Rays Rally Past Sox Late in Game 2 (6/3/23)

Well that sucked. The Boston Red Sox were beaten in Game 2 of today's doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays off a late rally in the ninth inning. Kutter Crawford lasted just 3 innings and the Rays rallied for a run against Ryan Sherriff and two off Kenley Jansen (1-3, 3.86 ERA). Meanwhile Tyler Glasnow held the Sox to just 1 run in 5 1/3 innings and the Sox got a run against Colin Poche in the seventh. In the top of the ninth, Harold Ramirez hit a two run double to put the Rays on top. The Sox did get two men on in the bottom of the ninth but Jose Siri somehow caught a bloop by Jarren Duran to end the game. The Rays had taken Game 2 by a score of 4-2 at Fenway Park.

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz grounded out to short to start. Brandon Lowe struck out swinging and Harold Ramirez popped up to short to end the inning. Glasnow got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo grounded out to first to start. Rafael Devers walked but Masataka Yoshida lined out to center. Jarren Duran took strike three to end the inning.

Randy Arozarena got a base hit to left to start the top of the second but Josh Lowe struck out swinging. Arozarena stole second but Isaac Parades lined out to right. Taylor Walls struck out swinging to end the inning. Raimel Tapia struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second but Triston Casas doubled to center. Pablo Reyes struck out swinging and Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the third as Manny Margot doubled to left to start. Francisco Mejia grounded out to second and Diaz grounded out to short to score Margot. Brandon Lowe flied out to left to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0. That was it for Crawford who was yanked after just 3 innings and a run allowed.

                                                        Three and out for Crawford

Connor Wong flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Verdugo grounded out to first. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning.

Justin Garza came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Ramirez lined out to right to start. Arozarena struck out swinging and Josh Lowe lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox tied it in the bottom of the fourth as Yoshida doubled to left to start. Duran grounded out to second to move Masataka to third but Tapia struck out swinging but Casas tripled to left to score Yoshida. Reyes grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Casas ties it up

Parades walked to start the top of the fifth and Walls did the same. Margot struck out swinging and that was it for Garza. Ryan Sherriff came in and Mejia got a base hit to left to load the bases. Diaz forced Parades at home and Brandon Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning. Valdez got a base hit inside the bag at first to start the bottom of the fifth but Wong struck out swinging. Verdugo grounded out to first to move Valdez to second and Devers walked. Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Rays took command in the top of the sixth as Ramirez doubled to right to start. Ramirez stole third but Arozarena popped up to third. Jose Siri pinch hit for Josh Lowe and doubled to left to score Ramirez. Parades was hit with a pitch and Siri promptly stole third. Walls walked to load the bases but Margot popped up to second. Mejia flied out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 2-1.

                                                            Rays take the lead

Duran struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the sixth but Tapia drew a walk to chase Glasnow. Robert "Louis" Stephenson came in to pitch and Tapia took off for second. The throw went wide and Tapia made it to third on the error. Casas struck out swinging and Reyes flied out to center to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Diaz lined out to right to start. Lowe struck out swinging but Ramirez singled in the hole at second. Arozarena took strike three to end the inning. Colin Poche came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh with Enrique Hernandez pinch hitting for Valdez. Hernandez struck out swinging but Wong drew a walk. Verdugo struck out swinging but somehow Lowe dropped a routine pop up by Devers to allow Hernandez to score all the way from first to tie the game. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                   "I don't got it" - Lowe

Siri struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth but Parades beat a roller to the mound. Walls took strike three and Margot grounded out to third to end the inning. Calvin Faucher came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran struck out swinging to start. Tapia grounded back to the mound but Casas walked. Reyes singled to right but Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Mejia singled to right to start. Diaz singled to left and Lowe flied out to right to move both runners over. Ramirez doubled to right to score both runners to ice the game. Arozarena walked but Siri struck out swinging. Parades hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Rays up 4-2.

                                                       Ramirez drives in the dagger

Jason Adam came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with Reese McGuire pinch hitting for Wong. McGuire grounded out to third and Verdugo grounded out to first. Devers was plunked and took second on defensive indifference. Yoshida walked and Rob Refsnyder pinch ran for him. Duran looked to have blooped a base hit but somehow Siri made a great diving catch to end the game. The Rays had won it 4-2.

                                                Even Adam can't believe the Rays won

Jackass of the Night is Kenley Jansen. He took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the top of the ninth.

                                                            Hide your face, Jackass

The Good:

Rafael Devers walked twice and was hit with a pitch.

Triston Casas was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 2.

Justin Garza tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Enrique Hernandez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Sherriff allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

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

Raimel Tapia was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Pablo Reyes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Kutter Crawford allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Rob Refsnyder ran for Yoshida in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

It was a stupid idea to make Jansen pitch in both games and he had nothing left for game 2. Still, if Crawford wasn't yanked after 3 innings maybe this game turns out different. Alex Cora has made a lot of bad decisions the last couple of years and the bloom might be coming off the rose. The Sox had a chance to win this one but Cora managing like it was Game 7 of the World Series cost them big time. Still, scoring only two runs against this team is inexcusable in itself. Glasnow is good but putting up a goose egg against the bullpen apart from a missed catch error doesn't look good moving forward. The Rays just keep pulling away and this season might be over sooner rather than later, unlike last year that dragged all the way to September. The loss dropped the Sox to 30-28, 10 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Tanner Houck (3-4) takes on Taj Bradley of Tampa. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Six Run Rally Dim Rays in Game 1 (6/3/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox organization made some roster moves. Jorge Alfaro decided to opt out of his Worcester Red Sox contract and elect free agency. The Sox are going to go with Reese McGuire and Connor Wong up top so Alfaro decided to seek his fortunes elsewhere. Brennan Bernardino was also called up to be 27th man for the doubleheader.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, for 5 innings it looked like the Sox were headed to another big defeat at the hands of the Tampa Bay Rays. Garrett Whitlock was roughed up for 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings before being knocked out. Meanwhile old pal Trevor Kelley was the "opener" for the Rays and tossed a few innings of shutout ball. The Sox got a run in the bottom of the fifth then exploded in the bottom of the sixth. The Sox pushed six runs across the plate against old friend Jalen "Twin" Beeks and Cooper Criswell. A three run double by Justin Turner put the Sox on top in that inning. Apart from an rbi off Josh Winckowski, the Sox bullpen held the fort as they took Game 1 8-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                         Terry Farrell approves of the win

Whitlock got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz flied out to center to start. Wander Franco doubled to left then promptly stole third. Franco was thrown out at home on a grounder to first by Brandon Lowe and Randy Arozarena grounded out to third to end the inning. Kelley got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo got a base hit to center to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging, Justin Turner flied out to center and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the second as Harold Ramirez singled to right to start. Josh Lowe flied out to left and Jose Siri struck out swinging, but Taylor Walls walked. Christian Bethancourt hit a routine grounder to short that was thrown away by Kike Hernandez for an error to score Ramirez. Diaz doubled to left to score both runners, bur Franco grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 3-0.

                                                        Rays take the lead

Rob Refsnyder was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the second but Triston Casas struck out swinging. Kike Hernadez flied out to left and Reese McGuire grounded out to first to end the inning.

Brandon Lowe grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Arozarena flied out to center. Hernandez threw a grounder by Ramirez away for an error and Josh Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning. Pablo Reyes popped up to first to start the bottom of the third and that was it for Kelley. Joe La Sorsa came in to pitch and Verdugo popped up to short. Devers grounded out to third to end the inning.

Siri struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Walls did the same. Bethancourt also went down hacking to end the inning. Turner grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the fourth before Yoshida struck out swinging. Refsnyder was hit with a pitch again and Casas walked. Hernandez flied out to left to end the inning.

The Rays knocked Whitlock out in the top of the fifth as Diaz grounded out to second to start. Franco singled to right, Brandon Lowe walked and Randy Arozarena singled to left to load the bases. Ramirez hit a sac fly to right to score Franco and that was it for Whitlock. He allowed 4 runs in just 4 2/3 innings, not good. Ryan Sherriff got Josh Lowe to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Rays up 4-0.

                                                       Not good enough, Whitlock

The Sox got one back in the bottom of the fifth as McGuire doubled to left to start. Reyes popped up to second but Diaz went OLE! on a grounder by Verdugo to score McGuire. Devers forced Verdugo at second but Turner beat out a roller to the mound. Yoshida walked and Jarren Duran pinch hit for Refsnyder after Kevin Kelly came in to pitch. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                             " I got it, I got it....I don't got it" - Diaz

Corey Kluber came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Siri struck out swinging to start. Walls popped up to third and Bethancourt flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the sixth off old pal Jalen "Twin" Beeks as Casas struck out swinging to start. Hernandez singled in the hole at short and McGuire drew a walk. Reyes got a base hit to right to score Hernandez but Verdugo struck out swinging. Devers walked to load the bases and Turner cleared them with a double to center to put the Sox on top. Yoshida doubled to left to score Turner and chase Beeks. Cooper Criswell was greeted by a base hit by Duran to score Yoshida. Casas grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox scored 6 runs to lead 7-4.

                                                          Turner gives the Sox the lead

Josh Winckowski came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Diaz grounded out to first to start. Franco doubled to left and Brandon Lowe blooped a base hit to left. Arozarena struck out swinging but Ramirez got a base hit to center to score Franco. Josh Lowe lined out to left to end the inning with the Rays down 7-5.

                                                      Ramirez drives in a run

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Hernandez struck out swinging to start. McGuire flied out to center but Reyes got a base hit to right. Reyes took off for second and Bethancourt threw the ball away for an error to move Pablo to third. Verdugo doubled to right to score Reyes and Devers lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 8-5.

                                                         Good work Verdugo

Chris Martin came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Siri lined out to center to start. Walls struck out swinging and Bethancourt popped up to second to end the inning. Turner grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth but Yoshida singled inside the bag at first. Duran grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the top of the ninth and Diaz doubled to center to start. Jansen was so offended that he struck out Franco, Brandon Lowe and Arozarena all swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-5.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Justin Turner. His 3 run double put the Sox up for good in the bottom of the sixth.

                                                                Hero Turner

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Mastaka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was hit with a pitch twice.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Reese McGuire was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Pablo Reyes was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Ryan Sherriff struck out the only man he faced.

Corey Kluber got the win with a scoreless sixth inning.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 12th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Garrett Whitlock allowed 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Josh Winckowski allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and 2 errors but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Think its time to get Whitlock out of the rotation as he just doesn't have the strength to have any gas beyond the fourth inning. The Sox already ended the Corey Kluber experiment in the rotation so putting Whitlock with Jansen would shore up the bullpen. Offensively the Sox had a damn good rally to win this one. Turner has been worth every penny they gave him so far and Yoshida has done well as well. Maybe the six run rally could be a momentum builder to get the season on track. Then again, with Chris Sale out, who knows how this season will turn out. The win improved the Sox to 30-27. The Sox look to take the second game of the doubleheader in an hour against the Rays when Kutter Crawford goes one on one with Tyler Glasnow. The game begins at 6:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Falls Short Against Reds (5/30/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Corey Kluber was placed on the Paternity List and Ryan Sherriff was recalled from Worcester to take his place. Congratulations to Corey.

                                                                          OUT

                                                              IN

As for the game, that was a sucker punch to the gonads. For 7 innings it was all Cincinnati Reds as they took advantage of a hasty Alex Cora decision to score 8 runs. Brayan Bello (3-3, 3.89 ERA) had allowed just 1 run through four innings but the bullpen completely imploded. Thanks to a Jose Barrero grand slam, the Reds scored 7 runs off Justin Garza and Joely Rodriguez. The Sox rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh but Spencer Steer got a run off Ryan Sherriff. Suddenly the Sox sprang to life scoring 5 runs to put the tying run at third base against Alexis Diaz. Triston Casas struck out to end the rally and the game. The Reds had won the game 9-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                     ''Casas.......''

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and TJ Friedl grounded out to short to start. Matt McLain singled to right to right and moved to second on a Jonathan India grounder back to the mound. Jake Fraley walked and Tyler Stephenson walked to load the bases. Spencer Steer forced Tyler at second to end the inning. Blake Lively got the ball in the bottom of the first and Raimel Tapia grounded out to second to start. Rafael Devers flied out to center and Justin Turner flied out to right to end the inning.

The Reds struck first in the top of the second as Kevin Newman took strike three to start. Will Benson singled to center and Stuart Fairchild singled to right to move Benson to third. Friedl beat out a double play ball to score Benson to give Cincinnati the lead. McClain took strike three to end the inning with the Reds up 1-0.

                                                               Safe...but not by much

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Masataka Yoshida walked to start. Jarren Duran doubled to center but Triston Casas grounded out to second. Kike Hernandez walked to load the bases but Enmanuel Valdez struck out swinging and Reese McGuire lined out to short to end the inning.

India grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Fraley grounded out to second. Hernandez threw a ball by Stephenson away for an error and Steer got a base hit to right to move Tyler to third. Newman lined out to a running Yoshida to end the inning. Tapia flied out to left to start the bottom of the third before Devers flied out to center. Turner grounded out to third to end the inning.

Benson tripled to left to start the top of the fourth but Fairchild grounded out to short. Friedl struck out swinging and McLain whiffed as well to end the inning. That was it for Bello who tossed 4 innings allowing just 1 run, but took 97 pitches to do it.

                                                    Short and sweet for Bello

Jose Barrero came in for Friedl to start the bottom of the fourth as Yoshida grounded out to second to start. Duran and Casas both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Justin Garza came in to pitch the top of the fifth and India singled to left to start. Fraley doubled to center to score India just like that. Stephenson struck out swinging and Steer grounded out to short to move Fraley to third. Newman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Reds up 2-0.

                                                               Reds score another

The Sox blew it again in the bottom of the fifth as Hernandez got a base hit to center to start. Valdez and McGuire both struck out swinging, but Tapia doubled to center. Hernandez tried to score from first but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

The Reds got another run in the top of the sixth as Benson got a base hit to right to start. A wild pitch moved Benson to second and Fairchild struck out swinging. Barrero walked and McLain hit a grounder to Hernandez who turned and spiked the ball like a football, doing a backflip for an error that scored Benson. Indian popped up to first and that was it for Garza. Joely Rodriguez struck Fraley out swinging to end the inning with the Reds up 3-0.

                                                          Bad throw by Hernandez

Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Turner grounded out to third. Yoshida got a base hit to center and that was it for Lively. Alex Young got Duran to line out to right to end the inning.

The Reds looked to have put the game away in the top of the seventh as Stephenson walked to start. Steer got a base hit to left and Newman walked to load the bases. Benson forced Stephenson at home but Fairchild walked to score Steer. Barrero then pounded a grand slam into the Charles River to increase the lead. That was it for Rodriguez as Ryan Sherriff came in to get McLain to line out to third. India struck out swinging to end the inning with the Reds up 8-0.

                                                              That should do it

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh against Fernando Cruz on the mound. Casas grounded out to first before Hernandez struck out swinging. Valdez got a base hit in the hole at third and McGuire doubled to center to score Enmanuel. Tapia then tripled into the right field corner to score McGuire and Devers drilled a base hit to right to score Raimel. Turner flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                          Devers drives in a run

Naturally the bullpen couldn't hold it down in the top of the eighth as Fraley grounded back to the mound to start. Stephenson tripled into the centerfield triangle and scored on the Steer sac fly to left. Newman grounded out to first to end the inning with the Reds up 9-3.

                                                            Reds score again

Buck Farmer came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Yoshida got a base hit to center to start. Duran grounded out to second to move Masataka to second but Yoshida got doubled off on the bullet to right by Casas to end the inning.

Benson popped up to short to start the top of the ninth and Fairchild struck out swinging. Barrero singled to left and McLain flied out to center to end the inning. Eduardo Salazar came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hernandez lined out to right to start. The Sox rallied when Valdez walked, McGuire doubled him to third and Tapia got a base hit to right to score Enmanuel. Devers got a base hit to center to score McGuire and send Tapia to third and Turner got a base hit to right to score Raimel. Alexis Diaz came in to pitch and Yoshida doubled to center to score Devers, representing the tying run. Pablo Reyes ran for Yoshida and Duran grounded out to short to score Turner, sending Reyes to third. Unfortunately Casas struck out swinging to end the game. The Reds had won 9-8.

                                                             Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Joely Rodriguez. He allowed 5 runs including a grand slam to put the game out of reach.

                                                        Jackass Rodriguez

The Good:

Raimel Tapia was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 3 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Justin Garza allowed 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk but struck out and committed an error.

Brayan Bello took the loss but allowed just 1 run in 4 innings.

Ryan Sherriff allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Pablo Reyes pinch ran for Yoshida in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

This game was a microcosm of the season with the bullpen failing to keep the game close and the Sox being unable to land the knockout punch. The Sox damn near erased a 9-3 deficit but fell one base short. It shouldn't have gotten to that point if Bello didn't nibble for 4 innings to drive up his pitch count. It also would help if Justin Garza and Joely Rodriguez didn't vomit up their intestines. It also didn't help THAT is who the Sox have to rely on because Chaim Bloom neglected the bullpen in the off-season. After running The A-Team into the ground in 2021, the bullpen imploded at the end of 2022. Kenley Jansen and John Schreiber can't save them every day. Just another reason why Bloom shouldn't be here. Kudos to the offense for damn near pulling off the upset without Alex Verdugo and Trevor Story, just was just too big a hole to dig out of. The loss dropped the Sox to 28-26, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound night against the Reds when James Paxton takes on Luke Weaver of Cincinnati. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Snap Streak, Beat Mariners (5/16/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Brennan Bernardino was sent down to Worcester after being straight batting practice the last couple of days and John Schreiber was put on the Injured List with a right teres strain. In their places, the Sox called up two minor league veterans in Justin Garza and Ryan Sherriff. Sherriff might give them something....we hope.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, the Sox bats finally woke up against a tough Seattle Mariners pitching staff. The Sox got to Luis Castillo for four runs in the bottom of the first although Nick Pivetta (3-3, 6.30 ERA) gave four runs back in the top of the fourth. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fifth with a Masataka Yoshida ground rule double rbi and a Jarren Duran home run to put the Sox up for good. This time the Sox bullpen held up as the new additions Ryan Sherriff and Justin Garza (along with Josh Winckowski) held the foot after Pivetta left the game. The Sox added two runs for insurance and broke their losing streak with a 9-4 win over the Mariners at Fenway Park.

                                                        Miguel Diaz approves of the win

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and JP Crawford took strike three to start. Ty France lined out to first and Julio Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Castillo in the bottom of the first as Kolten Wong booted a grounder by Alex Verdugo to start. Masataka Yoshida tripled into the centerfield triangle to score Alex to put Boston on top. Justin Turner then mashed his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Rafael Devers grounded out to first before Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Suddenly Triston Casas belted his sixth home run of the season to increase the lead. Enmanuel Valdez walked but Reese McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                       Sox with a big inning

Jarred Kelenic lined out to first to start the top of the second before Eugenio Suarez walked. Cal Raleigh singled to right and both runners moved over on a nubber in front of the plate by Teoscar Hernandez. Taylor Trammell watched strike three go by to end the inning. Pablo Reyes was frozen for strike three to begin the bottom of the second before Verdugo lined out to right. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning.

Wong grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Crawford walked. France grounded into a double play to end the inning. Turner grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Devers struck out swinging. Duran also went down hacking to end the inning.

The Mariners roared back in the top of the fourth as Rodriguez flied out to center to start. Suarez got a base hit to left and Raleigh drew a walk. Hernandez tripled off the glove of Verdugo to cut the lead in half and Trammell hit a home run all the way into the Baltic Sea to tie the game just like that. Wong doubled to center but Crawford flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                           Mariners tie it up

Casas walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Valdez popped up to Suarez in foul territory. McGuire grounded out to first and Reyes grounded out to short to end the inning.

France doubled to left to start the top of the fifth before Rodriguez grounded out to third to move Ty to third. Pivetta got a big out by striking out Kelenic swinging but Suarez drew a walk. Raleigh struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox took control in the bottom of the fifth as Verdugo doubled to left to start. Yoshida pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands to score Alex. Turner flied out to right to move Yoshida to third and a wild pitch scored him. Devers struck out swinging but Duran clobbered his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Casas flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 7-4.

                                                          Duran hits one out

Hernandez flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and that was it for Pivetta after 98 pitches. He battled back to allow four runs in 5 1/3 innings. Ryan Sherriff made his Red Sox debut facing pinch hitter AJ Pollock. Pollock struck out swinging and Sherriff snuffed out Wong's bunt attempt to end the inning.

                                                    New Sherriff in town

Tayler Saucedo came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Valdez grounded out to second to start before McGuire grounded out to second. Reyes grounded out to short to end the inning.

Crawford hit one up the elevator shaft to begin the top of the seventh and that was it for Sherriff. Josh Winckowski came in to get France to ground out to short. Rodriguez got a base hit to right but Kelenic struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh with Paul Sewald on the mound. Verdugo walked before Yoshida flied out to center. Turner singled to right but Devers flied out to center. Duran ripped a base hit to center to score Verdugo and send Turner to third. Juan Then came in to pitch to Casas but Duran swiped second base first. Casas watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

                                                       Duran drives in another run'

Suarez flied out to center to start the top of the eighth before Raleigh grounded out to first. Hernandez got a base hit to right and took second on a wild pitch. Pollock grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Valdez flied out to center to start. McGuire, Reyes and Verdugo got three straight hits to load the bases and Yoshida scored McGuire with a grounder to first. Turner grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.

                                                         Yoshida drives in another run

Justin Garza made his Sox debut to finish the top of the ninth inning. Wong grounded out to second before Crawford grounded out to short. France flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-4.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Masataka Yoshida. He was 2 for 5 with 3 big rbis while scoring twice.

                                                              Masataka Hero

The Good:

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

Justin Turner was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a home run, stolen base and 2 total rbis.

Triston Casas was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

Ryan Sherriff pitched a full scoreless inning.

Josh Winckowski tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Justin Garza pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Reese McGuire was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Pablo Reyes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Nick Pivetta got the win but allowed 4 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6.

Final Thoughts:

So that's what a win looks like. After four straight losses that were barely competitive, its about time the offense broke out. Duran, Verdugo, Turner and Yoshida picked it up on a day where Devers didn't get it done. After last year's dreadful performance, its good to see Duran's comeback this year so far. Pivetta got rocked early but held on to pitch into the sixth inning. Sherriff and Garza looked good in their debuts but time will tell if they can keep up the momentum. Its a shame the Sox got off to such a mediocre start because the Tampa Bay Rays have been red hot to start the season. Still, got to win games if they want to get back in the race, tonight was a good win. The win improved the Sox to 23-20, 9 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow night when Brayan Bello (2-1) gets the ball against Marco Gonzales of Seattle. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.