Sox Rally Past Nationals, clinch Wild Card (10/3/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a much needed roster move. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock was activated from the Injured List and Eduard Bazardo was sent back to Worcester to make room for him. The Sox are going to need Whitlock if they somehow make it to the playoffs.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                   IN

As for the game, for five innings it didn't look good for the Red Sox. The Toronto Blue Jays were laying waste to the Baltimore Orioles and the Sox were down 5 to 1 to the lowly Washington Nationals. Chris Sale was pulled after just 2 1/3 innings and the Sox facing a 2-0 deficit. That deficit turned to 5-1 and it looked like the Sox would be playing Toronto in a one game playoff to decide who faces the New York Yankees in the Bronx. All of a sudden the Sox rallied for a run in the sixth and three in the seventh to tie the game. Rafael Devers capped off his MVP runner up season with his 38th home run in the top of the ninth to give the Sox the lead. Nick Pivetta was brought in to slam the door in the bottom of the ninth and he did, securing the Red Sox a Wild Card berth and making the New York Yankees come to Fenway Park on Tuesday Night. What looked to be an insurmountable 5-1 lead turned into a season saving 7-5 victory over the Nationals at Nationals Park.

                                                            Bring on the Yankees

Joan Adon was brought up from Double A to make his major league debut in the top of the first inning. Kike Hernandez struck out swinging but Kyle Schwarber walked. Xander Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning. Sale got the ball in the bottom of the first and Lane Thomas struck out swinging to start. Alcides Escobar took strike three and Juan Soto went down hacking to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second inning as Rafael Devers ripped a base hit to left to begin. JD Martinez was hit with a pitch but Alex Verdugo went down hacking. Hunter Renfroe took strike three and Christian Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning. The Nationals struck first in the bottom of the second as Josh Bell doubled to right to begin. Ryan Zimmerman struck out swinging but Jordy Mercer doubled home Bell to give the Nationals the lead. Alex Avilla struck out swinging and Sale intentionally walked Carter Kieboom to get to the pitcher. Adon struck out swinging to end the inning but the Nationals led 1-0.

                                                                   Mercer puts the Nats on top

Sale himself struck out swinging to begin the top of the third before Hernandez took strike three. Schwarber walked but Bogaerts went down hacking to end the inning. The Nationals struck again in the bottom of the third as Thomas walked to start. Escobar singled to center but Soto took strike three. Bell singled to left to load the bases and Zimmerman walked to score Thomas with another run. That was it for Sale as Sox manager Alex Cora couldn't afford to wait around anymore with the season on the line. Sale lasted just 2 1/3 innings and Hiro Sawamura was brought in to put the fire out. Sawamura did just that as Mercer banged into a double play to end the inning with the Nationals ahead 2-0.

  

                                 "Gimmie that ball....and...AND GET OUTTA HERE!" - Cora

The Sox got on the board in the top of the fourth when Devers crushed his 37th home run of the season to put the Sox back in the game. Martinez struck out swinging but Verdugo was foolishly caught in a rundown on a base hit to center. Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                     Devers hits one out

Sawamura returned for the bottom of the fourth and Avila grounded out to short to start. Kieboom doubled to left but Adon took strike three. Thomas grounded out to second to end the inning.

Vazquez lined out to right to start the top of the fifth and Christian Arroyo pinch hit for Sawamura, drawing a walk. Hernandez singled to left and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Schwarber grounded out to first and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. The rookie in his major league debut held the Sox to just 1 run in 5 innings, that's pathetic by the Sox bats.

                                                             Adon with a good debut

Things looked bleak in the bottom of the fifth after the Nationals rallied off Garrett Richards. Escobar doubled to left and Soto was intentionally walked. A passed ball moved the runners along but Bell walked to load the bases with nobody out. Somehow Zimmerman struck out swinging but Mercer scored Escobar with a grounder back to the mound. The retiring Avila doubled home both runners to seemingly ice the game. Kieboom grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Nationals ahead 5-1.

                                                      Avila's final rbi of his career

Needing to rally the Sox did manage to get a run back in the top of the sixth although Devers struck out swinging to start. Jose Iglesias pinch hit for Martinez and got a base hit to center before Verdugo singled to right to chase Adon. Patrick Murphy came in to pitch and Renfroe flied out to right, moving Iglesias to third. Vazquez beat out an infield single to second to score Iglesias to inch the Sox closer. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Richards and struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox were down 5-2.

                                                        The Sox aren't dead yet

Martin Perez came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Gerardo Parra pinch hit for Murphy to start. Parra lined out to center and Thomas flied out to right, but Escobar walked. Soto lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh against Erick Fedde as Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Schwarber and Bogaerts stroked back to back singles and Devers drove in Schwarber with a base hit to center. Iglesias popped up to first but Verdugo doubled to center to score both runners to tie the game. Andres Machado took over for Fedde and Renfroe flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                          Verdugo ties it up

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Bell struck out swinging to start. Zimmerman grounded out to second and Mercer went down hacking to end the inning.

Andrew Stevenson took over for Zimmerman to begin the top of the eighth and Vazquez grounded out to third to start. Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Whitlock and grounded out to short before Hernandez flied out to left to end the inning. Eduardo Rodriguez himself came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Avila flied out to left to start. Kieboom flied out to right and Riley Adams pinch hit for Machado. Adams took strike three to end the inning.

Kiebert Ruiz took over behind the plate and Avila got a standing ovation for his ML career with Kyle Finnegan now on the mound. Mercer booted a grounder by Schwarber to start but Bogaerts went down hacking. All of a sudden Devers clobbered his 38th and final regular season home run to put the Red Sox on top. Jhon Romero came in to pitch and Iglesias singled to right, but Verdugo struck out swinging. Renfroe grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-5.

                                                        Devers puts the Sox on top

Nick Pivetta was chosen to close out the bottom of the ninth and Thomas popped up to second to start. Escobar grounded out to third and Soto took strike three to end the game. The Sox had rallied to win the game and clinch home field for the wild card game this Tuesday night at Fenway with a 7-5 win.

                                                                   Sox win

The final regular season Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers. His two run home run won the game and sent the Sox to Tuesday night's showdown.

                                                     Devers is the Hero

The Good:

Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Jose Iglesias was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Christian Arroyo walked as a pinch hitter.

Hiro Sawamura tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Martin Perez pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Eduardo Rodriguez got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Nick Pivetta got the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

JD Martinez struck out in his only plate appearance.

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Travis Shaw struck out as a pinch hitter.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Chris Sale allowed 2 runs in just 2 1/3 innings of work.

Garrett Richards allowed 3 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Just when it looked like the Sox had a date with the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow night, the Sox rallied to win the Wild Card and host the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. The Sox have had a remarkable bounce back season that looked like it was going to be one for the ages until the All-Star break only to fall flat in the second half. The Sox finished 30-31 to finish the season and needed a season series sweep of the Nationals to get to October. Its been a hell of a run this year and many fans believe its about to come to an end. Not many are picking the Sox with their terrible starting pitching and inconsistent offense to beat Gerrit Cole and the Yankees. The Yankees were victorious over the Tampa Bay Rays 1-0 this afternoon to eliminate the Blue Jays and their scary offense. As bad as the Sox played in the second half, just one good game against the Yankees will be enough to catapault them into the American League Division Series against the Rays. The only sad note is Jose Iglesias won't be joining the Sox in October as he is ineligible due to joining the team too late in the year. The trade deadline pickups paid dividends after the A-Team crumbled and the good part about that is the Sox only parted with one top 20 prospect (Aldo Ramirez). No matter what happens Tuesday the Sox are headed into next year in great shape. As for the regular season, 90 wins before the season was "pushing it" according to some fans and they finished with 92. This game was a microcosm of the season with the starter being lifted early but the Sox finding a way to win. Still, its one thing to beat the crappy Nationals, now the Sox have to beat teams that are actually good if they want to make it to the World Series. Just the fact the Sox are in this position is a miracle in itself but here we are. As said earlier, this Tuesday night the Sox face the Yankees with Gerrit Cole going for the Yankees against probably Nathan Eovaldi. The game begins at 8:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past Nationals Late, Set Stage For Tomorrow (10/2/21)

Two days ago the Boston Red Sox looked dead in the water after dropping 5 of 6 to the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. After two straight wins over the Washington Nationals and a big loss by the New York Yankees against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Sox now just have to win tomorrow to host the Wild Card game this coming Tuesday Night. Today the Sox had to rally late to beat the lowly Nats although they had a 1-0 lead after a Rafael Devers home run going into the bottom of the eighth. Adam Ottavino left the bases loaded and Austin Davis allowed a sac fly to Juan Soto to tie the game. With the season hanging in the balance, Christian Vazquez hit a clutch triple to put the Sox on top before Travis Shaw followed with an rbi single and Kike Hernandez struck his 20th home run of the season to cap the rally. Davis allowed 2 quick runs in the bottom of the ninth but Hansel Robles came in to save the day and help the Sox win the game 5-3 at Nationals Park.

                                                      Karyn Parsons approves of the win

Josiah Gray got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Hernandez led off with a grounder back to the mound. Kyle Schwarber doubled to right and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk, but Rafael Devers banged into a double play to end the inning. Tanner Houck got the start for the Sox and he struck out Lane Thomas swinging to open the bottom of the first. Alcides Escobar also went down hacking and Juan Soto grounded out to third to end the inning.

JD Martinez led off the top of the second by swinging at air and Alex Verdugo flied out to left. Hunter Renfroe grounded out to short to end the inning. Josh Bell took strike three to begin the bottom of the second and Keibert Ruiz grounded out to second. It looked like Andrew Stevenson was plunked but replays showed he went around, leading to him striking out swinging to end the inning.

Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Houck himself took a full count strike three. Hernandez lined out to center to end the inning. Jordy Mercer flied out to right to begin the bottom of the third before Carter Kieboom grounded out to third. Gray struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth although Schwarber flied out to center to start. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Devers clobbered his 36th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                       Kiss that one goodbye

Houck dominated the bottom of the fourth as Thomas grounded out to short to start. Escobar struck out swinging and Soto took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Verdugo grounded out to first to start. Renfroe struck out swinging and Vazquez flied out to left to end the inning. Houck finished his day by getting Bell to ground out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Ruiz followed with a grounder to second. Stevenson struck out swinging to end the inning. Despite being perfect for 5 innings, that was it for Houck thanks to Dr. Quick Hook Cora and it nearly bit the Sox a few innings later.

                                                         Houck was perfect through five

Christian Arroyo pinch hit for Houck to start the top of the sixth and struck out swinging, but Hernandez singled to right. Schwarber struck out swinging but Bogaerts walked, only for Devers to fly out to right to end the inning. Josiah Gray had held the Sox to just 1 run in 6 innings. Garrett Richards came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and somehow Mercer grounded out to short. Kieboom grounded out to third but Gerrado Parra pinch hit for Gray. Parra got a base hit to left but Thomas grounded into a force to end the inning.

Austin Voth came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Martinez struck out swinging. Verdugo lined out to center and Renfroe took strike three to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Escobar flied out to center to begin. Soto struck out swinging but Bell beat out an infield single to short. Ruiz walked and Stevenson singled off the glove of Schwarber to load the bases, but Mercer was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Mercer got so mad he tore his clothes off and swung his bat at home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi's head before he was escorted out of the building by an armed SWAT team.

                                                  "GET OUT AND STAY OUT!" - Cuzzi

Ryan Zimmerman came in to play first with Kyle Finnegan now in to pitch the top of the eighth. Vazquez took strike three and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Brasier, only to strike out swinging. Hernandez walked and took second on a wild pitch before Schwarber walked. Tanner Rainey came in to pitch and Bogaerts walked to load the bases but Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and struck out Kieboom looking to start. The wheels fell off as Zimmerman doubled to center and Thomas walked. Escobar walked to load the bases and that was it for Ottavino. Austin Davis came in and Soto hit a sac fly to the centerfield wall to tie the game but Bell lined out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                          Tie game

With the season on the line the Sox rallied in the top of the ninth inning as Martinez walked to start. Jose Iglesias pinch ran for Martinez but both Verdugo and Renfroe struck out swinging. Suddenly Vazquez hit a triple into the gap to score Iglesias to give the Sox the lead. Shaw lined a base hit to center to score Vazquez and that was it for Rainey. Mason Thompson came in to pitch and Hernandez smashed his 20th home run of the season to ice the game. Davis the pitcher somehow walked and Bogaerts singled to right to chase Thompson. Ryne Harper came in to pitch and Devers lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                  Hernandez gives the Sox a commanding lead

Davis returned to close out the bottom of the ninth but Ruiz walked and Stevenson hit a home run all the way to the White House to cut the lead. Riley Adams pinch hit for Harper and Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Hansel Robles. Yadiel Hernandez was sent in to pinch hit for Adams instead and flied out to left. Kieboom took strike three but Zimmerman walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Thomas flied out to right to end the game and the Sox had survived with a 5-3 win.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. His clutch, 2 out rbi triple led the Sox to victory.

                                                             Vazquez is the Hero

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with 3 walks.

Jose Iglesias scored a run as a pinch runner.

Travis Shaw was 1 for 2 with an rbi at the plate.

Tanner Houck tossed 5 perfect innings.

Garrett Richards pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Hansel Robles earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Christian Arroyo struck out as a pinch hitter.

Adam Ottavino was charged with a run in 1/3 of an inning.

Austin Davis allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

So it all comes down to tomorrow after all of this. 161 games are in the books and the Sox are currently in the first wild card spot in a tie with the New York Yankees. The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are both 1 game behind both teams and only two of these four teams will make it. The Sox damn near blew this one after Cora pulled Houck too soon again. His cockamamie explanation for pulling Houck after 5 perfect innings is "You can't manage with your heart, you have to use your head." Yeah, use your head Cora, nobody had reached base against him to that point. If he gave two more innings, you could have saved Arroyo and Shaw as pinch hitters and used Brasier or Richards later. Things worked out this time but one of these days pulling a starter too early is going to be fatal. It could be tomorrow or in the playoffs if the Sox get that far. Still, the team as a whole have a lot of balls. The Sox blew a lead and got it back almost instantly with clutch hits they needed. Getting Shaw and Iglesias back sparked this team and its a shame Iglesias will be ineligible for the playoffs. As for the bullpen, the Sox have to survive one more game before Cora's mix and match, fly by the seat of your pants style can be used in October. Cora rode the A-Team to death but in the playoffs, anything goes. The win improved the Sox to 91-70, tied for the first wild card spot with the Yankees. Tomorrow afternoon is the regular season finale and Chris Sale (5-1) goes for the Sox against Double A starter Joan Adon making his major league debut. If the Sox can't win tomorrow with their ace on the mound, they don't deserve to play in October. The game begins at 3:05 PM at Nationals Park.

Orioles Embarrass Fading Red Sox (9/30/21)

If the Boston Red Sox don't make the playoffs, this was a fitting end to a frustrating season. Eight days ago the Sox had won 7 games in a row and were in control of their own destiny. Instead of locking up the wild card or even hanging around in the AL East race, the Sox lost 5 out of 6 games and are now one or two losses away from elimination. The Sox were playing the 106 loss Baltimore Orioles and dropped two of three to them, including tonight's game. Alex Wells came into the game with an ERA over 7 and he held the Sox to just 1 measly run in six innings. Meanwhile Nick Pivetta (9-8, 4.56 ERA) finished his season by getting yanked in the fifth inning after giving up a 3 run jack to Ryan Mountcastle. Garrett Richards, the 10 million dollar man signed by Chaim Bloom allowed 3 runs in relief to put the game out of reach. The season looks to be crashing down with a 6-2 loss to the Orioles at Camden Yards.

                                                               3 more games to go

Wells got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez launched the very first pitch out of the yard for his 19th home run of the season. Kyle Schwarber popped up to first but Xander Bogaerts walked. JD Martinez flied out to center and Hunter Renfroe popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Hernandez wasted no time

Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Cedric Mullins struck out swinging to start. Ryan Mountcastle struck out swinging and Austin Hays went down hacking to end the inning.

Alex Verdugo took strike three to start the top of the second before Kevin Plawecki flied out to right and Jose Iglesias grounded out to short to end the inning. Trey Mancini grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second before Pedro Severino struck out swinging. Kelvin Gutierrez lined out to right to end the inning.

Hernandez struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Schwarber got a base hit to right. Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. The O's took command in the bottom of the third as Tyler Nevin walked to start. Nevin took second on a wild pitch and Pat Valaika got a base hit to center to move Nevin to third. Valaika took second on a wild pitch but Jahmai Jones watched strike three go by. Mullins also took strike three and with one out away from escaping.....Mountcastle hit a home run all the way to Bangladesh to put the O's up for good. Hays grounded out to third to end the inning with the O's up 3-1.

                                                           Mountcastle goes deep

Devers grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Martinez grounded out to short. Renfroe grounded out to first to end the inning. Mancini flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Severino struck out swinging again. Gutierrez got a base hit to left but Nevin flied out to left to end the inning.

Verdugo grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth before Plawecki grounded out to second. Iglesias flied out to center to end the inning. Valaika doubled to right to start the bottom of the fifth but Jones popped up the bunt to Plawecki. Mullins struck out swinging but Pivetta was asked to intentionally walk Mountcastle. All of a sudden here came Alex Cora to yank Pivetta at just 87 pitches and not even through with the fifth inning. Pivetta allowed the 3 run homer to Mountcastle in 4 2/3 innings along with 3 other hits and 2 walks. Ryan Brasier got Hays to force Mountcastle to end the inning.

                                                                Not good enough

Hernandez flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Schwarber walked. Schwarber moved to second on the grounder to first by Bogaerts and Devers flied out to left to end the inning. Garrett Richards poured gas on the fire in the bottom of the sixth as Mancini singled to center to start. Severino hit one up the elevator shaft but Gutierrez got a base hit to left. Both runners moved over on a wild pitch and Nevin got a base hit to left. Verdugo turned and threw the ball behind him into the stands for an error to score both runners. Ryan McKenna pinch hit for Nevin and took third on a wild pitch. Valaika hit a sac fly to center to score McKenna and Jones struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                              Nevin drives in a pair

Joey Krehbiel came in to pitch the top of the seventh with Richie Martin in for Jones. Martinez doubled to center and Renfroe drew a walk to start. Both runners moved over on a grounder to first by Verdugo and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Plawecki and a wild pitch scored Martinez. Needing a big hit to extend the inning...Shaw struck out swinging. Iglesias lined out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2. Fitting the two September additions did nothing with the season in the balance.

                                                    Sox know they're cooked

Adam Ottavino came in to pitch with Christian Vazquez coming in to catch the bottom of the seventh and Mullins grounded out to second to start. Mountcastle struck out swinging but Hays singled to left. Hays was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Hernandez flied out to center to start the top of the eighth with Dillon Tate on the mound but Schwarber walked. Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mancini flied out to center to start. Severino got a base hit to left but Gutierrez was frozen for strike three. McKenna popped up to second to end the inning.

Cole Sulser came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers flied out to right to start. Martinez flied out to center but Renfroe beat out a single to short. Verdugo grounded out to second to end the game. The Orioles had won 6-2.

                                                              O's win

Jackass of The Night is Garrett Richards. He came in to a 3-1 game and left after allowing 3 runs to ice the game.

The Good:

Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Hunter Renfroe was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ryan Brasier got the final out of the fifth inning.

Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 2.

Travis Shaw struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jose Iglesias was 0 for 3.

Nick Pivetta allowed 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings of 4 hits and 2 walks.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Vazquez caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

What more needs to be said? The writing was on the wall was back in June when The A-Team had to come in every night for 3-4 innings and that pace couldn't last. Even getting Hansel Robles and Austin Davis was like putting a band-aid on an amputated limb. Cora kept yanking the starters and then the bullpen collapsed. The offense was always hit or miss but it really went south in September which is why the Sox are one or two losses from elimination with 3 games to play. Maybe the only good thing about not making the playoffs is Alex Cora may get the axe. Yanking guys early all year burned out the bullpen leading to allowing more runs after the starter leaves. Pivetta left tonight when it was 3-1 and if Pivetta was allowed to continue, the game might have turned out differently. Losing to the 107 loss Orioles was the icing on the cake. Still, there's three games left and you never know what might happen. They may right the ship after all, unlikely, but possible. The loss drops the Sox to 89-70, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for the first wild card and tied with the Seattle Mariners for the second one. The Sox now travel to Washington DC for the final series of the season against the Nationals. Eduardo Rodriguez (11-8) takes on Josh Rogers of Washington tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Nationals Park.

Sox Explode in 10th, Beat Mariners (9/15/21)

Well that was interesting. The Boston Red Sox and the Seattle Mariners battled to a 3-3 tie from the third inning all the way to the end of the ninth. Hunter Renfroe hit a first inning home run against Marco Gonzalez and the Sox got two more runs in the top of the second. The Mariners rallied for three runs against Sox starter Tanner Houck in the bottom of the third and then it became a slog the rest of the game. Then in the tenth inning the Sox bats rallied for six runs against the Mariners bullpen highlighted by a two run Kyle Schwarber single and a two run Christian Vazquez double. Adam Ottavino (7-3, 3.68) continued his march to 10 relief wins and Martin Perez finished off the Mariners in the bottom of the tenth. The Sox needed a win to keep pace in the wild card race and they knocked off the Mariners 9-4 in 10 innings at T-Mobile Park.

                                                  Julia Styles approves of the win

Gonzalez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez grounded out to short to start. Hunter Renfroe launched his 28th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Xander Bogaerts flied out to left and Rafael Devers grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                     28th jack for Renfroe

Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first and JP Crawford grounded out to second to start. Mitch Haniger lined out to right and Kyle Seager grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as JD Martinez flied out to right to start. Kyle Schwarber walked and Bobby Dalbec pounded a ground rule double into the stands. Kevin Plawecki grounded out to first to score Schwarber and Jose Iglesias smacked a double to center to score Dalbec. Hernandez lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                          Iglesias drives in a run

Ty France struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second before Abraham Toro grounded back to Houck. Jake Fraley grounded out to second to end the inning.

Gonzalez turned up the heat for the top of the third as Renfroe struck out swinging to start. Bogaerts and Devers also went down hacking to end the inning. The Mariners fought back in the bottom of the third as Luke Torrens struck out swinging to start. Jarred Kelenic got a base hit to center and Tom Murphy got a base hit to right. Kelenic tried for third and Renfroe threw the ball away for an error to score Jarred. Crawford walked and a wild pitch moved the runners over. Haniger lined out to short but Seager doubled to left to score both runners and tie the game. France whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                               Mariners tie it up

Martinez flied out to right to start the top of the fourth and Schwarber struck out swinging. Dalbec also went down hacking to end the inning. Toro struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Fraley watched strike three go by. Torrens swung at air to end the inning.

Plawecki grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Iglesias drew a walk. Hernandez flied out to left and Renfroe flied out to right to end the inning. Dr. Quick Hook struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Kelenic got a base hit to center to start. Kelenic stole second but Murphy was rung up for strike three. Rather than let Houck finish the inning, Sox manager Alex Cora pulled him after just 4 1/3 innings forcing the bullpen to throw more than four innings AGAIN. Houck allowed 3 runs before getting the hook. Josh Taylor got Crawford to ground out to second but Kelenic moved to third. Haniger was intentionally walked and Seager grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                    Another short outing for Houck

Bogaerts took strike three to start the top of the sixth before Devers grounded out to second. Martinez whiffed to end the inning. Garrett Richards came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and France lined a ball off of him for a single. Toro grounded into a double play and Fraley struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally against Casey Sadler to start the top of the seventh as Schwarber flied out to right to start. Dalbec walked but Plawecki took strike three. Dalbec stole second and Iglesias beat out a roller to first to put runners at the corners. Paul Sewald came in to face Hernandez but Alex Verdugo pinch hit for him. Verdugo lined out to left to end the inning. Torrens singled in the hole at short to start the bottom of the seventh but Kelenic flied out to center. Dylan More pinch ran for Torrens and Murphy grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Renfroe grounded back to the mound to start the top of the eighth before Bogaerts took strike three. Devers walked and Martinez reached on catcher's interference. Schwarber flied out to center to end the inning. Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Crawford flied out to right to start. Devers threw a grounder by Haniger away for an error but Seager popped up to first. Sox manager Alex Cora wanted Adam Ottavino to face France and Adam struck him out swinging to end the inning.

Diego Castillo came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Dalbec went down hacking to start. Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Plawecki and struck out swinging as well. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Iglesias and popped up to short to end the inning. Jack Lopez took over for Shaw at second to start the bottom of the ninth and Toro popped up to short to start. Fraley lined out to short and Jake Bauers pinch hit for Moore. Bauers was hit with a pitch and stole second, but Kelenic struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the tenth with Erik Swanson on the mound and Lopez starting at second base. Verdugo got a base hit to left and Lopez scored on a passed ball, moving Verdugo to second. Renfroe walked and Bogaerts got a base hit to center to load the bases. Justus Sheffield came in to pitch to Devers and Rafael forced Verdugo at home. Martinez singled in the hole at short to score Renfroe and Schwarber got a base hit to right to score Bogaerts and Devers. Yohan Ramirez came in and Dalbec walked to once again re-load the bases. Vazquez doubled to right to Martinez and Schwarber to ice the game. Lopez struck out swinging and Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-3.

                                                             Sox take the lead

Martin Perez came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Kelenic on second to start. Murphy struck out swinging but Kelenic took third on a balk. Crawford grounded out to short but Kelenic scored to cut the lead. Haniger struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-4 in 10 innings.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Kyle Schwarber. His two run single put the game out of reach for Seattle.

                                                                Hero Schwarber

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 2 with 2 rbis.

Jose Iglesias was 2 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.

Josh Taylor got the final two outs of the fifth inning.

Garrett Richards tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Austin Davis got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

Adam Ottavino got the win with 1 1/3 scoreles innings.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 3.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Tanner Houck allowed 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings off 4 hits and a walk.

Martin Perez allowed a run in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but walked, hit a home run and scored two runs.

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

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but walked and scored a run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Jack Lopez was 0 for 1 at the plate but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was a huge win for the Sox to keep pace in the wild card chase with the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees. The Sox have just 14 games remaining and they need to win every game they can to make the playoffs. Its very unlikely they win the AL East but they're right in the thick of things in the wild card hunt. This win pushed the Mariners to four games behind them so they might be out of it. The Sox blew the game open in the 10th but hats off to the bullpen to keep the game tied to get to that point after Houck left the game. Once again Alex Cora pulled a starter too early but it worked out this time. The bullpen is going to have nothing left for October but they have to get there first. Its too bad Jose Iglesias is ineligible for the post-season roster because he's been a godsend since they got him back after eight years away. The Sox need to go on a win streak if they want to lock up October or else they may be on the outside looking in. The win improved the Sox to 83-65, 8 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night when they return home to face the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Sale (3-0) goes for the Sox against Keegan Akin of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Outslug White Sox in 10 Innings (9/11/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Brad Peacock was sent back to Worcester while Danny Santana was once again placed on the Covid List. Jack Lopez was called up from Worcester to take Danny's spot while Connor Seabold was called up to not only replace Peacock but to make his ML debut as today's starter. Good luck Seabold.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, not too many games have been considered "must win" but this was certainly one of them. The Red Sox had to outslug the frontrunner AL Central leading White Sox after both starting pitchers were removed. The BoSox blasted Dylan Cease for seven runs in the top of the third but Sox prospect Connor Seabold got knocked out in the bottom of the fourth as the ChiSox tied the game. The White Sox took the lead on a 5th inning Yasmani Grandal home run off Ryan Brasier but Kike Hernandez hit a sac fly in the top of the eighth to tie the game. Travis Shaw drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth and Josh Taylor slammed the door in the bottom of the frame. The Red Sox had beaten the White Sox 9-8 in 10 innings at Comiskey Park.

                                                        Joclyn Stone approves of the win

Cease got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez took strike three to start. Kyle Schwarber and Xander Bogaerts drew back to back walks but Rafael Devers struck out swinging. Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning. Seabold made his ML debut in the bottom of the first and Luis Robert Jr lined out to left to start. Yoan Moncada walked but Jose Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning. 

Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to open the top of the second but Bobby Dalbec grounded out to short. Travis Shaw struck out swinging to end the inning. The White Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Eloy Jimenez flied out to center to start. Yasmani Grandal got a base hit to left and Leury Garcia hit a home run all the way to Oklahoma to put Chicago on top. Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third and Brian Goodwin flied out to center to end the inning with the White Sox up 2-0.

                                                          Garcia hits one out

The BoSox crushed Cease in the top of the third as Christian Vazquez lined out to right to start. Hernandez singled to center before Schwarber and Bogaerts drew back to back walks to load the bases. Devers walked to score Hernandez but Renfroe hit one up the elevator shaft. Verdugo got a base hit to left to score Schwarber and Bogaerts and Dalbec singled to right to score Devers. Shaw then put the exclamation point on with a three run home run to chase Cease. Ryan Burr came in to pitch to Vazquez and Christian singled to center. Hernandez doubled to left but Schwarber grounded out to second to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-2.

                                                              3 run bomb for Shaw

Hernandez lined out to second to start the bottom of the third before Robert Jr doubled to left. Moncada walked but Abreu hit into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Seabold as Sox manager Alex Cora forced his bullpen to once again throw more than half the game. He allowed 2 runs in 3 innings.

                                                     Short debut for Seabold

Bogaerts grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Devers got a base hit to left. Devers moved to second on a grounder to short by Renfroe but Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Garrett Richards came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the fourth as Jimenez lined out to right to start. Grandal walked and Garcia hit a routine grounder to Devers who ran around in a circle without tagging anyone for an error. Gonzalez walked to load the bases and Goodwin walked to score Grandal. Hernandez struck out looking but Robert hit a bases clearing double to left, chasing Richards. Ryan Brasier came in and Moncada doubled to left to score Robert, tying the game. Abreu grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 7-7.

                                                              Thanks a lot Richards

Michael Kopech came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Dalbec struck out swinging to start. Shaw took strike three but Vazquez walked. Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning. The White Sox took command in the bottom of the fifth as Jimenez flied out to right to start. Grandal hit a home run all the way into Wrigley Field to put Chicago on top. Garcia lined out to short and Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 8-7.

                                                       Home run Grandal

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Schwarber hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Bogaerts and Devers both struck out swinging to end the inning. Hansel Robles came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Goodwin flied out to center to start. Hernandez grounded out to third but Robert singled to center. Moncada struck out swinging to end the inning.

Renfroe popped up to short to begin the top of the seventh and that was it for Kopech. Aaron Bummer came in and Verdugo struck out swinging. Dalbec also went down hacking to end the inning. Michael Feliz came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Abreu struck out swinging to begin. Jimenez singled to right and Grandal grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Billy Hamilton took over in left with Craig Kimbrel now on the mound to start the top of the eighth. Shaw lined out to right but Vazquez doubled to center. Jack Lopez pinch ran for Vazquez and moved to third on a wild pitch. Lopez scored on the sac fly by Hernandez to tie the game. Schwarber took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 8-8.

                                                            Hernandez ties it

Kevin Plawecki took over behind the plate with Garrett Whitlock now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Garcia flied out to left and Gavin Sheets pinch hit for Hamilton. Sheets grounded out to first and Goodwin flied out to center to end the inning.

Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Devers struck out swinging but Renfroe singled to center. Renfroe stole second but Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning. Hernandez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the ninth but Robert hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Moncada lined out to left and Abreu was intentionally walked. Jimenez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Mike Wright Jr came in to pitch with Verdugo starting the inning at second. Dalbec grounded out to first to move Verdugo to third and Shaw ripped a base hit to right to score Verdugo. Jose Iglesias pinch ran for Shaw and moved to second on the Plawecki grounder back to the mound. Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning with Boston up 9-8.

                                                       Shaw with another big hit

Josh Taylor came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th with Jimenez at second to start. Grandal got a base hit to left to put runners at the corners and Seby Zavala pinch ran for Grandal. Garcia struck out swinging and Danny Mendick pinch hit for Sheets. Mendick struck out swinging and Goodwin grounded out to second to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 9-8.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Travis Shaw. His go-ahead rbi put the Sox in position to win.

                                                      Travis Hero

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Jack Lopez scored a run as a pinch runner.

Hansel Robles pitched a scoreless inning.

Michael Feliz pitched a scoreless inning.

Garrett Whitlock tossed 2 scoreless innings to earn the win.

Josh Taylor earned the save with a scoreless tenth.

The Bad:

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Garrett Richards allowed 5 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

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

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in 2 runs and scored twice.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Connor Seabold allowed 2 runs in 3 innings off a home run.

Honorable Mention:

Jose Iglesias ran for Shaw in the 10th inning.

Final Thoughts:

Its funny how Shaw was supposed to be the first baseman of the future when the Sox called him up in 2015 and here we are all these years later with him winning a game for the team. Dave Dombrowski really screwed up trading him but maybe he needed to be a star in Milwaukee to be able to make the comeback now. Beating the AL Central leading White Sox was a good playoff preview, especially getting to someone like Cease. Alex Cora continues to play with fire by having relievers pitch more than half the game. Seabold only went three innings and the bullpen had to throw the remaining seven. That's how he ruined the A-Team over the course of the spring. Its going to bite Cora big time in the end. As for now, that was a gutty win and hats off to the bullpen in the later innings who didn't budge. Robles, Whitlock, Taylor, etc definitely helped win this game big time. If Shaw doesn't have another moment in the sun, at least he has this game to fall back on. The win improved the Sox to 81-63, 1 game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the first wild card with 18 games to play. The Red Sox look to take two of three from Chicago tomorrow afternoon when Nick Pivetta takes on Lance Lynn of the White Sox. The game begins at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.