Cardinals Sweep Kluber, Sox (5/14/23)

The good news was the Boston Celtics eliminated the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 7 of their second round NBA playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox got swept by the St. Louis Cardinals. THAT was embarrassing. Corey Kluber (2-5, 6.41 ERA) got hammered again as the Sox got swept by the lowly Cardinals in empathetic fashion. Kluber allowed 4 runs in just 5 innings while Miles Mikolas shut down the Sox bats, holding them to 1 run in 6 innings. Brennan Bernardino and Ryan Brasier also got hammered for 5 runs as the Cardinals swept the Sox out of Boston 9-1 at Fenway Park. 

                                                                "Kluber....again...."

The Cards wasted no time getting to Kluber in the top of the first inning as Lars Nootbaar doubled off the Monster to start. Paul Goldschmidt got a base hit to right to score Nootbaar and put the Cards up just two batters into the game. Nolan Gorman flied out to right, Nolan Arenado struck out swinging and Wilson Contreras went down hacking to end the inning with the Cardinals up 1-0.

                                                     Cards strike first

The Sox answered against Mikolas in the bottom of the first as Alex Verdugo doubled to center to start. Verdugo moved to third on the Masataka Yoshida grounder to second. Justin Turner flied out to right but Rafael dumped a base hit to right to score Verdugo. Jarren Duran lined out to first to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                Devers ties it up

Brendan Donovan took strike three to start the top of the second but Paul DeJong hit a home run all the way to Madagascar to put the Cards up for good. Dylan Carson singled to right but Andrew Knizner popped up to second. Nootbaar lined out to left to end the inning with the Cards up 2-1.

                                                              Cards end it early

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Triston Casas grounded out to second to start. Enmanuel Valdez walked but Reese McGuire flied out to left. Pablo Reyes made his Sox debut by popping up to shirt to end the inning.

Goldschmidt lined out to center to start the top of the third but Gorman walked. Arenado forced Gorman at second then swiped second base. Contreras and Donovan walked to load the bases but DeJong struck out swinging to end the inning. Alec Burleson took over for Carson to start the bottom of the third and Verdugo grounded out to short to start. Yoshida and Turner both grounded out to third to end the inning. 

The Cards struck again in the top of the fourth as Burleson caught Kluber asleep with a bunt single. Knizner then hit a home run all the way to Morocco to ice the game. Nootbaar grounded out to first but Goldschmidt doubled to right. Gorman flied out to right and Arenado struck out swinging to end the inning with the Cardinals ahead 4-1.

                                                     Another damn home run

Devers dumped a base hit to center to start the bottom of the fourth but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Duran lined out to center but Casas singled to left. Valdez forced Casas at second to end the inning.

Contreras grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Donovan flied out to center. DeJong flied out to left to end the inning and that was it for Kluber. He got hammered again for 4 runs in just 5 innings of work. Just not good enough.

                                                      Another beating for Kluber

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as McGuire grounded out to third to begin. Reyes walked and moved to second on the Verdugo grounder to second. Yoshida also grounded out to second to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to take a beating in the top of the sixth as Burleson flied out to center to start. Knizner singled to center and Nootbaar singled to right, but Goldschmidt struck out swinging. Gorman walked to chase Bernardino and Ryan Brasier came in to face Arenado. Naturally Nolan ripped a base hit to center to score Knizner and Nootbaar. Contreras hit a bullet to Casas to end the inning but the Cards led 6-1.

                                                              Arenado drives in two

Turner flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth and Devers flied out to center. Duran grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Casas threw a grounder by Donovan away for an error to start the top of the seventh but DeJong lined out to short. Burleson flied out to left and Knizner struck out swinging to end the inning. Genesis Cabrera came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Casas walked to start. Valdez struck out swinging and McGuire went down hacking but Reyes blooped a base hit to right to move Casas to third. Verdugo walked and with a chance to do some damage....Yoshida flied out to left to end the inning. 

The Cards poured it on in the top of the eighth as Nootbaar doubled to left to start. A wild pitch moved Lars to third but Goldschmidt struck out swinging. Gorman pounded a ground rule double down the left field line to score Nootbaar and Arenado hit a home run all the way to London to wrap up the scoring. Contreras grounded out to short and Donovan grounded out to second to end the inning with the Cardinals up 9-1.

                                                        Arenado is number one

Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Turner took strike three to start. Devers whiffed but Duran walked. Casas watched strike three go by to end the inning. 

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the ninth and DeJong grounded back to the mound to start. Burleson singled to right but was forced at second by Knizner. Nootbaar grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Tommy Edman came in for Goldschmidt, Juan Yepez came in for Arenado and Chris Stratton took the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Valdez took strike three, McGuire grounded out to first and Reyes took strike three to end the game. The Cards had completed the sweep 9-1.

                                                                  Cardinals win

Jackass of The Night is Corey Kluber. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of, allowing 4 runs in 5 innings. 

                                                                    Jackass Kluber

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Pablo Reyes was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Richard Bleier tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4.

Justin Turner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brennan Bernardino allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning. 

Ryan Brasier allowed 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 3 with a strikeout and an error.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 but walked. 

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

This game and this series was a microcosm of ineptitude that's plaguing the Red Sox. How do you lose three straight at home to a team that bad? Kluber so far has been a 10 million dollar bust but the bullpen didn't do him or the Sox any favors by allowing 5 runs to put the game out of reach. Not that the bats were going to do much anyway. Then again, when you lose Trevor Story in spring training and lose two big bats in Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez in free agency, can't expect to have the same offense. I don't know what the Sox can do to fix anything, they may have to go with what they have for a while. Maybe they'll turn things around, who knows? The loss dropped the Sox to 22-19, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when they welcome in the Seattle Mariners in for a three game set. George Kirby goes for the Mariners against Tanner Houck (3-2) of the Sox. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Braves Bash Sox, Pivetta (5/9/23)

It was a bad night for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics lost Game 5 of their second round NBA playoff series to the Philadelphia Sixers while the Atlanta Braves pounded the Boston Red Sox. With reinforcements coming soon, this might have been the last start for Nick Pivetta (2-3, 6.23 ERA) for the Sox. The Braves teed off on Pivetta, putting the Sox in a 5-0 hole before they could even blink. Matt Olson hit a two run home run in the first inning while Sean Murphy drove in four runs throughout the game. Meanwhile Charlie Morton held the Sox bats to just 5 hits and 2 runs in 6 innings. The Sox as a team mustered just 8 hits and 3 runs as the Braves ran away with this one 9-3 at Truist Park.

Morton got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo grounded back to the mound to start. Masataka Yoshida popped up to third and Justin Turner lined out to right to end the inning. The Braves clobbered Pivetta in the bottom of the first as Ronald Acuna Jr singled to center to start. Olson hit a home run all the way to Augusta to put the Braves up for good just like that. Austin Riley walked and Sean Murphy was hit with a pitch but Eddie Rosario struck out swinging. A wild pitch moved both runners and Riley scored on the Albies single to right. Murphy went to third on the play and he scored to ice the game on the Marcell Ozuna grounder to third. Michael Harris flied out to center to end the inning with the game over already 4-0.

                                                                    Olson ends it early

The Sox blew their biggest chance to get back in the game in the top of the second as Rafael Devers grounded back tot he mound to start. Jarren Duran got a base hit to left but Kike Hernandez struck out swinging. Duran swiped second before Triston Casas drew a walk. Enmanuel Valdez beat out a roller to third to load the bases but Reese McGuire took a full count strike three right down the middle to end the inning. Orlando Arcia singled to left to start the bottom oft he second but Acuna forced him at second. Olson walked but Riley flied out to left. Murphy ripped a base hit to left to score Acuna with another run. Rosario grounded out to first to end the inning with the Braves up 5-0.

                                                              Murphy drives in a run

The Sox did get a run back in the top of the third as Verdugo doubled off the glove of Rosario to start. Verdugo took third on a balk but Yoshida struck out swinging. Turner hit a sac fly to right to score Verdugo but Devers took strike three to end the inning.

                                                            Verdugo scores a run

Albies flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Ozuna flied out to right. Harris struck out swinging to end the inning.

Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Hernandez walked. Casas banged into a double play to end the inning. The Braves finished off Pivetta in the bottom of the fourth as Arcia got a base hit to center to start. Acuna doubled to center and Olson walked to load the bases. Riley lined out to third but Murphy ripped a base hit to left to score Arcia and Acuna. Rosario flied out to left and Albies grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 7-1 Braves. That was it for Pivetta who once again got bombed, allowing 7 runs in just 4 innings of work. That might be it for him as a starter this year.

                                                          Pivetta gets hammered

Valdez struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but McGuire grounded out to second. Verdugo got a single to center but Yoshida grounded out to third to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino got tagged in the bottom of the fifth as Ozuna singled to center to start. Harris was hit with a pitch and Arcia hit a ground rule double touched by a fan down the left field line to score Ozuna. Acuna walked to load the bases but Olson struck out swinging. Riley flied out to right and Murphy forced Acuna to end the inning with the Braves up 8-1.

                                                       Braves tack it on

Turner provided some spark when he smashed his 3rd home run of the season opposite field to start the top of the sixth, but Devers struck out swinging again. Duran grounded out to first and Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

                                                          The lone highlight

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Rosario singled to center to start. Albies banged into a double play and Ozuna struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kirby Yates came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Casas walked to start. Valdez and McGuire both struck out swinging before Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Zack Littell came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Harris popped up to short to start. Arcia flied out to center and Acuna Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth with AJ Minter on the mound although Yoshida grounded out to short to start. Turner doubled to center and Devers walked, but Duran banged into a double play to end the i.....BUT WAIT! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Duran was safe at first and sure enough, he was. Given new life, Hernandez singled to left to score Turner. In a peculiar move, Cora then had ice cold Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Casas. Naturally Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                         Hernandez isn't giving up

The Braves wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Olson walked to start. Riley struck out swinging but Murphy doubled to center to score Olson. Rosario lined out to center and Albies grounded out to first to end the inning with the Braves up 9-3.

                                                       Sox couldn't get him out

Danny Young came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Valdez. Refsnyder struck out swinging and McGuire struck out swinging again, but Verdugo singled to left. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the game. The Braves had won it 9-3.

                                                          Braves win

Jackass of the Night is Nick Pivetta, He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 7 runs in just 4 innings of work.

                                                               Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Justin Turner was 2 for 3 with a home run, 2 total runs batted in and 2 total runs scored.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Triston Casas walked twice in three plate appearances.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3.

Ryan Brasier tossed a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec struck out as a pinch hitter.

Rob Refsnyder struck out as a pinch hitter.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Brennan Bernardino allowed a run in the fifth inning.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Zack Littell allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

That was a game to forget for sure. With James Paxton coming off the Injured List against St. Louis and other guys coming off rehab like Garrett Whitlock and Joely Rodriguez, the Sox have some work to do with their pitchers. Pivetta may have started his last game because simply put, he's not giving the Sox a chance to win games. He's mainly responsible for the Sox having the worst first inning ERA in baseball and tonight was no different. It was 4-0 in the second inning and the Sox can't possibly climb out of such large holes every single game. The offense scratched out 3 runs but you can't expect them to get 7 every game. Guys like Bernardino, Littell and Brasier won't be around much longer either but you'd rather have them pitch a game like this anyway. The Sox are in a rut right now but they should bounce back....key word should. The loss dropped the Sox to 21-16, 8 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Braves when Brayan Bello (1-1, 5.71 ERA) takes on Captain TBD of Atlanta. The game begins at 7:20 PM at Truist 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.

Sox Bash, Sweep Jays (5/4/23)

Guess this year is going to be different from last. Last year not only were the Boston Red Sox completely inept against the AL East, the team they absolutely couldn't beat was the Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox went 3-16 against the Jays last year but shed that loser image big time this year. The Sox won their sixth straight game and completed a 4 game sweep of the Jays tonight. Brayan Bello (1-1, 5.71 ERA) won his first game of the season by lasting 5 innings. The Sox bats led the charge with a 16 hit attack led by Masataka Yoshida and Rafael Devers. Yoshida knocked in 3 runs and Devers 4 to pace the offense. Brennan Bernardino and John Schreiber kept the Jays down long enough for the Sox to break the game open in the bottom of the eighth. It all added up to a four game sweep and a 11-5 victory over Toronto at Fenway Park.

                                                   Jacoby Ellsbury approves of the win

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and George Springer grounded out to second to start. Bo Bichette doubled to left but Vladimir Guerrero Jr lined out to center. Daulton Varsho grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Gausman in the bottom of the first as Raimel Tapia took strike three to start. Masataka Yoshida belted his sixth home run of the season to put the Sox on top and Justin Turner singled to center. Rafael Devers flied out to left but Turner swiped second base. Jarren Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Home run Yoshida

Matt Chapman was called out on a pitch clock violation for strike three to start the top of the second before Brandon Belt whiffed. Danny Jansen struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox bum rushed Gausman in the bottom of the second as Triston Casas singled to right to start. Enmanuel Valdez drew a walk and Casas moved to third on the Kike Hernandez fl out to right. Reese McGuire lashed a base hit to center to score Casas and Tapia beat out a double play ball to score Valdez. Tapia swiped second and took third on a wild pitch before Yoshida got a base hit to right to score him. Turner got a hit to center and Devers broke his slump with a double to right to score bothn runners. Duran beat out a roller to third and promptly stole second. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                       McGuire adds to the lead

Cavan Biggio grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to third. Springer struck out swinging to end the inning. Valdez flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Hernandez grounded out to second. McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Jays began their comeback in the top of the fourth as Bichette grounded out to short to start. Guerrero Jr hit a home run all the way to El Salvador to put the Jays on the board. Varsho singled past Bello but Chapman struck out swinging. Belt singled to left but Jansen lined out to center to end the inning with the Jays down 6-1.

                                                       Guerrero Jr hits one out

The Sox finished off Gausman in the bottom of the fourth as Tapia hit a roller to right and sprinted to second for a "double" before moving to third on a wild pitch. Yoshida singled to left to score Tapia but Turner flied out to center to chase Gausman. Tim Mayza came in and Devers singled in the hole at second and Duran lashed a base hit up the middle to score Yoshida with another run. Casas grounded out to second and Valdez did the same to end the inning with the Sox up 8-1.

                                                         Duran knocks in another run

The Jays stormed back in the top of the fifth as Biggio grounded out to second to start. Kiermaier walked and Devers booted a ground ball by Springer for an error. The Jays made Devers pay as Bichette singled to right to score Kiermaier and Guerrero pounded a ground rule double to right to score Springer. Varsho scored Bichette with a sac fly but Chapman lined out to center to end the inning. Bello stormed off the field and started punching the dugout railing as he once again had a finger problem that caused him to fall apart, allowing 4 runs in just 5 innings of work with the Jays only down 8-4.

                                                             Bello guts it out

Hernandez grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth but McGuire got a base hit to right. Tapia struck out swinging and Yoshida grounded out to third to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Alejandro Kirk pinch hit for Belt to start. Kirk grounded out to first and Jansen grounded back to the mound but Whit Merrifield pinch hit for Biggio. Merrifield grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Erik Swanson came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Turner flied out to center to start. Devers grounded out to second but Duran ripped a base hit to right. Duran took off for second and Jansen threw the ball away allowing Jarren to reach third. Casas grounded out to second to end the inning.

Kiermaier lined out to short to start the top of the seventh before Springer walked to chase Bernardino. John Schreiber came in and Bichette took strike three before Guerrero Jr went down hacking to end the inning. Anthony Bass came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Valdez flied out to right to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and McGuire lined out to center to end the inning.

Varsho singled to right to start the top of the eighth but Chapman struck out swinging. Kirk Banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox removed all doubt in the bottom of the eighth with Zach Pop now on the mound. Tapia walked, stole second and moved to third on the grounder to the mound by Yoshida. Turner lashed a base hit to left and Devers crushed his 11th homer of the season. Duran struck out swinging and Yimi Garcia came in to pitch. Casas flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 11-4.

                                                           Kiss that one goodbye

Ryan Brasier came in to get tagged in the top of the ninth as Jansen walked to start. Merrifield singled off the glove of Hernandez but Kiermaier flied out to center. Springer got a base hit to right to score Jansen but Bichette flied out to right. Spinger took second on defensive indifference but Guerrero Jr was called out on strikes to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-5.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of the Night is Masataka Yoshida. He set the tone with the first inning home run, drove in three total runs and scored three runs.

                                                                Hero Yoshida

The Good:

Justin Turner was 3 for 5 with an rbi, a stolen base and 3 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 4 total rbis.

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with an rbi and 2 stolen bases.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

John Schreiber tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Raimel Tapia was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, stole two bases, drove in a run and scored 3 runs.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Brayan Bello got the win but finger problems caused him to allow 4 runs in just 5 innings of work. He allowed 6 hits and a walk but struck out 5.

Final Thoughts:

Well that was a lot of fun. The Sox went 3-16 against the Jays last year and are 4-0 against them this year. Now that they got over that hump, they should have no reason not to beat the other teams, especially the New York Yankees when the time comes. Bello is still having finger issues but looked great the first couple of innings. Once he gets his hand fixed, he should be good moving forward. The offense continues to be red hot thanks to the trio of Valdez, Duran and Yoshida. Last month it was Alex Verdugo, Turner and Devers then pray for something to happen...talk about a turn around. Valdez isn't hitting 30 homers like he was in the minors but he's getting on base. Yoshida stopped trying to hit every pitch out of the yard and started going with the ball leading to big success. The biggest surprise was Duran, THIS was the player that the Sox were hoping for when he made his debut in 2021. Also another element on the team that could be deadly is their speed. Tapia and Duran stole the Jays blind and if and when David Hamilton joins the mix, they could have a very deadly offense. Casas may be struggling when he swings the bat but there's nothing wrong with his batting eye, he still gets on base for others to drive him in. All in all things have improved but they still need to figure out the rotation. If Kutter Crawford is out long term, they may have to keep Tanner Houck in. Chris Sale, Corey Kluber, Nick Pivetta, Bello and Crawford with Houck as long reliever and an A-Team of Garrett Whitlock, John Schreiber, Josh Winckowsi and Kenley Jansen wouldn't be the end of the world. The wild card is James Paxton who's due to come off the Injured List soon. He could take Bello's place if Bello is having blister issues or Crawford if he's out for a bit. Joely Rodriguez is about to begin his rehab in Worcester so Ryan Brasier's days are numbered. Nothing against Ryan as a person but he's washed up. He was a damn good scrap heap pickup back in 2018 for the World Series run but that was 5 years ago. When the only thing to complain about right now is injuries and one relief pitcher, things are going good. The Sox now travel to Philadelphia for a three game set beginning tomorrow night with the Phillis. Chris Sale (2-2, 6.75 ERA) looks to continue his comeback against Zack Wheeler of the Phillies. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Citizens Bank Park.

Sox Rally Past Sloppy Jays (5/3/23)

It was a great night for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 2 of their second round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox won their fifth straight game and third in a row against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays committed four errors throughout the game which contributed to their downfall. Nick Pivetta (2-2, 4.99 ERA) held the vaunted Toronto offense to just 3 runs in 6 solid innings of work. Meanwhile the Sox rallied down 2-0 to tie the game in the fifth and chase Toronto starter Alek Manoah. Trailing 3-2 in the sixth, the Sox tied the game on a Triston Casas rbi single and jumped ahead when Enmanuel Valdez hit a ball off the glove of Vladimir Guerrero Jr. The Sox added to the lead in the later innings and came away with an 8-3 victory over Toronto at Fenway Park.

                                                          Malcolm Brogdon approves of the win

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and things went bad right from the start as Rafael Devers booted a routine grounder by George Springer for an error. Bo Bichette forced Springer at second before Vladimir Guerrero Jr lined out to left. Matt Chapman flied out to center to end the inning. Manoah got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first and Justin Turner grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Jays struck first in the top of the second inning as Daulton Varsho pounded a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to put the Jays up. Alejandro Kirk grounded out to short before Whit Merrifield did the same. Santiago Espinal doubled to center but Kevin Kiermaier took strike three to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                          Jays take the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Devers took strike three to start. Jarren Duran walked but Triston Casas forced him at second. Enmanuel Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Jays struck again in the top of the fourth as Springer struck out swinging to start. Bichette flied out to center but Guerrero Jr hit a home run all the way to Paraguay. Chapman flied out to right to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.

                                                          Guerrero hits one out

Kike Hernandez lined out to center to start the bottom of the third before Connor Wong grounded out to third. Verdugo singled to right and Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning.

Varsho singled to right to start the top of the fourth and took third when Wong threw the ball four pitch to Kirk away for an error. Merrifield struck out swinging and Espinal banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the fourth as Turner lined out to first to start. Devers then lined a ball off Manoah and Kirk threw the ball away to allow Rafael to advance to second. A wild pitch moved Devers to third and he scored on the Duran doubled to center. Manoah threw a pickoff throw away and Casas made him pay with a base hit to right to score Duran to tie the game. Hernandez lined out to left and Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       Duran stays hot

The Jays answered in the top of the fifth as Kiermaier doubled to center to start. Springer flied out to center to move Kevin to third and he scored in the Pivetta balk to put the Jays back in the lead. Bichette struck out swinging and Guerrero Jr grounded out to short to end the inning with the Jays up 3-2.

                                                                   Scoring on a balk?

The Sox took advantage of bad defense in the bottom of the fifth as Verdugo popped up to third to start. Yoshida reached on an error by Espinal and Turner doubled to center. Devers popped up to third but Duran was plunked to load the bases. Casas stepped up with a base hit to left to score Yoshida with the tying run. Valdez then hit a routine grounder OFF THE GLOVE OF GUERRERO! Turner and Duran scored to give the Sox the lead on the "hit" by Valdez and Enmanuel swiped second base. Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                                    Valdez drives in a pair

Pivetta returned for the top of the sixth inning and Chapman struck out swinging to start. Varsho went down hacking and Kirk grounded out to second to end the inning. Pivetta was solid, tossing 6 innings of 3 run ball while allowing 5 hits and a walk and striking out six batters.

                                                            Pivetta stands tall

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the sixth with Anthony Bass now on the mound. Wong doubled to left before moving to third on the Verdugo grounder to first. Yoshida lined a ball off Bass to score Wong to increase the lead. Turner singled to center and that was it for Bass. Trevor Richards came in and Devers grounded out to first, but Duran walked. Casas flied out to dead center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                    Yoshida adds to the lead

Chris Martin came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Merrifield took strike three to start. Espinal grounded out to short and Kiermaier struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh as Valdez struck out swinging to start. Hernandez dumped a base hit to right but Wong struck out swinging. Verdugo walked and Yoshida doubled home Hernandez. Turner walked to load the bases but Nate Pearsonw as brought in to face Devers. Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                                               Yoshida does it again

Kutter Crawford came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Springer grounded out to short to start. Bichette grounded out to second but Guerrero Jr singled to center. Chapman walked but Varsho grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Duran popped up to second to start. Duran dumped a base hit to left and Varsho threw the ball away to allow Duran to move to second. Valdez flied out to left but Hernandez lined a base hit up the middle to score Casas. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 8-3.

                                                                Another run for the Sox

Crawford returned for the top of the ninth and Kirk grounded out to second to start. Suddenly Crawford keeled over grabbing his hamstring and had to be hauled off on a gurney, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to Mass General's ICU. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch and Merrifield grounded out to second before Espinal flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Enmanuel Valdez. His two run single put the Sox up for good in the fifth inning.

                                                            Hero Valdez

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Justin Turner was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 total runs scored.

Triston Casas was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Nick Pivetta got the win with six solid innings allowing 3 runs off 5 hits and a walk while striking out 6.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Kutter Crawford tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Ryan Brasier got the final two outs of the ninth inning,.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout and an error but scored a run.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 5 with an error and 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

If it wasn't for the Crawford injury this would have been the perfect night at Fenway. Everyone on offense got at least one hit including the rookies Casas, Valdez and technically Yoshida. Valdez and Duran have been surprise sparks in emergency roles after guys went down and Wong is heating up as well. Ironically the only one in a slump is their best hitter, Devers. That's a bad sign for the league because once he heats up, they're going to be tough to beat. Pivetta had another solid start and again, if it wasn't for Crawford getting hurt, this would have been perfect. The Sox were 3-16 against Toronto last year and have gone 3-0 against them this year. Hopefully the Sox can keep the momentum going because they're fighting back in every game it seems. They were down 2-0 and 3-2 before rallying to take the lead they would not relinquish. Who would have thought the Sox would be one win away from sweeping the the team they couldn't beat last year? The win improved the Sox to 18-14, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it six wins in a row and a four game sweep over the Jays tomorrow evening when Brayan Bello (0-1, 6.57 ERA) gets the start for Boston against Kevin Gausman of Toronto. The game begins at 6:10 PM at Fenway Park.