Sox 5 Run Sixth Drops Rays (4/29/14)

Going into the bottom of the sixth it was a hell of a battle between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Boston Red Sox. John Lackey (4-2, 3.83 ERA) and Erik Bedard locked into a 1-1 pitcher's duel. Shane Victorino hit a sac fly in the bottom of the fifth and Evan Longoria answered in the top of the sixth with his own sac fly. Then the Sox exploded against Brandon Gomes and Juan Carlos Oviedo in the bottom of the sixth for five runs. AJ Pierzynski, Will Middlebrooks and Jackie Bradley Jr poured it on with Victorino hitting the kill shot. Ryan Hanigan got a run off Lackey in the top of the seventh and the Rays rallied in the ninth inning, but Koji Uehara struck out Ben Zobrist to end the game. The Sox had won the game 7-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Van Halen approves of the win

Lackey got the ball in the top of the first and Ben Zobrist struck out swinging to start. Desmond Jennings popped up to Jackie Bradley Jr and Matt Joyce struck out swinging to end the inning. Bedard got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third to start. Shane Victorino singled in the hole at second but David Ortiz struck out swinging. Mike Napoli grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Evan Longoria led off the top of the second by grounding out to third and old pal James Loney grounded out to first. Wil Myers singled to left but David Dejesus lined out to Gomes at the left field wall to end the inning. Gomes popped up to second to start the bottom of the second but Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. AJ Pierzynski took strike three and Will Middlebrooks forced Bogaerts at second to end the inning.

Yunel Escobar popped up to first to start the top of the third before Ryan Hanigan grounded out to third. Zobrist grounded out to first to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to third to start before Pedroia flied out to right. Victorino lined a ball off the Monster but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning.

The Rays beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fourth as Jennings grounded out to second to start. Joyce grounded out to third and Longoria grounded out to short to end the inning. Ortiz struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the fourth before Napoli walked. Gomes doubled off the Monster but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Pierzynski grounded out to first to end the inning.

Loney doubled off the Monster to begin the top of the fifth but Myers struck out swinging. DeJesus walked but Escobar flied out to right. Hanigan struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fifth as Middlebrooks walked to start. JBJ doubled to center but Pedroia lined out to third. Middlebrooks scored on the sac fly to center by Victorino. Ortiz grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Sox strike first

The Rays struck back in the top of the sixth as Zobrist grounded out to first to start. Jennings doubled to center then took third on the Joyce base hit to right. Longoria hit a sac fly to center to score Jennings and Loney grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Rays tie it up

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the sixth with Brandon Gomes now on the mound. Napoli walked to start before Jonny Gomes also drew a walk. Bogaerts popped up to left and Rays manager Joe Maddon wanted Juan Carlos Oviedo to face Pierzynski. AJ responded with a base hit to center to score Napoli. Middlebrooks doubled off the centerfield wall to score Gomes and JBJ also doubled off the centerfield wall to score Pierzynski and Middlebrooks. A wild pitch moved JBJ to third but Pedroia grounded out to short. Victorino hit a ground rule double down the right field line to score Bradley to increase the lead. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 6-1 Sox.

                                                             Good work Victorino

The Rays struck back in the top of the eighth as Myers doubled off the centerfield wall. Myers moved to third on a grounder to first by DeJesus but Escobar struck out swinging. Hanigan singled off the Monster to score Myers to cut the lead but Zobrist forced Ryan at second to end the inning with the Rays down 6-2.

                                                  Andover's own drives in a run

Josh Lueke came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh as Napoli got a base hit to left to start. Gomes beat out a double play ball and Bogaerts struck out swinging, but Pierzynski got a base hit to right. Sox analyst "Psycho" Steve Lyons made a hilarious comment he got a royalty check for the TV show VIP for 10 cents while quipping "It cost more to print the check!" Middlebrooks struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lackey returned for the top of the eighth and Jennings grounded out to short to start. Joyce lined out to a running JBJ and Longoria grounded out to short to end the inning. Lackey was great, gutting out 8 innings and allowing 2 runs off 6 hits and a walk.

                                                           Lackey gets it done

The Sox wrapped up the scoring against Joel Peralta in the bottom of the eighth and JBJ flied out to right to start. Pedroia dropped a base hit to right as "Psycho" Steve told a story of how there's a famous photograph of the 20 strikeout game by Roger Clemens where Steve is the only one celebrating. Victorino got a base hit to left and Ortiz got a base hit to center to score Pedroia. Napoli beat out a double play ball but Gomes took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 7-2.

                                                               Ortiz joins the hit parade

Edward Mujica came in to close out the top of the ninth and Loney pounded a ground rule double down the right field line to start. Myers walked and both runners moved over on the DeJesus grounder to short. Escobar singled in the hole at short but Bogaerts threw the ball away for an error to score Loney & Myers, moving Escobar to second. Hanigan flied out to right and Sox manager John Farrell took no chances, bringing in Koji Uehara to face Zobrist. Ben struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-4.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is John Lackey. He went 8 strong innings allowing just 2 runs off 6 hits and a walk while striking out five.

                                                        Hero Lackey

The Good:

Shane Victorino was 4 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and and an rbi.

AJ Pierzynski was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Will Middlebrooks was 1 for 3 with a walk, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Koji Uehara earned his sixth save by finishing off the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Edward Mujica allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and an error but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Good win but that's yet another game where Mujica couldn't get the job done. The fact Uehara had to come into a game the Sox were leading 7-2 is a disgrace. Its not like Sox fans couldn't see it coming, after all he famously lost the closer's job at the end of last year to Trevor Rosenthal. Still, the encouraging sign was the offense has returned with Victorino going 4 for 4. Combined with the rotation pitching as well as it has, let's see if the Sox can repeat the magic of last season. That five run sixth inning was the quick strike offense the Sox need to display moving forward. If they want to leave April in the past, they better come out swinging in the month of May. They can't afford to fall behind the other teams in the AL East with the way they're playing to start the season. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Rays tomorrow night when Jake Peavy (1-0) takes on Cesar Ramos of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Dickey, Jays Drop Lester & Sox (4/27/14)

Just when you think the Boston Red Sox are going on a run, they fall completely flat on their face. After taking the first two games against the Toronto Blue Jays, they lay an egg against Jays ace RA Dickey while their own ace Jon Lester (2-4, 3.10 ERA) get pounded. The Sox struck first with a Jackie Bradley Jr rbi single but Brett Lawrie hit a home run to tie it. The Sox couldn't get a run off Dickey while the Jays rallied for a run in the third and two more in the seventh to take a commanding lead. The Jays then got three runs off Andrew Miller and Burke Badenhop in the bottom of the eighth to put the game away. It was a crushing loss for the Red Sox as they dropped the game 7-1 at the Skydome.

Dickey got the ball in the top of the first and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Grady Sizemore and Mike Napoli both struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Reyes flied out to right to start. Melky Cabrera struck out swinging and Jose Bautista popped up to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as AJ Pierzynski lined out to short to start. Will Middlebrooks popped up to first but Jonny Gomes got a base hit to left. Xander Bogaerts struck a single to center and Jackie Bradley Jr blooped a base hit to left to score Gomes. David Ross forced Bradley at second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Sox strike first

The Jays answered in the bottom of the second as Edwin Encarnacion lined out to a sliding Bradley to start. Brett Lawrie hit a home run all the way to Newfoundland to tie the game. Juan Francisco and Moises Sierra both struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Lawrie ties it

Pedroia struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Sizemore was frozen for strike three. Napoli got a base hit to center but Pierzynski went down hacking to end the inning. The Jays took command in the bottom of the third as Josh Thole drilled a base hit down the third base line to begin. Jonathan Diaz dropped down a bunt to move Thole to second but Reyes struck out swinging. Cabrera doubled to right to score Thole and Bautista flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 2-1.

                                                           Jays take the lead

Middlebrooks popped up to short to start the top of the fourth before Gomes popped up to left. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Encarnacion lined out to center to start. Lawrie struck out swinging and Francisco popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as JBJ grounded out to short to start. Ross popped up to short and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Lester matched Dickey in the bottom of the fifth as Sierra lined out to short to start. Thole grounded out to second and Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sizemore grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Napoli popped up to short. Pierzynski grounded out to short to end the inning. Reyes popped up to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Cabrera flied out to left. Bautista struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Middlebrooks got hit with a pitch to start. Gomes popped up to first but Bogaerts doubled to left to chase Dickey. Steve Delabar came in to face JBJ and Bradley popped up to third. Ross flied out to center to end the inning. Lester fell apart in the bottom of the seventh as Encarnacion doubled to left to start. Lawrie also doubled down the left field line to score Edwin to ice the game. Francisco flied out to center to move Lawrie to third and Brett scored on the grounder to Lester by Sierra. Thole took strike three to end the inning but the game was over 4-1. Lester allowed four runs in 7 innings off five hits.

                                                       Lester wasn't good enough

Colby Rasmus took over for Sierra in the top of the eighth and Pedroia got a base hit to right to start. Sizemore flied out to right, Napoli lined out to center and Pierzynski grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Andrew Miller crapped his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Diaz grounded out to second to start. Reyes singled in the hole at second but Ross dropped a pop up by Cabrera for an error. That proved costly as Melky got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners. Bautista grounded a ball up the middle that Bogaerts couldn't corral for a "single" to score Reyes. Sox manager John Farrell kicked the air as he stormed out of the dugout to take the ball from Miller. Burke Badenhop came in and immediately allowed a double to center to Encarnacion to clear the bases. Lawrie took strike three.

                                                                  Jays finish it off

Esmil Rogers came in to close out the top of the ninth as Middlebrooks struck out swinging to start. Gomes took strike three and Bogaerts went down hacking to end the game. The Jays had won it 7-1.

                                                          Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Jon Lester. He got rocked for four runs in 7 innings off 5 hits while striking out 7.

                                                             Jackass Lester

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ross was 0 for 3 with an error.

Andrew Miller allowed 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Burke Badenhop allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

The story of the Red Sox this season is just when you think they're about to go on a nice long win streak, they fall flat on their face. Their offense accomplished nothing today against RA Dickey while the Jays offense systematically got to Lester little by little. Then after they got to Lester, they got three runs off Badenhop and Miller. The Sox just can't seem to build momentum no matter what's in front of them. Grady Sizemore looks like he can't hit anymore while Gomes, Bradley and Ross all looked terrible at the plate. I know Shane Victorino and David Ortiz didn't play ahead of the off-day tomorrow but they should have gotten more than one measly run. Hopefully they can bounce back in the next one. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox come home for a three game set with the Tampa Bay Rays. John Lackey (3-2) takes on old pal Erik Bedard of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Hold On, Defeat Blue Jays (4/26/14)

It was good news all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Bruins eliminated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 5 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. That was too close for comfort although the Red Sox offense put a six spot on the board against Brandon Morrow of the Jays in the third inning. AJ Pierzynski belted a grand slam in that inning and the Sox as a unit had only 5 hits but that one was a big one. On the other side of the ball, Clay Buchholz (1-2, 6.66 ERA) held the Jays to just 3 runs in 7 innings of work. The bullpen bent as Junichi Tazawa got lit up for two runs to inch the Jays closer, but Chris Capuano and Koji Uehara slammed the door on the Jays. The Sox narrowly held on to win 7-6 at the Skydome.

                                                   Torey Krug (and pals) approves of the win

Morrow got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia walked to start. Shane Victorino popped up to second but David Ortiz walked. Mike Carp grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Jays jumped on Buchholz in the bottom of the first as Jose Reyes walked to start. Melky Cabrera got a base hit to left to move Reyes to third. Jose Bautista got a base hit to left to score Reyes, moving Cabrera to third and a wild pitch scored Melky. Juan Francisco struck out swinging but Dioner Navarro got a base hit to right to score Bautista. Colby Rasmus flied out to left and Brett Lawrie flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 3-0.

                                                             Jays got up big early

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Grady Sizemore walked to start. AJ Pierzynski walked but Will Middlebooks flied out to right to move Sizemore to third. Jonathan Herrera grounded into a double play to end the inning. Moises Sierra flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Ryan Goins hit a bullet right to Buchholz. It looked like Reyes beat out a grounder to short but Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call. New York Yankees manag....err Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre was in the bathroom so the call was overturned to end the inning.

Morrow completely fell apart in the top of the third although Jackie Bradley Jr took strike three to start. Pedroia flied out to left but both Victorino and Ortiz drew back to back walks. Blue Jays pitching Pete Walker came out to take a swing at the home plate umpire for squeezing Morrow and was thrown out of the building. A passed ball moved the runners over and Carp walked to load the bases. Sizemore walked to score Victorino and chase Morrow.  Chad Jenkins came in and suddenly Pierzsynki cracked a grand slam to put the Sox up for good. Middlebrooks then hit a home run for back to back jacks. Herrera grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                 Middlebrooks with the exclamation point

Cabrera struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Bautista flied out to right. Francisco and Navarro drew back to back walks but Rasmus flied out to center to end the inning.

JBJ took strike three to open the top of the fourth but Pedroia got a base hit to left. Pedroia got thrown out at second trying to steal and Victorino grounded out to short to end the inning. Lawrie got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Sierra flied out to right. Goins forced Lawrie at second and Reyes lined out to left to end the inning.

Ortiz was called out on strikes to begin the top of the fifth but Carp pounded a ground rule double over the left field wall. Sizemore doubled to center to score Carp and chase Jenkins from the game. Aaron Loup came in and Pierzynski moved Grady to third on a swinging bunt in front of the plate. Middlebrooks struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                            Sizemore drives in a run

Cabrera grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth but Bautista doubled to left. Francisco moved Jose to third with a grounder to first and Navarro was caught looking at strike three to end the inning. Navarro heaved his bat in frustration saying the strike was a ball when its the Toronto pitcher and he might have a point, some of the calls against Morrow were ugggggggly!

Herrera grounded back to the mound to begin the top of the sixth and JBJ lined out to third. Pedroia lined out to first to end the inning. Buchholz dominated the bottom of the sixth as Rasmus grounded out to second to start. Lawrie grounded out to third and Sierra flied out to center to end the inning.

Brett Cecil came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Victorino struck out swinging to start. Ortiz walked but Carp flied out to center. Sizemore struck out swinging to end the inning. Buchholz returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Goins got a base hit to center to start. Reyes grounded out to first to move Goins to second and Cabrera grounded out to second. Goins moved to third on the grounder but Bautista flied out to left to end the inning. Clay started off slow but hung on to allow 3 runs in 7 innings off 6 hits and 3 walks.

                                                            Good work Buchholz

Steve Delabar came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pierzynski grounded out to second to begin. Middlebrooks lined out to right and Herrera grounded out to second to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Francisco hit a home run all the way to Madagascar to cut the lead. Navarro singled to center and Rasmus singled to right before Lawrie beat out a double play ball. Edwin Encarnacion pinch hit for Sierra and got a base hit to center to score Navarro. Sox manager John Farrell kicked over a tub of gatorade and yanked Tazawa from the game. Chris Capuano came in to face old pal Jonathan Diaz who was pinch hitting for Goins. Diaz took strike three but Reyes walked to load the bases. Farrell took no chances and brought in Koji Uehara for the four out save. Uehara got Cabrera to fly out to left to end the inning with the Jays down 7-5.

                                                Encarnacion drives in a run

Sergio Santos took over for Delbar to pitch the top of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Pedroia grounded out to third and Victorino struck out swinging to end the inning. Uehara came back to close out the bottom of the ninth but Bautista hit a home run all the way to Hamilton, Ontario to cut the lead. Francisco struck out swinging but Navarro got a base hit to center. Rasmus struck out swinging but Lawrie got a base hit to center. Encarnacion flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-6.

                                                          Uehara is all smiles after the win

Hero of The Night is AJ Pierzynski. His grand slam put the Sox up for good in the third inning.

                                                              Grand Slam Hero

The Good:

David Ortiz walked 3 times and scored a run.

Mike Carp was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Grady Sizemore was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Clay Buchholz got the win by tossing 7 strong innings allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 3 walks.

Chris Capuano got the second out of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Junichi Tazawa allowed 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Shane Victorino was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Will Middlebrooks was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Koji Uehara got the save but allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Second game in a row after Victorino and Middlebrooks were back together that the Sox put up 7 plus runs. Pierzynski was the hero with the grand slam but the offense in general was a team effort. Middlebrooks hit a ball a mile and that was good to see after he was out for a while. If only Grady Sizemore would step it up, the offense would be as deadly as last year with Grady in the Jacoby Ellsbury role. Pitching wise Buchholz got lit up early but got stronger as the game went on. Junichi Tazawa's personal kryptonite is Toronto and today was no different. He hadn't allowed a run yet this year and he gets rocked. Uehara served up a bomb to Bautista but luckily the Sox had a 2 run lead at the time. One of the few times somebody tagged both members of the Orient Express but the Sox survived this one. Hopefully the Sox can ride this momentum until the end of the month and get back on track. The Sox look for a series sweep tomorrow against the Jays when Jon Lester (2-3) takes on RA Dickey of Toronto. The game begins at 1:05 PM at the Skydome.

Peavy, Sox Bash Blue Jays (4/25/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an unpopular roster move. Brock Holt has been sent down to Pawtucket and Will Middlebrooks has been activated. Holt had been getting on base a lot but Sox brass wants Jonathan Herrera's defense and the thinking is Middlebrooks will re-discover his bat. Then again, if anyone else goes down Brock is just a phone call away.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, now that was just what the doctor ordered. Jake Peavy (1-0, 2.87 ERA) tossed his best game of the season to win his first game of 2014. He allowed the Toronto Blue Jays to just one run in seven strong innings. Offensively the Sox pounced on Mark Buehrle early and often for 12 hits and 7 runs. The Sox scored another run against the Toronto bullpen while Boston's relievers held the fort for them. The returns of Will Middlebrooks and Shane Victorino helped big time and the Sox looked like themselves for the first time in a while as they won 8-1 over the Jays at the Skydome.

                                                          Leola Bell approves of the win

Buehrle got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia led off with a base hit to center. Shane Victorino grounded into a double play and David Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. Peavy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Reyes struck out swinging to start. Melky Cabrera struck out swinging and Jose Bautista popped up to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Mike Napoli walked to start. Jonny Gomes lined out to center but Xander Bogaerts doubled over the head of Edwin Encarnacion down the right field line. AJ Pierzsynski hit a sac fly to center to score Napoli and the returning Will Middlebrooks blooped a base hit to right to score Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr to left. Pedroia lashed a base hit to left to score both runners but was thrown out at second to end the inning trying to stretch a double with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                       "You're out you dummy!"

Encarnacion struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Dioner Navarro flied out to center. Juan Francisco got a base hit to right but Brett Lawrie lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Victorino grounded out to short to start. Ortiz then bashed his fifth home run of the season to add to the lead. Napoli doubled off the left field wall and Gomes walked, but Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                             Big Papi delivers

Colby Rasmus popped up to Bogaerts in foul territory to start the bottom of the third before Ryan Goins flied out to left. Reyes popped up to Middlebrooks in foul territory to end the inning.

Pierzynski lined out to Bautista to start the top of the fourth before Middlebrooks flied out to Cabrera. JBJ hit a triple into the gap in center but Pedroia popped up to right to end the inning. Cabrera lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Bautista doubled to right. Encarnacion walked but Bautista was thrown out trying to steal third. Navarro popped up to short to end the inning.

Victorino lined out to left to start the top of the fifth before Ortiz grounded out to first. Napoli singled to left and Gomes beat out a roller to third. Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning. Francisco struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Lawrie grounded back to the mound. Rasmus grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox added to the lead in the top of the sixth as Pierzynski singled to center to start. Middlebrooks hit a gap shot to center to score Pierzynski but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. JBJ walked and that was it for Buehrle as Neil Wagner came in to pitch. Pedroia hit a routine grounder to Reyes but his relay throw to Goins pulled Ryan off the back for an error. Victorino popped up to third and JBJ stole third base. Ortiz walked to load the bases and Napoli walked to score Pedroia. Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 7-0 Red Sox.

                                                           Sox walk in a run

Goins grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth but Reyes doubled to right. Cabrera got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners but Bautista took strike three. Encarnacion struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bogaerts popped up to third to begin the top of the seventh but Pierzynski got a base hit to right. Middlebrooks got plunked and both runners moved over on the JBJ grounder to first. Todd Redmond came in to pitch to Pedroia and Dustin lined out to right to end the inning. Peavy got tagged in his final inning as Navarro grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the eighth. Francisco hit a home run all the way to Santiago, DR to cut the lead. Lawrie walked but Rasmus struck out swinging. Goins grounded out to first to end the inning. Peavy was outstanding, allowing just 1 run in 7 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks.

                                                                  Good work Peavy

Victorino doubled to left to start the top of the eighth but Ortiz struck out swinging. Napoli grounded out to short and Gomes lined out to second to end the inning. Chris Capuano came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Reyes struck out swinging. Cabrera also went down hacking and Bautista watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the ninth and Bogaerts flied out to center to start. Pierzynski doubled to center then moved to third on the Middlebrooks grounder to short. JBJ lashed a double to left and Pedroia drew a walk. Victorino took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 8-1.

                                                         Bradley drives in the final run

Andrew Miller came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Encarnacion took strike three to begin. Navarro got an infield single to short but Francisco struck out swinging. Lawrie popped up to second to end the game. The Sox won the game 8-1.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jake Peavy. He held the Jays to just 1 run in 7 innings allowing 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out seven.

                                                        Hero Peavy

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Will Middlebrooks was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

AJ Pierzynski was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi, 2 runs scored and a stolen base.

Chris Capuano pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and hit a home run.

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

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

Final Thoughts:

THIS is the team the Red Sox were looking for when they started the season. Victorino and Middlebrooks coming back healthy complete the lineup they were looking for when they signed Grady Sizemore and Pierzynski to replace Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jacoby Ellsbury. Not only that, this was Peavy's best start of the season and if he can have another season like he did last year, the Sox will be in contention as long as everyone stays healthy. Having Miller back healthy and the addition of Capuano has also helped tremendously. All in all, this was the first win since the beginning of April that felt remotely like 2013 with their guns back. Hopefully the Sox can ride the momentum back into contention from here on in. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Blue Jays tomorrow afternoon when Clay Buchholz (0-2) looks for his first win of the season against Brandon Morrow of Toronto. The game begins at 1:05 PM at the Skydome.

Brewers Spoil Home Opener (4/4/14)

It was supposed to be a great day for the Boston Red Sox. They were going to receive their 2013 World Series rings and play their home opener against the Milwaukee Brewers. Unfortunately a lack of clutch hitting and shoddy 9th inning relief led to their demise. The Sox and Brewers battled to a 2-2 tie when the floodgates opened in the top of the ninth inning. Interim closer Edward Mujica got smacked around for 4 runs and the Brewers dropped the Sox in front of their own crowd 6-2 at Fenway Park.

                                              So much for the home opener

Before the game, the Red Sox held their ring ceremony. It was their third in the last decade....that has a nice "ring" to it doesn't it? David Ortiz got a special ring along with it for being World Series MVP, probably a bonus for his lowballed contract.

                                               Check out the bling

                                                City of Champions

Jake Peavy took the ball to start the top of the first and struck out Carlos Gomez on 3 pitches. Jean Segura then tripled down the left field line and today's heel Ryan Braun struck out as well. Peavy completed the trifecta by striking out Aramis Ramirez to end the inning. Marco Estrada took the ball for the visitors and Daniel Nava popped up to left. Dustin Pedroia hit one to the warning track but was caught in center. David Ortiz struck out to end the inning.

Jonathan Lucroy led off the second inning with a blast over everything to give the Brewers the lead. Logan Schafer also blasted one to right but it died at the wall. Kris Davis then doubled off the Monster and Scooter Gennett hit one to deep right but again caught just before the warning track. 4 straight hard hit balls and Lyle Overbay bucked the trend by walking. Gomez singled down the line to score Davis but was caught stealing to end the inning. The Brewers led 2-0 and Peavy got hit HARD.

                                               Lucroy goes yard

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second. Mike Napoli worked a 10 pitch leadoff walk to begin but Mike Carp hit one up the elevator shaft. Grady Sizemore singled and Napoli took off for third and the relay throw by Schafter hit him in the back. The ball rolled into right field allowing Napoli go come home and Sizemore advance to second to cut the lead. Sizemore then swiped third only because Ramirez missed the tag, Lucroy's throw was there in time. Xander Bogaerts then hit a fly ball but Schafer made up for his throw by gunning down Sizemore at home trying to score. Inning over, Brewers still had the lead 2-1.

                                                  Close, but Sizemore was out.

Jean Segura led off the top of the third by grounding out to second. Braun popped up to second and Ramirez flied out to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third although AJ Pierzynski struck out swinging. Will Middlebrooks smashed one into the Monster seats to tie the game, his first of the season. Nava gave one a ride but it was caught in right. Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.

                                                    First of the season for Middlebrooks

Lucroy led off the top of the 4th with a double off the Monster that ate up Carp. Peavy got Schafer to pop up to short and Carp made up for it by snagging the fly ball hit by Davis. Gennett popped up to Middlebrooks to end the inning. Ortiz popped up and Napoli struck out to begin the bottom of the 4th but Schafer missed a blooper by Carp and Mike ended up at second base. Sizemore worked a 9 pitch walk but Bogaerts was robbed of a certain triple by Gomez in center to end the inning.

Peavy began the top of the 5th by striking out Overbay swinging. Gomez hit a wall ball single and advanced to second on the swinging sacrifice bunt by Segura. With the go-ahead run on second, Braun flied out to right to end the inning. Estrada remained tough as Pierzynski led off the bottom of the 5th by going down hacking. Middlebrooks flied out to center and Nava struck out swinging to end the inning.

Peavy got into a jam into the top of the 6th. Bogaerts dropped a line drive by Braun, his first error of the season and Lucroy walked. The Sox caught a break when Schafer botched a bunt before popping up to Middlebrooks. Davis flied out to left and Gennett grounded back to Peavy to end the inning. Peavy finished with 6 innings of 2 run ball, just like John Lackey in the second game of the year.

                                            6 solid innings for Peavy

Pedroia singled to right to begin the bottom of the 6th but was thrown out trying to steal. Ortiz grounded out to Overbay and Napoli worked a 10 pitch walk to chase Estrada. Will Smith (no, not the Fresh Prince) relieved Estrada as Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Carp. Napoli advanced to second on a wild pitch....then to third on a passed ball. With the go-ahead run 90 feet away....Gomes took strike three to end the inning.

                                           This guy doesn't like pinch hit strikeouts

It came down to a battle of the bullpens as Burke Badenhop made his season debut by getting Overbay to ground out to lead off the top of the 7th. Gomez got his third hit of the day with an infield single to third but Badenhop struck out Segura swinging. Braun grounded out to Bogaerts to end the inning. Sizemore worked a leadoff walk to begin the bottom of the 7th and advanced to second on the groundout by Bogaerts. Pierzynski lined out sharply to Overbay and Brewers manager Ron Roenicke had Middlebrooks intentionally walked to get to Nava. With the go-ahead run at second base....Nava grounded out to short, 2 more runners left on base.

                                       Lack of clutch hitting kills you every time

Badenhop returned for the top of the 8th and was greeted by a Ramirez single. Fortunately, Lucroy banged into a double play. Schafer flied out to right to end the inning, a solid effort by Badenhop.

                                                Good debut by Badenhop

Brandon Kintzler relieved Smith in the bottom of the 8th and Pedroia lined out to Overbay to start. Ortiz reached on a single into the shift. Once again there would be no clutch hitting as Napoli banged into a double play to end the inning.

Edward Mujica came on to pitch the top of the 9th and crapped his pants. He was greeted with a leadoff double by Davis. Gennett dropped a bunt down but Mujica foolishly threw to third and everyone was safe. Overbay made them pay with a triple down the right field line to score both runners to ice the game. Gomez continued to be red hot with an rbi single to increase the lead. Segura beat out a double play ball and stole second to boot. Braun flied out to right but Ramirez singled home Segura to chase Mujica. Farrell had enough and lifted him for Andrew Miller. Miller provided no relief as he walked Lucroy and Schafer to load the bases. Somehow Miller struck out Davis to end the decrepit inning with the Brewers ahead 6-2.

                                                Brewers ice the game

Fransisco "K-Rod" Rodriguez was brought in to close out the 9th. Gomes looked at strike 3, Sizemore grounded out to second and Bogaerts popped up to end the game just like that. The Brewers had spoiled the home opener with a 6-2 win over the Sox.

Jackass of the Night is easy. Edward Mujica gave up 4 runs on 4 hits in just 2/3 of the 9th inning. Accordian Man translated Mujica as "sh*t the bed"

                                                Jackass Mujica



The Good:

Mike Napoli walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

Mike Carp was 1 for 2.

Grady Sizemore was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a stolen base

Will Middlebrooks was for 2 with a walk and solo home run.

Jake Peavy tossed 6 innings and allowed 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4

Burke Badenhop pitched 2 scoreless innings of relief.



The Bad:

Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Johnny Gomes was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with an error.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Andrew Miller faced 3 batters and walked 2 of them.




Final Thoughts:

Once again the Sox have trouble scoring runs. They managed only 5 hits in the entire game. If the Sox had a 3 or 4-2 lead going into the 9th, it would have been a lot different but Mujica looked frozen on the mound and it showed. This has been one of the coldest, nastiest winters in recent memory so it may take a while for the team and the weather to warm up. The offense better wake up because the team has had 4 good games by the starters and only 2 wins to show for it. Now is not the time to go into a slump with the season just starting. The Sox blitzed through everyone last April and it led to the division title but this season is starting out the opposite. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow when Clay Buchholz takes the mound for his season debut opposite Wily Peralta at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Youngsters Step Up To Beat Orioles (4/3/14)

A lot of the talk going into the season was how the next generation of Boston Red Sox players were going to pan out? Could Jackie Bradley Jr learn how to hit? Could Will Middlebrooks rediscover how to hit? Could Xander Bogaerts be the x-factor everyone from scouts to rival players said he was? For one game anyway they lived up to their potential as the Red Sox took game 3 of the series against the Baltimore Orioles. Felix Doubront (1-0, 5.06 ERA) pitched into the 6th inning to earn the win as the bullpen slammed the door on the dirty birds. The Sox had taken 2 out of 3 from Baltimore to open the season including this one 4-3 at Camden Yards.

                                            Party time in Baltimore

Wei-Yin Chen got the start for Baltimore and Jonny Gomes led off the top of the first with a single to right. Who says you need to be a fast runner to hit leadoff? Dustin Pedroia hit a sharp liner that was stabbed by Nick Markakis and David Ortiz singled to right. With 2 men on....Mike Napoli grounded into a double play to end the inning. So much for that. Doubront got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Markakis greeted him with a single to left. JJ Hardy hit a hard liner to Nava but Chris Davis beat out a double play ball. Adam Jones walked but Sox killer Nelson Cruz grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second. Xander Bogaerts singled to left and Daniel Nava singled him over to third. Will Middlebrooks banged into a double play but Bogaerts scored to give the Sox the 1-0 lead. David Ross struck out to end the inning, but 1 run is better than none.

                                                     Happy fans

Could Doubront pitch with the lead in the bottom of the second? Matt Wieters flied out to center, Delmon Young struck out swinging and Jonathan Schoop flied out to right to end the inning. That answered that.

Time for more offense in the top of the third. Jackie Bradley Jr reached on an infield single but Gomes lined out to left and Pedroia flied out to right. Ortiz then smacked what should have been a double but he had a load in his pants getting out of the box and it was just a long, rbi single as Bradley motored all the way home. Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning but again, 2-0 is better than nothing.

                                                 JBJ's mad dash makes it 2-0

Once again Doubront remained red hot in the bottom of the third. He got Ryan Flaherty to ground out to second but Markakis singled to left. No problem, Hardy grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox tacked it on in the top of the 4th. Bogaerts singled to left but Nava flied out to center. Middlebrooks finally got a hit to left and that inspired Ross to single home Bogaerts to increase the lead. JBJ flied out to right but Middlebrooks moved to third. Gomes whiffed to end the inning but its nice to see Ross pick up where he left off in the World Series to give the Sox a 3-0 lead.

                                                   Ross drives in a run

The O's fought back in the bottom of the 4th. Davis doubled to center and moved to third on a groundout by Jones. Cruz made things easier by grounding out to Middlebrooks but Doubront couldn't escape unscathed. Wieters doubled home Davis and Young singled home Wieters just like that. Doubront recovered to strike out Schoop but the lead just shrunk to 3-2.

Chen appeared to settle down in the top of the 5th. Pedroia flied out to left but Ortiz singled to right. Napoli flied out to right and Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning. As it was, Doubront got back in form in the bottom of the 5th. He struck out Flaherty swinging, got Markakis to pop up to short and whiffed Hardy to end the inning.

The Sox scored again in the top of the 6th. Nava struck out looking but Middlebrooks doubled to left. Ross grounded out to third so Middlebrooks couldn't advance but JBJ took care of that with a single that scored Will. JBJ reached second on the throw home to boot. That was it for Chen as O's manager Buck Showalter pulled him for Evan Meek. He did NOT inherit the earth but he did plunk Jonny Gomes only for Pedroia to ground out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                         An accurate re-enactment of Gomes' HBP

Doubront would be chased in the bottom of the 6th as Davis singled to center to start. Jones flied out to right but Red Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough as he lifted Doubront after just 75 pitches for Brandon Workman. Normally someone comes out of the game that early with so few pitches if he's hurt, but Farrell knows his starters didn't really work long in spring training plus the wear and tear of October baseball last year means he's got to lighten the load a little. Doubront kept the Sox in the game with 5 1/3 gutty innings while being charged with 3 runs.

                                                Not great but it'll do

Workman made his season debut by striking out Cruz swinging but allowing a single to Wieters. Brandon uncorked a wild pitch that scored Davis to cut the lead as Young walked. With the pressure mounting and the go-ahead run on first....Workman got Schoop to ground out to second to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 4-3.

Meek returned for the too of the seventh inning and got Ortiz to pop up to second. Napoli struck out swinging but Bogaerts singled to right. Nava lined out to center to end the inning but its great to see Bogaerts tearing it up so far. Chris Capuano, the winner of the final bullpen spot battle royal relieved Workman for the bottom of the 7th. Chris made good by striking out Flaherty looking to start. Markakis grounded out to short and Hardy grounded out to second to end the inning.

Zach Britton replaced Meek to pitch the top of the eighth. Middlebrooks struck out swinging but Ross walked. JBJ banged into a double play to end the inning just like that. Now it was time for The Orient Express to save the day for the second game in a row. Junichi Tazawa struck out Davis to open the bottom of the 8th but Jones singled to center. Cruz beat out a double play ball and Wieters singled to center. With the go-ahead run on.....Young grounded out to second to end the inning. It wasn't pretty but Taz got the job done.

On to the top of the 9th where Gomes struck out swinging to start but Pedroia doubled to right. Ortiz grounded out to third and Napoli grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Now it was on to the bottom of the 9th where birthday boy Koji Uehara came on to save it. The now 39 year old struck out Schoop swinging then got two pop ups to Middlebrooks off the bats of Flaherty and Markakis to end the game. The Sox had grinded out a 4-3 win to take the season opening series 2 games to 1.

                                               "Happy birthday Koji" - David Ross


Because everyone pitched in, its hard to select just one Hero of the Night but because of how things have gone the first 3 games, we're going with The Orient Express. Yes, both of them. Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara have pitched a combined 5 innings and haven't allowed a run yet, saving both the second game as well as tonight's.

                                         Co-Heroes of the Nights: Tazawa and Uehara


The Good:

David Ortiz was 3 for 5 with an rbi,

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored. Despite hitting into a double play

Will Middlebrooks was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

David Ross was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an rbi.

Felix Doubront picked up the win by allowing 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings. To be fair, he may have been able to pitch longer but Farrell pulled the plug early.

Chris Capuano pitched a scoreless 7th inning.



THE BAD:

Mike Napoli was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.



THE UGLY:

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5.

Daniel Nava was just 1 for 4.

Brandon Workman allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in the sixth inning.




Final Thoughts:

It wasn't pretty but a win's a win. This was a typical grind it out win that was reminiscent of last year's run. It's nice to see the whole team step up in a win, especially early in the season. Doubront had one bad inning but looked great while he was out there and the bullpen has looked impeccable so far. Other than the wild pitch by Workman (which technically was Doubront's run) the bullpen hasn't allowed a run yet in 3 games. Like I mentioned earlier, its good to see the young guns (Bogaerts, Bradley, Middlebrooks) deliver. It may not happen all the time but its still great to see. The home opener is tomorrow which means ring ceremony, flyover, hoopla, etc and possibly an actual game. Jake "Duckboat" Peavy takes the hill in his season debut against Marco Estrada and the Milwaukee Brewers at 2:10 PM at Fenway Park.