Astros Blank Sox, Win Pennant (10/22/21)

As expected, the 2021 season has come to an end for the Boston Red Sox in emphatic fashion. The Houston Astros held the Red Sox to 3 runs in the last 3 games including none tonight in Game 6 of the American League Championship Series. Luis Garcia Jr tossed 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball while the red hot Houston bullpen didn't allow a run the rest of the way. Meanwhile Red Sox manager Alex Cora fufilled his own prophecy when he yanked Nathan Eovaldi in the fifth inning only down 1-0. The Astros got a run against Josh Taylor & Tanner Houck in the sixth and Kyle Tucker hit the exclamation point with a three run home run off Adam Ottavino. Ryan Pessly slammed the door in the ninth and the Astros won the American League Pennant with their 5-0 victory in Game 6 at Minute Maid Park.

                                                         Astros win the pennant

Garcia Jr got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kyle Schwarber swung and missed for strike three but took first on a passed ball. Kike Hernandez grounded out to second to move Schwarber to second and Kyle moved to third on the fly ball to center by Rafael Devers. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. The Astros wasted no time getting to Eovaldi in the bottom of the first although Jose Altruve grounded out to second to start. Michael Brantley popped up to second before Alex Bregman poked a base hit to left. Yordan Alvarez hit a fly ball that Alex Verdugo slid and missed for a double to score Bregman. Carlos Correa flied out to left to end the inning but the game was over already with the Sox down 1-0.

                                                         Alvarez gets it done

JD Martinez struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Verdugo walked. Christian Arroyo and Hunter Renfroe both popped up to Altuve to end the inning. Eovaldi recovered in the bottom of the second as Kyle Tucker grounded out to short to start. Yuli Gurriel flied out to center and Verdugo made a diving catch to rob Chas McCormick of a double to end the inning.

Kevin Plawecki grounded out to third to begin the top of the third before Schwarber struck out swinging. Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Martin Maldonado grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Altuve flied out to center. Brantley flied out to right to end the inning.

Devers popped up to short to start the top of the fourth and Bogaerts grounded out to third. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Astros threatened in the bottom of the fourth as Bregman got a base hit to right to start. Alvarez doubled to left but Correa struck out swinging. Tucker struck out swinging but Gurriel was intentionally walked. McCormick struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox failed to pick up Eovaldi in the top of the fifth as Verdugo lined out to third to start. Arroyo and Renfroe both struck out swinging to end the inning. Maldonado got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Altuve struck out swinging. All of a sudden Sox manager Alex Cora came to take the ball from Eovaldi. In a do or die game, he pulled his starter after 13 outs. Eovaldi allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings off 5 hits and a walk. Josh Taylor came in and Brantley forced Maldonado at second before Bregman forced Brantley at second to end the inning.

                                                       Bye bye Eovaldi

Danny Santana pinch hit for Plawecki to start the top of the sixth and struck out swinging. Schwarber flied out to left but Hernandez hit a triple off the top of the left field wall to chase Garcia Jr. Phil Maton came in to pitch to Devers and Rafael popped up to Corea to end the inning. The Astros struck again in the bottom of the sixth with Christian Vazquez behind the plate as Alvarez tripled into the right field corner to start. Sox manager Alex Cora panicked and brought in Tanner Houck to pitch to Correa and he plunked him. Tucker grounded into a double play but Alvarez scored to ice the game. Gurriel grounded out to second to end the inning with the Astros up 2-0.

                                                          ALCS MVP Alvarez

Kendall Graveman came in to pitch the top of the seventh as Bogaerts took strike three to start. Martinez walked and Verdugo got a base hit to right. Once again Sox manager Alex Cora panicked by bringing in Travis Shaw to pinch hit for Arroyo. Shaw struck out swinging and Verdugo was gunned down at second trying to steal to end the inning. The crowd exploded and it was very clear the Red Sox were done. McCormick lined out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Maldonado struck out swinging. Altuve flied out to center to end the inning.

Defying all logic, Cora pinch hit Bobby Dalbec for Renfroe to start the top of the eighth with Ryan Stanek on the mound and he flied out to center to start. Vazquez popped up to first and Schwarber popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox had just two hits in a do or die situation, pathetic. The Astros got the exclamation point in the bottom of the eighth as Brantley got a base hit to center but Bregman popped up to first. Alvarez got a base hit to center meaning he had more hits by himself than the entire Sox team. Like everything else, Alex Cora made the wrong decision by bringing in Adam Ottavino to pitch. Correa forced Brantley at third but Tucker clobbered a three run homer to effectively end the series. Gurriel got a base hit to left and stole second, but McCormick flied out to right to end the inning with the Astros up 5-0.

                                                             That'll do it

Ryan Pressly came in to close out the top of the ninth and Hernandez flied out to center to start. Devers struck out swinging and Bogaerts flied out to left to end the game. The Astros had won the AL pennant with a 5-0 win.

                                                            Congrats to the Astros

Jackass of The Night should be Alex Cora for his AWFUL managing decisions but I'll go with Adam Ottavino. Not that the Sox bats were going to do much, but he turned a 2-0 game into 5-0 with one home run.

                                                                 Jackass Ottavino

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 2 with a walk.

The Bad:

Kyle Schwarber was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw struck out as a pinch hitter.

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 1.

Danny Santana struck out as a pinch hitter

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 1.

Josh Taylor allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

Tanner Houck was charged with 2 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4.

JD Martinez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Nathan Eovaldi took the loss after allowing just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out four.

Final Thoughts:

What a way for the season to end. I suppose its less heartbreaking to be utterly dominated in three straight games than to lose a backbreaking Game 7 like in 2003. The Red Sox as a TEAM had 7 hits in the last two games and ALCS MVP Yordan Alvarez had 7 by himself. The pitching ran out of gas and now its clear to see why. Finally, FINALLY Alex Cora pulling the starters early all season long came back to haunt them. The bullpen had nothing left and it showed in the last few games. Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, Josh Taylor, etc had been used all season and it caught up to them. The bats totally evaporated in the final three games and they scored exactly 1 run after Bogaerts' home run off Zack Greinke in Game 4. The Astros earned this win big time, they wanted it more. So now the question becomes, how do they come back from this? Its clear they need another stud pitcher to go with Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi because Nick Pivetta, Tanner Houck and Martin Perez aren't going to get it done. The offense needs to find a way to keep Kyle Schwarber because he injected a lot of life into the team and sign Xander Bogaerts to an extension. The Sox had a hell of a bounce back season after finishing in last place in 2020 and have prospects for the future. To go from a laughingstock to two wins away from the world series is quite the turnaround. Hopefully 2022 will be a better end result with some good moves here and there. The only thing the Sox need to take a look at is Alex Cora's managerial style. What he did all season and in the playoffs CANNOT happen again, especially if they're in the exact same position next year. Here's to 2022 and goodbye to 2021.

Sox Walkoff Rays Again in Game 4, Advance to ALCS (10/11/21)

For five innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were going to cruise to the American League Championship Series in Game 4 of the American League Division Series against the Tampa Bay Rays. Eduardo Rodriguez had held the 100 win Rays to 1 run while the Red Sox offense pounded out 5 runs, 3 of which on a Rafael Devers home run. Then the Sox committed one of the biggest post-season chokes since Game 7 against the New York Yankees. Tanner Houck allowed a two run jack to Wander Franco in the sixth and Ryan Brasier allowed three straight hits to tie the game. Then the momentum shifted as Garrett Whitlock dominated the Rays the final two innings to send the stage for the bottom of the ninth. Christian Vazquez drew a leadoff walk and Christian Arroyo dropped down a bunt to move him over. Pinch hitter Travis Shaw hit a roller to Yandy Diaz who threw low to Ji-Man Choi to put runners at the corners. Kike Hernandez did the honors with a sac fly to left to score pinch runner Danny Santana to send the underdog Red Sox to the American League Championship Series with a 6-5 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                     WE'RE GOING TO THE ALCS!!

Eduardo Rodriguez got the ball to start the top of the first inning and got some help from his defense when Hunter Renfroe snared a line drive by Randy Arozarena to start. Wander Franco was frozen for strike three and the ice cold Brandon Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning. Collin McHugh got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Kyle Schwarber grounded out to short to start. Arozarena made a great running catch on a Kike Hernandez line drive but Rafael Devers dropped a base hit to right. Xander Bogaerts looked to have beat out a ground ball to short but Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged the call to overturn it for the third out to end the inning.

Rodriguez cruised in the top of the second as Nelson Cruz took strike three to start. Jordan Luplow struck out swinging and Yandy Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox just missed in the bottom of the second as Alex Verdugo flied out to the centerfield wall to start. Kevin Kiermaier made a great diving catch to rob JD Martinez of a hit before Hunter Renfroe also flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning.

Austin Meadows went down hacking to begin the top of the third before Mike Zunino popped up to second. Kiermaier grounded out to third to end the inning. Rays manager Kevin Cash made a fatal error by taking McHugh out and bringing in rookie Shane McClanahan to pitch the bottom of the third inning. Christian Vazquez got a base hit to center although Christian Arroyo flied out to right. Schwarber drew a walk but Hernandez flied out to left. Devers got the party started with a no doubt 3 run blast to center to put Boston on top. Bogaerts ripped a base hit to left and Verdugo belted a double off the Monster to score Xander. Martinez singled to left to score Verdugo and that was it for McClanahan. JT Chargois came in and Renfroe greeted him with a double to center. The game turned when Vazquez struck out to end the inning. The Sox led 5-0 but one more hit would have broke the Rays.

                                                             Devers hits a big bomb

Rodriguez did his part in the top of the fourth although Arozarena singled to right to start. Franco popped up to first, Lowe struck out swinging and Cruz popped up to second to end the inning. Andrew Kittredge came in for the bottom of the fourth and Arroyo grounded out to short to start. Schwarber popped up to second and Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Rays struck back in the top of the fifth inning as Luplow doubled to left to start. Diaz moved Luplow to third with a flyout to center and Jordan scored on the grounder to first by Meadows. Zunino grounded out to first to end the inning but the Rays were down 5-1.

                                                   Rodriguez looked good after 5

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Devers flied out to left to start. Bogaerts flied out to right and Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning.

Rodriguez returned to start the top of the sixth but Kiermaier led off with a double to left to chase him. He did his job but Tanner Houck did not when he came in. Arozarena flied out to center but Franco hit a ball all the way to Metlife Stadium in New Jersey to inch Tampa closer. Lowe struck out swinging again and Cruz flied out to right to end the inning but Tampa was down 5-3.

                                                         Arozarena with a bomb

Luis Patino came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Martinez dropped a base hit to left to start. Renfroe and Vazquez both struck out swinging before Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ji-Man Choi was sent in to pinch hit for Luplow but Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in lefty Josh Taylor. Taylor struck Choi out swinging before Diaz flied out to center. Meadows grounded out to second to end the inning. Josh Fleming came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and the Sox gagged. Schwarber grounded out to first to start before Hernandez singled to left. Devers ripped a base hit to center to put runners at the corners and chase Fleming. Pete Fairbanks came in and Bogaerts gagged by hitting into a double play to end the inning.

Cora then made the wrong move by sending in Ryan Brasier to pitch the top of the eighth. Bobby Dalbec came in to play first but Zunino doubled to right to start. Kiermaier got revenge for last night by doubling to right to score Zunino and Arozarena dumped a base hit to right. Renfroe threw home but missed Kiermaier scoring by a mile and Arozarena took second. That was it for Brasier as Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock was summoned to stop the bleeding with the game tied and a man on second with nobody out. Franco flied out to right but Renfroe's throw to third missed both Bogaerts and Devers, luckily Whitlock backed up the throw. Lowe grounded back to the mound and Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                            Rays tie it

Once again the Sox failed to score in the bottom of the eighth as Franco threw a ball hit by Verdugo away to start. Verdugo took second on the play but Martinez failed to advance him with a fly out to right. Renfroe then hit a ball to Kiermaier who gunned down Verdugo to end the inning....BUT WAIT! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Verdugo beat the tag. He did....but his hand came off the base and the call was upheld.

                                                     Yerrrrrr out!

Whitlock returned for the top of the ninth and Choi grounded out to first to start. Diaz grounded out to second and Meadows flied out to left to end the inning. JP Feyereisen came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Vazquez lined a base hit up the middle to start. Arroyo dropped down a perfect bunt to move Vazquez to second and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Dalbec. Shaw hit a little roller to third and Diaz threw low to Choi and both runners were safe. Danny Santana was sent in to run for Vazquez and Hernandez drove him in with a sac fly to left to win the game. The Sox had knocked out the Rays 3 games to 1 to head to the ALCS with a 6-5 Game 4 win.

                                                       RED SOX WIN!!!

Hero of the Night is Garrett Whitlock. It was a team effort to score the winning run but Whitlock getting out of the eighth inning without allowing the go-ahead run kept the Sox in the driver's seat. Not bad for a Rule 5 pick the Yankees gave up on.

                                               The Lock is your Game 4 Hero

The Good:

Travis Shaw got credited with a single as a pinch hitter in the ninth inning.

Rafael Devers was 3 for 4 with a 3 run home run.

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Danny Santana scored the winning run as a pinch runner.

Eduardo Rodriguez allowed just 2 runs in 5 plus innings of work. He struck out 6 and walked nobody.

Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Tanner Houck allowed a 2 run home run in the sixth inning.

Ryan Brasier allowed 2 runs in the top of the eighth on 3 hits.

The Ugly:

Kyle Schwarber was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but drove in the winning run with a sac fly.

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

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 3 but dropped down a key bunt in the ninth inning.

Honorable Mention:

Bobby Dalbec played first base in the last two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Say whatever you want about the faults and negatives of the Red Sox but they have balls of steel. Finishing the season 30-31 after July turned a lot of fans off and losing 5 of 6 to the Yankees and the 110 loss Baltimore Orioles to end September made things look bleak. Even after the Sox knocked the Yankees out of the Wild Card game, they got steamrolled in Game 1 in Tampa and were down 5-2 in the second inning of Game 2 with Chris Sale finished. Its been all Red Sox ever since and they showed poise and balls to win the series. This game had great and bad defense from both teams and it came down to who wanted it more. Chaim Bloom looks like a genius after trading for Nick Pivetta who saved their bacon in Game 3 and stealing Whitlock from the Yankees in the Rule 5 draft. Not to mention getting Schwarber for a low level prospect and Shaw for free bolstered this team's bench considerably. Before the season Cora was excited the Sox signed Hernandez and he was the difference maker in this series. The criticism of Cora was pulling starters too early all season and it ruined the bullpen by July, but now in the playoffs even the starters are in the bullpen. Cora can mix and match all he wants and he's been burned by that only once tonight. Hats off to Rodriguez, Taylor and Whitlock for pitching well, especially E-Rod after his Game 1 disaster. You can say all you want about how Chris Sale is broken, the other starters are bums and the bullpen is on fumes...but one thing you can't say is they don't have heart. The last three games were all gutsy wins by the Sox and this one sent them to the American League Championship series. The Houston Astros and Chicago White Sox game got postponed to tomorrow due to rain so the Sox don't know who they'll be facing yet. Still, the Sox weren't expected to do anything this season after they tanked last year, they weren't supposed to beat the Yankees in a one game playoff and they sure as hell weren't expected to steamroll the Rays. Alex Cora deserves a lot of flack for essentially collapsing down the stretch but he's now 4-0 in playoff series for the Red Sox as manager. No matter what happens against Houston or Chicago, you can't deny how great this season has been. The Sox are going from last place at the end of 2020 to being four wins away from the World Series. Game 1 either in Chicago or Houston starts this Friday and nobody knows who's pitching yet. Until then its time to enjoy the ALDS victory.

On to the ALCS

Sox Rally Falls Short (9/10/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Chris Sale and Jonathan Arauz were placed on the COVID list and Austin Davis was placed on the paternity list. Congratulations to Davis! In their places Xander Bogaerts was finally activated from the Covid list, Darwinzon Hernandez was activated from the Injured List and Kaleb Ort was called up from Worcester. Ort was picked up from the New York Yankees in the Rule 5 draft with Garrett Whitlock and he had a good year for Worcester.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                      IN

In yet another crushing blow to the 2021 Red Sox season, the BoSox managed to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory against the Chicago White Sox. Tanner Houck (0-4, 3.54 ERA) once again failed to win a game as he lasted just 3 2/3 innings against the ChiSox. Jose Abreu hit a three run bomb in the bottom of the third before allowing another run in the fourth. The BoSox rallied with a Bobby Dalbec home run and a rally in the seventh inning. The BoSox had the tying run on in the seventh, eighth and ninth but couldn't cash in. The White Sox had beaten the Red Sox 4-3 at Comiskey Park.

                                                          Another gut wrenching loss

Carlos Rodon got the ball in the top of the first and Kike Hernandez lined out to right to start. Kyle Schwarber took strike three and Hunter Renfroe flied out to right to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Luis Robert Jr grounded back to the mound to start. Old pal Yoan Moncada walked but Jose Abreu struck out swinging. Eloy Jimenez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

Xander Bogaerts popped up to short to start the top of the second before Rafael Devers grounded out to second. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. Yasmani Grandal grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Gavin Sheets grounded out to short. Leury Garcia grounded out to first to end the inning.

Christian Vazquez got a base hit to center to start the top of the third before Danny Santana took strike three. A wild pitch moved Vazquez to second then took third when Grandal threw the ball away for an error. Jose Iglesias and Hernandez both struck out swinging to end the inning. The ChiSox struck first in the bottom of the third as Brian Goodwin flied out to center to start. Cesar Hernandez walked but Robert flied out to center. Moncada got a base hit to left and Abreu hit a home run all the way to Baltimore to put the ChiSox up for good. Jimenez singled to left and Grandal was hit with a pitch, but Eloy was picked off to end the inning with Chicago up 3-0.

                                                                   Game over

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Schwarber grounded out to second to begin. Renfroe struck out swinging to start but Bogaerts singled to left. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. The ChiSox chased Houck in the bottom of the fourth as Iglesias booted a grounder by Sheets to start. Garcia popped up to short but Goodwin walked. Hernandez beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Roberts got a base hit to right to score Sheets. That was it for Houck who got hammered for four runs in just 3 2/3 innings. Darwinzon Hernandez came in and hit Moncada to load the bases but Abreu grounded out to short to end the inning with Chicago ahead 4-0.

                                                           Houck gets hammered

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the fifth as Dalbec smashed his 21st home run of the season to cut the lead. Vazquez popped up to third, Santana popped up to first and Iglesias hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the BoSox down 4-1.

                                                           Home run Dalbec

Jimenez took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Grandal struck out swinging. Sheets walked but Garcia forced him at second to end the inning.

Former BoSox prospect Michael Kopech came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Schwarber took strike three but Renfroe walked. Bogaerts singled to left to chase Kopech. Aaron Bummer came in to face Devers and Rafael grounded out to short to end the inning. Michael Feliz came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Goodwin singled to center to begin. Hernandez forced Goodwin at center and Robert went down hacking. Moncada grounded out to short to end the inning.

The BoSox rallied in the top of the seventh with Billy Hamilton in left and Ryan Tepera now on the mound. Dalbec tripled to right but all Vazquez could do is score him with a ground out to second. Santana got a base hit to right and Alex Verdugo pinch hit for Iglesias. A wild pitch moved Santana to second and Verdugo singled to right to score Danny. Hernandez forced Verdugo at second and Garrett Crochet came in to face Schwarber. With the tying run at first....Schwarber flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Abreu walked to start. Jimenez took strike three, Grandal flied out to left and Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Old buddy Craig Kimbrel came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Renfroe took strike three. Bogaerts walked to put the tying run on but Devers popped up to third and Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Garcia grounded out to short to start. Goodwin walked and Hernandez blooped a single to right before Robert beat out a double play ball. Josh Taylor came in to face Moncada and hit him with a pitch to load the bases. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Liam Hendriks came in to close out the top of the ninth and Vazquez beat out a roller to short to start. Santana grounded out to second to move Vazquez to second but Verdugo grounded out to short. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Hernandez and flied out to center to end the game. The White Sox had won it 4-3. 

                                                               White Sox win

Jackass of The Night is Tanner Houck. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 4 runs in 3 2/3 innings.

                                                         Jackass Houck

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

Darwinzon Hernandez tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Michael Feliz pitched a scoreless inning.

Adam Ottavino tossed a scoreless inning.

Ryan Brasier got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

Josh Taylor got the final out of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Kyle Schwarber was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jose Iglesias was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Danny Santana was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

If the Red Sox miss the playoffs, games like this are going to be the ones they're kicking themselves over. The Sox fell behind early, rallied and couldn't complete the comeback. Its easy to see why, Alex Cora relied heavily on the bullpen and it crumbled. Now the warts in the rotation are showing as Houck failed to go four innings let alone five and things don't look good right now. There's still 19 games left in the season but the Sox are neck and neck with the New York Yankees for the wild card. The Sox need to go on a winning streak to at least put some distance between the two teams. Hats off to the bullpen in this one who didn't allow a run after Houck left the game. Too bad the Sox couldn't complete the comeback. The loss drops the Sox to 80-63, 9 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East and 1 game ahead of the New York Yankees for the wild card. The BoSox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the ChiSox. Connor Seabold is scheduled to make his major league debut opposite Dylan Cease of Chicago. The game begins at 7:10 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.

Sox Rally To Beat Rays (9/8/21)

With the season spiraling down the drain, the Boston Red Sox were just four outs away from being swept out of Boston by the Tampa Bay Rays. Shane McClanahan and the Tampa bullpen held the Sox scoreless through seven innings. Nathan Eovaldi held the Rays scoreless through seven innings himself to keep the Sox in the game. Josh Taylor then allowed a single by Brandon Lowe in the top of the eighth and Garrett Richards gave up an rbi single by Nelson Cruz to put Tampa on top. With Kyle Schwarber at first and two out, Hunter Renfroe hit a two run bomb off JT Chargois to put Boston ahead. If that wasn't enough, Renfroe threw out Joey Wendle at third trying to stretch a double for the final out. The Sox saved their season with a come from behind 2-1 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                       Jill Valentine approves of the win

Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first and Brandon Lowe led off with a base hit to center. Wander Franco lined out to center and Lowe moved to second on a grounder to second by Cruz. Austin Meadows popped up to third to end the inning. McClanahan got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez flied out to center to start. Hunter Renfroe grounded out to third but JD Martinez walked. Rafael Devers got a base hit to right but Bobby Dalbec lined out to right to end the inning.

Ji Man Choi struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Manny Margot flied out to center. Joey Wendle grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Kevin Plawecki grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second but Danny Santana singled to center. Santana stole second but Jose Iglesias struck out swinging.

Josh Lowe walked to start the top of the third before Mike Zunino popped up to first. Josh Lowe stole second and Brandon Lowe walked, but Franco lined out to center. Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning. Hernandez got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the third before being forced at second by Renfroe. Martinez flied out to center and Devers lined out to left to end the inning.

Meadows struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Choi also went down hacking. Margot got a base hit to right but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double by Renfroe to end the inning. Dalbec flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Plawecki struck out swinging. Santana lined out to right to end the inning.

Wendle struck out swinging to begin the top of the fifth but Josh Lowe got a swinging bunt single in front of the plate. Zunino and Brandon Lowe both struck out swinging to end the inning. Iglesias lined out to left to begin the bottom of the fifth before Arauz struck out swinging. Hernandez lined out to left to end the inning.

Franco grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth and Cruz popped up to short. Meadows struck out swinging to end the inning. Andrew Kittredge came in for McClanahan in the bottom of the sixth and Renfroe got a base hit to right to start. Martinez banged into a double play and Devers went down hacking to end the inning.

Eovaldi came back for the top of the seventh and Choi grounded out to first to start. Margot and Wendle both grounded out to first to end the inning. Eovaldi tossed 7 innings of shutout ball allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8.

                                                             Great work Eovaldi

Pete Fairbanks came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Dalbec took strike three to start. Plawecki and Santana both went hacking to end the inning.

Josh Taylor came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Yandy Diaz pinch hit for Josh Lowe to start. Diaz grounded out to second and Zunino flied out to right. Brandon Lowe beat out a roller to second and that was it for Taylor. Garrett Richards came in and Franco walked before Cruz dropped a base hit to right to score Lowe. Meadows took strike three to end the inning with the Rays ahead 1-0.

                                                         Cruz puts Tampa ahead

Kevin Keirmaier took over at center with Matt Wisler on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. With the season on the line, Alex Verdugo pinch hit for Iglesias and got a base hit to right. JT Chargois came in to face Arauz but Sox manager Alex Cora pinch hit Kyle Schwarber for Arauz. Kyle forced Verdugo at second and Hernandez lined out to center. Down to their final four outs with the season slipping away, Renfroe pounded his 27th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Martinez doubled to left and Devers was intentionally walked, but Dalbec grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                                 Renfroe saves the season

Travis Shaw took over at first with Hansel Robles now on the mound to close out the top of the ninth. Choi and Margot struck out swinging but Wendle hit a gap shot into right field. Wendle had second base but tried to go to third, getting thrown out by none other than Renfroe to end the game. The Sox had shocked the Rays 2-1.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Hunter Renfroe. He hit the go-ahead two run home run and threw out the tying run at third to end the game.

                                                        Hero Renfroe

The Good:

JD Martinez was just 1 for 3 with a walk.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Danny Santana was 1 for 3 with a stolen base.

Alex Verdugo got a base hit as a pinch hitter.

Kyle Schwarber scored a run in the eighth inning.

Nathan Eovaldi tossed 7 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8.

Hansel Robles earned his 12th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jose Iglesias was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Josh Taylor was charged with a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4.

Garrett Richards vultured the win by allowing an inherited runner to score in 1/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

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

Final Thoughts:

In terms of regular season wins, this was a pretty important one. Not only are the Sox hanging on to the wild card for dear life, they need to beat the Rays if they have any hope of winning the division. Barring a collapse by Tampa, its not going to happen but the chance is there. Still, if the Sox want to focus their attention on New York, snatching a win from the jaws of victory was important. Eovaldi pitched very well but the offense was asleep for most of the game. Renfroe saved their bacon in the field and at the plate. Too bad the bullpen broke down over the course of the season or else they'd be odds on favorites to win it all. A win like this could propel them so hopefully good things are in store with 20 games left in the season. The win improved the Sox to 80-42, 9 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night in Chicago for a set with the White Sox. Tanner Houck (0-4, 3.54 ERA) gets the start for Boston against Carlos Rodon for Chicago. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.

Five Run Seventh Sinks Indians (9/3/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Jarren Duran was placed on the Covid List and Connor Wong was called up from Worcester to take his place. The Sox need Xander Bogaerts back and losing Duran as well isn't going to help.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                  IN

As for the game, the Sox are getting interesting. After looking dead in the water for most of August, the Sox took a big step toward October baseball by dispatching the Cleveland Indians in tonight's game. The Sox broke out to a 2-0 lead on home runs by Kyle Schwarber and Kevin Plawecki but Jose Ramirez of the Indians hit one as well. Jonathan Arauz hit one out in the fourth but the Indians tied the game in the seventh with an Austin Hedges home run off Nathan Eovaldi. In the bottom of the seventh, the Sox rallied for five runs off a Schwarber double and Hunter Renfroe three run homer. Garrett Whitlock ran into trouble in the ninth but locked down his second save of the season as the Sox won the game 8-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Jenny Lewis approves of the win

Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first inning and Myles Straw struck out swinging to start. Amed Rosario grounded out to short but Jose Ramirez doubled to left. Franmil Reyes took strike three to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Quantrill in the bottom of the first as Kyle Schwarber smashed his 29th home run of the season to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to second, JD Martinez struck out swinging and Alex Verdugo grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                              Schwarber puts the Sox up early

Bradley Zimmer lined out to left to start the top of the second before Oscar Mercado grounded out to short. Bobby Bradley flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the second although Hunter Renfroe popped up to short to start. Somehow Kevin Plawecki crushed his second home run of the season and Bobby Dalbec popped up to short. Jack Lopez doubled to center but Jonathan Arauz grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                        Plawecki hits one out

Eovaldi turned up the heat in the top of the third as Austin Hedges struck out swinging to start. Andres Gimenez struck out swinging but Straw walked. Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the third as Schwarber struck out swinging to start. Devers singled to center and moved to third on the base hit to left by Martinez. Verdugo walked to load the bases but Renfroe struck out swinging. Plawecki grounded into a force at second to end the inning.

The Indians got a run back in the top of the fourth as Ramirez instantly hit a home run all the way to Saturn to start. Reyes grounded out to second, Zimmer struck out swinging and Mercado struck out swinging to end the inning with the Indians down 2-1.

                                                              Ramirez jacks one out

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the fourth as Dalbec took strike three to start. Lopez grounded out to second but Arauz somehow clobbered his second home run of the season to increase the lead. Schwarber grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                        Arauz joins the homer parade

Bradley walked to start the top of the fifth but Hedges flied out to left. Gimenez forced Bradley at second and Straw took strike three to end the inning. Devers took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Martinez grounded out to short. Verdugo took strike three to end the inning.

Rosario was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the top of the sixth before Ramirez grounded out to second. Reyes singled to right but Zimmer struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Renfroe popped up to short to start. Plawecki popped up to first and Dalbec grounded out to third to end the inning.

Eovaldi ran out of gas in the top of the seventh although Mercado grounded out to second to start. Bradley singled to right but Hedges hit a home run all the way to Italy to tie the game. Gimenez singled inside the first base bag and that was it for Eovaldi. He tossed a gutty game but left after 6 1/3 innings and 3 runs allowed. The one time Cora let a starter pitch and he falls apart, go figure. Adam Ottavino came in and Gimenez stole second base, but Straw took strike three. Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                            Eovaldi deserved better

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Travis Shaw pinch hit for Lopez to start. Shaw walked and Danny Santana ran for him. Arauz doubled to left and Trevor Stephan came in to pitch to Schwarber. Kyle responded with a double to center to score both runners to put the Sox on top. Devers and Martinez struck out swinging but Indians manager Terry Francona made the peculiar decision to intentionally walk Verdugo to get to Renfroe. Renfroe made Terry pay with his 26th home run of the year to ice the game. Plawecki singled to left to chase Stephan. Justin Garza came in to pitch who promptly walked both Dalbec and Santana. Arauz grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                                Renfroe caps the rally

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Reyes grounded out to second but Zimmer beat out a roller to second. Daniel Johnson pinch hit for Mercado and walked. Bradley ripped a base hit to left to score Zimmer and chase Brasier from the game. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in and Hedges flied out to right to end the inning with the Indians down 8-4.

                                                                 Indians get a run back

Sam Hentges came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Schwarber grounded out to second to start. Devers grounded out to short and Martinez lined out to first to end the inning.

Whitlock came back for the top of the ninth and Gimenez singled to right to start. Straw flied out to right but Rosario singled to center. Ramirez got a base hit to right to score Gimenez and bring the tying run to the plate. Reyes and Zimmer both struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won the game 8-5.

                                                                    Sox win

Hero of the Night is Kyle Schwarber. He hit a home run and drove in the go-ahead runs in the seventh.

                                                              Hero Schwarber

The Good:

Alex Verdugo walked twice in four at-bats and scored a run.

Kevin Plawecki was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Jack Lopez was 1 for 2.

Travis Shaw walked as a pinch hitter.

Danny Santana walked and scored a run.

Jonathan Arauz was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Nathan Eovaldi battled to toss 6 1/3 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 9.

The Bad:

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 3 run homer.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Garrett Whitlock earned the save but allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Another big win for the Sox and it comes at a big time. The Sox have a three game lead over the Oakland Athletics for the second wild card and trail the Yankees by 1.5 for the first. Winning the AL East down 8 games with 25 to play doesn't seem likely but jumping ahead of the Yankees is very managable. Beating the mediocre Indians is imperative if the Sox want to play in October. Eovaldi had a good start but wasn't able to close the deal in the seventh but Schwarber and Renfroe took care of that. The role players stepped up such as Shaw, Santana, Arauz and Plawecki to help the Sox to victory in this one. Its been a roller coaster season but a win like that is definitely one to be celebrated. If only the Sox can keep this momentum going for the next month. The win improved the Sox to 78-59, 8 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it four wins in a row and two straight against the Indians tomorrow afternoon. Tanner Houck gets the start for the Sox against Eli Morgan of Cleveland. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez, Sox Blank Rays (9/2/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Sox GM Chaim Bloom sent a sack of money to the Colorado Rockies for 31 year old utility infielder Taylor Motter. Motter was released after hitting .150 for the Rockies so he's just a depth piece for the end of Worcester's season and the end of this season if the Sox are out.

                                                                  IN

As for the game, way to go Eduardo Rodriguez (11-7,4.88 ERA). After the Sox desperately needed a win yesterday against the Tampa Bay Rays, Rodriguez shut out the Rays to inch the Sox closer back into the AL East race. E-Rod tossed 6 shutout innings while allowing just 4 hits and a walk to keep the Rays off the board. The Sox got to Rays starter Shane McClanahan for four runs, two of which were knocked in by Bobby Dalbec. Garrett Richards pitched in with 3 shutout innings to lock the game down and the Sox came away with the much needed victory 4-0 at Tropicana Field.

                                                    Jennifer Walcott approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to McClanahan in the top of the first inning as Hunter Renfroe singled to right to start. Kyle Schwarber took strike three and JD Martinez lined out to center. Rafael Devers singled to left and Bobby Dalbec singled to right to bring home Renfroe. Christian Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                            Dalbec drives in a run

Rodriguez began his dominance in the bottom of the first as Randy Arozarena grounded out to second to start. Nelson Cruz struck out swinging and Wander Franco grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

The Sox got another run in the top of the second inning as Danny Santana walked to start. Jack Lopez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Santana to second but Jonathan Arauz struck out swinging. Renfroe ripped a base hit to left to score Santana with another run. Schwarber struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                            Renfroe adds to the lead

Yandy Diaz grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second before Manny Margot flied out to left. Brandon Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning.

Martinez got a hit just past McClanahan to start the top of the third but Devers banged into a double play. Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. Mike Zunino singled to right to start the bottom of the third but Jordan Luplow banged into a double play. Taylor Walls struck out swinging to end the inning.

Vazquez flied out to right to start the top of the fourth before Santana grounded out to short. Lopez took strike three to end the inning. Rodriguez matched McClanahan by getting Arozarena to ground out to first to start the bottom of the fourth. Cruz popped up to second and Franco grounded out to short to end the inning.

Arauz walked to start the top of the fifth but Renfroe popped up to short. Schwarber singled to left and Martinez got a base hit to left to score Arauz with another run. Devers struck out swinging but Dalbec got another rbi single to center to score Schwarber. Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                    Dalbec drives in his second run

Diaz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Margot beat out a roller to short.  Lowe struck out swinging and Zunino flied out to right to end the inning.

Adam Conley came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Santana walked to start. Lopez flied out to center but Santana got thrown out trying to steal second. Arauz walked but Renfroe flied out to center to end the inning. Rodriguez returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and Luplow struck out swinging to begin. Walls singled to center but Arozarena flied out to right. Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Schwarber singled to right to start the top of the seventh before Martinez was rung up for strike three. Devers struck out swinging and Shawn Armstrong was brought in to face Dalbec. Dalbec watched strike three go by to end the inning. Garrett Richards came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Franco walked to start. Joey Wendle ran for Franco and Diaz singled to center. That was it for E-Rod who blanked the Rays for 6 plus innings while striking out six and allowing just 4 hits. Garrett Richards came in and Margot struck out swinging, then Lowe took strike three. Zunino flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                         Rodriguez was dominant

Vazquez grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth before Santana struck out swinging again. Lopez lined out to right to end the inning. Luplow popped up to third to begin the bottom of the eighth before Walls took strike three. Arozarena walked but Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning.

JP Feyereisen came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Arauz grounded out to first to start. Renfroe hit one up the elevator shaft and Schwarber grounded out to short to end the inning. Richards returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and Wendle squeaked a base hit past second to start. Diaz struck out swinging and Margot forced Wendle at second. Lowe flied out to right to end the game, the Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. He tossed 6 plus shutout innings allowing 4 hits and a walk while striking out 6.

                                                         E-Hero

The Good:

Hunter Renfroe was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Kyle Schwarber was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Danny Santana walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

Jonathan Arauz walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

Garrett Richards earned the save with 3 shutout innings.

The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jack Lopez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

That was a much needed win and it gives the Sox some needed momentum as the month of September begins. The Sox have 26 games to make up ground with Tampa and the New York Yankees. Not only did E-Rod pitch one of his best games of the season, Garrett Richards saved the bullpen with his performance. The offense was balanced and Dalbec having Schwarber light a fire a under his ass has been helpful as well. Only thing now is to get Xander Bogaerts back healthy because Jack Lopez isn't going to cut it for crucial September games. Beating the Rays two straight could be the tonic they needed to jump start them. Hopefully the rest of the rotation can follow E-Rod's lead. The win improved the Sox to 77-59, 8 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now come home for a weekend series with the Cleveland Indians. Nathan Eovaldi goes for the Sox up against Cal Quantrill of Cleveland. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.