Marlins Pound Sox (9/16/20)

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

                                             "When do the Sox actually win?"

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

                                                    Cooper goes yard

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

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

                                                Verdugo starts the rally

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

                                                "GET OUT AND STAY OUT!" -RR

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

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

                                                           Devers drives in a run

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

                                                     Alfaro does it again

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

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

                                                       Martinez finally hits one out

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

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

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

                                                       Marlins win

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

                                                   Kickham the Jackass

The Good:

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

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

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

Yairo Munoz was 2 for 5 with a stolen base.

Phillips Valdez retired the only man he faced.

Chris Mazza tossed a scoreless inning.

Domingo Tapia pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Robert Stock tossed two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Michael Chavis was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Robinson Leyer allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

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

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

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

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

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

Jays Outslug Unwatchable Sox (9/6/20)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Robert Stock was sent packing to the Alternate Training Site and in his place the Sox called up Matt Hall. Replacing one bum with another, yippie.

                                                                     OUT

IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster. In a game that took an unacceptable 4 hours and 27 to complete, the Toronto Blue Jays outslugged the Red Sox in one of the most god-awful events of all time. Both pitching staffs combined for 18 runs, 16 walks and 25 hits in the game that would have made Nolan Ryan and Roger Clemens throw up. The Sox had a 4-1 lead going into the top of the sixth when the Blue Jays managed to score 9 runs in the next two innings. A host of bums in the Boston bullpen gave up one hit after another but so did the Blue Jays. The Sox offense ripped Toronto apart for 10 hits and 8 runs of their own but it wasn't enough as the Jays won the game 10-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Jays and Sox fans unite

Triggs got the ball to start the top of the first inning and somehow struck out the side. Cavan Biggio took strike three to start before Jonathan Villar also watched strike three go by. Vladimir Guerrero Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the first although Yairo Munoz pulled his right hamstring on a base hit to left to start. Jonathan Arauz pinch ran for Munoz as Christian Vazquez whiffed. Xander Bogaerts singled to left but JD Martinez was rung up for strike three. Red Sox radio broadcaster Joe Castigleone said Kevin Plawecki was due for his first Fenway homer and right on cue he blasted a three run bomb to center to give the Sox the lead. Michael Chavis walked but Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                    Plawecki's first Fenway homer

Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez led off the top of the second with a lineout to Arauz to start. Travis Shaw grounded out to second but Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled to center.  Joe Panik grounded out to second to end the inning. Bobby Dalbec popped up to first to start the bottom of the second but Jose Peraza walked. Peraza swiped second and the throw got away, moving Peraza to third. The rally ended as Arauz took strike three down the middle and Vazquez popped up to right to end the inning.

The Jays struck back in the top of the third as Caleb Joseph hit a home run all the way to Weirs Beach to put Toronto on the board. Derek Fisher whiffed but Biggio walked. Villar walked but Guerrero Jr lined out to a running JBJ. Tellez hit one in the hole at short to load the bases and Shaw missed a grand slam by ten feet as JBJ caught it at the centerfield wall to end the inning. The Jays had cut the lead to 3-1. Andrew Triggs ladies and gentlemen.

                                       Strangely the best pitcher that would be seen all day

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Bogaerts popped up to short to start. Martinez lined out to left but Plawecki dumped a base hit to right. Chavis hit one just inside the left field foul line but Plawecki was thrown out at third to end the inning.

Matt Hall replaced Triggs to start the top of the fourth and Gurriel Jr grounded out to second to start. Panik walked but Joseph lined out to left. Fisher walked but Hall got Biggio swinging on a nice curve to end the inning. JBJ popped up to second to start the bottom of the fourth but "Way Back" Dalbec lined his 3rd homer of the year into the Jays bullpen to increase the lead. Peraza whiffed but Arauz drew a walk. Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                        Dalbec goes yard

The Jays struck back in the top of the fifth although Villar grounded out to second to start. Guerrero Jr walked and the pain in the ass Tellez singled him to third. Shaw walked to load the bases and Gurriel Jr singled to center to score Guerrero to cut the lead. Panik dropped a base hit to right to score Tellez and Shaw to tie the game. Somehow Joseph took strike three but Hall bobbled a routine grounder by Fisher to allow Gurriel Jr to score the go-ahead run. Sox manager Ron Roenicke finally pulled the plug on Hall and brought in Robinson Leyer.  Biggio hit a routine fly ball to left but Peraza lost it in the sun for a 2 run double to increase the lead. Villar walked but Guerrero Jr popped up to second to end the inning. The Jays went from down 4-1 to up 7-4....pathetic.

                                                    Jays take the lead

Wilmer Font came in for the bottom of the fifth and the Sox went quietly. Bogaerts popped up weakly to center, Martinez hit a weak chopper to short and Plawecki took strike three to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the sixth when who else but Tellez blasted a 70,000 foot home run to increase the lead. Shaw singled to left and Gurriel Jr singled to center to chase Leyer. If there were fans in the stands, they'd be booing. Jeffrey Springs came in and walked Panik to load the bases on 4 straight pitches. Arauz then added to the misery by refusing to throw to first on a double play ball by Joseph to score Shaw with another run. Fisher singled to right to score Gurriel Jr but Biggio flied out to center. Villar walked to re-load the bases but Guerrero Jr whiffed to end the misery. The Jays scored another 3 runs to lead 10-4. The Sox pitchers allowed NINE walks and 12 hits so far.

                                              8 home runs this season, 4 against Boston

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the sixth when Chavis and JBJ stroked back to back singles to start. Dalbec walked to load the bases and Chavis scored on the sac fly by Peraza. Arauz walked to reload the bases but Thomas Hatch came in to strike out Vazquez swinging. Bogaerts hit a piece of crap roller to short to end the inning with the Sox down 10-5.

Austin Brice came in for the top of the seventh and somehow whiffed Tellez to start. Shaw grounded out to third but Gurriel Jr singled to center and Panik doubled him to third. Joseph grounded out to short to end the inning. Martinez showed how much he cared in the bottom of the seventh by jogging to first base on a grounder to short. The throw was wide but since Martinez lollygagged, Guerrero Jr had enough time to step on the bag for the out. Plawecki was plunked and Chavis walked, but JBJ forced Chavis at second and Dalbec whiffed to end the inning.

Plawecki keeled over in the dugout and had to be hauled off on a gurney headed to Mass General's ICU. Vazquez moved behind the plate and Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the eighth. Fisher whiffed and Biggio popped up to short, but Villar singled to left. Guerrero Jr earned the hat trick with his third strikeout to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the eighth against AJ Cole when Peraza hit his first home run in over a year to start. Arauz walked but Vazquez flied out to right. Bogaerts stepped up with his 10th homer of the season to cut the lead. Martinez flied out to left and Alex Verdugo pinch hit for Brasier. Ryan Borucki came in and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 10-8.

                                                Peraza and Bogaerts with home runs

Marcus Walden came in for the top of the ninth and Tellez grounded out to first to start. Shaw grounded out to short and Gurriel Jr lined out to center to end the inning. Rafael Dolis came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with Danny Jansen behind the plate. The Sox went quietly as Chavis flied out to left to start. JBJ took strike three and Dalbec whiffed to end the game. The Jays had won it 10-8 in the longest nine inning game in their history.

                                                 Happy Jays


Jackass of the Night is Matt Hall. He was charged with 6 runs to give the game away.

                                                      Bogaerts stares at the Jackass




The Good:

Yairo Munoz singled before leaving the game.

Jonathan Arauz walked 3 times and scored twice.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a 2 run homer.

Kevin Plawecki was 2 for 3 with a 3 run home run and a hit by pitch before leaving.

Michael Chavis was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Jose Peraza was 1 for 2 with a walk, stolen base, 2 rbis and a home run.

Austin Brice pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

JD Martinez was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Robinson Leyer was charged with 3 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 but walked and hit a home run.

Andrew Triggs allowed 1 run in 3 innings of work.

Jeffrey Springs allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in an inning of work.




Final Thoughts:

This was unwatchable. Imagine if this was in front of paying customers? Sox owner John Henry and general manager Chaim Bloom would be dragged down Yawkey Way a the end of lassos if Henry charged Major League prices for a product this bad for 162 games. Part of the fanbase thinks this is why they're tanking, they have no one to answer to in an empty Park. Its been said a million times that this team just wasn't designed to win but now it seems like a huge mistake the way the AL East has gone this season. The pre-season pick to win the World Series, the New York Yankees, are 21-19 and in third place just two games ahead of the Baltimore Orioles. If the Sox gave a damn this season and didn't go 0-7 against the Yankees, they'd be right in the thick of things. Still, its an indictment on the Yankees to spend all that money on Gerrit Cole to be a .500 team where the Red Sox traded everyone remotely good including Mookie Betts and David Price back in February. As for this game, at least the offense looked good. The encouraging sign is if the offense hits the next few weeks because the pitching can be corrected, but a bad offense will kill you. The 1992 Red Sox led the league in ERA but finished dead last because their offense was that bad. The 2018 Red Sox fixed their offense from a year earlier and went from 93 wins to 108. To see Arauz, Munoz, Verdugo, Devers, Dalbec and Chavis all 25 or younger compliment Bogaerts, Andrew Benintendi, Martinez, Vazquez and JBJ is encouraging for the future. Chaim Bloom made a lot of moves to re-stock the farm system and will get a high draft pick to work with in next year's draft. The offense is there but the pitching needs to be fixed. The loss drops the Sox to 14-28, last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox play a ridiculous doubleheader on Tuesday against the Philadelphia Phillies. Martin Perez (2-4, 4.07 ERA) goes for the Sox in Game 1 against the dreaded TBD at 4:05 PM at 4:05 PM at Citizens Bank Park.

Sox Outlast Jays in Game 2 (9/4/20)

Time to play Stars & Stripes Forever because the Boston Red Sox finally won a game. After falling just short in Game 1 earlier today to the Toronto Blue Jays, this time they took the lead early and managed to keep it. Chris Mazza went four strong innings and allowed just the one run. Yairo Munoz collected 6 total hits today including 3 in this one. The normally shaky Matt Barnes slammed the door in the seventh inning to earn the save. Because this was the game postponed due to protesting, the Jays were actually the home team despite playing at Fenway. Still, the Sox managed to beat the Jays 3-2 at Fenway Park as the away team, welcome to 2020.

                                              "We won?"

For the first time in Fenway Park history, the Red Sox were the away team and Jays starter Ross Stripling got the ball in the top of the first inning. Alex Verdugo flied out to left field to start before Yairo Munoz popped up to second. Rafael Devers whiffed to end the inning. Chris Mazza got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cavan Biggio lined out to right to begin. Randal Grichuk flied out to right and Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox took the lead in the top of the second inning as Christian Vazquez singled to center to start. Michael Chavis lined out to center but Jackie Bradley Jr beat the shift with a bunt single to third. Bobby Dalbec whiffed but Tzu-Wei Lin hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to score Vazquez. Jonathan Arauz grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.

                                                     Way to go Lin

Teoscar Hernandez grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the second before Jonathan Villar grounded back to the mound. Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled to left and Derek Fisher walked, but Travis Shaw flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the third although Verdugo popped up to short to start. Munoz singled to right but was forced at second by Devers. Vazquez walked and Chavis lashed a base hit to center to score Devers. JBJ whiffed to end the inning but Boston was ahead 2-0.

                                                   Chavis drives in a run

Mazza held the fort in the bottom of the third as Reese McGuire lined out to left to start. Biggio singled to left but Grichuk banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Dalbec grounded out to third to start. Lin grounded out to first but Arauz whiffed to end the inning. Who else but Tellez crushed a 599,000 foot home run to lead off the bottom of the fourth? Mazza recovered to punch out both Hernandez and Villar before Gurriel Jr grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1. Mazza allowed just one run in 4 innings, good for him.

                                                 A rare good start by Mazza

The Sox got a gift run in the top of the fifth although Verdugo flied out to center to start. Munoz doubled to center and Devers walked to chase Stripling. Sean Reid-Foley walked Vazquez to load the bases and McGuire airmailed a pickoff throw to center which allowed Munoz to score. Chavis whiffed but JBJ was intentionally walked to re-load the bases. Dalbec grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                 Bad throw leads to a run

Josh Taylor came on for the bottom of the fifth and Fisher grounded out to short to start Shaw grounded out to second and McGuire whiffed to end the inning.

Foley turned up the heat in the top of the sixth as Lin watched strike three go by to start. Arauz and Verdugo both whiffed to end the inning. Robinson Leyer came in for the bottom of the sixth and Biggio took strike three to start. Grichuk doubled to left and Tellez walked to put the tying runs on. Santiago Espinal pinch ran for Tellez but Leyer somehow punched out Hernandez. Naturally Villar singled to center to score Grichuk and send Espinal to third. Somehow Leyer punched out Fisher to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 3-2.

                                               Jays inch closer

Wilmer Font came in for the top of the seventh and Munoz continued his hot streak with a base hit to left. Devers flied out to left and Vazquez banged into a double play to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to close out the bottom of the seventh and Shaw greeted him with single in the hole at short. Vladimir Guerrero Jr pinch hit for McGuire and the entire Red Sox media started laughing that the Red Sox could get walked off in their own park. Somehow Barnes got Guerrero Jr to bang into a double play and Biggio to go down hacking to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2.

                                             Rare win by the Sox

Hero of the Night is Yairo Munoz. He got 3 hits and scored what turned out to be the go-ahead run.

                                                  Munoz is the Hero


The Good:

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Michael Chavis was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Tzu-Wei Lin was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Chris Mazza went 4 innings and allowed just 1 run.

Josh Taylor got the win by pitching a scoreless 5th inning.

Matt Barnes earned his fourth save with a scoreless 7th inning.



The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Robinson Leyer allowed a run in the sixth inning.



The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

At least Yairo Munoz had his day in the sun with 6 combined hits in the doubleheader. The 25 year old utility infielder is a couple good weeks away from throwing his hat into the second base battle in Spring Training next year. Jonathan Arauz, Michael Chavis and Munoz would be interesting to watch. The Sox barely even put out a competitive team in the nightcap but did just enough to win. Mazza and Taylor did their jobs and its a good thing the game was only 7 innings or else it would have gotten much worse. Right now the Sox have the second worst record in all of baseball and some fans are actually mad that they won. Vanderbilt college pitcher Kumar Rocker is slated to be the number one overall pick and the Sox clearly are in desperate need of pitching. Still, for those of us who don't want to tank, at least the Sox won a close game albeit it was 7 innings. The win improved the Sox to 13-27, last place in the American League. Tomorrow night both the Sox and the Jays will pick names out of a hat to start the game. No matter who pitches, the game begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park....and yes the Sox will be the home team this time.

Braves Sweep Sox (9/2/20)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox mercifully pulled the plug on the Kyle Hart experiment. The 19th round pick had no business being on a major league roster and was placed on the disabled list with a "left hip impingement" to put him out of his misery. To take his place on the roster, the Sox called up Andrew Triggs, who last pitched in Oakland in 2018. Its just a matter of time before Pat Light makes the big comeback.

                                                                               OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, for the second game in a row an Atlanta Braves player hit 3 home runs in one game. Last night it was Marcell Ozuna, tonight it was Adam Duvall. The Sox actually led 5-3 before their horrendous bullpen coughed up the lead. For a team that's not trying to win, the Red Sox are experts at it. The Sox started a guy no one has ever heard of and brought in a pitcher who hadn't pitched in 6 years. Then they brought in another castoff and there you go. What else can be said other than the Braves swept the Red Sox with a 7-5 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                   Bad news, there's still 23 games left

Robinson Leyer got the start in the top of the first inning and Dansby Swanson whiffed to start. Freddie Freeman singled to right and Marcell Ozuna walked, but Nick Markakis flied out to center. Travis d'Arnaud whiffed to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Braves starter Robbie Erlin in the bottom of the first as Alex Verdugo walked to start. Rafael Devers doubled him to third and Xander Bogaerts walked to load the bases. JD Martinez doubled home Devers and Verdugo to give the Sox the lead. Kevin Plawecki popped up to second but Michael Chavis scored Bogaerts with a sac fly to increase the lead. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                   Sox strike first

Tonight's originally scheduled starter Mike Kickham, who hadn't pitched in 6 years, took the mound in the top of the second and naturally got hammered. Austin Riley doubled to right and Adam Duvall hit a home run all the way to the Gulf of Mexico to cut the lead. John Carmago singled to left but Ender Inciarte flied out to left. Swanson flied out to center but Freedman singled Carmago to third. Ozuna singled home Carmago to tie the game. Markakis lined out to Kickham to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                    That's one

Bobby Dalbec whiffed to start the bottom of the second before Jose Peraza also went down hacking. Verdugo doubled to center but Devers grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Kickham settled down in the top of the third as d'Arnaud lined out to right to start. Riley grounded out to third and Duvall flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Bogaerts popped up to second to start. Martinez lined out to center and Plawecki flied out to right to end the inning.

Carmago grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth before Inciarte grounded out to second. Swanson flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Chavis grounded back to the mound to start. JBJ then swatted his third home run of the season to give the Sox the lead back. Dalbec grounded back to the mound and Peraza flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                   JBJ hits one out

Andrew Triggs made his season debut in the top of the fifth and cruised. Freeman took strike three, Ozuna lined out to short and Markakis took strike three to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fifth as Verdugo singled to right to start. Devers singled to right to chase Erlin. Darren O'Day came in and Bogaerts lined out to left, but Martinez singled home Verdugo to increase the lead. Plawecki and Chavis both whiffed to end the inning but the Sox led 5-3.

                                             RUN VERDUGO, RUNNNN!!!!

The Braves effortlessly tied the game in the top of the sixth as d'Arnaud singled to left to start. Riley lined out to left but Duvall hit a home run all the way to Montana to tie the game. Carmago flied out to left and Inciarte grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                          That's two

Tyler Matzek had the bottom of the sixth and JBJ walked to start. Dalbec popped up to second but JBJ swiped second. Peraza and Verdugo both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Braves took the lead in the top of the seventh although Swanson struck out swinging to start. Freeman flied out to center but Ozuna hit his fourth home run in two days to give the Braves the lead. Markakis grounded out to second but the Braves were up for good 6-5.

                                                      Can anyone get him out?

Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and Shane Greene took over for Matzek. Bogaerts and Martinez both grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in for the top of the eighth and guess what happened? d'Arnaud flied out to center and Riley took strike three, but Duvall smashed his third home run of the game to complete the embarrassment. Carmago walked and Inciarte flied out to right to end the inning with the Braves ahead 7-5.

                                                    That's three

Christ Martin laughed at the Sox in the bottom of the eighth as Plawecki grounded out to second to start. Chavis whiffed and JBJ grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in for the top of the ninth and Swanson flied out to right to begin. Freeman git a routine grounder to third but Devers threw his glove at the ball and dropped an elbow on it for an error. Freeman moved to second on the grounder by Ozuna and Markakis whiffed to end the inning. Mark Melancon came in and effortlessly shut down the Sox in the bottom of the ninth. Dalbec whiffed, Peraza took strike three and Verdugo whiffed to end the game. The Braves completed the sweep with a 7-5 win.

                                                               Braves win


Jackass of the Night is Andrew Triggs. He was staked to a 5-3 lead and coughed up 3 runs to take the loss.

                                                Jackass Triggs



The Good:

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

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and a home run.

Robinson Leyer pitched a scoreless first inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless inning.



The Bad:

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jose Peraza was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Mike Kickham allowed 3 runs in 3 innings.

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in the 8th inning.



The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Michael Chavis was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.




Final Thoughts:

The worst about apart this season is they're not even trying. At least the 2015 Red Sox when they were in last place were exciting to watch in August and September. Blake Swihart, Mookie Betts, Bogaerts, Bradley, Joe Kelly, Rick Porcello and Travis Shaw rallied under Torey Luvollo to end the season on a high note. This year there's nothing like that. The team on the field is there to lose on purpose and its been proven quite clearly the last few months. Why else would the team release Brian Johnson and start guys that have no business being on a major league roster? Why didn't Chaim Bloom pick up some relief pitching last winter even before the crap hit the fan with Betts and Covid? The Sox are not only the real life version of the movie Major League, they make the 1997 Boston Celtics look like the 86 team in comparison. Still, this year is a sham but at least there's a plan for the future. Eduardo Rodriguez and Chris Sale come back next year and all the trades Bloom made was to re-stock the farm system with future trade chips or guys that will be given a chance to see what they have. Until then the Sox and their fans have 23 games left to suffer through. The loss dropped the Sox to 12-25, last place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Toronto Blue Jays come to town to bash the Sox into submission. Martin Perez (2-4, 4.58 ERA) takes the beating while Taijuan Walker shuts down the Boston bats for the Blue Jays. The massacre begins at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Braves Defeat Depleted Sox (8/31/20)

Before the game the trade deadline passed and the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Kevin Pillar was traded to the Colorado Rockies for a player to be named and Josh Osich went to the Chicago Cubs also for a player to be named. The Sox now have no right fielder with Andrew Benintendi not coming back and Pillar gone. The fact Bloom got something for Osich is nothing short of a miracle. The best news is the Luxury Tax reset and the Sox are finally out from under the horrible contracts signed by Ben Cherrington and Dave Dombrowski. Let's hope Chaim Bloom can be a bit smarter than his predecessors. Also in Chaim Bloom's quest to become the real life Rachel Phelps this season, the Sox placed Darwinzon Hernandez on the Injured List with a sprained SC joint. His velocity has been down the last few games he pitched so maybe he really is hurt. To take the places of Hernandez, Osich and Pillar, the Sox have called up Mike Kickham, Robinson Leyer and Yairo Munoz. If you know who any of them are, you deserve a medal.

                                                             OUT

                                                                        IN

It was a bad day for Boston sports as the Tampa Bay Lightning eliminated the Boston Bruins with their double overtime Game 5 victory in the second round NHL playoff series. As for the baseball game, with nearly all the players that performed well for the Sox this season injured or gone, is it any wonder what was left lost to the Atlanta Braves? Colten Brewer got lit up in the top of the fifth inning and the younger Sox players did absolutely nothing offensively. Michael Chavis, Jonathan Arauz and Bobby Dalbec went a combined 0 for 12 with 6 strikeouts as Braves ace Max Fried shut down the Boston bats. The Sox did try to rally in the eighth inning but it wasn't enough as the Braves beat the depleted Sox 6-3 at Fenway Park.

                                              Rocko feels Sox fans pain

Brewer took a beating in the top of the first inning as Dansby Swanson singled to center to start the top of the first inning. Freddie Freeman lined out to right and Marcell Ozuna went down hacking, but Nick Markakis doubled to left to score Swanson. Austin Riley got a hit to left but Adam Duvall grounded out to second to end the inning with the Braves ahead 1-0.

                                                  Swanson scores a run

The Sox somehow responded against Fried in the bottom of the first as Alex Verdugo doubled to left to begin. Christian Vazquez grounded out to third but Rafael Devers singled up the middle to score Verdugo to tie the game. Xander Bogaerts whiffed and Michael Chavis grounded into a force to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                 Devers tie it up

Johan Camargo singled to center to start the top of the second inning but Tyler Flowers lined out to second. Ender Inciarte lined out to left and Swanson grounded into a force to end the inning. Bobby Dalbec whiffed to start the bottom of the second but Jackie Bradley Jr doubled to left. Jonathan Arauz lined out to third and Jose Peraza grounded out to short to end the inning.

Freeman singled to center to start the top of the third and moved to second on a passed ball. Brewer recovered to get Ozuna to line out to center and Markakis to ground out to second. Riley whiffed to end the inning. Somehow the Sox took the lead in the bottom of the third as Verdugo doubled to left again. Alex moved to third on the Vazquez grounder but Devers whiffed. Somehow Fried balked and Verdugo came home with the go-ahead run. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning but the Sox led 2-1

                                               Verdugo scores on a balk

The lead lasted 30 seconds as Duvall hit a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to tie the game to start the top of the fourth. Carmago doubled but Brewer punched out Flowers swinging. Carmago moved to third on the Inciarte grounder but Swanson took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                              Duvall ties it up

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Chavis grounded out to short to start. Dalbec whiffed again but JBJ drew a walk. Arauz grounded out to third to end the inning.

The floodgates opened in the top of the fifth as Freeman walked to start. Ozuna doubled to center and Markakis walked to load the bases with nobody out. That was it for Brewer who would end up being charged with 5 runs in just 4 innings, brutal. Phillips Valdez came in and immediately allowed a bases clearing triple to right by Riley to put Atlanta up for good. Somehow Valdez punched out Duvall, Camargo and Flowers in short order to end the inning but the Braves were up 5-2.

                                                Riley hits the killshot

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth although Peraza popped up to first to start. Verdugo doubled to center and Vazquez walked, but Devers banged into a double play to end the inning.

27 year old Robinson Leyer made his ML debut in the top of the sixth...and got tagged. Inciarte grounded out to second but Swanson walked. Freeman singled to right but Ozuna whiffed. Markakis ate up Arauz with a ground ball that skipped to center for a single to score Swanson. Riley grounded out to third to end the inning but the Braves were up 6-2.

                                              Leyer makes his ML debut

Darren O'Daye replaced Fried in the bottom of the sixth and Bogaerts went down hacking to start. Chavis popped up to second and Dalbec earned the hat trick by watching strike three go by to end the inning.

Robert Stock came in for the top of the seventh and Duvall walked to start. Carmago whiffed, Flowers lined out to right and Inciarte took strike three to end the inning. Old Sox farmhand Chris Martin came in for the bottom of the seventh and JBJ was so excited to see his old teammate he flied out to left. Arauz whiffed and Peraza grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jeffrey Springs came in for the top of the eighth and Swanson whiffed to start. Freeman also went down swinging and Ozuna lined out to center to end the inning. Will Smith came in for the bottom of the eighth and the Sox rallied. Verdugo struck out swinging but Vazquez singled to left. Devers got a base hit to center and Bogaerts lashed a base hit up the middle to score Vazquez and send Devers to third. With the tying run at the plate....Chavis whiffed and Dalbec earned the golden sombrero by taking strike three to end the inning. The Sox were down 6-3 and all hope was lost.

                                                  Bogaerts with an rbi

Springs returned for the top of the ninth and Markakis singled to center to begin. Riley banged into a double play and Duvall watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Old friend Mark Melancon came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and JBJ flied out to center to start. Arauz grounded out to short and Peraza flied out to center to end the game. The Braves had won it 6-3.

                                                          Ugh

Jackass of the Night is Colten Brewer. He fell apart in the fifth inning and was charged with 5 runs in just 4 innings.

                                               Brewer walks away the Jackass



The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jeffrey Springs tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Michael Chavis was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jose Peraza was 0 for 4.

Robinson Leyer allowed a run in the sixth inning.



The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Phillips Valdez allowed 3 inherited runners to score but struck out the side in the fifth inning.




Final Thoughts:

Well this is what the Sox have left after the trade deadline. Mitch Moreland, Brandon Workman, Heath Hembree, Kevin Pillar and Josh Osich have been traded plus Darwinzon Hernandez and Nathan Eovaldi joined Andrew Benintendi on the Injured List. Chaim Bloom showed what would actually happen if Rachel Phelps from Major League was real. Anyone that actually performed well this season with the exceptions of Verdugo, Valdez and Bogaerts are gone. Not only that, the guys they brought up to replace Pillar, Osich and Hernandez are complete no-names. Not only did the Sox penny pinch on starting pitching, they refused to call up any prospect worth anything besides Dalbec because of "service time." Hopefully Darwinzon Hernandez doesn't need Tommy John surgery because he's the only power lefty they have. If this is what the Sox have left to offer, the next 25 games are going to be pure torture. The loss drops the Sox to 12-23, good for last place in the AL East. The next defeat is tomorrow night when Ryan Weber (0-2, 6.00 ERA) gets pounded and Ian Anderson pitches a a shutout at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.