Yankees Blank Sox on Two Hitter (4/27/15)

Once again the Boston Red Sox are back to .500 and just like in the first game of the year, they got blanked. This time the New York Yankees came to town and Ray Keating allowed just two hits to the anemic Sox offense. Rube Foster (1-1, 1.99 ERA) was game but couldn't match Keating as the Yankees came to Fenway Park and made a statement by handing the Sox a 2-0 defeat.

                                                 Old Hoss Radbourn is disgusted

Quite simply there was absolutely nothing to cheer about if you were a Red Sox fan unless you were at Fenway unless you are a big Rube Foster fan. Keating and Foster dueled each other for 6 innings before Roger Peckinpaugh knocked in a run in the top of the seventh. The Sox failed to counter and Peckinpaugh knocked in another in the top of the ninth off Ray Collins. That was the only scoring of the game as the Yankees won 2-0.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one since the team only mustered two total hits but I'll go with Hal Janvrin. He was 0 for 3 and one of his plate appearances came with Everett Scott on base, meaning he had a chance to double him in or hit a home run to take the lead/tie.

                                                       Janvrin the Jackass


The Good:

Del Gainer walked as a pinch hitter.

Duffy Lewis walked twice in four plate appearances.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher is on the good list. Rube Foster was outstanding tossing 8 innings allowing just 1 run. He also got one of the only Boston hits at the plate.



The Bad:

Dick Hoblitzell was 0 for 3.

Pinch Thomas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Olaf Henriksen was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ray Collins allowed a run in the ninth.



The Ugly:

Harry Hooper was 0 for 3 but walked.

Heinie Wagner was 0 for 2 but walked and stole a base.

Tris Speaker was 0 for 3 but walked and stole a base.

Everett Scott was just 1 for 4.



Honorable Mention:

Mike McNally played second base in the top of the ninth inning.




Final Thoughts:

Another lackluster performance by the Sox who just can't seem to get out of their own way to start this season. They're at 5-5-1 and the only good news is the Philadelphia Athletics are stumbling out of the gate as well. At least the Sox have time to get things right, if the offense ever warms up. The Sox are back in action with Ernie Shore on the mound taking on Marty McHale of the Yankees at Fenway Park.

Senators Pound Sox (4/21/15)

Gadzooks that was bad! Last year's ace Ray Collins (0-2, 6.43 ERA) got absolutely hammered by the Washington Senators while Joe Boehling set down the Boston Red Sox offense. The Sox committed an incredible 5 errors which set the stage for a convincing 11-3 victory at Griffith Stadium.

                                      Eberhard Anheuser can't stand blowouts

Once again Rip Williams lit up the Red Sox but this time had help from Chick Gandil and a home run by Clyde Milan. The Senators pounded out 11 runs on 9 hits as they smashed Collins into submission. Ralph Comstock got tagged for two runs himself in mop up duty. The only two real highlights for the Sox was a 2 run bomb courtesy of Duffy Lewis and the first hit in the major league debut of Mike McNally. Otherwise the Senators took the series with the 11-3 win.

Jackass of the Night is Ray Collins. He allowed NINE runs, albeit 6 earned, in just 6 innings in what was just an absolutely garbage day for the Sox.

                                                         Collins is the Jackass


The Good:

Harry Hooper walked once in two plate appearances before the leaving the game.

Mike McNally was 1 for 2 with a run scored in his major league debut.

Tris Speaker was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Duffy Lewis was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Del Gainer was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

Hal Janvrin was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Rube Foster walked as a pinch hitter.



The Bad:

Wally Rehg was 0 for 2 after coming in for Hooper.

Heinie Wagner was 0 for 2 with an error.

Dick Hoblitzell was 0 for 2.

Bill Carrigan was 0 for 2 with an error.

Raymond Haley was 0 for 2.

Ralph Comstock allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.



The Ugly:

Everett Scott was just 1 for 4 with an error.




Final Thoughts:

Holy smokes what a beatdown. Its bad enough everything the Senators hit found a hole but when you commit FIVE errors, that's when you know you've had a bad day. Maybe the Sox spent too much time at Third Base last night, who knows. The good news is tomorrow is another day and speaking of tomorrow, its the Fenway Park home opener. This year the defending champion Philadelphia Athletics are in town with Ernie Shore getting the start against Weldon Wyckoff.

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.

Sox Stun Senators in Ninth (4/17/15)

The Boston Red Sox got back to their winning ways in today's game against the Washington Senators, stunning the home crowd with a thrilling 7-5 victory at Griffith Stadium. Senators starter Jim Boehling was game but tired by the end and Walter Johnson was asked to stop the Sox in the ninth inning. It didn't happen as the Sox scored 2 runs off Johnson, getting one final shut-down inning from Ernie Shore to win the game.

                        Harry Van Meter approves of the win

The Sox and Senators battled through most of the game although starter Rube Foster didn't have it. The Senators took the lead with 2 runs in the bottom of the 7th off Shore but the Sox won it in the ninth inning.


Hero of the Night is Duffy Lewis. He was 2 for 4 with 2 runs batted in, a walk and 2 runs scored.

                                                     Lewis is the Hero



The Good:

Harry Hooper was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Hal Janvrin was 1 for 3 with 2 runs batted in and a run scored.

Ernie Shore earned the win by tossing 5 1/3 innings, allowing just 2 runs. He slammed the door in the ninth inning after the Sox had taken the lead.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Heinie Wagner was just 1 for 4 but walked, scored and drove in 2 runs.

Tris Speaker was 0 for 4 but walked, stole a base and scored.

Dick Hoblitzell was 0 for 2 but was hit with a pitch.

Everett Scott was just 1 for 4.

Hick Cady was 0 for 2 but walked and scored.

Rube Foster was knocked out in the fourth inning after allowing 3 runs, but at the plate he walked and scored.




Final Thoughts:

That was a big early season win not only against the Senators, but against Walter Johnson as well. Granted, Johnson was ice cold but to get some runs off him is a rare treat. Rube Foster looked rusty as all hell but hopefully he'll find his groove. After all, the Sox can't rely on Ernie Shore to bail them out in every single game. Somebody besides Dutch Leonard and Smoky Joe Wood is going to have to step up on the mound, maybe Foster can do it as the season goes on. Tomorrow is Game 2 of this series and rookie Carl Mays gets the unenviable task of matching up against Walter Johnson. Good luck Carl.