Sox Sweep Twins (4/25/12)

The bad news was the Boston Bruins were eliminated in Game 7 of their first round NHL playoff series by the Washington Capitals but the good news was the Boston Red Sox swept the Minnesota twins for their third straight win. The Red Sox jumped out to a 7-1 lead thanks to a Mike Aviles three run home run, a Jarrod Saltalamacchia two run hit and two other run scored. Then the Twins came back as Clay Buchholz (2-1, 8.87 ERA) got knocked out in the sixth innings after allowing 5 runs. Scott Atchison, Justin Thomas and Matt Albers allowed rbis to cut the lead...but the trio of Vicente Padilla, Franklin Morales and Alfredo Aceves put Saturday behind them as they slammed the door on the victory. The Sox had held on to win 7-6 and sweep the Twins at Target Field.

                                                       Cael Sanderson approves of the win

Liam Hendriks got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Aviles grounded out to second to start. Ryan Sweeney struck out swinging but Dustin Pedroia doubled to left. Adrian Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning after 32 pitches. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Denard Span grounded back to the mound to start. Jamey Carroll walked and Joe Mauer dropped a base hit in front of Sweeney but Justin Morneau forced Joe at second. Chris Parmalee walked to load the bases but Trevor Plouffe popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the second inning as David Ortiz walked to start. Kevin Youkilis ripped a base hit to center to move Ortiz to third but Jarrod Saltalamacchia took strike three. Cody Ross dropped a base hit to left to score Ortiz but Marlon Byrd lined out to center. Aviles then pounded his third home run of the season to put the Sox up big early. Sweeney struck out swinging again to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                                Aviles with another homer

The Twins fought back in the bottom of the second although Sean Burroughs grounded out to short to start. Ben Revere doubled to center and Alexi Casilla dropped a base hit to left to score Revere to cut the lead. Casilla stole second and moved to third on the Span grounder to first, but Carroll grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins down 4-1.

                                                  Casilla drives in a run

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Pedroia beat out a roller to third to start. Gonzalez walked but Ortiz popped up to third in foul territory. Both runners moved over on the grounder to third by Youkilis but Saltalamacchia dropped a base hit to right. Pedroia and Gonzalez scored but Saltalmacchia was thrown out trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                 "You're out you dummy!"

Mauer grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third but Morneau got a base hit to left. Parmalee singled to right but Plouffe struck out swinging. Burroughs flied out to Byrd to end the inning.

Ross flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Byrd singled in the hole at second. Aviles lined out to center and Sweeney lined out to third to end the inning. Revere grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth but Casilla got a base hit to left. Span hit one off Buchholz for a single and both runners moved over on a grounder to third by Carroll. Mauer popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Plouffe missed a catch at the right field wall allowing Pedroia to reach third on a "triple". Gonzalez lifted an opposite field single to left to score Pedroia and chase Hendriks from the game. Anthony Swarzak came in and Ortiz flied out to left before Youkilis grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                       Sox are all smiles

Buchholz cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Morneau grounded out to second to start. Parmalee and Plouffe both grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Saltalamacchia flied out to left to begin. Ross struck out swinging and Byrd flied out to center to end the inning. Suddenly Buchholz fell apart in the bottom of the sixth with Darnell McDonald now in left. Burroughs struck out swinging but Revere caught Buchholz asleep with a bunt single. Casilla got a base hit to center but Span doubled into the right field corner to score Revere. Carroll walked to load the bases and that was it for Buchholz. He'd eventually be charged with 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings.

                                                          So much for Buchholz

Scott Atchison came in to pitch to Mauer and Joe lined a ball off him into left to score Casilla and Span. One and done for Atchison as Justin Thomas was brought in to face Morneau and Justin doubled to center to score Carroll. A scary moment occurred when Thomas hit Parmalee in the head with a fastball, knocking him out cold. Sox manager Bobby Valentine yanked Thomas out of the game with Danny Valencia running for Parmalee. Matt Albers came in and Plouffe got a base hit to center to score Mauer and cut the lead. 9 straight batters reached for Minnesota but Burroughs banged into a double play to end the inning with the Twins down 7-6.

                                                  Hope Parmalee is okay

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Aviles grounded out to third to start. Sweeney got a base hit to left but Pedroia hit into a double play to end the inning. Vicente Padilla came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Revere grounded out to third to start. Casilla grounded out to second and Span took strike three to end the inning.

Glen Perkins came in to pitch the top of the eighth and blew away the side. Gonzalez, Ortiz and Youkilis all went down hacking to end the inning. Franklin Morales came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Carroll struck out swinging to start. Mauer grounded out to first and Morneau flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the ninth with Jared Burton now on the mound. Saltalamacchia grounded out to first, McDonald grounded back to the mound and Byrd struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins pitchers had retired 15 in a row after Gonzalez' single drove in the seventh run. Alfredo Aceves came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Valencia grounded out to short. Plouffe walked and Ryan Doumit pinch hit for Burroughs. Doumit singled to right and both runners moved over on the grounder to first by Revere. Casilla was hit with a pitch to load the bases but Span struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-6.

                                                          Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Mike Aviles. His 3 run home run put the Sox up big and helped the team to victory.

                                                         Hero Aviles

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Cody Ross was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Vicente Padilla pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Franklin Morales pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Alfredo Aceves earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Clay Buchholz got charged with 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. He allowed 10 hits and 3 walks.

Scott Atchison gave up a hit to the only man he faced.

Justin Thomas didn't record an out after giving up a hit and a hit batsmen.

The Ugly:

Ryan Sweeney was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeouts but drove in 2 runs.

Marlon Byrd was just 1 for 4.

Matt Albers allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was too close for comfort for the Red Sox. They won the game but they damn near blew a huge lead again. Losing Andrew Bailey in spring training took away their closer but it looks like the guys they brought in to be the set-up guys aren't going to get it done. With the slow start the starters have gotten off to, this team can ill-afford bullpen meltdowns like this and especially the natural disaster last Saturday. The good news is the offense is producing and they just won three in a row against the Twins. The Twins may be a bad team with a TV broadcast that can put you to sleep, but taking three in a row is nothing to sneeze at. Buchholz fell apart in the sixth inning and the sad part is no starter looks good right now. Josh Beckett, Jon Lester and Buchholz have the ability to dominate, apart from Beckett against the Tampa Bay Rays we really haven't seen it yet. Expecting Felix Doubront and Daniel Bard to pitch like those three would be unfair. Still, the offense is rolling and they did just enough to win. The Sox now move on to a set with the Chicago White Sox in the Windy City. Felix Doubront gets the start for the Red Sox against Phillip Humber of the White Sox. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.

Yankees Beat Sox On 100th Anniversary of Fenway Park (4/20/12)

The New York Yankees were the Boston Red Sox first victims 100 years ago in Fenway Park's first game. 100 years later it was the Yankees that were the spoilers with 5 home runs off Clay Buchholz (1-1, 9.00 ERA). Eric Chavez homered twice while Alex Rodriguez, Nick Swisher and Russell Martin went deep against Buchholz. Meanwhile the Sox anemic offense did almost nothing against Yankees starter Ivan Nova. David Ortiz hit a home run and Mike Aviles drove in a run but that was it. The sad part was the Yankees only outhit Boston 11 to 10 but five home runs will kill you every time. Mariano Rivera slammed the door as the Yankees handed Boston their fourth straight loss by the score of 6-2 on the day honoring 100 years at Fenway Park.

                                               Bringing out the ghosts didn't do any good

Derek Jeter led off the game with a pop up that Pedroia lost in the sun allowing Derek to reach first to start. Curtis Granderson flied out to right and Jeter moved to second on the wild pitch over the head of Jeter by Buchholz. Sure enough A-Rod's single to left  brought home Jeter after the two mistakes. Robinson Cano flied out to deep center as A-Rod tagged and advanced to second. Mark Teixeira grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox now trailed for their 13th consecutive game 1-0. 

                                                   "I got it, I got it....I don't got it" - Pedroia

Mike Aviles led off the bottom of the first against Ivan Nova with a pop up to Cano. Ryan Sweeney then took three straight pitches for a strikeout. Pedroia made up for his error with a two out single to center. Adrian Gonzalez flied out to Granderson at the edge of the Monster to end the inning. 

Nick Swisher led off the second with a wind blown homer into the Monster seats to start. Raul Ibanez grounded out to second and then Eric Chavez homered into the bullpen as well. Russell Martin grounded out to third but Derek Jeter got on with a single off the glove of Kevin Youkilis. Granderson singled Jeter over to third with a hit to right but A-Rod forced Granderson to end the inning with the score now 3-0 Yankees. 

                                                   Yankees add to the lead

The Sox attempted to rally in the bottom of the second as David Ortiz hit a ball off the top of the center field wall that was called a double. Sox manager Bobby Valentine argued it was a home run and after replay, Ortiz second home run of the year to cut the deficit. Youkilis doubled down the right field line and advanced to third on the ground out to first by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Cody Ross then struck out swinging to kill the rally as Jason Repko continued his torrid streak with a ground out to third to end the inning. The Sox did manager to cut the lead 3-1.

                                         "That's a home run ya worthless umpire!" - BV

Cano singled off the glove of Buchholz to begin the top of the third but Teixeira popped up to center. Nick Swisher worked an eight pitch walk but Buchholz escaped trouble when Ibanez banged into a double play to end the inning. Aviles grounded out to sort to begin the bottom of the third but Ryan Sweeney doubled to left. Once again the Sox could do nothing as Pedroia flied out to center and Gonzalez looked at strike three to end the inning. 

Chavez tagged Buchholz again for his second home run of the day to dead center to begin the the top of the fourth. Repko then made the catch of the year, robbing Martin of a sure double. Granderson grounded out to and Jeter struck out to end the inning but the Yankees led 4-1. 

                                                          Repko with a damn good catch

Nova cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz grounded out to Teixeira to start. Youkilis grounded out to short and Saltalamacchia continued his 2 for 26 slump by striking out swinging to end the inning.

A-Rod crushed a homer over the Monster to begin the top of the fifth inning but Cano grounded out to second. Teixeira grounded out to first and Swisher lined out to short to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-1.

                                                                 Rodriguez goes deep

Cody Ross led off the top of the fifth with a double off the centerfield wall but Cano robbed Repko of a hit with a diving catch. Aviles then drove home Ross when Swisher lost the ball in the sun allowing Aviles to reach second. Sweeney lined out to left and Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2

                                                            Aviles with a sun aided rbi

The Yankees struck again in the top of the sixth although Ibanez popped up to center to start. Pedroia did not lose a pop up by Chavez this time, retiring him for the second out. Martin then hit another bomb off Buchholz for the fifth homer of the day for the Yankees. Jeter struck out to end the inning with the Yankees now leading 6-2.

                                                Jeter is out but the Yankees get a run

Gonzalez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Ortiz singled to right. Youkilis got hit on the elbow but Saltalamacchia continued his season long slump by hitting into a double play to end the inning.

Buchholz returned briefly in the top of the seventh but walked Granderson to end his day. He allowed 6 runs off 5 home runs in 6 plus innings, yuck! Scott Atchison came in and struck out A-Rod swinging, but Granderson took second on a wild pitch. Cano grounded back to the mound and Teixeira grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                            Not good enough, Clay!

Cory Wade came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Ross grounded out to third begin. Nate Spears pinch hit for Repko and looked at strike three but Aviles somehow singled up the middle but Sweeney grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Swisher led off the top of the eighth with a double down the line to chase Atchinson. Justin Thomas was brought in who allowed Ibanez to single Swisher to third but recovered to strike out Chavez looking. Valentine pulled Thomas for the returning Junichi Tazawa who missed 2011 with Tommy John surgery. The Sox then caught a break when Ibanez was caught in a run down with Swisher asleep at third for out number two. Martin grounded out to short to end the inning. 

                                                           Yerrrr out!

David Robertson replaced Wade for the bottom of the eighth inning and struck out Pedroia swinging. Gonzalez somehow singled to left but Ortiz lined out to center. Youk whiffed to end the inning.

Tazawa returned for the top of the ninth and got Jeter to ground back to the mound to start. Granderson lined out to Pedroia and A-Rod flied out to center to end the inning. Cody Eppley replaced Robertson for the bottom of the ninth and Saltalamacchia somehow singled to right. Quick hook Yankees manager Joe Girardi pulled Eppley for invincible closer Mariano Rivera. Rivera punched out Ross swinging as Nick Punto pinch hit for Nate Spears. Punto struck out swinging and Aviles grounded out to second to end the game. The Yankees had won it 6-2.

                                                                      Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. He allowed 5 home runs and 6 total runs to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                               Jackass Buchholz

The Good:

Mike Aviles was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Kevin Youkilis was 1 for 3.

Scott Atchison pitched a full scoreless inning.

Justin Thomas got the first out of the eighth inning.

Junichi Tazawa tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad: 

Jason Repko was 0 for 2.

Nate Spears struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Punto struck out as a pinch hitter

The Ugly: 

Ryan Sweeney was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Cody Ross was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

It seems typical that on the 100th anniversary of Fenway Park this year's team looks borderline lifeless. Its been a perfect storm as Buchholz got shelled just like Jon Lester the other night against Texas and the offense has been dormant. The problem is without Carl Crawford and Jacoby Ellsbury, the likes of Jason Repko and Nate Spears have to play....and they aren't good. Saltalamacchia is about an automatic out as you can get right now and Youkilis is only recently coming out of it. Without Crawford and Ellsbury at the top of the lineup, the Sox don't have the table setters that Gonzalez, Youkilis and Ortiz should be driving in. That doesn't help the pitching though and the rotation has picked up where they left off in 2011 getting shelled more often than dominating. Its only April so the Sox have plenty of time to wake up but playing from behind in all thirteen games this season isn't a recipe for success. The Sox have now dropped 4 in a row and 9 of their last 13 overall. The Sox look to stem the tide tomorrow when Felix Doubront pitches for the Sox tomorrow to try and right the ship. He goes up against Freddy Garcia of the Yankees at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Shields Outduels Bard, Rays Beat Sox (4/16/12)

Before tonight's game trouble brewed in the clubhouse of the Boston Red Sox. Manager Bobby Valentine ripped Kevin Youkilis after Sunday's win by saying he wasn't "emotionally invested in the game as in years past." To say Youkilis isn't trying as hard rubbed teammates the wrong way and Dustin Pedroia was the first to come to Youk's defense by saying "That's really not how we go about our stuff around here." Nevertheless this is the second time in a month that Valentine has quipped or gone off on a Sox player. He ripped into Nick Punto during Spring Training and there were rumors that he wasn't well liked in the clubhouse to begin with. The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Washington Capitals in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series but the bad news was the Sox dropped the series finale against the Tampa Bay Rauys The whole drama played out on the field as the offense that had no trouble scoring the last three games put up a goose egg against the Rays. "Big Game" James Shields lived up to his billing as he nearly tossed a complete game shutout against the Sox. Daniel Bard (0-2, 4.63 ERA) pitched valiantly against the Rays, allowing just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings. That run in the seventh inning would be the only run scored during the game. Youkilis was benched for fighting back with comments against Valentine (the cockamamie media reason was he had a "groin" problem) and the lack of offense doomed the Sox as they dropped their Patriot's Day game 1-0 to the Rays at Fenway Park.

                                                 Pedroia is not happy with Valentine

Bard got the ball in the top of the first and Jennings took strike three to start. Carlos Pena lined out to first and Evan Longoria flied out to center to end the inning. Mike Aviles led off the bottom of the first with a pop up to first to start. Sox analysts Don Orsillo and Jerry Remy chastised Valentine over the Youkilis comments saying Kevin always gives it 100% when he plays. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short and Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Luke Scott grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Ben Zobrist was hit in the foot. Matt Joyce flied out to left but Jeff Keppinger walked. Ryan Sweeney made a good diving catch to rob Jose Molina of a hit to end the inning. David Ortiz grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second before Cody Ross lined a base hit off the backside of Shields. Ross took second on a wild pitch but Sweeney could only advance him to third on a grounder to short. Nick Punto grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Sean Rodriguez struck out swinging to open the top of the third but Jennings walked. Jennings swiped second but Pena and Longoria both struck out swinging to end the inning. Jarrod Saltalamacchia led off the bottom of the third with a ground out to first before Darnell McDonald grounded out to third and Aviles took strike three to end the inning.

Scott led off the top of the fourth by grounding out to first to start. Zobrist walked and Joyce beat out a roller to second but Keppinger grounded into a double play to end the inning. Pedroia grounded back to Shields to start the bottom of the fourth but Gonzalez singled off the Monster. Ortiz grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Molina and Rodriguez both grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth but Jennings doubled into the left field corner. Pena walked but Longoria struck out swinging to end the inning. Ross took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Sweeney pulled a ground out to second. Punto drew a walk but Saltalamacchia popped up to left to end the inning.

Scott dropped a base hit in front of Ross to start the top of the sixth but Zobrist struck out swinging. Joyce hit into a double play to end the inning. McDonald led off the bottom of the sixth with a ground out to third and Aviles lined out to Keppinger. Pedroia lined a base hit to left but Gonzalez grounded back to the first to end the inning.

Bard ran out of gas in the top of the seventh inning as Keppinger grounded out to third to start. Molina was called out on strikes but Rodriguez walked. Jennings dumped a base hit to center on Bard's 102nd pitch. Despite clear signs that he was finished, Valentine stood there and let Bard pitch to Pena. Pena walked and Bard was up to 107 pitches yet Valentine kept him out there. Longoria walked on four pitches not even close and FINALLY Valentine pulled him. Bobby still thinking its 1992 when the starters went 8 innings cost the Sox big time as Bard left after walking 7 batters but allowing 1 run in 6 2/3 innings. Justin Thomas came in to pitch and got Scott to fly out to right to end the inning with the Rays ahead 1-0.

                                                                   Bard deserved better

Reid Brignac took over for Keppinger to start the bottom of the seventh and Ortiz popped up to third to start. Ross got a base hit to left but Sweeney banged into a double play to end the inning.

Thomas returned for the top of the eighth and Zobrist beat out a roller to short to start. Matt Joyce popped up to short and Zobrist was thrown out trying to steal. Brignac struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Punto struck out swinging to start. Saltalamacchia grounded out to second and McDonald grounded out to short to end the inning.

Matt Albers came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Molina grounded back to the mound to start. Rodriguez singled to center but Jennings lined out to center. Pena singled to right to move Rodriguez to third but Longoria was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Shields came back to complete his work in the bottom of the ninth and Aviles grounded out to short to start. Pedroia walked to chase Shields. Fernando Rodney came in to close out the game and Gonzalez moved Dustin to second with a ground out to first. Ortiz was intentionally walked and Jason Repko came in to run for him. Ross was called out on strikes on pitches not even close to end the game. The Rays had blanked the Sox and won the game 1-0.

                                                             Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Ryan Sweeney. He was 0 for 3 with a strikeout including failing with men on base twice.

                                                      Ryan Jackass

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Cody Ross was 2 for 4.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Daniel Bard allowed just 1 run in 6 2/3 innings of work. He allowed 4 hits, walked 7 and struck out 7.

Justin Thomas tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Matt Albers pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Mike Aviles was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 3.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but walked.

Nick Punto was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Jason Repko pinch ran for Ortiz in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Forget the game for a second, clubhouse dissention goes far beyond a single loss. What Valentine did was ruffle the feathers of a clubhouse that's already on edge after last year's collapse. Valentine was notorious for pushing buttons as a manager in the 80's and 90's but this is 2012. Not to mention if he was trying to light a fire under Youkilis and the team by calling him out, he failed big time. The Sox had no trouble scoring against the Rays the first three games and didn't push a single run across in today's game. Bard pitched his ass off and ran out of gas in the seventh inning. Valentine left him in to rot but it didn't matter anyway because Shields shut the Sox down the whole game. Why Valentine let him throw that many pitches in April is another head scratcher, maybe he still thinks its 1992 when starters went the distance no matter what. Either way Bard took the loss mainly because of the offense, not so much of Valentine falling asleep in the dugout. The Sox now welcome the Texas Rangers in for a set and the first game will be tomorrow night. Jon Lester (0-1) goes for the Sox against Colby Lewis of the Rangers. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Falls Short in Toronto (4/10/12)

Another game, another loss for the Boston Red Sox. Converted starter Daniel Bard (0-1, 9.00 ERA) got knocked out in the sixth inning with the Sox trailing 3-1. The Sox bullpen poured gas on the fire by allowing 4 more runs to seemingly put the game out of reach. Meanwhile Kyle Drabek held the Sox in check by nearly throwing 6 full innings of 1 run ball. Somehow the Sox pulled off a rally in the ninth inning to cut the lead to 7-3 with two runners on. David Ortiz then watched strike three go by to end the game. The Sox have played 5 games this season and have lost 4 of them including this one 7-3 at the Skydome.

                                                     "These guys can't win ANYTHING!"

Drabek got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to third to start. Dustin Pedroia took strike three on the outside corner and Adrian Gonzalez hit a looper to Brett Lawrie to end the inning. The Jays wasted no time getting to Bard in the bottom of the first as Yunel Escobar dropped a base hit to left on the first pitch. Kelly Johnson popped up to Nick Punto and Jose Bautista flied out to right. Adam Lind doubled just inside the third base line and Edwin Encarnacion scored Escobar with a shot to short that Punto couldn't handle. Edwin swiped second but Lawrie struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                       "I don't got it" - Punto

David Ortiz led off the top of the second by striking out swinging to start. Kevin Youkilis doubled off the top of the right field wall and Ryan Sweeney walked. Cody Ross struck out swinging on a high fastball and Jarrod Saltalamaccchia took strike three to end the inning. Bard settled down in the bottom of the second as Eric Thames grounded out to short to start. JP Arencibia whiffed on an 83 mph slider and Rasmus grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Punto popped up to center to start. Ellsbury grounded out to second and Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the third as Escobar flared a base hit to center to start. Johnson singled past Pedroia but Bautista whiffed on a 97 mph fastball. Lind singled up the middle to score Escobar and Sox pitching coach Bob McClure sprinted to the mound to tell Bard to throw strikes. Encarnacion flied out to center but Lawrie chopped a base hit to right. Johnson came around to score with Sweeney's throw too late to increase the lead. Thames went around for strike three to end the inning with the Jays ahead 3-0.

                                                           Johnson is safe

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Gonzalez grounded out to third to start. Ortiz flied out to left and Youkilis grounded out to short to end the inning. Bard got Arencibia to ground out to third to begin the bottom of the fourth before Rasmus flied out to left. Escobar took strike three to end the inning.

Sweeney grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth but Ross doubled off the left field wall. Saltalmacchia lined out to Bautista and Punto popped up to short to end the inning. Bard cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Pedroia made a great diving catch to rob Johnson of a hit to start. Bautista struck out swinging and Lind grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox finally got to Drabek in the top of the sixth as Ellsbury walked to start. Pedroia smashed a double to center and Ellsbury scored on the sac fly by Gonzalez. Ortiz walked to chase Drabek as Jason Frasor came in to pitch to Youkilis. Youk banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were down 3-1.

                                                    Sox get a run back

Bard ran out of gas in the bottom of the sixth as Encarncion walked to start the bottom of the frame. Encarnacion stole second and took third on the infield single to short by Lawrie. That was it for Bard who was lifted after 96 pitches in 5 innings of work. Justin Thomas came in to pour gas on the fire as Lawrie stole second and Thames walked to load the bases. Arencibia lashed a base hit up the middle to score Encarnacion and Lawrie to break the game open. Thames moved to third on the hit and he scored on the Rasmus sac fly to ice the game. Arencibia moved to second on the grounder to short by Escobar and Johnson grounded out to first to end the inning with the Jays ahead 6-1.

                                              "You sucked tonight." - Saltalamacchia

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh when Sweeney doubled to the left field wall to begin. Ross took strike three but Saltalmacchia walked. Punto flied out to left and Jays manager John Farrell brought in Luis Perez to pitch to Ellsbury. Ellsbury popped up to Escobar to end the inning. Michael Bowden came in to get tagged in the bottom of the seventh as Bautista struck out swinging to start. Lind popped up to Punto but Encarnacion hit one all the way to Hamilton, Ontario to increase the lead. Lawrie grounded out to short to end the inning with the Jays up 7-1.

                                                          Edwin jacks one out

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the eighth as Pedroia beat out a roller to third base to start. Gonzalez flied out to center and Ortiz flied out to the left field warning track, but Youkilis grounded a base hit up the middle. Sweeney struck out swinging to put the Sox 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position as the inning ended. Bowden returned for the bottom of the eighth and Thames hit a grounder right back to him. Bowden threw wide of first but it was ruled a hit. Arencibia took a 92 mph fastball on the outside corner for strike three before Rasmus went down hacking at an 86 mph slider. Escobar flied out to center to end the inning.

Casey Jannsen came in to close out the top of the ninth and things looked bleak when Ross struck out swinging to start. Saltlamacchia struck out swinging but Punto chopped a seeing eye single into right for a base hit. Ellsbury drew a walk and Pedroia lashed a base hit to left to load the bases. Gonzalez ripped a ground rule double down the right field line to score Punto and Ellsbury to cut the lead. Ortiz took a 92 mph fastball down the middle for strike three to end the game. The Jays had held on to win the game 7-3.

                                                           Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Justin Thomas. Thomas turned a 3-1 game into 6-1 by allowing 2 inherited runners to score and one of his own in the sixth inning.

                                                       Justin The Jackass

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5.

Kevin Youkilis was 2 for 4.

Ryan Sweeney was 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

Daniel Bard was charged with 5 runs in 5 plus innings to take the loss. He allowed 8 hits and a walk while striking out 6.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored two runs.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 3 runs.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Cody Ross was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Nick Punto was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Michael Bowden served up a home run to Encarnacion in two innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Its as if 2011 never ended it seems for the Red Sox. They went 7-20 last September and have lost 4 of the first 5 games they've played this season. Daniel Bard was supposed to be stretched out to be a starter but he ran out of gas in the 6th inning. Then again he threw damn near 100 pitches just to get to that point, hopefully he can get some better control as the year goes on. The offense once again did nothing until it was too late and Carl Crawford being out hurts, but he's not THAT important. There's no reason why perennial MVP candidates like Gonzalez, Ortiz, Ellsbury and Pedroia can't combine with Youkilis and Ross to create a power lineup. There were rumors that Sox manager Bobby Valentine wasn't getting along with the team but it can't be THAT bad can it? All in all the Sox look just as lifeless as they did in September and you can't blame Terry Francona or Theo Epstein anymore. The Sox have all season to turn things around so this is no time to panic. The Sox look to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow afternoon when Jon Lester gets the start for Boston against Ricky Romero of the Blue Jays. The game begins at 12:30 PM at the Skydome.

Tigers Massacre Sox (4/7/12)

After the Boston Red Sox dropped Opening Day in walkoff faction, fans thought it could only get better from there. Turns out the complete opposite happened in the second game of the season against the Detroit Tigers. Josh Beckett (0-1, 13.50 ERA) was not ready for prime time this season. The fallen ace allowed 5 home runs to the Tigers in less than 5 innings. If getting one run off of Justin Verlander on Thursday was bad enough, they got even less against Doug Fister and the Detroit bullpen. Fister was gone after just 3 2/3 innings but the bullpen tossed 5 1/3 innings of shutout ball. The Tigers offense pounded Beckett for 7 runs and 3 off the bullpen to hand the Sox a decisive 10-0 beatdown at Comerica Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Fister got the ball in the top of the first and the Sox laid down and died. Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left, Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third and Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Tigers immediately pounced on Beckett in the bottom of the first inning as Austin Jackson led off with a walk. Brennan Boesch lined out to short but Miguel Cabrera hit a home run all the way to San Jose to give the Tigers the lead. Prince Fielder lined out to second and Delmon Young popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with the Tigers up 2-0.

                                             Tigers start the torture early

David Ortiz singled past the shift to begin the top of the second but Kevin Youkilis struck out swinging. Ryan Sweeney drew a walk but Cody Ross banged into a double play to end the inning. Beckett recovered in the bottom of the second inning as Alex Avila grounded out to first to start. Jhonny Peralta also grounded out to first and Andy Dirks flied out to left to end the inning.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia smacked a double to right to begin the top of the third but stayed there as Mike Avilies grounded out to third. Saltalamacchia moved to third on the grounder by Ellsbury but Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Beckett blew away Ryan Raburn to start the bottom of the third but Jackson doubled to left. Boesch lined out to right and Cabrera took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox caught a break in the top of the fourth inning when Gonzalez singled to center and Fister started clutching his side. Ortiz flied out to right and Youkilis took strike three but Fister waved his arms and fell down. Fister had to be carried out on a stretcher and Duane "Look Out" Below came in. Sweeney popped up to short to end the inning but Detroit's starter was gone.

                                               So much for Fister

The Tigers picked up their teammate by smacking Beckett around in the bottom of the fourth inning. Fielder pounded a 50,000 foot home run to increase the lead before Young singled in the hole at first. Avila then crushed an 800,000 foot bomb to put the game out of reach. Peralta grounded out to third, Dirks grounded out to short and Raburn flied out to center to end the inning with the Tigers ahead 5-0.

                                                         Fielder takes Beckett deep

The Sox rolled over and died in the top of the fifth inning as Ross grounded out to third, Saltalamacchia lined out to third and Avilies whiffed to end the inning. The Tigers finished off Beckett in the bottom of the fourth although Jackson took strike three to start. Boesch grounded out to first but Cabrera bashed his second home run of the day to light up the crowd. Fielder then crushed HIS second home run of the day to add to the misery. Young hit a routine grounder to Avilies who turned a round and threw the ball into the bullpen to make it look like a home run. He was charged with the error and Sox manager Bobby Valentine woke up from his nap to take Beckett out. He was ravaged for 5 home runs and 7 runs in 4 2/3 innings. Scott Atchison made his season debut and got Avila to fly out to center to end the inning but it was 7-0

                                                   What a disaster

The Sox failed to mount a comeback in the top of the sixth as Ellsbury grounded out to second to start. Pedroia took strike three but Gonzalez singled to right. Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning. The relentless Tigers got another run in the bottom of the sixth as Peralta and Dirks stroked back to back singles to start. Raburn forced Dirks at second and Jackson beat out a double play ball to score Peralta. Boesch grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 8-0 Tigers.

Octavio Dotel came in for the top of the seventh and Youkilis grounded out to third to start. Sweeney singled to center but Ross whiffed. Sweeney took second on defensive indifference and Saltalamacchia struck out swinging to end the inning. Matt Albers came in to take a beating in the bottom of the seventh as Cabrera grounded out to third to start. Fielder was hit with a pitch before Young and Avila stroked back to back singles to load the bases. Peralta hit a ground ball to third and Youkilis fired home for the force but Saltalamacchia spiked the ball like a football and did a boogie woogie for an error that scored Young. Avila moved to third on the error and that was it for Albers. Journeyman Justin Thomas came in and Dirks singled in the hole at short to scored Avila. Raburn struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 10-0 Tigers.

                                                "Good luck Justin, you're gonna need it" - BV

Ramon Santiago came in to play second, taking over for Young with Raburn moving to left to start the top of the eighth. Dotel struck out Avilies swinging before Phil Coke came in to get pinch hitter Darnell McDonald (for Ellsbury) looking. Pedroia drew a walk but Gonzalez whiffed to end the inning. Michael Bowden made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth by walking Jackson. Boesch banged into a double play and Cabrera grounded out to third to end the inning.

Joaquin Benoit came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Don Kelly now at first base. Kelly Shoppach pinch hit for Ortiz and singled to right but Youkilis banged into a double play. Sweeney singled to left but Ross whiffed to end the game. The Tigers had obliterated the Sox 10-0.

Jackass of the Night is Josh Beckett. He got pounded for 7 runs off FIVE home runs in just 4 2/3 innings.

                                         Keep the ball in the yard next time, Jackass



The Good:

Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3.

Kelly Shoppach singled as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Sweeney was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 1 for 3.

Michael Bowden pitched a scoreless eighth inning.



The Bad:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 3.

Darnell McDonald struck out as a pinch hitter.

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Cody Ross was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Avilies was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Scott Atchison allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Matt Albers was charged with 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked.

Justin Thomas allowed an inherited runner to score in 1/3 of an inning




Final Thoughts:

If losing on walkoff on Opening Day wasn't bad enough, today the Sox got their brains totally beat in. Their supposed big time offense has scored 2 runs in two games while the Tigers scored 10 in this game alone. There were rumblings of some clubhouse problems in Spring Training and it seemed to have carried over to the regular season. The Sox offense and starters have been completely non-existent and the bullpen doesn't look too good either. Still, its only the second game of the season and the Sox have plenty of time to turn it around. The stench of last September seems to loom large over this team even with some new personnel. The Sox look to avoid a sweep in the series finale when they send Clay Buchholz to make his season debut against Max Scherzer at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Comerica Park.