Gibson, Twins Shut Down Sox (7/22/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Junichi Tazawa was activated off the Disabled List and Noe Ramirez was sent back to Worcester. The Sox bullpen was dangerously thin with Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrell out. Getting Tazawa back helps.

                                                                   OUT

                                                                       IN

So much for the Boston Red Sox high powered offense. Tonight Kyle Gibson had only two wins going into the season but tonight earned his third big time. Holding the Sox to just 2 hits and a walk in 8 innings, the Twins survived a ninth inning rally to defeat the Sox. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4, 6.70 ERA) was the hard luck loser but it would be the Twins that took the game 2-1 at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Eduardo Nunez greeted him by flying out to the right field warning track. Robbie Grossman singled to center but Joe Mauer whiffed. The alert Sandy Leon gunned down Grossman trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox got one of their only hits off Gibson 2 pitches into the top of the first when Mr. Mookie Betts swatted a solo home run into the Monster Seats to give the Sox the quick lead. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging but the ball got away so he made it to first. Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single but David Ortiz banged into a double play to kill the rally. Hanley Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                           Mookie puts the Sox on top

The Twins wasted no time tying in the game in the top of the second as Brian Dozier hit a 400,000 foot home run into the Atlantic Ocean to tie the game. Miguel Sano whiffed but Max Kepler singled to center. Kepler was erased on the force by Eduardo Escobar but Juan Centeno whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Dozier ties it up

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to start. Travis Shaw and Sandy Leon both flied out to right to end the inning.

Rodriguez settled down in the top of the third as Byron Buxton whiffed to start. Nunez grounded out to third before Grossman flied out to center to end the inning. Gibson began to dominate the bottom of the third as Brock "The Hitman" Holt whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third and Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning.

Rodriguez struck out Mauer to begin the top of the fourth but Dozier doubled to....BUT WAIT! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Dozier was out at second and he was indeed. Sano singled to right but Kepler looked at strike three to end the inning. Bogaerts whiffed to open the bottom of the fourth before Ortiz grounded out to third. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

All of a sudden Mookie Betts keeled over grabbing his hamstring and had to be hauled off in an ambulance headed to Mass General's ICU. Michael Martinez took over in right to begin the top of the fifth. Escobar lined out to center before Rodriguez snared a liner off the bat of Centeno. Buxton beat out an infield single to third but Nunez whiffed to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the fifth as JBJ flied out to right, Shaw whiffed and Leon popped up to third to end the inning.

The Twins struck in the top of the sixth although Grossman whiffed to start. Mauer walked and that was it for Rodriguez. The lefty lasted just 5 1/3 innings before Farrell pulled the plug although he didn't pitch bad. Heath Hembree came in and poured gas on the fire by walking Dozier and allowing an rbi double to Sano to put Minnesota on top. Sox manager John Farrell stormed out of the dugout and chased Hembree away, kicking dirt at him as Robbie Ross Jr was summoned. Kepler whiffed and Escobar flied out to right to end the inning with the Twins up 2-1.

                                                      Rodriguez deserved better

The Sox tried to rally when Holt walked to begin the bottom of the sixth but was forced at second by Martinez. Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning.

Ross dominated the top of the seventh although Centeno singled to center to begin. Buxton popped up a bunt back to Ross and Nunez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gibson cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Bogaerts flied out to center, Ortiz lined out to center and Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa came in for the top of the eighth and Grossman lined out to right to begin. Mauer grounded out to second but Dozier and Sano stroked back to back singles. Kepler flied out to center to end the inning. Eddie Rosario took over for Grossman in left as JBJ whiffed to open the bottom of the eighth. Shaw grounded out to second but Leon reached when Escobar dropped a pop up for an error. The Sox failed to capitalize as Holt grounded out to short to end the inning. Gibson had hurled 8 innings of 1 run ball, how???

Tommy Layne came in for the top of the ninth and Escobar grounded out to third to begin. Centeno was snuffed out on a bunt attempt before Buxton grounded out to third to end the inning. Brandon Kintzler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but the Sox refused to go quietly. Martinez and Pedroia stroked back to back singles before Bogaerts walked to load the bases with nobody out. The normally reliable Ortiz suddenly banged into a double play to kill any hope. Ramirez lined out to right to end the game. The Twins had won it 2-1.

                                                    Nice try Hanley


Jackass of the Night is David Ortiz. He was 0 for 4 including banging into two double plays in key spots, once in the first and once in the ninth.

                                                        Ortiz is the Jackass



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 2 with a solo home run before leaving.

Michael Martinez was 1 for 2.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Tommy Layne pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3.

Heath Hembree allowed a walk and an rbi double.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4.

Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but walked.

Eduardo Rodriguez took the loss but managed to toss 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball, normally that would be good enough for a win. He allowed 6 hits and struck out 8




Final Thoughts:

Have a day Kyle Gibson, the normally .500 pitcher pitched the game of his life at Fenway and had to be because Rodriguez kept pace. That was a beautiful and unlikely pitcher's duel but the wrong team came out on top. The big guns such as Ramirez and Ortiz didn't do much and the loss of Betts didn't help either. Hopefully Mookie just pulled a hammy but you never know. Games like this happen so there's no need to panic but the Sox can't afford to lose ground with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles neck and neck with the Sox in the AL East race. The less said about this offensive ineptitude the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-40, 0.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action at home against the Twins. David Price goes for the Sox up against Ricky Nolasco at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Sweep Sox, Ortiz Retires (10/10/16)

Well that's that. A season of redemption after two last place finishes for the Boston Red Sox comes to an end in short order in the 2016 ALDS at the hands of the advancing Cleveland Indians. The Sox dropped the game 4-3 and sent David Ortiz off into retirement without one last ring. A crushing end to what was a successful season less than two weeks ago when the Sox ripped off 11 straight wins to take control of the AL East Division crown. Good luck to Terry Francona, Coco Crisp and Andrew Miller in the ALCS.

                                               Good luck Indians against the Blue Jays

Clay Buchholz got the start for the Red Sox and immediately Carlos Santana greeted him with an infield single. Jason Kipnis struck out but Fransisco Lindor singled as well. Mike Napoli lined out and Jose Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning. Josh Tomlin got the start for Cleveland and the Sox offered little resistance in the bottom of the first inning. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third, Brock "Hitman" Holt grounded out to second and Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to right to end the inning.

Lonnie Chisenhall poked one into center for a leadoff single in the top of the second. Coco Crisp flied out and Tyler Naquin struck out. Roberto Perez grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance to take the lead in the bottom of the second. David Ortiz worked a walk but Hanley Ramirez flied out. Xander Bogaerts singled but Andrew Benintendi banged into a double play to end the inning.

Buchholz battled in the top of the third inning as Santana grounded out to start. Kipnis struck out but Lindor doubled into the gap. Napoli grounded out to end the inning. Once again the Sox mustered no offense in the bottom of the third. Sandy Leon and Jackie Bradley Jr both looked at strike three as Pedroia grounded out to end the frame.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth. Ramirez singled and Chisenhall walked. Crisp bunted both runners over and they both scored on the Naquin single. Perez grounded out and Santana whiffed but the damage was done, the Indians had a 2-0 lead. Could the Sox answer in the bottom of the fourth? Hell no! Hitman Holt struck out, Mr. Mookie flied out and David Ortiz grounded out to end the inning.

That was it for Buchholz as Drew Pomeranz came in to pitch the top of the fifth. Not a single Sox starter went past 5 innings in this series, nice going Buchholz.

                                                        Bye bye Buchholz

Kipnis struck out, Lindor popped out and Napoli whiffed in short order. The Sox finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Ramirez flied out but Bogaerts singled. Benny The Kid doubled home Bogaerts but Leon whiffed. JBJ grounded out but the Sox were back in it 2-1.

                                                Bogaerts slides in safely and its 2-0.

Just when the crowd was back in it, the Indians in the top of the sixth quieted it. Ramirez walked and Chisenhall bunted him over to second. Coco Crisp was benched for the 2007 World Series in favor of Jacoby Ellsbury and he finally got his revenge by launching a 2 run home run into the Monster seats to give the Indians a 4-1 lead.

                                              Crisp with one final F-U to the Red Sox

Rajai Davis pinch hit for Tyler Naquin and Sox manager John Farrell pulled Pomeranz for Joe Kelly. The big trade deadline acquisition had crapped himself one last time. Davis popped up and Perez grounded out to end the inning. Why Farrell decided to bring in Pomeranz and not Kelly the whole time just cost them 2 crucial runs.

                                                        "Thanks a lot you bum" - JF

 Indians manager Terry Francona wasted no time in bringing in Andrew Miller with a 3 run lead. Somehow the Sox tagged him. Pedroia singled and Aaron Hill pinch hit for Holt, only to strike out. Nice going Farrell. Mr. Mookie doubled and Ortiz drove in his final run with a sac fly to cut the lead in half 4-2. Ramirez struck out to end the inning.

                                                The last RBI for Big Papi

Kelly returned for the top of the seventh with Hill now at third base. Santana grounded out, Kipnis popped up and Lindor struck out to end the inning in short order. Miller came back for the bottom of the seventh and Bogaerts grounded out. Chris Young pinch hit for Benny The Kid and worked a walk. Leon lined out and JBJ struck out to end the inning.

Young stayed in left field as Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning. Napoli struck out, Ramirez flied out and Chisenhall grounded out to end the inning. Bryan Shaw relieved Miller in the bottom of the eighth and got Pedroia to strike out. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Hill and singled but was erased on the Mr. Mookie fielder's choice. Ortiz walked and Ramirez singled home Mookie to pull within one. John Farrell made another stupid move by pinch running Marco Hernandez for David Ortiz. The crowd reigned down boo's as Ortiz was out of his possibly final game. Sure enough the move backfired as Bogaerts lined out to end the inning but the Sox had cut the lead to 4-3.

                                                      Regular season star, Postseason dud

Shaw stayed at third base as Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came on to pitch the top of the ninth. Michael Martinez pinch hit for Coco Crisp and struck out. Davis struck out and Perez hit one up the elevator shaft to end it. Indians closer Cody Allen took the mound to close out the bottom of the ninth. Young flied out and Leon struck out, but JBJ singled. Pedroia walked to put the tying run in scoring position but Shaw flied out to right to end the game. The Indians had won 4-3 and swept the Red Sox out of the ALDS. A pathetic end to a promising season.

                                                  Good luck Terry

Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. Yes Drew Pomeranz gave up the deciding home run but Buchholz was about as ineffective as it got in 4 innings of work. He gave up 6 hits and a walk to go along with the 2 runs allowed.

                                           One last Jackass award for Buchholz


The Good:

In his final game, David Ortiz walked twice in 3 plate appearances before being lifted for Marco Hernandez

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 before being lifted for Chris Young

Joe Kelly tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Aaron Hill pinch hit for Holt and struck out

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a hat-trick of 3 strikeouts.

Drew Pomeranz gave up the two run bomb to Coco Crisp that ended up being the game decider.



The Ugly:

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

Travis Shaw singled in his first at bat but made the final out of the season with 2 men on.

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Chris Young was 0 for 1 but walked.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.


Honorable Mention:

Marco Hernandez pinch ran for David Ortiz in the bottom of the eighth.



Final Thoughts:

All good things must come to and end and unfortunately the Red Sox got it two-fold. Not only is their season over but that's it for David Ortiz. Arguably the most clutch post-season hitter of all time retires with 540 home runs, 3 world series rings and 14 years of memories. It hurts to say goodbye but at least Ortiz went out with one of the best seasons of his career. Its better to go out on top than as a pinch hitter on a crappy team 20 games out of first in August. This Red Sox team is beginning to gell with budding stars such as Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr with Andrew Benintendi almost the odds on favorite to win Rookie of the Year next year. If they can secure another starter, get Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez back healthy and sign Edwin Encarnarcion, the Sox will be right back in the playoffs next year for sure. Christian Vazquez should be back to full strength next year and Sam Travis could be waiitng in the wings to take over first base if Hanley Ramirez has a down season or if Travis Shaw slumps. As for this year, it was a hell of a ride. After two last place finishes to come back and win the division was a step in the right direction. The sky is the limit for the young bats in the lineup, let's see what next year holds.

                                               Goodbye David Ortiz and thank you.

Rays Stun Sox (8/30/16)

If the Boston Red Sox dont ultimately win the American League East this season, losses like tonight will be the reason why. In a game they needed to win, the Sox led 3-0 but the Tampa Bay Rays clawed their way back to not only tie the game, but win it with a pair of well timed homers. The Sox failed to touch the Tampa bullpen and the Rays shocked the Sox 4-3 at Fenway Park.

Drew Pomeranz got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Rays pounced on him. Logan Forsythe led off by grounding out to short to start but Brock "The Hitman" Holt misplayed a ball hit by Kevin Kiermaier for a double. Pomeranz froze Evan Longoria on an outside curve for strike three but Brad Miller lined a base hit off the glove of Dustin Pedroia for an rbi single. Matt Duffy grounded out to second to end the inning but the Rays were up 1-0.

                                                            1-0 Tampa

Dustin Pedroia returned to the lineup by beginning the bottom of the first with a bloop single to right against Jake Odorizzi. The Sox pissed on themselves as Xander Bogaerts whiffed badly on a hit and run and Pedroia was thrown out by a mile at second. David Ortiz grounded out weakly to short to end the inning.

Pomeranz came back for the top of the second inning and Tim Beckham whiffed on a 3-2 fastball. Steven Souza Jr walked on a full count but Corey Dickerson whiffed on a 94 mph fastball. Luke Maile whiffed as well to end the inning. Mr. Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the second by popping up to short to start before Hanley Ramirez popped up to second. Travis Shaw whiffed to end the inning.

Pomeranz opened the top of the third by getting Forsythe to pop up to right to start. Kiermaier popped up to left and Longoria was run up on a check swing in the dirt to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Holt grounded out to first, Bryan Holaday flied out to center and Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed to end the inning.

Miller opened the top of the fourth inning with a single up the middle but Duffy flied out to right. Beckham walked but Souza took an inside fastball for strike three. Dickerson popped up to short to end the inning. Odorizzi got Pedroia to ground back to the mound to begin the bottom of the fourth before Bogaerts popped up to short. Ortiz popped up to second to end the inning.

A graphic on NESN showed Dutch Leonard pitched a no-hitter on this day 100 years ago before the top of the fifth began. Pomeranz struck out Maile on a breaking ball in the dirt before Forsythe grounded out to third. Kiermaier hit a little squibber to Pedroia who gloved it to first for the third out to end the inning. Mr. Mookie popped up to center to begin the bottom of the fifth before Ramirez tucked a cheap 298 foot pop up home run right around the Pesky Pole to tie the game. Shaw whiffed on a high fastball up and away but Holt doubled off the Monster. Holaday whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                   Tie game!

Pomeranz returned for the top of the sixth and got Longoria to pop up to center to start. Miller popped up to Shaw into the shift before Duffy grounded out to short to end the inning. JBJ led off the bottom of the sixth with a pop up before Pedroia walked. Bogaerts doubled down the left field line and Souza made a diving catch to rob Ortiz of extra bases but Pedroia scored to give the Sox the lead. Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked and the Sox got a gift when Ramirez popped up to right but Miller and Souza got crossed up, letting the ball drop to score Bogaerts and advance Betts to third. Shaw earned the hat trick with his third strikeout to end the inning but it was 3-1 Sox.

                                                Ramirez gets it done again....by accident

Could Pomeranz pitch with the lead? NO! Beckham started off the top of the seventh with a single but Souza flied out to center. Dickerson whiffed on a high fastball but Maile crushed a 2 run home run into the Monster seats to tie the game. Sox manager John Farrell stormed out of the dugout and chucked a bag of sunflower seeds at Pomeranz as he ran off the mound. Pomeranz looked to be much improved until that home run, now leaving with a no decision at 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball.

                                                Good, but not good enough

Matt Barnes replaced Pomeranz and immediately walked Forsythe. The alert Holaday gunned down Logan trying to steal to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

Enny Romero took over for the bottom of the seventh as Chris Young pinch hit for Holt only to strike out swinging. Holoday grounded out to third before JBJ whiffed to end the inning.

The enigmatic Clay Buchholz was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pedroia made an outstanding stab to rob Kiermaier of a sure hit to begin. Longoria then crushed a home run completely out of Fenway to give the Rays the lead. Miller grounded out to first and Duffy grounded out to third to end the inning with the Rays ahead 4-3.

                                              Dammit Clay

The heart of the Sox order did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Pedroia grounded out to third, Bogaerts looked at strike three on the outside corner and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel hadn't pitched in 6 days so he was summoned to pitch the top of the ninth inning. Beckham took him for a single off the Monster on a 3-2 count before Nick Franklin pinch hit for Souza Jr, only to fly out to left. Dickerson flied out to deep right and the alert Beckham tagged up, moving to second. Pedroia made another play to make a bang bang throw to first on Maile.....OUT! But wait! Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged the call and sure enough Maile was ruled safe to put runners at the corners. Forsythe struck out to end the threat and the inning.

                                                 Pedroia making all the plays

Rays closer Alex Colome came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning and Mr. Mookie grounded out to second to begin. Ramirez put the tying run on with a single in the hole at second but Shaw earned the golden sombrero with his fourth strikeout of the game. Ramirez made it to second on a passed ball and Young walked to put the go-ahead run on. Sandy Leon pinch hit for Holoday but took strike three down the middle to end the game. The Rays had won it 4-3.

Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. He came in to protect a tie game and immediately coughed it up.

                                                   Clay the Jackass again


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 3 for 4 including 2 total rbis and a solo home run.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 before leaving the game.

Chris Young walked once in two plate appearances.

Drew Pomeranz pitched well even if he did give up the home run at the end. He ended with 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball.

Matt Barnes escaped the seventh inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Travis Shaw earned a golden sombrero by going 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts.

Bryan Holaday was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr earned a hat trick by going 0 for 3 with 3 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

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

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked.



Final Thoughts:

That was a backbreaking loss considering the Baltimore Orioles defeated the Toronto Blue Jays tonight in their respective game. The Sox could have been just 1 game back of Toronto had they were able to pull out the game. The problem with this year's team is they are complete frontrunners. Once they fall behind they're almost guaranteed not to come back. If they are tied they find a way to win and if they have a lead, generally they keep it (tonight not withstanding) but if they are behind they don't fight back more often than not. The loss dropped the Sox to 73-59, 2 games behind Toronto for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to bounce back with tonight's birthday boy Steven Wright (13-6, 3.18 ERA) on the mound facing Drew Smyly. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outslug Rays (8/29/16)

If the Sox have any hope of catching the Toronto Blue Jays for the AL East division title they're going to have to beat the likes of the Tampa Bay Rays. Tonight the Sox did just that even without Dustin Pedroia who was away grieving for a lost relative. "Slick" Rick Porcello (18-3, 3.26 ERA) was just what the doctor ordered, tossing 7 innings of 3 run ball while the offense lit up the Rays. When all was said and done the Sox had defeated the Rays 9-4 at Fenway Park.

                                           Corporal Chesty approves of the win

Porcello got the ball to begin the top of the first and Logan Forsythe greeted him with a single to right. Kevin Kiermaier blew a hit and run and Forsythe was gunned down by the alert Sandy Leon trying to steal. Kiermaier looked at strike three to boot moments later. Evan Longoria grounded out to second to end the inning. Matt Andriese took the ball in the bottom of the first and Brock "The Hitman" Holt led off by grounding out to second to start. Xander Bogaerts whiffed on a high fastball and David Ortiz whiffed on a change in the dirt to end the inning.

Brad Miller began the top of the second by lining one off the glove of Hanley Ramirez but it went right to Holt who still got Miller at first. Matt Duffy lined out to the busy Ramirez before Logan Morrison grounded into the shift in right to end the inning. Mr. Mookie Betts began the bottom of the second by swatting a tremendous home run off the Selfeo sign in the Monster to give the Sox the lead. Betts joins Ted Williams and Tony Conigliaro as the only Red Sox players to hit 30 homers in one year before the age of 24. Hanley crushed a 400 foot double to center then moved to third on the ground out by Travis Shaw. Ramirez was thrown out at home on the grounder by Chris Young, nothing you can do when you're off on contact with the infield in. Leon singled to left before Jackie Bradley Jr walked to load the bases. Holt singled home Hanley but Leon was thrown out at home to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                        Betts with number 30

The Rays struck back in the top of the third as Nick Franklin singled through the shift  as did Corey Dickerson, sending Franklin to third. Doesn't get much more lucky than that. Bobby Wilson singled home Franklin to put the Rays on the board. Holt couldn't corral a pop up by Forsythe to load the bases with nobody out. Pitching coach Carl Willis jogged to the mound and informed him that the legend of the rent was way hardcore. Kiermaier hit a ground ball to first but a poor throw by Hanley was only able to nab Dickerson at home. Longoria scored Wilson with a sac fly to tie the game but Miller whiffed to end the nning with the game tied 2-2.

                                            "AH DAMMIT!" - Porcello

Bogaerts popped up to third to begin the bottom of the third before Ortiz grounded out to first. Mr. Mookie popped up to second to end the inning.

Duffy wasted no time popping up to short to begin the top of the fourth before Morrison grounded into the shift for the second out. Franklin took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Hanley opened with a base hit to left and Shaw smacked a ground rule double. Young smoked a double off the glove of Longoria to score both runners to give the Sox the lead. Leon whiffed badly on a pitch in the dirt and JBJ did the same. Holt ended the bad swing parade with an rbi double to center. Bogaerts popped up to Miller in foul territory to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                  Ramirez scores the go-ahead run

Could Porcello pitch with the lead in the top of the fifth? Franklin smacked a ground rule double to right before Wilson advanced him to third with a grounder to short. Bogaerts made a great play to rob Forsythe of a hit and fired to first....SAFE! But wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call and it was correctly overturned, but the run scored. Kiermaier popped up to Shaw to end the inning but it was now 5-3 Sox.

Ortiz led off the bottom of the fifth with a double off the top of the centerfield wall and Mr. Mookie scored him with a double off the base of the Monster to chase Andriese. Danny Farquhar replaced Andriese and Hanley flied out to deep center as Betts advanced to third. Shaw singled off the glove of Forsythe to score Betts with another run. Young whiffed before Leon grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                                          Betts scores the seventh run

Porcello cleaned out Longoria before getting him to ground out to short to begin the top of the sixth. Miller watched strike three go by before Duffy whiffed to end the inning. Farquhar returned for the bottom of the sixth and JBJ whiffed to begin. Holt grounded back to the mound before Bogaerts flied out to left to end the inning.

Porcello returned for the top of the seventh with 91 pitches on his arm and whiffed Morrison on a pitch in the dirt to start. Franklin popped up to short and Dickerson whiffed to end the inning. 7 innings of 3 run ball by Porcello, damn good.

Brad Boxberger took the mound in the bottom of the seventh and the Sox kicked his ass. Ortiz popped up to Miller who made the catch on top of the tarp before Mr. Mookie grounded out to first. Hanley walked, Shaw singled in the hole to right and Young walked to load the bases. Leon hit a grounder up the middle for a hit that scored Hanley and Shaw. JBJ grounded out to end the inning but the Sox were up 9-3.

                                           Goat in the second, hero in the seventh

Clay Buchholz got the ball in the top of the eighth inning and immediately allowed a single to Wilson to start. Forsythe walked and Kiermaier lined a broken bat single to left to load the bases. Sox pitching coach Carl Willis went to the mound to inform Buchholz that getting 10 yards on a screen pass is a first down. Longoria lined out to a running JBJ in center but Wilson scored and Forsythe advanced to third. Miller popped up to right and Duffy was rung up for strike three on a bad call to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.

                                             This guy sucks!

Xavier Cedeno came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Holt poked a single to left to begin. Bogaerts whiffed but Holt swiped second. Ortiz walked but Mr. Mookie popped up to center. Ramirez lined out to a running Dickerson to end the inning.

Marco Hernandez took over at third with Fernando Abad on the mound to begin the top of the ninth. Morrison whiffed before Franklin poked yet another hit to right. Dickerson banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-4.

                                                       Another win


Hero of the Night is a tough one with everyone contributing on offense but I'll go with Mookie Betts. Mr. Mookie got the party started with a home run and later added another rbi double. He's been something else this year.

                                                        Mookie the Hero


The Good:

Brock Holt was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Travis Shaw was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Chris Young was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's.

Fernando Abad pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Clay Buchholz allowed a run in the eighth inning.



The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked.



Honorable Mention:

Marco Hernandez played third in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That was a good bounce back win after last night's disaster against Kansas City. The Sox are still hanging around the AL East division race and they're gonna need a good September to win it. Porcello is on pace to win 22 games in the biggest turnaround since Jim Lonborg 50 years ago. The Sox are gonna need him and Price if they want to make it to October. Ortiz, Betts and Ramirez could be vital as well. The win improved the Sox to 73-58, 2 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Drew Pomeranz (2-3, 4.06 ERA) goes for the Sox up against Jake Odorizzi.

Royals 8 run sixth Sinks Sox (8/28/16)

Well this game was a sucker punch to the go-nads. The Boston Red Sox were enjoying a nice comfy 4-2 lead over the defending World Series champion Kansas City Royals when the champs showed exactly why they won it all last year. In the top of the 6th, the last in the league in runs scored Royals scored 3 runs off the ineffective Eduardo Rodriguez (2-6, 5.35 ERA) and 6 runs off the incompetent Matt Barnes and Robbie Ross Jr. The 8 run inning was more than enough cushion for the Royals as they ran away with a 10-4 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                  Judge Doom hates Sox pitching

Rodriguez took the mound in the top of the first inning and Paulo Orlando led off by grounding out to short to start. Cheslor Cuthbert hit a weak grounder to Travis Shaw at third but he couldn't make the play at first. Lorenzo Cain popped up to Mookie Betts before Eric Hosmer drew a walk. Kendrys Morales popped up to right to end the inning. Yordano Ventura got the start for the Royals and Brock "The Hitman" Holt greeted him by dumping a base hit to left to begin. Xander Bogaerts hit a bullet but right to Cain in right. David Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning.

Salvador Perez led off the top of the second by launching a home run off the left field foul pole to give the Royals the lead. Alex Gordon ripped a slider between first and second for a base hit before Alcedis Escobar drew a walk as the boo birds came out. Raul Mondesi Jr dropped down a bunt to move the runners over and Orlando hit a bullet to center that scored Gordon and sent Escobar to third. Cuthbert swung and missed at a high fastball for strike three to end the inning but the Royals were up 2-0.

                                                    Good luck getting that one.

Mr. Mookie led off the bottom of the second by lining a base hit off second base to start. Hanley Ramirez banged into a double play but Shaw drew a walk. Chris Young beat out an infield single to third before Sandy Leon popped up to left to end the inning.

Cain led off the top of the third by grounding out to third to start. Hosmer grounded back to E-Rod on the first pitch he saw and Morales lined one off the leg of E-Rod. Rodriguez hurried the throw to first but Ramirez couldn't scoop it for an error. Perez popped up to left to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr led off the bottom of the third by roping a single to right but Holt hit into a double play, the Sox third tonight. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.

Rodriguez got Gordon to ground out to first to start the top of the fourth before Escobar popped up to Holt. Mondesi Jr grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz crushed his 31st home run of the year into the triangle in center to cut the lead. Mr. Mookie popped up to shallow right before Hanley hit a bullet....right to Cain. Shaw flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                  Big Papi goes yard

Rodriguez got Orlando to pop up to Holt to start the top of the fifth before some idiot ran onto the field. Cuthbert lined out to Holt before Cain grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the fifth as Young singled off the glove of Cuthbert to begin. Leon hit a fly ball to Orlando and the ball ticked off his glove for an error. Young motored to third with Sandy taking second on the error. JBJ walked to load the bases as Holt grounded out to first to score Young and advanced the others. Bogaerts ripped a single up the middle to score Leon and JBJ to give the Sox the lead and chase Ventura. Matt Strahm came in and got Ortiz to bang into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                     Bogaerts gives the Sox the lead

The Royals exploded in the top of the sixth as Hosmer walked to start. Morales hit a ground rule double into the right field seats and Perez walked to load the bases with nobody out. Sox pitching coach Carl Willis sprinted to the mound to remind E-Rod that Law & Order SVU was on and Gordon popped up to left. That was it for E-Rod who ended up being charged 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.

                                                Not E-Rod's best stuff

Matt Barnes came in and completely puked on himself. Escobar hit a Baltimore chop off the plate for a base hit that scored Hosmer and Mondesi Jr tripled into the triangle to give the Royals the lead. Barnes plunked Orlando on the hand and Cuthbert hit a chopper to the mound where the only play was at home but Mondesi Jr beat the throw for another run. Cain singled off the Monster to score Orlando and chase Barnes. Matt was brought in with a 2 run lead and ended up allowing all three inherited runners to score and 3 of his own. Yuck! Robbie Ross Jr came in and poured gas on the fire as Hosmer singled off the Monster to score Cain and Cuthbert. Morales singled to left and both runners moved over on the grounder to third by Perez. Gordon grounded out to second but the Royals put 8 runs on the board to ice the game 10-4.

                                    Mondesi ices the game with a 3 run triple and a run scored

The Sox offense was done for the night in the bottom of the sixth as Mr. Mookie was rung up on a check swing strike three to start. Ramirez grounded out to short and Shaw grounded out to first to end the inning.

Ross Jr came back for the top of the seventh and Ramirez made a great pick on a grounder to first by Escobar to start. Mondesi Jr popped up to first and Orlando grounded out to third to end the inning. Young started the bottom of the seventh by popping up to first. Leon drew a walk but JBJ popped up to short. Holt grounded out to second to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa came in for the top of the eighth and Cuthbert whiffed to start. Cain popped up to first and Hosmer grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eighth against Peter Moylan. Bogaerts grounded out to third before Ortiz whiffed. Mr. Mookie hit a sharp grounder to third and beat out the bad throw for a "hit" but Ramirez grounded into a force to end the inning.

Tazawa returned for the top of the ninth as Morales beat the shift with a base hit to left to start. Billy Burns ran for Morales and was erased on the force by Perez. Taz made a great play to nab a liner by Gordon to induce the double play to end the inning. The game ended in the bottom of the ninth as Joakim Soria closed it out by getting Shaw to ground out to first to start. Young watched strike three go by before Leon blooped a single to left. JBJ drew a walk but Holt whiffed to end the game. The Royals had won it 10-4.

Jackass of the Night is Matt Barnes. He allowed 3 inherited runners to score and was charged with 5 of his own to put the Sox completely out of reach.

                                                          Barnes The Jackass


The Good:

Chris Young was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Sandy Leon was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4.

Eduardo Rodriguez was charged with 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings to take the loss.



The Ugly:

Brock "The Hitman" Holt was just 1 for 5 with an rbi.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but knocked in two runs.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a walk.




Final Thoughts:

This game sucked big portions of ass. The Royals are on a hot streak this month but they're still last in the league in runs scored. The Royals had no trouble scoring runs off Rodriguez and Barnes and the Sox stopped trying after falling behind. Games like this can't happen with the AL East race this close. The Sox have a chance for the first time in 3 years and they have to beat the bad teams as well as the good ones as the calendar turns to September. Apart from Ortiz home run, the less said of this game the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 72-58, 2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox come home for a crucial homestand against the Tampa Bay Rays. "Slick" Rick Porcello (17-3) takes on Matt Andriese at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Smash Royals, End Streak (8/27/16)

That's more like it. After a pitiful 3 game losing streak, the Boston Red Sox got back on track against the Kansas City Royals. Dustin Pedroia nearly broke a major league record with 11 straight hits but fell one short. David Price (13-8, 3.97 ERA) tossed 6 solid innings of 2 run ball while the offense pounced on the world champs for 12 hits and 8 runs. The Sox got back on track with an 8-3 victory over the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                 The Gronk approves of the win

Price got the ball in the top of the first and Paulo Orlando hit a bullet right to Jackie Bradley Jr to start. Cheslor Cuthbert singled past the diving Aaron Hill into left before Lorenzo Cain beat out a double play ball. Eric Hosmer was frozen on a 95 mph fastball on the back to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Royals starter Danny Duffy in the bottom of the first inning as the scorching hot Dustin Pedroia led off with a base hit to center. Xander Bogaerts blasted his 16th home run of the season completely out of Fenway to give the Sox the lead 2 batters into the game. The Royals then played a game of "I got it...I don't got it" as David Ortiz' routine pop up fell in for a "single". Ortiz then tried to take second on a wild pitch but Salvador Perez fired a bullet to second to nail Big Papi. Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center but Hanley Ramirez dumped a base hit to right. Sandy Leon popped up to first to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                 Bogaerts puts Boston up early

The Royals immediately answered in the top of the second although Kendrys Morales popped up to first to start. Perez then swatted a line drive home run into the Monster Seats to put the Royals on the board. Alex Gordon followed with a double high off the Monster and he scored on the double to left by Alcides Escobar. Christian Colon popped up to Hanley on the infield before Orlando waived at a pitch in the dirt to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                Royals tie it up

The Sox countered in the bottom of the second as Chris Young walked to start. Hill flied out to deep right as a passed ball moved Young to second. Jackie Bradley Jr drove home Young with a ground rule double into the right field corner to give the Sox the lead. Pedroia doubled off the Monster to score JBJ but Escobar threw the ball away to allow Pedroia to advance to third. He was stranded as Bogaerts grounded out to second as did Ortiz to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                 Pedroia drives in another run

Price got Cuthbert to pop up to third to start the top of the third before Cain grounded out to second. Hosmer walked but Morales struck out swinging to end the inning. Duffy cruised in the bottom of the third as Mr. Mookie flied out to the centerfield warning track to start. Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley told a story of how back in 1998, 41 year old Paul Molitor dropped a bunt on Eck to walkoff the Twins over the Red Sox. What Eck forgot is none other than a young David Ortiz scored the tying run in the 6th inning of that game for the Twins. Back to this game, Ramirez grounded out to second and Leon was caught looking for strike three to end the inning.

                                                 "How DARE you try to win the game Paul!"

Price whiffed Perez on an 88 mph cutter to start the top of the fourth before Gordon lined out to a running Betts. Escobar whiffed on a 90 mph cutter to end the inning. The Sox added to the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Sox broadcaster Dave O'Brien finally pointed out David Ortiz played in the game Eck was talking about. Young drew a four pitch walk before Hill was out on a bang bang play at first after a great play by Hosmer. JBJ took a horrible strike three call but the red hot Pedroia singled home Young to increase the lead. Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                               Pedroia 7 for his last 7

Price continued to pitch well in the top of the fifth as Colon was retired on a swinging bunt to Leon to start. Orlando grounded out to third but Cuthbert doubled down the left field line. Cain flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox displayed some power in the bottom of the fifth although Ortiz flied out to the right field warning track to start. Mr. Mookie and Hanley then belted back to back home runs to light up the crowd. Leon grounded out to third and Young flied out to right to end the inning but it was 7-2 Sox.

                                                   Hanley and Mookie go back to back

Price was nearly perfect in the top of the sixth as Hosmer whiffed to start. Morales grounded out to short but Perez walked. Price finished his outing by catching Gordon looking to end the inning. Price went 6 solid innings while allowing just 2 runs while striking out 7.

                                                   Good work Price

Old nemesis Chien-Ming Wang came in for the bottom of the sixth and the Sox tagged him too. Hill walked but JBJ whiffed. Pedroia continued his hot streak with a base hit up the middle to go 11 for 11 and Bogaerts pounded a ground rule double into the right field corner to score Hill. Ortiz grounded out to second and Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 8-2 Sox.

                                                 Another rbi for Bogaerts

Brad Ziegler was first out of the bullpen in the top of the seventh and Escobar popped up to first to start. Bogaerts made a great play to rob Colon of a hit and also retired Orlando on a grounder to end the inning. Billy Burns took over for Cain to start the bottom of the seventh and Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Leon grounded out to second and Young flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning.

Clay Buchholz was summoned for the top of the eighth and Cuthbert grounded out to short to start. Burns beat out an infield single to second....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call and replays showed he was OUT! Hosmer drew a walk but Hanley fell on his ass making a catch to rob Morales of a hit to end the inning. Sox fans stood in the bottom of the eighth to see if Pedroia could tie the major league record of 12 straight hits. First Hill grounded out to short before JBJ poked a base hit to center. The record remained intact as Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning. Oh well!

Robbie Ross Jr came in for the top of the ninth with Travis Shaw now at third base. Perez jacked a home run off the hands of a fan in the centerfield bleachers to cut the lead. Ross got mad and caught Gordon looking for strike three before Escobar was rung up for strike three on a check swing. Colon got plunked but Betts made a running catch on Orlando to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                   Big win for the Sox.



Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He drove in as many runs by himself as the entire Royals did and hit the big two run home run.

                                                     X-Man Hero



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 4 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Chris Young walked twice and scored 2 runs in 4 at bats.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

David Price got the win with 6 innings of 2 run ball. He struck out 7 batters as well.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Clay Buchholz pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Robbie Ross Jr gave up a run in the ninth inning.



The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

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




Final Thoughts:

That was an impressive win against the red hot Duffy who was 11-1 coming into this game. Not only that but Price pitched his ass off in this one. Buchholz pitched well out of the bullpen and the offense continues to click. Would have been nice to see Pedroia tie the ML record for consecutive hits but at least the game was well in hand when he hit into the double play. Mookie Betts needs a strong September to challenge Mike Trout in the AL MVP race but then again, the entire teams need a strong September to win the AL East race. All in all it was a good win against the current champs and hope they can continue the trend. The win improved the Sox to 72-57, 1 game behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the champs tomorrow night. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-5) goes up against Yordano Ventura at 8:05 PM at Fenway Park.