Sox Blow Another Lead To Toronto (5/1/25)

For the second straight night it looked like the Boston Red Sox were going to beat the Toronto Blue Jays. Tanner Houck held the Jays to just 4 hits and one run through 7 strong innings. Unfortunately the Sox bats could only muster 2 runs on an Alex Bregman double off Jose Berrios. Then with one out in the bottom of the eighth, Justin Slaten (0-2, 5.56 ERA) served up a 3 run meatball to Vladimir Guerrero Jr to put the game away. Yimi Garcia shut the door in the ninth and the Sox dropped their second straight game to the Blue Jays 4-2 at the Skydome.

                                                            Sox keep blowing leads

Berrios got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran led off with a base hit in the hole at short. Rafael Devers took strike three but Duran stole second. Alex Bregman struck out swinging and Daulton Varsho robbed Wilyer Abreu at the wall to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Bo Bichette grounded out to third to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr took strike three and Anthony Santander popped up to third to end the inning.

Trevor Story got a base hit in the hole at short to start the top of the second but Triston Casas grounded out to third. Story moved to second on the play but Rob Refsnyder and David Hamilton both struck out swinging to end the inning. Varsho flied out to right to start the bottom of the second but Alejandro Kirk got a base hit to left. Addison Barger lined out to second and Alan Roden struck out swinging to end the inning.

Carlos Narvaez flied out to right to start the top of the third before Duran grounded out to second. Devers got a base hit to right but Bregman flied out to left to end the inning. Ernie Clement lined out to center to start the bottom of the third before Nathan Lukes got a base hit to center. Bichette struck out swinging and Guerrero Jr went down hacking to end the inning.

Abreu took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Story grounded out to third. Casas went down swinging to end the inning. Santander got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Varsho swung at air. Kirk banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fifth as Refsnyder got a base hit to center to start. Hamilton got a base hit to right to move Refsnyder to third and David promptly stole second. Narvaez popped up to first but Duran struck out swinging. Devers walked to load the bases and Bregman doubled to left to score both Refsnyder and Hamilton. Abreu lined out to right to end the inning but the Sox were up 2-0.

                                                         Another big hit for Bregman

Barger flied out to left to begin the bottom of the fifth before Roden grounded out to third. Clement grounded out to second to end the inning.

Story grounded out to to second to start the top of the sixth before Casas got a base hit to right. Refsnyder grounded into a double play to end the inning. Lukes struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Bichette grounded out to short. Guerrero Jr grounded out to second to end the inning.

Hamilton struck out swinging to begin the top of the seventh and Narvaez popped up to second. Mason Fluharty came in to pitch to Duran and Jarren flied out to center to end the inning. Houck returned for the bottom of the seventh and Santander grounded out to second to start. Suddenly Varsho hit a home run off the roof of the Skydome to cut the lead. Kirk grounded out to short but Barger was hit with a pitch. Roden grounded out to short to end the inning and that was it for Houck. He was outstanding, allowing just the home run to Varsho in 7 strong innings. He allowed 4 hits and didn't walk anyone.

                                                              Houck got it done

Devers flied out to left to start the top of the eighth and Bregman flied out to center. Abreu popped up to short to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Clement popped up to second to start. Lukes got a base hit to center and Bichette doubled him to third to put Guerrero at the plate. Rather than walk him to set up a double play, Guerrero hit a straight fastball 500 feet off the Skydome wall to put the Jays up for good. Santander popped up to short but Varsho walked. Kirk lined out to center to end the inning but the Jays were up 4-2.

                                                      Vlad does it again

Andres Gimenez came in to play third and Yimi Garcia came in to close out the top of the ninth. Story and Casas both struck out swinging before Refsnyder grounded out to first to end the game. The Jays had won it 4-2.

                                                                 Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Justin Slaten. He served up the 3 run bomb to Guerrero that cost the Sox the game.

                                                                Jackass Slaten

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk.

David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Tanner Houck tossed 7 innings of 1 run ball allowing just 4 hits while striking out 6.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in 2 runs.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Two nights in a row the Sox have a lead only to piss it away. Not only that, this team does not come back when trailing either. They went right in the tank after that Guerrero home run and it sank the boat. Its a shame because that was Houck's best game of the season and Slaten was just two outs away from potentially Aroldis Chapman ending it in the ninth. As it is, its yet another frustrating loss in a season full of them. The Sox don't have to play the Blue Jays until June 27th and that's best for everyone involved at this point. The loss dropped the Sox to 17-16, 2 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. The Sox now come home for a six game stretch and they face the Minnesota Twins tomorrow night. Brayan Bello gets the ball against Joe Ryan of Minnesota. The fame begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Blow Six Run Lead, Lose in 10 (4/30/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Lucas Giolito was finally activated from the Injured List to make tonight's start. Brennan Bernardino was placed on the Bereavement List to make room for Giolito. My condolences to the Bernardino family.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, we have a winner for worst loss of the season. For 5 1/2 innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox would cruise to an easy victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Lucas Giolito had tossed 5 shutout innings and home runs by Alex Bregman and Carlos Narvaez had the Sox up 6-0. Then everything fell apart as Giolito got tagged for three runs in the bottom of the sixth and Garrett Whitlock gave up a three run bomb to Anthony Santander in the bottom of the seventh. The game plunged into extra innings and Sox manager Alex Cora refused to play small ball, failing to score in the 10th. Alejandro Kirk smacked a bases loaded single in the bottom of the 10th off Justin Slaten (0-1, 3.48 ERA) to give a shocking 7-6 victory to the Jays at the Skydome.

                                                               Nice going Sox

The Sox wasted no time getting to "opener" Yariel Rodriguez in the top of the first inning. Jarren Duran walked but was thrown out at home on a double to right by Rafael Devers. A wild pitch moved Rafael to third and he scored on a balk. Alex Bregman made up for Duran by launching his seventh home run of the season to increase the lead. Trevor Story grounded out to short but Wilyer Abreu walked. Kristian Campbell struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                     Bregman gets the wally head

Giolito made his long awaited debut in the bottom of the first and naturally Bo Bichette got a base hit to center. Vladimir Guerrero Jr popped up to second and Anthony Santander took strike three, but George Springer walked. Daulton Varsho struck out swinging to end the inning.

Eric Lauer came in to pitch the top of the second and Triston Casas struck out swinging to start. Ceddanne Rafaela walked and promptly stole second, but Carlos Narvaez grounded out to third. Duran ripped a base hit to left to score Rafaela and took off for second. Alejandro Kirk threw the ball away to put Duran on third and Jarren scored on the double to center by Devers. Bregman struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                                 Devers drives in a run

Kirk grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Addison Barger popped up to short. Andres Gimenez took strike three to end the inning.

Story flied out to center to start the top of the third but Abreu drew a walk. Abreu got picked off and Campbell struck out swinging again to end the inning. The Jays threatened in the bottom of the third as Ernie Clement ripped a base hit to left to begin. As usual, Bichette got a base hit to center but Guerrero Jr was frozen for strike three. Santander flied out to right and Springer watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Casas took strike three to open the top of the fourth and Rafaela lined out to center. Narvaez popped up to second to end the inning. Varsho flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Kirk took strike three. Suddenly Toronto hitting coach David Popkins ran out of the dugout screaming carrying a sickle. He swung and missed at home plate umpire Derek Thomas and was escorted out of the Skydome by armed security. Barger flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Duran got a base hit inside the first base bag to start. Devers flied out to left but Bregman was hit with a pitch. Story moved the runners over with a grounder to third but Abreu popped up to short to end the inning. Gimenez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Clement grounded out to third. Bichette flied out to center to end the inning.

Chad Green came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Campbell flied out to right to start. Casas walked but Rafaela forced him at second. Narvaez then clobbered his third home run of the season to seemingly ice the game. Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                     Things looked good at this point

Suddenly the Jays sprang to life in the bottom of the sixth against Giolito although Guerrero Jr grounded out to third to start. Santander lined out to center but Springer walked. Just like that, Varsho hit his first home run of the season and Kirk hit the roof of the Skydome to cut the lead in half. Barger grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox still up 6-3. Giolito was cruising but still tossed 6 innings of 3 run ball while allowing 5 hits and 2 walks.

                                                            Giolito deserved better

Yimi Garcia came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Devers grounded out to short to start. Bregman popped up to short and Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Garrett Whitlock came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the seventh as Gimenez flied out to left to start. Clement got a base hit to center but Bichette flied out to center. Guerrero Jr singled to left and Santander hit a ball through the top of the Skydome to tie the game just like that. Springer flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.

                                                                  Jays tie it up

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eighth with Brendon Little on the mound. Abreu got a base hit to center before being forced at second by Campbell. Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Casas and struck out swinging. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Varsho got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth before Kirk lined out to center. Barger forced Varsho at second and Myles Straw pinch ran for Barger. Gimenez grounded out to first to end the inning.

Jeff Hoffman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Narvaez grounded out to second to start. Duran flied out to center and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Clement flied out to center to start. Bichette flied out to right and Guerrero Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox failed to play small ball in the top of the tenth with Devers starting the inning at second base. Bregman struck out swinging, Story grounded out to third and Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth with Guerrero Jr starting at second base. Santander lined out to center to move Guerrero to third and Springer was intentionally walked. Varsho was intentionally walked and Kirk got a base hit to left to score Guerrero with the winning run. Down 6-0 with 2 outs and the bases empty in the sixth, the Jays had rallied to win the game 7-6 in 10 innings.

                                                                 Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Garrett Whitlock. It would have never had come to Slaten in the 10th if Whitlock haven't given up the bomb to Santander in the seventh.

                                                              Jackass Whitlock

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Lucas Giolito tossed 6 solid innings allowing 3 runs off 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Justin Slaten allowed the winning run to score on 2 walks and a base hit.

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch and hit a home run.

Triston Casas was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored two runs.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

Literally this game was over with 2 outs in the sixth and the Jays came all the way back. That's as big of an embarrassing loss as you can think of this season. They've been a .500 team or worse since July of 2021 and games like this are a big reason why. They should have put the Jays away but they didn't do it. Give a lot of credit to Toronto for never giving up but losses like this shouldn't happen. Can't even blame Slaten in the 10th for Giolito and Whitlock giving up bombs to blow the lead. Giolito was pitching well too, that's the worst part. Just another frustrating loss in a season full of them and probably a lot more ahead too. The Sox finish the month of April at 17-15, 1.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series tomorrow night when Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.58 ERA) goes up against Jose Berrios of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Duran Steals Home, Sox Beat Guardians in Game 2 (4/26/25)

Well you don't see that every day. For the third time in his career, Jarren Duran stole home. Cleveland starting pitcher Doug Nikhazy was caught completely asleep in the top of the third inning when Duran tripled to score Carlos Narvaez and then made a mad dash home. Things were all Red Sox as Trevor Story and Rafael Devers also drove in runs along with Duran himself in the second inning. Walker Buehler (4-1, 4.28) ERA got tagged for three runs in the bottom of the fourth but hung on to toss six innings. Alex Bregman drove in the seventh run for the Sox in the top of the sixth. Justin Wilson, Justin Slaten and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door on the Guardians as the Sox took Game 2 of the doubleheader 7-3 at Progressive Field.

                                Patriots fourth round pick Craig Woodson approves of the win

For the second straight game the Sox struck first in the top of the first inning although Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman drew back to back walks and Trevor Story ripped a base hit to center to score Devers, moving Alex to third. Rob Refsnyder popped up to first and Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           Story drives in a run

Buehler got the ball in the bottom of the first and Steven Kwan grounded out to first to start. Daniel Schneemann grounded out to first and Jose Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Kristian Campbell doubled to right to begin. Carlos Narvaez grounded out to third and Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right, but Duran singled up the middle to score Campbell. A wild pitch moved Duran to second and he scored on the Devers double to center. Bregman, Story and Refsnyder drew three straight walks to score Devers with another run. Gonzalez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                          Duran drives in a run

Kyle Manzardo grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Gabriel Arias flied out to right. Bo Naylor walked but Angel Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. 

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Campbell took strike three to start. Narvaez drew a walk and Martinez made a great diving catch to rob Rafaela of a hit. Duran hit a scintilating triple to right to score Narvaez then made a mad dash home for a straight steal. Guardians manager Stephen Vogt challenged that Duran was out, but the call stood. Devers flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                First straight steal of home in 16 years

Jhonkensy Noel popped up to short to start the bottom of the third before Brayan Rocchio doubled to left. Kwan drilled a base hit to left to put runners at the corners but Schneemann struck out swinging. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning.

Kolby Allard came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Bregman grounded out to third to start. Story lined out to right but Refsnyder doubled to left. Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Guardians struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Manzardo struck out swinging to begin. Arias doubled to left but Naylor flied out to left. Martinez lashed a base hit up the middle to score Arias and promptly stole second. Noel bashed a home run all the way into Lake Eerie to cut the lead in half but Rocchio grounded out to short to end the inning with the Guardians down 6-3.

                                                     Noel hits one out

Campbell got a base hit inside the third base line to start the top of the fifth but was doubled off first on a line drive to right by Narvaez. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning. Kwan got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fifth but was doubled off first on a bullet to Gonzalez by Schneemann. Ramirez lined out to short to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth as Duran got a base hit to center to start. Devers got a base hit to center and Bregman beat out a roller to second to score Duran. Story popped up to first, Refsnyder flied out to center and Gonzalez also flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                           Bregman drives in a run

Buehler returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and Manzardo got a base hit to left to start. Arias hit a double play ball to short but Campbell threw the ball away for an error to move Arias to second. Naylor took strike three and Martinez popped up to Buehler to end the inning. Walker had Dice K Disease to allow just 3 runs in 1 inning but went 6 total. He allowed 7 hits and a walk.

                                                     Buehler gets the job done

Will Wilson took over for Arias to start the top of the seventh and Campbell grounded out to short to start. Narvaez grounded back to the mound and Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning. Justin Wilson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Noel lined out to short to start. Rocchio struck out swinging and Kwan grounded out to second to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to short to begin the top of the eighth and Devers flied out to right. Bregman flied out to center to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Schneemann walked to begin. Ramirez struck out swinging, Manzardo popped up to second and Wilson also popped up to second to end the inning.

Story grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth and Refsnyder popped up to second. Gonzalez doubled to left and Campbell flied out to left to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth with Wilyer Abreu now in right field. Naylor flied out to left to start before Martinez struck out swinging. Noel struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jarren Duran. He was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis, 3 runs scored and a straight steal of home.

                                                           Hero Duran

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Alex Bregman was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Kristian Campbell was just 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Walker Buehler got the win with 6 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 7 hits and a walk while striking out 3.

Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Wilyer Abreu played right field in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was definitely a nice bounce back win after the disaster in Game 1. Duran was a one man wrecking crew stealing home and driving in runs. This was a team effort with guys driving in runs and nearly superb pitching from Walker Buehler. He's been arguably the Sox best pitcher this month with Garrett Crochet hit or miss. Almost everyone in the lineup but Rafaela got on base and his days might be numbered actually. With Roman Anthony knocking at the door, the outfielders are playing for their jobs. Duran looks to be turning the corner and Abreu is hitting the ball out of sight. Rafaela hitting .220 isn't going to cut it. Rafaela better pick it up or else he's going to be the odd man out. Kudos to the bullpen for slamming the door and on the day as a whole. The bullpen allowed one run in seven innings today in both games and that's all you can ask for. The Sox look to take the series tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello (1-0, 1.80 ERA) takes on Logan Allen of the Guardians. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Progressive Field.

Buehler, Red Sox Beat White Sox on Patriots Day (4/21/25)

After the Boston Red Sox blew last night's game, today's game on Patriots Day became very important against the Chicago White Sox. The White Sox had won 3 of their 5 wins against the Red Sox but Walker Buehler (3-1, 4.23 ERA) was not about to let another win happen. Buehler pitched his best game of the season tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball against the hapless White Sox. On the other side of the ball, Rob Refsnyder struck his first home run of the year against Jonathan Cannon to tie the game. Trevor Story and Kristian Cambpell drove in 3 runs combined with singles to give the Sox a 4-1 lead. Aroldis Chapman did give up a home run to Andrew Benintendi in the eighth inning but Justin Slaten slammed the door in the ninth inning to give the Sox a 4-2 victory on Patriots Day Monday at Fenway Park.

                                                        David Ortiz approves of the win

Buehler got the ball in the top of the first inning and Wilyer Abreu failed to catch a pop up by Nick Maton for a "single" to start. Andrew Benintendi lofted a base hit to center to move Maton to third but Luis Robert Jr took strike three on the outside corner. Edgar Quero grounded out to second to score Maton but Sosa flied out to center to end the inning with Chicago ahead 1-0.

                                                   White Sox strike first

Cannon got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded out to first to start. Rafael Devers and Alex Bregman worked back to back walks but Lenyn Sosa made a great diving stab to rob Trevor Story. Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Miguel Vargas struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Brooks Baldwin pounded a ground rule double into right. Michael Taylor struck out swinging and Jacob Amaya went down hacking as well to end the inning. The BoSox struck back in the bottom of the second as Kristian Campbell got a base hit to start. Triston Casas grounded into a double play but Rob Refsnyder smashed his first home run of the season to tie the game. Carlos Narvaez flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Refsnyder gets the wally head

Maton walked to start the top of the third before Benintendi walked as well. Robert Jr and Quero both struck out swinging before Sosa popped up to short to end the inning. Duran doubled to start the bottom of the third before Devers flied out to left. Bregman walked and Story got a base hit to center to score Duran to put Boston ahead. Abreu walked to load the bases and Campbell drilled a base hit to right to score Bregman and Story. Casas flied out to right and Refsnyder took strike three to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 4-1.

                                                           Campbell gets it done

Vargas took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Baldwin grounded out to second. Taylor took strike three to end the inning. Narvaez flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Duran popped up to short. Devers flied out to center to end the inning.

Amaya grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Maton walked. Benintendi grounded into a double play to end the inning. Bregman flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Story got a base hit to center. Abreu struck out swinging and a wild pitch moved Story to second, but Campbell struck out to swinging to end the inning.

Robert Jr lined out to left to start the top of the sixth before Quero grounded back to the mound. Sosa got a base hit to right but Vargas grounded out to third. Casas flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Refsnyder grounded out to short. Narvaez flied out to left to end the inning.

Baldwin took strike three to start the top of the seventh before Bregman snuffed out a bunt attempt by Taylor. Joshua Palacios pinch hit for Amaya and grounded back to the mound to end the inning. That was it for Buehler who was outstanding, allowing just 1 run in 7 innings off 4 hits and 3 walks.

                                                       Great start by Buehler

Tyler Gilbert came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Duran struck out swinging to start. Devers struck out swinging but Bregman singled to center. Story got a base hit to center but Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.

Just like yesterday, Sox manager Alex Cora went to the bullpen in the eighth inning and paid for it. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch and old pal Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Maton. Dalbec struck out swinging but Benintendi hit a home run all the way to Cuba to cut the lead. Robert Jr popped up to center but Duran dropped it for an error. Quero lined out to right and Sosa lined out to center to end the inning with the White Sox down 4-2.

                                                            Benintendi hits one out

Penn Murfee came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Campbell walked to start. Casas grounded out to second to move Campbell to second but Refsnyder took strike three. Narvaez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Justin Slaten came in to close out the top of the ninth with Ceddanne Rafaela now in right and Vargas flied out to right to start. Baldwin struck out swinging but Matt Thaiss pinch hit for Taylor. Thaiss flied out to center to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                          Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Walker Buehler. He earned the win tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball while allowing 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 9.

                                                        Hero Buehler

The Good:

Alex Bregman was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Trevor Story was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Kristian Campbell was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Justin Slaten earned his 3rd save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 4.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4.

Aroldis Chapman allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but scored a run.

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

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

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Honorable Mention:

Ceddanne Rafaela played right field in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox are a mess but at least Walker Buehler and Trevor Story seem to be coming out of their early season struggles. Buehler looked like the Buehler of 5 years ago and that's who the Sox need moving forward. If Buehler and Garrett Crochet can stay healthy the Sox have their first tag team 1-2 punch since Chris Sale and David Price in 2019. Offensively the Sox once again did almost nothing although kudos to Refsnyder for getting his first home run of the year and clutch hitting by Kristian Campbell and Trevor Story. If Story can stay healthy this year, that's a huge relief considering the woes everywhere else on the team. Chapman giving up a bomb happens when you throw nothing but gas but otherwise, he and Slaten slammed the door on the White Sox. Having a 7-8-9 of Garrett Whitlock, Chapman and Slaten are going to shorten many games....if Sox manager Alex Cora does the right thing and let the starters go 6 or 7 if they're dealing. Pulling Houck yesterday cost them the game but that didn't happen this time. Duran dropped an easy pop up to highlight just how bad the defense is, which is on the manager. Still, the Sox won on Patriots Day and they're going to get some of their injured guys back soon. The Sox now welcome in the Seattle Mariners for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. Brayan Bello is expected to come off the Injuries List against Captain TBD of Seattle. The game begins at 6:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Walkoff White Sox (4/19/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Liam Hendriks was activated from the Injured List and Hunter Dobbins was sent back to Worcester. If Tanner Houck and Sean Newcomb keep pitching like garbage and if Richard Fitts is out, it won't be long until Dobbins is back.

                                                                             OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, it wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox found a way to win against the lowly Chicago White Sox. Garrett Crochet tossed 6 shutout innings and the Sox got a boost from a Rafael Devers 3 run home run to take a lead...only for the bullpen to blow it. Greg Weissert served up a jack to Luis Robert Jr to tie the game. Both teams fought to the tenth inning with Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock (1-0, 2.13 ERA) getting out of a 2 on nobody out jam. In the bottom of the 10th, Triston Casas hit a bases loaded wall ball single to win the game. The Red Sox knocked off the White Sox 4-3 in 10 innings at Fenway Park.

                                            Paul Heyman & Seth Rollins approve of the win

Crochet got the ball in the top of the first inning and Chase Meidroth grounded out to third to start. Luis Robert Jr grounded out to third and Lenyn Sosa popped up to second to end the inning. Smith plunked Jarren Duran right off the bat to start the bottom of the first but Rafael Devers forced him at second. Alex Bregman struck out swinging but Trevor Story was plunked as well. Wilyer Abreu flied out to left to end the inning.

Andrew Benintendi struck out swinging to open the top of the second before Andrew Vaughn also went down hacking. Miguel Vargas walked but Edgar Quero singled to right. Michael A Taylor took strike three to end the inning. Kristian Campbell grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second but Triston Casas drew a walk. Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging but Ceddanne Rafaela was also hit with a pitch as well. Duran flied out to center to end the inning.

Jacob Amaya flied out to right to start the top of the third before Meidroth singled past the diving Campbell. Robert Jr lined out to center but Sosa got a base hit to right. Benintendi flied out to right to end the inning. Devers flied out to left to open the bottom of the third before Bregman popped up to first. Story struck out swinging to end the inning.

Vaughn struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth before Vargas grounded out to third. Quero grounded out to second to end the inning. Abreu flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Campbell singled to left. Casas flied out to right and Narvaez flied out to right as well to end the inning.

Taylor flied out to right to begin the top of the fifth before Amaya struck out swinging. Meidroth got a base hit to right and promptly stole second base. Robert Jr walked but Sosa struck out swinging to end the inning. The BoSox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Rafaela doubled off the Monster to start. Duran blooped a base hit to center to move Ceddanne to third and Devers blasted an opposite field home run to put Boston on top. Bregman flied out to left and Story flied out to center to chase Smith from the game. Jared Shuster got Abreu to hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Devers gets the wally head

Crochet came back for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Benintendi lined out to right to start. Vaughn grounded out to short and Vargas struck out swinging to end the inning. Crochet tossed 6 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks.

                                                             Crochet got it done

Campbell struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Casas grounded out to second. Narvaez walked but Rafaela forced him at second to end the inning.

Greg Weissert came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Quero grounded back to the mound to start. Joshua Palacios pinch hit for Taylor and drew a walk. Nick Maton pinch hit for Amaya and grounded out to first. Casas had Palacios at second but Story dropped the ball for an error. That proved costly as Meidroth got a base hit to center to score Palacios and Robert Jr hit a home run all the way back to Chicago to tie the game. Sosa grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                   Dammit

Old pal Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Duran flied out to left to start. Devers struck out swinging but Bregman walked. Bregman was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Benintendi struck out swinging to start. Vaughn grounded out to short and Vargas struck out swinging to end the inning. Steven Wilson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Story got a base hit to left to begin. Abreu grounded into a double play but Campbell drew a walk. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Quero doubled to right to begin. Palacios popped up the bunt to Narvaez and Brooks Baldwin pinch hit for Maton. Baldwin struck out swinging and Meidroth flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox had a chance to win in the bottom of the ninth with Jordan Leasure on the mound. Narvaez got a base hit to left and Benintendi threw the ball away, allowing Carlos to reach second. David Hamilton was brought in to run for Narvaez and he foolishly tried for third on a grounder back to the mound by Rafaela. Duran flied out to left but a wild pitch moved Rafaela to second. Devers was intentionally walked but Bregman struck out swinging to end the inning.

Blake Sabol came in to catch the top of the tenth with Garrett Whitlock on the mound and Meidroth starting at second base. Robert Jr walked to start but Sosa struck out swinging. Benintendi struck out swinging and Vaughn lined out to right to end the inning. Outstanding work by Whitlock. Mike Vasil came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth with Bregman on the mound to start. Story flied out to center and Abreu was intentionally walked to get to Campbell. Kristian drew a walk to load the bases and Casas drilled a base hit off the Monster to win the game. The BoSox had beaten the White Sox 4-3 in 10 innings.

                                                         Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Triston Casas. His bases loaded single won the game in the 10th inning.

                                                          The Sox salute our Hero

The Good:

Kristian Campbell was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Garrett Crochet tossed 6 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Garrett Whitlock earned the win with a scoreless tenth inning.

The Bad:

Greg Weissert allowed 3 runs in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

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

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and hit a 3 run home run.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton ran for Narvaez in the ninth inning.

Blake Sabol caught the top of the tenth inning.

Final Thoughts:

What a game! It looked like the Red Sox were going to cruise to victory but the White Sox had the balls to fight back in the seventh. It takes a win away from Crochet but he still was able to shut out the White Sox even without his best stuff. Kudos to the trio of Justin Slaten, Aroldis Chapman and Garrett Whitlock who held the fort. The return of Liam Hendriks gives the Sox another arm in the bullpen but it would be unfair to take Chapman out of the closer's role since he's been virtually unhittable so far. Its about damn time Casas did something noteworthy as fans have been screaming for his head pretty much all season. It seems like the offense is coming around a bit and they're going to need them with some big pitching teams on the horizon. Crochet has been something else this season and hopefully the Sox get fresh troops to back him up soon. All in all it was a good win and the Sox have won four in a row to keep pace in the tight AL East race. The Sox look to win their fifth game in a row and third against the White Sox tomorrow afternoon on Easter Sunday. Tanner Houck (0-2, 9.16) looks to right the ship against Sean Burke of Chicago. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Shut Out Rays (4/16/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Alex Bregman was placed on the Paternity List to go see his newborn and infielder Nick Sogard was called up to take his place. With an off-day tomorrow, may as well let Alex go home to see his baby. Congratulations Alex.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                  IN

As for the game, it wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in two out of three games including tonight's by the slimmest of margins. Sean Newcomb lasted just 4 2/3 innings for Boston but he didn't allow any runs. The only run scored in the game was a third inning home run just over the wall by David Hamilton. The real star of the game was the Boston bullpen. Greg Weissert (1-1, 2.08 ERA), Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten tossed 4 1/3 innings allowing just 1 hit between them to slam the door on the Rays. Slaten got the save and the Sox had beaten the Rays 1-0 at Steinbrenner Field.

                                                    Jack Nicklaus approves of the win

Zack Littell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to first to start. Rafael Devers drew a walk but Trevor Story struck out swinging. Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Newcomb got the ball in the bottom of the first and Yandy Diaz walked to start. Curtis MEad flied out to right but Junior Caminero singled to right. Christopher Morel flied out to center and Jose Caballero struck out swinging to end the inning.

Romy Gonzalez grounded out to short to start the top of the second before Triston Casas flied out to center. Carlos Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning. Danny Jansen flied out to center to begin the bottom of the second and Coco Montes took strike three. Jake Mangum grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as David Hamilton struck his first home run of the season just over the wall in right to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Duran grounded out to short. Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                    Wally head for Hamilton

Walls got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the third but Diaz banged into a double play. Mead flied out to center to end the inning.

Story walked to start the top of the fourth but Abreu popped up to short. Gonzalez pounded a ground rule double to right and Casas was intentionally walked to load the bases. Naturally Narvaez popped up to short and Hamilton grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Caminero grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth but Morel got a base hit to left. Caballero struck out looking and Morel was gunned down at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Rafaela lined out to Walls to start the top of the fifth but Caballero dropped a fly ball by Duran for an error to push Jarren to second. Duran got himself thrown out at third trying to steal and Devers compounded it by getting a base hit to center. Story flied out to center to end the inning. Jansen walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Montes lined out to center. Mangum got a base hit to right but Walls struck out swinging. Once again, Sox manager Alex Cora refused to let a starter finish the fifth inning and yanked Newcomb after just 71 pitches. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks and Greg Weissert came in to face Diaz. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                              Good work by Newcomb

Abreu doubled to start the top of the sixth but Gonzalez struck out swinging. Casas flied out to left and Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Weissert returned for the bottom of the sixth and Jonathan Aranda pinch hit for Mead. Aranda popped up to short, Caminero struck out swinging and Morel took strike three to end the inning.

Garrett Cleavinger came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hamilton struck out swinging to start. Rafaela grounded out to second and Duran went down hacking to end the inning. Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Caballero struck out swinging to start. Jansen went down hacking and Lowe finished the trifecta by swinging at air to end the inning.

Mason Englert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Devers flied out to center to start. Story grounded out to third and Abreu popped up to third to end the inning. Mangum grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and Walls took strike three. Diaz got a base hit to center but Aranda flied out to left to end the inning.

Eric Orze came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Gonzalez grounded back to the mound to start. Casas grounded out to second and Narvaez lined out to a running Mangum to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Caminero flied out to center to start. Morel went down hacking and Caballero took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 1-0.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of the Night is Greg Weissert. He came into a 2 on, 2 out situation and tossed 1 1/3 hitless innings to earn the win.

                                                               Hero Weissert

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk.

David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Sean Newcomb tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.

Garrett Whitlock tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Justin Slaten earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and caught stealing.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Let's get the bad news out of the way first. The Boston Red Sox offense was once again silenced and if you take away Alex Bregman's game from yesterday, they haven't hit well since two weeks ago against the St. Louis Cardinals. Duran, Casas, Rafaela, Narvaez and Devers have been AWFUL and Connor Wong wasn't doing so hot either until he broke his finger. The Sox are too good to his this bad so maybe they'll turn it around, but with Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony chopping at the bit....heads might roll sooner rather than later. The other concerning sign was Cora yanking Newcomb with two out in the fourth. He forced his bullpen to toss 4 1/3 innings after tossing 4 yesterday. Yes they have an off-day tomorrow but remember the Sox bullpen has collapsed four years in a row (2022 was due to extreme circumstances) and another one might be the final nail in the coffin for Cora. The positive sign is Hamilton finally got a piece of one, Newcomb pitched decent while he was in and the bullpen was lights out. With the offense a titanic mess right now, the pitching held up in this one. The Sox have four injured starters so to get a start like that out of Newcomb is almost a miracle. Brayan Bello had his final rehab start tonight in Portland and Liam Hendriks pitched there as well. Fresh troops are on the way so the Sox just have to hold the fort for a few weeks. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox return home for a four game set with the Chicago White Sox. Garrett Crochet (2-1, 1.38 ERA) takes on old buddy Martin Perez of Chicago. The game begins Friday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.