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.

Ross, Sox Edge Twins (4/23/12)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Jason Repko was placed on the Disabled List after hurting his shoulder crashing into the wall and the Sox brought up 2007 Lancaster Jethawk leader Lars Anderson to replace him. The Sox are desperate for outfield help with Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury out so hopefully Anderson can give them something.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                   IN

After the embarrassing loss on Fox Saturday baseball and the rainout last night, the Boston Red Sox regrouped and rebounded in tonight's game against the Minnesota Twins. Things looked good early when the Sox jumped out to a 3-0 lead thanks to a Jarrod Saltalamacchia two run homer but the Twins rallied for 5 runs against Jon Lester. Cody Ross hit a two run home run in the seventh to tie the game as Lester hung on to go seven innings. Sox manager Bobby Valentine brought Daniel Bard out of the bullpen to keep the game tied and in the top of the ninth, Cody Ross hit another home run to put the Sox on top. Alfredo Aceves slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth and the Sox had won the game 6-5 at Target Field.

                                                             Leola Bell approves of the win

Jason Marquis got the start for the Twins in the top of the first and Mike Aviles dropped a base hit just in front of Chris Parmalee to start. Ryan Sweeney struck out swinging but Dustin Pedroia blooped a base hit to center to move Aviles to third. Adrian Gonzalez hit a sac fly to left to score Mike but Pedroia was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Sox take the lead

Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first and Denard Span walked to start. Jamey Carroll banged into a double play but Joe Mauer ripped a base hit to center. Josh Willingham struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as David Ortiz led off with a check swing base hit down the vacated third base line. Kevin Youkilis forced David at second but Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Cody Ross took strike three and Marlon Byrd made his Red Sox debut after going 3 for 43 with the Cubs and grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                       Saltalamacchia hits one out

Justin Morneau flied out to center to start the bottom of the second but Ryan Doumit singled to left. Danny Valencia banged into a double play to end the inning.

Aviles flied out to left to start the top of the third but Sweeney doubled to right. Sweeney was thrown out at third on a grounder to short by Pedroia and Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning. Chris Parmalee struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Trevor Plouffe flied out to center. Span struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ortiz ripped a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but Youkilis was robbed of a hit by a diving Span. Saltalamacchia banged into a double play to end the inning. The Twins exploded in the bottom of the fourth as Carroll grounded back to the mound to start. Mauer singled to left and Willingham walked, but Morneau was called out on strikes. Doumit doubled down the left field line to score both runners and Valencia smashed a two run home run all the way to the jungle of Peru to give the Twins the lead. Parmalee grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 4-3.

                                                           Twins take the lead

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Ross grounded out to third to begin. Byrd grounded out to third and Aviles flied out to left to end the inning. The Twins got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Plouffe walked to start. Span dumped a base hit to center to move Plouffe to third and Trevor scored on the double play ball hit by Carroll. Mauer walked but Willingham grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 5-3.

                                                            Carroll brings a run in

Sweeney singled to right to start the top of the sixth before Pedroia dumped a base hit to left. Gonzlez beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners but Ortiz did hit into one to end the inning. Lester came back for the bottom of the sixth and Morneau hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Doumit grounded out to third and Valencia grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh although Youkilis grounded out to third to start. Saltalamacchia ripped a base hit to right and Ross smashed his fourth home run of the season to tie the game. Byrd got a base hit to left to chase Marquis. Jared Burton came in to get Aviles to fly out to left and Sweeney grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                             Ross ties it up

Lester came back for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Parmalee flied out to right to start. Plouffe grounded out to short and Span grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Lester got roughed up for 5 runs but held on to go 7 innings.

                                                    Not great but it'll do

Pedroia struck out swinging to open the top of the eighth and that was it for Burton. Brian Duensing came in to pitch to Gonzalez and Adrian flied out to center. Ortiz went down hacking to end the inning. Franklin Morales came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Carroll sliced a base hit down the right field line only for Sweeney to boot it for an error to allow Jamey to take third. Morales got a big out when Mauer grounded out to first and Sox manager Bobby Valentine turned to Daniel Bard to bail him out. Willingham lined out to third and Morneau was intentionally walked to set up a force. Doumit popped up to short to end the inning. That was the turning point in the game to hold the Twins with a runner on third and nobody out.

The Sox capitalized in the top of the ninth with Matt Capps now on the mound. Youkilis grounded out to short and Saltalamacchia flied out to center, but Ross smashed his second home run of the game to put Boston on top. Byrd flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                      Ross does it again

Alfredo Aceves came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Valencia grounded back to the mound to start. Parmalee singled to center to put the tying run on and Clete Thomas pinch ran for him. Plouffe flied out to left and Span grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-5.

                                                                 Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Cody Ross. He hit the two run homer to tie the game and the go-ahead home run in the top of the ninth.

                                                      Happy Hero

The Good:

Ryan Sweeney was 2 for 4.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and two total runs scored.

Franklin Morales got the first out of the eighth inning.

Daniel Bard got the win with 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

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

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Mike Aviles was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

Marlon Byrd was just 1 for 4.

Jon Lester allowed 5 early runs but battled to toss 7 innings, allow 6 hits and strike out 4.

Final Thoughts:

Of the 5 measly wins the Sox have this season, two of them happened to be ninth inning rallies. Coming off the embarrassing loss to the New York Yankees, the Sox needed to make a statement against the Twins and for 5 innings it didn't look good. Thank goodness for Saltalamacchia and Ross in this one. Ross has been the best free agent signing of the off-season with five home runs already including two tonight. Lester didn't look good at all again but at least he battled through seven innings. Bringing Bard out of the bullpen was a little peculiar but it got the job done. The Sox have a lot of work to do to right the ship but they took a good first step by the way they won. Not letting Carroll score the go-ahead run in the eighth led to Ross' blast in the ninth. Hopefully things are looking up for the Red Sox because that was truly a gutty win. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Twins tomorrow night when Josh Beckett (1-2) takes on Nick Blackburn of Minnesota. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Target Field.

Shields Outduels Bard, Rays Beat Sox (4/16/12)

Before tonight's game trouble brewed in the clubhouse of the Boston Red Sox. Manager Bobby Valentine ripped Kevin Youkilis after Sunday's win by saying he wasn't "emotionally invested in the game as in years past." To say Youkilis isn't trying as hard rubbed teammates the wrong way and Dustin Pedroia was the first to come to Youk's defense by saying "That's really not how we go about our stuff around here." Nevertheless this is the second time in a month that Valentine has quipped or gone off on a Sox player. He ripped into Nick Punto during Spring Training and there were rumors that he wasn't well liked in the clubhouse to begin with. The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series but the bad news was the Sox dropped the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rauys The whole drama played out on the field as the offense that had no trouble scoring the last three games put up a goose egg against the Rays. "Big Game" James Shields lived up to his billing as he nearly tossed a complete game shutout against the Sox. Daniel Bard (0-2, 4.63 ERA) pitched valiantly against the Rays, allowing just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings. That run in the seventh inning would be the only run scored during the game. Youkilis was benched for fighting back with comments against Valentine (the cockamamie media reason was he had a "groin" problem) and the lack of offense doomed the Sox as they dropped their Patriot's Day game 1-0 to the Rays at Fenway Park.

                                                 Pedroia is not happy with Valentine

Bard got the ball in the top of the first and Jennings took strike three to start. Carlos Pena lined out to first and Evan Longoria flied out to center to end the inning. Mike Aviles led off the bottom of the first with a pop up to first to start. Sox analysts Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy chastised Valentine over the Youkilis comments saying Kevin always gives it 100% when he plays. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short and Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Luke Scott grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Ben Zobrist was hit in the foot. Matt Joyce flied out to left but Jeff Keppinger walked. Ryan Sweeney made a good diving catch to rob Jose Molina of a hit to end the inning. David Ortiz grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second before Cody Ross lined a base hit off the backside of Shields. Ross took second on a wild pitch but Sweeney could only advance him to third on a grounder to short. Nick Punto grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Sean Rodriguez struck out swinging to open the top of the third but Jennings walked. Jennings swiped second but Pena and Longoria both struck out swinging to end the inning. Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off the bottom of the third with a ground out to first before Darnell McDonald grounded out to third and Aviles took strike three to end the inning.

Scott led off the top of the fourth by grounding out to first to start. Zobrist walked and Joyce beat out a roller to second but Keppinger grounded into a double play to end the inning. Pedroia grounded back to Shields to start the bottom of the fourth but Gonzalez singled off the Monster. Ortiz grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Molina and Rodriguez both grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth but Jennings doubled into the left field corner. Pena walked but Longoria struck out swinging to end the inning. Ross took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Sweeney pulled a ground out to second. Punto drew a walk but Saltalamacchia popped up to left to end the inning.

Scott dropped a base hit in front of Ross to start the top of the sixth but Zobrist struck out swinging. Joyce hit into a double play to end the inning. McDonald led off the bottom of the sixth with a ground out to third and Aviles lined out to Keppinger. Pedroia lined a base hit to left but Gonzalez grounded back to the first to end the inning.

Bard ran out of gas in the top of the seventh inning as Keppinger grounded out to third to start. Molina was called out on strikes but Rodriguez walked. Jennings dumped a base hit to center on Bard's 102nd pitch. Despite clear signs that he was finished, Valentine stood there and let Bard pitch to Pena. Pena walked and Bard was up to 107 pitches yet Valentine kept him out there. Longoria walked on four pitches not even close and FINALLY Valentine pulled him. Bobby still thinking its 1992 when the starters went 8 innings cost the Sox big time as Bard left after walking 7 batters but allowing 1 run in 6 2/3 innings. Justin Thomas came in to pitch and got Scott to fly out to right to end the inning with the Rays ahead 1-0.

                                                                   Bard deserved better

Reid Brignac took over for Keppinger to start the bottom of the seventh and Ortiz popped up to third to start. Ross got a base hit to left but Sweeney banged into a double play to end the inning.

Thomas returned for the top of the eighth and Zobrist beat out a roller to short to start. Matt Joyce popped up to short and Zobrist was thrown out trying to steal. Brignac struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Punto struck out swinging to start. Saltalamacchia grounded out to second and McDonald grounded out to short to end the inning.

Matt Albers came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Molina grounded back to the mound to start. Rodriguez singled to center but Jennings lined out to center. Pena singled to right to move Rodriguez to third but Longoria was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Shields came back to complete his work in the bottom of the ninth and Aviles grounded out to short to start. Pedroia walked to chase Shields. Fernando Rodney came in to close out the game and Gonzalez moved Dustin to second with a ground out to first. Ortiz was intentionally walked and Jason Repko came in to run for him. Ross was called out on strikes on pitches not even close to end the game. The Rays had blanked the Sox and won the game 1-0.

                                                             Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Ryan Sweeney. He was 0 for 3 with a strikeout including failing with men on base twice.

                                                      Ryan Jackass

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Cody Ross was 2 for 4.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Daniel Bard allowed just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings of work. He allowed 4 hits, walked 7 and struck out 7.

Justin Thomas tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Matt Albers pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Mike Aviles was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 3.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but walked.

Nick Punto was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Jason Repko pinch ran for Ortiz in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Forget the game for a second, clubhouse dissention goes far beyond a single loss. What Valentine did was ruffle the feathers of a clubhouse that's already on edge after last year's collapse. Valentine was notorious for pushing buttons as a manager in the 80's and 90's but this is 2012. Not to mention if he was trying to light a fire under Youkilis and the team by calling him out, he failed big time. The Sox had no trouble scoring against the Rays the first three games and didn't push a single run across in today's game. Bard pitched his ass off and ran out of gas in the seventh inning. Valentine left him in to rot but it didn't matter anyway because Shields shut the Sox down the whole game. Why Valentine let him throw that many pitches in April is another head scratcher, maybe he still thinks its 1992 when starters went the distance no matter what. Either way Bard took the loss mainly because of the offense, not so much of Valentine falling asleep in the dugout. The Sox now welcome the Texas Rangers in for a set and the first game will be tomorrow night. Jon Lester (0-1) goes for the Sox against Colby Lewis of the Rangers. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Falls Short in Toronto (4/10/12)

Another game, another loss for the Boston Red Sox. Converted starter Daniel Bard (0-1, 9.00 ERA) got knocked out in the sixth inning with the Sox trailing 3-1. The Sox bullpen poured gas on the fire by allowing 4 more runs to seemingly put the game out of reach. Meanwhile Kyle Drabek held the Sox in check by nearly throwing 6 full innings of 1 run ball. Somehow the Sox pulled off a rally in the ninth inning to cut the lead to 7-3 with two runners on. David Ortiz then watched strike three go by to end the game. The Sox have played 5 games this season and have lost 4 of them including this one 7-3 at the Skydome.

                                                     "These guys can't win ANYTHING!"

Drabek got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to third to start. Dustin Pedroia took strike three on the outside corner and Adrian Gonzalez hit a looper to Brett Lawrie to end the inning. The Jays wasted no time getting to Bard in the bottom of the first as Yunel Escobar dropped a base hit to left on the first pitch. Kelly Johnson popped up to Nick Punto and Jose Bautista flied out to right. Adam Lind doubled just inside the third base line and Edwin Encarnacion scored Escobar with a shot to short that Punto couldn't handle. Edwin swiped second but Lawrie struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                       "I don't got it" - Punto

David Ortiz led off the top of the second by striking out swinging to start. Kevin Youkilis doubled off the top of the right field wall and Ryan Sweeney walked. Cody Ross struck out swinging on a high fastball and Jarrod Saltalamaccchia took strike three to end the inning. Bard settled down in the bottom of the second as Eric Thames grounded out to short to start. JP Arencibia whiffed on an 83 mph slider and Rasmus grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Punto popped up to center to start. Ellsbury grounded out to second and Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the third as Escobar flared a base hit to center to start. Johnson singled past Pedroia but Bautista whiffed on a 97 mph fastball. Lind singled up the middle to score Escobar and Sox pitching coach Bob McClure sprinted to the mound to tell Bard to throw strikes. Encarnacion flied out to center but Lawrie chopped a base hit to right. Johnson came around to score with Sweeney's throw too late to increase the lead. Thames went around for strike three to end the inning with the Jays ahead 3-0.

                                                           Johnson is safe

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Gonzalez grounded out to third to start. Ortiz flied out to left and Youkilis grounded out to short to end the inning. Bard got Arencibia to ground out to third to begin the bottom of the fourth before Rasmus flied out to left. Escobar took strike three to end the inning.

Sweeney grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth but Ross doubled off the left field wall. Saltalmacchia lined out to Bautista and Punto popped up to short to end the inning. Bard cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Pedroia made a great diving catch to rob Johnson of a hit to start. Bautista struck out swinging and Lind grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox finally got to Drabek in the top of the sixth as Ellsbury walked to start. Pedroia smashed a double to center and Ellsbury scored on the sac fly by Gonzalez. Ortiz walked to chase Drabek as Jason Frasor came in to pitch to Youkilis. Youk banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were down 3-1.

                                                    Sox get a run back

Bard ran out of gas in the bottom of the sixth as Encarncion walked to start the bottom of the frame. Encarnacion stole second and took third on the infield single to short by Lawrie. That was it for Bard who was lifted after 96 pitches in 5 innings of work. Justin Thomas came in to pour gas on the fire as Lawrie stole second and Thames walked to load the bases. Arencibia lashed a base hit up the middle to score Encarnacion and Lawrie to break the game open. Thames moved to third on the hit and he scored on the Rasmus sac fly to ice the game. Arencibia moved to second on the grounder to short by Escobar and Johnson grounded out to first to end the inning with the Jays ahead 6-1.

                                              "You sucked tonight." - Saltalamacchia

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh when Sweeney doubled to the left field wall to begin. Ross took strike three but Saltalmacchia walked. Punto flied out to left and Jays manager John Farrell brought in Luis Perez to pitch to Ellsbury. Ellsbury popped up to Escobar to end the inning. Michael Bowden came in to get tagged in the bottom of the seventh as Bautista struck out swinging to start. Lind popped up to Punto but Encarnacion hit one all the way to Hamilton, Ontario to increase the lead. Lawrie grounded out to short to end the inning with the Jays up 7-1.

                                                          Edwin jacks one out

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the eighth as Pedroia beat out a roller to third base to start. Gonzalez flied out to center and Ortiz flied out to the left field warning track, but Youkilis grounded a base hit up the middle. Sweeney struck out swinging to put the Sox 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position as the inning ended. Bowden returned for the bottom of the eighth and Thames hit a grounder right back to him. Bowden threw wide of first but it was ruled a hit. Arencibia took a 92 mph fastball on the outside corner for strike three before Rasmus went down hacking at an 86 mph slider. Escobar flied out to center to end the inning.

Casey Jannsen came in to close out the top of the ninth and things looked bleak when Ross struck out swinging to start. Saltlamacchia struck out swinging but Punto chopped a seeing eye single into right for a base hit. Ellsbury drew a walk and Pedroia lashed a base hit to left to load the bases. Gonzalez ripped a ground rule double down the right field line to score Punto and Ellsbury to cut the lead. Ortiz took a 92 mph fastball down the middle for strike three to end the game. The Jays had held on to win the game 7-3.

                                                           Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Justin Thomas. Thomas turned a 3-1 game into 6-1 by allowing 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own in the sixth inning.

                                                       Justin The Jackass

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5.

Kevin Youkilis was 2 for 4.

Ryan Sweeney was 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

Daniel Bard was charged with 5 runs in 5 plus innings to take the loss. He allowed 8 hits and a walk while striking out 6.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored two runs.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 3 runs.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Cody Ross was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Nick Punto was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Michael Bowden served up a home run to Encarnacion in two innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Its as if 2011 never ended it seems for the Red Sox. They went 7-20 last September and have lost 4 of the first 5 games they've played this season. Daniel Bard was supposed to be stretched out to be a starter but he ran out of gas in the 6th inning. Then again he threw damn near 100 pitches just to get to that point, hopefully he can get some better control as the year goes on. The offense once again did nothing until it was too late and Carl Crawford being out hurts, but he's not THAT important. There's no reason why perennial MVP candidates like Gonzalez, Ortiz, Ellsbury and Pedroia can't combine with Youkilis and Ross to create a power lineup. There were rumors that Sox manager Bobby Valentine wasn't getting along with the team but it can't be THAT bad can it? All in all the Sox look just as lifeless as they did in September and you can't blame Terry Francona or Theo Epstein anymore. The Sox have all season to turn things around so this is no time to panic. The Sox look to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon when Jon Lester gets the start for Boston against Ricky Romero of the Blue Jays. The game begins at 12:30 PM at the Skydome.

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.

Sox Comeback Falls Short in Baltimore (4/27/11)

The good news was the Boston Bruins knocked out the Montreal Canadiens with their overtime victory in their NHL playoff Game 7 showdown, the bad news was the Boston Red Sox rallied from down 4-0 to tie the Baltimore Orioles....only for the O's to score the winning run in the eighth to win the game. Josh Beckett got tagged for 4 runs in 6 innings and the Sox trailed 4-0 going into the top of the eighth inning. Suddenly Adrian Gonzalez drove in a run and Kevin Youkilis smashed a 3 run home run to tie the game. All the feel good momentum was squandered in the bottom of the eighth inning when Vladimir Guerrero tagged Daniel Bard (0-3, 3.97 ERA) for a run to put the O's back on top. Kevin Gregg slammed the door in the ninth inning and the O's had won it 5-4 at Camden Yards.

  

Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a base hit to left. Dustin Pedroia flied out to left but JD Martinez doubled to right. Kevin Youkilis struck out swinging and David Ortiz popped up to short to end the inning. Beckett got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brian Roberts flied out to left to start. Nick Markakis grounded out to second but Derrek Lee singled off Beckett. Vladimir Guerrero popped up to right to end the inning.

JD Drew singled to right to start the top of the second but Jed Lowrie struck out swinging. Carl Crawford banged into a double play to end the inning. Beckett cruised in the bottom of the second as Luke Scott flied out to left to start. Adam Jones lined out to first and Mark Reynolds grounded out to third to end the inning.

Jason Varitek struck out swinging to begin the top of the third before Ellsbury took strike three. Pedroia watched strike three to begin the inning. Beckett dominated the bottom of the third as Matt Wieters struck out looking to start. Robert Andino also took strike three and Roberts flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Gonzalez flied out to left to start. Youkilis also flied out to left but Ortiz dumped a base hit to center. Drew walked and Lowrie got a base hit to right. Ortiz came around third and slid.....OUT! Ortiz was thrown out at home to end the inning.

                                                        Yerrrr out!

The O's pounced on Beckett in the bottom of the fourth although Markakis whiffed on a changeup to start. Things went south as Pedroia and Ellsbury let a pop up by Lee drop for a double and Guerrero popped up to short. Scott and Jones then blasted back to back home runs to Argentina to give the O's the lead. Reynolds lined out to left to end the inning but the O's led 3-0.

                                                          Scott gives the O's the lead

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Crawford flied out to left in foul territory to start. Varitek grounded out to short but Ellsbury doubled to center. Pedroia hit a bullet but right to Guthrie to end the inning. The O's got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Wieters singled to right to begin. Andino beat out a bunt single and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Roberts scored Wieters with a sac fly to right and Andino moved to third. Markakis grounded out to second and Lee grounded out to short to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-0.

                                                      O's increase the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Gonzalez went down hacking to start. Youkilis flied out to right but Ortiz dropped a hit to right. Drew flied out to center to end the inning. Beckett came back for one more inning in the bottom of the sixth as Guerrero popped up to first to start. Scott flied out to center but Jones doubled down the left field line. Reynolds struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Beckett who allowed 4 runs in 6 innings of work.

                                                Too many homers allowed by Beckett

Jeremy Accardo came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Lowrie struck out swinging to start. Crawford flied out to left and Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning. Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Wieters struck out swinging to start. Andino flied out to center and Roberts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the top of the eighth as Ellsbury singled to right to start. Pedroia walked to chase Accardo and Clay Rapada came in to pitch to Gonzalez and Adrian singled home Ellsbury to cut the lead. Koji Uehara was summoned to pitch to Youkilis and somehow Youk homered just over the left field wall to tie the game. Ortiz flied out to left but Drew walked to put the go-ahead run on. Lowrie struck out swinging and Crawford flied out to center to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 4-4.

                                                  Youkilis ties the game

Just as soon as the Sox tied it, the O's took the lead back against Daniel Bard in the bottom of the eighth. Markakis and Lee stroked back to back base hits before moving over on a passed ball. Varitek muffed a second pitch and Markakis made a mad dash home. Varitek gunned the throw to Bard who blocked off Nick's arm and made the tag for the out. Too bad Guerrero then hit a grounder up the middle to score Lee with the go-ahead run. Scott flied out to left and Jones whiffed to end the inning but the O's had taken the lead 5-4.

                                                          O's take the lead

Felix Pie took over for Scott in left with Kevin Gregg on the mound for the top of the ninth. Marco Scutaro pinch hit for Varitek and flied out to right to start. Ellsbury popped up to third and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the game. The O's had held on to win 5-4.

                                                          Dammit

Jackass of the Night is Daniel Bard. He allowed the run in the eighth after the Sox had tied it.

                                                             Cover your face, Jackass

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4.

JD Drew was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Tim Wakefield pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Carl Crawford was 0 for 4.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Marco Scutaro was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Jed Lowrie was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Josh Beckett allowed 4 runs in 6 innings of work. He gave up 7 hits and struck out 4.

Final Thoughts:

Good grief that was a let-down. The Sox looked lifeless for seven innings only to rally in the eighth inning. Naturally just like everything else this month, they found a way to screw it all up. Beckett was mortal tonight but even so, the Sox shouldn't have had to rally in the eighth like that after the way they had been hitting the last two weeks. Crawford continues to struggle offensively but Youkilis, Varitek and Scutaro isn't doing much either....apart from the 3 run homer Youk hit. Still, to look lifeless for seven innings and still make a game of it shows this offense will be dangerous moving forward. Bard is a damn good pitcher but that was inexcusable to allow that run after making a good play to get the out at home. Its been that kind of month where nothing ends well no matter how good things are going. Tomorrow night the Sox look to avoid a series sweep when they send Jon Lester (2-1) to the mound up against Brad Bergesen of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.