Sox Crush Braves in Season Finale (9/27/20)

The bad news was the Miami Heat eliminated the Boston Celtics with their Game 6 win in the NBA East Finals, the good news was the Boston Red Sox won their final regular season game. HALLELUJA!!! HALLELUJA! The 2020 Boston Red Sox season is over! One of the worst seasons in franchise history is finally over after 2 agonizing months of torture. After the year began with Alex Cora fired in January, Mookie Betts was traded in February. Chris Sale announced he needed Tommy John just as Covid-19 hit in March. The season was postponed until July and at that point, Eduardo Rodriguez developed a serious heart condition due to Covid and was forced to miss the season. Sox GM Chaim Bloom decided to take a knee on fourth down this season by not putting together a legitimate starting rotation, which led to the Sox falling into the last place for the fourth time in nine years. The season ended on a high note though as the Sox made mincemeat out of the Atlanta Braves in the final game of the season. Nick Pivetta (2-0, 6.89 ERA) once again tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball before departing manager Ron Roenicke pulled him. In what could be Jackie Bradley Jr's final game, he led the offensive charge by going 3 for 6 with a home run. Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez and Jonathan Arauz all hit home runs as the Sox closed the book on their last place season on a high note, beating the Braves 9-1 at Truist Field.

                                               Season's over, time to party!

Braves starter Bryse Wilson got tagged immediately in the top of the first inning as Jackie Bradley Jr led off his possible final game in Boston with a double to left to start. Rafael Devers singled down the right field line to score Bradley to put the Sox on top. Xander Bogaerts whiffed but JD Martinez moved Devers to second with a grounder. Kevin Plawecki walked but Bobby Dalbec grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                    Devers drives in a run

The Braves fought back against Pivetta in the bottom of the first as Ozzie Albies flied out to left to start. Freddie Freeman grounded out to second but Marcell Ozuna hit a home run to Denmark to tie the game. None other than old friend Pablo Sandoval drew a walk and Adam Duvall singled to center. Nick Markakis grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Tie game

Michael Chavis grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Tzu-Wei Lin singled to left. Jonathan Arauz singled Lin to third but Tzu was out at home on a grounder by JBJ. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the second as Dansby Swanson whiffed to start. Tyler Flowers took strike three and Ender Inciarte popped up to short to end the inning.

Bogaerts singled to short to start the top of the third before moving to second on the Martinez grounder. Plawecki took strike three but Dalbec walked. Chavis grounded out to second to end the inning. The departing JBJ made one final highlight reel catch in the bottom of the third when he robbed Albies of a triple at the centerfield wall too start. Freeman singled to center but JBJ robbed Ozuna of extra bases as well. Sandoval struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                     One last one for the highlight reel

The Sox took command in the top of the fourth with Will Smith now on the mound. Lin lined out to short and Arauz whiffed, but today's star JBJ pounded his 7th home run of the year to put the Sox up for good. Devers whiffed to end the inning but it was 2-1 Sox.

                                                               One last home run

Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Duvall popped up to second to start. Markakis flied out to center and Swanson took strike three to end the inning,

The Sox got another run in the top of the fifth against Darren O'Day. Bogaerts smashed his 11th home run of the season to increase the lead before Martinez flied out to left. Plawecki and Dalbec both went down hacking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                        Bogaerts hits one out

Pivetta returned for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth as Flowers whiffed to start. Inciarte walked and Albies singled off the glove of Arauz, but Freeman lined out to right. Ozuna lined out to second to end the inning. Despite having all winter to rest, Sox manager Ron Roenicke felt that was enough from Pivetta and pulled him after allowing just the home run in 5 innings.

                                                                2 starts, 2 wins for Pivetta

Shane Greene came in for the top of the sixth and Chavis lined out to right to start. Lin grounded out to second but Arauz walked. JBJ flied out to left to end the inning. Cesar Puello took Bogaerts' spot in the batting order but went to right with Lin moving to second base and Arauz to short to start the bottom of the sixth. Darwinzon Hernandez took the mound and somehow walked Sandoval to start. Duvall lined out to left but Markakis singled and everyone moved over on the passed ball by Plawecki. Swanson walked to load the bases but Flowers took strike three and Hernandez blew away Inciarte on a 94 mph fastball to end the inning.

Chris Martin came in to pitch the top of the seventh but after throwing one pitch, he fell to the ground clutching his groin. He had to be carried out on a stretcher and Luke Jackson came in ice cold to replace him. The Sox feasted although Devers grounded out to second to start. Puello singled to right and Martinez smashed his seventh home run of the season to increase the lead. Plawecki walked, Dalbec was plunked and Chavis doubled home Plawecki. Lin grounded out to first but Arauz singled home Dalbec and Chavis to ice the game. JBJ singled to left but Devers grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-1.

                                                              Sox pour it on

Ryan Weber took over for the bottom of the seventh and Albies flied out to right to start. Freeman grounded out to first but Ozuna singled to left. Sandoval grounded into a force to end the inning.

Mark Melancon came in for the top of the eighth and Puello singled to left to start. Martinez took strike three but Plawecki singled to center. Dalbec and Chavis both took strike three to end the inning. Weber got Duvall to hit one up the elevator shaft to begin the bottom of the eighth. Markakis doubled to center but Swanson grounded out to short. Flowers took strike three to end the inning.

Josh Tomlin came on for the top of the ninth and the Sox tagged him. Lin grounded out to first but Arauz struck his only home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. JBJ and Devers whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-1.

                                            1st and only homer for Arauz

Mike Kickham had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth and Inciarte lined out to center to start. Albies whiffed and Adeiny Hechavarria pinch hit for Freeman. Hechavarria grounded out to short to end the game and the season for the Red Sox. The Sox ended 2020 on a high note by winning 9-1.

                                                            One last win in 2020

Hero of the Night is Jackie Bradley Jr. In what could be his last game for the Red Sox, Bradley scored the game's first run, robbed Albies of a triple and his home run in the fourth put the Sox up for good.

                                                   Jackie Bradley Hero

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a home run before leaving.

Cesar Puello was 2 for 2 with a run scored.

Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Jonathan Arauz was 3 for 4 with a walk, 3 total rbis and a home run.

Nick Pivetta earned the win by tossing 5 innings while allowing one run for hits and 2 walks.

Darwinzon Hernandez tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

Ryan Weber tossed two scoreless innings.

Mike Kickham tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 6 but drove in a run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 but walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Michael Chavis was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Tzu-Wei Lin was just 1 for 5.

Final Thoughts:

WE MADE IT!!! After 60 agonizing games and 65 days, the 2020 season is over for the Red Sox. This was as bad as it gets considering the Red Sox didn't have a rotation until the middle of September when Tanner Houck was brought up and Nick Pivetta was activated. In fact, if this was the middle of June and the Sox were 24-36, with the way the offense was gelling and the rotation improving, the Sox may have made a comeback during a full season. As it was, Sox management didn't even try this year. Losing Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez and Colin McHugh to either injury or Covid related issues hurt but Sox GM Chaim Bloom didn't even replace them. The Sox went into the season back in July with only two starters, Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez. Those guys would be 4-5 in a real rotation. Meanwhile the Sox sent a production line of bums to pitch this season and that's the real reason they finished last. The offense was as good as anyone but 4 games out of 5 they were down 5-6 runs by the third inning. There were some bright spots this season with Houck being the first. If he can build on this season, he could be their first homegrown ace since Clay Buchholz. Bobby Dalbec replaced Mitch Moreland and hit almost as many home runs as Moreland did. Phillips Valdez was one of the only guys that could get anyone out in the bullpen and the Sox may want to keep him around next year. Alex Verdugo was never going to replace Mookie Betts but in his own way, he became a stud. The Sox have a lot of work to do in the off-season to repair the damage but with all the prospects Bloom orchestrated to acquire plus the additions of Verdugo and Pivetta, rebuilding just got a lot easier. The Sox need to rebuild their bullpen and make a decision on who's in the outfield. If they don't want to bring Jackie Bradley Jr back they better hope this was just an off-year for Andrew Benintendi. Still, unlike last year things are looking up with a re-stocked farm system, a potential new ace and a younger offense that gelled. The Sox finished their season in last place at 24-36 on the season. If MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred doesn't screw with the draft order, the Sox will get the number 4 overall pick since they finished ahead of Pittsburgh, Texas and Detroit. The Sox will most certainly miss out on Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter and the number one bat in the country....but that doesn't mean they can't draft a stud anyway. Who knows what the world will look like come February when spring training begins but with Alex Cora possibly returning, Tanner Houck & Nick Pivetta shoring up the starting pitching, Chris Sale & Eduardo Rodriguez coming back and Alex Verdugo gelling with Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and Christian Vazquez, things are looking a hell of a lot better for 2021 than they did in 2020. Let us never speak of this disaster ever again.

Sox Pound Orioles (9/23/20)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 4 of their NBA East Finals series to the Miami Heat. The good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles. Amazing what happens when you have good starting pitching. The Red Sox have showed some life the last week and there's a big difference in Zack Godley throwing 88 mph fastballs down the middle and Nathan Eovaldi (4-2, 3.72 ERA) throwing 100 miles an hour on the corners. Eovaldi in his potentially last start of the season threw harder than he had all year and the Orioles were his victims. Eovaldi held the Orioles to no runs in 6 innings while blowing away 8 batters. The rejuvenated Red Sox offense pounded out 10 hits and 9 runs and cruised to an easy 9-1 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                       Angie Everhart approves of the win

Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first inning and blew away Cedric Mullins on a 100 mph fastball to start. DJ Stewart whiffed on a 95 mph fastball but Ryan Mountcastle fisted a single past Christian Arroyo nut Renato Nunez whiffed on a splitter in the dirt to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the first against Orioles starter Dean Kremer as Alex Verdugo doubled off the Monster to start. Rafael Devers went down swinging but Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. Verdugo took third on the fly ball to center by JD Martinez and Jackie Bradley Jr ripped a base hit to right that scored him. Bogaerts took third on the hit and scored on the seeing eye single by Kevin Plawecki to right. JBJ took third on the hit but Bobby Dalbec grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                         JBJ drives in the first run

Eovaldi caught Chance Sisco swinging with a splitter to start the top of the second but Austin Hays singled to center. Rio Ruiz flied out to left and Pat Valaika hit a shot off the Monster. JBJ fired to second and Christian Arroyo applied the tag...SAFE! Arroyo demanded a challenge and the umpires reversed the call, Valaika was out and the inning was over. Michael Chavis grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Arroyo walked. Verdugo flied out to center and Devers whiffed badly to end the inning.

Eovaldi blew away Ramon Urias to start the top of the third before Devers snuffed out a bunt attempt by Mullins. Stewart swung and missed for strike three to end the inning. Bogaerts hit a seeing eye single in the hole at short to start the bottom of the third and Martinez doubled off the centerfield wall to score Xander. JBJ flied out to the right field wall to move Martinez to third when the Baltimore medical staff rushed to the mound to check on Kremer. Plawecki tripled past the diving Hays to score Martinez with another run. Dalbec hit a grounder to third but Plawecki was thrown out at home by a mile. Naturally Chavis doubled off the bottom of the Monster to score Dalbec and it should have scored Plawecki too. Arroyo walked to chase Kremer. Branden Kline came in and walked Verdugo to load the bases and Devers cleared the bases with a double into the right field corner. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning but it was now 8-0.

                                                  Devers clears the bases

Ryan Mountcastle singled to short to start the top of the fourth but Nunez banged into a double play. Sisco grounded out to second to end the inning. Martinez whiffed to start the bottom of the fourth before JBJ also struck out swinging. Plawecki lined out to left to end the inning.

The Orioles threatened in the top of the fifth as Hays singled to right to start. Ruiz whiffed but Valaika singled to right. Urias banged into a double play to end the inning. Bruce Zimmermann came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Dalbec swung and missed for strike three but the ball got away allowing Dalbec to reach first. Chavis lined out to right, Arroyo flied out center and Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning.

Eovaldi returned for the top of the sixth and Mullins grounded out to third to start. Stewart walked but Mountcastle lined out to right. Nunez singled to left but Sisco whiffed to end the inning. That was it for Eovaldi who emptied the tank in what should be his last start of the season. He allowed 7 hits, no runs and a walk while striking out 8.

                                                   Eovaldi finishes this lost year strong

Zimmermann cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Devers whiffed to start. Bogaerts grounded out to third and Martinez also grounded out to third to end the inning.

Mike Kickham was first out of the bullpen in the top of the seventh and naturally Hays hit a home run to Argentina to put the Orioles on the board. Ruiz lined one off Kickham but Bogaerts threw him out at first. Valaika singled to left but Kickham got Urias swinging at air on a nasty curve. Mullins grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-1.

                                                       Hays hits one out

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh as JBJ walked to start. Plawecki singled to left but Dalbec whiffed. Urias made a great stab to get Plawecki at second but a wild pitch scored JBJ. Arroyo popped up to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-1.

                                                                     JBJ scores a run

Kickham returned for the top of the eighth and Stewart grounded out to second to start. Mountcastle singled to center, Nunez walked and Sisco walked to load the bases. Sox manager Ron Roenicke finally pulled the incompetent Kickham and Jeffrey Springs was brought in. Springs froze Hays with a 91 mph inside fastball for strike three and got Ruiz to ground out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Verdugo took strike three to start. Devers grounded out to third but Bogaerts beat out an infield single to short. Tzu-Wei Lin ran for Bogaerts but was forced at second by Martinez to end the inning.

Springs returned for the top of the ninth and Valaika whiffed to start. Urias singled to right but Mullins whiffed on an 83 mph fastball. Stewart whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won it easily 9-1.

                                                       Sox win!

Hero of the Night is Nathan Eovaldi. He was outstanding in his last start, throwing 6 shutout innings while touching 100 on the gun.

                                                  One final Hero for Eovaldi

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Kevin Plawecki was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Christian Arroyo walked twice and scored a run in 2 innings of work.

Jeffrey Springs tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Mike Kickham allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored 2 runs.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of three strikeouts but the one hit drove in 3 runs.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Michael Chavis was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Honorable Mention:

Tzu-Wei Lin pinch ran for Bogaerts and played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Sox fans are kicking trash cans because the Sox cost themselves the top 2 draft slots but what did they expect? What's the biggest difference between the Sox in August and the Sox the last few weeks? Starting pitching, that's what. When you have Eovaldi, Martin Perez, Tanner Houck and Nick Pivetta tossing zeroes for 5-6 innings and an offense that's still good, that's at least a .500 team if not better. The Sox bullpen is still a mess but if Pivetta can be fixed and Houck is the real deal, the rebuild is going to go a lot quicker. Eovaldi was hitting 100 tonight only because this was his last start. If he did that 2 or 3 starts in a row, his arm would fall off. Still, Perez, Pivetta and Eovaldi could be 3, 4 and 5 in the rotation and Sox fans can live with it until Chris Sale comes back. As for this game, hate to tell the "tank" fans but the Sox are better than the Orioles. Baltimore played over their heads the first month of the season and the Sox completely underachieved. On paper, with Houck and Pivetta especially, the Sox are better. Hopefully the Sox won't be riddled by injuries and get Alex Cora back for 2021. As for this game, good win. The win improved the Sox to 22-34, 1 game behind the Orioles for fourth place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to sweep the Orioles when they send Martin Perez (3-4, 3.88 ERA) to the mound up against Orioles ace Alex Cobb. The final home game of the season begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Marlins Pound Sox (9/16/20)

So much for last night's Boston Red Sox feel good story win over the Miami Marlins. Tonight the Marlins smacked the Sox back to earth by jumping on the REAL Sox pitching staff they've featured almost every game this season. Mike Kickham (  got knocked out in the third inning after allowing 6 runs. The Sox tried to fight back but Robinson Leyer allowed a backbreaking 2 run homer in the 5th inning. The Sox reverted back to their losing ways as they dropped this one 8-4 at Marlins Park.

                                             "When do the Sox actually win?"

Trevor Rogers got the ball in the top of the first and Alex Verdugo greeted him with an infield single to first. Rafael Devers walked but Xander Bogaerts flied out to center. JD Martinez whiffed and Christian Vazquez took strike three to end the inning. Kickham got the ball in the bottom of the first and Miguel Rojas flied out to center to start. Jesus Aguilar singled to left but Brian Anderson took strike three. Garrett Cooper effortlessly blasted a home run into the Gulf of Mexico to put the Marlins up for good. Lewis Brinson grounded out to third to end the inning with the Marlins up 2-0.

                                                    Cooper goes yard

Yairo Munoz singled to left to start the top of the second and swiped second. Bobby Dalbec whiffed, Michael Chavis grounded out to short and Christian Arroyo grounded out to first to end the inning. Jorge Alfaro lined out to short to start the bottom of the second before Sean Rodriguez singled to second. Jazz Chisholm flied out to left and Monte Harrison struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the third as Verdugo singled to start. Devers was plunked and both runners moved over on the Bogaerts grounder to third. Martinez hit a sac fly to score Verdugo to cut the lead. Vazquez walked but Munoz lined out to Rogers to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                Verdugo starts the rally

The Marlins were personally offended the Sox scored on them so they knocked Kickham out in the bottom of the third. Rojas doubled to left but Aguilar struck out swinging. Anderson singled home Rojas to increase the lead. Cooper flied out to right but Brinson doubled home Anderson and Alfaro hit a home run all the way to Sweden to ice the game and chase Kickham. After doing well the last 2 weeks, Kickham showed why he wasn't in the majors for 6 years by allowing 6 runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Phillips Valdez came in and got Rodriguez to ground out to short to end the inning with the Marlins up 6-1.

                                                "GET OUT AND STAY OUT!" -RR

Old pal Josh Smith took over for Rogers in the top of the fourth and cruised. Dalbec grounded out to third, Chavis also grounded out to third and Arroyo took strike three to end the inning. Chris Mazza came on for the bottom of the fourth and struck out Chisholm swinging to start. Harrison walked but Rojas flied out to right. Harrison stole second but Aguilar flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox got a run back in the top of the fifth when Verdugo hit a ground rule double to right to start. Devers doubled him home to cut the lead. Devers moved to third on the grounder by Bogaerts but Martinez whiffed. Vazquez popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                           Devers drives in a run

Robinson Leyer came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and once again the Marlins were so offended the Sox scored a run that they scored too. Anderson grounded out to first but Cooper walked. Brinson struck out swinging but Alfaro smashed his second homer of the game to put the game out of reach. Rodriguez took strike three to end the inning but the Marlins were up 8-2.

                                                     Alfaro does it again

Nick Vincent came in for the top of the sixth and Munoz greeted him with a base hit to left. Dalbec took strike three and Chavis struck out swinging, but Arroyo doubled to center. Verdugo walked but Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Domingo Tapia came in for the bottom of the sixth and Chisholm took strike three to start. Harrison singled to second and Rojas walked, but Aguilar flied out to left. Anderson grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ryne Stanek came in for the top of the seventh and the Sox rallied. Bogaerts got a hit to third and Martinez belted his fifth home run of the season to cut the lead. Vazquez popped up to short and Munoz flied out to right but Dalbec walked to chase Stanek. Brad Boxberger came in but Chavis hit a foul ball off the mask of Alfaro, knocking him out of the game. Chad Wallach came in and Chavis whiffed to end the inning but the Sox were down 8-4.

                                                       Martinez finally hits one out

Robert Stock came on for the bottom of the seventh and Cooper grounded out to short to start. Brinson whiffed and Wallach grounded out to short to end the inning.

Yimi Garcia came in to pitch the top of the eighth and cruised as Arroyo whiffed to start. Verdugo took strike three and Devers hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Stock came back for the bottom of the eighth and Rodriguez flied out to right to begin. Chisholm grounded out to second and Harrison flied out to right to end the inning.

Brandon Kintzler came in to close out the top of the ninth and Bogaerts flied out to right to begin. Martinez singled to right but Vazquez struck out swinging. Munoz grounded out to second to end the game. The Marlins had won it 8-4.

                                                       Marlins win

Jackass of the Night is Mike Kickham. He allowed 6 runs in 2 2/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                   Kickham the Jackass

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and was hit with a pitch.

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with 3 total rbis and a 2 run home run.

Yairo Munoz was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.

Phillips Valdez retired the only man he faced.

Chris Mazza tossed a scoreless inning.

Domingo Tapia pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Robert Stock tossed two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Michael Chavis was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Robinson Leyer allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

It was fun watching Houck last night because tonight was more of the same that we've seen all season. Lousy starting pitching, no offense and a bullpen that gives up one run after another. It was nice to see Martinez homer just to stay over the Mendoza line but apart from that, another typical loss in a season full of them. Thankfully there'a only 10 games left of this torture to endure. The word is Tanner Houck is going to start against the Yankees so if nothing else, the Sox have 3 starting pitchers for the final 10 games including Martin Perez and Nathan Eovaldi. If the Sox are gonna lose, at least can at least try in those games. The sad part about this season is Mookie Betts may be NL MVP and lead the LA Dodgers to the World Series.....and Verdugo is hitting .318 while being even better than he was last year in LA. Not even Mookie could have helped this team I'm afraid. The loss dropped the Sox to 18-32, last place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox and Marlins play the rubber game of the series when Nathan Eovaldi (2-2, 4.82 ERA) takes on Jose Urena at 1:10 PM at Marlins Park.

Devers, Sox Down Rays (9/10/20)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a few roster moves. Jose Peraza was optioned to the Alternate Training Site. He had been below average all season and with the rise of Jonathan Arauz and Bobby Dalbec, Peraza has been expendable. In a case of "how dare they win a game". Austin Brice was placed on the Injured List with a strained right lat muscle. Zac Godley was also placed on the Injured List with a right elbow flexor strain. In their places, the Sox called up Robert Stock, Matt Hall and Dylan Covey....god help us.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                             IN

As for the game, if Bobby Dalbec is pulling a 1987 Sam Horn, at least he won't have time to cool off with only 15 games left in the season. His latest victim was the AL East frontrunning Tampa Bay Rays. After battling the Rays to a 2-2 tie through 4, Dalbec smashed his sixth homer of the season to give the Sox the lead. Ryan Weber (1-2, 5.35 ERA) coughed up the lead almost immediately but Rafael Devers hit the killshot in the seventh. The normally terrible bullpen slammed the door and somehow the Sox had beaten the Rays 4-3 at Tropicana Field.

                                                        Sam Horn approves of the win

The Sox did nothing against Rays starter Josh Fleming in the top of the first as Alex Verdugo took strike three to start. Rafael Devers grounded back to the mound and Xander Bogaerts singled to first. JD Martinez whiffed to end the inning. Kickham got the ball in the bottom of the first and Bobby Dalbec booted a ground ball by old Sox prospect Manny Margot to start. Randy Arozarena whiffed and Margot was thrown out at second by the alert Christian Vazquez. Austin Meadows walked and Mike Brosseau was plunked, but Hunter Renfroe flied out to right to end the inning.

Vazquez whiffed to start the top of the second before Yairo Munoz also went down hacking. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to end the inning.  Kickham struck out Brandon Lowe to begin the bottom of the second before Willy Adames also went down hacking. Kevan Smith was plunked but Joey Wendle whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third although Bobby Dalbec went down hacking to start. Christian Arroyo flied out to left but Verdugo singled to left. Devers stepped up and bashed his 10th homer of the season to right to put the Sox on top. Bogaerts walked but Martinez grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                       Devers hits one out

Margot singled to short to start the bottom of the third but was erased on the force by Arozarena...but wait! Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged the call but was denied. Meadows and Brosseau both whiffed to end the inning.

Vazquez walked to start the top of the fourth but was erased on the Munoz force. JBJ banged into a double play to end the inning. The Rays finally figured out Kickham in the bottom of the fourth when Renfroe and Lowe hit back to back jacks to tie the game. Adames went down hacking, Smith struck out swinging and Wendle grounded out to second to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2. Kickham went 4 innings and struck out 8 batters, too bad about the home runs.

                                                     Not great but it'll do

The Sox took the lead in the top of the fifth when Dalbec homered in his 5th straight game to start. Arroyo singled to right but was erased on the force by Verdugo. Devers singled to right to chase Fleming. Ryan Thompson came in and Bogaerts popped up to second. Martinez whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2. 

                                              Dalbec homers again

Ryan Weber came in for the bottom of the fifth and immediately gave up a base hit to left to Margot. Yoshi Tsutsugo pinch hit for Arozarena and flied out to center but Margot swiped second. Meadows then hit a ground rule double down the left field line to tie the game. Ji-Man Choi pinch hit for Brosseau and struck out swinging. Renfroe took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 3.3

                                                        Meadows ties it up

Vazquez lined out to center to start the top of the sixth before Munoz whiffed. Ryan Sherriff came in to pitch to Bradley and JBJ popped up to short to end the inning. Weber returned for the bottom of the sixth and walked Lowe to start. Adames took strike three but Nate Lowe pinch hit for Smith, only to fly out to right. Brandon Lowe took second on a wild pitch but Wendle took strike three to end the inning.

Michael Perez took over behind the plate with Pete Fairbanks on the mound for the top of the seventh. The Sox rallied although Dalbec whiffed to start. Arroyo singled to short and Verdugo walked before Devers singled home Christian with the go-ahead run. Bogaerts flied out to center and Martinez whiffed to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 4-3.

                                                  Arroyo scores the go-ahead run

Weber returned briefly for the bottom of the seventh just to get Margot to fly out to left. Jeffrey Springs came in and froze Tsutsugo for strike three, but Meadows walked. Choi grounded out to second to end the inning.

John Curtiss came in for the top of the eighth and Vazquez lined out to right to start. Munoz and JBJ both whiffed to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in for the bottom of the eighth and Kevin Kiermaier pinch hit for Renfroe only to take strike three. Lowe flied out to left but Adames walked. Perez whiffed to end the inning.

Aaron Loup came in for the top of the ninth and Dalbec earned the hat trick with his third strikeout of the game. Arroyo flied out to right and Verdugo took strike to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in for the bottom of the ninth and walked Wendle to start. Margot forced Wendle at second before stealing second. Tsutsogo whiffed but a wild pitch moved Margot to third. With Sox fans pathetically hoping Meadows would hit a 2 run homer so the Sox could get a better draft pick, Barnes laughed at them as he froze Austin for strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it to stick it to their own fans 4-3.

                                                     Sox win

Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers. He drove in 3 runs with a home run and the go-ahead rbi single in the sixth.

                                                        Devers the happy Hero

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Mike Kickham went 4 innings and allowed just 2 home runs while striking out 8 men.

Jeffrey Springs got the final 2 outs of the seventh inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Matt Barnes earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Yairo Munoz was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error but the one hit was a home run.

Ryan Weber got the win by allowing a run in 2 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

If nothing else, 2020 showed the Red Sox offense is in good hands for the future. Devers, Dalbec, Bogaerts and Verdugo could be a core for years to come. If Andrew Benintendi and JD Martinez come back strong next season and the Sox don't trade Vazquez, that's a powerful lineup. The pitching is a mess that needs to be fixed but with all the prospects the Sox traded for, the rebuild could take a lot less time. Rumors are going around that Tanner Houck may be making his ML debut soon. He was the first round pick in the 2017 draft and fans have been awaiting him for years now. With all the bad news that's gone on this season, him doing well could give a glimmer of hope for the future. As for this game, good for Kickham to toss 4 serviceable innings and the bullpen not to cough up the lead. JD Martinez looks totally lost and the Sox may sit him down the final week of the season. They fired Benintendi out of here when he wasn't producing so why are they holding on to JD when he's clearly not going to turn it around? Still, a good win is a good win and tonight was a good one. The win improved the Sox to a terrible 16-29 on the season. The Sox look to make it three wins in a row when they send Andrew Triggs (0-2, 9.95 ERA) to the mound against Rays ace Blake Snell at 6:40 PM at Tropicana Field.

Sox Rally, Walkoff Jays (9/5/20)

The bad news was the Toronto Raptors defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 4 of their second round NBA playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. For five innings everything was going the Red Sox way. Ryan Weber tossed 5 solid innings and the Sox had a 3-2 lead. Naturally the incompetent Boston bullpen blew that completely by allowing 6 runs in the next two innings. Trailing 8-6, the Sox rallied with a Rafael Devers home run in the seventh and a Xander Bogaerts solo shot in the ninth to tie it up. Christian Vazquez scored on a blunder by Toronto to win the game for the Sox 9-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                  ITS A MIRACLEEEE!!!

Weber got the ball in the top of the first and Jonathan Villar grounded out to first to start. Randal Grichuk lined out to third and Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez grounded out to first to start. Alex Verdugo whiffed to start the bottom of the first against Jays starter Chase Anderson before Rafael Devers also went down hacking. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Jays struck first in the top of the second as Teoscar Hernandez smashed a 500,000 foot bomb to give the Jays the lead. Travis Shaw took strike three, Vladimir Guerrero Jr whiffed and Joe Panik grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                        Hernandez goes yard

The Sox got a week's worth of home runs in the bottom of the second when JD Martinez clobbered his fourth home run of the season to start. Christian Vazquez dropped a base hit to right but Yairo Munoz went down hacking. Jackie Bradley Jr crushed a home run over the Red Sox bullpen to give the Sox the lead. Michael Chavis grounded out to short but Bobby Dalbec annihilated a home run into the Monster Seats to increase the lead. Verdugo flied out to right to end the inning but three home runs gave the Sox a 4-1 lead.

                                                         3 homers in one inning

Danny Jansen lined out to center to start the top of the third but Derek Fisher doubled to center. Fisher moved to third on the Villar grounder but Grichuk grounded out to third to end the inning.  Devers lined out to right to start the bottom of the third before Bogaerts flied out to center. Martinez walked and Vazquez hit a roller into left for a single, but Munoz hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the fourth when, who else, Tellez got the rally started with a base hit to left. Hernandez flied out to right but Shaw doubled home Tellez to cut the lead. Guerrero Jr hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts who threw himself on the ball and swam on it for an error to put runners at the corners. Panik hit into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                 Shaw drives in a run

The Sox jumped in the bottom of the fourth although JBJ grounded out to second to start. Chavis singled to short but was thrown out going from first to third on the base hit by Dalbec. Verdugo doubled Bobby to third and Devers doubled inside the first base line to score both runners. Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                               Devers drives in a pair

Weber returned for the top of the fifth and Jansen flied out to right to start. Fisher walked and Villar got a base hit to center. Villar tried for second and Bradley threw in...OUT! But wait! The Jays challenged the call but the call was upheld. Grichuk popped up to first to end the inning. Weber was the first starter besides Martin Perez and Nathan Eovaldi to complete 5 innings.

                                                           Weber goes 5

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Martinez singled to left to start before Vazquez ate up Shaw with a grounder for a single. Munoz hit into a double play to erase him and Martinez before JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning.

Josh Taylor came in for the top of the sixth and crapped his pants. Tellez walked to start and Hernandez singled to center, but Shaw lined out to second. Guerrero Jr then swatted a three run home run all the way to Las Vegas to cut the lead. Panik singled to left but Jansen forced him at second. Lourdes Gurriel Jr pinch hit for Fisher and hit a ground ball to Taylor. Taylor threw his glove at the ball and did the Macarena for an error but Villar grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                        Dammit

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Chavis flied out to left to start. Dalbec flied out to center and Verdugo grounded out to third to end the inning.

Phillips Valdez took a beating in the top of the seventh as Grichuk singled to center to start. Tellez also singled to center and Hernandez singled to left. Grichuk scored but Munoz gunned down Tellez at third. Shaw grounded back to the mound but Guerrero Jr walked. Panik doubled to right to score Hernandez with the go-ahead run. Cavan Biggio pinch hit for Jansen and walked to chase the incompetent Valdez. Robert Stock came in and Gurriel Jr beat out an infield single to score Guerrero Jr with the insurance run. Villar was retired on a squibber in front of the plate but the Jays looked to have had the game in hand with an 8-6 lead.

                                                    Jays take the lead

Caleb Joseph came in to catch the bottom of the seventh and the Sox got a key run back when Devers led off with his 7th home run of the year to cut the lead. Bogaerts and Martinez both flied out to center and Vazquez took strike three to end the inning but the Sox were down 8-7.

                                             Devers goes yard

Mike Kickham came in for the top of the eighth and struck Grichuk out swinging to start. Tellez singled to short but Hernandez whiffed. Shaw doubled to right and Guerrero Jr was intentionally walked to load the bases. Kickham got a big out when Panik lined out to left to end the inning. Munoz singled to right to start the bottom of the eighth and Anthony Kay was brought in to face JBJ. Bradley walked but Chavis and Dalbec both whiffed. Verdugo singled to second to load the bases but Devers lined out to short to end the inning.

Kickham returned for the top of the ninth and Joseph walked to start. Gurriel Jr and Villar both whiffed but Grichuk singled to right. Tellez lined out to a running JBJ to end the inning. Kickham ended up earning his first career win, good for him.

                                                      Kickham gets it done

Anthony Bass was brought in to close out the bottom of the ninth but Bogaerts had other plans. Bogaerts took Anthony's 3-2 pitch to dead center for his 9th home run of the year to tie the game.

                                                      Bogaerts ties it up

Martinez walked and Jose Peraza ran for him, only to be forced at second by Vazquez. Vazquez then made a mad dash to second base and Joseph airmailed the throw, sending Christian to third with the winning run. Munoz hit a chopper to third and Shaw came home with the throw....THAT GOT AWAY! VAZQUEZ SCORED TO WIN THE GAME!!!

                                                    Happy Sox


Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. Without his home run, the Sox don't make the comeback to win it.

                                             JD salutes our Hero



The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 3 total rbis, a home run and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and a home run.

Christian Vazquez was 3 for 5 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a home run.

Ryan Weber tossed 5 innings and allowed just 2 runs.

Mike Kickham earned his first career win with 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Josh Taylor was lit up for 3 runs and a charged error in the 6th inning.

Phillips Valdez was lit up for 3 runs in just 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Yairo Munoz was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Michael Chavis was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Robert Stock allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.



Honorable Mention:

Jose Peraza ran for Martinez in the 9th inning.




Final Thoughts:

Two games in a row the Sox showed some life to win it. Grumpy Sox fans hoping for the number one overall pick can go live in a tree because winning is better than losing. The inept Sox pitching got lit up for SIXTEEN hits, 6 walks and 8 runs but the offense stepped up big time. The Sox as a team hit 5 home runs which is usually a whole week's worth. Would love to see the Sox get hot and win a few games if nothing else but to piss off New York Yankee fans. The Baltimore Orioles are only 3 games behind the Yankees and the Yankees are in danger of getting knocked out of the playoffs if they don't right their ship. If only the Sox were trying to win this season, maybe they could have helped Baltimore and Tampa Bay knock out the Yankees. As for the awful pitching, at least Ryan Weber and Mike Kickham had their days in the sun. The win improved the Sox to 14-27, last place in the AL East. The Sox finish their 5 game set with the Jays tomorrow afternoon when Andrew Triggs (0-2, 16.20 ERA) tries not to suck against Robbie Ray of the Jays at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.