Red Sox Bash White Sox Again (4/27/12)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Rich Hill was activated from the Disabled List and Justin Thomas was sent back down to Pawtucket. Thomas was straight batting practice so if Hill is even just mediocre, that's a lot better than the former.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                IN

As for the game, the American League could be in big trouble if the Boston Red Sox bats have awoke from their slumber for the rest of the season. For the second straight game the Red Sox feasted on the Chicago White Sox for a double-digit run game. David Ortiz and the surprising Darnell McDonald supplied the home runs while McDonald knocked in 4 total to out produce the entire Chicago lineup by himself. Cody Ross, Kelly Shoppach and Marlon Byrd all drove in runs themselves to put this game away in the middle innings. On the other side, Daniel Bard (2-2, 3.72 ERA) looks to have things figured out as a starter. He held the White Sox to 3 runs (2 earned) in 7 strong innings while striking out six batters. Matt Albers mopped up the mess in the ninth inning as the Red Sox won their fifth game in a row and second straight blowout against the White Sox 10-3 at Comiskey Park.

                                                     Olivia Munn approves of the win

John Danks got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mike Aviles popped up to second to start. Dustin Pedroia flied out to center and Adrian Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Bard got the ball in the bottom of the first and the White Sox wasted no time tagging him. Alejandro De Aza led off by slicing a double down the left field line but Alexei Ramirez popped up to first. Adam Dunn walked but Paul Konerko struck out swinging. AJ Pierzynski doubled into the left field corner to score De Aza to give Chicago the lead. Alex Rios popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with Chicago up 1-0.

                                                      Pain in the ass Pierzynski does it again

The Red Sox wasted no time striking back in the top of the second as Kevin Youkilis worked a leadoff walk. David Ortiz pounded his fourth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Cody Ross grounded back to the mound, Kelly Shoppach struck out swinging and Darnell McDonald also grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Red Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                        Home run Big Papi

Dayan Viciedo flied out to left to start the bottom of the second but Brent Morel ripped a base hit over the head of Pedroia into right. Gordon Beckham struck out swinging but Morel swiped second on the out. De Aza took strike three to end the inning.

The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the third as Marlon Byrd popped up to right to start. Aviles got a base hit to center and Pedroia walked, but Gonzalez lined out to De Aza. Youkilis took strike three to end the inning, The White Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Ramirez hit a routine grounder to Youkilis who threw the ball into the left field bleachers for an error. Dunn took strike three but Darnell McDonald dropped a pop up by Konerko for a "single". Pierzynski forced Konerko at second but a passed ball scored Ramirez to tie the game. Bard bobbled a grounder by Rios to put runners at the corners but Viciedo popped up to short to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                 Nice throw Youk

Ortiz flied out to left on the first pitch of the top of the fourth before Ross grounded out to short. Shoppach launched his bat as he struck out swinging to end the inning. 

                                                    Shoppach's bat went further than the ball

Bard recovered in the bottom of the fourth as Morel popped up to shallow right to start. Beckham popped up to first in foul territory and De Aza grounded out to second to end the inning.

McDonald popped up to right to start the top of the fifth before Byrd also popped up to right. Aviles grounded out to third to end the inning. The White Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Ramirez struck out swinging to start. Dunn flied out to deep left but Konerko crushed a home run all the way to Green Bay, Wisconsin to put Chicago on top. Pierzynski grounded out to second to end the inning with the White Sox up 3-2.

                                                     Home run Konerko

The BoSox exploded in the top of the sixth as Pedroia flied out to left to start. Gonzalez walked and took second on a wild pitch before Youkilis walked as well. Ortiz ripped a base hit to right to load the bases and Ross lined a base hit to left to score Gonzalez to tie the game. Shoppach struck out swinging to earn the hat trick but McDonald cleared the bases with a double into the left field corner to put the Sox on top. Byrd ripped a base hit to center to score McDonald and chase Danks. Nate Jones came in to pitch and Aviles took strike three to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-3.

                                                    McDonald clears the bases

Bard cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Rios grounded out to second to start. Viciedo also grounded out to second and Morel popped up to short to end the inning.

The BoSox struck again in the top of the seventh as Pedroia and Gonzalez stroked back to back base hits to center to start. Youkilis struck out swinging and Ortiz flied out to center, but Ross lined a base hit to left to score Pedroia. Shoppach lifted a base hit to center to score Gonzalez and McDonald walked to load the bases. Dylan Axelrod relieved Jones and Byrd flied out to left to end the inning with Boston ahead 9-3.

                                                    Red Sox pour it on

Bard returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Beckham struck out swinging to start. De Aza flied out to a running Byrd and Ramirez lined out to first to end the inning. That was it for Bard who pitched well, holding the White Sox to just two earned runs, 3 total runs and 6 hits in seven strong innings.

                                                             Bard gets it done

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eighth as Aviles lined out to third to start. Pedroia singled to center and Gonzalez walked, but Youkilis struck out swinging. Nick Punto pinch hit for Ortiz to give David the night off and flied out to left to end the inning. Matt Albers took over for the bottom of the eighth and Dunn flied out to the centerfield wall to start. Konerko grounded out to short and Pierzynski grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Red Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth against Brent Lillibridge as Ross flied out to center to start. Shoppach launched his bat for the third time tonight and struck out swinging to earn the golden sombrero. McDonald launched his first home run of the season to put the exclamation point on the game. Byrd singled to left but Aviles flied out to left to end the inning with Boston ahead 10-3.

                                                          Home run McDonald

Albers returned to finish off the bottom of the ninth with Lars Anderson now at first base. Rios grounded out to first, Viciedo struck out swinging and Morel grounded out to second to end the game. The BoSox had won it 10-3.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of the Night is Darnell McDonald. His bases clearing double put the Red Sox on top for good.

                                                      McDonald Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Cody Ross was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Marlon Byrd was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Daniel Bard earned the win by going 7 innings and allowing just 2 earned runs. He allowed 6 hits but struck out 6 batters.

Matt Albers tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Nick Punto was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked twice and scored two runs.

Mike Aviles was just 1 for 6 with a strikeout.

Kelly Shoppach was just 1 for 5 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Lars Anderson played first base in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Welcome back Red Sox offense. Youkilis seems to have figured it out and Marlon Byrd is filling in nicely after Jason Repko failed to replace Jacoby Ellsbury. Darnell McDonald had a hell of a game and hopefully the Sox can keep his pace up. Ortiz, Gonzalez and Pedroia are going to deliver the goods so the Sox may be in good shape after all. Bard pitched a hell of a game and that's three starts out of four he's looked good in before running out of gas. If the Sox can get Ellsbury and Carl Crawford back healthy and at full strength this lineup is going to be scary. Hopefully the Sox can fix the bullpen along the way but that'll be easy if they're willing to trade some prospects when the time comes. Boston looks to make it six wins in a row and three straight over the White Sox tomorrow evening when Jon Lester (0-2) takes on White Sox ace Jake Peavy in what should be a great pitcher's duel. The game begins at 8:10 PM eastern time at Comiskey Park.

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 Erase Nine Run Lead, Blow Out Sox (4/21/12)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a few roster moves. 25 year old pitcher Michael Bowden was traded to the Chicago Cubs along with a Player To Be Named Later in exchange for 34 year old outfielder Marlon Byrd. Byrd was an All-Star two years ago and with Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford out, the Sox needed better outfield depth than Jason Repko.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                        IN 

It was embarrassing news all around as the Boston Bruins gagged to the Washington Capitals in Game 5 of their first round NHL playoff series and the New York Yankees erased a 9-0 deficit and humiliated the Boston Red Sox by blowing THEM out in today's game. Felix Doubront held the Yankees to just 1 run in 6 innings while the Sox built a 9-1 lead. All of a sudden the Yankees exploded with 7 runs in the top of the seventh to pull within a run against Vicente Padilla and Matt Albers. Then the Yankees scored another 7 runs against Franklin Morales, Alfredo Aceves and Justin Thomas to put the game out of reach. The entire bullpen with the exception of Junichi Tazawa and Scott Atchison was humiliated as the Yankees went from being blown out to blowing out the Red Sox 15-9 at Fenway Park.

                                                            Sox fans have had enough

Doubront got the ball in the top of the first inning and Derek Jeter led off with a base hit to right. Nick Swisher grounded into a double play but Robinson Cano drew a walk. Cano took second on a passed ball but Alex Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox shelled Yankees starter Freddy Garcia in the bottom of the first as Mike Aviles flied out to left to start. Ryan Sweeney stroked an opposite field double to left but Dustin Pedroia hit one up the elevator shaft. Adrian Gonzalez pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands to score Sweeney and David Ortiz doubled down the left field line to score Adrian. Kevin Youkilis grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                        Ortiz drives in a run

Mark Teixeira led off the top of the second by grounding out to second before Curtis Granderson took strike three. Andruw Jones drew a walk but Russell Martin struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Jarrod Saltamacchia was retired on a slow roller to first to start. Cody Ross dropped a base hit to left and Darnell McDonald doubled off the Monster, Ross scoring on the base hit to center by Aviles. McDonald moved to third on the hit and Sweeney hit a sac fly to right to score Darnell. Aviles swiped second and Pedroia scored him with a base hit to right. That was it for Garcia as Clay Rapada came in to get Gonzalez to fly out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                       Pedroia knocks in a run

Eduardo Nunez grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Jeter grounded out to second. Swisher singled to left but Cano flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox were relentless in the bottom of the third as Ortiz singled through the shift to chase Rapada. David Phelps came in to take a beating as Youkilis was hit on the left hip. Saltalamacchia drilled a base hit to right to load the bases but Ross struck out swinging. McDonald hit a sac fly to center to score Ortiz and Aviles drilled a base hit to right to score Youkilis. Saltalamacchia moved to third on the hit but Sweeney forced Aviles at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-0.

                                                        Youkilis scores another run

A-Rod grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth inning and Teixeira took strike three. Granderson took strike three on the inside corner to end the inning. Pedroia flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Gonzalez grounded out to first. Ortiz walked and Nate Spears pinch hit for Youkilis who apparently was more hurt by the HBP than it seemed. Spears struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jones grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Martin struck out swinging. Nunez walked and Jeter singled Eduardo to third with a base hit to center but Swisher grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Saltalamacchia hit a double off the Monster to start. Ross blasted his third home run of the season to increase the lead. McDonald flied out to Swisher at the warning track and Aviles flied out to center. Sweeney flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 9-0.

                                                               Ross with the two run shot

The Yankees began their comeback in the top of the sixth as Cano struck out swinging to start. A-Rod struck out swinging but Teixeira hit a home run all the way to New Hampshire to cut the lead. Granderson popped up to short to end the inning. Doubront pitched his best game of the season allowing just the home run in 6 innings of work as the Sox enjoyed a 9-1 lead,

                                                          Doubront gets it done

Pedroia tried to start a rally in the bottom of the sixth with a base hit to center to start. Gonzalez banged into a double play but Ortiz got a base hit to center. Spears grounded out to first to end the inning.

Suddenly the Yankees exploded against Vicente Padilla in the top of the seventh. Jones took strike three and at this point the Sox were just eight outs away from a blowout win.....instead Martin singled to right, Nunez beat out a roller to third and Jeter walked to load the bases. Swisher than pounded a grand slam to the outer reaches of Mongolia to make it a game again. Cano doubled to left and that was it for Padilla as Matt Albers came in to stop the bleeding. A-Rod hit a routine grounder to short...BOOTED BY AVILES FOR AN ERROR! Teixeira took advantage by sending a home run into outer space to cut the lead to just one run just like that. Franklin Morales came in and Granderson singled to right, but Jones struck out swinging. Martin forced Granderson at second to end the inning with the Yankees only down 9-8 in a blink of an eye.

                                                          Yankees storm back

Rafael Soriano came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Saltalamacchia tried to start a rally with a ground rule double into the right field stands. Ross grounded out to short, McDonald popped up to Teixeira in foul territory and Aviles took strike three to end the inning.

The Yankees humiliated the Sox in the top of the eighth as Nunez singled to left to chase Morales. Alfredo Aceves was brought in for the six out save....and Jeter walked. Swisher doubled to right to score both runners and the Yankees had come all the way back to take the lead. But wait there's more! Cano was intentionally walked and A-Rod drew a conventional walk to load the bases. Teixeira pounded a ground rule double down the right field line to score two more runners and Granderson was intentionally walked. That was it for Aceves who didn't record an out. Justin Thomas came in and Ibanez hit a rocket to Gonzalez who doubled off Granderson. At this point a 3 run deficit would not be too much to overcome with two innings to go....but Martin doubled to center to score A-Rod and Teixeira. Nunez singled in the hole at short to move Martin to third and Valentine had enough of him. Junichi Tazawa came in and Nunez promptly stole second. Jeter hit a routine grounder to Aviles who fell down making the play to score Martin. Swisher flied out to center to end the beat down with the Yankees ahead 15-9.

                                                          What a disaster

Boone Logan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Sweeney flied out to left to start. Pedroia struck out swinging as Fox broadcaster Tim McCarver brought up the Sox' collapse last year and how they needed to get off to a good start this season only to end up "woeful". Ken Rosenthal brought up the very real power struggle that Larry Lucchino overruled Sox GM Ben Cherrington by hiring Bobby Valentine to manage the team. Gonzalez popped up to shallow right to end the inning.

Tazawa returned for the top of the ninth and Cano grounded back to the mound to start. Rodriguez grounded out to third and Teixeira popped up to third to end the inning. Ortiz got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the ninth and Cody Eppley came in to pitch. Nick Punto pinch hit for Spears and naturally lined out to Teixeira who doubled off Ortiz. Saltalamacchia singled to center and took second on a wild pitch, but Ross took strike three to end the game. The Yankees completed one of the biggest comebacks in major league history and humiliated the Red Sox 15-9.

                                                        Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Alfredo Aceves. The entire bullpen imploded but he could have slammed the door in the eighth, instead he allowed an inherited runner to score and was charged with 5 runs of his own without getting an out.

                                                                   Jackass Aceves

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

David Ortiz was 4 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Kevin Youkilis was hit with a pitch and scored a run before leaving the game.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 4 for 5 with a run scored.

Cody Ross was 2 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Darnell McDonald was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Felix Doubront tossed 6 solid innings and allowed just the one run. He allowed 4 hits and struck out 7.

The Bad:

Nate Spears was 0 for 2.

Nick Punto hit into a double play as a pinch hitter.

Vicente Padilla was charged with 5 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.

Matt Albers was charged with 2 runs without recording an out.

Franklin Morales was charged with a run in 2/3 of an inning.

Justin Thomas was charged with a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Mike Aviles was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis, a stolen base and a run scored but he made a huge fielding error that allowed the Yankees comeback to continue.

Ryan Sweeney was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Adrian Gonzalez was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Junichi Tazawa allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox have officially hit rock bottom. The Red Sox are officially 11-30 since September of last season and today was the microcosm of everything wrong with them. After not hitting at all for most of the season the Sox scored 9 runs today. After the rotation didn't look good to start the season Felix Doubront looked good today. Then the bullpen completely implodes to hand the Sox one of their most ignominious defeats of all time. They had an 8 run lead with 8 outs to go after Padilla struck out Jones and then collapsed. When you look at the bullpen, its not that good. They let Jonathan Papelbon walk and replaced him with Mark Melancon only for him to have one of the worst meltdowns since Michael Rappaport in the movie The Scout. Alfredo Aceves, Vicente Padilla and Justin Thomas haven't gotten it done and Franklin Morales is better suited as a starter or long man than a late inning guy. If its not the bats that are asleep, its the rotation. If its not the rotation, its the bullpen. Nothing has gone right since the end of August last year and clearly the problem wasn't Terry Francona and Theo Epstein. There's plenty of time to turn things around but fans are becoming increasingly impatient. Bobby Valentine ripped Youkilis to fire him up only for the opposite to happen, he let Daniel Bard rot against Tampa and there's rumors he's upset the core of the team in other ways. Its all giving off a bad vibe to a team that was under a microscope to begin with and they've remained flat on their face. If today wasn't bad enough, now the Sox have to face Yankees ace CC Sabathia tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Daniel Bard (0-2) is tasked with ending the Yankees dominance over Boston at 8:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Pull Away Late, Beat Sox (4/18/12)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a shocking but necessary roster move. Mark Melancon has been an unmitigated disaster this season so far and the Sox are sending him down to Pawtucket to regain confidence. In his place the Sox called up Junichi Tazawa. Three years ago he was a promising starter before Tommy John surgery. Let's see how he does as a reliever.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                   IN

Another game, another loss for the Boston Red Sox. After getting plastered by the Texas Rangers last night, the Sox turned to Josh Beckett (1-2, 5.03 ERA) to be the stopper. He did manage to hold Texas to 3 runs through seven innings to give the team a chance. The problem was Derek Holland was better than he was, holding the stagnated Red Sox offense to just 2 runs. Franklin Morales pulled a Melancon and melted down in the top of the eighth inning, allowing three runs. The Sox failed to respond in their next two innings and the Rangers had once again beaten the Red Sox 6-3 at Fenway Park.

Beckett got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ian Kinsler struck out swinging to start. Elvis Andrus flied out to right but Josh Hamilton dropped a base hit to left. Adrian Beltre forced Hamilton at second to end the inning. Holland got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mike Aviles walked to start. Aviles stole second and moved to third on the grounder to short by Dustin Pedroia. The rally ended as Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging and Cody Ross took strike three to end the inning.

Nelson Cruz popped up to Gonzalez to start the top of the second before David Murphy flied out to center. Mitch Moreland popped up to a running Darnell McDonald to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as David Ortiz hit an opposite field double into the left field corner to start. Kevin Youkilis broke out of his slump with his first home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Kelly Shoppach struck out swinging, McDonald flied out to center and Jason Repko lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                          Youkilis hits one out

Naturally the Rangers struck back in the top of the third inning as Brandon Snyder struck out swinging to begin. Kinsler walked and Andrus smashed a ball off the Monster, moving Ian to third but Andrus was thrown out at second by McDonald. As usual Hamilton hit one in the hole at second and beat out the throw to score Kinsler. Beltre hit a seeing eye single to left but Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers down 2-1.

                                                 "That damn Hamilton again" - Gonzalez

Aviles dumped a base hit to left to start the bottom of the third but was immediately picked off. Pedroia popped up to center and Gonzalez struck out swinging again to end the inning.

                                                                 Yerrrrr out!

The Rangers went ahead for good in the top of the fourth as Murphy singled to center to start. Napoli hit yet another home run this series to put the Rangers on top. Beckett punched out both Moreland and Snyder swinging before Kinsler flied out to center to end the inning. The Rangers had taken the lead 3-2.

                                                                 Napoli hits a home run

Ross flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Ortiz did the same. Youkilis grounded out to short to end the inning.

Beckett cruised in the top of the fifth as Andrus grounded out to short to start. Hamilton grounded out to second and Beltre flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Shoppach walked to start. McDonald lined out to a running Hamilton and Repko popped up to second. Aviles walked but Pedroia popped up to second to end the inning.

Beckett blew away Cruz to start the top of the sixth before Murphy grounded out to second. Napoli flied out to center to end the inning. Holland matched in the bottom of the sixth as Gonzalez popped up to short to start. Ross flied out to center and Ortiz took strike three to end the inning.

Beckett returned for the top of the seventh and Moreland flied out to left to start. Snyder struck out swinging and Kinsler grounded out to third to end the inning. Beckett was solid, holding the Rangers to just 3 runs in 7 innings but the Sox just couldn't generate any offense for him.

                                                       Beckett got no help tonight

Youkilis struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Shoppach doubled to right. McDonald grounded out to short and Nick Punto pinch hit for Repko. Spears struck out swinging to end the inning.

Things fell apart for the Sox in the top of the eighth with Franklin Morales now on the mound and Nate Spears in left. Andrus flied out to center but naturally Hamilton got a base hit to right. Hamilton took second on a passed ball and Beltre was intentionally walked to set up a force. Cruz walked to load the bases and Craig Gentry was sent in to pinch hit for Murphy. Gentry was plunked to score Hamilton and Sox manager Bobby Valentine still refused to take Morales out. Napoli did the honors with a double to center to score Beltre and Cruz. Moreland was intentionally walked and finally Valentine woke up from his nap to yank Morales. Matt Albers came in and Snyder banged into a double play to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 6-2.

                                                    "Well this sucks" - Gonzalez

Alexi Ogando came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Aviles flied out to center to start. Pedroia grounded out to short and Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Albers returned for the top of the ninth and Kinsler dropped a base hit to left to start. Kinsler got picked off and Andrus struck out swinging, but Hamilton walked. Beltre forced Hamilton at second to end the inning. The Sox had a small rally against Joe Nathan in the bottom of the ninth as Ross walked to start. Ortiz struck out swinging but Beltre threw a routine grounder by Youkilis away for an error. Ryan Sweeney pinch hit for Shoppach and got a base hit to right to score Ross and move Youk to third. Jarrod Saltalamacchia pinch hit for McDonald and with the game on the line....he hit a bullet to Snyder who doubled off Sweeney to end the game. The Rangers had won it 6-3.

                                                     Rangers win

Jackass of the Night is Franklin Morales. He turned a 3-2 deficit into 6-2 real quick

                                                      Jackass Morales

The Good:

Mike Aviles was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a stolen base.

Kelly Shoppach was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Ryan Sweeney singled and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Josh Beckett allowed just 3 runs while going 7 innings. He walked 1 and struck out 7.

Mat Albers tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 3.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia lined out as a pinch hitter.

Jason Repko was 0 for 2.

Nick Punto struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Cody Ross was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Kevin Youkilis was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Honorable Mention:

Nate Spears played left field in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Forget the fact that the Sox have allowed 24 runs the past two games combined, the chilling part is they've only scored six. For an offense that was supposed to be the "best team EVER" last year, this year they're pretty anemic. I know the injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford hurt but they shouldn't hurt THIS much. Derek Holland shutting you down for 7 innings is pretty bad. Beckett pitched well all things considered but the Sox couldn't generate any offense. Saltalamacchia hit an absolute rocket in the ninth, it just happened to be where Brandon Snyder was standing. If the ball gets by him that's at least a double with the tying run on second and only one out. That's just the way things have gone this year, one piece of bad news after another. The only silver lining was Youkilis hitting the home run to stick it to Valentine. Maybe Valentine pushing his buttons Bill Parcells style may actually wake him up. As bad as this series was, now the Sox need to turn it around because the New York Yankees are coming to down for the next series. They haven't gotten off to a great start either so taking this series could even things out. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox send out Clay Buchholz (1-0) to take on Ian Nova of the Yankees this coming Friday afternoon. The game begins at 3:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Massacre Red Sox (4/17/12)

Holy moly this month has gone completely south for the Boston Red Sox. After getting blanked by the Tampa Bay Rays yesterday, the Sox got annihilated by the defending American League champion Texas Rangers. Jon Lester (0-2, 5.82 ERA) got shelled for 7 runs and lasted just two innings. If that wasn't bad enough, Mark Melancon and the bullpen had a total meltdown in the final two innings as the Rangers scored TEN runs in the final two innings. Meanwhile Colby Lewis held the Sox to just two runs in 7 innings on a first inning home run by Dustin Pedroia. Josh Hamilton and Mike Napoli drove in 9 runs combined and the Rangers ran away with this one 18-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                       My sentiments exactly

Lester got the call in the top of the first inning and Ian Kinsler shot a base hit into center to start. Elvis Andrus struck out swinging on a nasty cutter but Josh Hamilton lined a base hit past Dustin Pedroia to move Kinsler to third. Old friend Adrian Beltre banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Colby Lewis in the bottom of the first as Mike Aviles led off with a single off the Monster and Pedroia smashed his third home run of the year into the Monster Seats. Adrian Gonzalez slapped a seeing eye single to right but David Ortiz popped up to Beltre in foul territory. Kevin Youkilis looked at strike three on the outside corner but Ryan Sweeney doubled off the top of the centerfield wall. Cody Ross grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                               Sox take the lead

The Rangers exploded in the top of the second as Michael Young struck out swinging to start. Nelson Cruz doubled to center and Mike Napoli hit a home run all the way to Florida to tie the game. Yorvit Torrealba walked, Craig Gentry ripped a base hit to center and Kinsler walked to load the bases. Andrus beat out a roller to the mound to score Torrealba but Ross dropped a pop up by Hamilton. Kinsler ended up being forced at third but Gentry scored to increase the lead. Beltre singled in the hole at second to load the bases but Young grounded out to short to end the inning with Lester at 63 pitches and the Rangers ahead 4-2.

                                                                   Rangers take the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Jarrod Saltalamacchia flied out to center to start. Jason Repko took strike three on the outside corner and Aviles struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Rangers finished off Lester in the top of the third as Cruz roped a base hit to center to start. Napoli and Torrealba drew back to back walks and that was mercifully it for Lester. He was absolutely horrible, eventually being charged with 7 runs in 2 plus innings. Scott Atchison came in to take a beating as Gentry forced Napoli at third but Cruz scored another run. Kinsler walked to re-load the bases and Andrus scored Torrealba with a sac fly to the right field wall. Hamilton dumped a base hit to right to score Gentry and move Kinsler to third. Beltre flied out to right to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 7-2.

                                                              Hamilton adds to the score

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Gonzalez flied out to right but Gentry trapped a sinking live drive by Ortiz for a hit. Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning.

Atchison cruised in the top of the fourth as Young struck out swinging to start. Cruz grounded out to third and Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning. Sweeney popped up to Beltre in foul territory to start the bottom of the fourth but Ross beat out a roller off of Lewis' glove for a single. Saltalamacchia flied out to center but Repko lashed a base hit to left. Ross made it to third but Repko was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning.

                                                            "You're out you dummy!"

Atchison struck out Torrealba swinging on a slider to start the top of the fifth but Gentry lined a base hit to center. Kinsler grounded back to the mound but Gentry broke up the double play by wiping out Aviles at second. Andrus forced Kinsler at second to end the inning. Aviles flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Pedroia popped up to Beltre in foul territory. Gonzalez popped up to center to end the inning.

The Rangers struck again in the top of the sixth as Hamilton grounded out to second to start. Beltre popped up to first but Young hit a home run all the way to Cuba to increase the lead. Cruz flied out to right to end the inning with the Rangers up 8-2.

                                                               Young drives one out

Ortiz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Youkilis struck out swinging to earn the hat trick. Sweeney doubled off the bottom of the Monster but Ross lined out to short to end the inning.

Matt Albers came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Napoli popped up to left to start. Torrealba flied out to the right field warning track and Gentry popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Saltamacchia popped up to Napoli to start. Repko struck out swinging and Aviles was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Things fell apart in the top of the eighth with Mark Melancon on the mound as Kinsler hit a straight fastball right down the middle off the Monster for a double before Andrus drew a walk. Hamilton hit a home run all the way to Alabama and Beltre followed with a home run to South Carolina as the boo's rained down. David Murphy pinch hit for Young and drew a walk before Cruz launched a home run to Arizona to mercifully knock out Melancon from the game. Justin Thomas came into the game to take a beating as NESN showed a graphic that Josh Hamilton's home run landed 15 rows lower than the Ted Williams red seat. For those that don't know Ted Williams hit the longest home run recorded at Fenway marked by a red seat and Hamilton's home run was pretty close to it. Napoli singled to the left field wall but Torrealba took strike three to get a mock cheer from the Fenway crowd. A wild pitch moved Napoli to second and Gentry singled in the hole at short to put runners at the corners. Alberto Gonzalez pinch hit for Kinsler and scored Napoli with a grounder to third. Andrus doubled to center to score Gentry and Brandon Snyder pinch hit for Hamilton. Snyder walked but Beltre popped up to right to end the inning with the Rangers up 16-2...woof!

                                                           "Well this sucks"

Koji Uehara came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Nate Spears pinch hit for Pedroia. Spears struck out swinging but Gonzalez launched his second home run of the year to cut the lead. Ortiz grounded out to second and Youkilis struck out swinging to earn the golden sombrero plus end the inning with the Sox down 16-3.

                                                                        Gonzalez goes yard

Vicente Padilla came in and he took a beating as well in the top of the ninth as Murphy broke an 0 for 13 slump with a base hit to left. Cruz struck out swinging but Napoli hit yet another home run to Winchester Mass to wrap up the scoring. Torrealba got the Rangers' 21st hit of the night with a base hit to left but was forced at second by Gentry. Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers up 18-3.

                                                                    Napoli hits another out

Mark Lowe came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Sweeney singled to right to start. Ross struck out swinging and Saltalamacchia lined out to second before Repko earned the hat trick with a swinging strikeout to end the game. The Rangers had annihilated the Red Sox 18-3.

                                                                   What a loss

Jackass of the Night is Jon Lester. He set the tone for the night by allowing 7 runs in 2 plus innings and putting the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                          Jon Jackass

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a 2 run home run.

Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Ryan Sweeney was 3 for 4.

Scott Atchison allowed just 1 run in 4 innings.

Matt Albers pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Nate Spears struck out as a pinch hitter.

Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 4.

Mark Melancon allowed 6 runs without recording an out.

Justin Thomas allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

Vicente Padilla allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Mike Aviles was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Cody Ross was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jason Repko was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Talk about a living hell for the Boston Red Sox. The stench of September 2011 followed them into this season and they still haven't looked right. Not only did Lester get pounded but the bats were silenced by Colby Lewis and Melancon looks like a deer in the headlights. His body language in the eighth made it seem like he wanted to be anywhere else but Fenway. The Sox have to do something with him because the Sox sent off "Glasbones" Jed Lowrie for him but so far he's giving them less than Glassbones ever did. Lester will have bad days and so will the offense but it just seems like nothing's gone right for the Sox this year similar to the end of last year. The only highlights was Gonzalez hitting a home run, Sweeney going 3 for 4 and Matt Albers not giving up a run. Otherwise the defending repeat American League champion Rangers pounded out 21 hits and 18 runs. Hopefully they wore themselves out and the Sox can serve it back to them tomorrow. After all any time the Sox score 10 runs they do absolutely nothing the next day. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow against the Rangers when Josh Beckett (1-1) takes the mound against Derek Holland of Texas. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.