Down on the Farm 4 (6/24/13)

Today is an off day which means part 4 of our continuing look at the Boston Red Sox' minor league teams. Today we head down to Greenville, South Carolina at Fluor Field to check out the Greenville Drive, currently 3-3 in the second half of their season after going 22-47 in the first (Carolina League).

                  As with most every other Red Sox affiliated park, the left field wall is a Monster replica

Managed by Carlos Febles, it seems Greenville is having the same problem that the Salem Red Sox have, poor fielding and pitching. This is not good for Ben Cherrington because these are the last picks of the Theo Epstein era and truly the start of his own era. If Ben wants to prove he's just as good at scouting amateur talent as Theo was, then his next couple of drafts better go well.

As for the Grenville lineup, let's get a quick run-down. We'll begin with catcher Jordan Weems.


1. Jordan Weems - C

Weems was the Sox third round pick in 2011 and is just 20 years old. He's batting just .209 this season for the Drive but due to his young age, he has all the time in the world to develop. He doesn't have much power but his reputation is being a defensive catcher.

Next on the list is second basemen Mookie Betts


2. Mookie Betts - 2B

Mention the name "Mookie" to old time Sox fans and you may get a kick in the pants. This Mookie, however, could be the heir apparent to Dustin Pedroia. The 20 year old is the team's best hitter. Currently .297 with 8 homers 21 rbi's and 15 steals (in 16 tries). The one drawback is he has 11 errors on the season so far. Still, glove work can be corrected and at 20 he has plenty of time to develop.

3rd on the list is short-stop Jose Vinicio


3. Jose Vinicio -SS

Now this is interesting. Jose is leading the team in the wrong category with SEVENTEEN errors on the season and is hitting just .202. Why hasn't he been cut yet? He's only 19 years old. In fact, he was drafted 3 days after turning SIXTEEN. He was ranked 19th out of the Sox top 20 prospects and as with the others, he has plenty of time to develop. Still, when you can't hit or field that's not the way to get promoted.

Batting cleanup is designated hitter David Chester


4. David Chester - DH

Unlike the 3 previous prospects, Chester is a bit older. The 23 year old was drafted in the 33rd round back in 2011 so team management doesn't consider him a can't miss prospect anyway. He does have some power stroke with 11 home runs and 59 rbi's but is hitting just .264 with 73 strikeouts. If he can learn patience at the plate, maybe he could earn a promotion to Salem soon.

Up next is left fielder Aneury Tavarez


5. Aneury Tavarez - LF

The 21 year old has the same problem Chester has, only worse. Tavarez leads the team with 80 strikeouts and is hitting just .247. He's a riverboat gambler on the base paths with 11 steals and 7 times caught. With the crop of outfielders such as Jackie Bradley Jr, Bryce Brentz and who knows what comes in free agency, Tavarez may want to think about finding some other organization down the line, unless he turns it around at the plate.

Batting 6th is 3rd basemen Keaton Briscoe


6. Keaton Briscoe - 3B

After Nick Moore was demoted to Lowell, the 22 year old Briscoe took over at third and hasn't been much better. He's hitting just .196 with 21 strikeouts in 16 games. The problem with college players that struggle out of the gate is that they run out of time to develop quicker, especially when someone 2 or 3 years younger is hitting 100 points higher like a Mookie Betts. Still, anything's possible.

Up next is center fielder Felix Sanchez


7. Felix Sanchez - CF

Salem and Greenville swapped their center fielders when Sanchez was demoted and Cody Koback was promoted. The 23 year old ran into a brick wall in Salem but has a chance to regain his form in Greenville. He's hitting .267 but has only played 10 games. Like I said before, guys who are 23-24 and are struggling to get by Single A pitching don't have the brightest futures. Getting demoted is either going to fire him up or convince him to find another profession.


Batting 8th is first basemen Boss Moanaroa

8. Boss Moanroa

The 21 year old Australian is really struggling this season. He's played in forty five games and has just 28 hits. Batting .185 in Single A is really not going to cut it. Maybe he needs a demotion to Lowell like Kendrick Perkins and Kevin Mager to get him on track. Otherwise this may be as far as he goes.


Batting 9th is right fielder Drew Turocy

9. Drew Turocy - RF

Age is not on the side of the 24 year old but at least he's batting consistantly, hitting .284 with 62 hits in 57 games. He has no homers on the season, he deserves a call up to Salem and pretty quick because most stars aren't stuck in Low A ball when they're 24. Jackie Bradley Jr is 22 and he already has tasted the majors.


Switching gears to the pitchers mound, let's take a look at some of the starters on the Drive, beginning with Francellis Montas


1. Francellis Montas - SP

The 20 year old has struggled this season for the Drive. He's just 1-6 with a hideous 6.34 ERA. The silver lining is that he's only 20 and the Drive as a unit has been awful this year. The problem isn't control, he's walked just 20 in 55 1/3 innings, he just can't get any movement on his pitches. Still, at 20 he's got time to develop and hopefully can turn into a decent starter.

Next up is Justin Haley


2. Justin Haley - SP

Unlike Montas, Haley's problem is definitely control. The 22 year old is 3-7 with a 4.37 ERA. He's walked 45 batters in 59 2/3 innings. Control issues can be worked on, especially in Low-A ball. The silver lining is he's struck out 63 batters so far. If he can locate better and go deeper into ballgames, he could be a dependable starter down the road.

3rd on the list is Cody Kukuk


3. Cody Kukuk - SP

Suffering from the same lack of control as Haley, the 20 year old lefty is 4-7 with a 4.21 ERA. He's walked FIFTY batters in 51 1/3 innings. He does have 52 strikeouts so once again, learn better control and become a dependable starter. Another lefty had the same problem early in his career, Jon Lester.

Next up is Brian Johnson


4. Brian Johnson - SP

Unlike the others, the 22 year old's problem isn't control or long balls. He's struck out 39 batters in 38 innings and has walked just 17 plus given up just 3 homers. His 1-4, 4.03 ERA could be deceiving due to the poor fielding and average hitting of his team. Put him on a team that can hit and field, maybe his record would be better. I'd say call him up to Salem but they're just as miserable defensively as Greenville. Stay tuned on this guy.

Last is Pat Light.


5. Pat Light - SP

The 22 year old is struggling the most. He's 1-3 with a hideous 8.06 ERA. He's given up 4 homers and 27 runs in 25 2/3's innings. When you struggle to get batters out in Low-A ball, something's wrong. Let's see how this goes.


Looking at some relief pitchers and we're out of here.


1. Jeffrey Wendelken - RP

With the team winning just 22 games in the season's first half, saves were hard to come by. The 20 year old has settled as the team's long reliever with 5 saves, a 3.12 ERA and 42 punch outs in 52 innings. A durable arm and strikeout power on a better fielding and hitting team would normally mean a call up. We'll see how he turns out.

Next is Kyle Kraus


2. Kyle Kraus - RP

The 23 year old was recently demoted from Salem and has responded by going 2-0 with a 1.69 ERA. He's given up 4 earned runs in 21 1/3 innings with 24 strikeouts and just 2 walks allowed. Time is already beginning to run out but if he keeps pitching like this, he could be back in Salem soon.

Last is Austin Maddox


3. Austin Maddox - SP/RP

It doesn't matter if he's starting or relieving, the 22 year old righty has struggled all-season. He's 0-5 with a 7.71 ERA. His problem is the longball, serving up 12 of them so far this season. Control isn't really an issue so if he can learn how to keep the ball down, he may eventually earn a call up to Salem.


That about wraps it up for this edition of Down on the Farm. The next off-day is a week from now and we'll take our final look at the Farm in the form of the Lowell Spinners who just began their season. The big club returns to action tomorrow as the Colorado Rockies are in town for the first time since the 2007 World Series, Ryan Dempster will be there to greet him.

Sox Blow Tops, Game as Tigers Take 3 of 4 (6/23/13)

Tempers were as hot as the Detroit game time temperature and when the smoke cleared, the Sox had lost the game, their defensive capabilities and their manager in one fell swoop. Not the best way to end a road trip by losing 7-5 and 3 of 4 to the Detroit Tigers.

                                           "YOU GUYS SUCKKKKK!!!!"

The usually tough lefty Justin Verlander was surprisingly hittable this afternoon by the notoriously poor lefty hitting Red Sox. Dustin Pedroia worked a 2 out walk in the top of the 1st but nothing happened. As usual this series, the Tigers struck first in the bottom of the inning. The REAL Felix Doubront showed up today, walking the first 2 batters before allowing a ground rule double to Miguel Cabrera, scoring Austin Jackson and advancing Torii Hunter to third. Prince Fielder scored Hunter with a groundout and Doubront retired Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta to end the inning.

The Sox showed some balls in the top of the second. Mike Napoli singled to lead off, PU Drew followed a Jonny Gomes fly out by walking. Ryan Lavarnway (now the backup catcher with Ross gone with a concussion) singled in Napoli. Jose Iglesias took one for the team to load the bases, a big hit would have been nice but the team had to settle for a Jacoby Ellsbury sac fly that scored Drew to tie the game. Shane Victorino flied out but 2 runs sure weren't going to be enough. Omar Infante singled to lead off the bottom of the second. Avisail Garcia flied out and Lavarnway showed off his arm by nailing Infante at second trying to steal. All Doubront needed was one more out but he wouldn't get it as Brayan Pena singled and Austin Jackson doubled. Lavarnway then gave the run he got back to the Tigers when he allowed a passed ball that scored Pena to give the Tigers a 3-2 lead. Hunter struck out to end the inning

                                            Lavarnway playing hot potato with the ball

The Sox struck again in the top of the third. Pedroia and David Ortiz hit back to back singles and Napoli grounded into a fielder's choice that scored Pedroia. Gomes and Drew struck out but they were getting hits off Verlander, something not many can do. This time Doubront didn't cough up a run as he retired the side in order in the bottom of the 3rd.

The hits kept on coming in the top of the 4th. Lavarnway walked and 2 batters later Ellsbury doubled him to third. Once again what the Sox needed was a hit but instead settled for an rbi ground-out by Victorino. Pedroia lined out but the Sox led 4-3. It should have been 5 or 6 to 3, which did come back to haunt them later. Infante drew a 1 out walk in the bottom of the 4th and was safe at second on a blunder by PU Drew. Bryan Holoday flied out but Jackson walked to load the bases. Hunter popped up to end the inning but Felix' pitch count was rising.

Verlander allowed another hit when Ortiz singled to lead off the top of the 5th but Napoli and Gomes failed to reach. Drew made up for his error by lashing a single but Lavarnway struck out looking to end the potential threat. Verlander had thrown 112 pitches and it was just the 5th inning. Doubront pitched a clean bottom of the 5th but he too was at 104 pitches. It looked like it was going to be another battle of the bullpens.

                                           A shaky first inning costs Doubront a long outing

Drew Smyly came to the rescue of the Tigers in the top of the 6th. Iglesias, Ellsbury and Victorino all grounded out in short order. Junichi Tazawa relieved Doubront for the bottom of the 6th. Peralta worked a lead-off walk but Taz retired the next 3 batters to keep the lead 4-3. The Sox blew their chance to break the game open in the top of the 7th. Pedroia and Ortiz hit back to back singles and a Mike Napoli flied out moved Pedroia to third. The Sox had been getting ground outs and sac fly's all day and just needed another, instead Gomes popped up. Drew popped up as well but Gomes was now 0 for 3 on the day with a huge out right there. The struggling Andrew Bailey came in for the bottom of the 7th and naturally allowed a leadoff single to Jackson. Hunter hit a shot that was snared by Pedroia and Cabrera singled as well. 3 straight shots was enough to convince Farrell that Bailey didn't have it, sending in former Tigers propsect Andrew Miller to close out the inning. Andrew instead allowed a single to Fielder that loaded the bases but came back to strike out Martinez. All he needed to do was get Peralta but instead he plunked him, scoring Jackson from third to tie the game. Infante grounded out but the game was tied. 2 straight games the bullpen has ruined a potential Doubront win.

Drew Smyly returned for the top of the 8th and Ellsbury chased him with a 2 out single. Joaquin Benoit replaced Smyly as the slumping Daniel Nava pinch hit for Victorino. Ellsbury stole his 32nd base of the year but Nava struck out to end the inning. The play of the game came right off the bat in the bottom of the 8th. With Nava now in right, Garcia lofted a ball that Nava apparently caught then dropped while transferring to throw back into the infield. Instead, second base umpire Mike Dimuro ruled an error on Daniel and Garcia safe at first. Sox manager John Farrell was steaming mad as the replays showed he clearly caught it then dropped it trying to throw it back. After Dimuro refused to budge, Farrell blew his top which caused him to get the HEAVEEEEE-HO by Dimuro.

                                        Farrell ejected on a controversial call that cost the game

As if they didn't have one bad call, the next call was blown too. Holoday dropped down a bunt and Miller threw it a little wide to first which apparently pulled Napoli off the bag according to 1st base umpire Alfonso Marquez. Back to back blown errors put runners on first and third with nobody out. Miller lost his composure and walked Jackson. Acting manager Juan Nieves pulled Miller for rookie Alex Wilson. Wilson got Hunter on a fly ball but it was deep enough for Garcia to score the go-ahead run. Wilson was ordered to intentionally walk Cabrera and Nieves came out to replace him with lefty Craig Breslow. The lefty-lefty matchup failed as Fielder broke a 1 for 16 slump by singling in Holoday and Jackson to give the Tigers a 7-4 lead. Breslow got out of the jam by getting Martinez to bang into a double play but 3 un-earned runs gave the Tigers the game.                               

                                                       The ball and the game get by Nava

On to the top of the 9th where the Sox tried to fight back. Pedroia singled and took second on defensive indifference but Ortiz struck out. Napoli flied out but Gomes made up for his day long struggles by doubling in Pedroia to bring the tying run to the plate. PU Drew then hit a rocket down the right field line but was snared on a great play by Hunter to end the game. If that ball got by Hunter, that was a sure triple. As it was, the Tigers won the series and the game 7 to 5.

                                         Even Johnny Depp is shocked the Sox lost

THE GOOD:

There was some good mixed in with all this bawfulness. Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a stolen base. His batting average is back up to .289 so he appears to be back in 2009 form. Dustin Pedroia broke out of his slump by going 3 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored. David Ortiz was 3 for 5 himself and Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless inning of relief. Honorable mention goes to John Farrell who stood up for his team by allowing himself to be ejected for a blown call.


THE BAD:

Jackass of the Night is easy, Andrew Miller step right up.

          If you pitch like crap, you may as well act like you're taking one. Jackass of the Night

Miller's bad throw and subsequent hit (plus Nava's error) and walk all made up the 3 runs he allowed to lose the game. Ironically the one out he got meant he came out of the game with a LOWERED ERA as none of the 3 runs were earned, still he drops to 0-2 on the season with a respectable 2.93 ERA. Daniel Nava's error may have been a bad call but striking out with Ellsbury standing on second was a huge out. Alex Wilson had the impossible situation of coming into a bases loaded, nobody out jam but only got 1 of the 2 batters he faced, and even the guy he got scored on the sac fly.


THE UGLY:

Everyone else. Shane Victorino ended up going 0 for 4 but one of the outs was an rbi groundout. Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5 but the one hit he got drove in a run and scored a run later in the inning. Jonny Gomes was 0 for 4 but his 9th inning rbi double kept the Sox alive. PU Drew was 1 for 4 with a walk and run scored but his second error of the season cost the Sox a run and he made the last out of the game representing the tying run. Felix Doubront threw 5 innings of 3 run (2 earned) ball. He walked 4 and allowed 4 hits but left with the lead. Craig Breslow allowed the 2 run single by Fielder that put the game away but got an inning ending double play to prevent any further damage.

Final Thoughts:

That was bawful all around. They fielded poorly, couldn't get the knockout punch and the bullpen suddenly can't get the crucial outs. Granted, the 8th inning rally began on 2 bonehead calls by the umpires but a punch out or two would have been nice. Losing 3 out of 4 to the Tigers hurts big time and the pitching staff got knocked around big time. If the Sox were to face the Tigers in the post-season, they better pray to magus Lester has his head on straight and Buchholz is healthy. What's more damaging is Franklin Morales appears to be headed for the DL meaning the walking wounded list is growing by the day. Luckily the Sox get Clayton "Vigo" Mortensen back wednesday hopefully. The all-star break can't come fast enough. The loss drops the Sox to 45-33 but amazingly they didn't lose any ground as the Toronto Blue Jays pounded the Dirty Birds 13-5 and Jeremy Hellickson stoned the Yankees 3-1, keeping the Sox division lead at 2 1/2 games. Tomorrow is an off-day and we'll take a look at Boston's Low-A ball team, the Greenville Drive.

Webster Rocked as Tigers Roll (6/22/13)

It was a bad day for Boston sports as the Chicago Blackhawks defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Finals and the Boston Red Sox lost to the Detroit Tigers. The Red Sox sent down Alfredo Aceves to Pawtucket so Allen Webster could start tonight's game against the Detroit Tigers. The gamble failed miserably as Webster was once again knocked out, this time by a vaunted Tigers attack that's one of the best in the league. As if that wasn't bad enough, Tigers starter Matt Scherzer was undefeated heading into the game.

                                       Damn Red Sox made the kid sad again

The news started out good though. Jacoby Ellsbury led off with a single and Shane Victorino singled him to third. Dustin Pedroia nearly killed the rally by banging into a double play, but Ellsbury scored to give the Sox a quick 1-0 lead. The lead became 2-0 when David Ortiz launched a 413 foot bomb to right field, his 16th of the season to up the lead 2-0. Mike Carp struck out but it was nice to see the Sox score first. Unfortunately they wouldn't score again until the game was out of reach.

                                                          The lone highlight of the game

Then it was the return of Allen Webster who the Tigers proceeded to feast on like a slab of meat. Austin Jackson and Torii Hunter greeted him with back to back singles. The dangerous Miguel Cabrera walked but Webster showed some balls by punching out Prince Fielder. Maybe he was too overconfident because his next offering was sent into the stands by Victor Martinez for a grand slam.

                                      V-Mart may as well be giving Sox fans the middle finger

Jhonny Peralta struck out but Andy Dirks singled. Omar Infante struck out to end the inning. Webster strikes out the side but the game was 4-2 Tigers. Could the Sox comeback in the top of the 2nd? NO! Scherzer retired the next 3 batters in order.  Brayan Pena singled to lead off the bottom of the second but Jackson grounded into a double play. Hunter singled but was thrown out trying to steal. Scherzer got 3 straight groundouts in the top of the third. Martinez worked a 2 out walk but otherwise Webster got the side without a run in the bottom of the third.

Carp got the first hit since the top of the first and advanced to third when Scherzer through the ball away with 2 outs in the top of the 4th. Unfortunately the completely slumping Daniel Nava flied out. Dirks singled and stole second but Webster got 2 outs in between in the bottom of the 4th. Jackson then slammed a single to bring home Dirks. Hunter lined out but the damage was done, 5-2 Tigers. Jose Iglesias singled with 2 out in the top of the 5th but was foolishly thrown out at second trying to stretch it into a double.

                                         "Jose, what are you doing?"

The end came for Webster in the bottom of the 5th. Cabrera grounded out and Sox manager John Farrell replaced the rookie with Franklin Morales. Webster threw 82 pitches so unless his pitch count was 80, no real reason to take him out yet. Morales ended up pouring gas on the fire as Fielder walked and Martinez doubled him home. Peralta singled home V-Mart to make it 7-2. Dirks singled as well but Infante and Pena flied out to end the inning. The game was effectively over.

Ellsbury doubled to lead off the 6th but was stranded by the next 3 batters. Morales recovered to work around a Cabrera to escape the bottom of the 6th. Scherzer got the side in the top of the 7th as well to complete a great outing. Morales walked Martinez then struck out the next 2 batters in the bottom of the 7th, but a 2 run rocket by Infante upped the lead 9-2. Morales then motioned for the trainer and his day was done...ah great.

                 Mortensen, Ross, Buchholz and now Morales again? Better get Trapper John MD ready

Alex Wilson got Pena to fly out to end the inning. This is getting worse by the inning. Al Alburquerque relieved Scherzer as PU Drew walked and Iglesias single to begin the inning. The rally was snuffed out when Al got the next 3 outs to retire the side. The Tigers loaded the bases with nobody out in the bottom of the 8th but Fielder's double play scored the 10th run. Martinez flied out and thankfully the Tigers were done beating up on the Red Sox. Luke Putkonen had mop up duty in the top of the 9th where the Sox showed signs of life for the first time since the first inning. Ortiz singled and advanced to second on the force by Carp. Nava singled Ortiz to third and Jarrod Saltalamacchia singled home Ortiz for the first run since the 1st. PU Drew grounded into a double play to end the game. Final score Detroit 10, Sox 3. BOOOOOOO!!!

                                              Everything stinks

THE GOOD:

Not much here. Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4 with a run scored. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 including a home run. Jose Iglesias was 2 for 3 keeping his batting average at .438.


THE BAD:

Jackass of the Night is a really tough one. Both Franklin Morales and Allen Webster were integral parts of why the team lost. I'll have to go with both of them.

                                            Jackass of the Night 1

Webster gave up a grand slam in the first inning that effectively ended the game. He did manage to strike out the side and allow only 1 more run the rest of his outing, but giving up 5 runs in less than 5 innings isn't going to cut it. With that said Morales is equally at fault.

                                                      Jackass of the Night 2

Morales came on with the Sox trailing 5-2 and poured poison in the team's brandy. He was tagged for 5 hits, 2 walks, 4 runs and a home run in 2 and 1/3. He turned a 5-2 game into a 9-2 laughter. Worse is he left with injury meaning he could be right back on the DL again, just great.  Other stinkers tonight include Dustin Pedroia, who dropped to .305 after going 0 for 4. Alex Wilson was tagged for a run in 1 1/3 innings. PU Drew was 0 for 3 with a walk and a strikeout.


THE UGLY:

Shane Victorino and Daniel Nava were both just 1 for 4. Mike Carp was 1 for 4 with a run scored. Jarrod Saltalamacchia drove in a run with a 9th inning single.


Final Thoughts:

Well the news keeps getting worse. With Clay Buchholz likely headed to the DL and Morales with him, the Sox pitching staff is in trouble. Vigo Mortensen isn't able to come off the DL until Wednesday and the Sox have to rely on Alfredo Aceves, John Lackey, Ryan Dempster and Felix Doubront to carry them.....not good. Still, the Tigers are one of the best offenses in baseball and they started their hottest pitcher today against a struggling rookie. Tomorrow the Sox try to defeat ace Justin Verlander and counter with Doubront, hoping to tie up the series at 2 all before going home. The loss drops the Sox to 45-32, 2 games ahead of the Dirty Birds.

Offense Wakes Up as Sox Top Tigers (6/21/13)

Once again Jon Lester stunk the joint out. This time, the bats picked him up as the Red Sox outslugged the Detroit Tigers 10-6 at Comerica Park.

                                            Happy Sox fans

As expected, it was learned before the game that Andrew Bailey was removed as Red Sox closer. Koji Uehara would assume the duty until further notice. Also, tomorrow's starter appears to be Allen Webster for sure. This means either Pedro Beato, Alfredo Aceves, Alex Wilson or someone else has got to go.

                                                         Guess who's back...back again

Unlike the previous few games, the Bosox wasted no time getting on the scoreboard. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out then Shane Victorino stepped up to launch a rocket to right field for his 3rd home run of the season.

                                            Going....going....GONE!

Dustin Pedroia singled but David Ortiz hit into a double play to end the inning. The Tigers threatened in the first against Lester. Tori Hunter bashed a one out double and Miguel Cabrera singled him to third...but molasses-like-quick Prince Fielder bounced into a double play to end the inning. Mike Napoli singled to lead off the top of the second and two ground-outs advanced him to third, but PU Drew flied out to end the inning. The Tigers struck in the bottom of the second. Victor Martinez and Jhonny Peralta hit back to back singles but Lester fought back to whiff Avisail Garcia and get Andy Dirks on a fly out. Unfortunately Brayan Pena singled to tie the game. Omar Infante grounded out but the Tigers already had 5 hits in just 2 innings.

The Sox fought back in the top of the third. Ellsbury singled and Victorino singled him to third. Pedroia then scored Ellsbury with a ground out to take the lead 2-1. Tigers manager Jim Leyland intentionally walked Ortiz to get to Napoli and the gamble worked as Mike grounded out to end the frame. Cabrera worked a one out walk but Fielder once again hit into a double play to end the bottom half of the third.

More Sox magic in the 4th inning happened when Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Drew hit back to back one out singles. Jose Iglesias beat out a throw for yet another infield single to load the bases. Ellsbury then doubled home 2 of the runners to make it 4-1. The suddenly red hot Victorino singled home Iglesias and Ellsbury to up the lead 6-1. Pedroia singled to chase Fister from the game. Darin Downs came in and got Ortiz to once again ground into a double play.

                                         "Hey fellas, we scored for once!"

Staked to a 6-1 lead, Lester worked a clean bottom of the 4th inning. Napoli singled but was doubled off of first by Fielder who snared a line drive by Daniel Nava. Salty struck out to end the frame. Just as soon as the Sox got comfortable with the lead, Lester nearly gave it away. Andy Dirks led off the inning with a towering home run and Pena followed with a single. Infante popped up but Tori Hunter singled as well. League MVP Cabrera remained red hot by belting a 3 run home run that cut lead 6-5. Fielder flied out but Victor Marinez walked. Peralta popped up to end the inning but the Tigers had scored 5 runs off Lester in just 5 innings.

Iglesias struck a one out triple but looked to be stranded when Ellsbury struck out. Luckily Victorino was on the scene and he singled home Jose to increase the lead 7-5. 4 of the rbi's came from Victorino alone. Lester punched out Garcia, walked Dirks and punched out Pena before Sox manager John Farrell pulled the plug after 102 pitches. Junichi Tazawa was brought in and he got Infante to fly out to end the inning. Lester's not doing the Sox any favors by failing to last 6 innings.

                                           "I sucked...again"

Phil Coke replaced Downs and worked a clean top of the 7th. Taz got Hunter to ground out to begin the bottom of the 7th but Cabrera chased him with a single. Craig Breslow relieved Tazawa and got the next 2 outs no problem. The Sox put the game away in the top of the 8th. Salty walked and Drew hit a ground rule double to chase Coke. Al Alburquerque (there's a mouthful) replaced Coke and got Iglesias to ground out. In what was a stupid move, Leyland had Ellsbury intentionally walked to get to Victorino. Shane made them pay by grounding into a fielder's choice which scored Salty with the game's 8th run. Victorino had driven in as many runs by himself as all 9 Tigers combined. Pedroia popped up but Drew scored on a wild pitch to make it 9-5. Ortiz was also intentionally walked but this time Napoli popped up to end the inning.

                                                       One man wrecking crew

Breslow worked around a 2 out walk to retire the side without a run allowed. The Sox offense put the exclamation point in the top of the 9th. Evan Reed took over for the Tigers and whiffed both Nava and Saltalamcchia to begin the inning. PU Drew singled and Iglesias singled to center which the bobbled ball by Garcia allowed Drew to score and Iglesias to reach second. Ellsbury lined out to end the frame. Andrew Miller had mop up duty in the 9th. Infante struck out but Hunter walked. Cabrera continued to be a pain in the ass by singling Hunter to third. Miller got Fielder to ground out but Hunter scored. Martinez grounded out to end the game and the Sox had won the slugfest 10-6.

THE GOOD:

Hero of the night is a no brainer. Shane Victorino nearly beat the Tigers by himself, going 4 for 5 with a home run, run scored and FIVE rbi's.

Hero of the Night

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 5 with a run scored, walk and 2 rbi's himself. Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 1 for 4 with a walk and scored both times he was on. Mike Napoli was 2 for 5. PU Drew was 3 for 5 with 3 runs scored. Jose Iglesias was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored. Craig Breslow pitched 1 2/3's scoreless innings.


THE BAD:

Jon Lester does it again. He gave up 9 hits and 3 walks for 5 runs without finishing the 6th inning. He got the win but his 7-4 record is matched by his 4.57 ERA. Daniel Nava was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts. Just as soon as everyone called for Nava to be on the all-star team, he's been in a complete slump, dropping his average to .275, which isn't bad but nearly 100 points lower than Miguel Cabrera's .368. Andrew Miller allowed a run in mop up duty in the 9th.


THE UGLY:

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but was intentionally walked twice. Junichi Tazawa retired 2 of the 3 batters he faced but was pulled for Craig Breslow.


Final Thoughts:

This team is in deep trouble. Buchholz is on the DL again and Lester continues to stink. Now that they have closer issues, deep starts are very important. You can't expect the trio of Lackey, Doubront and Dempster to give 7 innings of 3 run ball every single outing. It looks like Lackey is able to do it but not the other two. Still, if the offense picks up like tonight then things won't be half bad. The win, combines with the O's loss pushed the Sox to 45-31,  2 1/2 games in front. Amazing how the Sox were never meant to be a contender yet have been in a fight for first virtually all season. If the bullpen can hold up and the Sox get timely hitting, it may not be a lost season. Tomorrow rookie Allen Webster takes the mound against undefeated Max Scherzer (10-0). If Bailey hadn't blown the previous game, this one would be considered a throw-away. As it stands now, its a crucial game of the series.

Bailey Blows Another as Tigers Walkoff (6/20/13)

The Sox are in deep trouble these days. Yes they are in first place and yes they appear to be solid, but major holes are popping up in the fabric of the team. The struggles of Jon Lester and the fragility of Clay Buchholz hurt, but now their backup closer is imploding. Tonight, Bailey blew a 1 run lead and allowed the Detroit Tigers to walk-off with a 4-3 victory at Comerica Park.

                                        It may as well been a middle finger to Bailey

Former Red Sox draft pick Jose Alvarez took the mound for the Tigers. He was traded before the 2010 season for Jeremy Hermida....who was traded during the season. In the top of the first, Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino flied out and Dustin Pedroia struck out. John Lackey got the ball for tonight's game and struck out 2 of the first 3 batters he faced in the bottom of the first.

Mike Napoli worked a 1 out single in the top of the first but Jonny Gomes bounced into a double play to end the inning. In the bottom of the second, Prince Fielder flied out, Victor Martinez grounded out and Jhonny Peralta also grounded out to end the frame.

The Sox threatened in the top of the third when Jose Iglesias and Ellsbury worked 2 out walks and Victorino was hit by a pitch. With a chance to break open the game.....Pedroia flied out.

                                        Leaving the bases loaded Pedroia? Say it ain't so

Omar Infante doubled with one out but was stranded when Lackey got Brayan Pena and Austin Jackson to ground out to escape the jam. The Sox struck in the top of the 4th when David Ortiz led off with his 15th bomb of the season. Napoli grounded out and Gomes struck out but Ryan Lavarnway doubled. Will Middlebrooks grounded out to end the inning but the Sox were on the board. League MVP Miguel Cabrera doubled with one out and advanced to third 2 batters later on a wild pitch. With 2 outs and a man on third, Lackey got Victor Martinez to ground out to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the 5th when Iglesias and Ellsbury hit back to back triples. What turned out to be a key failure was both Victorino and Pedroia didn't hit the ball far enough on their flyouts, stranding Ellsbury at third when Ortiz flied out as well. What should have been 3-0 was only 2-0. Right on cue, the Tigers struck in the bottom of the 5th. Peralta struck out but Andy Dirks walked. Infante popped up meaning Lackey needed one more out to preserve the shut out. Unfortunately for him, Pena and Jackson hit back to back singles to load the bases. Tori Hunter singled home Dirks and Pena to tie the game. How big was failing to get Ellsbury home now? Cabrera struck out to end the inning.

Luke Putkonen relieved Alvarez in the top of the 6th. He got all 3 batters in order as Lackey returned for the bottom of the 6th. Prince Fielder singled to lead off the bottom of the 6th but the equally slow Victor Martinez banged into a double play. Peralta grounded out to end the inning. Putkonen got the first 2 batters in the top of the 7th and Tigers manager Jim Leyland pulled him for lefty Phil Coke. Coke struck out Ellsbury to end the inning. Lackey finished strong in the bottom of the 7th. Dirks singled but Lackey got the next 3 batters to end his night. 7 innings 2 runs allowed, another strong start.

                                           Another strong start by Lackey, ruined by Bailey

Patience paid off in the top of the 8th. Victorino and Pedroia walked to lead off and David Ortiz singled home Victorino. The Sox had a chance to blow open the game but then ultimately blew the game. Drew Smyly relieved Coke and struck out Napoli. Gomes popped up but Lavarnway was hit by a pitch. With a chance to bust the game open, Middlebrooks flied out to right.

                            Surrounded by his friends after flying out with the bases loaded

Koji Uehara of the Orient Express took over for Lackey in the bottom of the 8th and retired all 3 batters he faced. Victorino worked a 2 out double in the top of the 9th and stole third but Pedroia left him there by striking out. The Sox left 7 men on base including the bases loaded twice. Yes they were leading 3-2 but it could have been a lot better.

Andrew Bailey took the mound for the bottom of the 9th, he had been shaky lately but this could be his chance to keep his job. A walk to Martinez brought up Peralta who....well....look:
                                    
                                                                            Ugh....Tigers win 4-3


THE GOOD:

What should have been hero of the night turns into just another good performance in a loss. John Lackey tossed 7 innings and allowed just 2 runs on 7 hits and a walk with 5 punch-outs, lowering his ERA to 3.03. Jacoby Ellsbury was 1 for 4 with a walk including an rbi triple. Shane Victorino was 1 for 3 with a walk, a run scored and a stolen base. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 including his 15th homer of the year and another rbi single. Ryan Lavarnway was 1 for 3 and got hit with a pitch. Jose Iglesias was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8 innings.


THE BAD:

As bad as Dustin Pedroia played tonight, tonight's jackass is still Andrew Bailey. Blowing yet another save and costing the Sox what should have been a hard fought win.

                                           Jackass of the Night

Dustin Pedroia missed out because the Sox happened to take the lead in spite of his best "efforts". Dustin was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and 4 men left on base, negating a walk. Jonny Gomes was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts. Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 4 as well.


THE UGLY:

One name on this list. Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.


Final Thoughts:

Well that sucked. What should have been a great win on the road over arguably the AL's best team turned into yet another loss to a team over .500. Ironically the Sox are leading the league in triples and steals. If the Sox didn't leave the bases loaded twice, maybe they could have added a few more runs which would have negated the save situation. Still, if the loss is good for anything, now its crystal clear Bailey can no longer close. He was lights out in a set up role earlier in the year and maybe he could return to form back in that role. That would mean one of the other arms would be made closer, but who would be successful in that role? All this because Sox brASS didn't want to pay Jon Papelbon. The loss dropped the Sox to 44-31, 1 1/2 game behind the idle Orioles. Tomorrow the Sox send struggling Jon Lester to the mound against Doug Fister. Can he finally turn it around? Who will be the closer? Can they start scoring more runs? Find out tomorrow.

Sox Walkoff With Game 2 (6/18/13)

For 8 innings, Red Sox starter Felix Doubront was cruising. It was unquestionably his best start of the year. One swing of the bat by the Tampa Bay Rays changed that. Still, the Sox held on to win in style and send the fans home happy.

                                                 The Mayor approves of the win

Before game 2 it was learned that David Ross was placed on the 7 day concussion DL and Clay Buchholz was placed on the normal 15 day DL. What this meant was the Sox called up Ryan Lavarnway and Alex Wilson from Pawtucket. It also means unless Jon Lester gets his head out of his ass, the Sox are screwed.

Desmond Jennings opened the game with a single in the top of the first but Sean Rodriguez flied out. Ben Zobrist flied out but a wild pitch moved Jennings to second. Doubront struck out Longoria to end the inning. Rays starter Jake Ordozzi got Jacoby Ellsbury to ground out and Shane Victorino to fly out. Dustin Pedroia popped up to end the inning. Yunel Escobar flied out to begin the top of the second before Will Myers got his first major league hit. The Sox botched a double play when 1st basement Daniel Nava touched first on the force to Luke Scott but threw wide of second, allowing Myers to reach second. Jose Lobaton struck out to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second. David Ortiz lined out to begin the bottom of the second but Daniel Nava swatted his 10th homer of the year to give the Sox a 1-0 lead.

 
          1-0 Boston thanks to Nava

Jonny Gomes struck out and Jarrod Saltalamacchia flied out to end the inning. Kelly Johnson singled to lead off the top of the third but Jennings flied out. Rodriguez then grounded into a double play to end the inning. PU Drew flied out to begin the bottom of the third then Jose Iglesias and Ellsbury both flied out to end the inning.

Felix began to dominate from here on. Zobrist and Longoria grounded out and Escobar flied out. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the third when Pedroia and Ortiz hit back to back one out singles but Nava and Gomes flied out. Doubront struck out Myers to begin the top of the 5th, got Scott to fly out and struck out Jose Lobaton to end the inning. Doubront had gotten through 5 without walking anyone, talk about progress. The Sox continued their incompetence with men on base in the bottom of the 5th. Drew doubled with one out and Iglesias singled him to third....but Ellsbury hit into a double play to end the inning.

                                           Lurch doesn't like double plays

Could Doubront continue this hot streak or fall apart and walk everyone like Dice K would have? A groundout to Johnson, a fly out by Jennings and a Rodriguez pop up answered that question. Looks like Doubront is finally going 7. Some offense would help though. They wouldn't get it, Joe Maddon lifted Odorizzi with 2 outs for Alex Torres who allowed a double to Ortiz but Nava grounded out to end the inning.

Doubront got Zobrist and Longoria to fly out then struck out Escobar to retire the side. 7 innings, no runs, no walks....he's going 8 folks. Torres worked around a Salty walk to retire the side in the bottom of the 7th. Could Doubront keep up the momentum? Getting Myers to fly out on the first pitch of the top of the 8th helped. Scott struck out and Matt Joyce hit for Lobaton....and popped up. At 93 pitches, Doubront could...and should...go the distance. Pedroia worked a 2 out walk but retired the side. 2 1/2 scoreless innings for Torres, total hot streak.

Now, would John Farrell keep Doubront with just 93 pitches or go to his struggling closer Andrew Bailey to pitch the 9th? Farrell went with Bailey. 2 pitches to Kelly Johnson later......BANG! Tie game.

                                                        Tie game, thanks a lot Farrell

Bailey got the next two outs, walked Zobrist and got Longoria to ground into a force. It wasn't fair for Doubront, he pitched his best game of his career and had nothing to show for it. Luckily his team picked him up in the bottom of the 9th. Joel Peralta relieved Torres and walked Nava. Jonny Gomes stepped in and......BANG! Game over, Sox win 3-1

                                                    Red Sox win!


THE GOOD:

Tonight there are Co-Heroes of the Night. The first was the obvious choice. Jonny Gomes hit the walkoff home run to win the game.

                                                  Hero of the Night 1



The second is Felix Doubront. 8 innings, 3 hits, 6 strikeouts, no runs and NO walks. He was outstanding.

                                              Hero of the Night 2

Other good guys include Daniel Nava who clobbered the first home run and scored the winning run after drawing a walk in the bottom of the 9th inning. Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk. David Ortiz was 2 for 4. PU Drew and Jose Iglesias were both 1 for 3.


THE BAD:

For one of the few times all year, the winning pitcher is on the bad list. Andrew Bailey served up the home run to Kelly Johnson which cost Felix Doubront a much deserved win. He's now 3-0 with a 3.22 ERA, not good for a closer. Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino were a combined 0 for 8. John Farrell should go on here too for taking out Doubront at only 93 pitches.


THE UGLY:

Only one name on this list. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 2 but drew a walk.


Final Thoughts:

With Buchholz going on the DL, this is the kind of effort the Sox need out of Doubront until Clay comes back (if ever). I also like how the Sox picked themselves up after blowing the lead. Also, the Sox are now 30-5 when scoring first. It's encouraging to know more often than not that when the team scores first, they usually win. Still, its not so encouraging when the team only scores 1 run off a struggling starter. Hopefully the offense picks it up tomorrow when Ryan Dempster looks for the series sweep against another struggling starter, Jeremy Hellickson. The win moves the Sox to 44-29, 2 1/2 games in front of Baltimore.

No Run Support as Rays Avert Sweep (6/19/13)

It was a bad day for Boston sports. The Boston Bruins lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in overtime in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals and the Tampa Bay Rays defeated the Boston Red Sox. Poor Ryan Dempster, he just can't catch a break. For the third consecutive game the Sox scored under 5 runs and it killed them as the Tampa Bay Rays took advantage of Boston's uncharacteristically leaky pen to come away with a 6-2 series salvaging win at Fenway.

                                                          Boston fans reactions

 Things went bad right from the start. Matt Joyce flied out but Desmond Jennings set the tone with his 9th home run of the year. Sox killer Ben Zobrist singled and Jose Iglesias made his first bobble of the year, allowing Evan Longoria to reach first and Zobrist to third.

                                                        Even he is surprised Iglesias made an error

Zobrist scored on the sac fly by James Loney and Will Myers grounded out to end the inning. Could the Sox counter against the league leader in runs allowed, Jeremy Hellickson in the bottom of the first? NO! Jacoby Ellsbury, Daniel Nava and Dustin Pedroia all failed to reach in the bottom of the first. Kelly Johnson struck out to open the second but Jose Molina and Yunel Escobar hit back to back singles. Dempster got some defensive help when Joyce grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second. David Ortiz doubled to lead off and advanced to third on a ground out by Mike Napoli. Things looked bleak when Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out but Jonny Gomes lashed a single to third to cut the lead 2-1. PU Drew singled but Iglesias grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning.

Dempster worked a clean top of the third and Ellsbury singled to lead off the bottom of the third...but Nava banged into a double play and Pedroia grounded out to end that threat. Dempster pitched a clean top of the 4th and the Sox looked to strike again in the bottom half. Salty stroked a 2 out double, advanced to third on a wild pitch and scored to tie the game on another Gomes single to third. Drew grounded out but the game was tied.

It wasn't tied for long. Molina singled but Escobar flied out. Jennings walked and Zobrist lined a single to center, Ellsbury's throw home was too late and Molina scored, the runners advancing on the throw. The slowest guy on the team and STILL Ellsbury can't throw him out. The Rays now led 3-2.

                                      In the words of Maxwell Smart...missed it by THAT much

Longoria popped up but the damage was done. Could the Sox answer in the bottom of the 5th? Ellsbury stroked a one out single and advanced to second on a strikeout to Nava that got away from Molina. Ellsbury advanced to third on a balk and with the tying run 90 feet away.....Pedroia grounded out.

                                            "Pooped em....pooped mah pants"

The Rays threatened again in the top of the 6th. Johnson worked a 2 out walk and Molina singled for the third time tonight. It seems the only team he can hit against is Boston. Escobar flied out but that was it for Dempster after 108 pitches. Hellickson finished strong by striking out the final 2 batters of the bottom of the 6th. The Sox scored just 2 runs on the man who has allowed the most runs in the majors...BAWFUL!

                                I know Joey, I can't believe they couldn't hit Hellickson either

Craig Breslow took the mound for the top of the 7th and proceeded to drop a turd in his pants. Jennings laced a one out single but Zobrist flied out. All Breslow needed was one more out but he wouldn't get it. Jennings scored all the way from first on a single by Longoria and Loney doubled Evan to third. Sox manager John Farrell pulled Breslow for rookie Alex Wilson who allowed a double to Myers that scored both baserunners and put the game out of reach, 6-2. Wilson got the next out but that was basically the game. Jake McGee took over for Hellickson in the bottom of the 7th and worked around a 2 out walk to Iglesias to retire the side. The Iglesias walk would be the last baserunner for Boston.

Franklin Morales relieved Wilson in the top of the 8th and finally struck out Molina. Escobar grounded out but Sean Rodriguez pinch hit for Joyce and singled. Jennings struck out to end the inning. Joel Peralta worked the bottom of the 8th and pitched a clean inning.

Pedro Beato showed his face for the top of the 9th and gave up back to back one out singles to Longoria and Loney. He got the next 2 batters to end the inning, all in all the Rays pounded out 15 hits over the course of the game. Jamey Wright got the first two batters of the 9th and Rays manager Joe Maddon lifted him for closer Fernando Rodney to pitch to Gomes for some reason. Gomes struck out and the Rays won 6-2.

                                        


THE GOOD

Not much here. Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4. PU Drew was 1 for 3 and Jonny Gomes was 2 for 4 and drove in the only 2 runs they scored. Franklin Morales and Pedro Beato both pitched scoreless innings.


THE BAD:

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with.....*drumroll* Craig Breslow. Breslow turned a 3-2 deficit into 6-2 by allowing 3 hits in just 2/3's of an inning.

                                          Jackass of the Night

Alex Wilson misses jackass only because he didn't put the 3 runners on, he just allowed 2 of them to score. Daniel Nava, Mike Napoli and Dustin Pedroia were all 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Jose Iglesias was 0 for 2 with an error that compounded a walk.


THE UGLY:

Jarrod Saltalamacchia and David Ortiz were both just 1 for 4 but scored when they reached. Jarrod also got the hat trick with 3 strikeouts.


Final Thoughts:

Not the way the Sox wanted to go into Detroit for a 4 game showdown at all. Their ace is struggling, their best starter is on the DL and they're having trouble scoring again. This was another one of those games where if the bullpen didn't crap themselves, maybe they could have pulled out another win in the 9th. The loss drops the team to 43-30, 1 1/2 game in front of the Baltimore Orioles who smoked the Tigers 13-3 after knocking around Justin Verlander the night before. The Tigers will not be happy going into the series. It looks like Alan Webster will make the start on Saturday, nice to see him again, hope he bounces back after his last start a month ago. As for this game, pfft. Dempster deserved a better fate.