Royals Drop Criswell, Sox (7/12/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Justin Slaten was placed on the Injured List with right elbow inflammation and Trey Wingenter was optioned down to Worcester. In their places the Sox called up Cam Booser and Cooper Criswell, with Criswell to make the start in tonight's game. Slaten hasn't pitched well lately so if he's hurt, it makes perfect sense. Hope he gets well soon.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, when you call up a spot starter and he doesn't pitch well, you pretty much have no chance to win the game. Tonight the Kansas City Royals blitzed Cooper Criswell (3-4, 4.50 ERA) for five early runs. Salvador Perez, Adam Frazier, Vinnie Pasquantino and Bobby Witt Jr all drove in runs to put the game away early. Ceddanne Rafaela knocked in Jamie Westbrook in the bottom of the second but Cole Ragans shut down the Sox the rest of the way, going 7 innings. Greg Weissert allowed a run in the eighth and the Royals had won this game 6-1 at Fenway Park.

The Royals wasted no time getting to Criswell in the top of the first as Adam Frazier got a base hit to center to start. Bobby Witt Jr got a base hit to left and Vinnie Pasquantino singled in tbe hole at short. Salvador Perez hit a sac fly to left to score Frazier and both runners moved over on the Michael Massey grounder to first. Old friend Hunter Renfroe flied out to left to end the inning with the Royals up 1-0.

                                                       That didn't take long 

Ragans got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder got a base hit off the glove of Pasquantino to start. Jarren Duran flied out to left, Tyler O'Neill popped up to second and Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Royals iced the game in the top of the second as MJ Melendez doubled down the right field line to start. Maikel Garcia dropped down a bunt to move Melendez to third and Kyle Isbel walked. Frazier got a base hit to center to score Melendez, Witt was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Pasquantino hit a sac fly to right to score Isbel. Perez got a base hit to left and Frazier scored, but Witt was thrown out at home on the play to end the inning with the Royals up 4-0.

                                                              Perez drives in a run

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Connor Wong struck out swinging to start. Romy Gonzalez grounded out to short but Jamie Westbrook doubled to left. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to center to score Westbrook then took third on a wild pitch. David Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1. 

                                                           Rafaela refuses to give up

Massey lined out to right to start the top of the third and Renfroe grounded out to third. Melendez singled to left, Garcia got a base hit to center and Isbel walked to load the bases. Frazier lined out to second to end the inning. Refsnyder grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third and Duran grounded out to first. O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Royals got another run in the top of the fourth as Witt Jr hit a home run all the way to Chicago to start. Pasquantino grounded out to second, Perez popped up to second and Massey also grounded out to second to end the inning with the Royals up 5-1.

                                                        All Royals in this one

Devers got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Wong forced him at second. Gonzalez grounded into a double play to end the inning. 

Renfroe flied out to left to start the top of the fifth. Melendez struck out swinging and Garcia grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Westbrook grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Rafaela popped up to short. Hamilton grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Criswell returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Isbel grounded out to second to start. Frazier popped up to third and Witt hit obe up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Criswell got hammered for 5 runs in 6 innings off 9 hits and 2 walks.

                                                          Game but lousy start by Criswell

Refsnyder walked to start the bottom of the sixth but Duran struck out swinging. O'Neill flied out to center and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Pasquantino popped up to short. Perez flied out to right and Massey grounded out to second to end the inning. Wong flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Gonzalez grounded out to second. Westbrook took strike three to end the inning. 

Greg Weissert came in to get tagged in the top of the eighth as Renfroe popped up to short to start. Melendez hit a home run all the way to Angola but Garcia took strike three. Isbel flied out to center to end the inning with the Royals up 6-1.

                                                           Home run Melendez

Freddy Fermin took over behind the plate for the bottom of the eighth with Chris Stratton now on the mound. Rafaela beat out a roller to third and Hamilton drew a walk. Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Refsnyder and struck out swinging. Duran and O'Neill also struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Frazier hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the ninth and Witt flied out to center. Pasquantino flied out to right to end the inning. Nick Anderson came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Devers grounded out to second to start. Wong grounded out to third and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Gonzalez. Smith grounded out to first to end the game. The Royals had won it 6-1.

                                                                 Royals win

Jackass of The Night is Cooper Criswell. He got rocked for 5 runs in 6 innings off 9 hits and 2 walks.

                                                             Jackass Criswell

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Jamie Westbrook was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with an rbi.

Cam Booser pitched a scoreless seventh inning. 

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu struck out as a pinch hitter. 

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. 

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

David Hamilton was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Greg Weissert allowed a run in two innings of work. 

Final Thoughts:

Some days you get routed early and lose all hope, this was one of those days. As soon as the Sox were down by 5 they just turned it off. One of the reasons the Sox might not make the playoffs this year is having to start guys like Criswell or have "openers" because they don't have a true ace. The New York Yankees have Gerrit Cole and the Los Angeles Dodgers have Tyler Glasnow and Yobu Yamamoto. The Sox have Tanner Houck. It would have been nice to see the Sox rally but right from the get go they got taken off their game. Hopefully tomorrow will be different, The loss dropped the Sox to 51-43, 6 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Royals when Kutter Crawford (5-7) goes for the Sox against Seth Lugo of Kansas City. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

A's Blast Pivetta, Sox (7/10/24)

One of the problems with this year's Boston Red Sox team is they don't have the starting rotation to match other franchises. The Sox have had a good month but couldn't really close the gap between them and the Baltimore Orioles due to games like this. Needing a big win, instead, Nick Pivetta (4-7, 4.09 ERA) didn't have it against the Oakland A's. The A's put the game away early in the top of the third as Shea Langeliers drew a bases loaded walk followed by a 2 run double by Lawrence Butler. Meanwhile JP Sears allowed a Rob Refsnyder homer in the bottom of the sixth as the only blemish on his day, shutting down the Boston bats. Pivetta allowed 4 runs total and the A's got another one off Josh Winckowski to win the game 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                          "Dammit Pivetta"

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and JJ Bleday flied out to left to start. Miguel Andujar grounded out to third and Brent Rooker flied out to left to end the inning. Sears got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran got a base hit to right to start. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging but Duran swiped second. Tyler O'Neill walked but Devers struck out swinging. Connor Wong walked to load the bases but Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Shea Langeliers grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Lawrence Butler singled off the glove of Devers. Zack Gelof popped up to second but Butler swiped second base. Tyler Nevin struck out swinging to end the inning. Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Jamie Westbrook grounded out to second. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brett Harris flied out to left to begin the top of the third but Max Schuemann singled off the glove of Ceddanne Rafaela. Bleday struck out swinging but Andujar got a base hit to left. Both runners pulled off a double steal and Rooker walked to load the bases. Langeliers walked to score Schuemann and Butler doubled to left to score both Andujar and Rooker. Gelof struck out swinging to end the inning with the A's up 3-0.

                                                              Butler is all fired up

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Duran grounded out to second to start. Refsnyder grounded out to third and O'Neill flied out to center to end the inning. 

Nevin struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Harris did the same. Schuemann struck out swinging to end the inning. Devers flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong struck out swinging. Gonzalez went down hacking to end the inning.

Bleday took strike three to begin the top of the fifth and Andujar also watched strike three go by. Rooker went down hacking to end the inning. Yoshida grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Harris booted a grounder by Westbrook. Rafaela doubled to center but Westbrook was thrown out at home. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Langeliers struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Butler lined out to third. Gelof grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Refsnyder struck his fourth home run of the season to start. O'Neill struck out swinging and Devers popped up to second, but Wong got a base hit to right. That was it for Sears as Austin Adams came in to face Gonzalez. Romy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                           Refsnyder goes yard

The A's finished off Pivetta in the top of the seventh as Nevin flied out to center to start. Harris flied out to right but Schuemann singled to center. Bleday doubled to center to chase Pivetta. Nick allowed 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10. Josh Winckowski came in and Andujar was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to end the inning with the A's up 4-1.

                                                           Pivetta wasn't good enough

TJ McFarland came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Westbrook grounded out to short but Rafaela got a base hit to right. Duran got a base hit to center to chase McFarland. Lucas Erceg was brought in to face Refsnyder but Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Wilyer Abreu to pinch hit. A wild pitch moved the runners over and Abreu walked to load the bases. O'Neill beat out a roller to third to score Rafaela and put the tying run at second. Devers forced O'Neill at second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                              Sox with a rally

Naturally the A's fought back in the top of the eighth as Rooker hit a ground rule double down the right field line to start. Langeliers singled to right to move Rooker to third and Butler walked to load the bases. Gelof took strike three but Nevin hit a sac fly to right to score Rooker. Harris grounded out to third to end the inning with the A's up 5-2.

                                                             A's get another run

Wong was retired on a tapper in front of the plate to start the bottom of the eighth and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Gonzalez. Smith flied out to left and Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Schuemann flied out to right to start the top of the ninth and Bleday lined out to center. Andujar grounded out to first to end the inning. Mason Miller came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hamilton took strike three to start. Rafaela grounded out to third but Duran got a base hit to center. Duran took second on defensive indifference but Abreu struck out swinging to end the game. The A's had won it 5-2.

                                                           A's win

Jackass of The Night is Rafael Devers. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including leaving the bases loaded in the seventh down by 2.

                                                               Jackass Devers

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with a stolen base.

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Wilyer Abreu walked in two plate appearances.

Tyler O'Neill was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

The Bad:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jamie Westbrook was 0 for 3.

David Hamilton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Pivetta took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks.

The Ugly:

Josh Winckowski allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

That game was one of the more frustrating ones of the season for a variety of reasons. Westbrook getting thrown out at home, Devers failing to come through with the bases loaded and Winckowski allowing that final run. Not that the Sox were going to touch Mason Miller in the ninth but a little bit more production prior to that and this could have been a different game. Still, tonight was a big reason why the Sox have trouble keeping momentum because other teams can throw out ace pitchers while the Sox have the Kutter Crawfords and Nick Pivettas of the world. Sox GM Craig Breslow screwed up not signing or trading for an ace this past off-season and its coming back to bite them now. This is a game you needed to have especially with the all-star break and trade deadline looming. Breslow knows this team needs a starter and if you have to part with the Goldust Trio (Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel and Marcelo Mayer) then it might be the right option. It also doesn't help that Triston Casas is out which forces them to play the likes of Jamie Westbrook as well. Hopefully things work themselves out and this was a temporary hiccup. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-42, 7 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back in the rubber game of the series tomorrow night against the A's when Tanner Houck (7-6) takes on Luis Medina of Oakland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Pound Rodon, Yankees (6/15/24)

Turnabout is fair play a day after the Boston Red Sox were knocked around by the New York Yankees. This time it was the Red Sox that ambushed Carlos Rodon and the Yankees early on in tonight's game for five runs. The Yankees did manage two runs off Sox starter Cooper Criswell but Justin Slaten (4-2, 3.06 ERA) and the Boston bullpen held the fort. Enmanuel Valdez and Jarren Duran drove in some late runs and Kenley Jansen slammed the door in the ninth as the Sox beat the Yankees 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    George Clinton approves of the win

Criswell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Volpe struck out swinging to start. Juan Soto walked but Aaron Judge forced him at second. Alex Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox blitzed Rodon in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran doubled to left to start. Rob Refsnyder flied out to right but Tyler O'Neill doubled off the Monster to score Duran. Rafael Devers walked and Connor Wong singled off the glove of Gleyber Torres to score O'Neill. Masataka Yoshida flied out to left but Jamie Westbrook doubled off the Monster to score Devers. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                          Westbrook caps off the rally

The Yankees answered in the top of the second as Giancarlo Stanton singled to left to start. Anthony Rizzo walked and Torres moved both runners over with a grounder to second. Austin Wells struck out swinging but DJ LeMahieu got a base hit to center to score both runners. Volpe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees down 3-2.

                                                      LeMahieu brings the Yankees closer

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Ceddanne Rafaela singled to right to start. Duran lined out to left and Refsnyder forced Rafaela at second. O'Neill got a base hit to right and Devers doubled to center to score both runners. A wild pitch moved Devers to third and Wong walked. Yoshida lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 5-2.

                                                              Devers drives in a pair

Soto took strike three to start the top of the third and Judge grounded out to second. Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. Westbrook struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third before Dalbec watched strike three go by. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Stanton ripped a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but Rizzo took strike three. Torres lined out to left and Wells also was frozen for strike three to end the inning. As usual Alex Cora pulled a guy too early and Criswell was done after 88 pitches, 4 innings and 2 runs allowed so he couldn't get the win.

                                                     Short and sweet for Criswell

Duran took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Refsnyder walked. O'Neill and Devers both went down hacking to end the inning.

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Rafaela booted a grounder by LeMahieu for an error to start. Volpe forced LeMahieu at second then Soto walked. Judge walked to load the bases and Verdugo forced Volpe at home. Stanton struck out swinging to end the inning. Wong grounded back to the mound to open the bottom of the fifth before Yoshida did the same. Westbrook struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rizzo grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Torres popped up to third. Wells took strike three to end the inning. Ron Marinaccio came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Dalbec walked to start. Rafaela caught LeMahieu asleep at third with a bunt but Duran struck out swinging. Refsnyder took strike three and O'Neill flied out to right to end the inning.

LeMahieu struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Volpe lined out to second. Suddenly Soto hit a home run all the way to Nepal to cut the lead. Judge got a base hit to right and that was it for Slaten. Brennan Bernardino got Verdugo to force Judge at second to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-3.

                                                         "That's a home run"

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the seventh as Devers flied out to left to start. Wong struck out swinging but Yoshida pounded a ground rule double into the bullpen. Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Westbrook and drilled a base hit to center. Yoshida looked to have scored but Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged that he was out. Replays showed Yoshida was safe and the run counted. Valdez stole second but Dalbec flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                         SAFE!

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Stanton struck out swinging to start. Rizzo and Torres drew back to back walks before Wells singled to center to load the bases. Jahmai Jones pinch ran for Wells and LeMahieu hit a grounder to short. It looked like Jones was out at second as Rizzo scored but once again Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged the call. Once again Boone was told to shove it and Jones was out. Kenley Jansen came in for the 4 out save and Oswaldo Cabrera pinch ran for LeMahieu. Volpe flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                          "We scored?" - LeMahieu

Jose Trevino took over for Jones with Victor Gonzalez now on the mound for New York to start the bottom of the eighth. Rafaela doubled to left and Duran lined a base hit to center. Rafaela scored and Duran took second on the throw home. Refsnyder walked but O'Neill grounded into a double play. Trevino tried to pick Duran off the third, but the throw went wide allowing Jarren to score. Devers took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 8-4.

                                                          Duran adds to the lead

David Hamilton took over for O'Neill to start the top of the ninth and Soto flied out to center to start. Judge also flied out to center and in a symbolic twist of fate, Verdugo made the last out with a liner to left. The Sox had won it 8-4.

                                                           Jansen locks it down

Hero of The Night is Rafael Devers. His 2 run double in the second gave the Sox all the runs they'd need.

                                                          Devers The Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Tyler O'Neill was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Jamie Westbrook was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Enmanuel Valdez singled, scored and stole a base.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 4.

Cooper Criswell allowed 2 runs in 4 innings while striking out 6.

Brennan Bernardino retired the only man he faced.

Kenley Jansen earned is 11th save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Greg Weissert allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Justin Slaten got the win but allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

The shoe was on the other foot in this one. After the Yankees and Verdugo embarrassed the Red Sox last night, it was Boston's turn. Getting to Rodon early was very important considering Criswell started and things got hairy in the eighth. Thankfully Jansen put the fire out and the Sox got some insurance in the later innings. The Yankees one weakness is the bullpen and the Sox exploited it tonight. They may be a mile out of first place but beating the Yankees is never a bad thing. There's still 90 games left to turn it around, as unlikely as that may seem. The win improved the Sox to 36-35, 13 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win the series tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Kutter Crawford (2-6) takes on Marcus Stroman of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Rally In 5th Sinks Phillies (6/12/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox got some interesting news. Former 2020 5th round pick Shane Drohan was returned to the Worcester Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox. As bad as Chicago has been this season, they STILL didn't give Drohan a chance to start. The joke's on them now. Welcome back Shane.

                                                          He's baaaaaaackkkkkkkk

It was a great night all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in tonight's game. The Phillies got 4 runs off starter Nick Pivetta through four innings but the Sox got a run in the fourth and plated five in the fifth to go ahead. David Hamilton hit a two run home run in the sixth inning although the Phillies rallied late for a run against Zack Kelly. Kenley Jansen got tagged for a run in the ninth but still slammed the door on the Phillies. The Sox had pulled it out 8-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                      Jayson Tatum approves of the win

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kyle Schwarber walked to start. Nick Castellanos doubled to left but Bryce Harper got a base hit off the glove of Bobby Dalbec to score Schwarber. Alec Bohm struck out swinging but Bryson Stott scored Castellanos by beating out a double play ball. Whit Merrifield popped up to short to end the inning with the Phillies up 2-0.

                                                        Phillies go up early

Cristopher Sanchez got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran led off with a liner to third to start. Rob Refsnyder lined out to left and Tyler O'Neill got a base hit to left but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning.

David Dahl led off the top of the second with a grounder to short before Rafael Marchan lined out to left. Johan Rohas got a base hit to center and Schwarber walked again, but Castellanos lined out to right to end the inning. Rafael Devers got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the second before Connor Wong flied out to right. Jamie Westbrook hit a bullet to Harper, who doubled off Devers to end the inning.

The Phillies got another run in the top of the third as Harper walked to start. Bohm forced him at second but Stott walked. Merrifield singled to right to score Bohm with another run. Dahl doubled to left to score Stott to seemingly ice the game. Marchan took strike three and Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Phillies up 4-0.

                                                              Phillies are up big....for now

Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before David Hamilton lined out to second. Ceddanne Rafaela walked and Duran got a base hit to short, then a wild pitch moved the runners over. Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning.

Schwarber flied out to right to start the top of the fourth but Castellanos tripled to right. Harper took strike three and Bohm struck out swinging to end the inning. Pivetta got rocked for 4 runs in 4 innings and Sox manager Alex Cora felt he had to take him out to give the Sox a chance.

                                                             Not good enough, Nick

The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as O'Neill grounded out to third to start. Devers tripled into the right field corner and Wong drew a walk. Westbrook hit a sac fly to right to score Devers to break up the shutout. Dalbec forced Wong at second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                    Sox get a run back.

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Stott took strike three to start. Merrifield popped up to second and Dahl flied out to left to end the inning. Suddenly the Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth as Hamilton got a base hit to right to start. Rafaela got a base hit to left to move Hamilton to third and Duran hit a routine grounder to Merrifield...thrown away for an error to score Hamilton and Rafaela. That was it for Sanchez as Jose Ruiz came in to allow Refsnyder to get a base hit to left. O'Neill hit a sac fly to left to score Duran but Devers took strike three. Wong got a abse hit off the glove of Merrifield to move Refsnyder to third. Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Westbrook and smacked a double to center. Refsnyder and Wong scored but Valdez was thrown out in a rundown to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                             Valdez drives in a pair

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Marchan grounded out to second to start. Rojas struck out swinging and Schwarber went down hacking to end the inning. Spencer Turnbull came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Dalbec walked to start. Hamilton launched his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Rafaela grounded out to short but Duran doubled to left. Refsnyder grounded out to second but Duran foolishly was thrown out at home trying to score from second to end the inning with the Sox up 8-4.

                                                                    Home run David

Castellanos walked to start the top of the second and that was it for Kelly. Brennan Bernardino came in and got Harper to line out to third. A wild pitch moved Castellanos to second and Bohm grounded out to short. Stott doubled to right to score Castellanos and Merrifield walked. Dahl grounded out to first to end the inning with the Phillies down 8-5.

                                                          Stott gets an rbi

O'Neill walked to start the bottom of the seventh and Devers walked as well. Wong struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved the runners over. Valdez walked to chase Turnbull. Seranthony Dominguez got Dalbec to fly out to right and Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Marchan grounded out to third to start. Rojas flied out to center but Schwarber singled to center. Castellanos was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Gregory Soto came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Rafaela singled in the hole at third to start. Duran forced Rafaela at second but Refsnyder was hit with a pitch. O'Neill struck out swinging and Devers lined out to left to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the top of the ninth and Harper hit a ground rule double into the left field line. Harper went to third on a balk and Bohm hit a sac fly to score Harper. Stott struck out swinging but Merrifield walked. Dahl flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 8-6.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is David Hamilton. He started the fifth inning rally and his two run homer in the sixth proved the be the margin of victory.

                                                                   Hamilton Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Tyler O'Neill was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jamie Westbrook drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Enmanuel Valdez knocked in two runs and walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Cam Booser pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Nick Pivetta allowed 4 runs in 4 innings off 6 hits and 4 walks.

Zack Kelly allowed a run in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refnsyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

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

Kenley Jansen allowed a run in the ninth inning but still earned his 10th save.

Final Thoughts:

Well that's more like it. What looked to be another routine loss turned into a good win. The Sox rallied big time in this one and it came at a good time. The Sox came into this one after losing 3 of their last 5 games and needed a win. Pivetta got rocked but the bullpen held Philly to just 2 runs in 5 innings so the Sox could surge ahead. One thing to watch for is the 8-9-1 speed threat of Hamilton, Rafaela and Duran. That could be a lot of stolen bases and 1st to 3rds on a team desperate for offense and no ace pitcher. Still, rather have a win than a loss. The win improved the Sox to 34-34, 14 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the NL East leaders tomorrow night when Tanner Houck (6-5) takes on Aaron Nola of Philadelphia. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Phillies Drop Lifeless Sox (6/11/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Garrett Cooper was designated for assignment and Masataka Yoshida was finally activated off the Injured List. Cooper was only here because Triston Casas and Tyler O'Neill got hurt. Now that Yoshida is healthy, Cooper is expendable.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, you'd think after playing their hearts out against the Chicago White Sox to avoid losing 3 of 4 and an off-day would rejuvenate the Red Sox. WELL YOU'RE WRONG! HA HA HA! The Sox slept walked in tonight's game against Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies. Wheeler held the Sox to 3 measly hits and a walk in 7 innings. Meanwhile old pal Kyle Schwarber added to his old team's misery with two home runs off Kutter Crawford (2-6, 3.47 ERA). Crawford himself was charged with 4 runs but the incompetent Red Sox defense contributed to 2 of them being unearned. The bullpen hung tough but the offense gave up as the Phillies took the game 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Live look at the Red Sox

The Phillies tagged Crawford immediately in the top of the first as old pal Kyle Schwarber hit the first pitch of the game out of the yard for a home run. Nick Castellanos flied out to right, Bryce Harper lined out to left and Alex Bohm popped up to short to end the inning with the Phillies ahead 1-0.

                                                            That didn't take long

The Sox answered against Wheeler in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran got a base hit to left to start. David Hamilton doubled to center and Rob Refsnyder hit a sac fly to score Duran, moving David to third. Rafael Devers popped up to first and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1. The Sox would have just two hits the rest of the game.

                                                           Sox tie it up

Bryson Stott singled to right and Refsnyder booted the ball for an error to move Stott to second to start the top of the second. Edmundo Sosa popped up to third, David Dahl struck out swinging and Garrett Stubbs went down hacking to end the inning. Connor Wong singled to center before Dominic Smith flied out to center. It looked like Wong stole second on the Enmanuel Valdez swinging strikeout, but the Phillies challenged the call. Sure enough, replays showed Wong was out to end the inning.

Johan Rojas grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Schwarber struck out swinging. Devers made a hell of a play to rob Castellanos of a hit to end the inning. Rafaela popped up to short to start the bottom of the third before Duran popped up to third. Hamilton lined out to first to end the inning.

Bad defense cost the Sox in the top of the fourth as Harper walked to start. Bohm struck out swinging but Stott doubled to center. Sosa took strike three and Dahl hit a routine grounder to second. Valdez threw to first and Smith dropped the ball for an error to score both runners. Stubbs singled to right to move Dahl to third but Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Phillies up 3-1.

                                                         Phillies score on an error

Refsnyder struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Devers also went down hacking. Yoshida walked but Wong grounded out to second to end the inning.

Schwarber struck again with another home run to begin the top of the fifth. Castellanos struck out swinging and Harper grounded out to first, but Bohm got a base hit to center. Stott flied out to left to enf the inning with Philly up 4-1.

                                                         That's two for Tazawa

Smith grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth before Valdez flied out to left. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Crawford returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Sosa struck out swinging to start. Dahl lined out to left and Stubbs took strike three to end the inning. Kutter was game but was charged with 4 runs in 6 innings although only 2 were earned.

                                                     Crawford deserved better

Duran lined out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Hamilton watched strike three go by. Refsnyder grounded out to second to end the inning.

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rojas took strike three to start, Schwarber struck out swinging and Castellanos grounded out to third to end the inning. Dahl made a great running catch to rob Devers of a double to start the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida flied out to right. Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Harper got a base hit to right to start. Bohm grounded into a double play and Stott grounded out to first to end the inning. Old pal Matt Strahm came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jamie Westbrook pinch hit for Smith. Westbrook struck out swinging and Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Valdez. Dalbec struck out swinging and Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Sosa walked to start. Dahl flied out to center and Stubbs forced Sosa at second. Stubbs stole second but Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning. Cristian Pache came in to play left with Jose Alvarado in to close out the bottom of the ninth. Duran grounded out to short but Hamilton got a base hit to center. Refsnyder popped up to first and Devers struck out swinging to end the game. The Phillies had won the game 4-1.

                                                               Phillies win

Jackass of the Night is Dominic Smith. He was 0 for 2 at the plate and his error cost the team two crucial runs.

                                                                 Nice error, Jackass

The Good:

David Hamilton was 2 for 4.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Cam Booser pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Chase Anderson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jamie Westbrook struck out as a pinch hitter.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with an error but drove in a run.

Masataka Yoshida was o for 2 with a hit by pitch.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 but was thrown out trying to steal.

Kutter Crawford took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 6 innings, but only 2 of the runs were earned. He allowed 6 hits and a walk while striking out 8.

Final Thoughts:

Watching Kyle Schwarber hit home runs left and right is another reason Chaim Bloom should be fired. He banked on Franchy Cordero and Bobby Dalbec being the answer and not re-signing Schwarber killed them ever since. Having Schwarber in 2022 and especially this season might be the difference in the playoffs and last place. I'd say Matt Strahm had a middle finger game as well but bullpen arms are a lot more common to replace. The bullpen was a strength in this one as they didn't allow a run after Crawford left the game. The offense just didn't have it in this one, give credit to Wheeler for pitching a hell of a game. Just have to tip your cap and come back tomorrow. The loss dropped the Sox to 33-34, 14 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Phillies when Nick Pivetta takes on Cristopher Sanchez of Philadelphia. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.