Sox Beat A's in Ninth on Error (4/22/15)

The Boston Red Sox won their first game at home this season in dramatic style. Trailing 6-5 to the Philadelphia Athletics in the final frame, the Sox rallied due to an error from second basemen Eddie Murphy to walkoff on the defending AL Champs 7-6 to open Fenway Park in style.

                                                    John F Fitzgerald approves of the win

The once great Napoleon Lajoie also committed FIVE errors throughout the game. The Sox struck first with a run in the bottom of the second but the A's responded with 4 off starter Ernie Shore in the top of the third. The Sox responded with a run in the bottom of the fourth but the A's scored runs in the top of the fifth and sixth to take a 6-2 lead and chase Shore from the game. The Sox got a run in the bottom of the seventh to chase Athletics starter Weldon Wyckoff then got 2 more in the bottom of the eighth against Bob Shawkey. Down 6-5 and at their final out, Eddie Murphy allowed a crucial error which led to the 7-6 victory for the Sox.

Hero of the Night is Ralph Comstock (2-0, 2.00 ERA). He tossed 3 innings of shut-out relief to earn the win and he scored a run at the plate.

                                                            Ralph the Hero


The Good:

Harry Hooper was 2 for 5 with a walk, run scored and an rbi.

Tris Speaker was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, a run scored and an rbi.

Duffy Lewis was 2 for 5.

Hal Janvrin was 1 for 3.

Del Gainer walked with the bases loaded as a pinch hitter.

Hick Cady was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and run scored.

Wally Rehg stole a base and scored as a pinch runner.

Pinch Thomas stole a base and scored as a pinch runner.



The Bad:

Mike McNally was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Ernie Shore sucked. He lasted just 6 innings and allowed 6 runs off FOURTEEN hits. He also was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Olaf Henriksen was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Heinie Wagner was 0 for 5 but walked.

Dick Hoblitzell was 0 for 3 with an error but walked twice and drove in a run.

Everett Scott was 0 for 4 but walked, stole a base and scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

How about those runnin' Red Sox? Twice they sent in a pinch runner, twice they stole a base and twice they scored runs. Every run counted in this improbable win over last year's pennant winners. The Athletics have lost 5 of their first 7 games so they're not off to a good start. Sure the Sox are just 4-3 but its better than that. The Sox return to action against the Athletics next time with Dutch Leonard, last year's ERA champion, making his season debut opposite Herb Pennock, who blinded the Sox on Opening Day. Hopefully this time around will be different.

Hooper, Foster Lead Sox Past Senators (4/20/15)

After getting dispatched by Walter Johnson yesterday, the Boston Red Sox offense returned to form against the lowly Washington Senators, defeating them with the pitching of Rube Foster (1-0, 2.84 ERA) and the offense led by Harry Hooper. Foster was outstanding, holding the Senators to two runs as the Sox took the third game in this four game set 5-2 at Griffith Stadium.

                                                      James J Corbett approves of the win

The Senators struck first with 2 runs off Foster in the bottom of the first inning but the Sox answered with 2 in the third off starter Bert Gallia. The Sox took the lead in the top of the sixth and added an insurance run in the top of the seventh. They wrapped up the scoring with a run off Doc Avers in the top of the ninth as Foster slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth to earn his first win of the season.

Hero of the Night is Rube Foster. He went the distance to earn his first win of the year, scattering 8 hits while allowing just two runs. He also was 2 for 3 at the plate, drove in a run and scored.

                                                      The rube is the Hero


The Good:

Heinie Wagner was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Tris Speaker was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Everett Scott was 2 for 4.

Pinch Thomas was 2 for 3 with a run scored.



The Bad:

Duffy Lewis was 0 for 4.



The Ugly:

Harry Hooper was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored.

Dick Hoblitzell was just 1 for 4.

Hal Janvrin was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Now that was more like it. The Sox needed a good start from Foster and he delivered. It also got the offense it was desperately lacking yesterday against Walter Johnson. The Sox need to sustain this kind of production if they have any hope of competing for the pennant. Tris Speaker is only hitting .150 so far but his offense will come.  If Foster, Leonard and Wood can be the trio of terror their potential shows, this will be a very formidable team to beat down the road. The Sox and Senators play their finale tomorrow with Ray Collins going up against Jim Boehling at Griffith Stadium.

Rip Williams, Senators Sink Sox (4/19/15)

After yesterday's rainout allowed Walter Johnson enough time to pitch today's game, he lived up to his billing as a great pitcher. Even so, one man nearly singlehandedly beat the Boston Red Sox and it wasn't Johnson. Rip Williams, the Washington Senators 1st basemen, drove in all four of Washington's runs as Johnson shut down the Boston attack. When it was all said and done Washington had won the game 4-2 at Griffith Stadium.

                                             Archduke Ferdinand doesn't like Walter Johnson

The Sox wasted no time scoring when Tris Speaker drove in Harry Hooper in the top of the first inning, then Hooper drove in rookie pitcher Carl Mays in the top of the fifth. The Senators fought back to tie the game when Williams drove in 2 runs in the bottom of the sixth. Ray Collins replaced Mays in the 7th and allowed 2 runs in the bottom of the eighth to give the Senators the lead. Johnson slammed the door in the top of the ninth to give the game to the Senators.

Jackass of the Night is Dick Hoblitzell. He went 0 for 4 and bungled an error in the field.

                                                  Dick the Jackass


The Good:

Harry Hooper was 2 for 3 with a walk, run scored and rbi.

Tris Speaker was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Pinch Thomas was 1 for 3.

Carl Mays tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball, also he singled and scored at the plate.



The Bad:

Heinie Wagner was 0 for 3.

Duffy Lewis was 0 for 4.

Everett Scott was 0 for 3.

Olaf Henriksen struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ray Collins took the loss allowing 2 runs in 2 innings.



The Ugly:

Hal Janvrin was 1 for 3 but committed 2 costly errors.



Honorable Mention:

Bill Carrigan caught the bottom of the eighth.




Final Thoughts:

Not much you can do against a pitcher the caliber of Johnson, luckily he only pitches once every 4 days. He shut down the Sox offense pretty good and he certainly is something else. The defense coughed up 3 errors which led to two unearned runs. Mays pitched well all things considering and hopefully next time out he'll get some run support. Tomorrow is the final game of the series and Rube Foster gets the ball against Bert Gallia at Griffith Stadium.