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

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

                                                                       OUT

                                                                   IN

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

                                                            Bring on the Yankees

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

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

                                                                   Mercer puts the Nats on top

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

  

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

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

                                                     Devers hits one out

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

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

                                                             Adon with a good debut

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

                                                      Avila's final rbi of his career

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

                                                        The Sox aren't dead yet

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

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

                                                          Verdugo ties it up

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

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

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

                                                        Devers puts the Sox on top

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

                                                                   Sox win

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

                                                     Devers is the Hero

The Good:

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

Jose Iglesias was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Christian Arroyo walked as a pinch hitter.

Hiro Sawamura tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Martin Perez pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Eduardo Rodriguez got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Nick Pivetta got the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

JD Martinez struck out in his only plate appearance.

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Travis Shaw struck out as a pinch hitter.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

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

Garrett Richards allowed 3 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

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

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

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

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                               3 more games to go

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

                                                        Hernandez wasted no time

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

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

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

                                                           Mountcastle goes deep

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

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

                                                                Not good enough

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

                                                              Nevin drives in a pair

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

                                                    Sox know they're cooked

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

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

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

                                                              O's win

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

The Good:

Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Hunter Renfroe was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ryan Brasier got the final out of the fifth inning.

Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 2.

Travis Shaw struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jose Iglesias was 0 for 3.

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

The Ugly:

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

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

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

Honorable Mention:

Christian Vazquez caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

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

Eovaldi, Sox Blank Orioles (9/29/21)

Hold the phone, the Boston Red Sox aren't dead yet. Combined with a New York Yankees loss to the Toronto Blue Jays, the Boston Red Sox kept their October hopes alive with a shutout victory over the useless Baltimore Orioles. Nathan Eovaldi (11-9, 3.75 ERA) tossed 6 shutout innings to pick up the win while the bats finally woke up. JD Martinez homered and drove in 3 runs to pace the offense while Hunter Renfroe belted his 30th of the season. Alex Verdugo drove in two runs of his own while the bullpen locked it down. Ryan Brasier, Matt Barnes and Hansel Robles slammed the door on Baltimore and the Sox blanked the O's 6-0 at Camden Yards.

                                                     Karen Allen approves of the win

Lowther got the ball in the top of the first inning and Richie Martin booted a grounder by Kike Hernandez for an error to start. Hunter Renfroe forced Hernandez at second and Rafael Devers grounded into a double play to end the inning. Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cedric Mullins struck out swinging to start. Ryan Mountcastle watched strike three go by but Austin Hays doubled to left. Trey Mancini flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second although Xander Bogaerts flied out to center to start. JD Martinez smashed his 28th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging but Kevin Plawecki got a base hit to right. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                            Big home run for JD

Pedro Severino struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Ryan McKenna froze for strike three. Pat Valaika struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jose Iglesias got a base hit to center to open the top of the third before Hernandez singled to left. Renfroe hit a bullet to Gutierrez who doubled off Iglesias for the double play. Devers got a base hit to center to move Hernandez to third but Bogaerts forced Devers at second to end the inning. Gutierrez doubled to right to start the bottom of the third but Martin lined out to short. Mullins grounded out to second to move Gutierrez to third but Mountcastle popped up to first to end the inning.

Martinez struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Dalbec flied out to center. Plawecki took strike three to end the inning. Hays grounded out to second to open the bottom of the fourth before Mancini popped up to right in foul territory. Severino got a base hit to right but McKenna took strike three to end the inning.

Verdugo singled in the hole at short to begin the top of the fifth before Iglesias singled to center. Hernandez banged into a double play and Renfroe flied out to center to end the inning. Valaika grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Gutierrez grounded out to second. Martin grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox broke it open in the top of the sixth as Devers got a base hit to center to chase Lowther. Eric Hanhold came in and Gutierrez booted a grounder by Bogaerts for an error. Martinez doubled home both runners to ice the game. Dalbec swung at air for strike three and Plawecki watched strike three go by, but a wild pitch moved Martinez to third. Verdugo grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Martinez drives in a pair

Mullins doubled to left to start the bottom of the sixth and Mountcastle walked. Hays flied out to center, Mancini struck out swinging and Severino flied out to center to end the inning. Defying all logic, that was it for Eovaldi after just 90 pitches and the bullpen spent. He tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 4 hits and a walk.

                                                      Eovaldi gets it done

Brooks Kriske came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Iglesias struck out swinging. Hernandez popped up to first and Renfroe grounded out to third to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and McKenna walked to start. Valaika struck out swinging and McKenna moved to second on a grounder to third by Gutierrez. Martin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Konner Wade came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Devers took strike three to start. Bogaerts and Martinez ripped back to back base hits and Kyle Schwarber pinch hit for Dalbec. Schwarber struck out swinging and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Plawecki. Shaw walked to load the bases and Verdugo slashed a base hit to left. Bogaerts and Martinez scored but Shaw was thrown out at third to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                          Verdugo drives in a pair

Christian Vazquez took over behind the plate with Hansel Robles on the mound to start the bottom of the eighth and Mullins struck out swinging to start. Mountcastle flied out to right and Hays popped up to second to end the inning.

Spencer Watkins came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Iglesias grounded out to short to start. Hernandez flied out to right but Renfoe launched his 30th home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                       30th of the season for Hunter

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Mancini struck out swinging to start. Severino hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts who picked the ball up and heaved it over his head like a grenade, putting his fingers in his ears for an error. McKenna lined out to left and Valaika popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-0.

                                                                   Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is JD Martinez. He drove in 3 runs to pace the offense including an early home run.

                                                                   JD Hero

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 3.

Travis Shaw walked as a pinch hitter.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Jose Iglesias was 2 for 4.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Hansel Robles tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Kyle Schwarber struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 5.

Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a home run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored two runs.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Vazquez caught the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox needed a win tonight to stay alive in the playoff race and they got it. Eovaldi pitched a gem but was pulled after just 90 pitches. The bullpen is tired and Sox manager Alex Cora outright refuses to let guys throw more than 90 pitches or go six innings, it'll cost them in the end. Still, the offense pulled through with home runs when needed. Verdugo getting some big rbis helped as well with the playoffs looming. The Sox have just four games remaining and if they win three, they're in. Not much else needs to be said other than its a shame Jose Iglesias won't be joining them if they clinch a wild card spot since he's ineligible. What a year Renfroe has had, definitely one of the best signings of the off-season out of any team in baseball. If the Sox can clinch a post-season spot, this offense will be tough to beat. The win improved the Sox to 89-69, 1 game behind the Yankees for the first wild card and 0.5 games in front of the Chicago White Sox for the second. The Sox look to take a step closer to the playoffs tomorrow night against Baltimore when Nick Pivetta (9-7) takes on Alex Wells of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Hapless O's Drop Sale, Sox (9/28/21)

Looks like the season might be coming to an end for the Boston Red Sox. The Sox were reeling after getting swept by the New York Yankees and needed to turn things around against the terrible Baltimore Orioles. The suddenly non-existent offense got shut down by Bruce Zimmermann and the beleaguered Baltimore bullpen. Meanwhile Chris Sale (5-1, 2.90 ERA) suffered his first loss of the season against the worst team in baseball, getting knocked out in the sixth inning. Tanner Houck allowed an insurance run in the eighth inning and the Sox slid further into the abyss with a 4-2 defeat in Baltimore at Camden Yards.

                                                        So much for this year

Zimmermann got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez flied out to center to start. Hunter Renfroe flied out to right but Rafael Devers walked. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Sale got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cedric Mullins struck out swinging to start. Ryan Mountcastle took strike three and Austin Hays grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second inning as JD Martinez grounded out to third to start. Kyle Schwarber belted his 32nd home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Bobby Dalbec flied out to right and Jose Iglesias struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                           Home run Kyle

Trey Mancini flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Pedro Severino singled to left. Ryan McKenna flied out to right and Pat Valaika flied out to right to end the inning.

Christian Vazquez flied out to center to start the top of the third before Hernandez grounded out to third. Renfroe singled in the hole at short but Devers popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning. Jahmai Jones took strike three to start the bottom of the third before Kelvin Gutierrez walked. Mullins hit a bullet to Dalbec who doubled off Gutierrez to end the inning,

Bogaerts grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth before Martinez did the same. Schwarber walked but Dalbec flied out to left to end the inning. Mountcastle struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Hays also went down hacking. Devers booted a grounder by Mancini for an error but Severino grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Marcos Diplan came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Iglesias lined out to center to start. Vazquez flied out to center and Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning. McKenna grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Valaika lined out to center. Jones took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth as Renfroe blasted his 29th home run of the season to increase the lead. Devers struck out swinging, Bogaerts took strike three and Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                       Renfroe hits one out

Suddenly the O's attacked in the bottom of the sixth. Gutierrez beat out an infield single to short but Mullins flied out to left. Mountcastle hit a home run all the way to Sweden to tie the game and Hays singled to center to chase Sale. Despite being at 85 pitches, Dr. Quick Hook Cora yanked Sale at the first sign of trouble AGAIN, causing the bullpen to once again throw essentially four innings. He would be charged with 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings allowing 4 hits and a walk. Hansel Robles came in to pitch and Mancini dumped a base hit to right. Severino singled in the hole at third to score Hays with the go-ahead run. McKenna grounded into a double play to end the inning with the O's up 3-2.

                                                        Sale yanked early again

The Sox failed to respond against Joey Krehbiel in the top of the seventh. Schwarber struck out swinging, Dalbec flied out to left and Iglesias grounded out to short to end the inning. Tanner Houck came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Schwarber struck out swinging to start. Jones popped up to first in foul territory and Gutierrez walked. Mullins struck out swinging to end the inning.

Richie Martin came in for Valaika to start the top of the eighth and Alex Verdugo pinch hit for Christian Vazquez. Verdugo grounded out to first before Hernandez grounded out to third. Renfroe hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The O's struck in the bottom of the eighth with Kevin Plawecki behind the plate as Mountcastle struck out swinging to start. Hays flied out to center but Mancini singled to right. Severino beat out a roller to third and McKenna dumped a base hit to right....booted by Verdugo for an error that scored Mancini. Valaika popped up to second to end the inning with the O's up 4-2.

                                                       McKenna delivers the final blow

Cole Sulser came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers flied out to left to start. Bogaerts grounded out to third and Martinez lined out to left to end the game. The O's had won it 4-2.

                                                        O's win

Jackass of The Night is Tanner Houck. He allowed the big insurance run to score to put the game out of reach.

                                                                Jackass Houck

The Good:

Hunter Renfroe was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 2 with a walk and a home run.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3.

Jose Iglesias was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 2.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 1 with an error.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Chris Sale took the loss by allowing just 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings. He allowed 4 hits and a walk while striking out six.

Hansel Robles allowed an inherited runner to score in 2/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

Kevin Plawecki caught the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Another disaster class in overmanaging by Alex Cora. Once again, the offense wasn't doing much but yanking the starter and forcing the bullpen to throw damn near four innings backfired again. Hansel Robles allowed the inherited runner to score and Houck allowed 2 of his own to put the game out of reach. The offense falling asleep was the primary culprit but the season long yanking of starters finally came back to haunt the Sox. Sale had been dominant for five innings but taking him out started the trickle effect. If the Sox don't make the playoffs, the blame falls on Cora more than anything. The loss dropped the Sox to 88-69, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for the first wild card and only 0.5 above the Seattle Mariners for the second. The Sox look to snap their four game losing streak tomorrow night against the Orioles when Nathan Eovaldi (10-9) takes on Zac Lowther of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Yankees Sweep Sox out of Fenway (9/26/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Josh Taylor was placed on the Injured List with a lower back strain. This is not what the Sox needed with them stumbling toward the playoffs. The other relievers are going to have to step up with only a handful of games left.

                                                                   OUT

As for the game, what an unmitigated disaster this weekend was. The Red Sox could have eliminated the New York Yankees from playoff competition by sweeping or taking two of three. Instead they're the ones looking up from the bottom after getting swept by the Yankees. For the second straight game the Sox blew a winnable game in the top of the eighth. The Yankees had taken a 2-1 lead on Eduardo Rodriguez and the Sox when the Yankees stumbled and bumbled to allow 2 runs in the bottom of the seventh inning. Then Garrett Richards (7-8, 4.65 ERA) got rocked and Adam Ottavino got rolled as the Yankees scored four runs in the top of the eighth. Aroldis Chapman slammed the door and the Yankees had jumped in front of the Sox in the standings 6-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                              Exactly

Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first inning and DJ LeMahieu got a base hit to center to start. Anthony Rizzo grounded into a double play and Aaron Judge struck out swinging to end the inning. Jordan Montgomery got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Kike Hernandez got a base hit to center. Hunter Renfroe flied out to right, Rafael Devers flied out to left and Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Giancarlo Stanton struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Joey Gallo popped up to second. Gleyber Torres popped up to first to end the inning. JD Martinez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. Christian Arroyo singled in the hole at second but Alex Verdugo lined out to right to end the inning.

Gary Sanchez took strike three to start the top of the third before Brett Gardner was also frozen for strike three. Gio Urshela got a base hit to center and LeMahieu was also caught looking to end the inning. Christian Vazquez lined out to left to start the bottom of the third before Hernandez grounded out to short. Renfroe grounded out to third to end the inning.

Rizzo grounded out to second to open the top of the fourth before Judge struck out swinging. Stanton singled in the hole at second but Gallo struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Devers ripped a base hit to left to start. Devers swiped second and Bogaerts also got a base hit to left to put runners at the corners. Martinez hit a sac fly to left to score Devers to put the Sox on top. Dalbec struck out swinging and Arroyo grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Devers scores the go-ahead run

All of a sudden Rodriguez lost it in the top of the fifth as Torres walked to start. Sanchez got a base hit to left and Gardner singled to center to load the bases. Urshela banged into a double play but Torres scored to tie the game. LeMahieu got a base hit to right to score Sanchez to put the Yankees on top. Rizzo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-1. That was it for Rodriguez despite throwing 81 pitches because Alex Cora once again quick hooks someone. He allowed 2 runs in 5 innings on 6 hits and a walk.

                                                     Not good enough from Rodriguez

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Verdugo singled to left to start. Vazquez grounded into a double play but Hernandez got a base hit to left. Renfroe singled to center but Devers flied out to right to end the inning.

Hansel Robles came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Judge lined out to left to start. Stanton struck out swinging and Gallo grounded out to first to end the inning. Clay Holmes came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Bogaerts struck out swinging to start. Martinez and Dalbec also went down hacking to end the inning.

Garrett Richards came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Torres grounded out to second to start. Sanchez struck out swinging and Gardner flied out to left to end the inning. Travis Shaw was going to pinch hit for Arroyo but Yankees manager Aaron Boone brought in Joely Rodriguez to pitch. Sox manager Alex Cora pulled back Shaw in favor of Jose Iglesias. Iglesias got a base hit to left to start and Verdugo beat out a bunt down to second. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Vazquez hit a sac fly to score Iglesias to tie the game. Chad Green came in to pitch to Hernandez and Kike took strike three. Kyle Schwarber pinch hit for Renfroe and LeMahieu dropped a pop up from Kyle for an error to continue the inning. Schwarber then popped up to Gallo....who dropped it for an error. Verdugo scored but Schwarber was thrown out at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                        Yerrrrrr out

Things fell apart in the top of the eighth as Urshela walked to start. Tyler Wade pinch ran for Urshela and ended up getting thrown out at second trying to steal. LeMahieu walked and Rizzo doubled to right to chase Richards. Adam Ottavino poured gas on the fire as Judge doubled to center to score both runners and Stanton hit a home run all the way to Neptune to ice the game just like that. Gallo was hit with a pitch and that was it for Ottavino. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch and Torres lined out to right. Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up for good 6-3.

                                                        Yankees are all smiles.

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as Devers pounded a ground rule double down the right field line to start. Bogaerts flied out to right but Martinez lashed a base hit to left to put runners at the corners. Dalbec struck out swinging and Iglesias lined out to second to end the inning.

Gardner grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth before Wade got a base hit to right. Wade was once again thrown out at second trying to steal and LeMahieu grounded out to second to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Verdugo popped up to short to start. Vazquez grounded out to second but Hernandez walked. Kike took second and third on defensive indifference but Schwarber took strike three to end the game. The Yankees completed the sweep with a 6-3 win.

                                                          Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Adam Ottavino. He allowed 2 inherited runners to score and 2 of his own to put the game out of reach.

                                                               Jackass Ottavino

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Hunter Renfroe was 1 for 3.

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

JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Christian Arroyo was 1 for 2.

Jose Iglesias was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Eduardo Rodriguez allowed just 2 runs in 5 innings. He gave up six hits and a walk while striking out eight.

Hansel Robles pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Ryan Brasier tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Kyle Schwarber was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with the golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Garrett Richards took the loss by allowing 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with an rbi.

Honorable Mention:

Travis Shaw "pinch hit" in the bottom of the seventh

Final Thoughts:

That was totally embarrassing and another microcosm of the season. Alex Cora panicked and pulled Rodriguez after five innings only for the bullpen to blow it. The bullpen is out of gas after being overused all season but Cora keeps sticking to the "no third time through the order, pull the guy at first sign of trouble" mantra. If the Sox don't make the playoffs next week you can blame Cora for it. Ottavino and the A-Team were almost automatic in April, May and June but now he's toast. Why he put Garrett Richards in a big spot is another head scratcher and the Yankees practically laughed at them. The Sox went into this series looking to put the Yankees away and instead they might have just launched them into the playoffs. There's still four games left in the season but this was a huge opportunity lost. The loss dropped the Sox to 88-68, 1 game behind the Yankees for the first wild card. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox travel to Baltimore to face the hapless, 106 loss Orioles. If the Sox can't beat THEM then they have no business playing in October. The first game begins Tuesday night with Chris Sale (5-0) going for the Sox against Bruce Zimmermann of Baltimore at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Stanton, Yankees Stun Sox With 8th Inning Slam (9/25/21)

Congratulations to Alex Cora and the Boston Red Sox who might have just cost themselves a trip to the post-season in tonight's game against the New York Yankees. The Sox broke out to a 1-0 lead over Nestor Cortes on the back of a Kevin Plawecki home run. Nick Pivetta was superb through five innings as the Sox tacked on another run in the bottom of the fifth. Then at the first sign of trouble, Cora pulled Pivetta with 2 on and just 1 out in the sixth. Hansel Robles allowed a run to score on a wild pitch then Cora brought in Tanner Houck (1-5, 3.77 ERA) in the seventh inning. With two out in the top of the eighth, Houck allowed back to back walks. Rather than let him finish the inning, Cora yanked him too in favor of Darwinzon Hernandez. Hernandez hit Anthony Rizzo and Giancarlo Stanton hit one of the most effortless grand slams in recorded history. A Bobby Dalbec home run in the ninth was useless as the Yankees pulled into a tie with the Red Sox for the wild card with a 5-3 comeback win at Fenway Park.

                                                          "God damn Cora"

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning as Brett Gardner grounded out to third to start. Aaron Judge popped up to second and Anthony Rizzo popped up to third to end the inning. Cortes got the ball in the bottom of the first as Kike Hernandez flied out to right to begin. Hunter Renfroe flied out to center and Rafael Devers flied out to right to end the inning.

Giancarlo Stanton got a base hit to right to start the top of the second before Joey Gallo took strike three. Gleyber Torres struck out swinging and Gary Sanchez also struck out swinging to end the inning. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before JD Martinez also went down hacking. Kyle Schwarber flied out to left to end the inning.

Rougned Odor flied out to right to start the top of the third before Gio Urshela grounded out to short. Gardner grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Bobby Dalbec took strike three to start. Kevin Plawecki launched his third home run of the season to put Boston on top. Jose Iglesias hit one up the elevator shaft and Hernandez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                 Home run Plawecki

Judge grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth before Rizzo flied out to left. Stanton struck out swinging to end the inning. Renfroe got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Devers struck out swinging. Bogaerts flied out to center and Martinez lined out to center to end the inning.

Pivetta dominated the top of the fifth as Gallo struck out swinging to start. Torres took strike three and Sanchez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Schwarber singled to right to start. Dalbec flied out to right but Plawecki singled to center to chase Cortes. Michael King came in to pitch and Iglesias beat out a roller to third. A wild pitch scored Schwarber but the Sox blew it when both Hernandez & Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox were only ahead 2-0.

                                                         Renfroe wants that one back

Cora reared his ugly head in the top of the sixth as Odor flied out to center to start. Urshela hit a seeing eye single in the left and Gardner doubled to right....then out came Cora. Despite being only at 90 pitches and allowing just 1 hit going into the inning, Cora wanted his battered bullpen to toss another four innings. Pivetta would be charged with a run on 3 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Hansel Robles came in and immediately uncorked a wild pitch to score Urshela. Judge hit a grounder to third but Gardner was thrown out at home. Rizzo popped up to short to end the inning but the Yankees were down 2-1.

                                                               Pivetta deserved better

Devers got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Bogaerts flied out to center. Martinez lined out to right and that was it for king. Luca Luetge came in to pitch and Schwarber lined out to third to end the inning.

Tanner Houck came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Stanton walked to start. Gallo walked but Torres grounded into a double play. Sanchez struck out swinging to end the inning. Dalbec struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the seventh before Plawecki drew a walk. Iglesias forced Kevin at second and Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Disaster struck in the top of the eighth as Odor struck out swinging to start. Urshela went down hacking but Gardner walked. Gardner stole second and Judge walked.....then here came Cora again. Rather than let Houck finish Quick Hook brought in Darwinzon Hernandez to face Rizzo. Naturally Hernandez hit Rizzo with a pitch to bring up Stanton. Stanton then hit one of the most effortless grand slams in history to put the Yankees up for good. Gallo struck out swinging to end the inning but the Yankees were up 5-2.

                                                             This one's over

Tyler Wade took over for Odor to start the bottom of the eighth and Renfroe struck out swinging to start. Devers was hit with a pitch but Bogaerts flied out to left. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Torres grounded back to the mound to start. Sanchez grounded out to third and Wade struck out swinging to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Schwarber was retired on a squibber to start. Suddenly Dalbec crushed his 24th home run of the season to cut the lead. Plawecki was hit with a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate and Christian Vazquez ran for him. Iglesias struck out swinging and Hernandez grounded out to third to end the game. The Yankees had won it 5-3.

                                                             Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Darwinzon Hernandez. He served up the grand slam to Stanton that cost them the game.

                                                         Nice pitch, Jackass

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Kevin Plawecki was 2 for 2 with a walk, hit by pitch and a home run.

Nick Pivetta held the Yankees to 3 hits and 1 run in 5 1/3 innings.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Tanner Houck took the loss by getting charged with 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Hansel Robles allowed an inherited runner to score in 2/3 of an inning.

Kyle Schwarber was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.

Jose Iglesias was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Vazquez ran for Plawecki in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

If the Sox are on the outside of October looking in, look no further than the manager. Cora all season long pulled starters early and at the first sign of trouble and it burned the bullpen out. Once the A-Team fizzled by July they've been a .500 team ever since. The Tampa Bay Rays overtook them in the standings and just about locked up the AL East title while the Yankees are about to jump ahead of them with all the momentum. The Sox pitchers to a man look totally spent and no amount of mixing and matching is going to help when there's no gas left in the tank. Pulling Pivetta early was inexcusable and why would you bring in Hernandez with Stanton lurking right behind Rizzo? The offense didn't really do much either but they were four outs away from victory. The season is about to come crashing down and it all comes down to overmanaging. The loss dropped the Sox to 88-67, tied with the Yankees for the Wild Card spot. The Sox look to salvage the series tomorrow night when Eduardo Rodriguez faces Jordan Montgomery of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.