Orioles Pound Sox at Fenway (9/28/19)

One thing is for sure, the 2020 Boston Red Sox better ditch this god awful "opener" idea. The reason the Tampa Bay Rays made it effective is because they're stacked with enough arms in their bullpen to get the job done. The Sox don't have those kind of arms and tonight's loss proved that. The lowly O's pounced on the "opener" Jhoulys Chacin for 4 early runs and another 4 runs off of complete bust Andrew Cashner. As been the Sox M.O. all season, as soon as they fell behind, they did not come back. The Sox led 3-2 after the first but the O's took the lead in the third inning. The Sox only scored 1 run the rest of the game and dropped the second to last game of the season 9-4 at Fenway Park.

                                   
The O's wasted no time getting to Chacin in the top of the first when Jonathan Villar lined the first pitch of the game into right for a double and DJ Stewart smashed a 400,000 foot home run 3 pitches later to give the O's the lead. Trey Mancini whiffed but Rio Ruiz singled to center. Renato Nunez popped up to second but Chris Davis walked. Steve Wilkerson flied out to right to end the inning but it was 2-0 Orioles.

                                                  The rout is on again

Somehow the Sox rallied against John Means in the bottom of the first inning. Jackie Bradley Jr singled to right but Rafael Devers popped up to third. Xander Bogaerts crushed his 33rd home run of the season to tie the game and JD Martinez clobbered his 36th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Sam Travis flied out to center and Brock "The Hitman" Holt struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 3-2 Sox.

                                                   JD gives the Sox the lead

Chacin failed to hold the lead in the top of the second inning as Austin Wynns struck out swinging to start. Richie Martin pulverized a 79,000 foot home run to tie the game. Villar took strike three and Stewart hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                   Tie game

The Sox failed to take the lead in the bottom of the second as Gorkys Hernandez flied out to center to start. Chris Owings whiffed and Sandy Leon went down hacking to end the inning.

The O's took the lead for good in the top of the third inning although Mancini grounded out to first to start. Ruiz popped up to first but Nunez put the O's on top with a 7,000,000 foot home run halfway to Maine to chase Chacin. The "opener" got lit up for 4 runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Bobby Poyner walked Davis when he was brought in but Wilkerson flied out to left to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-3.

         

                                                               Booooooooo!

As usual when the Sox fell behind, they stayed behind int he bottom of the third inning. JBJ whiffed to start before Devers flied out to left. Bogaerts walked but Martinez took strike three to end the inning.

Heath Hembree got the ball in the top of the fourth inning and Wynns struck out swinging to start. Martin grounded back to the mound and Villar popped up to first to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the fourth as Travis grounded out to third to start. Holt lined out to short but Hernandez walked. Owings grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in for the top of the fifth and Stewart walked to start. Mancini whiffed but Stewart was erased on the force by Ruiz. Nunez whiffed to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth although Leon grounded out to third to start. JBJ lined out to third but Devers and Bogaerts stroked back to back singles. With a chance to tie the game...Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.

Andrew Cashner came in to take one final beating this season in the top of the sixth inning. Davis greeted him with a double to left and Wilkerson sacrificed him to third. Wynns singled Davis home and Martin doubled Wynns home. Villar singled home Martin and swiped second base. Villar went to third on the grounder by Stewart and Mancini singled him home to chase the incompetent Cashner. Cashner ends his Sox career as one of the biggest busts in trade history, allowing 4 runs to put the game out of reach. Colten Brewer came in and got Ruiz to ground back to the mound to end the inning but it was 8-3 Orioles.

                                             Travis running around like a pinball machine

The Sox managed a feeble rally against Shawn Armstong in the bottom of the sixth inning as Travis walked to start. Holt flied out to left but Hernandez singled to center. Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Owings and struck out swinging but Leon beat out a dribbler to short to score Travis. How big were those Cashner runs now? Tanner Scott came in to pitch to JBJ and got him to ground into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

Brewer returned for the top of the seventh and Nunez whiffed to start. Davis grounded out to third but Wilkerson singled to center. Wilkerson stole second and Wynns whiffed to end the inning. Devers grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the seventh but O's manager Bruce Hyde HAD to make a pitching change, bringing in Branden Kline for absolutely no reason. Bogaerts singled to short, Martinez walked and Travis reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Representing the tying run....Holt banged into a double play to end the inning. Its been that kind of year.

Josh A Smith came in for the top of the eighth and Martin lined out to center to start. Villar walked but was erased on the Stewart force. Stewart was gunned down trying to steal by the alert Leon to end the inning. Austin Hays took over for Stewart in center with Wilkerson moving to right for the bottom of the eighth. Gorkys Hernandez walked to start and Bruce Hyde just had to make ANOTHER pitching change, bringing in Richard Bleier. Marco Hernandez singled to left but was erased on the Leon force. Naturally JBJ hit into a double play to end the inning.

Smith returned for the top of the ninth and Mancini greeted him with a 15,000 foot home run into the Charles River. Ruiz lined out to center, Nunez went down swinging and Davis took strike three to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 9-4.

                                                    One last kick in the pants

Thankfully the game ended in the bottom of the ninth as Devers flied out to right to start. Just to piss off the remaining fans, Bruce Hyde trudged to the mound and absolutely had to bring in Dillon Tate with a 5 run lead with 1 out in the ninth. Bogaerts grounded out to short and Martinez took strike three to end the game. The O's had won the game 9-4.

                                          Another easy win for Baltimore


Jackass of the Night is Andrew Cashner. He turned a 4-3 game into 8-3 in the blink of an eye to put it out of reach.

                                               One final Jackass for Cashner



The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and a home run.

Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Marco Hernandez was 1 for 2.

Bobby Poyner got the final out of the third inning.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless fourth inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Colten Brewer tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Chris Owings was 0 for 2 with a strikeout/

Jhoulys Chacin allowed 4 runs in just 2 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and hit a home run.

Sam Travis was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but knocked in a run.

Josh A Smith allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Thank god this miserable season is almost over. September has been absolutely dreadful to watch with no starting rotation, constant pitching changes and lack of clutch hitting. Today was a microcosm of the season with the "opener" failing miserably and their only trade acquisition falling flat on his face. The supposedly good offense once again did not come back when trailing and it all adds up to failure. Thankfully this nightmare is almost over and we never have to see most of these people again. There's no way Smith, Chacin or Cashner are coming back or the Juan Cetenos and Gorkys Hernandez of the world either. The loss dropped the Sox to 83-78 with one game left in the season. The only reason to tune into tomorrow's finale against the Orioles is Eduardo Rodriguez (19-6, 3.80 ERA) quest for 20 wins on the season. Standing in E-Rod's way is old Sox farmhand Chandler Shepherd. The game begins at 3:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Rays Six Run Rally Sinks Sox (9/23/19)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox got some good news for once. Heath Hembree had been activated off the Injured List and would be available for the final 7 games of the season. This year may be a wash but he'll be needed next season for sure

                                                                      IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster in a season full of them. The Sox took a 4-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays when the Rays promptly scored 6 runs off Sox starter Jhoulys Chacin and the JV bullpen. As been their M.O. all season, as soon as the Sox fell behind they failed to come back. Blake Snell was hittable for the Rays but the bullpen was not as the Rays took 3 out of 4 in this series with a 7-4 win at Tropicana Field.

                                               Morty's reaction to Boston pitching

Snell took the mound in the top of the first inning and Marco Hernandez went down swinging to start. Mr. Mookie Betts drew a walk but Rafael Devers struck out swinging as well. Mr. Mookie swiped second and JD Martinez walked before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Sam Travis also went down swinging to end the inning. Chacin initially had a good bottom of the first as he struck out Joey Wendle swinging to begin. Tommy Pham went down hacking but Austin Meadows walked. Travis d'Arnaud flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr singled to center to begin. Gorkys Hernandez flied out to center, JBJ swiped second and Chris Owings walked. Sandy Leon hit one up the elevator shaft but Marco Hernandez pounded a ground rule double to put the Sox on top. That was it for Snell as Chaz Roe came in and got Mr. Mookie to pop up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                              Hernandez puts the Sox on top

Chacin cruised in the bottom of the second as Ji-Man Choi grounded out to first to start. Avisail Garcia grounded out to short and Brandon Lowe grounded out to first to end the inning.

Peter Fairbanks came in for the top of the third and the Sox struck again. Devers flied out to left and Martinez grounded out to short, but Sam Travis keeled over in the dugout and had to be rushed to the local hospital's ICU. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Travis and doubled to center before JBJ doubled Mitch home. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

Chacin blew away Kiermaier to begin the bottom of the third before Adames took strike three. Wendle grounded out to second to end the inning.

Austin Pruitt came in for the top of the fourth and the Sox nailed him too. Owings grounded out to first to start before Leon took strike three. Marco Hernandez walked and Mr. Mookie singled him to third. Devers singled home Hernandez and Martinez singled home Betts. Moreland walked to load the bases but JBJ missed the killshot by grounding out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                     Devers drives in a run

All of a sudden the Rays sprang to life in the bottom of the fourth although Pham whiffed to start. Meadows singled to right and d'Arnaud singled him to third. Choi then crushed a 970,000 foot home run to cut the lead. Garcia grounded out to third but Lowe smashed a 340,000 foot home run to tie the game and chase Chacin. He was nearly perfect for 3 1/3 innings but fell apart in a hurry.

                                                   So much for Chacin

Bobby Poyner came in to pour gas on the fire as Kiermaier was plunked and Adames cracked a 50,000 foot home run to put Tampa up for good. Wendle took strike three to end the inning but 3 Rays homers had given them the lead 6-4.

                                                   The Rays take the lead

As been their M.O. all season, the Sox quit when they fell behind in the top of the fifth inning. Oliver Drake got Gorkys Hernandez and Chris Owings to strike out swinging before Leon grounded out to short to end the inning. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez got the ball in the bottom of the fifth and Pham flied out to right to start. Meadows grounded out to first and d'Arnaud struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox quit in the top of the sixth inning as Marco Hernandez grounded out to second to start. Mr. Mookie lined out to center and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. The Rays wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Choi doubled to start. Garcia doubled home Choi but was thrown out at third trying to stretch by Mr. Mookie. Lowe whiffed and Kiermaier flied out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 7-4.

                                                     YERRRR OUT!

Daniel Robertson took over for Lowe but was at third with Wendle moving to second and Nick Anderson on the mound for the top of the seventh. Martinez and Moreland both struck out swinging but JBJ dumped a base hit to center. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Heath Hembree materialized out of thin air to pitch for the first time since August 1st in the bottom of the seventh inning. Adames lined out to center to start before Wendle grounded out to second. Pham flied out to right to end the inning. Welcome back Hembree!

                                                       Hembree is back

Diego Castillo came in for the top of the eighth and Owings whiffed to start. Leon flied out to center and Marco Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Brian Johnson came in for the bottom of the eighth and Meadows singled to start. d'Arnaud whiffed and Choi flied out to center before Jesus Aguilar pinch hit for Garcia. Aguilar walked and Guillermo Heredia pinch ran for him. Robertson whiffed to end the inning.

Emilio Pagan came in for the top of the ninth and the Sox rallied. Mr. Mookie and Devers stroked back to back singles to start but Martinez flied out to right. Colin Poche came in to pitch and Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Moreland...just to strike out swinging. Xander Bogaerts pinch hit for JBJ...just to take strike three to end the game. The Rays had won it 7-4.

                                                                 Another loss to the Rays


Jackass of the Night is Bobby Poyner. He allowed the go ahead home run to Adames that the Sox could got recover from.

                                                        Bobby Jackass


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Brian Johnson pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Sam Travis struck out in his only at bat.

Christian Vazquez struck out as a pinch hitter.

Xander Bogaerts struck out as a pinch hitter.

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 but struck out.

Jhoulys Chacin gave up 4 runs in just 3 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Chris Owings was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Hector Velazquez allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Good thing this season is almost over because I can't stand watching this garbage anymore. The Sox keep throwing out scrubs to pitch and they hardly ever come back when trailing. It doesn't matter if its the Tampa Bay Rays or the Perkins Institute for the Blind, every game is the same this month more or less. The only thing left to look forward to is if Eduardo Rodriguez can get to 20 wins or not because this is unbearable at this point. It was nice to see Heath Hembree make his return, if nothing else than one less inning per game for one of the interchangeable scrubs. The loss dropped the Sox to 81-75 with just 6 games left in the season. The Sox now travel to Texas for their final road trip of the season. Eduardo Rodriguez (18-6) continues his march towards 20 wins when he goes up against Edinson Volquez at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Park.

Giants Pound Sox (9/18/19)

One thing is for sure, priority number one for the next Boston Red Sox general manager will be to fix the starting rotation. The Sox inability to come back from late deficits is annoying and the bullpen being worthless for most of the first half was why the general manager is now unemployed, but the destruction of the rotation is the main reason why the season went down the drain. Chris Sale and David Price couldn't stay healthy while Nathan Eovaldi and Rick Porcello went down the drain. Apart from Eduardo Rodriguez, the rotation has been a disaster. Tonight the Sox were forced to start Jhoulys Chacin (3-11, 5.66 ERA) off the scrap heap against the San Francisco Giants. Naturally he and the JV bullpen got beat up by the Giants for 11 runs and 15 hits. The Sox offense barely even tried with just 6 hits of their own and the Giants curbstomped the Sox with an 11-3 win at Fenway Park.

                                              "Your rotation sucks!" Dr. Pierce

The Giants wasted no time tagging Chacin in the top of the first inning as Mike Yastrzemski walked to start. Brandon Belt doubled Yaz to third and Kevin Pillar scored him with a ground out. Alex Dickerson took strike three but Stephen Vogt homered to ice the game 5 batters in. Brandon Crawford singled but Cristhian Adams whiffed to end the inning with the Giants up 3-0.

                                                That didn't take long

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the first against Giants starter Jeff Samardzija as Andrew Benintendi lined out to center to start. Xander Bogaerts popped up to third but Rafael Devers walked. Christian Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning.

Chacin recovered in the top of the second as Mauricio Dubon whiffed to start. Aramis Garcia struck out swinging and Mike Yaz grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to first to start. Mitch Moreland flied out to center before Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Giants knocked Chacin out in the top of the third inning although Belt struck out swinging to start. Pillar beat out an infield single but Dickerson took strike three. Pillar stole second, Vogt walked and Crawford doubled home Pillar to increase the lead. Dr. Quick Hook Alex Cora decided enough was enough from Jhoulys. Chacin didn't have it as he allowed 4 runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Bobby Poyner came in and punched out Adames to end the inning with the Giants up 4-0.

                                                      Another awful start

Marco Hernandez lined out to left to start the bottom of the third but Sandy Leon. Benintendi banged into a double play to end the inning.

Brian Johnson was summoned for the top of the fourth and Dubon grounded out to third to begin. Garia whiffed and Mike Yaz lined out to right to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts grounded out to third to begin. Devers grounded out to third as well before Vazquez flied out to left to end the inning.

Belt took strike three to begin the top of the fifth before Pillar grounded out to second. Dickerson flied out to center to end the inning. Holt tried to rally the Sox by drawing a walk in the bottom of the fifth but Moreland flied out to right. JBJ walked but Hernandez beat out a double play ball. Leon popped up to short to end the inning.

Travis Lakins got the call for the top of the sixth and Vogt grounded out to third to start. Crawford grounded out to second but Adames singled to center. Dubon grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox finally got on the board in the bottom of the sixth although Benintendi watched strike three go by to start. Bogaerts was rung up for strike three but Devers blast his 30th home run of the season to break up the shutout. Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were down 4-1.

                                                           Devers hits number 30

Mike Shawaryn came in to pitch the top of the seventh an blew away Garcia to start. Mike Yaz swung at air and Belt popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox somehow rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Holt singled to center to start. That was it for Samardzija as Fernando Abad came in and Moreland banged into a double play. JBJ and Hernandez stroked back to back singles and Leon singled home Leon to cut the lead in half. Representing the go-ahead run.....Benintendi grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                   Leon drives in a run

Shawaryn came back for the top of the eighth and promptly crapped his pants. Pillar and Dickerson stroked back to back singles before Joey Rickard ran for Dickerson. Vogt hit a sac fly to score Pillar and Rickard stole second on the Crawford strike out. Alex Cora brought in Colten Brewer and the first thing he did was give up an rbi single to Adames. Dubon whiffed to end the inning but the Giants had iced it 6-2.

                                               Giants ice the game

Tyler Rogers came in for the bottom of the eighth and the Sox laid down. Bogaerts grounded out to third, Devers grounded out to second and Vazquez popped up to second to end the inning.

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in to take a beating in the top of the ninth. Garcia doubled to left and Mike Yaz singled him home. Devers dropped a pop up by Belt for a base hit and Pillar singled to load the bases Rickard popped up to first and Vogt banged into a double play to end the inning....but wait! Giants manager Bruce Bochy challenged the call and the umps reversed it, Vogt was safe at first and Mike Yaz scored another run. That was it for Velazquez as Ryan Weber came in and Crawford hit a routine grounder to short. Bogaerts went OLE! for an error that scored Belt. Adames single to left to re-load the bases and Dubon singled home Vogt and Crawford as the boo birds rained down. Garcia lined out to right but the Giants scored 5 runs off the JV bullpen to take an 11-2 lead.

                                                          Yaz scores another run

Enderson Franco came in to close out the bottom of the ninth as Juan Centeno pinch hit for Holt. Centeno popped up to short and Chris Owings pinch hit for Moreland only to strike out swinging. JBJ prolonged the agony with his 20th home run of the year. Hernandez flied out to center to end the game. The Giants had won it easily 11-3.

                                                            Mike Yax is 2-0 at Fenway


Jackass of the Night is Jhoulys Chacin. He took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 2 2/3 innings, putting the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of and having to rely on the JV bullpen to wreck the day.

                                                       Keep the head down, Jackass



The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk and his 30th homer.

Brock Holt was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 total runs scored and his 20th home run.

Sandy Leon was 1 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.

Bobby Poyner struck out the only man he faced.

Brian Johnson tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Travis Lakins pitched a scoreless 6th inning.



The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4.

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3.

Juan Centeno was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Chris Owings struck out as a pinch hitter.

Mike Shawaryn allowed 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

Hector Velazquez allowed 4 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Ryan Weber allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4.

Colten Brewer allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.




Final Thoughts:

Just 11 more games and this miserable season is over. The Sox are clearly going through the motions as the season comes to a close. Getting bitchslapped by the San Francisco Giants is just par for the course when it comes to this year's team. Even the Fenway crowd is giving louder ovations to Mike Yastrzemski than any member of the Red Sox. That actually sends a louder message to ownership that the fans have had enough of the team. At least the silver lining is that Sox owner John Henry told the primary culprit to please leave the premises. The less said about this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 79-72, just about mathematically eliminated. The Sox look to avoid a sweep by the Giants when they send Eduardo Rodriguez (17-6) up against former ace Madison Bumgarner tomorrow afternoon at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Offense Wakes Up, Defeat Jays (9/12/19)

At this point the Boston Red Sox are just looking for some positives to go on next year because this season is a washout. One of them has to be Xander Bogaerts joining the 30 homer and 50 double club. Bogaerts cracked his 50th double in tonight's game against the Toronto Blue Jays. The offense as a whole attacked old buddy Clay Buchholz, took advantage of 3 errors by the inexperienced Jays defense and finally got back in the win column with a 7-4 victory at the Skydome.

                                                     Evil Morty approves of the win

Buchholz cruised in the top of the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to left to begin. Brock "The Hitman" Holt flied out to left and Xander Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning. Jhoulys Chacin got the "start" for the Sox in the bottom of the first inning and Bo Bichette flied out to center to begin. Cavan Biggio struck out swining and Vladimir Guerrero Jr grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the second inning when JD Martinez walked to begin. Andrew Benintendi swung at air but Mitch Moreland got a base hit to left. Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed but Marco Hernandez doubled home both runners. Juan Centeno grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox were up 2-0.

                                                      Moreland comes around to score

Chacin got the pain in the ass Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez to freeze for strike three to start the bottom of the second. Justin Smoak took strike three but Randal Grichuk doubled to left. Reese McGuire walked but Billy McKinney flied out to right to end the inning. Good work Chacin for what its worth.

                                                           2 and out for Chacin

The Sox got another one in the top of the third although Mr. Mookie popped up to first to start. Holt popped up to third but Bogaerts doubled to right. Martinez doubled home Bogaerts to increase the lead but Benintendi grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                        Tough day for Clay

Chacin ran out of gas in the bottom of the third although Derek Fisher flied out to center to start. Bichette doubled to left and Biggio walked, but Guerrero Jr flied out to left. That was it for Chacin as Darwinzon Hernandez came in to catch Tellez looking to end the inning.

The doubles parade continued in the top of the fourth although Moreland struck out swinging to start. JBJ doubled to center but Hernandez whiffed. Centendo singled home JBJ for his first rbi of the season. Mr. Mookie singled to third but Holt grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                               First rbi this year for Centeno

Josh Taylor came in for the bottom of the fourth and Smoak flied out to left to begin. Grichuk whiffed and McGuire grounded out to second to end the inning.

Brock Stewart replaced Buchholz for the top of the fifth and Bogaerts grounded out to third to start. Martinez walked before Benintendi lined out to left. Moreland flied out to left to end the inning. Brian Johnson came in for the bottom of the fifth and Anthony Alford pinch hit for McKinney. Alford flied out to left and Fisher grounded out to first, but Bichette walked. Biggio tripled home Biggio to chase Johnson. Ryan Brasier came in and Guerrero Jr singled home Biggio to cut the lead in half. Tellez grounded into a force to end the inning with the Jays down 4-2.

                                                    Jays are back in it

Buddy Boshers came in for the top of the sixth and JBJ took strike three to start. Hernandez flied out to left and Centeno grounded out to first to end the inning. Andrew Cashner came in for the bottom of the sixth and Smoak popped up to short to begin. Grichuk grounded back to the mound and McGuire popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the seventh against Jordan Romano. Mr. Mookie singled to left and Holt singled to right. Alford threw the ball away which allowed Betts to score and put Holt at second. Bogaerts singled home Holt to increase the lead. Martinez whiffed to chase Romano. Thomas Pannone came in and Benintendi banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 6-2.

                                                 Holt scores a run

Marcus Walden came in for the bottom of the seventh and hit Alford, but he was erased on the force by Fisher. Bichette flied out to right but Biggio singled to left. Guerrero Jr whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Moreland grounded out to short to start. JBJ and Hernandez both whiffed to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in for the bottom of the eighth and Tellez whiffed to start. Smoak walked but Grichuk struck out swinging. McGuire walked and Alford singled to load the bases. Fisher walked in a run to re-load the bases, cut the lead in half, and chase Barnes. Brandon Workman came in and got Bichette to fly out to right to end the inning with the Jays down 6-3.

The Sox got the run back in the top of the ninth as Centendo lined out to right to begin. Fisher dropped a routine pop up by Betts which allowed Mookie to make it all the way to third. Fisher then lost Holt's pop up in the lights and it dropped in for a hit to score Betts. Bogaerts flied out to right and Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

Mercifully the game concluded in the bottom of the ninth as Biggio singled to right to begin. Guerrero Jr grounded out to third to advance Biggio to second and he took third on a passed ball. Tellez scored Biggio with a sac fly but Smoak went down swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-4.

                                                  Another win



Hero of the Night is Brock Holt. He drove in 2 of the runs including the kill shot in the 9th inning

                                                Hitman Hero



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a stolen base.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Jhoulys Chacin tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Darwinzon Hernandez struck out the only man he faced.

Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless 4th inning.

Andrew Cashner pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless 7th inning.



The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brian Johnson allowed two runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Matt Barnes allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jackie Bradley was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4 and the one hit drove in 2 runs.

Juan Centeno was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run

Ryan Brasier allowed an inherited runner to score in 1/3 of an inning.

Brandon Workman allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings but earned his 12th save.




Final Thoughts:

15 games of torture remaining in this miserable season. Now that the games are essentially worthless, the games are becoming unbearable. The 400 pitching changes, endless commercials, stepping out in between pitches, its all too painful. Even though the Sox won, it meant almost nothing. Good for Centeno to get his first rbi of the year and Bogaerts to join the 30-50 club, but apart from that its a waste of time. It should never have come to this if Dave Dombrowski properly prepared for possibly losing a few starters. The less said about this season the better. The win improved the Sox to 77-70, too many games out of wild card contention. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox are back in action Saturday on the road in Philadelphia. Eduardo Rodriguez goes for the Sox up against Phillies ace Tommy Nola at 7:05 PM at Citizen Banks Park.

Sox Rout Yankees (9/6/19)

The season may be lost at this point for the Boston Red Sox but at least they're not going quietly. The New York Yankees may win 100 games for the second year in a row but the Sox took a dump in the Yankees championship stew tonight. After David Price backed out of his start tonight, the Sox bullpen tossed a 9 inning gem, surrendering just 1 run and 4 hits. Mitch Moreland hit his first home run in ages and the Sox defeated the Yankees 6-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                 Ivan Fears approves of the win

Jhoulys Chacin made his Red Sox debut in the top of the first inning and DJ LaMahieu grounded out to short to begin. Aaron Judge took strike three and Didi Gregorious also struck out swinging to end the inning. The miserable Red Sox offense did nothing against German in the bottom of the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts swung and missed for strike three to start. Rafael Devers whiffed badly and Xander Bogaerts ran away screaming for strike three to end the inning.

Chachin punched out Gary Sanchez to open the top of the second inning before freezing Edwin Encarnacion for strike three. Gleyber Torres grounded out to third to end the inning and that was it for Chacin. Not a bad debut for someone who hadn't started since July, props to Chacin.

                                                  Chacin with 2 solid innings

JD Martinez drew a walk to start the bottom of the second but Andrew Benintendi flied out to center. Brock "The Hitman" Holt lined out to center and Mitch Moreland grounded out to first to end the inning.

Josh Taylor took over for the top of the third and Brett Gardner whiffed to start. Luke Voit struck out swinging and Mike Tauchman grounded out to third to end the inning. More misery in the bottom of the first inning as Christian Vazquez flied out to left to start. Jackie Bradley Jr walked but foolishly thrown out trying to steal. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning,

Marcus Walden (9-23.27 ERA) had the top of the fourth inning and LeMahieu grounded out to short to start. Judge whiffed but Gregorius got the first hit of the game with a double to left. Sanchez drew a walk but Encarnacion whiffed to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fourth as Devers doubled to center to begin. Bogaerts whiffed but Devers moved to third on the Martinez grounder. Benintendi walked and Holt singled to left to score Devers to put Boston on top. Moreland celebrated his 34th birthday by crushing his 15th home run of the season to ice the game. Vazquez grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were up 4-0.

                                                   Moreland finally hits one out

The Yankees tagged Andrew Cashner in the top of the fifth inning although Torres whiffed to start. Gardner hit a piece of crap 290 foot home run to cut the lead. Voit grounded out to short and Tauchman grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 4-1 Sox.

                                                Another run allowed by Cashner

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fifth although JBJ took strike three to start. Mr. Mookie walked to chase German. Nestor Cortes Jr came in to pitch and he walked Devers before Bogaerts doubled home both runners. Martinez was intentionally walked but was erased on the Benintendi force. Holt whiffed to end the inning but it was 6-1 Sox.

                                                           Big double by Bogaerts

Ryan Weber took over for the top of the sixth and LeMahieu grounded out to first to start. Judge grounded out to third and Gregorius grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Tyler Lyons came in for the bottom of the sixth and Moreland singled to start. Vazquez banged into a double play and JBJ took strike three to end the inning.

Sanchez walked to start the top of the seventh before moving to second on the Encarnacion grounder. Torres whiffed but Gardner singled to center. Sanchez tried to score but JBJ gunned him down to end the inning.

                                                YERRRRR OUT!

Cory Gearrin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie grounded out to first to start. Devers walked and moved to second on the Bogaerts grounder. Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Voit grounded back to the mound to start. Clint Frazier pinch hit for Tauchman and took strike three before LeMahieu walked. Judge lined out to right to end the inning. Chance Adams came in for the bottom of the eighth and Benintendi whiffed to start. Holt flied out to right but Moreland got his third hit of the game with a base hit to right. Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning.

Bobby Poyner came in to mop up the top of the ninth and Gregorius hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Sanchez whiffed and Encarnacion took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

                                                    Another win



Hero of the Night is Mitch Moreland. The birthday boy's 3 run home run put the Sox up big and they never looked back.

                                              Happy birthday Hero


The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

JD Martinez walked twice in four plate appearances.

Jhoulys Chacin struck out 4 of the 6 men he faced.

Josh Taylor struck out 2 of the 3 men he faced.

Marcus Walden got the win with a scoreless 4th inning.

Ryan Weber tossed two scoreless innings.

Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Bobby Poyner pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4.

Andrew Cashner allowed a run in the bottom of the 5th.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

A pointless win but anytime you beat the Yankees its a good thing. The Sox may have underperformed this year but you can't say they're going quietly. The Sox could have easily laid down in this game considering Price backed out but the bullpen tossed 9 innings of 1 run ball. Its a shame the Sox didn't have Chacin earlier this year, maybe some of the 22 blown leads wouldn't have been blown. Its a shame the Sox starting rotation depth went to hell because the bullpen has been fine the last month. Tomorrow is yet another bullpen game but tonight at least the Sox won. The win improved the Sox to 76-65, 6.5 games behind everyone for the second wild card spot. Tomorrow its another bullpen game with Travis Lakins (0-1, 4.70 ERA) as the opener up against JA Happ of he Yankees at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.