Red Sox Edge White Sox Late (4/17/14)

For seven innings both Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox and Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox put on a master class of a pitcher's duel. The only blemish on Sale was a Xander Bogaerts home run while Lester allowed an rbi single to Adam Eaton. Lester made it through eight innings but Ronald Belisario was in for a surprise in the top of the ninth. David Ross doubled home Mike Napoli to put Boston on top and Jonathan Herrera scored Grady Sizemore with a squeeze bunt for the insurance run. The returning Koji Uehara slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth as the Red Sox took two out of three from the White Sox 3-1 at Comiskey Park.

                                                      Sax approves of the win

Sale got the ball in the top of the first and Dustin Pedroia led off by grounding out to third. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging and David Ortiz was robbed of a home run at the wall by Adam Eaton to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first Eaton grounded back to the mound to start. Marcus Semien grounded out to short and Dayan Viciedo popped up to first to end the inning.

Mike Napoli led off the top of the second by striking out swinging and Jonny Gomes grounded out to third. David Ross drew a walk but Daniel Nava forced him at second to end the inning. Adam Dunn popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Paul Konerko took strike three. Alexei Ramirez lined out to Bogaerts to end the inning.

Ryan Roberts struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr went down hacking and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Lester turned up the heat in the bottom of the third as Alejandro De Aza watched strike three go by to begin. Tyler Flowers struck out swinging and Leury Garcia was frozen for strike three to end the inning,

Bogaerts was plunked to begin the top of the fourth but Ortiz took strike three. Napoli flied out to center and Bogaerts tagged up on the play. Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning. Eaton popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Viciedo struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ross and Nava struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Roberts popped up to left to end the inning. Dunn flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Konerko hit one up the elevator shaft. Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the sixth as JBJ took strike three to start. Pedroia lined out to short but Bogaerts smashed his first home run of the season to put Boston on top. Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning with the BoSox up 1-0.

                                                      First of the season for Bogaerts

The ChiSox answered in the bottom of the sixth against Lester as De Aza grounded out to first to start. Flowers broke up the perfect game with a base hit past the diving Bogaerts and Garcia pounded a ground rule double over the head of Nava. Eaton hit a grounder to second and beat out the throw to first to score Flowers. Semien took strike three and Viciedo flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                         Tie goes to the runner

Napoli walked to start the top of the seventh but Gomes flied out to left. Ross walked but Nava flied out to right. Roberts struck out swinging to end Sale's day of dominance. Dunn got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the seventh but Konerko flied out to right. Ramirez lined out to right and De Aza hit a rocket into the right field corner. Dunn tried to score from first but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

                                                        You're outta there!

Ronald Belisario came in to pitch the top of the eighth and JBJ walked to start. Pedroia banged into a double play and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Flowers got a base hit to center. Garcia dropped down a bunt to move Flowers to second but Eaton took strike three. Semien lined a base hit off the glove of Lester but Viciedo struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester was outstanding, allowing 1 run in 8 innings off 7 hits while striking out nine.

                                                            Good work Lester

The BoSox broke through in the top of the ninth as Ortiz was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start. Napoli beat out a roller to third and Mike Carp pinch hit for Gomes. Carp got a base hit to left and Ross doubled to right to score Napoli. Nava was intentionally walked and Scott Downs was brought in to face Roberts. Sox manager John Farrell countered by pinch running Grady Sizemore for Carp and pinch hitting Jonathan Herrera for Roberts. Herera caught everyone asleep with a suicide squeeze bunt to score Sizemore with the insurance run. JBJ hit a bullet to short and Ross was doubled off third to end the inning with Boston up 3-1.

                                                    Sizemore scores the insurance run

Koji Uehara came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Dunn struck out swinging to start. Konerko popped up to first but Ramirez got a base hit to left. Jose Abreu pinch hit for De Aza and grounded out to third to end the game. Boston had won it 3-1.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jon Lester. He tossed 8 innings of 1 run ball while allowing 7 hits and striking out 9 batters.

                                                         Hero Lester

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a home run and a hit by pitch.

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Carp got a base hit as a pinch hitter.

Grady Sizemore scored a run as a pinch runner.

David Ross was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Jonathan Herrera drove in a run with a base hit.

Koji Uehara earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jonny Gomes was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and threw out a baserunner.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was as close as you'll get to a 2013 win as you can get. Lester matched zeroes with Chris Sale then took the lead late in the game. This had Game 5 of the World Series last year vibes with Ross delivering the rbi double late in the game then Uehara slamming the door. The Sox have been struggling this year but this was a damn good win even if Pedroia and Ortiz did absolutely nothing. Ryan Roberts continues to do nothing and the rumor is the Sox are thinking of signing Stephen Drew back. They're better off putting Bogaerts at short and rolling the dice with a new third baseman if Will Middlebrooks is hurt long term. All in all it was a good win and that's two big ones in a row. The Sox now return home to face the Baltimore Orioles for a four game set. Tomorrow night John Lackey (2-1) goes one on one with Chris Tillman of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Outlast White Sox in 14 Innings (4/16/14)

It was a longggggggg night in Chicago as the Boston Red Sox and Chicago White Sox played a 14 inning marathon tonight. John Danks of the White Sox held the Sox to just one run through six innings while Sox starter Clay Buchholz surrendered 3 runs in six innings as well. AJ Pierzynski struck a sac fly against Donnie Veal in the eighth and Grady Sizemore hit a sac fly off Matt Lindstrom in the ninth to tie the game. The BoSox took the lead in the 11th when Jonny Gomes hit a sac fly off Daniel Webb but Tyler Flowers got an rbi single off Edward Mujica to tie the game. Jackie Bradley Jr clubbed a two run double off Leury Garcia in the top of the 14th and the team of Chris Capuano and Burke Badenhop slammed the door as Boston won the game 6-4 in 14 innings at Comiskey Park.

                                                            Happy fans in the 14th

The BoSox jumped on Danks immediately in the top of the first as Dustin Pedroia doubled to the left field wall to start. Xander Bogaerts lined a base hit up the middle to score Dustin to put Boston ahead. David Ortiz dumped a base hit to right but Jonny Gomes popped up to right. Grady Sizemore also popped up to right and AJ Pierzynski grounded out to third to end the inning with Boston up 1-0.

                                                        Pedroia scores the first run

Things went south for Clay Buchholz immediately in the bottom of the first as Adam Eaton was hit with a pitch to start. Buchholz had Eaton picked off but Daniel Nava misplayed the ball for an error to move Eaton to second. Marcus Semien flied out to left and Connor Gillaspie struck out swinging to bring up Jose Abreu. Jose hit a grounder to Ryan Roberts who threw the ball away for an error to score Eaton. Adam Dunn walked and Dayan Viciedo singled to right to load the bases, but De Aza popped up to first to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                     White Sox score on two errors

Nava grounded out to short to start the top of the second before both Roberts and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. Alexei Ramirez flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Adrian Nieto got a base hit to center. Eaton forced Nieto at second but Semien drove a base hit to center. Gillaspie took strike three to end the inning.

Pedroia lined out to center to start the top of the third but Bogaerts was hit with a pitch. Bogaerts moved to second on the Ortiz grounder to Abreu but Gomes walked. Sizemore walked to load the bases but Pierzynski grounded out to third to end the inning. Abreu flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Dunn also flied out to center. Viciedo completed the trifecta with a fly out to center to end the inning.

Nava took strike three to start the top of the fourth but Roberts drew a walk. JBJ popped up the bunt to the catcher and Pedroia forced Roberts at second to end the inning. De Aza caught Roberts asleep with a bunt single down to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Ramirez flied out to center. De Aza swiped second but Nieto took strike three. Eaton grounded out to first to end the inning.

Bogaerts walked to open the top of the fifth but Ortiz flied out to left. Bogaerts swiped second but Gomes popped up to second. Sizemore flied out to center to end the inning. Buchholz matched Danks in the bottom of the fifth as Semien took strike three to start. Gillaspie also was frozen for strike three and Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

Pierzynski grounded back to the mound to start the top of the sixth before Nava flied out to left. Roberts grounded out to third to end the inning. The White Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Dunn walked to start. Viciedo struck out swinging but Dunn moved to second on a grounder to the mound by De Aza. A wild pitch moved Dunn to third and Ramirez hit a home run all the way to Luxembourg to put Chicago on top. Nieto singled to center but Eaton lined out to the left field wall to end the inning with the White Sox up 3-1. Buchholz made one mistake to Ramirez but was solid, allowing 3 runs in 6 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six.

                                                             One mistake cost Clay

Ronald Belisario came in to pitch the top of the seventh and JBJ flied out to left to start. Pedroia took strike three and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Craig Breslow came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Semien took strike three to start. Gillaspie singled to center but Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning.

White Sox manager Robin Ventura blew threw his bullpen in the top of the eighth as Scott Downs started the frame just to pitch to Ortiz. Big Papi drew a walk and Jake Petricka came in just to face Gomes. Gomes walked and that was it for Petricka. Donnie Veal came in to face Sizemore and Grady forced Gomes at second to put runners at the corners. Pierzynski hit a sac fly to center to score Ortiz and Nava walked to chase Veal. Maikel Cleto came in to face Roberts but Sox manager John Farrell countered by pinch hitting Mike Carp for Ryan. Carp walked and Jonathan Herrera pinch ran for him. JBJ popped up to short to end the inning with the BoSox down 3-2. The White Sox burned three relief pitchers just to get to Cleto and that would prove costly later.

                                                           Ortiz scores a run

Dunn struck out swinging to open the bottom of the eighth and Farrell pulled Breslow in favor of Junichi Tazawa. Viciedo grounded out to third and JBJ popped up to short to end the inning. 

Jordan Danks took over in right to start the top of the ninth and Pedroia walked to start. Pedroia stole second but Bogaerts walked to chase Cleto. Matt Lindstrom came in to pitch and Ortiz flied out to right. Gomes got a swinging bunt base hit in front of the plate to load the bases and Sizemore hit a sac fly to left to score Pedroia with the tying run. A wild pitch moved the runners over but Pierzynski grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                        Sox tie it up

Andrew Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Ramirez struck out swinging to start. Paul Konerko pinch hit for Nieto and grounded out to short before Eaton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tyler Flowers took over behind the plate for the top of the tenth and Nava flied out to center to start. Herrera flied out to center and JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning. Semien struck out swinging to start the bottom of the tenth but Gillaspie grounded a base hit up the middle. Abreu forced Gillaspie at second and Dunn grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Daniel Webb came in to pitch the top of the eleventh and Pedroia walked to start. Bogaerts was hit with a pitch and Ortiz forced him at second to put runners at the corners. Gomes hit a sac fly to left to score Pedroia but Sizemore lined out to left to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 4-3.

                                                           Boston takes the lead.

The White Sox answered in the bottom of the eleventh with Edward Mujica now on the mound. Danks walked to start before promptly stealing second base. De Aza struck out swinging but Danks moved to third on the grounder to first by Ramirez. Flowers then grounded a seeing eye single up the middle to score Danks and tie the game. Eaton flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                                 ChiSox tie it up

The BoSox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the 12th inning as Pierzynski grounded out to second to start. Nava grounded out to short and Herrera hit a comebacker to Webb to end the inning. Chris Capuano came in to pitch the bottom of the 12th and Semien flied out to right to start. Gillaspie lined out to short and Abreu took strike three to end the inning.

The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the 13th as JBJ walked to start. Pedroia beat out a roller to short but Bogaerts grounded into a double play. Ortiz was intentionally walked to get to Gomes and Jonny took strike three to end the inning. Capuano came back for the bottom of the 13th as Dunn struck out swinging to start. Danks grounded out to second and De Aza lined out to center to end the inning.

The BoSox broke through in the top of the 14th with Leury Garcia on the mound. Sizemore grounded out to first and Pierzynski to right, but Nava drew a walk. Herrera walked as well and JBJ doubled into the left field corner to clear the bases. Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning with Boston ahead 6-4.

                                                               BoSox take the lead

Capuano returned for the bottom of the 14th and Ramirez struck out swinging to start. Flowers got a base hit to left but Eaton flied out to right. Sox manager John Farrell wanted Burke Badenhop to pitch to Semien. Semien grounded out to short to end the game with the BoSox winning 6-4 in 14 innings.

                                                            Red Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jackie Bradley Jr. His two run double was enough to win the game in the fourteenth.

                                                        Jackie Bradley Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 6 with 2 walks and 3 runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, two hit by pitches and an rbi.

Mike Carp walked as a pinch hitter.

Clay Buchholz tossed 6 solid innings allowing 3 runs (2 earned) off 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six.

Craig Breslow pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Andrew Miller tossed two scoreless innings.

Chris Capuano got the win with 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Burke Badenhop got the save by getting the final out of the game.

The Bad:

Edward Mujica allowed a run in the bottom of the eleventh to blow the save.

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 5 but walked twice and scored a run.

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice and drove in a run.

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 5 but walked and drove in a run.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 6 but drove in a run.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 5 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Final Thoughts:

That was a gutty win for a struggling Red Sox team. They haven't been able to win close games lately but this was a big win even if its early in the season. They were down 3-1 before rallying to tie it in the 9th. They blew an 11th inning lead but stayed tough to take the lead again in the 14th. They didn't make it look easy but they slammed the door in the ninth. The offense is a little lacking but they did just enough to win this one, thank you Jackie Bradley Jr. Mike Napoli apparently dislocated his finger last night but they popped it back in, so he'll be okay in a few days. Mujica isn't exactly lights out as a closer but luckily they're getting Koji Uehara back soon. Last year the trio of Breslow, Tazawa and Uehara shortened a lot of games and getting all three on track would bring this pitching staff back to last year. Good work by the bullpen otherwise including Badenhop and Capuano to slam the door at the end as well. Hopefully this game will be the spark this team needs to get back to last year's form. The BoSox look to make it two in a row against the ChiSox tomorrow night for a big pitcher's duel when Jon Lester (1-2) matches up with White Sox ace Chris Sale. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.

White Sox Walkoff Red Sox On Error (4/15/14)

One thing's for sure when it comes to the Boston Red Sox, the magic of last year is completely gone. Not only are the bats not getting it done, they're not winning the close games anymore. Jake Peavy of the Red Sox and Erik Johnson of the Chicago White Sox locked in a pitcher's duel through six innings. Adam Dunn hit a home run off Peavy but Daniel Nava hit one off Johnson. In the bottom of the ninth, Burke Badenhop (0-2, 7.71 ERA) allowed a base hit to Alexei Ramirez and Chris Capuano came in to get the final out. It didn't happen as Adam Eaton walked and Xander Bogaerts threw a grounder by Marcus Semien away to end the game. The White Sox had won the game 2-1 over the Red Sox at Commiskey Park.

                                                       Foamy can't stand errors

Johnson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Grady Sizemore led off with a broken bat fly out to right. Xander Bogaerts took strike three and David Ortiz popped up to third to end the inning. Peavy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Adam Eaton struck out swinging to start. Marcus Semien popped up to Mike Napoli and Conor Gillaspie struck out swinging to end the inning.

Napoli took strike three to start the top of the second and Daniel Nava ripped a liner right to Ramirez. AJ Pierzynski got a big hand from his old fans before grounding out to short to end the inning. The White Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Jose Abreu grounded out to short to start....but wait! White Sox manager Robin Ventura challenged the call, but it was upheld. Adam Dunn immediately hit a home run to Nebraska to put Chicago on top. Dayan Viciedo doubled to left but Alejandro De Aza took strike three. Ramirez walked but Tyler Flowers was rung up for strike three on a questionable pitch to end the inning with Chicago ahead 1-0.

                                                      Home run Dunn

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the third as Ryan Roberts struck out swinging to start. Jackie Bradley Jr walked and Jonathan Herrera singled to center, but all Sizemore could do was move the runners over with a fly out to center. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Eaton grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Semien popped up to center. Gillaspie grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The BoSox struck back in the top of the fourth as Ortiz struck out swinging to start. Napoli also struck out swinging but Nava crushed his second home run of the year to tie the game. Pierzynski struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           Nava ties it up

Abreu struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Dunn drew a walk. Viciedo grounded a base hit up the middle but De Aza took strike three. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Roberts flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and JBJ grounded out to second. Herrera struck out swinging to end the inning. Peavy cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Flowers struck out swinging to start. Eaton flied out to center and Semien grounded out to second to end the inning.

Sizemore grounded out to second to open the top of the sixth before Bogaerts flied out to center. Ortiz flied out to right to end the inning. Gillaspie grounded out to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Abreu walked. Dunn walked and both runners moved over on the grounder to short by Viciedo. De Aza flied out to left to end the inning. That was it for Peavy as he allowed just 1 run in 6 solid innings. He allowed 3 hits and 4 walks in his outing.

                                                        Good work Peavy

The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Napoli got a base hit to left to start. Nava lined out to short and Pierzsynki missed a home run by 10 feet before walking. Roberts struck out swinging and that was it for Johnson. Scott Downs came in to face JBJ and struck him out swinging to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh as Ramirez grounded out to short to start. Flowers struck out swinging but Eaton singled off the glove of Herrera. Semien lined out to right to end the inning.

Herrera grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth before Sizemore also grounded out to second. Jake Petricka came in to pitch to Bogaerts and Xander struck out swinging to end the inning. Andrew Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gillaspie lined out to left to start. Abreu grounded out to second but Dunn walked to chase Miller. Burke Badenhop came in to pitch with Leury Garcia in to run for Dunn. Viciedo hit a comebacker to Badenhop to end the inning.

Ortiz grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth but Napoli walked to chase Petricka. Donnie Veal came in to face Jonny Gomes pinch hitting for Nava. Gomes struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved Napoli to second. Sox manager John Farrell sent Dustin Pedroia in to run for Napoli and Pierzynski was plunked. Daniel Webb came in to face Mike Carp pinch hitting for Roberts and Carp grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Things came to a crashing halt in the bottom of the ninth as De Aza walked to start. De Aza was thrown out at second trying to steal but Ramirez got a base hit to left. Flowers took strike three and John Farrell wanted Chris Capuano to face Eaton. Adam walked and Semien hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts.....who threw low to first, Carp unable to pick it for an error to score Ramirez. The White Sox had walked off the Red Sox 2-1.

                                                          White Sox win

Jackass of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His error in the ninth led to the walkoff win

                                                                Nice error Jackass

The Good:

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 with a home run.

AJ Pierzynski walked and was hit with a pitch in four plate appearances.

Jonathan Herrera was 1 for 3.

Jake Peavy allowed 1 run in 6 innings allowing 3 hits and 4 walks while striking out 8.

Junichi Tazawa tossed a full scoreless inning.

Andrew Miller got the first two outs of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4.

Johnny Gomes struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Mike Carp was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Burke Badenhop took the loss on an unearned run in a full inning.

Chris Capuano was on the mound for Bogaerts' game ending error.

Honorable Mention:

Dustin Pedroia ran for Napoli in the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

The magic of 2013 is gone, that's for sure. The Sox used to win games like this but this year they just don't. Scoring just 1 run the entire game is inexcusable in itself especially since they mad men on base all game, but to lose on an error is just a sucker punch to the gonads. Peavy battled his ass off and Tazawa did what he could to keep the game tied, but the Boston offense just couldn't get anything going. The losses of Shane Victorino, Jacoby Ellsbury and Stephen Drew are all rearing their ugly heads because the replacements aren't doing so well. Still, its only April and there's a long way to go. They should be able to figure it out moving forward. The BoSox look to bounce back tomorrow night against Chicago when Clay Buchholz takes the hill against Jon Danks of the ChiSox. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Commiskey Park.

Nova, Yankees Edge Sox (4/13/14)

Looks like the magic of the 2013 season wore off in a hurry for the 2014 Boston Red Sox. The Sox have now lost eight of their first fourteen games including three out of four to the New York Yankees. Ian Nova stymied the Red Sox allowing just 2 runs while pitching into the eighth inning. Felix Doubront (1-2, 6.75) was game but surrendered three runs in 6 2/3 innings. The Sox jumped out to a 1-0 lead on a Jonathan Herrera rbi single but Carlos Beltran hit a two run shot off Doubront in the bottom of the third. The Yankees made it 3-1 but Mike Napoli homered in the sixth to cut the lead to one. The Sox loaded the bases in the top of the eighth but couldn't deliver the knockout punch. The Yankees beat the Sox 3-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                 Losing three of four to the Yankees?

Nova got the ball in the top of the first inning and Grady Sizemore grounded out to short to start. Xander Bogaerts ripped a base hit to left but David Ortiz struck out swinging. Mike Napoli also struck out swinging to end the inning. Doubront got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner led off to lining out to a running Daniel Nava to start. Carlos Beltran lined a base hit to left and Jacoby Ellsbury doubled down the right field line. Alfonso Soriano lined a ball to center and Beltran trotted home....but Ellsbury was thrown out at third by Bradley to end the inning before the runner scored.

                                                                   Yerrrr out!

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Daniel Nava grounded out to second to start. AJ Pierzynski struck out swinging but Ryan Roberts lined a base hit to left. Jackie Bradley Jr lined a ball off Nova into shallow right for a base hit to move Roberts to third. Jonathan Herrera lined a base hit to center to score Roberts to put the Sox on top. Sizemore dumped a base hit to left but JBJ was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Yerrrr out!

Brian McCann led off the bottom of the second and Yangervis Solarte grounded out to third. Kelly Johnson walked and took second on a wild pitch but Francisco Cervelli flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Ortiz grounded out to third and Napoli grounded out to short to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third as Anna grounded out to first to start. Gardner singled to right and Beltran hit a home run all the way to Nepal to put the Yankees up for good. Ellsbury grounded out to first and Soriano grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-1.

                                                           Home run Beltran

Nava hit a rocket to Ellsbury to start the top of the fourth before Pierzynski grounded out to second. Roberts lined a base hit to left and JBJ lined out to left to end the inning. The Yankees got another run in the bottom of the fourth as McCann walked to start. Solarte walked and Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves ran to the mound to tell Doubront what happened in the latest episode of Supernatural. Johnson forced Solarte at second and it looked like Cervelli banged into a double play to end the inning. Yankees manager Joe Girardi challenged that Cervelli was safe at first and former Yankees manager Joe Torre DEMANDED the call be changed. Sure enough, the call was overturned as Cervelli was safe and McCann scored to increase the lead. Sox manager John Farrell ran out of the dugout and shouted at the umpires causing him to be ejected. Apparently Cervelli was hurt on the play and Ichiro Suzuki pinch ran for him. Anna flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.

                                       "I've had it up to here with you divotheads!" - Farrell

Herrera lined out to short to start the top of the fifth but Sizemore singled to center. Bogaerts flied out to center and Ortiz flied out to the right field warning track to end the inning. Gardner singled to center to begin the bottom of the fifth and moved to second on a fly ball to deep center by Beltran. Ellsbury flied out to right and Soriano struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth as Napoli smashed his third home run of the season to cut the lead. Nava flied out to center, Pierzynski grounded out to short and Roberts also grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                           Home run Napoli

McCann doubled to center to start the bottom of the sixth before moving to third on a grounder to short by Solarte. Johnson struck out swinging and Ichiro grounded out to second to end the inning. 

JBJ took strike three to start the top of the seventh before Herrera grounded out to third. Sizemore flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Anna flied out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Gardner lined out to a running Nava. Beltran doubled to left and that was it for Doubront. Felix fought well, going 6 2/3 innings while allowing 3 runs off 7 hits and 3 walks. Chris Capuano came in to get Ellsbury to ground out to second to end the inning.

                                                            Doubront deserved better

Bogaerts flied out to right to start the top of the eighth and that was it for Nova. Matt Thornton came in to face Ortiz and Ichiro made a great jumping catch to rob Big Papi of extra bases. David Phelps was brought in to face Napoli and Gardner missed catching a "double" by Napoli. Nava walked and Pierzynski was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Acting Sox manager Torey Lovullo had Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts but Mike struck out swinging to end the inning. Huge chance blown by the Sox there. Soriano flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth and McCann lined out to center. Solarte singled to center and Johnson grounded out to second to end the inning.

Shawn Kelley came in to close out the top of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Herrera took strike three and Gardner made yet another diving catch on Sizemore to end the game. The Yankees played a flawless defensive game to win 3-2.

                                                                  Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is a tough one but I'll go with David Ortiz. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout in a one run game. One hit or home run might have been the difference.

                                                                   Jackass Ortiz

The Good:

Grady Sizemore was 2 for 5.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Ryan Roberts was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Chris Capuano tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Mike Carp struck out swinging as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 but walked.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jonathan Herrera was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Felix Doubront took the loss but pitched relatively well, tossing 6 2/3 innings while allowing 3 runs. 

Final Thoughts:

The Sox had their chances but couldn't get it done when it counted. Its unfair to put too much blame on Carp because its very hard to come off the bench ice cold in the later innings and expect to produce. Still, the Yankees defense made a ton of great plays to rob the Sox of extra hits. Doubront pitched relatively well too so you just have to tip your cap to the Yankees for playing a great all around game. The Yankees took three of four and the Sox are in a bit of trouble moving forward. Usually the Sox come out like a house of fire against the Yankees in April but this time it was the other way around. There's still a series at Fenway coming up but still, this was no fluke. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to rebound in a three game set in Chicago against the White Sox. Jake Peavy goes for the Sox against Erik Johnson of Chicago on Tuesday night at 8:10 PM at Commiskey Park.

Sizemore, Lester Drop Yankees (4/11/14)

When the Boston Red Sox lost Jacoby Ellsbury in free agency, they rolled the dice by trying to resurrect Grady Sizemore after he hadn't played in the big leagues since 2011. The gamble has worked so far as Grady was the difference in tonight's game against the New York Yankees. Trailing 1-0 against Yankees ace CC Sabathia in the sixth inning, Jonny Gomes tied the game with a home run and Sizemore smashed a three run home run to give the Sox the lead. Jon Lester (1-2, 2.57 ERA) was game as he tossed 6 2/3 strong innings. The duo of Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica was enough to close the door as the Sox defeated the Yankees 4-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                    Shanice Jordan approves of the win

Sabathia got the ball in the top of the first and Jonny Gomes took strike three to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to first but David Ortiz walked. Mike Napoli took strike three to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first and Derek Jeter grounded out to second to start. Jacoby Ellsbury lined out to center and Carlos Beltran popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Grady Sizemore began the top of the second by going down hacking before Xander Bogaerts also struck out swinging. Ryan Roberts lined out to left to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the second when Alfonso Soriano hit a home run all the way to Saudi Arabia to put the Yankees on top. Francisco Cervelli grounded out to third, Yangervis Solarte struck out swinging and Ichiro Suzuki grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                        The funky Alfonso

David Ross tried to start a rally with a double to left to start the top of the third and moved to third on the Jackie Bradley Jr grounder to short. Gomes popped up to first in foul territory and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Brian Roberts popped up a bunt back to Ross to start the bottom of the third and Kelly Johnson flied out to right. Jeter hit a squibber single in front of the plate and Ellsbury walked, but Jeter was forced at third by Beltran to end the inning.

Ortiz grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth before Napoli lined out to first. Sizemore grounded out to first to end the inning. Lester froze Soriano for strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Cervelli grounded out to second. Solarte also took strike three to end the inning.

Bogaerts walked to start the top of the fifth before moving to second on the grounder to short by Roberts. Ross and JBJ both struck out swinging to end the inning. Ichiro beat out a roller to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Roberts hit into a double play. Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox roared to life in the top of the sixth as Gomes led off with his first home run of the season to tie the game. Pedroia struck out swinging but Ortiz beat out a roller to third. Napoli ripped a base hit to center and Sizemore belted his second home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Bogaerts and Roberts both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                     Sizemore puts Boston on top

Jeter flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Ellsbury singled to right. Jacoby stole second but Beltran took strike three in the process. Soriano grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ross grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh before JBJ grounded out to third. Gomes singled to center but Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Cervelli took strike three to start. Solarte grounded out to short but Ichiro singled to right. Roberts walked and Johnson dumped a base hit to right to score Ichiro. That was it for Lester who lasted 6 2/3 innings allowing just two runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six. Junichi Tazawa came in to face Jeter and Derek flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-2.

                                                  Lester stays strong

Cesar Cabral came in to pitch to Ortiz in the top of the eighth and ended up walking him. Adam Warren came in to face Napoli and Mike flied out to center. Sizemore got a base hit to right but Bogaerts flied out to center. Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts and struck out swinging to end the inning. Tazawa returned for the bottom of the eighth and Ellsbury was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Beltran struck out swinging but Soriano singled to right. Brian McCann pinch hit for Cervelli and struck out swinging to end the inning.

Dellin Betances came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Ross took strike three to start. JBJ watched strike three go by and Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning. Edward Mujica came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Solarte grounded out to first to start. Ichiro flied out to center and Brett Gardner pinch hit for Roberts. Gardner struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Grady Sizemore. His 3 run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                            Hero Sizemore

The Good:

Jonny Gomes was 2 for 5 with a home run.

David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Jon Lester got the win by tossing 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six batters.

Junichi Tazawa tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Edward Mujica got his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Mike Carp struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

David Ross was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Jonathan Herrera played third in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have been sputtering to start the season but that was a good win against the Yankees. Sabathia didn't give an inch but the Sox held on to get four runs off him. Sizemore has big shoes to fill with Ellsbury on the Yankees and today he was the hero of this one. Lester also pitched well but credit to Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica for slamming the door after Lester was gone. The Sox offense is faltering a bit but Sizemore stepped up big time. Hopefully this could be the start of something good moving forward. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow afternoon when John Lackey (2-0) goes for the Sox against Hiroki Kuroda of New York. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Pineda, Yankees Shut Down Sox (4/10/14)

Looks like the New York Yankees got away with some chicanery in tonight's game against the Boston Red Sox. On paper Michael Pineda dominated the Red Sox by allowing just a single run in 6 innings but the camera's picked up what looked to be pine tar on his hand. Red Sox fans are fuming that Sox manager John Farrell didn't do anything about it because the Sox ended up losing this game. Clay Buchholz pitched well allowing just 2 earned runs but the Yankees put the game away after an error by Jonathan Herrera. The miscue led to two runs scoring which was all the Yankees needed. Ironically after Pineda left the game in the top of the seventh after allowing a home run to Daniel Nava and a base hit to Xander Bogaerts, not a single batter reached base . It all added up to a tainted 4-1 victory by the Yankees over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

                                             Unless he's using his hand to wipe, that's pine tar

Pineda got the ball in the top of the first inning and Grady Sizemore flied out to center to start. Dustin Pedroia flied out to the right field warning track and David Ortiz hit a bullet right to Kelly Johnson to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner struck out swinging to start. Derek Jeter hit a roller up the middle for a base hit and took second on old friend Jacoby Ellsbury's grounder to second. Carlos Beltran flied out to a running Jackie Bradley Jr to end the inning.

Mike Napoli popped up to Beltran to start the top of the second before Daniel Nava struck out swinging. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Brian McCann grounded into the shift in right to start the bottom of the second before Alfonso Soriano was frozen for strike three on a curveball. Johnson grounded out to second to end the inning.

AJ Pierzynski struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr drew a walk. Jonathan Herrera struck out swinging but JBJ stole second. Sizemore grounded out to third to end the inning. Daniel Nava made a great diving catch to rob Yangervis Solarte of a broken bat hit to start the bottom of the third. Dean Anna grounded out to first but Gardner hit a seeing eye single into right. Jeter grounded out to first to end the inning.

Pedroia and Ortiz both flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Napoli walked. Nava struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees struck in the bottom of the fourth as Ellsbury hit a routine grounder to Herrera who did a backflip on the ball for an error. Beltran ripped a base hit to right and McCann ripped a base hit inside the first base line to score Ellsbury, moving Carlos to third. Soriano banged into a double play but Beltran scored another run. Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning but the Yankees led 2-0.

                                                        Error leads to disaster

Bogaerts tried to start a rally in the top of the fifth by dumping a base hit to left to start. Pierzynski lined out to a running Gardner before JBJ struck out swinging. Herrera also struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Solarte took strike three to start. Anna hit his first career home run all the way to Jupiter to pretty much seal the game. Gardner struck out swinging but Jeter pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands. Ellsbury ripped a base hit to left to score Jeter but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Yankees leading 4-0.

                                                              First homer for Anna

Sizemore grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Pedroia popped up to short. Ortiz belted a double to center but Napoli flied out to center to end the inning. Beltran flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and McCann took strike three. Soriano grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox finally struck in the top of the seventh as Nava clobbered his first home run of the season to cut the lead. Bogaerts singled to center and that was it for Pineda. Cesar Cabral came in to pitch and Bogaerts moved to second on a balk, but Pierzynski struck out swinging. JBJ struck out swinging and David Phelps came in to pitch to Herrera. Sox manager John Farrell countered by bringing in Ryan Roberts to pinch hit for Herrera. Roberts grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                                   Nava blasts one

Craig Breslow came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Johnson grounded out to second to start. Solarte flied out to left and Anna flied out to center to end the inning. 

Sizemore popped up to short to start the top of the eighth before Pedroia grounded out to short. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. Chris Capuano came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gardner grounded out to second to begin. Jeter grounded out to first and Ellsbury grounded out to second to end the inning.

Phelps returned to close out the top of the ninth and Napoli watched strike three go by to start. Nava also took strike three and Bogaerts popped up to center to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-1.

                                                         Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. He took the loss allowing 4 runs in just 6 innings of work while giving up 7 hits.

                                                            Jackass Buchholz

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.

Craig Breslow pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Chris Capuano pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Ryan Roberts grounded out in his only at-bat.

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Daniel Nava was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like Pineda got away with one there as camera showed he clearly had something on his pitching hand. The Sox were in no position to argue after Jack Morris squawked about Buchholz last year and St. Louis Cardinals fans claimed Jon Lester had something in the World Series. Still, it was strange that Pineda of all people shut down the Sox for that long. Buchholz didn't get much help from his defense but still allowed four runs to put the game out of reach. Pineda was also gone in the seventh, the Sox had three full innings to get a couple of runs and failed miserably. Its another tough loss in an April full of them so far this season. Hopefully the Sox break out of this funk soon before they start losing ground to the Yankees. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Yankees when Jon Lester (0-2) takes the mound against CC Sabathia of New York. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sox Stun Rangers Late (4/9/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Craig Breslow was activated off the Disabled List and activated for tonight's game. Breslow gives the Sox a much needed shot in the arm as his relief experience is badly needed. The Sox sent Brandon Workman back to Pawtucket as a corresponding move.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                               IN

As for the game, once again the Red Sox looked like they were sleepwalking through another game. Once the Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the eighth, all hope looked lost. Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Who else but David Ortiz hit the 3 run shot off reliever Neil Cotts to put the Sox ahead. Koji Uehara slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox stole one against the Texas Rangers 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Britt Linn approves of the win

Jake Peavy got the start for the Red Sox and Shin-Soo Choo hit the first pitch of the game over the head of Jackie Bradley Jr for a double to start. Elvis Andrus hit a grounder to Napoli but Choo didn't run to third. That was a huge mistake as Prince Fielder grounded out to second and Choo went to third. Alex Rios walked and stole second but Mitch Moreland struck out swinging to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr got the start for Texas and Jonny Gomes grounded out to third to start. Dustin Pedroia also grounded out to third and David Ortiz was retired on a dribbler in front of the plate to end the inning.

Peavy cruised in the top of the second inning as Donnie Murphy struck out swinging on a nasty changeup to start. Leonys Martin popped up to left and Robinson Chirinos took strike three to end the inning. Mike Napoli and Xander Bogaerts drew back to back walks to start the bottom of the second but Daniel Nava took strike three. Ryan Roberts banged into a double play to end the inning.

Josh Wilson struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Choo walked. David Ross threw out Choo trying to steal and Andrus grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Ross hit one up the elevator shaft to start. JBJ and Gomes both walked and Pedroia hit a dribbler in front of the plate. Ross Jr threw the ball away allowing JBJ to score and Pedroia to take second. Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                     Ooops!

Peavy turned up the heat in the top of the fourth as Fielder, Rios and Moreland all struck out swinging in short order. Napoli grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Bogaerts walked. Nava was called out on strike three and Bogaerts overslid the bag on a steal attempt for a double play to end the inning.

                                                       Yerrrrr out!

Murphy popped up to Pedroia to start the top of the fifth but Martin hit a routine grounder to third. Roberts threw the ball wide of first for a "single". Chirinos popped up to Roberts in foul territory and Wilson popped up to second to end the inning

Choo walked to start the top of the sixth and moved to second on the swinging bunt by Andrus. Fielder moved Choo to third with a grounder but Rios flied out to third to end the inning. Pedroia began the bottom of the sixth by striking out swinging before Ortiz doubled off the garage door in center. That was it for Ross Jr as Alexi Ogando came in to pitch. Napoli popped up to short on the first pitch and Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.

The Rangers finally tagged Peavy in the top of the seventh when Moreland hit a home run all the way to Santo Domingo to tie the game. Murphy grounded out to short and Martin went down hacking. Chirinos walked and that was it for Peavy after 109 pitches. He made one mistake to Moreland but was outstanding otherwise. Kevin Kouzmanoff pinch hit for Wilson and Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch. Kouzmanoff singled to right but Choo flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           Peavy deserved better

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Nava took strike three to start. Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts and also took strike three. Ross whiffed to end the inning. 

Jonathan Herrera took over at third with Andrew Miller on the mound for the top of the eighth. Andrus doubled into the right field corner to start and moved to third on the grounder by Fielder. Rios hit a fly ball to JBJ with Andrus and Jackie fired home...safe! Andrus scored and the Rangers took the lead.

                                                      Rangers take the lead

Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as JBJ walked to start. AJ Pierzynski pinch hit for Gomes and dumped a base hit down the right field line. Grady Sizemore pinch ran for Pierzynski and was erased by the Pedroia force. Neal Cotts came in to pitch to Ortiz and Big Papi swatted a 3 run bomb just over the Pesky Pole to give the Sox the lead. Rangers manager Ron Washington wanted the call reviewed and when the umpires looked at the tape, nobody had any clue where the ball landed so it was upheld. Napoli whiffed and Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox led 4-2.

                                                  Ortiz pounds a home run into right

Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Sizemore now in to center, Nava now in left and JBJ in right. Murphy grounded back to Koji to start and Martin whiffed. Jim Adduci pinch hit for Chirinos and popped up to Herrera in foul territory to end the game. The Sox had stole one 4-2.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of the Night is David Ortiz. His 3 run home run was the difference in the game.

                                                        Hero Big Papi

The Good:

AJ Pierzynski singled as a pinch hitter.

Jackie Bradley Jr walked 3 times and scored 2 runs.

Jake Peavy deserved the win by going 6 2/3 innings while allowing just the home run to Moreland. He struck out 8 batters.

Junichi Tazawa retired the final batter of the seventh inning.

Koji Uehara got the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 with 3 strikeouts.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 2.

Mike Carp struck out as a pinch hitter.

David Ross was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Andrew Miller vultured the win by allowing a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jonny Gomes was 0 for 2 but walked.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 but walked.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 2 and got caught stealing but walked twice.

Honorable Mention:

Grady Sizemore pinch ran for Pierzynski in the bottom of the eighth.

Jonathan Herrera played third base in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good comeback win but it would be nice for the offense to not fall asleep for seven innings day after day. Jake Peavy pitched his ass off but has nothing to show for it because the bats were quiet for most of the game. The Ortiz homer bailed out another bad offensive performance and something's not right with this team. They hit into more double plays than they score runs it seems. Losing Jacoby Ellsbury severely impacted team speed but who would have thought it would be this bad? Still, a win is a win even if its better late than never. Ortiz has been bailing out the Sox for 11 years now and they're gonna miss him when he's gone. As mentioned earlier, Craig Breslow has been activated so they have the trio that got them to the World Series last year back. The Sox now travel to the Bronx for a set with the New York Yankees. Clay Buchholz takes the mound for the Sox opposite Michael Pineda of the Yan kees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.