Drew Powers Sox past Dirty Birds (7/27/13)

I did not see this game as I was on vacation


News:

David Ortiz went beserk after striking out in the 7th inning. He had a 3-0 count and the umpire called the 4th ball a strike. Ortiz complained so home plate umpire Jim Reynolds called another ball a strike. After Ortiz swung and missed and then took a nutty. Getting ejected and taking a bat to the dugout phones. The diminutive Dustin Pedroia had to get in his face to calm him down.

                                                                    Poor phones

The O's have every right to charge Ortiz for the phones and he made a complete ass out of himself, possibly suspended for his actions. Not good.


THE GOOD:

Hero of the Night is easy, Stephen "Not tonight  P.U." Drew who bashed a 3 run homer in the 4th and a 2 run shot in the 6th to single-handedly beat the Birds. He finished 3 for 4 with 5 rbi's and 3 runs scored.

                                                          Hero of the Night

Mike Carp was 3 for 4 with a run scored. Ryan Dempster earned the win, improving to 6-8 on the season. He lasted 5 1/3 innings and allowed just 2 runs on 6 hits and 2 walks. His ERA is 4.24 which is not that bad all things considered. Craig Breslow tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 9th inning.


THE BAD:

Brandon Snyder pinch hit and failed to reach base. Mike Napoli was 0 for 4 with 2 whiffs. Junichi Tazawa surrendered a run on 2 hits and a walk in the 8th inning.


THE UGLY:

Lots of ugly in this one. Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 5 but stole a base. Shane Victorino was just 1 for 5 but scored a run and knocked in 2. Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 but walked. David Ortiz was 0 for 2 but walked as well. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 1 for 4 with 2 runs scored. Jose Iglesias was 1 for 4 with a stolen base.


Final Thoughts:

Great win but Ortiz made a complete ass out of himself. In a pennant race as tight as this one with the Dirty Birds, Rays and Sox all within striking distance, the Sox can't afford to lose anyone to suspension. The good news is the Sox won the game thanks to some timely offense from Stephen Drew. The win improved the Sox to 62-43, still a half game behind the Rays who had yet ANOTHER complete game shutout, this time Chris Archer blanked the Yankees 1-0. Tomorrow the Sox look to take 2 of 3 when Jon Lester takes on Jimmy Hammel. Still 4 days left until the deadline, let's see if they make a move or stand pat.

Complete Bawful (7/26/13)

I did not see this game as I was on vacation.....and I'm glad I didn't.

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News:

Last night was supposed to be Game 4 of the Rays and O's series but it was postponed until Monday due to rains that actually never came.


THE GOOD:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4. David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk. Drake Britton pitched a scoreless 9th


THE BAD:

John Lackey finally had his first stinker in about 2 months. He got knocked around for 9 hits, 3 home runs, a walk and 5 earned runs in just 6 1/3 innings. He also committed his 2nd error of the season.

Jackass of the Night

Lackey was far from the only offender tonight. Shane Victorino was 0 for 4. For the second game in a row the trio of PU Drew, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jose Iglesias were 0 for 9. Jose De La Torre pitched the last of the 8th and gave up a solo blast to JJ Hardy.


THE UGLY:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4. David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk. Mike Napoli and Daniel Nava were both 0 for 3 but with a walk.



Final Thoughts:

Chris Tillman has been on fire lately, winning 9 of his last 10 starts so it wasn't just Red Sox incompetence that cost them the game. Still, the Sox have managed to score 1 lonely run in their last 2 games on just 9 hits. Their bottom half of their order has done nothing the past 4 games it seems and it looks like Nava won't get the job done. They need a slugging outfielder badly. The deadline is approaching and they still need another bat, an ace and bullpen arm that can get righties. They got 5 days to work something out. The loss drops the Sox out of first as the Rays won again, putting them at 61-43, a half game behind Tampa. All 12 Rays fans celebrate tonight. Tomorrow the Sox look to get their heads out of their collective rear-ends. Duke "The Dumpster" Dempster takes on Scott Feldman in game 2 at Fenway tomorrow.

Price Shuts Sox Down (7/24/13)

I did not see this game as I was on vacation


News:

None


THE GOOD:

Not much here. Shane Victorino was 2 for 4. Mike Napoli was 2 for 3 including his 14th home run of the season. Drake Britton pitched a scoreless 9th inning.


THE BAD:

Jackass of the Night is a tough one. With virtually zero offense it wasn't just one guy who was the big donut. I'll have to go with Matt Thornton on this one, a repeat offender. He allowed the 4th and 5th runs to score on 3 hits which put the game out of reach against David Price.

                                                         Jackass of the Night

Other offensive people include Jacoby Ellsbury and Dustin Pedroia who were a combined 0 for 8. Jonny Gomes, PU Drew, Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jose Iglesias were a combined 0 for 12. All 6 men combined to go 0 for 20, great production huh?


THE UGLY:

David Ortiz was 1 for 4. Felix Doubront was the hard luck loser in this one, tossing 6 2/3 innings while allowing 3 runs. He falls to 7-4 with a 3.78 ERA. Pedro Beato faced 3 batters and one of them singled, then came around to score.


Final Thoughts:

The Sox are in deep trouble, not in the short term but in the long term. If Boston can't beat Price or Matt Moore, if they are to meet the Tampa Bay Rays in an LCS or one game playoff they would be screwed. The loss dropped the Sox to 61-42, a half game in front of the Rays. Tomorrow is a huge game for both teams as it will decide who stays in first place in the AL East. Who knows how that will turn out?

Lester Back To Form (7/23/13)

I did not see this game as I was on vacation



News:

None


THE GOOD:

Hero of the Night is an easy one. The contributors on offense were backed up by a solid performance from Jon Lester, so he gets the nod. He improved to 9-6 on the season, giving up 2 runs on 7 hits in 6 1/3 innings with 8 strikeouts. He lowered his ERA to 4.50 in the process

                                               Hero of the Night

Other babyfaces include David Ortiz who was 2 for 4. Mike Napoli was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored. Mike Carp was 1 for 3 with an rbi. Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Carp then singled and scored. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 3 with a walk. Matt Thornton got the one batter he faced in the top of the 7th. Junichi Tazawa struck out 3 of the 4 batters he faced. Koji Uehara struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced as well.


THE BAD:

None....yes, none. No one...zip...nada.


THE UGLY:

Shane Victorino was just 1 for 5 but scored a run. Daniel Nava was just 1 for 4 but scored as well. Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 2 but knocked in a run. PU Drew was 1 for 4 with a run and an rbi. Jose Iglesias was 1 for 4 with an rbi.



Final Thoughts:

Nice to see Lester back on track. The Rays are the toughest competition the Sox will face in the AL East this year. Baltimore doesn't have an ace and the Yankees are heading down the drain amid PED scandals and injury. The win improved the Sox to 61-41, 1.5 games ahead of the Rays. Tomorrow David Price is in town in game 3 of the series and it'll be up to Felix Doubront to match him. As the trade deadline nears it seems obvious that the Sox need a bullpen arm that can get righthanders out, a slugging outfielder and an ace. Hopefully they can address this situation before its too late.

Moore Untouchable as Rays Defeat Sox (7/22/13)

I did not see this game as I was on vacation.


News:

None, other than Ryan Braun of the Milwaukee Brewers was suspended for the remainder of the season for his involvement with performance enhancing drugs. 2011 MVP runner up Matt Kemp is furious and demands the MVP trophy be given to him instead. If MLB refused to strip Jose Canseco of his 88 MVP title and give it to Mike Greenwell, Kemp sure as hell isn't getting it.


THE GOOD:

Not much here. David Ortiz was 1 for 3 and Mike Napoli was 1 for 2 with a walk. Craig Breslow got the last out of the top of the 9th.


THE BAD:

Jackass of the Night is really tough since the only baserunners all night were Ortiz and Napoli. I'd have to go with Jonny Gomes who went 0 for 3 including striking out with Napoli on first and banging into a double play after Mike walked.

                                                 Jackass of the Night

Other bad guys include everyone else on offense. Jacoby Ellsbury, Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia were a combined 0 for 11. Ryan Lavarnway, Brandon Snyder and Jose Iglesias were a combined 0 for 9 with 3 strikeouts.


THE UGLY:

Brandon Workman was the hard luck loser but didn't pitch like a loser at all. On a normal day the rookie would have done fine by allowing just 2 earned runs in 6 innings of work. If the Sox could have generated some offense he would have been spared the defeat. Jose De La Torre ran out of gas in the 9th inning, allowing a run in 2 2/3 innings of work.


Final Thoughts:

The last 4 games has shown a big difference when Pedroia/Ellsbury/Iglesias/Victorino get on base and when they don't. The 2 games they've lost since the second half started, none of them could get on base and in the games they won, they did. If the top of the order can get on base, they have a shot to win...simple. The Rays are scorching hot, winning 18 out of 20 now and just a half game back of the 60-41 Red Sox. The good news is the Sox sent their rookie 5th starter against their ace. Tomorrow the Sox send their ace (in name only) Jon Lester against The Artist Formerly Known as Fausto Carmona. Unless David Price reverts to last year's form, the Sox won't see pitching like Moore again the rest of this series. Hopefully the Sox bats wake up.

Sox Walkoff in 11th, Take 2 of 3 from Yankees (7/21/13)

I did not see this game as I was on vacation.


News:

Finally there were no transactions although it was confirmed that Andrew Bailey would get surgery on his shoulder, officially ending his season. Clay Buchholz does NOT need surgery in the opinion of Dr. James Andrews and the fragile starter may resume activities anytime now, about damn time.


THE GOOD:

Hero of the Night is a no-brainer. Mike Napoli blasted a 3 run home run in the third inning and launched the walkoff solo shot in the 11th. He was headed toward ugly status with a Hat Trick before the solo shot

                                           Hero of the Night

Other babyfaces include Jacoby Ellsbury who was 2 for 4 with a HBP, a steal, a walk and a run scored. Shane Victorino was 2 for 5 with 2 steals and 2 rbi's. David Ortiz was 1 for 4 but with 2 walks, a run scored and his career best 4th steal of the season. Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 but walked and his one hit was his 8th home run of the season. Matt Thornton, Koji Uehara and Drake Britton combined for 3 scoreless innings with 4 strikeouts. Pedro Beato got his first win of the season with a scoreless top of the 11th.


THE BAD:

Only two names on this list. Ryan Dempster was smacked around by the Yankees, going only 5 1/3 while being touched for 5 runs (3 earned) on four walks, a throwing error and 6 hits. Sad part is he would have gotten the win if it wasn't for Craig Breslow as he allowed 2 runs (1 earned) of his own in 1 inning of work.


THE UGLY:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 6 but made it count by knocking in a run and scoring a run. Jarrod Saltamacchia was just 1 for 5 with a Hat Trick. PU Drew was 0 for 3 with a Hat Trick but walked, was hit by a pitch and scored a run. Jose Iglesias was just 1 for 5 with a run scored while committing a huge error in the 7th that allowed the tying runs to score. Junichi Tazawa allowed both inherited runners to score but did not allow a run of his own.


Final Thoughts:

Yet another walkoff win just goes to show that this team refuses to roll over and die in extra innings. 10 years ago this would be front page news but amazingly taking 2 of 3 from the Yankees is just a tuneup for the Tampa Bay Rays, my how times have changed. The Rays swept the Blue Jays, winning 17 of their last 19 as they roll into Boston for a 4 game set that could go either way. The Sox improved to 60-40, 1.5 games in front. Last year the Sox were 49-51 after 100 games, much better this time don't you think? As for this game, as bad as Dempster was his ERA is still lower than Sabbathia and it was nice to see the new look bullpen shut the Yankees down after the 7th inning. Tomorrow the Rays cy young threat Matt Moore (13-3) goes up against the rookie Brandon Workman, not good.

Sox Can't Hit Kuroda as Yanks Take Game (7/20/13)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Stephen Drew was activated off the Disabled List and Brock Holt was sent back to Pawtucket.

                                                                   OUT

                                                                         IN

More bad news was an MRI revealed Andrew Bailey has a torn labrun and is out for the season. Now the Sox are down both closers and their top lefty reliever for the rest of the season.

                                        The Sox are quickly becoming in need of a M*A*S*H* unit



As for the game, that was pitiful







THE GOOD:

Not much here. Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 and was hit with a pitch. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Mike Carp was 3 for 4 with a run scored. Jonny Gomes was 1 for 3 with a sac fly. Drake Britton made his major league debut and pitched a scoreless 9th.


THE BAD:

Jackass of the Night is Dustin Pedroia. He went 0 for 4 and his error in the 9th allowed the 5th run to score.

                                                        Jackass of the Night

Other heels include Jacoby Ellsbury who was 0 for 4. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 4 with a Hat Trick. Jose Iglesias was 0 for 3 with a strikeout. John Lackey got hammered by the Yankees in 6 1/3 innings, giving up 10 hits and 4 earned runs. He dropped to 7-7 on the season and his ERA rose to 2.95.


THE UGLY:

PU Drew was 0 for 2 but walked. Matt Thornton allowed both inherited runners to score in the 7th inning but got out of the jam. Pedro Beato was charged with an unearned run thanks to Pedroia in an inning of work.





Final Thoughts:

Iglesias, Ellsbury and Pedroia went a combined 0 for 11, not the formula for success especially against Hideki Kuroda. The loss dropped the Sox to 59-40, just 1.5 games ahead of the Tampa Bay Rays who have now won 16 out of their last 18. They are red hot right now and the Sox desperately need to win tomorrow to have some momentum going into the big four game series against the Rays starting Monday. Tomorrow Ryan Dempster takes the hill opposite CC Sabbathia in the rubber game of the series.