Sox Rally Past Guardians (5/31/26)

Wow, the Boston Red Sox suddenly can rally in the later innings. For five innings it looked like the Red Sox were headed to a heartbreaking loss as the Cleveland Guardians turned a 3-2 deficit into a 4-3 lead due to a mistake and a clutch hit. Jarren Duran hit a first inning home run against Tanner Bibee but Austin Hedges hit a 2 run single off Ranger Suarez. The Sox took the lead in the top of the fifth but Masataka Yoshida lost a Jose Ramirez ball in the sun and Chase DeLauter made the Sox pay to give the Guardians the lead. The Sox then caught a break in the top of the seventh when Wilyer Abreu's bases loaded strike three pitch was called ball four since Cleveland was out of challenges. Masataka Yoshida atoned for his error with a 2 run single to give the Sox the lead. Isiah Kiner got an rbi single and Caleb Durbin continued his resurgence with a two run triple to ice the game. The trio of Tyron Guerrero, Greg Weissert and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door and the Sox had won the game 9-4 at Progressive Field.

                                                      Rotta The Hutt approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning when Jarren Duran clobbered the fifth pitch of the game from Tanner Bibee for his 10th home run to put the Sox on top instantly. Mickey Gasper got a base hit to center but Wilyer Abreu flied out to right. Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging and Isiah Kiner-Falefa also struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                       Duran can't miss

Suarez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Travis Bazzana struck out swinging to start. Jose Ramirez lined out to center and Chase DeLauter struck out swinging to end the inning.

Caleb Durbin grounded out to short to start the top of the second and Marcelo Mayer did the same. Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. The Guardians struck back in the bottom of the second as Rhys Hoskins walked to start. David Fry doubled to left and Kyle Manzardo was plunked to load the bases with nobody out. Stuart Fairchild struck out swinging but Austin Hedges got a base hit to right to score Hoskins and Fry. Brayan Rocchio grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Guardians up 2-1.

                                                            Hedges puts Cleveland on top

Carlos Narvaez got a base hit to right to start the top of the third but Duran forced him at second. Gasper struck out swinging and Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. Bazzana struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third and Ramirez popped up to third. DeLauter singled to center but Hoskins struck out swinging to end the inning.

Yoshida popped up to second to start the top of the fourth and Kiner flied out to center. Durbin grounded out to second to end the inning. Fry got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Manzardo flied out to right. Fairchild struck out swinging and Hedges took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Mayer singled in the hole at second to start. Wong doubled down the left field line but Narvaez took strike three. Duran walked to load the bases and Gasper hit a sac fly to left to score Mayer. Abreu got a base hit to left to score Wong but he was thrown out at second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

                                                  Sox take the lead

The lead lasted 8 seconds in the bottom of the fifth as Rocchio doubled to right to start. Bazzana struck out swinging but Yoshida lost a fly ball by Ramirez in the sun for a "double" to score Rocchio. DeLauter got a base hit to left to score Ramirez and Hoskins doubled to left. Frye walked to load the bases, but Suarez struck out Manzardo swinging and Fairchild was rung up for strike three to end the inning with the Guardians up 4-3. That was it for Suarez as he allowed 4 runs in 5 innings off 8 hits and 2 walks.

                                                               Suarez deserved better

The Sox beat the ball in the top of the sixth as Yoshida grounded out to second to start. Kiner grounded out to short and Durbin grounded out to third to end the inning. Jovani Moran came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Gasper muffed a throw by Durbin on a grounder by Hedges for an error. Rocchio struck out swinging and Mayer made a jumping catch on a pop up by Bazzana. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox rallied against Colin Holderman to start the top of the seventh as Mayer flied out to left to start. Wong walked and Narvaez got a base hit to right to chase Holderman. Tim Herrin came in and walked Duran to load the bases. Gasper walked and it looked like Abreu would be called out on strikes, but the umpire ruled it ball four to score Wong. The Guardians were out of challenges and Yoshida made them pay with a base hit to center to score Narvaez and Duran. Codi Heuer was brought in to face Kiner and Isiah got a base hit to center to score Abreu. Suddenly Durbin tripled down the right field line to clear the bases and ice the game. Mayer grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 9-4.

                                                         Who let HIM get hot?

DeLauter grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Tyron Guerrero was brought in to face Hoskins. Rhys flied out to center but Fry singled to center. Manzardo struck out swinging to end the inning.

Will Dion came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Wong popped up to first to start. Narvaez struck out swinging and Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Petey Halpin pinch hit for Fairchild. Halpin flied out to left and Hedges was rung up for strike three. Rocchio got a base hit to right and Bazzana flied out to left to end the inning.

Gasper struck out looking to start the top of the ninth but Abreu got a base hit to left. Yoshida got a base hit off the glove of Bazzana but Kiner lined out to center. Durbin took strike three to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with Willson Contreras now in at first. Ramirez grounded out to short but DeLauter got a base hit off of Chapman. Aroldis was ok and he struck out both Hoskins and Fry swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-4.

                                                                  Sox win

Hero of The Night is Masataka Yoshida. His 2 run base hit in the 7th put the Sox up for good.

                                                            Masataka Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a home run and 2 runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jovani Moran got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Tyron Guerrero tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Mickey Gasper was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error, but drove in a run.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run and scored a run.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 5 but drove in 2 runs.

Ranger Suarez allowed 4 runs in 5 innings mostly due to a blunder by Yoshida but still struck out 10 batters.

Marcelo Mayer was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Honorable Mention:

Willson Contreras played first base in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

If the Red Sox learned how to hit, this might be a dangerous team moving forward. This is the third time in five games the Sox scored 8 or more runs. The biggest difference has been Duran and Durbin aren't completely useless anymore and guys like Gasper and Kiner have stepped up where others have failed. Its unfair to expect them to continue at this pace but Sox fans aren't expecting murderer's row from Kiner, Gasper, Wong, etc but they expect better than the first two months. Now Boston's record is pretty damn bad but keep in mind on June 29th last year they were 3 games under .500 two weeks after the Rafael Devers trade. The Sox aren't out of anything by any means, and if the offense matches the pitching, they should be a lot better than what they've shown. Suarez was mortal in this one, Yoshida's "error" didn't help, but the bullpen stepped up in this one. The Sox now face a nine game AL East gauntlet which will be a showcase on whether they can hang or not. The first big test is if they can win at home for once. The win today improved the Sox to 25-33, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action at home against the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night. Connelly Early (5-2, 2.95 ERA) continues his march toward AL Rookie of The Year when he takes on Shane Baz of Baltimore. The game begins at 6:45 PM at Fenway Park.

Duran, Sox Sweep Royals (5/20/26)

Looks like Jarren Duran has risen from the dead. After blasting a 3 run home run last night, Jarren was the difference maker in tonight's game against the Kansas City Royals. Connelly Early (4-2, 3.33 ERA) allowed a first inning home run to Salvador Perez but the Sox scratched out two runs against old pal Michael Wacha in the top of the second. Elias Diaz hit a two run shot off Early in the bottom of the fifth but Duran hit a two run shot off Steven Cruz in the top of the seventh. After Early left, the unlikely duo of Greg Weissert and Jovani Moran bridged the gap to Aroldis Chapman. Chapman locked it down and the Sox had swept the Royals out of Kansas City with a 4-3 victory at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                          Berry Gordy approves of the win

Wacha got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to short and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Early got the ball in the bottom of the first and Maikel Garcia grounded back to the mound to start. Bobby Witt Jr grounded out to short but Salvador Perez hit a home run all the way to Norway to put the Royals up. Isaac Collins flied out to center to end the inning with the Royals up 1-0.

                                                      Royals strike first

The Sox fought back in the top of the second as Willson Contreras tripled into the right field corner to start. Ceddanne Rafaela hit a routine grounder to Nick Loftin at second...booted for an error, but Contreras didn't come home. Nick Sogard got a base hit to right to score Contreras and move Rafaela to third, then Marcelo Mayer walked to load the bases. Carlos Narvaez grounded into a 5-3 double play but Rafaela scored to put the Sox on top. Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                        Sox strike back

Loftin struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second but Jac Caglianone got a base hit to left but Sterling Marte also struck out swinging. Elias Diaz also swung at air to end the inning.

Duran popped up to third to begin the top of the third but Yoshida got a base hit off the glove of Wacha. Abreu flied out to center but Conteras singled off the glove of Loftin. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Kyle Isbel lined out to center to start the bottom of the third and Duran leapt over the wall to snare a line drive by Garcia. Witt Jr doubled to left but Perez flied out to right to end the inning.

Sogard walked to start the top of the fourth but was hit with a grounder by Mayer to be ruled out. Narvaez struck out swinging and Kiner went down hacking to end the inning. Collins flied out to center to open the bottom of the fourth and Loftin flied out to right. Caglianone took strike three down the middle to end the inning.

Duran struck out swinging to open the top of the fifth and Yoshida flied out to center. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. The Royals took command in the bottom of the fifth as Marte walked to start. Diaz then hit a home run all the way to Nashville to put the Royals on top. Isbel flied out to center, Garcia flied out to left and Witt Jr grounded out to third to end the inning with the Royals up 3-2.

                                                            Diaz blasts one

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Contreras grounded out to short to start. Rafaela doubled to right but Sogard struck out swinging. Mayer popped up to third to end the inning. Perez singled past Mayer to start the bottom of the sixth but Collins lined out to left. Loftin struck out swinging but Caglianone singled inside the third base bag. Marte forced Caglianone at second to end the inning.

Steven Cruz came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Narvaez greeted him with a base hit to left. Mickey Gasper pinch hit for Kiner and struck out swinging. A passed ball moved Narvaez to second and Duran pulverized his 6th home run of the season to put the Sox back on top. Yoshida grounded out to first and Daniel Lynch came in to face Abreu. Wilyer got a base hit to left and Contreras got a seeing eye single into right. Rafaela forced Contreras at second to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.

                                                            Sox take the lead

Early came back briefly for the bottom of the seventh with Caleb Durbin now at third base and naturally Abreu dropped a routine pop up by Diaz for an error to start. Carter Jensen ran for Diaz and was forced at second by a poor bunt by Isbel. That was it for Early who lasted 6 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and a walk. Greg Weissert came in to face Garcia and Maikel lined out to right. Witt Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                         Another good outing by Early

Sogard grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth and Mayer flied out to left. Narvaez walked and Alex Lange came in to face Durbin. Caleb forced Carlos at second to end the inning. Perez got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the eighth and Michael Massey ran for him. Collins flied out to center and Loftin popped up to second to chase Weissert. Jovani Moran struck Caglianone out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew the top of the ninth completely when Duran tripled into the centerfield gap to start. Naturally Yoshida grounded out to second. Abreu struck out swinging and Duran was thrown out at home trying to score on a wild pitch to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Marte blooped a base hit to right to start. Jansen struck out swinging but Marte took second on a passed ball. Lane Thomas pinch hit for Isbel and flied out to right bringing up Garcia. Maikel grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had swept the Royals out of Kansas City 4-3.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jarren Duran. His 2 run homer put the Sox up for good.

                                                                  Good work Hero

The Good:

Willson Contrera was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Nick Sogard was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Marcelo Mayer was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Connelly Early got the win by tossing 6 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and a walk.

Greg Weissert tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Jovani Moran struck out the only man he faced.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 12th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Mickey Gasper struck out as a pinch hitter.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 5.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 5 with an error.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

If Jarren Duran has woken up, things are looking good for the Red Sox moving forward. Getting Trevor Story out of there and a hot Duran instantly improves the offense....sort of. Once again they only scored 4 runs with two big misfires being a bases loaded double play and Duran's leadoff triple that went nowhere. Essentially without Duran the Sox score four runs total the last two games and MAYBE win one of them. Sox fans have been saying even if the Sox had a mediocre offense they'd be in first place, well the addition by subtraction of Story might just bring them up to mediocre status. The other side of the ball was damn near flawless. Early is fast becoming the next Jon Lester and the Sox need that big time moving forward. Without Justin Slaten and Garrett Whitlock, Sox manager Chad Tracy pushed the right buttons this time with Weissert and Moran getting it done. For the only the third time this season the Sox have won 3 games in a row, it would be nice if they could keep the momentum in their next series. The win improved the Sox to 22-27, 11.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox come home to play the next team in front of them in the Wild Card standings, the Minnesota Twins. Peyton Tolle (2-2, 2.05 ERA) goes for the Sox against Connor Prielipp of the Twins this Friday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Astros Drop Sox in 10 Innings (5/3/26)

Of all the embarrassing losses of the season for the Boston Red Sox this one might take the cake. The Sox were completely shut down by the equally hapless Houston Astros and their terrible bullpen. Cody Bolton and a host of mediocre relief pitchers held the Sox to just 9 hits and 1 measly run. The sad part was Ranger Suarez of the Sox was out after 4 shutout innings but the bullpen surrendered just 1 run to plunge the game into extras with a 1-1 tie. In the top of the tenth, Cam Smith hit a 2 run single off Zack Kelly in the top of the tenth to put the game away. To show how bad this season is Bryan Abreu came into the game with a 0-2 record and ERA over 11, and he got the final six outs to end the game. The lowly Sox had lost 3-1 to the Astros in 10 innings at Fenway Park.

                                                           "This team can't score"

Suarez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Carlos Correa grounded out to second to start. Yordan Alvarez struck out swinging but Isaac Parades doubled to center. Christian Walker struck out swinging to end the inning. Bolton got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran got a base hit to right to start. Willson Contreras took strike three and Roman Anthony beat out a double play ball. Wilyer Abreu walked and naturally with a man on second, Andruw Monasterio struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jose Altuve lined out to center to start the top of the second and Brice Matthews flied out to right. Cam Smith got a base hit to left and Christian Vazquez flied out to center to end the inning. Marcelo Mayer took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Carlos Narvaez doubled to center but Caleb Durbin hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Dustin Harris' bunt attempt was snuffed out by Narvaez to start the top of the third and Correa lined out to center. Alvarez got a base hit to right and Paredes struck out swinging to end the inning. Duran grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third but Contreras got a base hit to left. Anthony doubled to center and that was it for Bolton. AJ Blubaugh came in to face Abreu and struck him out swinging. Monasterio tried a suicide squeeze bunt but Paredes threw him out at first to end the inning.

Walker walked to start the top of the fourth before Altuve flied out to left. Matthews grounded out to short to move Walker to second but Smith lined out to short to end the inning. All of a sudden Suarez started clutching his hamstring and had to leave the game after four shutout innings. Its been that kind of year.

                                                             Bye bye Suarez

Mayer flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Rafaela took strike three. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tyler Samaniego came in to pitch the top of the fifth as Vazquez got a base hit to right to start. Harris dropped down a bunt to move Christian to second and Correa walked. Alvarez lined out to center to chase Tyler. Greg Weissert got Paredes to line out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Durbin popped up to first to start. Suddenly Duran bashed his third home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Contreras walked but Anthony flied out to center. Contreras stole second but Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Duran hits one out

The Astros answered in the top of the sixth as Walker got a base hit in the hole at short to start. Altuve doubled to left and Matthews hit a sac fly to score Walker....and somehow Altuve was thrown out at third trying to advance as well. Smith got a base hit to center but Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Matthews ties it

Monasterio walked to start the bottom of the sixth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Mayer got a base hit to left and Rafaela got plunked, but Narvaez struck out swinging. Durbin popped up to second to end the inning.

Jovani Moran came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Shay Whitcomb pinch hit for Harris. Whitcomb took strike three but Correa walked. Alvarez flied out to center and that was it for Moran. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to face Paredes and Isaac struck out swinging to end the inning. Daniel Johnson came in for Whitcomb with Steven Okert on to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Duran flied out to center to start but Contreras doubled to left. Anthony lined out to right to move Willson to third but Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Walker got a base hit in the hole at second to start the top of the eighth and Braden Shewmake came in to run for him. Altuve dropped down a sacrifice bunt but Matthews flied out to right. Smith struck out swinging to end the inning. Enyel De Los Santos came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Andruw Monasterio. Yoshida got a base hit to left and Isiah Kiner-Falefa ran for him. Mayer struck out swinging, Rafaela flied out to center and Narvaez lined out to third to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Vazquez got a base hit to center to start. Yainer Diaz ran for him but Johnson's bunt forced Diaz at second. Correa took strike three and Alvarez struck out swinging to end the inning. The much maligned Bryan Abreu came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Durbin grounded out to second to start. Duran struck out swinging and Abreu threw a grounder by Contreras away for an error, allowing Willson to reach second. With the winning run on second....Anthony grounded out to first to end the inning.

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Alvarez starting at second. Paredes walked and Shewmake dropped down a bunt to move the runners over but ended up reaching first to load the bases. Altuve hit into a 6-2-5 double play but Matthews walked to re-load the bases. Smith drilled a base hit to right to score all three runners....but wait! Matthews was called out at the plate and the Astros challenged, but the call upheld. Still, the Astros now led 3-1.

                                                       Smith puts the Astros on top

All the Sox had to do was score off one of the worst pitchers in baseball with Anthony starting at second to start the bottom of the tenth. Abreu walked and Kiner dropped down a bunt to move the runners into scoring position. Mayer was hit with a pitch to load the bases and naturally Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the game. The Astros had won 3-1 in 10 innings.

                                                                 Astros win

Jackass of The Night is Zack Kelly. He allowed 2 walks, 2 runs and a hit in the top of the tenth to take the loss.

                                                             Jackass Kelly

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a home run.

Willson Contreras was 3 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base.

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ranger Suarez tossed 4 scoreless innings before leaving with injury.

Jovani Moran got the first two outs of the seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 5.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked twice.

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Marcelo Mayer was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Greg Weissert allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa ran for Yoshida in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Well, looks like the problem wasn't Alex Cora and the coaching staff after all. Its only been a few weeks since they fired Cora and the coaches and the same offensive woes remain. The Astros are just as bad as the Sox and Boston made their pitchers look like the 1970 Orioles in this one. Some of the worst pitchers in baseball damn near pitched a shutout and Bryan Abreu tossing 2 scoreless innings is absolutely inexcusable. Worse yet, Ranger Suarez is hurt and the Sox can't afford to lose him with Garrett Crochet already out. The bottom line is this is one of the worst offensive teams in Sox history due to injuries and ineffectiveness and unless the veterans turn it around, this season will be over in a hurry. Then again, the sooner Sox GM Craig Breslow is gone the better it seems like. The loss dropped the Sox to 13-21, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Detroit for a three game set with the Tigers. Payton Tolle (0-1) takes on Tyler Holton of Detroit. The game begins at 7:10 PM eastern time at Comerica Park.

Jays Rout Bello, Sox (4/29/26)

Before the game, the terrible season for the Boston Red Sox got even worse when Garrett Crochet was placed on the Injured List with shoulder inflammation. His velocity has been down all season and they're claiming its "fatigue", but we all know the truth. Its doubtful he'll pitch again this season. The Red Sox called up Nate Eaton to make his season debut with an off-day tomorrow. Bye bye Crochet.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster for a terrible team. After getting shut out the night before, the Boston Red Sox bats nearly put up another goose egg against the Toronto Blue Jays. Jays starter Eric Lauer was knocked out in the fifth inning after allowing a run and the Toronto bullpen held the Sox to 4 measly hits and a walk after. Meanwhile Brayan Bello (1-4, 9.12 ERA) has completely fallen apart, getting rocked for 4 runs in just 3 2/3 innings. The bullpen wasn't much better allowing 4 runs of their own. The Jays as a whole pounded out 10 hits and 8 runs as they took the game 8-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                               "Nice going Bello"

The Sox struck first in the top of the first inning against Lauer although Roman Anthony grounded out to second to start. Willson Contreras suddenly belted his 7th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Wilyer Abreu got a base hit to left but Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Trevor Story flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                 Willson goes yard

Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ernie Clement grounded out to short to start. Abreu made a leaping catch at the wall on a Jesus Sanchez fly ball but Vladimir Guerrero Jr singled in the hole at third. Kazuma Okamoto took strike three to end the inning. 

Andrew Monasterio lined out to third to open the top of the second and Connor Wong flied out to center. Isiah Kiner-Falefa also flied out to center to end the inning. Daulton Varsho lined out to first to start the bottom of the second and Yohendrick Pinango flied out to right. Myles Straw popped up to second to end the inning.

Caleb Durbin flied out to center to start the top of the third and Anthony grounded out to first. Contreras flied out to left to end the inning. Bello imploded in the bottom of the third as Andres Gimenez struck out swinging to start. Brandon Valenzuela got a base hit to right but Clement flied out to right. Sanchez got a base hit to center and Guerrero Jr got a base hit to right to load the bases. Okamoto got a base hit to left to score Valenzuela & Sanchez, putting the Jays up for good. A wild pitch moved the runners over and Varsho walked to re-load the bases. Pinango singled to left to score Guerrero but Okamoto was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Jays up 3-1.

                                                             Okamoto with the killshot

The Sox took the rest of the night off as Abreu walked to start the top of the fourth. Rafaela flied out to right and Story lined out to center. Abreu swiped second but Monasterio grounded out to second to end the inning. Sox manager Chad Tracy pulled an Alex Cora im the bottom of the fourth as Straw grounded out to third to start. Gimenez grounded out to first but Valenzuela walked. Rather than let Bello finish the inning, Tracy yanked him after just 63 pitches. Bello would be charged with 4 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Tracy summoned Greg Weissert and he did what hes done all year, give up a 2 run jack to Clement to put the game on ice. Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays ahead 5-1.

                                                                 Another Bello stinker

Wong flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Kiner got a base hit to right. Somehow Durbin got a base hit to center and Anthony got a base hit to right to load the bases. Braydon Fisher was summoned to face Contreras and he hit a bullet....right to Gimenez who fired to second to double off Durbin to end the inning, of course. The Jays poured it on in the bottom of the fifth as Guerrero Jr singled to center to start. Okamoto took strike three and that was it fir Weissert. Jovan Moran came in and immediately hit Varsho with a pitch. George Springer pinch hit for Pinango and naturally got a base hit to center to score Guerrero, moving Varsho to third. Straw hit a sac fly to right to score Varsho and Gimenez popped up to short to end the inning with the Jays up 7-1.

                                                      Springer drives in a run

Abreu was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to start the top of the sixth. Rafaela struck out swinging but Story doubled to center. Monasterio flied out to right to end the inning. Valenzuela flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Clement flied out to right. Sanchez also flied out to right to end the inning.

Tommy Nance came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Wong grounded out to short to start. Marcelo Mayer pinch hit for Kiner and got a base hit to center. Durbin grounded back to the mound to move Mayer to second and Joe Mantiply came in to face Anthony. Roman struck out swinging to end the inning. Guerrero Jr walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Okamoto flied out to right. Varsho lined out to center and Springer flied out to left to end the inning.

Contreras got a base hit to center to start the top of the eighth and Abreu singled to left to chase Mantiply. Spencer Miles got Rafaela to fly out to center but Story walked to load the bases. Jarren Duran pinch hit for Monasterio and naturally struck out swinging on a pitch 3 feet over his head. Wong grounded out to third to end the inning. The Jays wrapped up the scoring against Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock in the bottom of the eighth as Straw grounded out to short to start. Gimenez grounded out to first but Valenzuela hit a home run all the way to Calgary to increase the lead. Clement grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays up 8-1.

                                                             Home run Valenzuela

Mayer grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth and Durbin struck out swinging. Anthony took 3 straight pitches right down the middle to end the game. The Jays had won it 8-1.

                                                                   Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Brayan Bello. He got rocked for 4 runs in 3 2/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                       Jackass Bello

The Good:

Willson Contreras was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 1 for 2.

Marcelo Mayer was 1 for 2.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 3.

Jarren Duran struck out as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4.

Greg Weissert allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Roman Anthony was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jovani Moran allowed a run in 2 12/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

So much for the "dead coach bounce" after Alex Cora was fired. The last two games the Sox returned to their inept offensive woes and habit of bringing in the wrong relief pitchers. Can't even blame Cora for this one, he's not here anymore. The bats damn near matched Toronto in the hits department but only pushed across one measly run. Bello once again stunk the joint out but so did the bullpen as well. Its becoming clear that the Red Sox are at a crossroads. They're a good offense away from 2018 and bad pitching away from last year's Colorado Rockies, and the last two games have been a step in the latter's direction. The season is only a month old and its been a colossal failure with everyone upset. Fans have had enough and to a man, the players look like they have no hope as well. The sad part is there's still 5 months left in the season and it will be torturous for sure. The loss dropped the Sox to 12-19, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night at home against the Houston Astros when Jake Bennett makes his ML debut for the Sox against Mike Burrows of Houston. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Orioles Rock Bello, Sox (4/24/26)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 3 of their first round NBA playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox were crushed by the Baltimore Orioles. You gotta laugh at this point at just how bad the Red Sox are. This season is an unmitigated disaster and we're not even out of April yet. Tonight we saw the continued deterioration of Brayan Bello (1-3, 9.00 ERA) who's confidence looks shattered as he got rocked by the Orioles for THIRTEEN hits, 8 runs and a walk in just 3 1/3 innings. The sad part was Sox manager Alex Cora tried to keep him in despite the score to give the bullpen a break but his body language just screamed "get me out of here". Meanwhile the Sox bats did get 10 hits but only managed to scratch out 3 runs against Brandon Young and the Baltimore bullpen. Jovani Moran and Ryan Watson got tagged for 7 hits and 2 runs combined and the Orioles sent the Sox further into the basement with a 10-3 drubbing at Camden Yards.

                                       Umpire Odo is ready to toss the Sox whole team out

Young got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran flied out to center to start. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to short and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to short to end the inning. Bello got blitzed in the bottom of the first as Gunnar Henderson hit the second pitch of the game all the way to Virginia to end the game already. Taylor Ward singled to center and Adley Rutschman hit a home run all the way to Tennessee to ice the game. Pete Alonso flied out to right but Dylan Beavers hit a home run out of Earth's atmosphere to increase the lead. Samuel Basallo doubled to right but Leody Taveras lined out to right. Colby Mayo struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 4-0.

                                                       O's put the game away early

The Sox did answer in the top of the second although Willson Contreras struck out swinging to start. Wilyer Abreu then clobbered his fourth home run of the season to cut the lead. Trevor Story walked but Marcelo Mayer flied out to center. Caleb Durbin grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                           Abreu jacks one

The O's poured it on in the bottom of the second as Jeremiah Jackson grounded out to short to start. Henderson singled to right and Ward got a base hit to center to move Gunnar to third. Rutschman beat out a double play ball to score Henderson with another run. Alonso grounded out to short to end the inning with the O's up 5-1.

                                                      Another run for Baltimore

Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Duran got a base hit to right. Rafaela popped up to second but Duran swiped second. Yoshida popped up to third to end the inning. The O's kept coming in the bottom of the third as Beavers flied out to left to start. Basallo hit a home run all the way to Laos to increase the lead and Taveras walked. Taveras was thrown out at second trying to steal but Mayo got a base hit to left. Jackson forced Mayo at second to end the inning with the O's up 6-1.

                                                         The slaughter continues

Contreras struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth and Abreu struck out swinging. Story got a base hit to center but Mayer grounded out to second to end the inning. The O's finally finished off Bello in the bottom of the fourth although Henderson struck out swinging to start. Ward got a base hit to left and Rutschman hit a home run all the way into the Pacific Ocean to increase the lead. Alonso got a base hit to left and Beavers got a base hit to right and FINALLY Sox manager Alex Cora woke up from his nap to yank the incompetent Bello. He allowed 13 hits and 8 runs in just 3 1/3 innings. Jovani Moran came in to pitch and Basallo popped up to third. Taveras flied out to right to end the inning with the O's up 8-1.

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

The Sox did fight back in the top of the fifth as Durbin got a base hit inside the bag at third to start. Narvaez got a base hit to right but Duran flied out to left to move Durbin to third. Rafaela beat out a double play ball to score Durbin but Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

                                                         Rafaela drives in a run

The O's got that run right back in the bottom of the fifth as Mayo hit the O's 6th home run of the day to start. Jackson grounded out to short and Henderson flied out to right, but Ward walked. Rutschman grounded out to second to end the inning with the O's up 9-2.

                                                      Mayo keeps the rout going

The Sox did fight back in the top of the sixth as Contreras struck out swinging to start. Abreu doubled to left and took third on the fly ball to left by Story. Mayer doubled to right to score Abreu to chase Young. Yennier Cano came in to face Durbin and as usual Caleb grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 9-3.

                                                            Mayer refuses to quit

Alonso struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Beavers beat out a roller to third. Basallo got a base hit to left and it looked like he made it to second for a double....but Sox manager Alex Cora challenged Duran threw him out. Sure enough, replays showed Basallo was out at second with Beavers now at third. Taveras grounded out to short to end the inning.

Andrew Kittredge came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Narvaez lined out to right to start. Duran grounded out to first and Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning. Ryan Watson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and the O's pounced. Mayo grounded out to second and Jackson popped up to second, but Henderson got a base hit to right. Ward singled to right and Rutschman got a base hit to left to wrap up the scoring. Alonso grounded out to third to end the inning with the O's up 10-3.

                                                            Rutschman with another rbi

Cameron Foster came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Yoshida got a base hit to right to start. Contreras took strike three and Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning. Beavers grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth but Basallo got a base hit to left. Taveras struck out swinging and Mayo took strike three to end the inning.

Blaze Alexander came in to play short for the top of the ninth but Story got a base hit to center to start. Mayer got a base hit to right and Durbin walked to load the bases. In a microcosm of the season, Narvaez hit a fly ball to right that should have scored a run. Instead Story ran halfway home only to make a mad dash back to third for no reason. Mayer didn't see him until it was too late because he was running with his head down, so he got thrown out at second base. Durbin took second on defensive indifference but Duran popped up to third to end the game. The O's had won it 10-3.

                                                         O's win

Jackass of The Night is Brayan Bello. He was straight batting practice allowing 13 hits, 8 runs, 5 home runs and a walk all in 3 1/3 innings.

                                                            Incompetent Jackass

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Trevor Story was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Marcelo Mayer was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Caleb Durbin was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

The Bad:

Willson Contreras was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jovani Moran allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Ryan Watson allowed a run in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Gotta make a change. Either Alex Cora, Craig Breslow, Pete Fatse, Ramon Vazquez or a number of the above has to go. This is inexcusable at this point. Bello is back to where he was 3-4 years ago nibbling and melting into jello at the first sign of trouble. Meanwhile Kyle Harrison and Quinn Priester might be Milwaukee's aces moving forward. The absolute regression of everyone on this team and improvement for the people that left can't possibly be a coincidence. Either they're quitting on Cora or upper management but either way something is wrong. Even though they got a couple of runs today, that play by Story and Mayer getting thrown out is a microcosm of the season. They can't pitch and they make boneheaded blunders way too frequently. To show how incompetent the Red Sox have been offensively, Adley Rutschman had as many rbis in this game as the Sox have had in the last FOUR GAMES COMBINED as a team. I've been saying it for weeks, how do they come to the park this unprepared every single game? Do they not read scouting reports? Do they even HAVE scouting reports? We've seen the core of this offense sans Durbin and Contreras perform well over the years so what in the hell has gone on to the point where they look like they have absolutely no idea what they're doing? How much longer is ownership going to put up with this? The longer they go, the worse their reputation gets. If they want an empty Fenway Park by June, inactivity will get you there. The Sox look to break their four game losing streak tomorrow afternoon when Garrett Crochet (2-3) takes on Taylor Rogers of Baltimore. The game begins at high noon due to adverse weather conditions at Camden Yards.

Sox Hold Off Tigers on Patriots Day (4/20/26)

That was too close for comfort but the Boston Red Sox won on Patriots Day to salvage their series with the Detroit Tigers, but it came at a price. Sonny Gray lasted just 2 2/3 innings before leaving with a hamstring injury, the same one that's been plaguing him for years now. The leaky Boston bullpen ended up coughing up the lead to put the Tigers ahead 3-2. The Sox fought back to tie it in the sixth and took advantage of a comedy of errors to score three runs in the bottom of the seventh. The Sox added two more runs in the eighth and they needed them. The Tigers scored three runs against Jovani Moran in the top of the ninth but Aroldis Chapman slammed the door. The Sox had held on to win 8-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Brock Lesnar approves of the win

Gray got the ball in the top of the first and Kevin McGonigle hit a straight fastball right down the middle into centerfield for a base hit. Gleyber Torres grounded into a double play and Colt Keith flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Flaherty got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roman Anthony struck out swinging. Willson Contreras lined a base hit off the glove of Hao-Yu Lee but Wilyer Abreu flied out to left but Masataka Yoshida walked. Trevor Story flied out to left to end the inning.

Riley Greene flied out to left to start the top of the second and Dillon Dingler grounded out to third. Kerry Carpenter struck out swinging to end the inning. Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Caleb Durbin walked. Marcelo Mayer broke his bat on a bloop single to center to move Durbin to third and Carlos Narvaez dropped down a bunt. Durbin was a dead duck but somehow Flaherty threw the ball away for an error to score Caleb. Anthony walked to load the bases and Contreras hit a liner to center....but Mayer hesitated and had to retreat back to third. Abreu walked to score Durbin but Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                 Sox take the lead

Naturally the Tigers answered as Matt Vierling doubled past the diving Anthony to start the top of the third. Lee grounded out to second by Jake Rogers ripped a base hit to left to score Vierling. McGonigle took strike three but Rogers stole second. Torres walked and suddenly Sonny Gray started clutching his groin and falling to the ground. Gray had to be hauled off on a gurney, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to Mass General's ICU. Danny Coulombe came in to pitch and Keith grounded out to end the inning with the Tigers down 2-1.

                                                          Bye bye Gray

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Story struck out swinging on a pitch nowhere close to start. Duran hit a harmless pop up to left but Durbin doubled off the Monster. Marcelo Mayer popped up to left to end the inning.

Naturally Greene walked to start the top of the fourth but Dingler beat out a double play ball. Carpenter as hit with a pitch and that was it for Coulombe. Zack Kelly came in to pitch and Vierling struck out swinging. Lee ripped a base hit to center to score Dingler to tie the game but Rogers lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                 Lee ties it

Narvaez walked to start the bottom of the fourth and Anthony did the same. Contreras failed to get a bunt down and ended up popping up to second to end Flaherty's day. Brant Hurter came in to face Abreu and all he could do was force Anthony at second. Yoshida popped up to center to end the inning, bad situational baseball.

McGonigle grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth and Torres grounded out to second. Keith also grounded out to first to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Duran grounded back to the mound. Durbin lined out to short to end the inning.

The Tigers wiped out Jovani Moran in the top of the sixth as Greene walked to start. Dingler walked and Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Carpenter. Jones got a base hit to center to score Greene, putting Detroit up. Greg Weissert replaced the incompetent Moran and Vierling struck out swinging. Lee struck out swinging and Rogers was called out on a borderline strike to end the inning with the Tigers up 3-2.

                                                               Jones puts the Tigers ahead

The Sox answered in the bottom of the sixth as Mayer grounded out to short to start with Wenceel Perez in for Jones. Narvaez doubled off the top of the Monster and promptly stole third. Anthony roped a base hit to center to score Carlos to tie the game. Anthony stole second but Contreras struck out swinging and Abreu lined out to left to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                             Anthony ties it up

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and McGonigle flied out to left to start. Torres lined out to first and Keith grounded out to short to end the inning. Tyler Holton came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida ripped a base hit to center. Story walked on four pitches and Isiah Kiner-Falefa pinch hit for Duran. Kiner bunted for strike three and the crowd booed like crazy. Durbin singled in the hole at short and Ceddanne Rafaela pinch hit for Mayer. Rafaela somehow poked a base hit to right. Yoshida and Story scored easily and the throw got away for a moment. Durbin tried for home but Keith gunned him down. Rafaela took third on a wild pitch and scored on when Torres threw wide of first on a grounder to short by Narvaez. Anthony walked to chase Holton. Drew Anderson came in to face Contreras and he flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                         Rafaela puts Boston ahead

For whatever reason Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Greene naturally got a base hit to center. Dingler beat out a double play ball when Kiner threw low to first and Kiner booted a grounder by Perez for an error....but wait! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Perez was out at first anyway. The replay showed Perez was out and Vierling flied out to right to end the inning. Abreu struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth but Yoshida got a base hit to left. Story doubled to center and Yoshida was almost thrown out at third, but slid back in just in time. Kiner singled to right to score both runners to ice the game. Kiner swiped second but Durbin grounded out to third. Rafaela flied out to a jumping Greene to end the inning with the Sox up 8-3.

                                                       Kiner redeems himself

Watson come in to close out the top of the ninth and naturally Lee doubled off the Monster to start. Rogers grounded out to third but McGonigle doubled off the right field fence. Torres effortlessly got a base hit hit to right to score Lee, move McGonigle to third and chase Watson. Aroldis Chapman had to be brought in to face pinch hitter Spencer Torkelson. Spencer struck out swinging but Greene ate up Rafaela in center for a "double" to score both runners. Dingler grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 8-6.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Greg Weissert. The Sox were down 3-2 with runners at the corners and nobody out when Greg struck out 3 straight guys.

                                                           Weissert The Hero

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 1 for 2 with 3 walks with an rbi.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Isiah Kiner Falefa was 1 for 2 with 2 rbis and a stolen base.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Marcelo Mayer was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 2 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Zack Kelly tossed 1 2/3 innings.

Garrett Whitlock got the win with a scoreless seventh inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his fourth save by getting the final two outs of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Danny Coulombe allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

Jovani Moran allowed a run in the sixth inning.

Ryan Watson allowed 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and a drove in a run.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored 2 runs.

Sonny Gray allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings before leaving with injury.

Final Thoughts:

Too bad about Sonny Gray but that was a good comeback win for the Sox. The Sox bats haven't been clutch pretty much all season but today they were. It didn't help Detroit's defense threw the ball away more often than not. The Sox finally got some big hits with men on base from guys like Kiner, Rafaela and Anthony. Its too bad they can't do that more often. The crisis situation is Gray might be hurt a while and if so, that could mean the return of Peyton Tolle or the debut of Jake Bennett. The Sox season is hanging by a thread and they need to make a statement in the upcoming series against the New York Yankees. If they don't take 2 out of 3 then you may as well just admit this season is a washout. The Sox now remain home for a three game set with the Yankees in their first encounter since their October showdown. Connelly Early (1-0, 2.29 ERA) gets the ball for the Sox against Luis Gil of New York. The game begins at 6:45 PM at Fenway Park.