dice K allowed 3 runs in just 5 innings and the Sox offense was again dormant in the clutch. The Sox bullpen was lit up for 5 runs as Dennys Reyes, Dan Wheeler and Tim Wakefield got tagged again. This all led to the Sox 5th straight loss and an Indians 8-4 win at Jacobs Field.

                                                      "WIN SOME GAMES FOR ONCE!"

Indians starter Mitch Talbot faced Jacoby Ellsbury to open the game and struck him out swinging. Carl Crawford stepped in and singled off of Talbot's glove. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging bringing up Adrian Gonzalez. Crawford stole second cleanly but it didn't matter because Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Dice K took the mound and promptly gave up a leadoff single to right by Michael Brantley. Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to left bringing up Sin Soo Choo. The Sox pitching staff continued to give up long balls as Choo blasted a homer to centerfield to give the Indians the lead just like that. Carlos Santana flied out to center but Travis Haffner worked a 10 pitch walk. Orlando Cabrera was then hit by a pitch as Red Sox Nation groaned. Dice K Disease was striking early but it ended when Travis Buck flied out to left to end the ining with the Indians up 2-0.

                                                          Indians strike first

The Sox rallied in the top of the second although Kevin Youkilis grounded out to short to start. David Ortiz and JD Drew stroked back to back singles before Jason Varitek walked to load the bases. Marco Scutaro hit a Texas Leaguer to score Ortiz and Ellsbury scored Drew with a groundout to first to tie the game. Crawford lined out to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       Ortiz scores a run

Unfortunately, Dice K couldn't keep the Indians at bay in the bottom of the second. Matt Laporta led off with a single to center but Jack Hannahan flied out to center. Brantley walked and Asdrubal Cabrera singled home Laporta to give Cleveland the lead back. Choo grounded into a double play to end the inning but the Indians re-took the lead 3-2.

                                                            Indians take the lead

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Pedroia was hit by a pitch to start. Gonzalez doubled him to third and it looked like the Sox would tie the game. Then the Sox inability to hit in the clutch struck again as Youkilis whiffed and Ortiz lined out softly to short. Drew watched strike three go by to end the inning but Talbot was now up to 72 pitches after 3 innings. Dice K made short work of the Indians in the bottom of the third by striking out Santana looking on 3 pitches to start. He struck out Hafner swinging in 4 and getting Orlando Cabrera to fly out to left in 3 to end the inning.

Varitek led off the top of the fourth by flying out to center then Scutaro struck out on swinging on 9 pitches. Ellsbury took strike three to end the inning. In the bottom of the fourth, Buck led off with a fly out to center and Laporta hit one up the elevator shaft. Hannahan walked but Brantley grounded out to first to end the inning as Dice K looked to be cruising.

Crawford led off the inning with a walk and promptly stole second. Pedroia moved him over to third with a ground out and Gonzalez was intentionally walked. That was it for Talbot as Chad Durbin came in to pitch to Youkilis. Youk's slump continued as he struck out swinging. Indians manager Manny Acta replaced Durbin with Rafael Perez and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning. In the bottom of the fifth, Dice K got Asdrubal Cabrera and Choo to ground out to Pedroia then the wheels almost fell off. Santana and Haffner stroked back to back singles after it looked to have been a strike 3 call on Santana. Luckily Orlando Cabrera grounded out to second to end the inning but that was it for Dice K. He threw 96 pitches

                                                                Dice K battled

Perez cruised in the top of the sixth as Drew struck out swinging to start. Varitek flied out to right and Scutaro took strike three to end the inning. The Indians put the game out of reach in the bottom of the inning thanks to some boneheaded baseball by the Sox. Dennys Reyes relieved Dice K and plunked Buck and Laporta to start. Hannahan walked to load the bases with nobody out. Sox manager Terry Francona had seen enough and sent for Dan Wheeler. Dan got Brantley to hit a grounder to Youkilis who stepped on third and fired home. Varitek touched the plate but had forgotten its not a force play and Buck was safe with another run. Asdrubal Cabrera cleared the bases with a towering shot to right field to put the game out of reach. Choo grounded out to second to end the inning but the game was decided 7-2.

                                   "He's safe you dummy, ya forgot to tag him!" - Dale Scott

Frank Hermann came in to pitch the top of the seventh and the Sox tried to come back. Ellsbury took strike three but Crawford singled in the hole at short. Pedroia flied out to right but Gonzalez smashed his first home run of the season to cut the lead. How important was the home run by Cabrera now? Youkilis popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox down 7-4.

                                                  Adrian's first Sox home run

Tim Wakefield held the fort in the bottom of the seventh as Hafner struck out swinging to start. Orlando Cabrera  popped up to first and Buck grounded out to second to end the inning.

Tony Sipp came in for the top of the eighth and Ortiz hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Mike Cameron pinch hit for Drew and flied out to center. Jed Lowrie pinch hit for Varitek and flied out to left to end the inning. Jarrod Saltalamacchia took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth and Laporta settled matters with a home run to Jupiter to wrap up the scoring. Hannahan grounded out to second, Brantley struck out swinging and Asdrubal Cabrera flied out to left to end the inning with the Indians up 8-4.

                                                     Wakefield gives up a run

Vinnie Pestano came in to close out the top of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Scutaro flied out to right, Ellsbury grounded out to second and Crawford lined out to left to end the game. The Sox dropped to 0-5 with an 8-4 loss.

                                                             Sox lose again

Jackass of the Night is Dan Wheeler. Yes, Reyes loaded the bases and Varitek's mental error didn't help but the three run homer by Cabrera was the difference in the game.

                                                          Jackass Wheeler

The Good:

Carl Crawford was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 stolen bases and a run scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run homer.

JD Drew was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

The Bad:

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Cameron was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Jed Lowrie was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Dennis Reyes was charged with 3 runs after hitting 2 batters and walking one.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 2 with a boneheaded play at home but walked.

Marco Scutaro was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Daisuke Matsuzaka took the loss but allowed just 3 runs in 5 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks.

Tim Wakefield allowed a run in two innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Jarrod Saltalamacchia caught the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

In the first five games, the Red Sox as a pitching staff had given up 15 home runs while the offense were even worse with runners on base. All 5 starters have been defeated and none of them looked particularly good. Its only April but after last year's injury plagued year left a bad taste in the fans' collective mouths, this was NOT the way to win rapport. Especially since this was touted by radio jocks as the "best team evah". That Varitek blunder was little league, you'd think he'd know better to tag the damn runner. Not that it mattered since Cabrera was going to hit a home run to Sri Lanka anyway but at least it would have been a more interesting game. The losses are piling up and the Sox have to win eventually...right? The Sox look to avoid their second straight sweep when Jon Lester (0-1) looks to improve on his Opening Day outing when he takes on Fausto Carmona of the Indians tomorrow afternoon. The game begins at 1:05 PM Eastern time at Progressive Field.