Wacha, Padres Blank Sox (5/21/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Sox GM Chaim Bloom called Ryan Brasier into his office and shouted YOUURREEEEEEEEE.....FIREDDDDDDDDDDD!!!! Brasier was shot out of a cannon after getting off to a poor start and with the rise of John Schreiber, Brasier was deemed expendable. With the Sox having a tendency to overuse the bullpen, this might not have been the best move. Time will tell.

                                                                 Bye bye Brasier

As for the game,  it was bad news all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics lost Game 3 of their Eastern Finals series with the Miami Heat and the San Diego Padres blanked the Sox with the help of an old friend. Michael Wacha improved to 5-1 with the Padres and showed why Sox GM should be headed for the chopping block as the guy who replaced him, Corey Kluber (2-6, 6.26 ERA) got lit up for 5 runs in just 2 1/3 innings. Richard Bleier and Nick Pivetta also got tagged for a few runs. Meanwhile Wacha threw six shutout innings and the Red Sox as a team was held to just 7 hits. It all added up to an embarrassing 7-0 loss to the Padres at Petco Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Wacha got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo flied out to center to start. Masataka Yoshida walked but Triston Casas struck out swinging. Rafael Devers flied out to right to end the inning. Kluber got hammered in the bottom of the first as Fernando Tatis Jr walked to start. Kluber booted a grounder by Jake Cronenworth for an error and Xander Bogaerts walked to load the bases. Juan Soto popped up to short but Matt Carpenter walked to score Tatis. Ha-Seong Kim struck out swinging but Rougned Odor doubled to right to clear the bases, icing the game in just the first inning. Trent Grisham flied out to right to end the inning with the Padres up 4-0.

                                                          Odor ices it

Soto made a great diving catch to rob Jarren Duran of a hit to start the top of the second but Raimel Tapia got a base hit to left. Kike Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Brett Sullivan doubled to center to start the bottom of the second but Tatis Jr grounded out to third. Cronenworth hit a bullet Enmanuel Valdez who tossed to Hernandez to double off Sullivan to end the inning.

Valdez popped up to short to start the top of the third but Reese McGuire lined out to center. Verdugo flied out to right to end the inning. The Padres knocked Kluber out in the bottom of the third although Devers made a great play to rob Bogaerts to start. Soto got a base hit to center and that was it for Kluber. Richard Bleier came in to pour gas on the fire as Carpenter hit a home run all the way to Nebraska to increase the lead. Kim grounded out to third and Odor flied out to left to end the inning with the Padres up 6-0.

                                                  "Yeah you're out, Kluber, now beat it!"

Yoshida got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth before Casas followed with a single to right. Devers grounded into a double play and Duran flied out to right to end the inning. Grisham grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Sullivan flied out to right. Nick Pivetta came in to pitch to Tatis Jr and Nick got him to fly out to right to end the inning.

Tapia got a base hit to center to start the top of the fifth but Hernandez struck out swinging. Valdez flied out to center but McGuire reached on a nubber in front of the plate. Verdugo lined out to right to end the inning. Cronenworth grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Bogaerts took strike three. Valdez threw a ball away by Soto for an error but Carpenter grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Yoshida struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Casas grounded out to first. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. The Padres struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Kim got a base hit to center to start. Odor doubled to left to score Kim but Grisham flied out to left. Sullivan took strike three and Tatis Jr went down hacking to end the inning.

                                                          Odor does it again

Tom Cosgrove came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Duran struck out swinging to start. Tapia struck out swinging and Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Pablo Reyes came in to play second with Joely Rodriguez now on the mound to start the bottom of the seventh. Cronenworth grounded out to second to start and Bogaerts went down hacking. Soto was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Nick Martinez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Reyes lined out to right to start. McGuire got a base hit to center but Verdugo forced him at second. Yoshida got a base hit to left but Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. Justin Garza came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Carpenter was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to begin. Kim struck out swinging and Odor popped up to third to end the inning.

Josh Hader came in to close out the top of the ninth with Jose Azocar in for Soto in left. Devers and Duran both struck out swinging but Tapia walked. Hernandez walked as well but Reyes grounded out to second to end the game. The Padres had won it 7-0.

                                                                     Padres win

Jackass of The Night is Corey Kluber. He got charged with 5 runs in 2 1/3 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks to take the loss.

                                                         Field the ball Jackass

    

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Raimel Tapia was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 3.

Joely Rodriguez pitched a scoreless inning.

Justin Garza pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and an error.

Pablo Reyes was 0 for 2.

Richard Bleier allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Nick Pivetta allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

This is the kind of game that makes you hate to be a Sox fan. You got Michael Wacha dominating on the mound with Xander Bogaerts over his shoulder at short.....for San Diego. Meanwhile Trevor Story is out for half of the season and Corey Kluber is a shell of himself. Not only that, you got Richard Bleier giving up bombs and Pablo Reyes and Enmanuel Valdez going 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error combined. Its only May and there's a lot of baseball left but Bloom doesn't look good right now. Nothing went right in this game and its a miracle the Sox are only 8 games out of first place. There's still time to turn it around but swapping Wacha with Kluber looks awful right now. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-21, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow continuing their west coast trip in Los Angeles in a three game set with the Angels. Kutter Crawford (1-1) takes on Chase Silseth of the Angels tomorrow night at 9:30 PM Eastern time at Angels Stadium.

Jansen Implodes, Cardinals Drop Sox (5/12/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox sent a sack full of money to the hapless Oakland A's for 29 year old utility infielder Pablo Reyes. With Adalberto Mondesi and Christian Arroyo out with injury, the Sox don't want to bring up David Hamilton to soon so they traded for an experienced veteran who can play the infield. Reyes was hitting .257 for Las Vegas when the A's sent him to Boston. Maybe he can at least field the ball.

                                                                          IN

As for the game, another kick in the ass in a season full of them. The St. Louis Cardinals tore a page out of the script from twenty years earlier when they rallied late to beat the Red Sox. The Sox took a 4-2 lead after five innings due to home runs from Enmanuel Valdez and Connor Wong. James Paxton made his long awaited Red Sox debut and delivered five gutty innings to keep the Sox in front. Then Josh Winckowski crapped his pants by allowing three runs in the sixth. The Sox scratched out two runs to take the lead in the bottom of the eighth but Kenley Jansen (1-1, 3.09 ERA) allowed three runs in the top of the ninth including a two run pinch hit home run by Nolan Gorman. The Sox went quietly in the ninth and the Cardinals had won the game 8-6 at Fenway Park.

Paxton made his Sox debut in the top of the first inning and the Cardinals wasted no time getting to him. Tommy Edman took strike three but Paul Goldschmidt singled to left. Willson Contreras took strike three but Nolan Arenado hit a home run all the way to Sweden to put the Cards up just four batters into the game. Juan Yepez grounded out to second to end the inning but the Cardinals led 2-0.

                                                            Cardinals strike first

Wainwright got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo watched strike three go by to start. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to center but Justin Turner grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Dylan Carlson flied out to right to start the top of the second before Paul Dejong struck out swinging. Lars Nootbaar walked but Andrew Krizner flied out to right to end the inning. Rafael Devers flied out to left to start the bottom of the second but Jarren Duran drew a walk. Triston Casas banged into a double play to end the inning.

Edman flied out to right to start the top of the third but Goldschmidt singled to right. Contreras flied out to right but Arenado got a hit to left. Yepez struck out swinging to end the inning. Kike Hernandez flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Enmanuel Valdez took strike three. Connor Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.

Paxton dazzled in the top of the fourth as Carlson took strike three to start. Both Dejong and Nootbaar watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Verdugo doubled to left to start. Yoshida flied out to right but Turner walked. Both runners moved over on the Devers grounder to first and scored on the Duran single to right. Casas doubled to right but some idiot touched the ball for fan interference. Naturally Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Duran gets it done

Paxton returned for the top of the fifth and Knizner flied out to center to start. Edman took strike three and Goldschmidt went down hacking to end the inning. That was it for Paxton who who threw 87 pitches in his return allowing just 2 runs in 5 innings of work.

                                                          Welcome back Paxton

The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fifth when Valdez pounded his second home run of the season and Connor Wong smashed his fourth for back to back jacks. Verdugo lined out to first but Yoshida doubled to right. Turner flied out to right and Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                                  Back to back

The lead didn't last long as Josh Winckowski came in to blow it in the top of the sixth. Contreras hit a home run into the outer reaches of Mongolia to cut the lead then Arenado got a base hit to center. Brendan Donovan pinch hit for Yepez and singled to right before Carlson got a base hit to right to load the bases. De Jong grounded into a double play but Arenado scored to tie the game. That was it for Winckowski as Richard Bleier came in to face Nootbaar. Lars doubled to left to score Donovan to put the Cardinals on top but Knizner popped up to first to end the inning with the Cardinals up 5-4.

                                                              So much for that lead

Andrew Pallante came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Duran grounded out to third to start. Casas singled to center but Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Edman grounded out to third to start the top of the seventh but Goldschmidt singled to center. Conteras grounded into a double play to end the inning. Valdez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh before Wong struck out swinging. Genesis Cabrera came in to pitch to Verdugo and Alex went down hacking to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the eighth as Arenado grounded out to short to start. Donovan grounded out to second and Carlson grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the eighth as Yoshida walked to start. Turner walked and Devers hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to score Yoshida with the tying run. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Duran but Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol countered by bringing in Ryan Helsey to pitch to him. Sox manager Alex Cora countered that by having Railmel Tapia hit for Refsnyder and Bobby Dalbec in to run for Turner. Tapia grounded out to second but Dalbec scored to put the Sox on top. Casas flied out to right but it was 6-5 Sox.

                                                         Good work Devers

Kenley Jansen came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the ninth as DeJong walked to start. DeJong stole second, then scored on the Nootbaar single to center. Nootbaar took off for second and Wong threw the ball over the third baseman's head for no reason for an error to move Lars to third. Nolan Gorman pinch hit for Knizner and hot a home run to Cuba to ice the game. Edman doubled to left and that was it for Jansen. Ryan Brasier came in and Goldschmidt took strike three. Contreras grounded out to third but Arenado singled to left. Edman came around third but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning with the Cards up 8-6

                                                                 That'll do it

Tres Barrera came in to catch the bottom of the ninth and Valdez struck out swinging to start. Reese McGuire pinch hit for Wong and also went down hacking. Verdugo whiffed to end the game. The Cardinals had won it 8-6.

                                                                Cardinals win

Jackass of The Night is Kenley Jansen for blowing the save. He allowed 3 runs to put the game out of reach.

                                                             Jackass Jansen

The Good:

Masataka Yohida was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Justin Turner walked twice and scored a run in four plate appearances.

Bobby Dalbec scored a run as a pinch runner.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 2 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Raimel Tapia drove in a run in his only plate appearance.

Triston Casas was 2 for 4.

James Paxton allowed 2 runs in 5 innings of work. He allowed 4 hits and a walk while striking out nine.

Richard Bleier tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Brennan Bernardino tossed a scoreless inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless ninth inning after Jansen was out.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.

Josh Winckowski allowed 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a home run but struck out and committed an error.

Honorable Mention:

Rob Refsnyder "pinch hit" in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox had this game in the bag but Jansen blew one of his only saves all season tonight. These are the games the Sox can't afford to lose in the era of the three wild cards because even as mediocre as they are, they're going to be in the hunt as long as they don't suffer any catastrophic injuries. The Cardinals are under .500 for a reason and this is a huge loss in the grand scheme of things. The Sox need to start winning these games to gain some ground on the other teams in the AL East. Paxton pitched well too so things may be looking up if he can rediscover his former form he had in New York and Seattle. Hopefully the Sox can put this loss in the rear view mirror because that was BAD. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-17, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Cardinals when Chris Sale takes the mound against Steven Matz. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Schwarber, Phillies Snap Streak (5/7/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Christian Arroyo was placed on the Injured List with a bad hamstring and Bobby Dalbec took his place on the roster. He'll be back soon....I hope.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                    IN

It was a bad night for Boston sports in the city of Philadelphia. The Boston Celtics lost Game 4 of their second round NBA playoff series to the Philadelphia Sixers and a mile away the Philadelphia Phillies snapped the Boston Red Sox 8 game winning streak. Taijuan Walker held the Sox to just one run in 6 masterful innings while Tanner Houck (3-2, 5.26 ERA) was the hard luck loser. The key to the game was the bottom of the sixth inning with the Sox trailing 2-1. Sox manager Alex Cora brought in the lefty Richard Bleier to face old friend Kyle Schwarber with a man on base. Schwarber hit a 434 foot home run to pretty much ice the game. Zack Littell made his Red Sox debut by getting tagged for two runs and another old friend, Matt Strahm, locked down the save as the Phillies beat the Sox 6-1 at Citizens Bank Park.

Walker got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to left but got picked off. Raimel Tapia flied out to left to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Bryson Stott struck out swinging to start. Trea Turner grounded out to short and Bryce Harper grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

Rafael Devers led off the top of the second by lining out to second. Jarren Duran struck out swinging and Triston Casas went down hacking to end the inning. Nick Castellanos struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Kyle Schwarber went down hacking. JT Realmuto got a base hit for center but Realmuto got thrown out at second to end the inning.

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third as Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to first to start. Kike Hernandez grounded out to third and Connor Wong also grounded out to third to end the inning. Alec Bohm grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Brandon Marsh flied out to left. Edmundo Sosa popped up to third to end the inning.

Verdugo took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Yoshida popped up to short. Tapia got a base hit to right to break up the perfect game but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Phillies struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Stott singled to center to start. Turner singled to left and Harper walked to load the bases. Castellanos forced Turner at third but Stott scored to put the Phillies up for good. Schwarber then smacked a base hit to right to score Harper with another run. Realmuto flied out to left and Bohm forced Schwarber at second to end the inning with the Phillies up 2-0.

                                                             Phillies strike first

The Sox did get one back in the top of the fifth as Devers struck out swinging to start. Duran grounded out to short but Casas hit his fourth home run of the season to cut the lead. Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-1.

                                                               Casas goes yard

Marsh lined out to right to start the bottom of the fifth before Sosa flied out to right. Stott popped up to third to end the inning.

Hernandez struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Wong popped up to second. Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. Things went south in the bottom of the sixth although Turner struck out swinging to start. Harper singled to left before moving to second on the Castellanos grounder to second. Sox manager Alex Cora wanted the lefty Richard Bleier to face the lefty Schwarber and the gamble failed as Schwarber hit a home run all the way to Pittsburgh to ice the game. Realmuto flied out to center to end the inning with the Phillies up 4-1. Houck was charged with 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings, but one mistake was the difference.

                                                           Houck deserved better

Jose Alvarado came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Yoshida singled to right to start. Tapia flied out to left, Devers grounded out to first and Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Bohm grounded out to second to start. Marsh struck out swinging but Sosa beat out a roller to short. Sosa was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Old friend Matt Strahm came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Justin Turner pinch hit for Casas to start. Turner struck out swinging and Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Arroyo. Dalbec took strike three but Hernandez doubled to left. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. Zack Littell made his Sox debut in the bottom of the eighth and got hammered. Stott lined out to right but Turner walked. Harper lined out to left but Castellanos doubled to left. Schwarber was intentionally walked to load the bases and Dalton Guthrie ran for him. Realmuto got a base hit to left to score both Turner and Castellanos to increase the lead. Bohm forced Realmuto at second to end the inning with the Phillies up 6-1.

                                                          Realmuto drives in a pair

Strahm came back to close out the top of the ninth with Josh Harrison now in at short for Turner. Verdugo grounded out to first to start the bottom of the ninth before Yoshida grounded back to the mound. Tapia popped up to short to end the game. The Phillies had won it 6-1.

                                                            Phillies win

Jackass of the Night is Richard Bleier. He turned a 2-1 game into 4-1 by allowing the bomb to Schwarber who was 1 for 10 against him up to that point.

                                                         Jackass Bleier

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4.

Triston Casas was 1 for 2 with a home run.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Justin Turner struck out as a pinch hitter.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2.

Bobby Dalbec struck out as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Zack Littell allowed 2 runs in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Raimel Tapia was just 1 for 4.

Tanner Houck took the loss by getting charged with 3 runs in just 5 2/3 innings. He allowed 5 hits, one walk and struck out four.

Final Thoughts:

All good things must come to an end and the Sox finally laid an egg for the first time in over a week. The offense was held to just 5 hits and the bullpen allowing 3 runs (4 technically) didn't help either. They were due for a loss and this was it. Just gotta tip your hat to the Philly offense for getting the hits they did and the pitching for allowing just 5 hits. The only bright spot was Casas getting a home run, at least he showed he can hit the ball. Littell won't be here for long, especially with Joely Rodriguez starting his rehab in Worcester so the Sox are going to have to suffer for a bit. The off-day comes at the right time to rest the bullpen and any bumps and bruises the rest of the team have. Houck didn't pitch that bad and it wasn't the worst decision to have Bleier pitch to Schwarber when Schwarber was 1 for 10 against him. Oh well, just tip your cap and move on. The loss dropped the Sox to 21-15, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night in Atlanta for a two game set with the Braves. Nick Pivetta (2-2, 2.99 ERA) takes on Charlie Morton of the Braves. The game starts at 7:20 PM at Truist Park.

Sale, Sox Drop Phillies (5/5/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. As expected, Kutter Crawford went on the Injured List with a bad hamstring and Kaleb Ort was brought back to take his place. Also the Sox sent a bag of cash to the Texas Rangers for 27 year old right handed pitcher Zack Littell. Littell went a surprising 6-0 with as 2.68 ERA for the Minnesota Twins back in 2019 but flopped since. He was 2-0 with a 2.25 ERA for the Round Rock Express when the Sox got him so if nothing else, he could win Worcester a few games.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                        IN

It was a great night for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 3 of their second round NBA playoff series and down the street the Boston Red Sox won their seventh straight game by taking down the Philadelphia Phillies. Chris Sale (3-2, 6.57 ERA) looked like his vintage self hitting 98 on the gun and holding the powerful Phillies offense to just 3 runs in 6 solid innings. The Sox broke out to a 3-0 lead before the Phillies tied it in the fourth inning. The Sox rallied for two runs in the top of the sixth with Jarren Duran scoring the go-ahead run off a sac fly from Triston Casas. The trio of Richard Bleier, Chris Martin and the returning Kenley Jansen slammed the door in the final innings to preserve the victory. The Sox had won their seventh straight game by beating the Phillies 5-3 at Citizens Bank Park.

                                                      Jaylen Brown approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Phillies starter Zach Wheeler in the top of the first inning as old buddy Kyle Schwarber dropped a routine pop up by Raimel Tapia for an error to start. Masataka Yoshida moved Tapia to third with a grounder to first but Justin Turner struck out swinging. Rafael Devers got a base hit to right to score Tapia to put the Sox on top. Jarren Duran flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Sox strike first

Sale came out throwing gas in the bottom of the first as Schwarber flied out to right to start. Trea Turner popped up to first and Sale blew away Harper on a 98 mph fastball to end the inning.

Kike Hernandez struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Triston Casas lined out to second. Enmanuel Valdez dumped a base hit to center but Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. Nick Castellanos got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second but was thrown out at second by Tapia trying to stretch a double. JT Realmuto struck out swinging but Alec Bohm walked. Josh Harrison flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Tapia caught the Phillies asleep with a bunt single to start. Yoshida got a base hit to right to move Tapia to third and Raimel scored when Turner beat out a double play ball. Wheeler intentionally hit Devers but he was erased on the force by Duran. Hernandez stepped up with a base hit to left to score Yoshida. Casas grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                         Hernandez drives in a run

Sale responded by hitting Edmundo Sosa to start the bottom of the third before a passed ball moved him to second. A pissed off Sale punched out Dalton Guthrie, Schwarber and Turner all swinging to end the inning.

Valdez grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth before Wong lined out to right. Tapia lined out to third to end the inning. Suddenly Sale fell apart in the bottom of the fourth as Harper singled past him to start. Castellanos doubled to left to score Harper and Realmuto tripled into the right field corner. Bohm singled to right to score Realmuto to tie the game then took second on a wild pitch. Harrison grounded out to third, Sosa struck out swinging and Guthrie struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                      Phillies tie it up

Yoshida grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Turner was called out on an automatic strike three. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Schwarber struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Turner singled to center. Turner moved to second on the Harper grounder to first but Castellanos struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the sixth as Duran doubled to center to start. Hernandez blooped a single to center to put runners at the corners and Casas lifted a sac fly to center to score Duran. Connor Brogdon came in for Wheeler and Valdez smacked a base hit to right to score Hernandez. Valdez swiped second but Wong flied out to left. Tapia grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                                            Valdez drives in a run

Sale returned for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth as 

                                                           Sale gets it done

Gregory Soto came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to short to start. Devers grounded out to third and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Richard Bleier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Guthrie struck out swinging to begin. Schwarber grounded out to second but Devers did a back flip onto a Turner grounder for an error. Harper grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Andrew Vasquez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Duran struck out swinging to start. Hernandez flied out to center but Casas drew a walk. Christian Arroyo pinch hit for Valdez but Casas took second on a balk. Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning. Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Castellanos grounded out to third to start. Realmuto lined out to right and Bohm also flied out to right to end the inning.

Wong grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth before Tapia struck out swinging. Yoshida got plunked and left the game forcing Alex Verdugo to run for him. Turner grounded out to third to end the inning. Kenley Jansen made his return to close out the bottom of the ninth with Bryson Scott pinch hitting for Harrison. Scott struck out swinging but Sosa singled to right. Brandon Marsh pinch hit for Guthrie and walked, but Schwarber struck out swinging. Turner struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of the Night is Chris Sale. He returned to form by tossing 6 innings of 3 run ball while hitting 98 on the gun. He also struck out 10 batters.

                                                          Hero Sale

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Enmanuel Valdez was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a stolen base.

Richard Bleier pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Chris Martin tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his seventh save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly: 

Raimel Tapia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored 2 runs.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Justin Turner was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Triston Casas was 0 for 2 but walked and drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Alex Verdugo ran for Yoshida in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Sox are red hot. They're getting offense from a balanced attack and Chris Sale had a bit of Dice K Disease but looked dominant for the first time in a long time. He was pumping 98 on the black and if he can stay healthy all year, at least they'd have their ace back. The rotation is going to be interesting to watch the next few weeks with James Paxton due to come off the injured list but it looks like Sale is going nowhere for now. As for the offense, its nice not having a black hole in the bottom of the order anymore. Valdez may not be showing the power he had in the minors but he's driving the ball all over the field. Same with Yoshida and Duran, not to mention the team speed with Jarren and Tapia. The Sox can run and hit....but it would be nice not to boot and throw the ball away. Still, when your only gripe is people making errors that are playing out of position to begin with, you know things are going well. Good to see Jansen back as well and once he shakes the rust off, that back end of the bullpen is going to be deadly. All in all it was a great win and they're rolling right now after winning 7 straight. The win improved the Sox to 20-14, 7.5 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 8 straight wins and two in a row against the Phillies tomorrow night when Corey Kluber (1-4, 6.44 ERA) takes on Bailey Falter of Philadelphia. The game begins at 7:15 PM at Citizens Bank Park. 

Wong, Sox Knock Out Jays (5/2/23)

Did the Boston Red Sox win the Mookie Betts trade? Absolutely not, but for one night it worked out in their favor. On a night where Tanner Houck got lit up for 6 runs in 6 innings by the Toronto Blue Jays, it was the unlikely Connor Wong to the rescue. The Sox broke out to a 3-0 lead on home runs from Christian Arroyo and Masataka Yoshida along with a Rob Refsnyder rbi. After the Jays went up 6-3, Yoshida and Refsnyder drove in a run apiece before Wong tied it with a home run. In the bottom of the eighth, Wong belted his second home run of the night to put the Sox on top. Josh Winckowski earned his first career save in the ninth as the Sox had won their fourth straight game and second in a row 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Craig Hansen approves of the win

Houck got the ball in the top of the first inning and George Springer struck out swinging to start. Bo Bichette drew a walk but Vladimir Guerrero Jr flied out to left. Matt Chapman flied out to left to end the inning. Kikuchi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo greeted him with a double to right to begin. Verdugo moved to third on the Justin Turner fly out to right but Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging. Rafael Devers flied out to left to end the inning.

Daulton Varsho flied out to left to start the top of the second before Whit Merrifield flied out to right. Alejandro Kirk grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second although Kike Hernandez grounded out to second to start. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second but Christian Arroyo belted his first home run of the season completely over the Monster to put Boston on top. Connor Wong followed with a double high off the Monster but Raimel Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                            Arroyo puts the Sox on top

Danny Jansen walked to start the top of the third but Kevin Kiermaier flied out to center. Springer flied out to center and Bichette struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third as Verdugo doubled to left to start. Turner popped up to short but Refsnyder got a base hit to center. Verdugo scored but Refsnyder was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                    Nice hit, but dammit Refsnyder!

Guerrero Jr struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Chapman grounded out to third. Varsho doubled to center but Merrifield grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Hernandez flied out to center to start. Yoshida then pounded his fifth home run of the season to increase the lead. Arroyo grounded out to third but Wong lashed a base hit to left. Tapia grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Yoshida adds to the lead

Houck fell apart in the top of the fifth as Kirk grounded out to short to start. Jansen singled to left, Kiermaier ripped a base hit to right to move Jansen to third, then promptly stole second. Houck managed to strike out Springer swinging but Bichette walked to load the bases. Naturally Guerrero Jr ripped a base hit to left to score Jansen and Kiermaier before a passed ball scored Bichette to tie the game. Chapman singled to short and Varsho hit a 3 run home run all the way to San Juan, Puerto Rico to put the Jays on top. Merrifield lined out to left to end the inning but the Jays rallied for 6 runs to lead it 6-3.

                                                          Varsho caps the six run rally

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fifth as Verdugo was hit with a pitch to start. Turner singled to center and Refsnyder got a base hit to left to score Verdugo. Devers flied out to center to chase Kikuchi. Zach Pop came in and both runners moved over on the Hernandez grounder to the mound before Yoshida sliced a base hit to left to score Turner. Refsnyder moved to third but was stranded as Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.

                                                          Sox aren't going quietly

Due to the bullpen being overused, Houck pretty much had to come back for the top of the sixth. Kirk grounded out to short before Jansen struck out swinging. Kiermaier flied out to center to end the inning. Good work by Houck to suffer through six innings even though he had  Dice K Disease in the fifth inning. He allowed 6 runs in 6 innings allowing 6 hits and 3 walks.

                                                        Houck gets through it

The Sox wasted no time coming back in the bottom of the sixth as Wong clobbered his second home run of the year to tie the game. Tim Mayza replaced Pop on the mound and Tapia beat out a roller to short, but Verdugo appeared to beat out a double play ball. Blue Jays manager John Schneider challenged that Verdugo was out and the call was overturned, double play.  Turner hit a ground rule double to right to chase Mayza. Yimi Garcia came in to pitch but Sox manager Alex Cora countered by having Jarren Duran pinch hit for Refsnyder. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.

                                                           Wong ties it up

John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Springer flied out to right to start. Bichette struck out swinging but Guerrero Jr singled to right. Chapman grounded out to second to end the inning. Devers grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the seventh before Hernandez flied out to right. Yoshida walked but Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning.

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Varsho grounded out to short to start. Merrifield flied out to right and Kirk grounded out to third to end the inning. Erik Swanson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Wong smashed his second home run of the game to put the Sox on top. Tapia flied out to center, Verdugo grounded out to second and Turner struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-6.

                                                          Big night for Wong

Josh Winckowski came on for his first career save in the top of the ninth as Jansen popped up to second to start. Kiermaier singled to left but Springer banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-6.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Connor Wong. He went 4 for 4 and his 8th inning homer was the difference in the game.

                                                          Long Dong Wong is the Hero

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.

Justin Turner was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3 with a walk, a home run and 2 total runs batted in.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Richard Bleier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Josh Winckowski earned his first save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 1 in his only at bat.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4.

Tanner Houck allowed 6 runs in 6 innings of work including 6 hits and 3 walks.

The Ugly:

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Raimel Tapia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Its too early to celebrate but things are looking good for the Sox. They're getting timely offense and shutdown pitching out of the bullpen. Apart from the bench, which is mostly due to injury, the only problem the Sox has is their rotation. That can be fixed by simply having Houck and Kutter Crawford switch roles. Having a rotation of Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, Brayan Bello and Crawford with Houck, Whitlock, Schreiber, Winckowski, Bleier and Jansen in the bullpen would be ideal. That's not including James Paxton who's due to come off the Injured List soon. It'll work itself out eventually. Offensively if Yoshida and Duran keep this pace up, they'll be 7 men deep in the lineup when Adam Duvall and Trevor Story return from injury. Wong had his best game of his Sox career and it was much needed against the dangerous Jays. Hopefully they can keep this momentum going and get back in the AL East race. The win improved the Sox to 17-14, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it five wins in a row and three straight against the Blue Jays tomorrow night when Nick Pivetta (1-2, 5.11 ERA) takes on Alek Manoah of Toronto. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.