Aviles, Sox Pound A's (4/30/12)

Its been a bad month for the Boston Red Sox but at least it ends on a high note. The rejuvenated Red Sox offense beat up Tommy Milone and the Oakland A's. Mike Aviles hit a three run home run while David Ortiz hit two big flies of his own. Darnell McDonald went yard, Marlon Byrd drove in a few runs and the offense rolled to 11 hits and 11 runs. Meanwhile Clay Buchholz (3-1, 8.69 ERA) allowed just 1 run through the first six inning but fell apart in the seventh. After a 5 run beatdown, he was mercifully pulled and the bullpen pitched shutout ball after that. In the end the Sox had won their 7th out of their last 8 games including this one 11-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Alex Silva approves of the win

Buchholz got the ball in the top of the first and Jemile Weeks struck out swinging on a big curveball to start. Old friend Coco Crisp grounded out to first and guest Sox analyst Peter Gammons called Oakland's Stadium the "Al Davis Memorial Dump."  Another old buddy Josh Reddick walked and Yoenis Cespedes lined out to center to end the inning. Milone got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mike Aviles popped up to second to start. Dustin Pedroia reached on an error by Weeks and stole second, but Adrian Gonzalez lined out to Brandon Inge. Cody Ross swung at strike three in the dirt to end the inning.

The A's struck first in the top of the second as Seth Smith took strike three to start. Kurt Suzuki lined a base hit to center and Daric Barton, but Inge lined out to center. Chad Pennington ripped a base hit to left and then Keystone Kops took over. Suzuki stopped at third base but Barton overran second and got himself caught in a rundown. Nick Punto completely ignored Suzuki going home and tagged out Barton after Kurt scored. The inning was over but that mental error led to the A's leading 1-0.

                                                       Suzuki scores on a mental error

The Sox took their frustrations out on Millone in the top of the second as David Ortiz picked up Punto by lining a home run into the bullpen to tie the game. Kelly Shoppach took strike three but Darnell McDonald pounded a ground rule double into the bullpen. Marlon Byrd singled off the glove of Weeks to drive in Darnell to put Boston on top and moved to second on the Punto grounder to short. Byrd scored on the Aviles base hit to left and Pedroia also got a base hit to left. Gonzalez hit a routine grounder to Weeks who threw to first....UNDER THE GLOVE OF BARTON! The error was charged to Weeks as Aviles scored and both runners moved into scoring position. Ross grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      A nightmare for the A's

Buchholz settled down in the top of the third as Weeks grounded back to the mound to start. Crisp beat out a roller to short but during a pre-taped interview with Ortiz, Reddick grounded into a run-down double play to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Ortiz walked to start. Shoppach struck out swinging but McDonald hit a home run off the centerfield light tower to add to the lead. Byrd flied out to center and Punto took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                     Home run McDonald

Cespedes grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth before Smith struck out swinging. Punto made a great play to rob Suzuki of a hit to end the inning. Aviles grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth before Pedroia flied out to the centerfield wall. Gonzalez flied out to left to end the inning.

Barton took strike three to start the top of the fifth but Inge walked. Pennington was plunked but Weeks lined out to a running Byrd. Aviles made a great play to force Inge at second to end the inning. The Sox blew the game open in the bottom of the fifth although Ross grounded out to Pennington to start. Ortiz hit a ball deep to right and Reddick fell into the bullpen trying to make the catch, the ball popping out for a home run to increase the lead. Shoppach earned the hat trick by striking out swinging but Ingle bobbled a "single" by McDonald to chase Milone. Jordan Norberto came in to pitch and Byrd doubled off the top of the Monster to score McDonald. Punto walked and Aviles hit a 3 run bomb into the Monster Seats to make this a laughter. Pedroia popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-1.

                                      Reddick takes a tumble, a microcosm of the game

Reddick slapped a base hit down the right field line to start the top of the sixth but Cespedes hit into a double play. Smith struck out swinging on a nasty changeup to end the inning. Brian Fuentes came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Gonzalez grounded out to short to start. Ross grounded out to third and Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lars Anderson took over for Ross to start the top of the seventh as Anthony Recker pinch hit for Suzuki to start. Recker got a base hit to left and Barton walked. Inge lined out to short and Barton cleaned out Aviles to break up a double play ball by Pennington. Weeks walked to load the bases and at 94 pitches, Sox manager Bobby Valentine was sound asleep in the dugout. Crisp hit a seeing eye single into right to score both Recker and Pennington. Valentine was still asleep when Reddick smashed a home run all the way to Marblehead to cut the lead in half. Valentine finally woke up to get Buchholz out who was tagged for 6 runs in 6 2/3 innings, what a shame. Junichi Tazawa came in to pour gas on the fire as Cespedes ripped a base hit to center and Smith was hit with a pitch. Recker popped up on the infield and Punto DROPPED IT! Another error loaded the bases and Vicente Padilla was brought in to face Barton. Thankfully Padilla froze Barton for strike three to end the inning but it was now 11-6 Sox.

                                                   Buchholz deserved better

Jim Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Shoppach walked to start. McDonald flied out to center and Byrd grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Scott Atchison came in crap his pants in the top of the eighth as Inge lifted a base hit to center to start. Pennington singled to right and Weeks walked to load the bases with nobody out. Somehow Atchison struck out Crisp swinging and Valentine woke up from another nap to bring in Franklin Morales to face Reddick. This time Reddick grounded into a double play to end the inning. Punto struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth before Aviles flied out to center. Pedroia doubled off the centerfield wall and Gonzalez was intentionally walked to get to Anderson. Lars popped up to Inge to end the inning.

Alfredo Aceves came in to close out the top of the ninth with Ryan Sweeney taking over for Anderson in right to begin. Cespedes struck out swinging on a nasty curveball before Smith went down hacking as well. Recker doubled high off the Monster but Barton popped up to Punto to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-6.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Mike Aviles. His 3 run homer proved to be the biggest difference in the game. He also drove in 4 total runs.

                                                             Hero Aviles

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5.

David Ortiz was 2 for 3 with 2 home runs, a walk and 3 total runs scored.

Darnell McDonald was 3 for 4 with a two run home run and 3 total runs scored.

Marlon Byrd was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Vicente Padilla struck out the only man he faced.

Franklin Morales induced the inning ending double play in the eighth.

Alfredo Aceves pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Cody Ross was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Lars Anderson was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Junichi Tazawa allowed a hit and hit a man without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 4 but drew a walk.

Kelly Shoppach was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Nick Punto was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and an error but walked and scored a run.

Clay Buchholz got the win but allowed 6 runs in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 7 hits and 5 walks.

Scott Atchison allowed 2 hits and a walk in just 1/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

Ryan Sweeney played right field in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Good win to start the homestand but there are definitely some underlying woes with the pitching. Not that Valentine being asleep at the wheel in the seventh inning helped, but Buchholz getting hammered was troubling. If he's only a 6 inning pitcher, that's bad news moving forward. Also the bullpen was a roller coaster with Tazawa and Atchison loading the bases only for Padilla and Morales to bail them out. Things worked out THIS time but given their horrendous start to the year, that's definitely something to keep an eye on. Its not for a few months but getting a bullpen ace at the deadline would be nice since Andrew Bailey won't be back until what looks to be August. Still, offensively the Sox have found their stroke and everyone is pitching in one way or another. Just as long as the pitching doesn't collapse again, they should be one of the best in baseball just like they were last year. The Sox better keep the momentum going because the New York Yankees have struggled out of the gate too, they're not doing much better. All in all it was a good win even if it got frustrating at times. The Sox end the month of April at 11-11, 3.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the A's tomorrow night when Felix Doubront (1-0) goes for the Sox against Jarrod Parker of the A's. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Floyd, White Sox Shut Down Red Sox (4/29/12)

It was bad news all around for the city of Boston as the Atlanta Hawks defeated the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series and the Chicago White Sox snapped the Boston Red Sox six game win streak. Gavin Floyd held the Boston lineup to just 1 run and 3 hits in 6 2/3 innings, following in Jake Peavy's footsteps from yesterday. Meanwhile the White Sox pounced on Josh Beckett (2-3, 4.45 ERA) for three early runs including an Adam Dunn home run. Beckett recovered to pitch into the seventh inning but the Red Sox could muster a Cody Ross rbi single. The White Sox got the insurance run in the bottom of the eighth and the White Sox bested Boston 4-1 at Comiskey Park.

                                                              Losing to Chicago?

Floyd got the ball in the top of the first and Mike Aviles flied out to center to start. Ryan Sweeney struck out swinging and Dustin Pedroia popped up to left to end the inning. The White Sox wasted no time getting to Beckett in the bottom of the first as Alejandro De Aza singled over the head of Adrian Gonzalez to start. Brent Lillibridge dropped down a bunt to move De Aza to second and Alejandro scored on the Alex Rios base hit to left to put the White Sox up for good. Adam Dunn hit the killshot with a two run home run to South America to ice the game. AJ Pierzynski struck out swinging and Alexei Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning with the game already over 3-0 Chicago.

                                                       Dunn puts the ChiSox up for good

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the second as Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. David Ortiz flied out to center and David Ross took strike three to end the inning. Beckett recovered in the bottom of the second as Kosuke Fukudome grounded out to first to start. Dayan Viciedo took strike three and Eduardo Escobar grounded out to first to end the inning.

Floyd dominated the top of the third as Nick Punto struck out swinging to start. Marlon Byrd also struck out swinging and Kelly Shoppach popped up to second to end the inning. The White Sox threatened in the bottom of the third as De Aza took strike three to start. Lillibridge dumped a base hit to right but Rios flied out to left. Lillibridge stole second and Dunn walked, but Pierzynski lined out to a running Ross to end the inning.

Aviles popped up to right to start the top of the fourth before Sweeney grounded out to second. Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning. Ramirez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Fukudome flied out to left. Viciedo singled to left but Escobar struck out swinging to end the inning.

Gonzalez grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Ortiz grounded out to second. Ross walked to break up the perfect game but Punto took strike three to end the inning. De Aza struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Lillibridge flied out to left. Rios struck out swinging to end the inning. Apart from that first inning, Beckett had pitched very well.

The no-hitter continued in the top of the sixth as Byrd grounded out to short to start. Shoppach flied out to right as White Sox broadcaster Ken Harrelson told a funny story of how Blue Moon Odom won a big money bet by walking on his hands around the length of Municipal Stadium. Aviles grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                       Kansas City handwalking champion

Dunn struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Pierzynski flied out to left. Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning. 

Sweeney struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh but Pedroia broke up the no-hitter with a base hit to center. Gonzalez struck out swinging but Ortiz doubled into the right field corner. Ross hit a seeing eye single to left to score Ortiz and chase Floyd from the game. Addison Reed came in and Punto grounded out to first to end the inning with the BoSox down 3-1.

                                                       Ross gets the BoSox on the board

Beckett ran out of gas in the bottom of the seventh as Fukudome grounded out to first to start. Viciedo popped up to first in foul territory but Escobar singled in the hole at first. De Aza and Lillibridge both walked to load the bases and chase Beckett. His one mistake to Dunn was the difference in the game as he left after 6 2/3 innings while allowing 3 runs. Scott Atchison came in to face Rios and got him to fly out to right to end the inning.

                                                               Beckett made one mistake

Lars Anderson pinch hit for Byrd to lead off the top of the eighth and flied out to left to begin. Jarrod Saltalamacchia pinch hit for Shoppach and struck out swinging but Aviles walked to chase Reed. Matt Thornton came in to pitch to Sweeney but Red Sox manager Bobby Valentine countered by bringing in Darnell McDonald to pinch hit for Ryan. McDonald took strike three to end the inning....I could have done that. Rich Hill made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and crapped his pants. Dunn walked and Brent Morel pinch ran for him. Pierzynski hit into a double play but Ramirez reached on a swinging bunt to Hill and Fukudome walked to chase Rich. Junichi Tazawa came in and Viciedo hit a single to left to score Ramirez for another run. Escobar flied out to center to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                         White Sox score another run

Thornton came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Pedroia lined out to second to start. Gonzalez struck out swinging to earn the hat trick and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the game. The White Sox had won it 4-1.

                                                           White Sox win

Jackass of the Night is Adrian Gonzalez. He was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts in a game where one swing of the bat could have made the difference.

                                                         Gonzalez The Jackass

The Good:

Cody Ross was 1 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.

Scott Atchison retired the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Ryan Sweeney was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Darnell McDonald struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Punto was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Marlon Byrd was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Lars Anderson was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Kelly Shoppach was 0 for 2.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out as a pinch hitter.

Rich Hill was charged with a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Mike Aviles was 0 for 3 but walked.

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

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Josh Beckett allowed just 3 runs but couldn't get out of the seventh inning. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks but struck out 8 batters.

Junichi Tazawa allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in the eighth inning.

Final Thoughts:

All good things must come to an end and the six game win streak was snapped. Its too bad the Red Sox couldn't generate any offense until it was too late because Beckett overcame his lousy first inning to pitch into the seventh inning. Punto leaving men on and Tazawa giving up the fourth run ruined any hope of a comeback. Just have to tip your cap to Gavin Floyd the same way Jake Peavy dominated last night. Hopefully the Sox bats can wake up in their next series because essentially they've scored two runs in the last two games against a starter. Getting good starts from Beckett and Jon Lester has certainly helped turn things around this month. Still, the bats lit up the White Sox the first two games and that's the kind of offense they should be having, not the one that's been shut down the last two games. The BoSox have one game left this month and now they return home for a set with the Oakland A's. Clay Buchholz (2-1) gets the start for Boston against Tommy Milone of Oakland tomorrow night. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

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

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

                                                                      OUT

                                                                IN

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

                                                     Olivia Munn approves of the win

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

                                                      Pain in the ass Pierzynski does it again

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

                                                        Home run Big Papi

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

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

                                                 Nice throw Youk

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

                                                    Shoppach's bat went further than the ball

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

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

                                                     Home run Konerko

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

                                                    McDonald clears the bases

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

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

                                                    Red Sox pour it on

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

                                                             Bard gets it done

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

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

                                                          Home run McDonald

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

                                                         Sox win

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

                                                      McDonald Hero

The Good:

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

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

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

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

Marlon Byrd was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

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

Matt Albers tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Nick Punto was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

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

Mike Aviles was just 1 for 6 with a strikeout.

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

Honorable Mention:

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

Final Thoughts:

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

Beckett, Sox Thrash Twins (4/24/12)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox announced Nate Spears cleared waivers and was returned back to Pawtucket. As for the game, the Boston Red Sox left no doubt in this one against the Minnesota Twins. The Boston bats woke up to launch an 18 hit attack against Nick Blackburn and the Minnesota bullpen. Mike Aviles and David Ortiz both went yard and Adrian Gonzalez drove in a couple of runs. On the other side of the ball Josh Beckett tossed 6 solid innings and held the Twins to just two runs. Scott Atchison and Matt Albers was perfect out of the bullpen and the Sox ran away with an 11-2 victory over the Twins at Target Field.

                                                 Jill Valentine approves of the win

The Sox ambushed Blackburn in the top of the first as Mike Aviles doubled to center to start. Ryan Sweeney singled up the middle to score Aviles but Dustin Pedroia forced him at second. Adrian Gonzalez singled to right to move Pedroia to third and David Ortiz scored Dustin with a base hit to left. Kevin Youkilis dropped a base hit to right to load the bases and Gonzalez scored on the Cody Ross grounder to first. Marlon Byrd grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                            Sox take the lead

The Twins wasted no time getting to Beckett in the bottom of the first as Denard Span drilled a base hit to center to start. Jamey Carroll forced Span at second and Joe Mauer walked. Josh Willingham walked to load the bases and Justin Morneau walked to score Carroll. Beckett recovered to strike out Ryan Doumit swinging but felt he was getting squeezed. Danny Valencia grounded out to third to end the inning and Beckett started screaming at home plate umpire Adrian Johnson who screamed back. All this mayhem had the Twins down 3-1.

                                                         Twins score a run

Kelly Shoppach doubled off the right field wall to start the top of the second and Aviles dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Kelly to third. Unfortunately Sweeney grounded out to second and Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning. Chris Parmalee struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Trevor Plouffe grounded out to third. Span grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the third as Gonzalez walked to start. Ortiz clubbed his third home run of the season to increase the lead but Youkilis struck out swinging. Ross flied out to the left field warning track but Byrd ripped a base hit to left. Shoppach struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                        Ortiz jacks one out

Carroll grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third but Mauer singled to center. Willingham doubled to right but Morneau hit a liner to short. Doumit popped up to Byrd to end the inning.

Matt Maloney came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Aviles greeted him with his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Sweeney doubled to the centerfield wall but Pedroia grounded out to short. Gonzalez got a base hit to right to score Sweeney but Ortiz forced Adrian at second. Youkilis got a base hit to left but Ross struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                              Aviles hits one out

Beckett cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Valencia grounded out to third to start. Parmalee flied out to center and Byrd made a running catch to rob Plouffe of a double to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the fifth as Byrd singled to center to start. Shoppach struck out swinging but Aviles hit a double that got caught under the centerfield wall to score Byrd. Sweeney struck out swinging but Pedroia doubled off the right field scoreboard to score Aviles. Gonzalez doubled to left to score Pedroia and chase Maloney. Jeff Gray came in and Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-1.

                                                     Gonzalez drives in a run

Span blooped a double into center to start the bottom of the fifth but got caught in a rundown on a grounder to the mound by Carroll. Mauer flied out to center but Willingham doubled to left to score Carroll to cut the lead. Morneau flied out to left to end the inning with the Twins down 10-2.

                                                       Twins score a run

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth inning as Youkilis flied out to right to start. Ross struck out swinging and Byrd grounded out to short to end the inning. Beckett returned for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth and Doumit took strike three to start. Valencia and Parmalee both struck out swinging to end the inning. Beckett tossed 6 solid innings, survived early squeezing and held the Twins to two runs.

                                                           Beckett gets it done

Shoppach struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Aviles also went down hacking. Sweeney flied out to center to end the inning. Scott Atchison came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Plouffe flied out to right to start. Span took strike three and Carroll grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth with Alex Burnett now on the mound. Pedroia flied out to right and Lars Anderson pinch hit for Gonzalez. Anderson got a base hit to left and Ortiz drew a walk. Nick Punto pinch hit for Youkilis and walked to load the bases. Darnell McDonald pinch hit for Ross and beat out a double play ball to score Anderson. Byrd grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-2.

                                                                    Anderson scores a run

Atchison returned for the bottom of the eighth and Mauer took strike three to start. Clete Thomas pinch hit for Willingham and struck out swinging while Morneau grounded out to first to end the inning.

Shoppach grounded out to third to start the top of the ninth but Aviles got a base hit to left. Sweeney forced Aviles at second and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Matt Albers came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Doumit grounded out to second to start. Sean Burroughs pinch hit for Valencia and doubled to right but Parmalee flied out to left. Plouffe popped up to McDonald to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-2.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of the Night is David Ortiz. He outscored the Twins by himself by driving in three runs including a 2 run homer.

                                                           Aviles salutes our Hero

The Good:

Mike Aviles was 4 for 5 with a two run home run and 3 total runs scored.

Ryan Sweeney was 2 for 6 with an rbi and a run scored.

Adrian Gonzalez was 3 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and two runs scored.

Lars Anderson singled and scored.

Kevin Youkilis was 2 for 4.

Nick Punto walked as a pinch hitter.

Darnell McDonald drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Marlon Byrd was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Josh Beckett earned the win by tossing 6 innings and allowing just the two runs. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 5.

Scott Atchison pitched two scoreless innings.

Matt Albers pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 6 but drove in a run and scored twice.

Cody Ross was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Kelly Shoppach was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like the New York Yankees woke up the Red Sox as they've scored 17 runs against the Twins so far. The Sox are flexing their offensive muscle and the addition of Marlon Byrd is paying off already. Instead of having the black hole of Nate Spears/Jason Repko, Byrd is a threat to get on base to give the Sox a deadly 1-9 when everyone's healthy and hitting. Youkilis and Jarrod Saltalamacchia are beginning to come around too and that's bad news for the rest of the league. Pitching wise Beckett looked good although he was definitely squeezed early. It was encouraging to see Atchison and Albers do well out of the bullpen, especially Albers after that disaster on Saturday. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the Sox can keep up the momentum to have a good rest of the month. The Sox look for the series sweep tomorrow night against the Twins when Clay Buchholz (1-1) gets the ball against Liam Hendriks of Minnesota. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Target Field.

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

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

                                                                           OUT

                                                                   IN

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

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

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

                                                          Youkilis hits one out

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

                                                 "That damn Hamilton again" - Gonzalez

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

                                                                 Yerrrrr out!

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

                                                                 Napoli hits a home run

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

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

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

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

                                                       Beckett got no help tonight

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

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

                                                    "Well this sucks" - Gonzalez

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

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

                                                     Rangers win

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

                                                      Jackass Morales

The Good:

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

Kelly Shoppach was 1 for 2 with a walk.

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

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

Mat Albers tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

Adrian Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Darnell McDonald was 0 for 3.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia lined out as a pinch hitter.

Jason Repko was 0 for 2.

Nick Punto struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

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

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

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

Honorable Mention:

Nate Spears played left field in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

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