Sox Rally Falls Short Against Tampa (5/6/15)

Once again the Boston Red Sox invented a new way to lose. The offense was supposed to be a strength this year but its been a liability lately. Justin Masterson (2-1, 5.18 ERA) was rocked for 4 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Meanwhile Alex Colome of the Tampa Bay Rays held the Sox to two runs in 5 innings. The Sox did manage to get a Mookie Betts home run late in the game, but the lack of clutch hitting sealed their fate. Pablo Sandoval failed to drive Dustin Pedroia in to tie the game and with the tying run on, both Pedroia and new Sox addition Luis Jimenez failed to drive it in. It all added up to a 5-3 victory by the Rays over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                             Randy Quaid is angry again

Masterson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kevin Kiermaier walked to start. Kiermaier was thrown out at second trying to steal when his foot came off the bag. Logan Forsythe was hit with a pitch but James Loney grounded into a double play to end the inning. Colome got the ball in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to left to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded back to the mound and Ortiz grounded into the shift...but Forsythe threw the ball away for an error. Mike Napoli grounded out to third to end the inning.

Evan Longoria grounded out to third to start the top of the second inning but David DeJesus ripped a base hit to center. Joey Butler grounded into a double play to end the inning. Pablo Sandoval grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Allen Craig struck out swinging. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the third as Asdrubal Cabrera lined out to center to start. Brandon Guyer doubled to left and Rene Rivera struck out swinging. Kiermaier walked and Forsythe got a base hit in the hole at short to score Guyer. Pedroia absolutely robbed Loney of a base hit to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                        Forsythe makes up for the error

The Sox responded in the bottom of the third as Xander Bogaerts doubled to the centerfield wall to start. Blake Swihart doubled almost to the same spot for his first career rbi when Bogaerts scored to tie the game. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to move Swihart to third and Pedroia scored Blake with a sac fly to center. Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                          First career rbi for Swihart

The lead lasted about eight seconds when Longoria hit a home run all the way to Barcelona to tie the game in the top of the fourth. DeJesus doubled to center then moved to third on the Butler grounder to short. Cabrera popped up to second but Guyer walked. Rivera walked to load the bases and Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves strutted and danced to the mound to tell Masterson that the Wells Investigation was on-going. Kiermaier lined out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                      Longoria ties it up

Napoli struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Sandoval lined a base hit to left. A wild pitch moved Sandoval to second and Craig grounded out to short to move Pablo to third. With a chance to break the tie...Holt struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Rays knocked out Masterson in the top of the fifth as Forsythe popped up to Pedroia to start. Loney singled past the diving Pedroia and took second on a wild pitch. Longoria and DeJesus both walked to load the bases with Edward Mujica warming. Farrell left Masterson in one batter too late as Butler blooped a single to right to score both Loney and Longoria. That was it for Masterson who allowed 4 runs off 7 hits and SIX walks in just 4 1/3 innings. Mujica came in and struck out Cabrera swinging to put the fire out. Guyer grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 4-2 Rays.

                                                     Justin couldn't find the plate

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts popped up to third in foul territory to start. Swihart struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie lined out to a running Kiermaier to end the inning.

The Rays threatened in the top of the sixth as Rivera doubled to the centerfield wall to start. Kiermaier looked to have beat out a bunt down the third base line but Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Kiermaier was out. Sure enough, the umpires overturned the call and Kevin was out. Forsythe grounded back to Mujica who threw out Rivera at home for the second out. That was it for Mujica as Tommy Layne was brought in to face Loney. Loney flied out to center to end the inning. Pedroia ripped a base hit to right to start the bottom of the sixth to chase Colome from the game. Xavier Cedeno came in to face Ortiz and David grounded out to short to move Dustin to second. Steve Geltz came in to pitch to Napoli and Mike grounded out to short to move Pedroia to third. Sandoval lined out to center to end the inning.

Longoria walked to start the top of the seventh and Junichi Tazawa was summoned to face pinch hitter Steven Souza Jr. Souza walked but Craig made a great catch to rob Butler of a base hit. Cabrera drilled Guyer in the on-deck circle with a foul ball before popping up to second. Guyer forced Souza at second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the seventh as Craig walked to start. Holt damn near killed Brandon Workman with a liner into the dugout before forcing Craig at second. Bogaerts lined out to right but Holt made it to second after a throwing error on the bases. Swihart struck out swinging to end the inning.

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rivera popped up to short to start. Kiermaier struck out swinging and Forsythe flied out to center to end the inning. Kevin Jepsen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie launched a home run off some girl in the Monster Seats to cut the lead. Pedroia grounded out to short but Ortiz drew a walk. Napoli dropped a base hit to left and Luis Jimenez pinch ran for Ortiz. Sandoval walked to load the bases and Daniel Nava pinch hit for Craig. Nava forced Jimenez at home and

                                                     Betts brings the Sox closer

Alexi Ogando got tagged in the top of the ninth as Loney grounded out to short to start. Longoria hit a home run all the way to Pluto to increase the lead and Souza walked to make the fans groan. Butler forced Souza at second and Cabrera grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 5-3.

                                                          Longoria ices it

Brad Boxberger came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but Bogaerts singled in the hole at second to begin. A wild pitch moved Xander to second but Swihart hit one up the elevator shaft. Mr. Mookie walked to put the tying run on but Pedroia struck out swinging. Jimenez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the game. The Rays had won it 5-3.

                                                           Sox lose

Jackass of The Night is Brock Holt. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including making the rally killing final out in the eighth.

                                                           Brock The Jackass

The Good:

Pablo Sandoval was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Edward Mujica tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Tommy Layne got the final out of the sixth inning.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Luis Jimenez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Justin Masterson took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings getting tagged for 7 hits and 6 walks.

Alexi Ogando allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

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

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but walked.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Allen Craig was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Blake Swihart was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The starting pitching has been wretched all season but the offense has been just as bad. Shane Victorino and Christian Vazquez being out sucks but losing Hanley Ramirez isn't good either. Mike Napoli is hitting just .167 and Mookie Betts just .234 despite the home run. There's still plenty of time to turn it around but if the offense doesn't improve, they're going to be in last place when all is said and done. Masterson got rocked again and his velocity is way down from the last time he was on the Red Sox in 2008. If he can't get his velocity back, he's not going to do very well. The bullpen besides Ogando did well but they can't be tossing 4-5 innings a night or else they're going to burn out. The Orient Express can only put out so many fires, they're going to need some help from the rotation. All in all it was a bad loss but it was only one game. The loss dropped the Sox to 13-15, 4 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to bounce back Friday night in Toronto with a set against the Blue Jays. Wade Miley (1-3) takes the hill against Aaron Sanchez of Toronto. The game begins Friday night at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Yankees Bash Kelly, Sweep Sox (5/3/15)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox signed infielder Luis Jimenez off waivers from the Milwaukee Brewers. With Ryan Hanigan out, the Sox need someone to come off the bench and Jimenez could be that guy. He wasn't hitting well in Milwaukee but maybe a change of scenery will help.

                                                                  IN

As for the game, that was embarrassing. The Sox needed to make a statement against a New York Yankees team that missed the playoffs two years in a row and instead the Yankees came to Fenway and swept the Sox out of it. Adam Warren of the Yankees cruised through five innings while Joe Kelly (1-1, 5.72 ERA) got hammered by New York for 5 runs. Craig Breslow allowed three more before suddenly the Sox rallied for five runs in the sixth inning. That's as close as it got as the Yankees held on to beat the Sox 8-5 at Fenway Park.

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Kelly in the top of the first as Jacoby Ellsbury dumped a base hit to right to start. Brett Gardner hit a grounder to the mound but all Kelly could do is get Ellsbury at second. Alex Rodriguez flied out to right but Mark Teixeira hit a home run all the way to Haiti to put the Yankees up for good just four batters into the game. Brian McCann popped up to short to end the inning but the Yankees were up 2-0.

                                                              Yankees take the lead

Warren got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short to start. Dustin Pedroia also grounded out to short and David Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning.

Carlos Beltran led off the top of the second with a ground out to short to start. Chase Headley dumped a base hit to left but Stephen "PU" Drew grounded back to the mound to move Headley to third but Didi Gregorius grounded out to second to end the inning. Hanley Ramirez popped up to second to start the bottom of the second and Pablo Sandoval grounded out to second. Mike Napoli grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Ellsbury got a base hit to left to start. Gardner was rung up for strike three but A-Rod singled to center. Teixeira popped up to short but McCann doubled to center to clear the bases and Beltran doubled into the right field corner to extend the lead. Headley took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-0.

                                                  Yankees pour it on

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Daniel Nava grounded out to short to start. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging and Blake Swihart grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Yankees threatened in the top of the fourth as Drew grounded out to second to start. Gregorius grounded out to second as well but Ellsbury dumps a base hit to right. A wild pitch moved Ellsbury to second and Napoli booted a grounder by Gardner to send Jacoby to third. Gardner stole second but A-Rod lined out to a running Betts to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Mr. Mookie doubled to the Monster to start. Pedroia struck out swinging but Ortiz drew a walk. Ramirez looked to have grounded into a double play....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Ramirez was safe at first. Sure enough, Hanley was ruled safe to put runners at the corners. Sandoval grounded out to short on a 3-0 count anyway to end the inning.

Teixeira struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before McCann hit a 400 foot out to center. Beltran hit a pop up to shallow right and Pedroia couldn't catch it for a "single" to chase Kelly. Joe got hammered for 5 runs in just 4 2/3 innings off 9 hits. Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch and Headley immediately singled to center. Drew lined out to center to end the inning.

                                                              Rough night for Kelly

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Napoli walked to start. Nava banged into a double play and Bogaerts hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Yankees poured it on in the top of the sixth with Craig Breslow now on the mound. Gregorius singled to center, Ellsbury got a base hit to left and Gardner hit a home run all the way to Cancun to chase the incompetent Breslow. Edward Mujica came in to pitch and A-Rod flied out to right. Teixeira grounded out to first and McCann flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees up 8-0.

                                                          Yankees break it open

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Swihart lined out to left to begin. Mr. Mookie popped up to first in foul territory but Pedroia lined a base hit to left. Ortiz doubled off the Monster to score Pedroia to put the Sox on the board. Ramirez was hit with a pitch and Sandoval singled to left to score Ortiz and chase Warren from the game. Esmil Rogers came in and Napoli belted his second home run of the season to cut the lead. Nava walked and Bogaerts beat out a roller to Rogers to somehow bring the tying run to the plate. Swihart struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 8-5.

                                                           A furious rally by Boston

Mujica cruised in the top of the seventh as Beltran popped up to short to start. Headley struck out swinging and Drew flied out to center to end the inning. Chris Young took over for Beltran to start the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie grounded out to Gregorius to start. Pedroia lined out to center and Justin Wilson came in to face Ortiz. David lined out to left to end the inning.

Gregorius flied out to center to start the top of the eighth before Ellsbury was plunked in response to Ramirez getting tagged. Home plate umpire Jeff Nelson told both benches to knock it off before Gardner singled to right to chase Mujica and move Jacoby to third. Dalier Hinojosa made his Sox debut by striking out Rodriguez swinging. Gardner stole second but Teixeira walked to load the bases. McCann flied out to right to end the inning.

                                              "Now you knock that malarkey off!" - Nelson

Ramirez singled to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Sandoval took strike three. David Carpenter came in to face Napoli and Mike grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Young took strike three to start the top of the ninth but Headley was hit unintentionally. Drew flied out to center but Gregorius walked. Ellsbury walked to load the bases but Gardner grounded out to second to end the inning. Andrew Miller came in to close out the ninth with Allen Craig pinch hitting for Nava. Craig walked but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Swihart took strike three but Mr. Mookie walked. Pedroia hit a routine grounder to Gregorious but a bad throw for an error loaded the bases to bring the winning run to the plate. With a chance to make history....Ortiz lined out to center to end the game. The Yankees had won it 8-5.

                                                                 Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Joe Kelly. He allowed 5 runs on 9 hits to put the game out of reach early.

                                                             Unhappy Jackass

The Good:

Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 3 run home run.

Allen Craig walked as a pinch hitter.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1/3 of a scoreless inning.

Edward Mujica tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Dalier Hinojosa pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Craig Breslow allowed 3 runs without getting an out.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Pablo Sandoval was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 2 but walked.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

That was a hell of a rally by the Red Sox to go from down 8-0 to have the tying run at the plate in the sixth inning and the winning run at the plate in the ninth. Still, if Joe Kelly didn't suck to start the game and Breslow didn't give up the three run jack, this might have been a different game. Once again the bats produce but the pitching doesn't, the story of the season so far. Ortiz has come up big so many times, its actually shocking when he fails to deliver like in the ninth. Hopefully the hit batsmen of Ramirez and Ellsbury doesn't spark a war down the road but who knows. The Sox need to get more out of their starters because the bullpen can't be pitching 5-6 innings a game. All in all it was a bad loss and the Yankees made a statement big time. The loss dropped the Sox to 12-13, 4 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in Tampa Bay for a set with the Rays. Clay Buchholz (1-3) takes the mound against Jake Odorizzi of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Win Slugfest over Sox (4/28/15)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox announced they had sent Steven Wright back to Pawtucket and recalled Jackie Bradley Jr. With Daniel Nava struggling it makes sense to bring Jackie back considering he's a defensive wizard so at least they can get the defense out of Jackie they won't get out of Nava.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, so much for Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.76 ERA) being the "ace" of the pitching staff. The Red Sox offense managed to pound out 8 runs on 13 hits but the Jays feasted on the terrible Red Sox pitching for 17 hits and 11 runs of their own. Once again the Sox couldnt match an AL East offense as the Jays smacked the Sox around 11-8 at Fenway Park

Buchholz trudged to the mound in the top of the first inning and Devon Travis led off by lining out to a running Mookie Betts in center. Xander Bogaerts made a diving stab to rob Josh Donaldson of a hit before Jose Bautista whiffed to end the inning. Drew Hutchison got the start for the Jays and Mr. Mookie popped up to Edwin Encarnacion who fell into the Sox dugout. Dustin Pedroia drew a walk but David Ortiz flied out to center. Hanley Ramirez lined out to right to end the inning.

Buchholz got Encarnacion to line out to center to start the top of the second but Russell Martin grounded a ball over the head of Clay for a base hit. Michael Saunders whiffed before Danny Valencia struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the second as Pablo Sandoval doubled off the left field grandstands to start. Daniel Nava moved Sandoval over with a grounder to second but Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to second. Xander Bogaerts lined a single past a diving Encarnacion to score Sandoval to give the Sox the lead. Ryan Hanigan drew a walk and Mr. Mookie blooped a single to right to score Bogaerts with another run. Pedroia bounced a seeing eye single up the middle to score Hanigan and send Betts to third. Ortiz blooped a single to left to score Betts to increase the lead. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                   Ortiz caps off the rally

Buchholz took the 4-0 lead and promptly pissed it away in the top of the third inning as Kevin Pillar drew a walk to start. Ryan Goins singled off the Monster to move Pillar to third and Travis singled home Kevin to put the Jays on the board. Donaldson singled home Goins and advanced Travis to third before Bautista hit a fly ball to Holt. Holt gunned it home but Travis jumped over the tag to score the run.

                                                 Jays pour it on

Ramirez kicked a base hit by Encarnacion which allowed Donaldson to score and Edwin to reach second. Martin was rung up for strike three but Saunders singled home Encarnacion to chase Buchholz. The "ace" lasted 2 2/3 innings and allowed 5 runs before leaving to a chorus of boos. Edward Mujica got Valencia to ground into a force to end the inning but the Jays roared back to take a 5-4 lead.

                                                           "Get out and stay out!" - Farrell

Sandoval tried to start a rally when he doubled off the Monster to start the bottom of the third, but Nava lined one right to second. Holt drew a walk but Bogaerts popped up to center. Hutchison got the slow footed Hanigan on a grounder back to him to end the inning.

Mujica returned for the top of the fourth inning and took a beating. Pillar beat out an infield single to third to start but Goins banged into a double play. Travis walked and took second on a balk before Donaldson walked. Bautista singled past the diving Pedroia to score Travis with another run and move Donaldson to third. Yet another balk scored Donaldson and Encarnacion stroked a seeing eye single to left to score Bautista. A lot of these hits were simply just finding holes as Valencia popped up to right to end the inning with the Jays ahead 8-4.

                                               If only the inning ended after the double play

Mr. Mookie tried to rally the Sox with a double off the Monster to start the bottom of the fourth before moving to third on the fly ball to center by Pedroia. Betts scored on the sac fly by Ortiz before Ramirez ripped a base hit up the middle. All of a sudden Ramirez took off for second and Martin made an amazing throw to gun him down to end the inning. The Sox got one back to trail 8-5.

                                                   Betts starts the rally

Anthony Varvaro took over for the top of the fifth inning and got Saunders looking to start. Valencia also watched strike three go by but Pillar drilled a base hit to right. Pillar swiped second and scored on the triple by Goins. Travis waived at strike three in the dirt to end the inning but the Jays were up 9-5

                                            RBI triple for Goins

Sandoval tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to begin. Nava drew a full count walk before Holt walked to load the bases with nobody out to chase Hutchison. Marco Estrada came in and the Sox choked their chance to come back away as Bogaerts waived at a changeup in the other batters box for strike 3. Hanigan lined out to left but Mr. Mookie walked to score Sandoval. With the tying run at first...Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox scored a run but still trailed 9-6 after that waste.

                                                     Sandoval scores a run

Varvaro returned for the top of the sixth and Donaldson effortlessly singled to center before Jose Bautista drew a walk. Encarnacion popped up to first in foul territory and that was it for Varvaro. Robbie Ross Jr was brought in to face Martin and he walked to load the bases. Saunders banged into a double play to end the inning,. Ortiz walked to open the bottom of the sixth but Ramirez popped up to second. Ortiz was erased on the force by Sandoval and Nava whiffed to end the inning.

Ross Jr got in major trouble in the top of the seventh as Valencia dumped a base hit to right to start. Pillar lined a ball off the third base bag and took second on the double as Valencia came within inches of being tagged out at third. Ross got a big out by getting Goins to waive out an outside corner slider before Travis grounded out to third. Donaldson flied out to right to end the inning. Good work by Ross to houdini out of that.

                                                           Ross gets it done

Holt led off the bottom of the seventh by taking strike three before Bogaerts grounded out to short...but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call but Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre DEMANDED the call stand, Bogaerts was out. Hanigan grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Jays iced the game in the top of the eighth against Craig Breslow as Bautista pulverized a solo home run completely out of Fenway to increase the lead. Encarnacion flied out to center but Martin walked. Saunders singled off the glove of Pedroia but Valencia was rung up for strike three. Pillar lined out to center to end the inning with the Jays ahead 10-6

                                              Bautista goes yard

Aaron Loup came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie took strike three to start. Pedroia was also frozen for strike three before Ortiz lined a double to the right field wall to beat the shift. Ramirez then blasted a 2 run bomb just inside the Pesky Pole to cut the lead. Sandoval singled to the left field wall to chase Loup. Liam Hendriks came in to pitch with Allen Craig pinch hitting for Nava. Craig grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were closer, trailing 10-8.

                                                      Ramirez brings the Sox closer

Just when the Sox had momentum, they pissed it away in the top of the ninth. Breslow got Goins looking on the outside corner and that was the end of his night. Junichi Tazawa came in and Sandoval nearly threw a grounder by Travis away but Craig scooped it out. Donaldson then bashed a 679,000 foot home run to wrap up the scoring. Tazawa punched out Bautista to end the inning but the Jays added to the lead 11-8.

                                                           Game over

Brett Cecil came in to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth and Holt went down swinging to start. Bogaerts poked a line out to left but Hanigan stroked a seeing eye single to left. Hanigan took second on a passed ball but Mr. Mookie grounded out to second to end the game. The Jays had survived the slugfest 11-8.

                                                        Another loss in the books


Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. He got hammered for 5 runs in 2 2/3 innings to take the loss.

                                                       Clay Jackass


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run

Pablo Sandoval was 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Allen Craig was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Edward Mujica was charged with 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Anthony Varvaro allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Craig Breslow allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Junichi Tazawa allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

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

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 but walked.

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored.

Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

The Blue Jays offense is for real but if Clay Buchholz gets smacked around, what's going to happen to the other starters? Joe Kelly, Rick Porcello, Wade Miley and Justin Masterson aren't that intimidating nor are any of them an ace. If Buchholz is not a true stopper this team is in big trouble. They got the bats in Betts, Ortiz, Ramirez, Sandoval and Bogaerts but they can't score 8-10 runs a game...and tonight proved they may not win even if they do! The bullpen giving up 6 runs was just as alarming as Buchholz not having it. The Sox have one game left in April and hopefully they can win this one. Tomorrow night is the rubber game of this set with "Slick" Rick Porcello (1-2) taking on RA Dickey at 6:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Blow Four Run Lead, Rays Win (4/22/15)

The Boston Red Sox had the Tampa Bay Rays dead to rights heading into the bottom of the sixth inning of tonight's game. The Rays refused to give up as they pounded out 12 total hits and completed a huge rally to take the lead in the next two innings Sox starter Joe Kelly was dominant through 5 innings but fell apart in the sixth. The Sox bullpen also faltered as an all-around bawful game cost the Sox big time. When the game was over, the Rays had stunned the Red Sox 7-5 in front of a paltry crowd of just over 12,000 fans at Tropicana Field. 

Rays starter Nathan Karns was hardly effective but Mr. Mookie Betts made his life easier with a ground out to third to begin the top of the first. Dustin Pedroia flied out to right but David Ortiz walked. Hanley Ramirez jacked one to the centerfield wall but Kiermaier tracked it down for the third out. Sox starter Joe Kelly got David Dejesus to strike out but allowed Steven Souza Jr to bash one over the left field fence to give Tampa a quick lead. Asdrubal Cabrera took strike three and Evan Longoria struck out swinging but the damage was done with the Rays leading 1-0.

                                                         Souza goes yard

Mike Napoli walked to open the top of the second but was erased on the Pablo Sandoval fielder's choice. Shane Victorino watched strike three go by and Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Desmond Jennings grounded out to Kelly to begin the bottom of the second before Allan Dykstra struck out looking. Logan Forsythe singled to right but Kiermaier grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the third although Ryan Hanigan grounded out to third to start. Mr. Mookie walked and Pedroia then swatted a pitch up in his eyes for a 2 run home run to give the Sox the lead. Pedroia didn't have his fourth home run until June of last year. Ortiz grounded out  to second but  Ramirez walked. Napoli singled and Ramirez motored all the way around, blowing past Brian Butterfield's stop sign to increase the lead. Napoli advanced to second but was stranded when Sandoval grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1. 

                                                      Pedroia hits a home run

Rene Rivera flied out to center to begin the bottom of the third. Dejesus struck out looking but Souza Jr doubled down the third base line. Cabrera flied out to left to end the inning.

Victorino was hit with a pitch to begin the top of the fourth but Bogaerts flied out to right. Hanigan also flied out to right but Victorino stole second base. He was stranded when Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning. Longoria grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth but Jennings beat out an infield single to third. Dykstra popped up to second and Forsythe popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox tacked on another one in the top of the fifth. Pedroia lined out to center but Ortiz crushed a 430 foot bomb to right to increase the lead. The homer moved Ortiz passed Chipper Jones on the all-time home run list and past Joe Dimaggio on the all-time RBI list. Ramirez singled to right and Napoli hit a ground rule double, but this is where the Sox lost the game. Sandoval grounded out to second and pinch hitter Allen Craig (for Victorino) flied out to left to end the threat. A base hit would have probably put the game out of reach but the Sox still led 4-1.

                                                       Ortiz passes Chipper and Joe D
 

Kelly showed no signs of struggle when he struck out Kiermaier looking to begin the bottom of the fifth. Rivera whiffed but Dejesus was hit by a pitch. Souza Jr grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth although Bogaerts went down hacking to start. Hanigan doubled to left and advanced to third on a wild pitch before Mr. Mookie singled him home Hanigan to increase the lead. Betts then got doubled off of first on the line drive out by Pedroia to right to end the inning. Who would have known how big that out was as the Sox still enjoyed a 5-1 lead?

                                               The Sox looked headed to victory

Suddenly the Rays came alive in the bottom of the sixth as Cabrera singled to center to start. Longoria singled to left and Jenning singled to center to load the bases. Dykstra dumped a base hit to center to score Cabrera and Forsythe walked to score Longoria. Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough of Kelly and pulled him before it could get any worse after just 5 innings and 3 runs (and counting) allowed.

                                             Kelly stinks the joint out in the sixth

Craig Breslow came in to pitch and Jake Elmore pinch ran for Dykstra. Brandon Guyer pinch hit for Kiermaier and hit an 0-2 fastball into center to tie the game. Breslow got Rivera to pop up to first and pinch hitter Tim Beckham (for DeJesus) to strike out swinging. Edward Mujica relived Breslow and Souza Jr struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                      Tie game

Could the Sox strike back in the top of the seventh with Bobby Wilson taking over for Souza?  Rays manager Kevin Cash made the bold move by bringing in his closer to get the heart of the order. Brad Boxberger punched out Ortiz, Ramirez and Napoli all swinging just like that. The Rays took the lead for good in the bottom of the seventh as Cabrera singled to right to start. Allen Craig misplayed a single to right by Longoria, allowing Cabrera to reach third. Jennings banged into a double play but the go-ahead run scored. Elmore then crushed a solo home run for insurance to increase the lead. Forsythe walked and that was it for Mujica. Anthony Varvaro was brought in and Forsythe was gunned down trying to steal to end the inning but the Rays had iced it 7-5.

                                                        Elmore ices it

Kevin Jepsen was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth and Sandoval struck out swinging to start. Allen Craig made it to second on an error by Longoria but Bogaerts struck out swinging too. Hanigan grounded out to second to end the inning. Varvaro returned for the bottom of the eighth and walked Guyer to start. Guyer advanced to second on the Rivera ground out to third.....but was thrown out at third trying to stretch it. Rays managed Kevin Cash challenged the out call at third but the call upheld. Beckham struck out looking to end the inning.

Steve Geltz was brought in to close out the game in the top of the ninth. Mr Mookie popped to first but Pedroia singled to left to bring the tying run to the plate....only for Ortiz to fly out to left. Ramirez ground out to second to end the game. The Rays stormed back to win it 7-5.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Edward Mujica. Yes Joe Kelly fell apart and Craig Breslow served up the 0-2 base hit, but Mujica gave up the go-ahead runs including a home run to Jake Elmore. 

                                               Mujica you jackass!



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a two run bomb.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Shane Victorino was hit and stole second before leaving the game. 

Anthony Varvaro pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Allen Craig was 0 for 2 after coming in for Victorino.

Joe Kelly allowed 5 runs in 5 innings of work, getting knocked out in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but walked, scored and drove in a run. 

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

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. 

Craig Breslow allowed the tying runs to score but gave up none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

This one hurt. The Sox had the game in the bag and give the Rays credit for not rolling over and dying. Still, Sox pitchers continue to struggle after the fifth inning and the team is not going to win too many games if this keep up. Kelly was cruising until the sixth and the normally reliable Breslow coughed up the lead. The Sox wasted a golden chance to put some early distance between themselves and the Rays in the AL East race by losing this one, hopefully it doesn't come back to bite them in September. Victorino left the game due to a hamstring pull and Xander Bogaerts looks lost at the plate...again. Pablo Sandoval has ONE extra base hit this season and the bullpen isn't going to last long at this rate. Still, its only April and these guys have plenty of time to get back in gear. The Sox are now in danger of dropping their first series of the year unless they can win tomorrow night. The Sox turn to staff "ace" Clay Buchholz to right the ship when he faces Jake Odorizzi at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.

O's Blast Porcello, Ortiz Ejected, Sox Fall (4/19/15)

It was a bad day for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics lost Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series to the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Red Sox lost to the Baltimore Orioles. The Orioles won the division last year and today they proved why. For the second straight day they shut down the Boston Red Sox bats. Unlike yesterday when they had to squeak by Clay Buchholz, they had zero problem pounding Rick Porcello (1-2, 6.63 ERA) They got to Rick for 12 hits and 8 runs to put the game out of reach. Miguel Gonzalez and the O's bullpen held the Sox to just 3 runs and the O's took their second straight game against Boston 8-3. The Sox now have the highest rotation ERA in baseball which everyone but Sox management knew was going to happen.....wake up people!

The Dirty Birds wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first inning. Everth Cabrera grounded out to second to start but Jimmy Paredes singled to center. Adam Jones launched one OVER the monster seats for a quick lead three batters into the game. Chris Davis struck out looking and Delmon Young popped up to short to end the inning with the O's ahead 2-0.

                                                That didn't take long

The Sox wasted no time getting back in the game in the bottom of the first. Brock "The Hitman" Holt continued his torrid streak with a single to center but Mookie Betts was robbed of a home run at the wall in right. Ortiz walked to put the tying run at first. Last night Ramirez couldn't do anything right, today he made up for it by blasting a towering 3 run home run off the monster seats to give the Sox the lead. Mike Napoli struck out looking and Sox commentator Don Orsillo says Nap couldn't believe it....neither can I. Pablo Sandoval and Shane Victorino both walked to load the bases but Xander Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                   Hanley goes yard

The O's wasted no time tying the game in the top of the second. Travis Snider struck out swinginvg on a full count to begin and Manny Machado struck out looking on a questionable pitch. Ryan Flaherty blasted one to dead center to tie the game. Everything from Porcello is up today, not good. Caleb Joseph singled but Cabrera struck out on Rick's 45th pitch to end the inning. Neither pitcher was going to last long at this rate and the game was tied 3-3.

Sandy Leon whiffed to begin the bottom of the second. Holt followed with a swinging strikeout and Betts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Porcello calmed down in the top of the third as Paredes flied out to right to begin, Jones struck out swinging but Davis doubled to right. Young grounded out to second to end the inning. Ortiz grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third and Ramirez grounded out to third. Napoli singled to right but Sandoval grounded out to first to end the inning.

Porcello ran into trouble in the top of the fourth. Snider struck out looking but Machado singled to short and stole second. Flaherty and Jones both walked to load the bases but Cabrera grounded into a double play to end the threat. Victorino singled and took second on the throwing error by Cabrera to start the bottom of the fourth. Bogaerts failed to move Shane over by grounding out to short. Leon walked but Holt lined out to left. Betts flied out to right to end the inning.

The O's struck back in the top of the fifth as Paredes singled to right to start. and Jones singled but Jones was erased on the force by Davis. Young walked to load the bases and Snider hit one in the hole at second to give the O's the lead and reload the bases. Machado scored Davis with a sac fly and Flaherty flied out to left to end the inning with the O's up 5-3.

                                                 O's take the lead

Ortiz did the team no favors by getting ejected arguing balls and strikes to begin the bottom of the fifth, having to be replaced by Daniel Nava. Nava grounded out to third but Hanley singled to center. Napoli whiffed and Sandoval grounded back to the mound to end the inning. That was foolish of Ortiz to take it that far and now the Sox were without their best hitter.

                                                     Bye bye Ortiz

With Ortiz gone, Porcello fell apart in the top of the sixth. Joseph was hit by a pitch and Cabrera caught the defense asleep with a bunt single. Paredes singled to load the bases. Sox manager John Farrell didn't want to go his bullpen early so he left Rick in. Jones made Farrell pay by clearing the bases with a double to put the game out of reach. Finally....Porcello was pulled for Craig Breslow. Porcello ended up allowing 12 total hits and 8 total runs, pathetic.

                                                     O's chase Porcello

Craig struck out Davis swinging, got Young to fly out to center and Snider to pop up to short. Nice going Farrell to bring in Breslow one batter too late. Could the Sox rally off new pitcher Tommy Hunter? Victorino hit one up the elevator shaft, Bogaerts grounded out to short and Leon grounded out to second to end the inning. So much for a comeback.

Breslow returned for the top of the seventh and Machado struck out swinging to start. Flaherty doubled to center but Joseph popped up to second. Cabrera struck out swinging to end the inning. Holt grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the seventh. Betts struck out looking and Nava grounded out to second to end the inning.

Breslow returned for his third inning of work and got Paredes to line out to left to start the top of the eighth. Jones singled to left but Davis flied out to right. Young popped up to second to end the inning, a hell of an effort by Breslow. The Sox should still be in the game if Farrell had him open the sixth or at least pitch to Jones. Kevin Gausman replaced Hunter as Lough replaced Davis and Snider moved over, just like yesterday. Ramirez grounded out to first and Napoli lined out to right to begin the bottom of the eighth. Sandoval got his first extra base hit of the season with a double (how pathetic is that?) to left but Victorino struck out swinging to end the inning.

Edward Mujica had mop up duty in the top of the ninth. Snider grounded out  to second but Machado singled to left. Flaherty grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gausman returned to close out the bottom of the ninth as Bogaerts popped up to first to start. Leon flied out to left and Holt grounded back to the mound to end the game. The O's had won it 8-3.

                                                          Sox lose


Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He gave up TWELVE HITS, 3 walks, 8 earned runs.....terrible.

Porcello: Jackass of the Night

The Good:

David Ortiz was 0 for 1 with a walk and a run scored before getting the heave-ho.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 including the 3 run home run.

Pablo Sandoval was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Shane Victorino was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Craig Breslow tossed 3 scoreless innings.

Edward Mujica pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 2 after replacing Ortiz.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Brock Holt was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a walk.




Final Thoughts:

Well it was a nice start to the season, but this is where reality sets in. The Sox have the WORST rotation in baseball and everyone outside of general manager Ben Cherrington seems to know it. Fans are getting restless with the lack of productivity from Allen Craig, Victorino and Sandoval. First place appears to be going by the wayside, it was fun while it lasted. Craig Breslow looked great with 3 solid innings. Between him and The Orient Express, if the Sox had a good rotation they'd be where they were two years ago. As it is, the Sox are gonna have to outslug everyone if they hope to compete this season. The Sox look to salvage the series tomorrow morning with Justin Masterson going against Wei-Yin Chen. The special Patriots Day matinee begins at 11:00 AM at Fenway Park.