Sox Hold On, Defeat Blue Jays (4/26/14)

It was good news all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Bruins eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. That was too close for comfort although the Red Sox offense put a six spot on the board against Brandon Morrow of the Jays in the third inning. AJ Pierzynski belted a grand slam in that inning and the Sox as a unit had only 5 hits but that one was a big one. On the other side of the ball, Clay Buchholz (1-2, 6.66 ERA) held the Jays to just 3 runs in 7 innings of work. The bullpen bent as Junichi Tazawa got lit up for two runs to inch the Jays closer, but Chris Capuano and Koji Uehara slammed the door on the Jays. The Sox narrowly held on to win 7-6 at the Skydome.

                                                   Torey Krug (and pals) approves of the win

Morrow got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia walked to start. Shane Victorino popped up to second but David Ortiz walked. Mike Carp grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Jays jumped on Buchholz in the bottom of the first as Jose Reyes walked to start. Melky Cabrera got a base hit to left to move Reyes to third. Jose Bautista got a base hit to left to score Reyes, moving Cabrera to third and a wild pitch scored Melky. Juan Francisco struck out swinging but Dioner Navarro got a base hit to right to score Bautista. Colby Rasmus flied out to left and Brett Lawrie flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 3-0.

                                                             Jays got up big early

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Grady Sizemore walked to start. AJ Pierzynski walked but Will Middlebooks flied out to right to move Sizemore to third. Jonathan Herrera grounded into a double play to end the inning. Moises Sierra flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Ryan Goins hit a bullet right to Buchholz. It looked like Reyes beat out a grounder to short but Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call. New York Yankees manag....err Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre was in the bathroom so the call was overturned to end the inning.

Morrow completely fell apart in the top of the third although Jackie Bradley Jr took strike three to start. Pedroia flied out to left but both Victorino and Ortiz drew back to back walks. Blue Jays pitching Pete Walker came out to take a swing at the home plate umpire for squeezing Morrow and was thrown out of the building. A passed ball moved the runners over and Carp walked to load the bases. Sizemore walked to score Victorino and chase Morrow.  Chad Jenkins came in and suddenly Pierzsynki cracked a grand slam to put the Sox up for good. Middlebrooks then hit a home run for back to back jacks. Herrera grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                 Middlebrooks with the exclamation point

Cabrera struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Bautista flied out to right. Francisco and Navarro drew back to back walks but Rasmus flied out to center to end the inning.

JBJ took strike three to open the top of the fourth but Pedroia got a base hit to left. Pedroia got thrown out at second trying to steal and Victorino grounded out to short to end the inning. Lawrie got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Sierra flied out to right. Goins forced Lawrie at second and Reyes lined out to left to end the inning.

Ortiz was called out on strikes to begin the top of the fifth but Carp pounded a ground rule double over the left field wall. Sizemore doubled to center to score Carp and chase Jenkins from the game. Aaron Loup came in and Pierzynski moved Grady to third on a swinging bunt in front of the plate. Middlebrooks struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                            Sizemore drives in a run

Cabrera grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Bautista doubled to left. Francisco moved Jose to third with a grounder to first and Navarro was caught looking at strike three to end the inning. Navarro heaved his bat in frustration saying the strike was a ball when its the Toronto pitcher and he might have a point, some of the calls against Morrow were ugggggggly!

Herrera grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the sixth and JBJ lined out to third. Pedroia lined out to first to end the inning. Buchholz dominated the bottom of the sixth as Rasmus grounded out to second to start. Lawrie grounded out to third and Sierra flied out to center to end the inning.

Brett Cecil came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Victorino struck out swinging to start. Ortiz walked but Carp flied out to center. Sizemore struck out swinging to end the inning. Buchholz returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Goins got a base hit to center to start. Reyes grounded out to first to move Goins to second and Cabrera grounded out to second. Goins moved to third on the grounder but Bautista flied out to left to end the inning. Clay started off slow but hung on to allow 3 runs in 7 innings off 6 hits and 3 walks.

                                                            Good work Buchholz

Steve Delabar came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pierzynski grounded out to second to begin. Middlebrooks lined out to right and Herrera grounded out to second to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Francisco hit a home run all the way to Madagascar to cut the lead. Navarro singled to center and Rasmus singled to right before Lawrie beat out a double play ball. Edwin Encarnacion pinch hit for Sierra and got a base hit to center to score Navarro. Sox manager John Farrell kicked over a tub of gatorade and yanked Tazawa from the game. Chris Capuano came in to face old pal Jonathan Diaz who was pinch hitting for Goins. Diaz took strike three but Reyes walked to load the bases. Farrell took no chances and brought in Koji Uehara for the four out save. Uehara got Cabrera to fly out to left to end the inning with the Jays down 7-5.

                                                Encarnacion drives in a run

Sergio Santos took over for Delbar to pitch the top of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Pedroia grounded out to third and Victorino struck out swinging to end the inning. Uehara came back to close out the bottom of the ninth but Bautista hit a home run all the way to Hamilton, Ontario to cut the lead. Francisco struck out swinging but Navarro got a base hit to center. Rasmus struck out swinging but Lawrie got a base hit to center. Encarnacion flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-6.

                                                          Uehara is all smiles after the win

Hero of The Night is AJ Pierzynski. His grand slam put the Sox up for good in the third inning.

                                                              Grand Slam Hero

The Good:

David Ortiz walked 3 times and scored a run.

Mike Carp was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Grady Sizemore was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Clay Buchholz got the win by tossing 7 strong innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 3 walks.

Chris Capuano got the second out of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Junichi Tazawa allowed 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Shane Victorino was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Will Middlebrooks was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Koji Uehara got the save but allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Second game in a row after Victorino and Middlebrooks were back together that the Sox put up 7 plus runs. Pierzynski was the hero with the grand slam but the offense in general was a team effort. Middlebrooks hit a ball a mile and that was good to see after he was out for a while. If only Grady Sizemore would step it up, the offense would be as deadly as last year with Grady in the Jacoby Ellsbury role. Pitching wise Buchholz got lit up early but got stronger as the game went on. Junichi Tazawa's personal kryptonite is Toronto and today was no different. He hadn't allowed a run yet this year and he gets rocked. Uehara served up a bomb to Bautista but luckily the Sox had a 2 run lead at the time. One of the few times somebody tagged both members of the Orient Express but the Sox survived this one. Hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum until the end of the month and get back on track. The Sox look for a series sweep tomorrow against the Jays when Jon Lester (2-3) takes on RA Dickey of Toronto. The game begins at 1:05 PM at the Skydome.

Sox Beat Cheating Yankees (4/23/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Struggling outfielder Daniel Nava was sent down to Pawtucket and relief pitcher Alex Wilson was called up to take his place. Nava just wasn't getting it done this season and with Shane Victorino due to come off the Disabled List pretty soon, Sox brass figured they could use Wilson now and hope Victorino comes off later. Its a shame because Nava was an integral part of last year's team and couldn't find his stroke this year.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, those dirty double crossers! After New York Yankees pitcher Michael Pineda was caught on camera with pine tar on his hand last week in Yankee Stadium, Boston media raked Sox manager John Farrell over the coals for not calling attention to it. Tonight, he had no choice as Pineda had it all over his neck, practically daring the Sox to say something. Well Farrell did, and Pineda was ejected in the second inning. The real story of the game was the pitching of John Lackey (3-2, 4.22 ERA) who stoned the Yankees cold for 8 innings while allowing just one run. The Sox used a balance attack to drive in runs when they needed as they beat the Yankees 5-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                           "There it is!"

Lackey got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to short to start. Derek Jeter grounded out to first but Carlos Beltran singled to center. Brian McCann flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Pineda in the bottom of the first as Grady Sizemore tripled into the right field corner to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded a base hit to center to score Grady but David Ortiz flied out to the centerfield wall. Mike Napoli got a broken bat bloop single to right to move Pedroia to third but Mike Carp popped up to left. AJ Pierzynski hit a bullet to Jeter but Derek couldn't come up with it to score Pedroia. Xander Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                   "I don't got it" - Jeter

Alfonso Soriano went down hacking to start the top of the second before Mark Teixeira looked at strike three. Brett Gardner struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees embarrassed themselves in the bottom of the second as Brock Holt lined out to center to start. NESN cameras picked up pine tar on the neck of Pineda as Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to left. Finally Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough and came out to tell home plate umpire Gerry Davis that there was pine tar on Pineda's neck. The umpires checked Pineda's neck and immediately ejected him. Yankees manager Joe Girardi came out to argue and umpires simply laughed at him. David Phelps came in to pitch and got Sizemore to strike out swinging to end the inning but Pineda was gone.

                                                  "You're out, you cheater!" - Davis

Brian Roberts beat out a roller to third to start the top of the third before being forced at second by Kelly Johnson. Ellsbury struck out swinging as Roberts stole second base. Jeter struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the third as Pedroia hit a routine grounder to Jeter who threw low to first for an error. Ortiz made Jeter pay with a base hit to right and Napoli hit a fly ball down the right field line. Gardner couldn't come up with it and it bounced into the seats for the ground rule double to score Pedroia. Carp struck out swinging but Pierzynski walked to load the bases. Bogaerts flied out to right but Ortiz scored on a wild pitch to increase the lead. Holt walked to re-load the bases but JBJ took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                        "Dagnabbit!" - Gardner

Beltran grounded out to second to open the top of the fourth but Carp failed to catch a bloop by McCann for a "single". Soriano and Teixeira both struck out swinging to end the inning. Sizemore watched strike three go by to start the bottom of the fourth before Pedroia got a base hit to right. Ortiz walked and both runners moved over on the grounder to third by Napoli. Old friend Matt Thornton game in to face Carp and Mike took strike three to end the inning.

Gardner got a base hit to right to start the top of the fifth but Roberts popped up to short. Johnson hit a ground rule double into the bullpen but Ellsbury struck out swinging. Jeter grounded out to second to end the inning. Pierzynski popped up to third to start the bottom of the fifth and Bogaerts grounded back to the mound. Holt walked but JBJ lined out to left to end the inning.

The Yankees struck back in the top of the sixth as Beltran doubled to center to start. McCann chopped a grounder back to the mound to move Beltran to third and Carlos scored on the Soriano sac fly to the right field wall. Teixeira struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-1.

                                                     Beltran scores a run

Preston Claiborne came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Sizemore struck out swinging. Pedroia flied out to center and Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Gardner grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh but Roberts lashed a base hit to right. Johnson took strike three and Ellsbury grounded out to first to end the inning. Napoli got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Carp lined out to right. Napoli was thrown out at second trying to steal and Pierzynski flied out to right to end the inning.

Lackey returned for the top of the eighth with Jonny Gomes in left, and Jeter grounded back to the mound to start. Beltran was frozen for strike three and McCann flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Lackey as he was outstanding, allowing just 1 run on 7 hits in 8 strong innings.

                                                            Lackey was amazing

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the eighth as Bogaerts hit a roller to Johnson, who threw the ball away for a single and an error to move Xander to second. Holt got a base hit to right to score Xander and wrap up the scoring. Adam Warren came in to pitch to JBJ and Bradley forced Holt at second. Sizemore hit a grounder to Warren who threw low to Jeter for another error. Pedroia grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                            Bogaerts scores a run

Koji Uehara came in to close out the top of the ninth and Soriano got a base hit off the Monster to start. Teixeira and Gardner both struck out swinging to leave it up to Roberts. Brian struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won 5-1.

                                                                     Sox win

Hero of The Night is John Lackey. He was outstanding, holding the Yankees to just 1 run on 7 hits and 11 strikeouts.

                                                        Hero Lackey

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 3 for 4 with an rbi.

AJ Pierzynski was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Brock Holt was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Mike Carp was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Grady Sizemore was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Jonny Gomes played left field in the final innings.

Final Thoughts:

Yankees radio announcer Suzy Waldman openly complaining about Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz when their pitcher just got caught red handed (or pine tarred) is just embarrassing deflection. Farrell knows all about gamesmanship as an ex-pitcher but in that situation. He himself said before the game that Pineda needed to be more discreet about it but Pineda was just daring them to call them out for it for having it in plain view. Typical New York Yankee arrogance that in the last 13 years has been getting increasingly ridiculous the less rings they win. Lackey was outstanding tonight and looked almost as good as he was against the Detroit Tigers back in October. The Yankees had no chance in this one the way they bobbled balls and couldn't hit. Its nice for the Red Sox to be on the other side of that for once. Hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum on a good winning streak to end the month. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow night when Felix Doubront (1-2) takes on CC Sabathia of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Buchholz Hammered, Sox Lose Patriots Day (4/21/14)

One year after a walkoff win preceding the Boston Marathon, the Boston Red Sox could not repeat the magic on Patriots Day this year. Even with all the hype and the hooplah harking back to last year when the city came together following the bombing, the Sox couldn't get it done against the Baltimore Orioles. Clay Buchholz (0-2, 7.71 ERA) once again stunk the joint out as its become apparent he's not the same pitcher he was from the first half of 2013. He allowed six runs and was knocked out in the third inning. Meanwhile Boston fought bravely, scoring three runs in the bottom of the fifth and getting a David Ross home run in the bottom of the sixth. The O's tagged Craig Breslow for a run which proved to be the difference. A ninth inning rally fell short and the O's had beaten the Sox on Patriots Day 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Lost the game, won the day

Buchholz got the ball in the top of the first and Nick Markakis led the game off with a ground out to second base. Nelson "pain in the ass" Cruz struck out swinging but Chris Davis walked. Jonny Gomes then made a diving catch to rob Adam Jones of a hit to end the inning. Wei-Yin Chen got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brock Holt grounded out to second to begin. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short but not before nearly taking out Jonathan Schoop at third base when Pedroia lost control of his bat on a swinging strike two. David Ortiz drew a four pitch walk but Napoli forced Ortiz at second to end the inning.

The O's beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second as Steve Clevenger grounded out to second to begin. Schoop grounded out to short and Ryan Flaherty grounded out to Buchholz to end the inning. In the bottom of the second, last night's comeback starter Jonny Gomes did what he usually does, strike out swinging. Xander Bogaerts popped up to center and Daniel Nava struck out swinging to end the inning.

Steve Lombardozzi started the third inning rally with a single. David Lough singled and after Holt dropped his pop up into the stands, Markakis singled Lombardozzi home. Lough took third and he scored on Cruz' single. The hits kept on coming as Davis singled Markakis home and Cruz took third. Cruz scored on the force at second by Jones. Clevenger then doubled home Jones to make it 5-0 just like that. Not only have the Red Sox trailed in nearly every game they've played this season, they've trailed big. Schoop doubled home Clevenger and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. After breezing through the first two innings, Buchholz allowed 7 hits and was replaced by Burke Badenhop. After finishing last night's game less than 12 hours ago, the Sox needed Buchholz to pitch a good game with the rest of the troops tired....well he failed miserably. Luckily Badenhop got Flaherty to bang into a double play to end the inning. Just like that the game was over 2 1/2 innings into it.  

                                                       What a disaster

Could the Red Sox rally in the bottom of the third? Hell no! David Ross struck out swinging and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out looking to begin the bottom of the third. Holt grounded out to first to end the inning.

Picking up where he left off, Lombardozzi led off the top of the fourth with a single to right. Somehow Badenhop got Lough to line out to center but Markakis walked. Cruz banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox got their first runner of the day on a miracle walk by Pedroia to begin the bottom of the fourth. Somehow Ortiz singled to right but Napoli kept up the incompetence with a full count strike out swinging. More basebawful continued when Gomes lined out to Flaherty.....who doubled off Pedroia to end the inning.

Badenhop walked Davis to begin the top of the fifth, but recovered to strike out Jones looking and get Clevenger to bang into a double play. 3 double plays by Badenhop, talk about putting out the fire. The Sox finally struck in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts worked a lead-off walk. Nava somehow hit one in the hole at short and Ross nearly hit into a double play but beat out the relay throw to first. Somehow Jackie Bradley Jr hit a ground rule double into the right field seats to score Boegarts and advance Nava to third. Holt lined out to center but Ross scored to cut the lead. Pedroia then cut the lead in half with a double down the left field line to score Bradley Jr. Ortiz lined one off the glove at second but was thrown out at first to end the inning. The Sox cut the lead in half and trailed 6-3.

                                                     "We're not dead yet!" - Pedroia

Badenhop continued his scoreless streak by getting Schoop to ground out to short to begin the top of the 6th. Flaherty and Lombardozzi both grounded out to first to end the inning. 3 2/3 scoreless innings for Badenhop, great job to keep them in the game. Ryan Webb replaced Chen for the bottom of the sixth and Napoli struck out swinging to start. Nava watched strike three go by and Ross also went down hacking to end the inning.

Craig Breslow took over for the top of the seventh and Lough grounded out to first. Markakis flied out to right but Cruz walked. Cruz was the first base runner since Clevenger's double in the 3rd. He didn't go far as Davis grounded out into the shift to end the inning. Zach Britton took the mound for the bottom of the seventh and Nava flied out to right to start. David Ross clocked his first home run of the year to cut the lead but Bradley Jr grounded out to short. Holt singled to left and Pedroia walked, but with the tying runs on.....Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. Inching closer but still trailing 6-4.

                                                         Ross goes yard

The O's struck back in the top of the eighth as Jones got a base hit to left to begin. Clevenger hit a picture perfect ground ball to Pedroia but Bogaerts botched the relay throw and Steve was safe at first. Schoop flied out to center but Clevenger tagged up and advanced to second. Flaherty singled to center and Bradley Jr threw a hundred feet from home to score Clevenger, but Ross got Flaherty at second to end the inning. Still, it was back to a 3 run lead for Baltimore 7-4.

                                                           "You're out, you dummy!"

Darren O'Day replaced Britton for the bottom of the eighth and Mike Napoli greeted him with a blast to centerfield to cut the lead. Mike Carp pinch hit for Gomes and grounded out to short, great clutch hitting. Bogaerts lashed a base hit to left to put the tying run at the plate. Nava singled off the glove of O'Day and that was it for him, O's manager Buck Showalter brought in lefty Brian Matusz. For some reason, Sox manager John Farrell pinch hit Jonathan Herrera for Ross. The Sox then literally ran into a double play as Herrera struck out and Bogaerts stopped halfway to third and allowed himself to be tagged to end the inning with the Sox down 7-5.

                                                                Bawful

Carp stayed in left, AJ Pierzynski took over at the dish and Andrew Miller took the mound for the top of the ninth. Lombardozzi popped up to first and Lough popped up to short, then Bradley Jr made a basket catch to rob Markakis of a hit to retire the side. O's closer Tommy Hunter was brought in to finish the game. Bradley Jr grounded out to first and it looked like Holt did as well....until Lombardozzi threw the ball away. They ruled it a hit but it was clearly an error. Pedroia nearly tied the game but the ball hit the top of the centerfield wall for a double. Showalter then made the bold move by intentionally walking Ortiz to load the bases for Napoli, who ended last year's Patriots Day game with a wall ball. This year....he grounded out to second, but Holt scored to cut the lead. This left it up to Mike Carp, not the master of walkoffs, Jonny Gomes, to win the game. As expected, Carp grounded out to first to end the game. All that work only to lose 7-6.

                                                            Sox lose

Jackass of the Night is an easy one. With the Sox needing to rest their bullpen, Clay Buchholz went out and pitched miserably, lasting only 2 1/3 while giving up 7 hits and 6 runs that cost the Sox the game.

                                                        Jackass Buchholz

The Good:

Burke Badenhop kept the Sox in the game with 3 2/3 scoreless relief. 

Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless 9th. 

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run and an rbi. 

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi. 

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

The Bad:

Jonathan Herrera struck out with the tying runs on base in the 8th. 

Mike Carp came up twice with a chance to win the game and failed both times. 

Jonny Gomes was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts

The Ugly:

Craig Breslow allowed a run in two innings.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5 but that included a home run and an rbi groundout in the 9th. 

Xander Bogaerts countered going 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored by playing horrendous defense and running the bases horribly, leading to the defeat. 

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored on his lone hit.

Honorable Mention:

AJ Pierzynski caught the top of the 9th with no problems.

Final Thoughts:

Fun game, too bad they didn't win it. The Sox needed a lift from Buchholz and didn't get it, but rallied down 6-0 to put the tying run at third in the bottom of the ninth. A tremendous effort from Burke Badenhop kept the Sox in it but Breslow allowing the final run was a killer. Even though the Sox put up six runs there were too many instances of failing in the clutch, not to mention the bad baserunning by Bogaerts. That's a rookie mistake and hopefully there won't be too many of those this year. Its a shame the Sox lost this one after the emotional pre-game ceremony and all the talk about last year's heroics. Then again, maybe that's the problem. Maybe they can't get untracked because they're too focused on trying to do too much to replicate the success. They've trailed in almost every game this year and every game is different. For whatever reason they just don't execute when it matters. The worst part about this is now the New York Yankees are coming to town with the Sox exhausted bullpen ready for them to feast on. Tomorrow night Masahiro Tanaka goes for the Sox against Jon Lester (2-2) of Boston. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Walkoff Orioles (4/20/14)

It was a great day for Boston sports as the Boston Bruins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox walked off the Baltimore Orioles. Going into the bottom of the sixth, the Sox looked dead in the water. Jake Peavy had allowed 5 runs before getting knocked out in the top of the sixth while Ubaldo Jimenez was pitching great for Baltimore. Suddenly the Sox turned the clock back a year as Jonny Gomes hit a three run over off Jimenez in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead. The Sox tied the game in the bottom of the eighth on bad defense by Baltimore while the Sox bullpen tossed zeroes. With the bases loaded in the bottom of the ninth, Mike Carp hit a fly ball to David Lough who threw the ball away. Dustin Pedroia scored to win the game 6-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Justin Florek approves of the win

The O's wasted no time getting to Peavy in the top of the first as Nick Markakis popped up to Brock Holt in foul territory to start. The pain in the ass Nelson Cruz then hit a home run all the way into Walden Pond on the first pitch to put the O's on top. Chris Davis walked and Adam Jones singled to center before Matt Wieters singled to right to score Davis, moving Jones to third. JJ Hardy hit a sac fly to center to score Jones and David Lough flied out to the right field wall to end the inning with the O's up 3-0.

                                                          O's go up early

Jimenez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Grady Sizemore walked to start. Sizemore stole second but Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third. David Ortiz grounded into the shift but Sizemore moved to third before Mike Napoli watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Jonathan Schoop struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Ryan Flaherty flied out to center. Markakis walked and Cruz singled to left, but Davis grounded out to first to end the inning. Jonny Gomes led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to short before Daniel Nava also grounded out to short. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jones singled to left to start the top of the third before Wieters popped up to left. Hardy struck out swinging and Lough took strike three to end the inning. AJ Pierzynski lined out to a leaping Lough to start the bottom of the third before Brock Holt walked. Sizemore struck out swinging but Holt stole second. Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning.'

Schoop almost hit a home run to Nebraska but the ball went foul and he eventually struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth. Flaherty was retired on a nubber in front of the plate but Markakis walked. Cruz took strike three to end the inning. Ortiz flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Napoli flied out to left. Gomes doubled to the left field wall but Nava struck out swinging to end the inning.

The O's struck again in the top of the fifth as Davis grounded into the shift to start. Jones grounded out to second but Wieters singled over the head of Holt. Hardy got a base hit to center and Lough hit a fan touched ground rule double into the right field seats to score Wieters. Schoop grounded out to short to end the inning with the O's up 4-0.

                                                          O's pour it on

The Sox tried to start a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts got a base hit to center to start. Pierzynski popped up to short, Holt took strike three and Sizemore popped up to third in foul territory to end the inning.

The O's finished off Peavy in the top of the sixth as Flaherty doubled off the Monster to start. Markakis popped up to second and Flaherty moved to third on the fly out to right by Cruz. Davis was intentionally walked but Jones ripped a base hit to left to score Flaherty. That was it for Peavy who got rocked for 5 runs in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed 10 hits and 4 walks and was lifted for Chris Capuano. Wieters lined out to left to end the inning with the O's up 5-0.

                                                      "I sucked tonight" - Peavy

The Sox began the comeback in the bottom of the sixth but Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Ortiz got a base hit to center and Napoli walked. Gomes then pulverized his second home run of the season to put the Sox back in it. That was it for Jimenez as Zack Britton came in to pitch and Nava grounded out to third. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                            Sox climb back in

Steve Lombardozzi pinch hit for Hardy to start the top of the seventh and took strike three. Lough's bunt attempt was snuffed out and Schoop popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Pierzynski struck out swinging to start. Holt got a base hit to center and Sizemore hit a grounder to Britton. He flipped to Flaherty but he dropped it for an error. Pedroia made Flaherty pay with a base hit to right to load the bases. Ortiz ripped a base hit to right to score Holt and chase Britton. Evan Meek (who will inherit nothing) came in to pitch to Napoli and Mike hit a grounder to third. Schoop bounced the throw home and Sizemore scored on the error to tie the game. Gomes hit one up the elevator shaft and Nava struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                           Tie game

Flaherty got a base hit to left to start the top of the eighth but Markakis struck out swinging. Junichi Tazawa came in just to face Cruz and got him to pop up to second. Andrew Miller came in to face Davis and struck him out swinging to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the eighth as Bogaerts grounded out to third to start. Pierzynski grounded out to second and Holt grounded out to first to end the inning.

Jones doubled into the left field corner to start the top of the ninth and Wieters grounded out to second to move him to third. Lombardozzi grounded back to the mound and that was it for Miller. Edward Mujica came in to face Lough and got him to strike out swinging to end the inning. Brian Matusz came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Sizemore struck out swinging to start. It looked like Pedroia hit a home run but an idiot fan reached out and grabbed the ball for an interference "double". Umpires got together but concluded that a fan touched it. When play resumed a wild pitch moved Pedroia to third and Ortiz was intentionally walked. Darren O'Day was brought in to face Napoli and ended up hitting him to load the bases. Mike Carp pinch hit for Gomes and hit a liner to Lough. Lough instinctively fired home but the throw was way off the mark. Pedroia made a mad dash for home and scored to win the game on the error. The Sox had won it 6-5.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Johnny Gomes. The Sox were down 5-0 in the sixth and his home run changed everything.

                                                     Jonny Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Chris Capuano tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa retired the only man he faced.

Andrew Miller tossed a full scoreless inning.

Edward Mujica got the win by retiring the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Mike Carp flied out to left in his only at-bat.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jake Peavy got rocked for 5 runs in 5 1/3 innings allowing 10 hits and 4 walks while striking out 5.

The Ugly:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

That might have been the most "2013" win of the season so far. Taking advantage of bad defense and winning by any means necessary. The Sox were down 5-0 and looked ready to pack it in when Gomes clobbered that home run. Then the O's blew it in the seventh then blew it again in the ninth. Buck Showalter is going to have a headache tonight because they had this game in the bag in more ways than one. Still, they won games last year like this so its good to see some of that carry over to this year. Peavy looked awful but he was due for a stinker, hopefully he'll be okay next start. Word is Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino could be returning sometime soon so that'll help the stagnant offense. Let's see if they can rise up to the occasion in tomorrow's big game. The Sox look to wrap up the series with Baltimore tomorrow morning on Patriots Day. Clay Buchholz (0-1) gets the start for Boston against Wei-Yin Chen of Baltimore. The game begins at 11:00 AM at Fenway Park.

Sox Drop O's With 7th Inning Rally (4/19/14)

It wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox finally defeated the Baltimore Orioles in a Saturday matinee. Felix Doubront and Bud Norris of the Orioles battled to a 2-2 tie after six innings. Nelson Cruz driving in both runs for Baltimore while Mike Napoli and David Ortiz provided the runs for Boston. In the bottom of the seventh, Brock Holt hit an rbi triple to put the Sox ahead. Junichi Tazawa (1-0, 0.00 ERA) shut the door in the eighth and his Orient Express partner Koji Uehara blanked the O's in the ninth. It added up to the Red Sox winning the game 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Phoebe Dollar approves of the win

The O's wasted no time getting to Doubront in the top of the first as Nick Markakis got a base hit to center to start. Markakis stole second as Young struck out swinging but Adam Jones walked. Chris Davis took strike three but Nelson Cruz got a base hit to left to score Markakis. Matt Wieters struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                                                 Cruz drives in a run

The Sox answered against Bud Norris in the bottom of the first as Grady Sizemore struck out swinging to start. Dustin Pedroia walked and David Ortiz singled off the Monster to move Dustin to third. Mike Napoli hit a routine grounder to Jonathan Schoop who bobbled it for an error to score Pedroia. Mike Carp hit into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                    "I don't got it...." - Schoop

JJ Hardy grounded out to second to start the top of the second and Schoop took strike three. Lombardozzi grounded out to third to end the inning. David Ross struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Brock Holt also went down hacking. Jonathan Herrera popped up to short to end the inning.

Markakis struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Young grounded out to third. Jones flied out to right to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr led off the bottom of the third with a pop up to third before Sizemore flied out to left. Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning.

Davis lined out to right to start the top of the fourth before Cruz grounded out to short. Wieters took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz launched his third home run of the season to put Boston on top. Napoli got a base hit up the middle but Carp grounded into a double play. Ross popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                          Home run Big Papi

Hardy led off the top of the fifth by striking out swinging before Schoop popped up to third. Lombardozzi lined out to center to end the inning. Holt grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Herrera flied out to left. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The O's tied it in the top of the sixth as Markakis ripped a base hit to center to start. Young grounded into a double play. Jones doubled to left then stole third base. Davis was hit by a pitch then Cruz grounded out to third to end.....but wait! O's manager Buck Showalter challenged the call and New York Yankees manag.....err Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre DEMANDED the call be changed. Sure enough, the call was reversed and Jones scored to tie the game. Wieters hit a grounder to Holt who booted it for an error, but Hardy flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Tie goes to the runner

Sizemore flied out to left to start the bottom of the sixth but Pedroia doubled to center. Ortiz flied out to center and Napoli took strike three to end the inning.

Schoop grounded out to third to begin the top of the seventh and Lombardozzi popped up to first. Markakis walked and that was it for Doubront. Felix battled to allow just 2 runs in 6 2/3 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks. It was the Orient Express time as Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch and Young lined out to center to end the inning.

                                                          Good work by Doubront

The Sox took command in the bottom of the seventh as Carp walked to start but Norris threw high and in to Ross. Ross didn't like it and a shouting match occurred. When things calmed down Ross struck out swinging but Holt tripled to center to score Carp with the go-ahead run. That was it for Norris and Evan Meek (who shall not inherit the earth) came in to face Herrera. Herera dropped down a suicide squeeze bunt to score Holt out of nowhere but JBJ grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                            Holt gets it done

Tazawa returned for the top of the eighth with Jonny Gomes in for Carp, and Jones flied out to right to start. Davis struck out swinging and Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning. Ryan Webb came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Sizemore grounded out to second to start. Pedroia dumped a base hit to right but Ortiz lined out to center. Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning.

The other half of the Orient Express, Koji Uehara, came in to close out the top of the ninth. Wieters walked to start but Hardy struck out swinging. Schoop and Lombardozzi both went down hacking to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brock Holt. His rbi triple put the Sox up for good in the seventh.

                                                                 Hero Holt

The Good:

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

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Felix Doubront tossed 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7.

Junichi Tazawa got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

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

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ross was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Mike Carp was 0 for 2 but walked and scored a run.

Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 2 but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Jonny Gomes played left field in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good win and Doubront deserved better. He had Markakis struck out but got squeezed big time. The Sox rally in the seventh would have given him the win. Either way the Sox got timely offense to win this one including shut down pitching at the end. Tazawa and Uehara were one of the main reasons the Sox went as far as they did last year and today they slammed the door on the Orioles. Offensively Holt gave the team a lift big time and if the Sox do decide to bring back Stephen Drew, at least Holt had one moment in the sun. The Sox need to go on a nice winning streak to get back over .500 so hopefully this was the start. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Baltimore tomorrow night when Jake Peavy of the Sox takes on Ubaldo Jimenez of the Orioles. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Orioles Shell Lackey, Sox (4/18/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Ryan Roberts was designated for assignment and Brock Holt was brought up from Pawtucket. Roberts clearly wasn't the answer and they want to give Holt a chance. He hit .200 last year so I don't see how this is going to be the answer. Oh well.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                       IN

It was bad news all around as the Boston Bruins lost Game 1 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Detroit Red Wings and the Boston Red Sox got beat by the Baltimore Orioles. John Lackey (2-2, 5.25 ERA) got fed his lunch, allowing 6 runs in 5 1/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole. The Sox did rally in the fifth inning to cut the lead in half but Jonathan Schoop drove in two big runs to put the game out of reach. Darren O'Day slammed the door in the ninth and the Orioles beat the Sox 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Randy Quaid is angry again

Lackey got the ball in the top of the first and Nick Markakis doubled down the right field line although Sox manager John Farrell challenged the ball was foul. Replays showed the ball was foul but Yankees manag....err head of MLB Operations Joe Torre DEMANDED the call stand, and the call stood. Delmon Young struck out swinging but Markakis moved to third on the grounder to short by Chris Davis. Adam Jones got a base hit in the hole at short to score Markakis then stole second. Nelson Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.

                                                           Jones drives in a run

Chris Tillman got the ball in the bottom of the first but Grady Sizemore grounded back to the mound to start. Daniel Nava struck out swinging but Dustin Pedroia walked. Mike Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning.

Matt Wieters walked to begin the top of the second but JJ Hardy flied out to center. Steve Lombardozzi struck out swinging and Wieters was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Mike Carp got a base hit to center to start. Xander Bogaerts walked but AJ Pierzynski flied out to right. Jackie Bradley Jr singled in the hole at second to load the bases but Brock Holt took strike three. Sizemore flied out to center to end the inning, what a waste.

The O's struck again in the top of the third as Jonathan Schoop grounded a base hit up the middle to start. Markakis doubled to right to score Schoop but Young flied out to left. Davis walked to load the bases and Cruz singled to right to score two runners. Wieters flied out to right and Hardy flied out to left to end the inning with the O's up 4-0.

                                                          Cruz drives in a pair

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Nava popped up to Schoop in foul territory to start. Pedroia lined out to left and Napoli popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Lombardozzi struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Schoop flied out to right. Markakis also flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fourth as Carp doubled to center to start. Bogaerts popped up to third and Pierzynski popped up to short, but JBJ walked. Holt got a seeing eye single up the middle to score Carp to put the Sox on the board. Sizemore struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                      Holt drives in a run

The O's struck again in the top of the fifth as Young singled to left to start. Davis and Jones both struck out swinging but Cruz walked. Wieters singled under the glove of Carp to score Young and Hardy got a base hit to left to score Cruz. Lombardozzi popped up to short to end the inning with the O's up 6-1.

                                                         Hardy ices it

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fifth as Nava doubled off the Monster to start. Pedroia dumped a base hit to right to score Nava but Napoli flied out to left. Carp popped up to third but Bogaerts walked. Pierzynski drilled a base hit to center to score Pedroia, cutting the lead in half. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-3.

                                                      Pierzynski drives in a run

The O's finished off Lackey in the top of the sixth as Schoop blooped a single to shallow left to start. Markakis popped up to left but a wild pitch moved Schoop to second. Young walked and that was it for Lackey. He got knocked out after 5 1/3 innings allowing 6 runs on 10 hits and 4 walks while striking out six. Andrew Miller came in and Davis struck out swinging before Jones forced Young at second to end the inning.

                                                       Not Lackey's night

Brian Matusz came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Holt lined out to right to start. Sizemore got a base hit to right but Nava struck out swinging. Pedroia forced Holt at second to end the inning.

The O's got to Burke Badenhop in the top of the seventh as Cruz grounded out to short to start. Wieters flied out to right but Hardy got a base hit to right. Lombardozzi singled to left and Schoop doubled to left to score Hardy. Markakis walked but Young popped up to first to end the inning with the O's up 7-3.

                                                        Schoop drives in a run

David Lough came in for Young to start the bottom of the seventh and Napoli doubled off the Monster to start. Carp hit one up the elevator shaft and Bogaerts got a base hit to left. Napoli scored but Bogaerts was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Pierzynski was plunked but JBJ took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 7-4.

                                                          You're out, you dummy!

Davis struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth before Jones grounded out to short. Cruz grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as Holt was initially called out on a grounder to second but the call was overturned when replays showed Brock was safe. Sizemore grounded out to third to send Holt to second but Nava grounded back to the mound. That was it for Matusz as Darren O'Day was brought in to face Pedroia. Dustin grounded out to third to end the inning.

Edward Mujica came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Wieters grounded back to the mound to start. Hardy flied out to center but Lombardozzi got a base hit to center. Schoop doubled high off the Monster to score Steve and wrap up the scoring. Markakis grounded out to first to end the inning with the O's up 8-4.

                                                    Another rbi for Schoop

Napoli flied out to center to start the bottom of the ninth but Carp drew a walk. Bogaerts flied out to center and Pierzynski grounded out to first to end the game. The O's had won it 8-4.

                                                        O's win

Jackass of the Night is John Lackey. He allowed 6 runs to the Orioles to put the game out of reach.

                                                    "You jackass" - Pedroia

The Good:

Mike Carp was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Andrew Miller got the final 2 outs of the sixth inning.

The Bad:

Edward Mujica allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Grady Sizemore was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Daniel Nava was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

AJ Pierzynski was just 1 for 4 with a hit by pitch and an rbi.

Burke Badenhop allowed a run in 2 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Simply put, THIS is the April Boston Red Sox management had in mind for last season. The Sox have now lost 10 of their first 17 games and pretty much that was the design of last year's team. It only took 365 days for it to happen. Lackey and the bullpen got served their lunch by the Orioles and the offense did manage four runs, but Lackey's bad start was too much to overcome. Even if the bullpen didn't give up anymore runs after Lackey left, its doubtful the Sox would have been able to score enough to win anyway. Nava, Pedroia, Pierzynski and JBJ are all hitting under .256 and that's not going to cut it if the Sox have any hope of repeating as champions this year. Its only one game so no need to hit the panic button just yet. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when Felix Doubront takes the hill against Bud Norris of the Orioles. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.