Mariners Edge Sox Late (4/29/11)

It seems to be one step forward, one step back for the Boston Red Sox this month. After beating the Baltimore Orioles last night to feel good about themselves, they fell apart late against the Seattle Mariners in tonight's game. The problem was the bullpen was forced to throw 5 innings after Daisuke Matsuzaka regressed from his previous starts to throw just 4 innings. The Sox did take a 4-2 lead over Jason Vargas and the Mariners but Matt Albers and Bobby Jenks coughed up the game by the seventh inning. After the Mariners took the lead, not a single Sox batter reached base as Seattle dropped Boston 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                         "Oh Jenks....."

Dice K got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Mariners wasted no time tagging him. Ichiro Suzuki popped up to left to start but Chone Figgins walked. Milton Bradley flied out to right but Miguel Olivo doubled off the Monster. Justin Smoak lined a base hit to right to score both runners to give the Mariners the lead. Jack Cust took strike three to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-0.

                                                          Smoak puts Seattle on top

Jason Vargas got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to first to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded back to the mound but Adrian Gonzalez dropped a base hit to right. Kevin Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning.

Adam Kennedy flied out to right to start the top of the second but Michael Saunders walked and swiped second. Brendan Ryan popped up to third and Ichiro flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second although David Ortiz grounded out to short to start. Jed Lowrie flied out to center but Mike Cameron wrapped his first home run of the season around the Pesky Pole to cut the lead. Jason Varitek flied out to Saunders to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-1.

                                               Home run Cameron

Dice K cruised in the top of the third inning as Figgins grounded out to second to start. Bradley took strike three and Olivo struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Darnell McDonald walked to start. Ellsbury forced McDonald at second but Pedroia flied out to center. Gonzalez singled Ellsbury to third and Youkilis drove Jacoby in with a base hit. Ortiz scored Gonzalez with a base hit into the shift to give the Sox the lead. Lowrie flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                       Ortiz puts the Sox on top

Dice K battled in the top of the fourth as Smoak flied out to center to start. Cust and Kennedy drew back to back walks but Saunders struck out swinging. Ryan lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth when Cameron launched his second home run of the game to add to the lead. Varitek singled to center but McDonald struck out swinging. Ellsbury singled in the hole at second but Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                        Cameron hits another out

The Mariners finally chased Dice K in the top of the fifth inning as Ichiro singled up the middle to start. All of a sudden Jason Varitek walked to the mound and asked if Dice K was okay. Within seconds Varitek frantically waived for the trainer who sprinted out of the dugout. Dice K started clutching his arm and left the game. He had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and sent to Mass General's ICU. Matt Albers came in ice cold and Figgins dropped a base hit to left. Bradley hit a double play ball to Gonzalez who threw to second to get Figgins but Albers dropped the throw to first for an error to score Ichiro. Olivo flied out to right and Smoak took strike three to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.

                                                       Dice K leaves with injury

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Gonzalez grounded out to first to start. Youkilis walked but was doubled off first on a bullet hit by Ortiz right to Smoak to end the inning.

Albers walked Cust to start the top of the sixth but Kennedy popped up to short. Saunders popped up to right and Ryan grounded into a force to end the inning. Lowrie grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third and Cameron popped up to second. Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bobby Jenks came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Ichiro singled to left and Figgins doubled past McDonald to start. Bradley struck out swinging but Olivo grounded out to second to score Ichiro to tie the game. Smoak walked and Cust doubled off the Monster to score Figgins with the go-ahead run. Kennedy grounded out to first to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-4.

                                                             Cust puts the M's on top

McDonald popped up to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Ellsbury took strike three. Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning.

Hideki Okajima came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Saunders walked to start. Ryan dropped down a bunt to advance Saunders to second but Ichiro walked. Figgins banged into a double play to end the inning. Jack Wilson took over for Kennedy and Jamey Wright came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Gonzalez flied out to Ichiro to start before Youkilis took strike three. Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning.

Daniel Bard came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Bradley grounded out to second to start. Olivo took strike threw and Smoak grounded out to second to end the inning. Brandon League came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Lowrie flied out to center to start. Cameron flied out to right and JD Drew pinch hit for Varitek. Drew took strike three to end the game, the Mariners had won it 5-4.

                                                          Mariners win

Jackass of the Night is Bobby Jenks. He took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the seventh inning.

                                                     Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4.

Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Mike Cameron was 2 for 4 with 2 solo home runs.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3.

Hideki Okajima pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

Jed Lowrie was 0 for 4.

JD Drew struck out as a pinch hitter.

Daisuke Matsuzaka got rocked for 3 runs in just 4 plus innings.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 2 with an error but walked.

Matt Albers allowed an inherited runner to score and committed an error in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Can this month end already? Every time the Red Sox look like they take the next step, they fall backwards. Jenks was supposed to be the answer to losing Billy Wagner in free agency but he got rocked tonight. The real problem was once the Mariners took the lead, the Sox offense went quietly in the final three innings. The offense is too good to be that unclutch so just add this game to the list of many they should have won. Its beyond frustrating at this point to see the Sox spoil a season that had so much promise. How does a team this good on paper lose 14 of their first 25 games? They've lost close games, they've lost blowouts, they just lose. Guess what they're going to do tomorrow? Probably going to lose. Tomorrow night John Lackey (2-2) goes up against Doug Fister of the Mariners at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Comeback Falls Short in Baltimore (4/27/11)

The good news was the Boston Bruins knocked out the Montreal Canadiens with their overtime victory in their NHL playoff Game 7 showdown, the bad news was the Boston Red Sox rallied from down 4-0 to tie the Baltimore Orioles....only for the O's to score the winning run in the eighth to win the game. Josh Beckett got tagged for 4 runs in 6 innings and the Sox trailed 4-0 going into the top of the eighth inning. Suddenly Adrian Gonzalez drove in a run and Kevin Youkilis smashed a 3 run home run to tie the game. All the feel good momentum was squandered in the bottom of the eighth inning when Vladimir Guerrero tagged Daniel Bard (0-3, 3.97 ERA) for a run to put the O's back on top. Kevin Gregg slammed the door in the ninth inning and the O's had won it 5-4 at Camden Yards.

  

Orioles starter Jeremy Guthrie got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a base hit to left. Dustin Pedroia flied out to left but JD Martinez doubled to right. Kevin Youkilis struck out swinging and David Ortiz popped up to short to end the inning. Beckett got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brian Roberts flied out to left to start. Nick Markakis grounded out to second but Derrek Lee singled off Beckett. Vladimir Guerrero popped up to right to end the inning.

JD Drew singled to right to start the top of the second but Jed Lowrie struck out swinging. Carl Crawford banged into a double play to end the inning. Beckett cruised in the bottom of the second as Luke Scott flied out to left to start. Adam Jones lined out to first and Mark Reynolds grounded out to third to end the inning.

Jason Varitek struck out swinging to begin the top of the third before Ellsbury took strike three. Pedroia watched strike three to begin the inning. Beckett dominated the bottom of the third as Matt Wieters struck out looking to start. Robert Andino also took strike three and Roberts flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Gonzalez flied out to left to start. Youkilis also flied out to left but Ortiz dumped a base hit to center. Drew walked and Lowrie got a base hit to right. Ortiz came around third and slid.....OUT! Ortiz was thrown out at home to end the inning.

                                                        Yerrrr out!

The O's pounced on Beckett in the bottom of the fourth although Markakis whiffed on a changeup to start. Things went south as Pedroia and Ellsbury let a pop up by Lee drop for a double and Guerrero popped up to short. Scott and Jones then blasted back to back home runs to Argentina to give the O's the lead. Reynolds lined out to left to end the inning but the O's led 3-0.

                                                          Scott gives the O's the lead

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Crawford flied out to left in foul territory to start. Varitek grounded out to short but Ellsbury doubled to center. Pedroia hit a bullet but right to Guthrie to end the inning. The O's got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Wieters singled to right to begin. Andino beat out a bunt single and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Roberts scored Wieters with a sac fly to right and Andino moved to third. Markakis grounded out to second and Lee grounded out to short to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-0.

                                                      O's increase the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Gonzalez went down hacking to start. Youkilis flied out to right but Ortiz dropped a hit to right. Drew flied out to center to end the inning. Beckett came back for one more inning in the bottom of the sixth as Guerrero popped up to first to start. Scott flied out to center but Jones doubled down the left field line. Reynolds struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Beckett who allowed 4 runs in 6 innings of work.

                                                Too many homers allowed by Beckett

Jeremy Accardo came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Lowrie struck out swinging to start. Crawford flied out to left and Varitek grounded out to first to end the inning. Tim Wakefield came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Wieters struck out swinging to start. Andino flied out to center and Roberts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the top of the eighth as Ellsbury singled to right to start. Pedroia walked to chase Accardo and Clay Rapada came in to pitch to Gonzalez and Adrian singled home Ellsbury to cut the lead. Koji Uehara was summoned to pitch to Youkilis and somehow Youk homered just over the left field wall to tie the game. Ortiz flied out to left but Drew walked to put the go-ahead run on. Lowrie struck out swinging and Crawford flied out to center to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 4-4.

                                                  Youkilis ties the game

Just as soon as the Sox tied it, the O's took the lead back against Daniel Bard in the bottom of the eighth. Markakis and Lee stroked back to back base hits before moving over on a passed ball. Varitek muffed a second pitch and Markakis made a mad dash home. Varitek gunned the throw to Bard who blocked off Nick's arm and made the tag for the out. Too bad Guerrero then hit a grounder up the middle to score Lee with the go-ahead run. Scott flied out to left and Jones whiffed to end the inning but the O's had taken the lead 5-4.

                                                          O's take the lead

Felix Pie took over for Scott in left with Kevin Gregg on the mound for the top of the ninth. Marco Scutaro pinch hit for Varitek and flied out to right to start. Ellsbury popped up to third and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the game. The O's had held on to win 5-4.

                                                          Dammit

Jackass of the Night is Daniel Bard. He allowed the run in the eighth after the Sox had tied it.

                                                             Cover your face, Jackass

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4.

JD Drew was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Tim Wakefield pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Carl Crawford was 0 for 4.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Marco Scutaro was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Jed Lowrie was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Josh Beckett allowed 4 runs in 6 innings of work. He gave up 7 hits and struck out 4.

Final Thoughts:

Good grief that was a let-down. The Sox looked lifeless for seven innings only to rally in the eighth inning. Naturally just like everything else this month, they found a way to screw it all up. Beckett was mortal tonight but even so, the Sox shouldn't have had to rally in the eighth like that after the way they had been hitting the last two weeks. Crawford continues to struggle offensively but Youkilis, Varitek and Scutaro isn't doing much either....apart from the 3 run homer Youk hit. Still, to look lifeless for seven innings and still make a game of it shows this offense will be dangerous moving forward. Bard is a damn good pitcher but that was inexcusable to allow that run after making a good play to get the out at home. Its been that kind of month where nothing ends well no matter how good things are going. Tomorrow night the Sox look to avoid a series sweep when they send Jon Lester (2-1) to the mound up against Brad Bergesen of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

O's Shut Down Sox (4/26/11)

As great as Easter Sunday was for the city of Boston, tonight was the opposite. The Boston Bruins dropped Game 6 of their first round playoff series against the Montreal Canadiens and the Boston Red Sox winning streak was snapped at the hands of the Baltimore Orioles. The scorching Boston bats were held to just 6 hits and 1 run by Zack Britton and the Baltimore bullpen. Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.33 ERA) gave up 12 hits and 4 runs while pitching into the seventh inning. The game was manageable but the Sox couldn't generate any offense against the dirty birds. Kevin Youkilis drove in the only run of the game for Boston as the Orioles took the game 4-1 at Camden Yards.

                                                    "This night sucked"

Britton made the Sox beat the ball in the dirt to start the top of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to second, Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short and Adrian Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Brian Roberts lined out to first to start. Nick Markakis singled to left but Derrek Lee flied out to center. Vladimir Guerrero grounded into a force to end the inning.

Kevin Youkilis took strike three to start the top of the second but David Ortiz walked. Jed Lowrie forced Ortiz and second and JD Drew grounded out to first to end the inning. The O's struck first in the bottom of the second as Luke Scott singled to center to start. Adam Jones struck out swinging but Mark Reynolds doubled to left. Matt Wieters hit a ground ball off the first base bag for a hit to score Scott. Robert Andino struck out looking and Roberts whiffed to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                                   A bad omen of good luck for Baltimore

Carl Crawford struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Jason Varitek grounded out to third. Ellsbury lined out to third to end the inning. The O's struck again in the bottom of the third although Markakis grounded out to first to start. Lee singled to right, Guerrero singled to left and Scott walked to load the bases before Lee scored on the sac fly by Jones. Reynolds was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to end the inning but it was 2-0 O's.

                                                           O's score again

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth as Pedroia got a base hit to center to start. Gonzalez moved Dustin to second with a grounder and Pedroia stole third. Youkilis hit a sac fly to score Pedroia and Ortiz hit a grounder under the glove of Roberts for an error. Lowrie grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 2-1 O's.

                                                        Pedroia scores a run

Wieters singled to right to open the bottom of the fourth but Andino flied out to right. Roberts flied out to center and Markakis grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Drew flied out to center to start. Crawford grounded out to short but Varitek singled to center. Ellsbury doubled to right and Pedroia walked to load the bases. Gonzalez grounded into a force to end the inning. The O's got another run back in the bottom of the fifth as Lee and Guerrero stroked back to back base hits to start. Scott beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Jones scored Lee with a sac fly to increase the lead. Reynolds took strike three to end the inning but it was 3-1 Baltimore.

                                                 O's tack on to the lead

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the sixth as Youkilis popped up to second to start. Ortiz singled to left but Lowrie flied out to right. Drew singled in the hole at second but Crawford flied out to center to end the inning. Buchholz got Wieters to fly out to left to start the bottom of the sixth and struck out Andino swinging. Roberts singled to center but Markakis flied out to left to end the inning.

Jim Johnson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Varitek struck out swinging to start. Ellsbury lined out to first and Pedroia also struck out swinging to end the inning. The O's finally chased Buchholz in the bottom of the seventh although Lee flied out to center to start. Guerrero singled to left and Scott doubled past the diving Drew, causing Felix Pie to pinch run for Scott. Jones was intentionally walked to load the bases and Reynolds hit a rocket Ellsbury had to climb the wall in center to grab. Guerrero scored and the other runners moved up. That was it for Clay who allowed 4 runs on 3 sac flies and a ball off the first base bag. Not the best but not the worst either. Hideki Okajima came in and retired Wieters on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning with the O's up 4-1.

                                                      Bad luck for Buchholz

Gonzalez tried to start a rally in the top of the eighth with a double to left but Youkilis popped up to first and Ortiz went down hacking. Lowrie whiffed to end the inning. Matt Alberts came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Andino walked to start. Roberts and Markakis both flied out to left and Lee struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kevin Gregg came in to close out the top of the ninth and Drew grounded out to second to start. Crawford struck out swinging and Marco Scutaro pinch hit for Varitek. Scutaro flied out to right to end the game. The O's had won it 4-1.

                                                        O's win

Jackass of the Night is Jed Lowrie. He was 0 for 4 with a crucial strikeout in the eighth with a man on.

                                                     Make contact, Jackass!

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jason Varitek was 1 for 3.

Hideki Okajima retired the only man he faced.

Matt Albers pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Carl Crawford was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marco Scutaro flied out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4.

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

JD Drew was just 1 for 4.

Clay Buchholz took the loss but allowed 4 small ball runs in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 12 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Final Thoughts:

Much like the Bruins losing tonight on two 5 on 3 powerplay goals. the O's nickel and dimed the Red Sox all night. 3 sac flies and a fluke single off the first base bag was all the offense the O's needed. The Sox couldn't get anything done offensively against Britton or the bullpen despite numerous chances. Its like the Sox reverted to their opening weekend ways of getting guys on base but can't drive them in. It wasn't like the O's bullpen is indomitable either. Buchholz didn't even pitch that bad either, just a LOT of small ball by Baltimore won this game. Still, tip your cap to the O's for a job well done and hope the Sox can come back tomorrow with anger and aggression. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow against the O's when Josh Beckett (3-1) takes the hill opposite Jeremy Guthrie of the O's. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Dice K Tosses Gem, Sox Blank Angels (4/23/11)

It was a big night in Boston with Anime Boston rocking the Hines Convention Center and the Boston Bruins winning Game 5 of their first round playoff series in double overtime against the Montreal Canadiens in the Boston Garden. 3,000 miles away it was even more Boston success thanks to the resurgent Daisuke Matsuzaka (2-2, 4.09 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox victory over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Improving on his Patriots Day gem, Dice K was even better tonight with 8 shutout innings allowing just 1 hit and 3 walks while striking out 9. On the offensive side, Kevin Youkilis hit a 2 run homer and a balanced attack put 5 runs on the board. It all added up to a great night for Bostonians with a 5-0 shutout win over the Angels at Angels Stadium.

                                                     Nathan Horton approves of the win

Ervin Santana got the start for the Angels and Jacoby Ellsbury led off by taking strike three to start. Dustin Pedroia walked and stole second, but Adrian Gonzalez flied out to left. Kevin Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning. Dice K began his dominance in the bottom of the first as Maicer Izturis flied out to right to start. Erick Aybar struck out swinging and Bobby Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning although David Ortiz grounded out to second to start. Jed Lowrie doubled into the right field corner but JD Drew took strike three. Crawl Crawford singled off the glove of Aybar to score Lowrie with the go-ahead run but Jason Varitek struck out swining with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                              Crawford drives in a run

The Angels mounted their only threat in the bottom of the second inning as Torii Hunter walked to start. Vernon Wells flied out to center but Dice K almost got his head taken off on a liner by Alberto Callaspo that fell into left for a single. Hank Conger flied out to left and Mark Trumbo struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the third inning when Ellsbury got a base hit to center to start. Ellsbury swiped second and moved to third on the Pedroia fly out to center. Gonzalez dropped a base hit to right to score Ellsbury with another run. Youkilis struck out swinging at a high fastball but Ortiz lined a base hit to center, moving Gonzalez to third. Lowrie flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                         Ellsbury scores a run

Dice K cruised in the bottom of the third as Reggie Willits struck out swinging to start. Izturis also went down hacking and Aybar flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Drew took strike three to start. Crawford grounded out to second and Varitek grounded out to short to end the inning. Abreu walked to begin the bottom of the fourth but Hunter flied out to right. Wells flied out to center and Callaspo flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Ellsbury singled to center and swiped second. Pedroia popped up to first and Gonzalez struck out swinging, but Youkilis swatted his 4th home run of the season to ice the game. Ortiz struck out siwnging to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                         Youkilis goes yard

Dice K cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Conger took strike three to start. Trumbo went down swinging and Willits took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox scored again in the top of the sixth although Lowrie flied out to right to start. Drew popped up to third in foul territory but Crawford slapped a double down the left field line. Varitek doubled into the right field corner to score Crawford with another run, but Ellsbury flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                       Varitek finally gets a good hit

Nothing could stop Dice K in the bottom of the sixth as Izturis flied out to center to start. Aybar hit a broken bat liner to Youkilis but Abreu walked. Hunter grounded out to short to end the inning.

Santana cruised in the top of the seventh as Pedroia hit a bullet but right to Izturis to start. Gonzalez hit a 380 foot fly out to left and Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning. Dice K continued his dominance in the bottom of the seventh as Wells grounded out to short to start. Callaspo and Conger both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jason Bulger came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ortiz flied out to left to start. Lowrie singled to right and Drew hit a routine pop up to shallow right that Abreu slide and missed completely. Drew got credit for a "single" but Crawford flied out to center. Varitek lined out to third to end the inning.

                                                    "I don't got it....." - Abreu

Dice K returned for one last inning in the bottom of the eighth as Trumbo flied out to center to start. Howie Kendrick pinch hit for Willits and grounded out to second before Izturis also grounded out to second to end the inning. That was one of Dice K's best starts ever, allowing just 1 run in 8 shutout innings.

                                                                 Dice K Delivers

Peter Boujors took Trumbo's spot in the lineup for the top of the ninth and Ellsbury struck out swinging to start. Pedroia grounded out to third and Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning. Daniel Bard came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Aybar legged out an infield single to short to start. Aybar took second on defensive indifference but Abreu struck out swinging. Hunter struck out swinging and Wells grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-0.

                                                                    Sox win

Hero of the Night is Daisuke Matsuzaka. He pitched 8 shutout innings and allowed just a hit and 3 walks.

                                                           Dice K Hero

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 5 with 2 stolen bases and 2 runs scored.

Jed Lowrie was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Carl Crawford was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 but walked and stole a base.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but hit a 2 run home run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

JD Drew was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jason Varitek was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

If Dice K rediscovers his 2008 form then this team is going to be very hard to beat this season. Jon Lester and Josh Beckett look like they've found their groove and if Dice K does as well, look out American League. Dice K was outstanding tonight and topped his Patriots Day game, which a lot of people didn't think possible. The offense was a balanced attack and if they can stay healthy all season, they'll be tough to beat too. Apart from Marco Scutaro there's not a single automatic out on this team and Scutaro isn't exactly 2007 Julio Lugo either. Its only a matter of time before Ortiz and Gonzalez start hitting rockets out of ballyards and if Ellsbury, Crawford and Pedroia are the on base machines they should be, this really could be the "best team evah". All in all it was a good win and the Sox look to sweep the Angels out of Anaheim on Easter Sunday tomorrow afternoon. John Lackey (1-2) looks to rebound against Matt Palmer of the Angels. The game begins at 3:30 PM Eastern time at Angels Stadium.

Sox Defeat Angels in 11 Innings (4/21/11)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Matt Albers was activated from the Disabled List and Alfredo Aceves was sent back to Pawtucket. The Sox feel Albers is more valuable right now and considering how things are going, who knows how this will turn out?

                                                                               OUT

                                                                   IN

On a night where the Boston Bruins got a much needed Game 4 victory in overtime over the Montreal Canadiens to even their first round playoff series at two games apiece, the Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim in 11 innings. Josh Beckett continued his hot streak by throwing 8 innings of 2 run ball but was matched by Tyler Chatwood and the Angels bullpen. Adrian Gonzalez and Jed Lowrie broke the deadlock with rbis in the top of the eleventh. Jonathan Papelbon slammed the door in the bottom of the eleventh and the Sox had pulled it out 4-2 at Angels Stadium.

                                                        Andrew Ference approves of the win

Chatwood got the ball in the top of the first and JD Drew grounded out to first on the first pitch of the game to start. Dustin Pedroia and Adrian Gonzalez stroked back to back base hits to center but Kevin Youkilis banged into a double play to end the inning. Beckett got the ball in the bottom of the first as Maicer Izturis flied out to center to start. Howie Kendrick struck out swinging and Bobby Abreu popped up to short to end the inning.

Ortiz doubled to right to start the top of the second and moved to third on the grounder by Jed Lowrie. Carl Crawford failed to do anything by grounding out to first and Jason Varitek struck out swinging to end the inning. Kevin Youkilis had fouled a pitch off his ankle in the first inning and collapsed in the dugout before taking the field. He had to be hauled off on a gurney, loaded into an ambulance and taken to a local ICU. Marco Scutaro was brought in to play short with Jed Lowrie moving to third for the bottom of the second. Torii Hunter grounded out to second to start before Vernon Wells lined out to short. Hank Conger grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a ground out to second. Drew popped up to short but Pedroia drew a walk. Pedroia looked to have been tagged out stealing second but he was ruled safe. Gonzalez was intentionally walked and Scutaro flied out to center to end the inning. Beckett cruised in the bottom of the third as Mark Trumbo grounded out to second to start. Erick Aybar popped up to short and Peter Bourjos looked at a curveball for strike three to end the inning.

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the fourth as Ortiz grounded into the shift to start. Lowrie flied out to left but Crawford walked. Carl stole second and Varitek walked, but Ellsbury flied out to left to end the inning. Izturis walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Kendrick flied out to shallow left. A wild pitch moved Izturis to second but Abreu flied out to left. Hunter grounded out to third to end the inning.

Drew flied out to left to start the top of the fifth but Pedroia blooped a single to right. Gonzalez was rung up for strike three and Youkilis popped up to Wells to end the inning. Beckett cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Wells grounded out to short to start. Conger struck out swinging and Trumbo flied out to Drew at the right field wall to end the inning, that's 5 no-hit innings for Beckett.

The Sox struck first in the top of the sixth as Ortiz walked to start. Lowrie dumped a base hit to left-center and Crawford moved both runners over with a bunt. Varitek struck out swinging on a nasty breaking ball but Ellsbury hit a broken bat looper into right to score both runners and give Boston the lead. Ellsbury was thrown out at second trying to steal second to end the inning with Boston ahead 2-0.

                                                 Ellsbury gives the Sox the lead

Aybar broke up the no-no with a little roller to Beckett to start the bottom of the sixth and moved to second on the Bourjos grounder to third. Aybar moved to third on the grounder by Izturis but Kendrick took strike three to end the inning.

Hisanori Takahashi came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Drew walked to start. Pedroia walked but Gonzalez popped up to third. Scutaro and Ortiz both took strike three to end the inning. The Angels finally tagged Beckett in the bottom of the seventh as Abreu walked to start. Hunter then hit a home run all the way to Portland, Oregon to tie the game. Wells took strike three, Conger grounded out to first and Trumbo popped up to first to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Hunter ties it up

Fernando Rodney came in to pitch the top of the eighth and the Sox blew another rally. Lowrie grounded out to third to start but Crawford walked. Varitek tried to bunt Crawford to second but ended up getting hit with a pitch. Ellsbury walked to load the bases but Drew whiffed badly to kill the rally. Pedroia popped up to Kendrick to end the inning. Beckett returned for one last inning in the bottom of the eighth and Aybar hit a double down the right field line, but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple by Drew. Bourjos grounded out to third and Izturis popped up to short to end the inning. That was it for Beckett who deserved better. He tossed 8 innings of 2 run ball that should have been enough to win the game.

                                                                   Beckett pitched well

Jordan Walden came in for the top of the ninth and Gonzalez popped up to shallow left to start. Scutaro grounded out to third but Ortiz walked. Darnell McDonald pinch ran for Ortiz and stole second, but Lowrie popped up to center to end the inning. Daniel Bard came in for the bottom of the ninth and Kendrick grounded out to short to start. Abreu struck out swinging and Hunter grounded out to second to send this game to extra innings.

Rich Thompson came in to pitch the top of the tenth and he cruised. Crawford took strike three to start before Varitek watched strike three go by. Ellsbury went down hacking to end the inning. Bobby Jenks came in for the bottom of the tenth and Wells grounded out to third to start. Conger hit one up the elevator shaft and Trumbo popped up to first to end the inning.

                                                   Jenks gets it done

The Sox finally took the lead in the top of the eleventh as Drew walked to start. Drew moved to third on the base hit to right by Pedroia and scored on the Gonzalez double into the right field corner. Gonzalez was thrown out at third on the grounder to second by Scutaro and McDonald hit a grounder to third. Pedroia got caught in a rundown but ran around the tag to make it safely back to third to load the bases. Lowrie scored Pedroia with a sac fly to ice the game and chase Thompson. Jason Bulger came in and both runners moved over on a passed ball, but Crawford whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                Pedroia scores the insurance run

Sox closer Jonathan Papelbon came out to save the game in the bottom of the eleventh inning. Aybar grounded out to short to start but Bourjos caught Varitek asleep with a bunt single in front of the plate. A wild pitch moved Bourjos to second but Izturis popped up to third. Kendrick put up a 10 pitch at bat but struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2 in 11 innings.

                                                     Sox win

Hero of the Night is Adrian Gonzalez. He drove in the go-ahead run in the 11th inning.

                                                    Gonzalez comes through to be the Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with 2 walks, a stolen base and a run scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Josh Beckett tossed 8 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed just 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Daniel Bard pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Bobby Jenks got the win with a scoreless tenth inning.

Jonathan Papelbon earned his fourth save with a scoreless 11th inning.

The Bad:

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 1 before leaving the game.

Marco Scutaro was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

JD Drew was 0 for 4 but walked twice, scored a run and threw out a runner at third.

Jed Lowrie was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Carl Crawford was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and stole a base.

Jason Varitek was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and was hit with a pitch.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 1 at the plate but stole a base as a pinch runner.

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in 2 runs.

Final Thoughts:

Nice to see the season start to turn around after the horrendous start the Sox had. The Sox offense is still struggling to score runs but that's going to come for sure. The real key to the game was the pitching. Beckett pitched another gem and 9 times out of 10, 8 innings of two run ball should be enough to win. The bullpen slammed the door and if they stay healthy, the trio of Jenks, Bard and Papelbon is going to be deadly. Hopefully Youkilis is okay and just left as a precaution. If Youkilis gets hurt again, that's a bad sign considering how injury prone Lowrie and Drew are. As of now the Sox look to be coming out of their slump and winning a road game in extras is always a tough thing to do. Gonzalez getting the game winning rbi is what the Sox need out of him since he's supposedly the second coming of Manny Ramirez. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Angels tomorrow night when Jon Lester (1-1) takes on Danny Haren of the Angels at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Angels Stadium.

Sox Hold Off Late Rally to Defeat A's (4/20/11)

Last night Brett Anderson of the Oakland A's dominated the Boston Red Sox weak right handed hitting lineup. Gio Gonzalez....not so much. Kevin Youkilis, JD Drew and Jed Lowrie all hit home runs and the Sox pounded out 10 total hits as a team. Clay Buchholz (1-2, 5.31 ERA) labored but allowed just a single run in 5 1/3 innings. Oakland shot themselves in the foot by leaving 15 men on base but still managed to rally in the later innings. Jonathan Papelbon wasn't as sharp as he usually was but he still nailed down the save to hold off the A's. The Sox won their first road game of the season 5-3 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                  Kayla Kleavage approves of the win

Gonzalez got the ball in the top of the first and JD Drew struck out looking on the outside corner to start. Dustin Pedroia flied out to right and Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Crisp hit a home run all the way to Osaka, Japan to give the A's the early lead. Daric Barton popped up to third in foul territory and David DeJesus grounded out to short but Hideki Matsui walked. Ryan Sweeney flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           Crisp puts the A's on top

The Sox fought back in the top of the second as Kevin Youkilis dumped a base hit to right to start. DeJesus jumped into the right field wall to rob a hit from Jed Lowrie but Marco Scutaro singled to right. Carl Crawford dropped a base hit to center to score Youkilis to tie the game. Crawford was thrown out at second on the strike em out, throw em out double play by Jason Varitek to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                    Tie game

Mark Ellis led off the bottom of the second by slapping a single to center but Landon Powell struck out swinging. Kevin Kouzmanoff lined a base hit to right but Cliff Pennington beat out a double play ball. Crisp lined out to right to end the inning.

Jacoby Ellsbury took strike three to begin the top of the third and Drew watched strike three go by as well. Pedroia drew a walk but Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Barton lined out to left to begin the bottom of the third and DeJesus popped up to second. Matsui struck out swinging to end the inning.

Youkilis led off the top of the fourth inning with his third home run of the year to give the Sox the lead. Lowrie got a base hit to left and Pennington looked to have robbed Scutaro of a hit but Ellis dropped the throw at second. Crawford beat out a double play ball but Varitek grounded into one to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                          Youkilis hits one out

Sweeney grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the fourth but Ellis doubled down the third base line. Powell flied out to center and Kouzmanoff flied out to right to end the inning.

Gonzalez cruised in the top of the fifth as Ellsbury was rung up for strike three to start. Drew flied out to deep left and Pedroia whiffed to end the inning. The A's threatened in the bottom of the fifth although Pennington grounded out to second to start. Crisp hit one up the elevator shaft but Barton walked. DeJesus hit a seeing eye single into left but Matsui flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Gonzalez led off with a bloop single to left. Youkilis struck out swinging but Lowrie hit his third home run of the season over the left field wall into the rain to increase the lead. Scutaro hit a seeing eye single up the middle but Crawford flied out to center. Varitek popped up to left to end the inning but the Sox led 4-1.

                                                          Lowrie's raindance home run

Buchholz fell apart in the bottom of the sixth as Sweeney doubled to the left field wall to start. Ryan moved to third on the grounder by Ellis and Powell walked. Conor Jackson pinch hit for Kouzmanoff and walked to load the bases. Sox manager Terry Francona had seen enough but Buchholz was NOT happy being taken out of the game. He screamed, shouted and kicked dirt as he made his exit. He did leave with a lead after giving up just 1 run in 5 1/3 innings. Daniel Bard came in and blew away Pennington before getting Crisp to pop up to short to end the inning.

                                                     "Damn it all to hell!" - Buchholz

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh with Andy LaRoche at third and Jerry Blevins now on the mound. Ellsbury took strike three but Drew mauled his first home run of the year to increase the lead. Pedroia singled to left but Gonzalez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                   Drew with his first of the year

Bard came back for the bottom of the seventh and Barton popped up to second to start. DeJesus flied out to left but Matsui blooped a base hit to center. Sweeney grounded out to first to end the inning.

David Purcey came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Youkilis lined out to short to start. Lowrie flied out to right in foul territory and Scutaro flied out to right to end the inning. Bobby Jenks came in for the bottom of the eighth and Ellis struck out swinging to start. Powell walked, LaRoche singled past Scutaro and Pennington ate up Marco for an infield single to load the bases. Red Sox pitching coach Curt Young came out to tell Jenks that The Apartment won Best Picture in 1960 and Jenks was so bored he allowed a single to Crisp that scored Powell. Jenks managed to strike out Barton swinging but Francona wanted Jonathan Papelbon for the four out save. Papelbon blew away DeJesus to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                         Crisp does it again

The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth as Crawford struck out swinging to start. Jason Varitek also went down hacking and Ellsbury popped up to short to end the inning. The A's rallied in the bottom of the ninth as Matsui began with a base hit to center. Sweeney popped up to short but Ellis was plunked. Powell singled to center to score Matsui and put the tying run on. Kurt Suzuki pinch ran for Powell with Josh Willingham pinch hitting for LaRoche. Willingham popped up to Gonzalez 10 feet in front of home plate and Pennington popped up to short to end the game. The Sox had survived 5-3.

                                                   Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jed Lowrie. He was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run, giving the Sox a big lead.

                                                      Lowrie the Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Kevin Youkilis was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Marco Scutaro was 2 for 4.

Clay Buchholz got the win with 5 1/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 4 walks.

Daniel Bard tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jason Varitek was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Bobby Jenks allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

JD Drew was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a solo home run.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Carl Crawford was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Jonathan Papelbon got the save but allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Its nice to see the Sox back on the winning track and getting the West Coast games out of the way early is never a bad thing. Buchholz didn't look that great but timely hitting and timely pitching got him the win. The resurgence of Jed Lowrie is pretty fun to watch as he was the last guy anybody expected to contribute to the season. If he keeps hitting like this somebody may get traded because it was supposed to be Ortiz, Youkilis, Gonzalez, Pedroia and Scutaro on the infield going into the season. Still, to have Lowrie as a possible sixth man type of utility player gives the Sox a superior bench compared to most of the league. Hell former all-star Jason Varitek is the backup catcher. The bullpen was a bit of an issue with Jenks and Papelbon giving up runs but Bard looked pretty shop. In essence the Sox have two closers in Jenks and Papelbon yet the future could be Bard. The offense didn't look that great but they got some timely long balls and rbi at bats. A win is a win and they all count, no matter how ugly or pretty it looks. Tomorrow night the Sox head to Anaheim to play the....ready for it.....Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Josh Beckett (2-1) looks to make it 3 wins in a row for him when he takes on Tyler Chatwood of the Angels. The game begins at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Angel Stadium.