Indians Sweep Sox, Ortiz Retires (10/10/16)

Well that's that. A season of redemption after two last place finishes for the Boston Red Sox comes to an end in short order in the 2016 ALDS at the hands of the advancing Cleveland Indians. The Sox dropped the game 4-3 and sent David Ortiz off into retirement without one last ring. A crushing end to what was a successful season less than two weeks ago when the Sox ripped off 11 straight wins to take control of the AL East Division crown. Good luck to Terry Francona, Coco Crisp and Andrew Miller in the ALCS.

                                               Good luck Indians against the Blue Jays

Clay Buchholz got the start for the Red Sox and immediately Carlos Santana greeted him with an infield single. Jason Kipnis struck out but Fransisco Lindor singled as well. Mike Napoli lined out and Jose Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning. Josh Tomlin got the start for Cleveland and the Sox offered little resistance in the bottom of the first inning. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third, Brock "Hitman" Holt grounded out to second and Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to right to end the inning.

Lonnie Chisenhall poked one into center for a leadoff single in the top of the second. Coco Crisp flied out and Tyler Naquin struck out. Roberto Perez grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning. The Sox blew their chance to take the lead in the bottom of the second. David Ortiz worked a walk but Hanley Ramirez flied out. Xander Bogaerts singled but Andrew Benintendi banged into a double play to end the inning.

Buchholz battled in the top of the third inning as Santana grounded out to start. Kipnis struck out but Lindor doubled into the gap. Napoli grounded out to end the inning. Once again the Sox mustered no offense in the bottom of the third. Sandy Leon and Jackie Bradley Jr both looked at strike three as Pedroia grounded out to end the frame.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth. Ramirez singled and Chisenhall walked. Crisp bunted both runners over and they both scored on the Naquin single. Perez grounded out and Santana whiffed but the damage was done, the Indians had a 2-0 lead. Could the Sox answer in the bottom of the fourth? Hell no! Hitman Holt struck out, Mr. Mookie flied out and David Ortiz grounded out to end the inning.

That was it for Buchholz as Drew Pomeranz came in to pitch the top of the fifth. Not a single Sox starter went past 5 innings in this series, nice going Buchholz.

                                                        Bye bye Buchholz

Kipnis struck out, Lindor popped out and Napoli whiffed in short order. The Sox finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth. Ramirez flied out but Bogaerts singled. Benny The Kid doubled home Bogaerts but Leon whiffed. JBJ grounded out but the Sox were back in it 2-1.

                                                Bogaerts slides in safely and its 2-0.

Just when the crowd was back in it, the Indians in the top of the sixth quieted it. Ramirez walked and Chisenhall bunted him over to second. Coco Crisp was benched for the 2007 World Series in favor of Jacoby Ellsbury and he finally got his revenge by launching a 2 run home run into the Monster seats to give the Indians a 4-1 lead.

                                              Crisp with one final F-U to the Red Sox

Rajai Davis pinch hit for Tyler Naquin and Sox manager John Farrell pulled Pomeranz for Joe Kelly. The big trade deadline acquisition had crapped himself one last time. Davis popped up and Perez grounded out to end the inning. Why Farrell decided to bring in Pomeranz and not Kelly the whole time just cost them 2 crucial runs.

                                                        "Thanks a lot you bum" - JF

 Indians manager Terry Francona wasted no time in bringing in Andrew Miller with a 3 run lead. Somehow the Sox tagged him. Pedroia singled and Aaron Hill pinch hit for Holt, only to strike out. Nice going Farrell. Mr. Mookie doubled and Ortiz drove in his final run with a sac fly to cut the lead in half 4-2. Ramirez struck out to end the inning.

                                                The last RBI for Big Papi

Kelly returned for the top of the seventh with Hill now at third base. Santana grounded out, Kipnis popped up and Lindor struck out to end the inning in short order. Miller came back for the bottom of the seventh and Bogaerts grounded out. Chris Young pinch hit for Benny The Kid and worked a walk. Leon lined out and JBJ struck out to end the inning.

Young stayed in left field as Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning. Napoli struck out, Ramirez flied out and Chisenhall grounded out to end the inning. Bryan Shaw relieved Miller in the bottom of the eighth and got Pedroia to strike out. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Hill and singled but was erased on the Mr. Mookie fielder's choice. Ortiz walked and Ramirez singled home Mookie to pull within one. John Farrell made another stupid move by pinch running Marco Hernandez for David Ortiz. The crowd reigned down boo's as Ortiz was out of his possibly final game. Sure enough the move backfired as Bogaerts lined out to end the inning but the Sox had cut the lead to 4-3.

                                                      Regular season star, Postseason dud

Shaw stayed at third base as Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came on to pitch the top of the ninth. Michael Martinez pinch hit for Coco Crisp and struck out. Davis struck out and Perez hit one up the elevator shaft to end it. Indians closer Cody Allen took the mound to close out the bottom of the ninth. Young flied out and Leon struck out, but JBJ singled. Pedroia walked to put the tying run in scoring position but Shaw flied out to right to end the game. The Indians had won 4-3 and swept the Red Sox out of the ALDS. A pathetic end to a promising season.

                                                  Good luck Terry

Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. Yes Drew Pomeranz gave up the deciding home run but Buchholz was about as ineffective as it got in 4 innings of work. He gave up 6 hits and a walk to go along with the 2 runs allowed.

                                           One last Jackass award for Buchholz


The Good:

In his final game, David Ortiz walked twice in 3 plate appearances before being lifted for Marco Hernandez

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 before being lifted for Chris Young

Joe Kelly tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Aaron Hill pinch hit for Holt and struck out

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a hat-trick of 3 strikeouts.

Drew Pomeranz gave up the two run bomb to Coco Crisp that ended up being the game decider.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a walk but scored a run.

Travis Shaw singled in his first at bat but made the final out of the season with 2 men on.

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Chris Young was 0 for 1 but walked.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.


Honorable Mention:

Marco Hernandez pinch ran for David Ortiz in the bottom of the eighth.



Final Thoughts:

All good things must come to and end and unfortunately the Red Sox got it two-fold. Not only is their season over but that's it for David Ortiz. Arguably the most clutch post-season hitter of all time retires with 540 home runs, 3 world series rings and 14 years of memories. It hurts to say goodbye but at least Ortiz went out with one of the best seasons of his career. Its better to go out on top than as a pinch hitter on a crappy team 20 games out of first in August. This Red Sox team is beginning to gell with budding stars such as Xander Bogaerts, Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr with Andrew Benintendi almost the odds on favorite to win Rookie of the Year next year. If they can secure another starter, get Steven Wright and Eduardo Rodriguez back healthy and sign Edwin Encarnarcion, the Sox will be right back in the playoffs next year for sure. Christian Vazquez should be back to full strength next year and Sam Travis could be waiitng in the wings to take over first base if Hanley Ramirez has a down season or if Travis Shaw slumps. As for this year, it was a hell of a ride. After two last place finishes to come back and win the division was a step in the right direction. The sky is the limit for the young bats in the lineup, let's see what next year holds.

                                               Goodbye David Ortiz and thank you.

Rodriguez, Sox Beat Yankees (7/16/16)

Make it six wins in a row for the suddenly hot Boston Red Sox. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-3, 7.18 ERA) came up from Pawtucket and spun a beauty against the New York Yankees. Rodriguez held the Yankees to just 1 run in 7 strong innings to hold up the pitching side. The offense wore down CC Sabathia by getting two runs off him going into the sixth inning. Sandy Leon crushed a three run home run to essentially ice the game. Matt Barnes allowed a home run to Chase Headley but Koji Uehara slammed the door on the 5-2 victory by the Red Sox over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

                                                           Luke Donald approves of the win

Sabathia got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to right to start. Dustin Pedroia walked but Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. E-Rod got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner singled to center to start. Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left and Bryce Brentz nearly cleaned out Xander Bogaerts on a line drive by Carlos Beltran. Alex Rodriguez forced Gardner at second to end the inning.

David Ortiz lined out to short to start the top of the second and Hanley Ramirez popped up to left. Jackie Bradley Jr got his first hit against Sabathia with a bloop single to left. Aaron Hill struck out swinging to end the inning. Brian McCann grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Mark Teixeira grounded back to the mound. Didi Gregorius flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Bryce Brentz reached when Didi Gregorius threw his grounder away for an error. Sandy Leon hit a bullet to third but Mr. Mookie got a base hit to center. Pedroia walked to load the bases and it looked like Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning, but alert Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Bogaerts was safe at first. Sure enough, Bogaerts was ruled safe and Brentz scored a run. Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                           "Safe you idiot!" - Bogaerts

The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third as Starlin Castro popped up to first to start. Chase Headley popped up to second but Gardner hit a home run all the way to Shea Stadium to tie the game. Ellsbury grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                              Home run Gardner

The Sox answered in the top of the fourth as Ramirez flied out to center to start. JBJ beat out an infield single to third but Hill popped up to second. Brentz also beat out a roller to third and Leon lashed a base hit to left to score Bradley. Mr. Mookie walked to load the bases but Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                         Leon drives in a run

Beltran flied out to left to open the bottom of the fourth before A-Rod walked. McCann singled to right but Teixeira grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Bogaerts flied out to center to open the top of the fifth before Ortiz also flied out to center. Sox analyst Jerry Remy told a hilarious story of when he was with the California Angels, manager Dick Williams had second base placed to the right so his small ball lineup could reach second easier. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Gregorius doubled to right to start the bottom of the fifth before Castro lined out to short. Headley grounded out to short to move Gregorius to third and Gardner walked. Ellsbury popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox broke it open in the top of the sixth as JBJ got a base hit to left to start. Hill hit a roller to third and Headley threw low to first, under the glove of Teixeira for an error to move Bradley to third. Brentz grounded out to third but Leon crushed his second home run of the season to ice the game. Mr. Mookie drilled a base hit to right to chase Sabathia. Anthony Swarzak came in to pitch and Pedroia grounded out to third to move Betts to second. Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                             Leon hits one out

Beltran popped up to first to start the bottom of the sixth before A-Rod flied out to right. McCann popped up to second to end the inning.

Ortiz walked to start the top of the seventh but Ramirez forced him at second. JBJ grounded out to first to move Ramirez to second but Hill lined out to right to end the inning. Teixeira popped up to first to start the bottom of the seventh before Gregorius struck out swinging. Castro grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Rodriguez who tossed one of his best games of the season. He allowed just 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 run in 7 innings.

                                                    Good work Rodriguez

Brentz grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth before Leon struck out swinging. Mr. Mookie took strike three to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Headley greeted him with a home run all the way to Albany to cut the lead. Gardner struck out swinging, Ellsbury grounded out to short and Beltran popped up to short to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-2.

                                                    Home run Headley

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Pedroia flied out to center to start. Bogaerts grounded out to short but Ortiz got a base hit to left. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. Koji Uehara came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and A-Rod popped up to short to start. McCann struck out swinging and Teixeira grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Sandy Leon. His three run home run propelled the Sox to victory.

                                                               Hero Leon

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Eduardo Rodriguez got the win by throwing 7 innings of 1 run ball on 4 hits and 2 walks.

Koji Uehara earned his sixth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Matt Barnes allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Bryce Brentz was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Everything is coming up Red Sox and now the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays have something to fear. Not only does Eduardo Rodriguez look right but Drew Pomeranz is expecting to activated tomorrow. Those two along with Rick Porcello, David Price and Steven Wright are going to give the Sox a 1-5 punch that nobody can match. How about Sandy Leon coming out of nowhere to be in the running for AL MVP? Who saw that coming last year? As long as the Sox don't suffer any more devastating injuries, this team is primed for a stretch run. The offense just needs to remain consistent and this team is going places, unlike the Yankees. Good to see Rodriguez pitch well and Leon hit the home run to push the streak to six wins in a row. The win improved the Sox to 51-38, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Yankees out of the Bronx tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. David Price (9-6) takes on Masahiro Tanaka of New York at 8:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sox Beat Yankees Out of Break (7/15/16)

During the all-star break the Boston Red Sox made a bevy of roster moves. Noe Ramirez was optioned down to Pawtucket and Eduardo Rodriguez was activated from the Disabled List to take his place. Junichi Tazawa was placed on the Disabled List with a bad shoulder and William Cuevas was called up to take his place. Finally, the Sox traded 18 year old pitcher Anderson Espinoza to the San Diego Padres for starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz. The big lefty was 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts for the Padres. If he can pitch that well with the Sox already boasting David Price, Steven Wright and Rick Porcello, the Sox just became one of the favorites to win the AL East.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, the Red Sox came out of the all-star break swinging. The Sox won their fifth game in a row by coming to New York and beating the Yankees. Steven Wright (11-5, 2.78) continued his march toward 20 wins and the AL Cy Young award by tossing 6 solid innings, allowing 3 runs to keep the Sox in reach. Meanwhile the Sox played home run derby with Michael "Pine Tar" Pineda. Ryan Hanigan and Travis Shaw went yard but it was Xander Bogaerts two run jack that proved to be the difference. The vaunted Sox bullpen stepped up as Brad Ziegler, Robbie Ross Jr and Koji Uehara slammed the door on the Yankees. It all added up to a 5-3 win over the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

                                                          Reena Sky approves of the win

Pineda got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts was robbed of a base hit by Mark Teixeira to start. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Wright got the ball in the bottom of the first as Brett Gardner flied out to left to start. Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left and Carlos Beltran struck out swinging to end the inning.

David Ortiz struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second. Jackie Bradley Jr also grounded out to second to end the inning. Brian McCann popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Teixeira lined out to left. Alex Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Travis Shaw struck out swinging to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt was rung up for strike three but Ryan Hanigan hit his first home run in almost a year to put the Sox on top. Mr. Mookie beat out a roller to third but Pedroia grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Home Run Hanigan

Didi Gregorius struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Mr. Mookie made a great catch on a Starlin Castro fly ball. Chase Headley grounded out to first to end the inning.

Bogaerts lined out to to third to start the top of the fourth before Ortiz lined out to right. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Gardner was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to start the bottom of the fourth before Ellsbury took strike three. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as JBJ walked to start. Shaw then smashed his 10th home run of the season to increase the lead. Holt struck out swinging, Hanigan grounded out to short and Mr. Mookie lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                             Bradley congratulates Shaw

McCann struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Teixeira popped up to short. A-Rod got the Yankees first hit of the game with a nubber in front of the plate. Gregorius popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth as Pedroia got a base hit to left to start. Bogaerts belted his 11th home run of the season to chase Pineda from the game. Chasen Shreve came in and Ortiz got a base hit to the centerfield fence. Ramirez forced Ortiz at second but JBJ lined out to left. Shaw and Holt worked back to back walks to load the bases, chasing Shreve from the game. Nick Goody came in to face Hanigan and Ryan flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                            Bogaerts goes yard

The Yankees finally got to Wright in the bottom of the sixth as Castro looped a base hit to center to start. Headley was hit with a pitch but Gardner flied out to center. Ellsbury walked to load the bases and Beltran ripped a base hit down the line to score Castro and Headley. Ellsbury moved to third on the hit and he scored on the force at second by McCann. Teixeira popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox still up 5-3. That was it for Wright who tossed six solid innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk.

                                                            Good work Wright

Mr. Mookie lined out to left to start the top of the seventh but Pedroia drew a walk. Bogaerts struck out swinging and that was it for Goody. Nathan Eovaldi was brought in to face Ortiz and David grounded out to first to end the inning. Brad Ziegler came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and A-Rod grounded out to first to start. Gregorius grounded out to second and Castro popped up to second to end the inning.

Ramirez got a base hit down the third base line to start the top of the eighth but JBJ hit a bullet to Gregorius. Shaw lined out to third but Holt roped a base hit to left. Sox analyst Dave O'Brien brought up how Boston prospect Michael Kopech hit 105 on the gun down in Salem and Jerry Remy said that would have scared him in his playing days. Hanigan struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                    "105? I don't want to see that. I'll take the day off" - Remy

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Headley singled past the diving Bogaerts to start. Gardner flied out to center and Ellsbury was rung up on a check swing strike three. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to start. Pedroia struck out swinging and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Koji Uehara came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and McCann struck out swinging to start. Teixeira flied out to center and A-Rod popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His two run home run proved to be the runs needed to win the game.

                                                       X Gon Hero For Ya

The Good:

Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Steven Wright got the win allowing 3 runs in 6 innings off 3 hits and a walk.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Koji Uehara earned his 5th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Final Thoughts:

Everything is clicking right now for the Red Sox. The starters are pitching well, the trade for Ziegler shored up the bullpen and the offense has been hitting the ball out of sight. Once Craig Kimbrel comes back healthy this bullpen will be devastating down the stretch. As long as the Sox don't suffer any more catastrophic injuries this just might be the team to beat going forward. Uehara as a closer is like old times again and the Sox shorten the game with Ziegler out there. With the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays all within jockeying position of the Red Sox, this is going to be a hell of a stretch run. The win improved the Sox to 50-38, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow when Eduardo Rodriguez (1-3, 8.59 ERA) looks to get back on track against CC Sabathia of the Yankees. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Porcello, Sox Shut Dow Rays (7/9/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a bevy of roster moves. The Sox sent 19 year old infielder Luis Alejandro Basabe and 20 year old right handed pitcher Jose Almonte to the Arizona Diamondbacks for veteran relief pitcher Brad Ziegler. Luis and his twin brother Alexander have been a tag team since signing with the Dominican Sox and he was hitting .310 with 4 home runs at the time of the trade with the Greenville Drive. Almonte was 2-2 with a 3.91 ERA in 10 starts for the Drive and could be a prospect for Arizona to develop. Ziegler was a dominating set-up man for the Oakland Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks and is exactly the kind of pitcher the Sox need with Craig Kimbrel on the Disabled List and the duo of Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara worn out after four straight years of over-ruse. Kimbrel is scheduled to have knee surgery during the all-star break so it'll be a while before we see him again. Marco Hernandez was sent down to Pawtucket as well and replacing them will be Noe Ramirez and Michael Martinez.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, who would have thought a year after being mostly batting practice that "Slick" Rick Porcello (11-2, 3.66 ERA) would be in contention for the AL Cy Young Award? Porcello took a big step by holding the Tampa Bay Rays to just 1 run in 7 strong innings of work. There wasn't much offense in this one compared to the last few days but Xander Bogaerts turned a 1-0 game into 2-1 when he launched a home run off Matt Moore in the fourth inning. Dustin Pedroia added the insurance runs and Koji Uehara turned back the clock three years to close out the ninth inning. The Sox won their third game in a row and second straight against the Rays 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Roger Maltby approves of the win

Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Rays wasted no time tagging him. Logan Forsythe popped up to first but Brad Miller hit a home run all the way to Hiroshima to put the Rays on top. Evan Longoria flied out to the left field wall but Logan Morrison hit a seeing eye single into right. Steven Souza Jr took strike three to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                              Miller goes yard

Moore got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts led off with a base hit to right. Dustin Pedroia flied out to right and Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Corey Dickerson led off the top of the second with a double off the Monster to start. Nick Franklin struck out swinging and Oswaldo Arcia flied out to center to move Dickerson to third. Curt Casali struck out swinging to end the inning. David Ortiz lined out to a running Souza to start the bottom of the second but Jackie Bradley Jr singled through the shift up the middle. Aaron Hill popped up to short and Travis Shaw flied out to center to end the inning.

Forsythe popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the third before Miller popped up to third. Longoria flied out to center to end the inning. Bryce Brentz grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third before Sandy Leon popped up to short. Mr. Mookie popped up to right to end the inning.

Morrison popped up to JBJ to start the top of the fourth before Bogaerts threw a grounder by Souza away for an error. Dickerson lined out to left and Souza was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia walked to start. Bogaerts belted his 10th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Ortiz walked but JBJ popped up to third. Hill got a base hit to left but Shaw struck out swinging. Brentz struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                       X Gon Give It To Ya

Franklin doubled to center to start the top of the fifth before Arcia struck out swinging. Casali was rung up for strike three and Bogaerts made a great play to rob Forsythe of a hit to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Leon beat out a grounder to third to start. Mr. Mookie hit a routine pop up to Souza....who dropped it for an error. Pedroia did the honors with a base hit to left to score both runners. Pedroia took second on the throw and Bogaerts drew a walk. Ortiz and JBJ both struck out swinging and Hill flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                    "I don't got it" - Souza Jr

Miller lined out to right to start the top of the sixth but Longoria ripped a base hit to left. Morrison got a base hit to center but Souza grounded into a double play to end the inning. Shaw grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the sixth before Brentz grounded out to third. Leon lined a base hit to center but Mr. Mookie forced Leon at second to end the inning.

Porcello returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Dickerson grounded back to the mound to start. Franklin lined out to right and Arcia grounded out to Hill to end the inning. That was it for Porcello who dominated the Rays for 7 innings. He allowed one run off 6 hits while striking out 5.

                                                        "Good work ya sonovagun" - Farrell

Dylan Floro came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound and Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Casali flied out to left to start. Forsythe grounded out to short and Miller popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as JBJ doubled to center to start. Hill struck out inning and Shaw was intentionally walked. Brentz grounded out to second to move the runners over....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Brentz was safe, but the call remained. Leon struck out swinging to end the inning.

Koji Uehara came in to close out the top of the ninth and Longoria singled to left to start. Morrison grounded out to short to move Evan to second and Souza took strike three. Dickerson struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-1.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rick Porcello. He earned his 11th win with 7 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed six hits and struck out 5.

                                                                 Hero Porcello

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Koji Uehara earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bryce Brentz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drew a walk.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Good win against a struggling team and it shows Porcello is not the same pitcher from last year. The offense didn't do much in this one but they did just enough. Bogaerts getting that home run was clutch but so was the Pedroia base hit after Souza dropped the ball. The Sox capitalized on the error and it helped them win. Matt Barnes and Koji Uehara slammed the door and the Sox are gonna need both of them. Junichi Tazawa is dealing with arm trouble and Craig Kimbrel is out with a torn meniscus. Hopefully Koji can turn back the clock three years for the time being until Kimbrel comes back. Not much else to complain about as the Sox survived a down offensive night to win the game. The win improved the Sox to 48-38, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The final game before the all-star break is tomorrow afternoon against the Rays. David Price (8-6, 4.64 ERA) goes for the Sox against Jake Odorizzi. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bash Rangers on July 4th (7/4/16)

Happy July 4th everyone! The Boston Red Sox celebrated the holiday by pulverizing the Texas Rangers with TWENTY-ONE hits and 12 runs. "Slick" Rick Porcello (10-2, 3.82 ERA) survived a horrible first inning where he served up 4 runs to go six innings. A home run off Koji Uehara by Rougned Odor was the only run scored after the first inning by the Rangers. Brock "The Hitman" Holt left the bases loaded in the bottom of the first but made up for it by belting a go-ahead home run in the bottom of the third. Dustin Pedroia, Mookie Betts and Travis Shaw also went yard for the Sox while 7 out of the 9 batters drove in at least one run. All in all the Sox pounded out 21 hits and 12 runs as they celebrated July 4th with a 12-5 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park.

                                              John Hancock approves of the July 4th win

The Rangers shelled Porcello in the top of the first as Shin-Soo Choo grounded out to second to start. Ian Desmond raked a base hit to right then moved to second on the grounder to third by Nomar Mazara. Adrian Beltre punched a base hit to center to score Desmond and put Texas on top. Prince Fielder hit a line drive off the right field fence and Fielder would have been dead to rights if Pedroia threw to second, but he threw home to keep Beltre at third. Rougned Odor ripped a bullet to right and Mookie Betts' throw home was bungled by catcher Sandy Leon to allow both runners to score. Jurickson Profar hit a seeing eye single into right to score Odor and bring the boo-birds out. Elvis Andrus forced Profar at second to end the inning but the Sox were in a 4-0 hole.

                                                          Rangers strike first

The Sox did try to fight back against Texas starter Nick Martinez as Mr. Mookie Betts ripped a base hit to center to start. Dustin Pedroia banged into a double play but Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single to short. David Ortiz pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands and Hanley Ramirez walked to load the bases. JBJ almost got robbed of a walk when Andy Fletcher called a clear ball strike two. Unlike Ron Kulpa earlier this year, the next pitch was called a ball down at JBJ's ankles for a bases loaded walk to cut the lead. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                     JBJ walks home a run

Porcello settled down in the top of the second as Robinson Chirinos popped up to Pedroia to start. Choo struck out swinging but Desmond ripped a base hit to center. Mazara grounded out to third to end the inning. Travis Shaw struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Leon made up for his error with a double to the Monster. Mr. Mookie looked to have hit a home run over the left field foul pole but it was ruled foul. Betts ended up popping up to center and Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning.

Beltre singled in the hole at short to start the top of the third but Fielder banged into a double play. Odor ripped a base hit to center but Profar popped up to a running Holt to end the inning. The Sox came back in the bottom of the third as Bogaerts lined a base hit just inside the third base line to begin. Ortiz doubled to the Monster to score Xander and Ramirez also doubled off the Monster to score David. JBJ popped up to Andrus in left field but Holt hit a ball off the top of the bullpen into the hat of Robbie Ross Jr for a home run to put the Sox on top. Shaw grounded out to third but Leon hit a rocket off the centerfield wall that caromed into the bullpen for a ground rule double. Mr. Mookie lined out to a running Choo to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                     Holt puts Boston ahead

Andrus grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Chirinos grounded out to third. Choo hit a double off the Monster and almost got thrown out at second getting back to the bag. Desmond hit a ball in the hole at short and Choo made a mad dash home. Holt came up gunning....OUT AT HOME! The Sox were out of the inning with the lead intact.

                                                                YERRRR OUT!

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia flied out to right to start. Bogaerts singled in the hole at short but Ortiz flied out to left. Bogaerts swiped second and Ramirez walked, but JBJ flied out to left to end the inning.

Porcello continued to pitch well in the top of the fifth as Mazara grounded out to third to start. Beltre flied out to center but Fielder blooped a single to right. Odor flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox chased Martinez in the bottom of the fifth as Holt grounded out to short to start. Shaw doubled off the bullpen fence in right and Rangers manager Brian Bannister had enough, pulling Martinez. Michael Roth came in to pitch and Shaw moved to third on the grounder to short by Leon. Mr. Mookie walked and Pedroia dumped a base hit to left to score Travis with another run. It looked like Pedroia beat a force to second by Bogaerts but the umpires called him out. Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call but the umpires upheld the call to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                 Pedroia drives in a run

Porcello came back for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Profar grounded out to first to start. Andrus singled off the side fence in left but Chirino went down hacking. Choo also went down hacking to end the inning. That was it for Porcello who looked like he was finished in the first inning but hung on to throw 6 innings and limit the damage to four runs.

                                                               Papi salutes Porcello

The Sox continued to pour it on in the bottom of the sixth as Ortiz flied out to center to start. Ramirez doubled high off the Monster and JBJ hit a routine fly ball down the left field line that Mazara missed completely. The ball bounced into the stands for a ground rule double to score Ramirez. JBJ moved to third on a grounder to first by Holt and scored on the Shaw single off the Monster. Leon blooped a base hit to left but Mr. Mookie forced Sandy at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

                                                   "I don't got it" - Mazara

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and struck out Desmond swinging on a curve in the dirt to start. Mazara ripped a base hit to right but the ball went under Betts' glove for an error to move Mazara to second. Beltre grounded out to third and Fielder popped up to Pedroia to end the inning. Pedroia joined the home run parade in the bottom of the seventh with his 8th round tripper of the year to begin. Bogaerts grounded out to third, Ortiz and Ramirez both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 9-4.

                                                    Pedroia with a big fly

Koji Uehara came in to crap his pants in the top of the eighth inning as Rougned Odor led off with a 600,000 foot home run to start. Profar grounded out to second but Andrus doubled off the bottom of the Monster. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Chirinos but Sox manager John Farrell countered by bringing in Robbie Ross Jr. Rangers manager Jeff Banister called back Moreland and sent in Ryan Rua to hit instead. Rua grounded out to short and Choo flied out to Holt at the base of the wall to end the inning with Boston still ahead 9-5.

                                                             Odor tags Uehara

Bobby Wilson came in to catch the bottom of the eighth as the Sox rallied again. JBJ grounded out to first before Holt took strike three. Shaw then drilled a home run off the Pesky Pole before Leon followed with a double into the left field corner. Mr. Mookie wrapped up the scoring with his 18th home run of the season before Pedroia got a base hit to center. Bogaerts broke his bat on a grounder to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-5.

                                                          Shaw and Betts tack it on

Ross Jr came back to finish the top of the ninth and Desmond struck out swinging to start. Mazara grounded out to short but Beltre doubled down the left field line. Bryan Holaday pinch ran for Beltre but Fielder popped up to Holt to end the game. The Sox had won it 12-5.

                                                            Another victory

Hero of the Night is Brock Holt. His 2 run home run put the Sox up for good and he threw out Choo at home.

                                                          Hitman Hero

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run and a walk.

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 6 with a home run and 2 total rbis.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 6 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Travis Shaw was 3 for 5 with a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Sandy Leon was 4 for 5 with a run scored.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Koji Uehara allowed a home run to Rougned Odor in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but walked in a run, drove in another run and scored a run.

Rick Porcello got the win but allowed 4 runs and 12 hits in just 6 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

That was a fun game wasn't it? The Red Sox offense is as good as anyone but the warts in the pitching was on full display. The Sox pounded out 21 hits and this offense is as deadly as anyone in the AL with Betts, Bogaerts, Pedroia, Ortiz, Ramirez, Bradley, Leon and Shaw. 8 of the 9 batters are hitting over .270 and the one guy that isn't is The Hitman, the best slap hitter on the team. Porcello actually surpassed his win total from last year and is halfway to 20....who saw that coming last year? The disintegration of Uehara is tough to watch but at 41 years old, it was bound to happen. Still, if the offense can keep up this pace they have as good a chance of anyone to take the AL East in the second half. They could use some bullpen help at the deadline but that'll be easy to find for someone like Sox GM Dave Dombrowski. All in all it was a good win that should be enjoyed by all. The win improved the Sox to 45-37, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Rangers tomorrow night when David Price (8-5) goes for the Sox up against AJ Griffin of the Texas. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.