Rays Pound Velazquez, Sox (8/24/18)

The Tampa Bay Rays served notice they weren't going to roll over for the Boston Red Sox this weekend. Tonight the Rays bitch slapped the Sox on both sides of the ball. Another dreaded "bullpen game" led by old pal Jalen "Twin" Beeks shut down the offense while the Rays offense knocked around Sox starter Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez (7-2, 3.03 ERA) for 8 runs and when it was all over the Rays had taken the first game of this series 10-3 at Tropicana Field.

                                                      "Beeks beat us again....grrrr"

In a mirror image of last week's game, Diego Castillo got the "start" for Tampa's bullpen and he froze Mr. Mookie Betts to begin the game. Andrew Benintendi whiffed and Steve Pearce popped up weakly to first base to end the inning....here we go again. Velazquez took the mound in the bottom of the first and Joey Wendle popped up to third to start. Matt Duffy was blown away for strike three before Jake Bauers whiffed on a high fastball to end the inning.

Castillo returned for the top of the second inning and JD Martinez whiffed on a 91 mph cutter to start. Xander Bogaerts blooped a single to center but Ian Kinsler whiffed. Eduardo Nunez lashed a single to right to send Bogaerts to third and chase Castillo from the game. Last week's star Jalen "Twin" Beeks was summoned to put out the fire and he did by getting Blake Swihart to pop up to left to end the inning. At least the Sox hit the ball hard in that inning. The Rays iced the game in the bottom of the second as Ji-Man Choi doubled to right to start. Willy Adames walked but Velazquez whiffed Kevin Kiermaier on a slider in the dirt. The Rays executed a double steal when Swihart fumbled a pitch and Choi scored on a grounder to third by Gomez. Brandon Lowe walked and JBJ missed a diving catch for a 2 run double by Michael Perez. Wendle flied out to right to end the inning but the Rays were up for good 3-0.

                                                           Rays strike frist

The Sox fought back in the top of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed badly before Mr. Mookie walked. Benintendi whiffed but Pearce beat out an infield single to third. Martinez hit a swinging bunt single to third to load the bases and Bogaerts lashed a single to left to score Betts and Pearce. Kinsler popped up to short to end the inning but the Sox were down 3-2.

                                                    Bogaerts puts the Sox back in it

Just as soon as the Sox got back in it, the Rays put it away in the bottom of the third. Duffy singled but was thrown out at second trying to steal by the alert Swihart. Bauers whiffed and the floodgates opened. Choi blooped a single to right then Adams hit a roller up the middle for a hit. Kiermaier hit a perfect double play ball to Pearce....UNDER HIS GLOVE! Choi scored and the Rays pounced. Gomez singled home Adames, Lowe singled home Kiermaier and swiped second. Perez singled home Lowe and that was it for Velazquez. He had absolutely nothing and allowed 8 runs in just 2 2/3 innings.

                                                        "I sucked tonight!" - Velazquez

Drew Pomeranz came in and got Wendle to fly out to center to end the inning with the Rays ahead 8-2.

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Nunez flied out to right to start. Swihart whiffed and JBJ lined out to left to end the inning. The carnage continued in the bottom of the fourth as Duffy popped up to second to start. Bauers grounded out to second but Choi walked and Adames smashed a 670,000 foot home run to wrap up the scoring for Tampa. Kiermaier flied out to left to end the inning but it was 10-2 Rays.

                                                   Adames keeps it going

The Sox had one chance to get back in the game but they blew it in the top of the fifth. Mr. Mookie flied out to center but Benintendi and Pearce stroked back to back singles. Martinez singled home Benintendi and now the Sox needed a bomb to get back into it. Instead Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox hopelessly out of it 10-3.

                                                     Martinez with the rbi

Pomeranz somehow pitched a scoreless bottom of the fifth inning as Gomez whiffed to start. Lowe walked but Perez flied out to center. Wendle grounded into a force to end the inning.

Kinsler singled to open the top of the sixth but Nunez lined out to short. Swihart erased Kinsler with a force as JBJ whiffed to end the inning. Pomeranz returned for the bottom of the sixth and Duffy grounded out to short, Bauers hit one up the elevator shaft and Choi popped up to short to end the inning.

Beeks returned for the top of the seventh and Mr. Mookie walked to start. Benintendi banged into a double play but Pearce walked. Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning. 5 1'3 innings of 3 run ball by Beeks to earn his second win against the Sox in a week.

                                                       Sweet revenge for Beeks.

Adames whiffed to begin the bottom of the seventh before Kiermaier grounded out to short. Gomez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Hunter Wood replaced Beeks in the top of the eighth inning and Bogaerts greeted him with a single. Kinsler singled but Nunez whiffed. Swihart singled to load the bases but JBJ flied out to left and the slumping Mr. Mookie grounded out to end the inning. The Sox had 12 hits in the game but were all singles. Joe Kelly took over for the bottom of the eighth and Lowe singled to start. Perez popped up to first but Wendle singled. Duffy beat out a double play ball but Bauers whiffed to end the inning.

Wood returned for the top of the ninth and Benintendi grounded out to second to start. Pearce whiffed but Martinez singled. Bogaerts looked at strike three to end the game. The Rays had won it 10-3.

Jackass of the Night is Hector Velazquez. He allowed EIGHT runs in just 2 1/3 innings to give the Sox no chance of ever coming close to a comeback.

                                                   Velazquez is a Jackass


The Good:

Steve Pearce was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Ian Kinsler was 2 for 4.

Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless eighth inning.




The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4.

Blake Swihart was just 1 for 4.

Drew Pomeranz allowed 2 runs in 4 1/3 innings.




Final Thoughts:

That game was the definition of a blowout. The Rays pounded everything Velazquez threw at them and looked every bit like the team that won 5 games in a row going in. The Rays have a habit of going on these hot streaks and the road for the Sox doesn't get easier as they run into the Rays' two best pitchers in the next two games. Hopefully they can pitch better and swing the bats well or else the Rays may end up sweeping them. The loss dropped the Sox to 90-40, 8.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow as "Slick" Rick Porcello (15-6) takes on possible AL Rookie of the Year Ryan Yarbrough at 6:10 PM at Tropicana Field.

Price Dazzles, Sox Rout Indians (8/23/18)

This afternoon the Boston Red Sox took another big step toward their march to the AL East title by knocking off the potential AL Central champion Cleveland Indians. The Sox earned their 90th win as David Price (14-6, 3.50 ERA) pitched an absolute gem, riding a 6 run bottom of the fifth inning to tame the Indians for 8 dominant innings. When all was said and done the Sox came away with a series tying 7-0 victory at Fenway Park.

                                              Aragorn approves of the win

Price began his outing by getting Fransisco Lindor to line out to right to begin the top of the first. Things got scary when Mitch Moreland went crashing into a camera well trying to catch a foul ball. Yandy Diaz grounded out to short and Jose Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

                                                         Moreland goes down

Adam Plutko got the start for Cleveland and as usual Mr. Mookie Betts whiffed to begin the game. Andrew Benintendi walked but Mitch Moreland singled. Unfortunately Moreland collapsed at first, had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded on an ambulance, headed to Mass General and was replaced by Blake Swihart. JD Martinez and Xander Bogaerts struck out to end the inning but losing Moreland hurt.

Price continued to dazzle in the top of the second as pain in the ass Edwin Encarnacion grounded out to third to begin. Melky Cabrera whiffed and Brandon Guyer grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Brock "The Hitman" Holt flied out to right to begin. Eduardo Nunez whiffed and Sandy Leon popped up to third to end the inning.

Jason Kipnis began the top of the third with a ground out to second before Roberto Perez whiffed. Greg Allen singled and stole second but Lindor whiffed to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr singled to begin the bottom of the third but was erased on the Mr. Mookie force out. The incompetent Betts was thrown out trying to steal and Benintendi flied out to right to end the inning.

Price dominated the top of the fourth inning as Diaz flied out to right, Ramirez lined out to short and Encarnacion flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the fourth as Swihart grounded out to first to begin. Martinez walked but Bogaerts flied out to right. Holt walked but Nunez lined out to center to end the inning.

Price was untouchable in the top of the fifth as Cabrera whiffed to start. Guyer popped up to second and Kipnis grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox absolutely exploded in the bottom of the fifth inning as Leon got the party started with a ground rule double. JBJ singled Leon to third but Mr. Mookie flied out to left. Benintendi walked to load the bases and Swihart doubled home both Leon and JBJ to give the Sox the lead. Martinez was intentionally walked to re-load the bases and that was it for Plutko who couldn't survive the third time through the order. Adam Cimber came in and Bogaerts greeted him with a double to score Benintendi and Swihart. For whatever reason Holt was intentionally walked to re-load the bases and Nunez made the Indians pay with yet another 2 run double. That was it for Cimber as Oliver Perez came in and got Leon to pop up to short and JBJ to strike out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

More than enough cushion for Price in the top of the sixth as Perez grounded back to the mound to start. Allen whiffed and Lindor flied out to right to end the inning.

                                               Price wheeling and dealing in this one

The Sox tacked it on against Josh Tomlin in the bottom of the sixth as Mr. Mookie finally got a base hit. Benintendi flied out to center but Swihart singled Betts to third. Martinez lashed a single to score Betts with another run. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning but it was 7-0 Sox.

Diaz singled to start the top of the seventh and Price found that so offensive he got Ramirez to line out to third. Encarnacion singled but Diaz got doubled off second on a line drive by Cabrera to Bogaerts to end the inning. Leon grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the seventh before JBJ whiffed. Mr. Mookie singled again but Benintendi grounded out to short to end the inning.

Price came back for one more inning although he hit Guyer to begin the top of the eighth. Kipnis banged into a double play and Perez whiffed to end the inning. That was 8 shut-out frames by Price in a possible playoff preview, he was outstanding.

                                                    Way to go Price

Erik Gonzalez took over for Ramirez to begin the bottom of the eighth and Swihart grounded out to first to begin. Martinez grounded out to short and Bogaerts flied out to left to end the inning.

Tyler Thornburg had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and he allowed back to back singles by Allen and Lindor. Tyler managed to get Diaz to ground into a double play and Gonzalez to fly out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-0 for their 90th win.

Hero of the Night is a no brainer. David Price earned his 14th win of the season with 8 shutout innings, allowing just 3 measly hits, walking none and striking out 7.

                                                             "I'M THE HERO!!!!!"



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 1 before leaving the game.

Blake Swihart was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Brock Holt was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

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

Tyler Thornburg pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but drove in 2 runs and scored.

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Now THIS was more like it. The Sox probably won't be facing this kind of pitching in the playoffs if they meet the Indians but getting a start like this out of Price is what they're going to need in October. Price was unhittable from start to finish and if he can throw the cutter on the outside like this, he'll be ready for the playoffs. His ERA since the All-Star break is 1.04 and if Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez come back healthy, the New York Yankees have no hope in catching the Sox down the stretch. The win improves the Sox to 90-39, 9.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. It should be noted the 2011 "best team evahhh" Red Sox that collapsed in September finished with 90 wins. The 2018 Red Sox have 90 wins on August 23rd. Tomorrow night the Sox venture to Tampa Bay for a 3 game set with the Rays. Once again the Rays have no idea who's going to start while the Sox counter with Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez (7-1, 2.74 ERA) at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.

Sox Bats Light Up Indians (8/22/18)

Now that's a little more like it. The Boston Red Sox had lost three games in a row, two of which to a possible playoff opponent in the Cleveland Indians. Tonight vengeance was a dish best served cold as the Sox offense lit up starter Carlos Carrasco while the normally unreliable Boston bullpen held the Cleveland offense in check for once. When the game was over the Sox were back in the win column with a 10-4 drubbing of the Indians at Fenway Park.

                                                     Consuela approves of the win

The Indians wasted zero time scoring against Brian Johnson in the top of the first inning as Fransisco Lindor hit a ground rule double to begin the game. Michael Brantley lined out to left and Jose Ramirez popped up to second but Edwin Encarnacion smashed a 27,000 foot home run to give the Indians the lead. Yandy Diaz singled but Brandon Guyer struck out to end the inning with the Indians ahead 2-0.

                                                         Pain in the ass

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the first against Carlos Carrasco although Mr. Mookie Betts whiffed badly to begin. Erik Gonzalez threw a ground ball by Andrew Benintendi away allowing him to reach and he moved to second on the force by Mitch Moreland. A wild pitch moved Benintendi to third and JD Martinez singled him home to put the Sox on the board. Xander Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning but the Sox were down 2-1.

                                                   Martinez gets the Sox back within a run

Johnson settled down in the top of the second inning as Yan Gomes flied out to left to begin. Greg Allen grounded out shortstop and Gonzalez grounded out to short as well to end the inning. Ian Kinsler singled to open the bottom of the second but was thrown out at second trying to steal on the strikeout by Brock "The Hitman" Holt. Blake Swihart whiffed to end the inning.

Johnson got Lindor to line out to right to open the top of the third inning before Brandley grounded out to second. Ramirez doubled but Encarnacion grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to start. Mr. Mookie singled but Benintendi flied out to right. Moreland grounded out to short to end the inning.

Johnson had a strong top of the fourth inning as Diaz lined out to short to begin. Guyer was plunked and Gomes singled, but Allen whiffed. Gonzalez was frozen for strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Martinez whiffed to start. Bogaerts tied the game with a solo shot to center then Kinsler singled. Holt singled and Swihart singled home Kinsler to give the Sox the lead. JBJ whiffed but Mr. Mookie walked to load the bases. Benintendi cleared the bases with a double to chase Carrasco from the game. Oliver Perez was brought in and Moreland greeted him with a single. One and done for Perez as Neil Ramirez came in and walked Martinez. Bogaert sgrounded into a force to end the inning but it was 6-2 Sox. Outstanding!

                                                    Bogaerts gets the party started

Unfortunately Johnson couldn't hold the lead in the top of the fifth. Lindor walked but Brantley lined out to left, chasing Johnson after just 4 1/3 innings. Not great and he should have been allowed to finish the inning.

                                          "I should have went longer" - Johnson

Heath Hembree came in to wreck the day although Ramirez flied out to center to start. Encarnacion blasted a 2 run bomb to cut into the load. Diaz looked at strike three to end the inning but more shoddy relief meant just a 6-4 lead.

                                                 Here we go again with this bullpen

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Kinsler whiffed to start. Holt grounded out to first before Swihart whiffed to end the inning.

Brandon Workman came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Guyer whiffed to start. Gomes singled but was thrown out at second trying to stretch by JBJ. Allen flied out to center to end the inning. JBJ doubled to begin the bottom of the sixth but Mr. Mookie flied out to center. Dan Otero replaced Ramirez and got Benintendi to ground out to second. Moreland smashed a a 2 run bomb to increase the lead. Martinez whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

                                               Moreland with a bomb

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Gonzalez grounded out to first to begin. Lindor grounded back to the mound before Brantley flied out to right to end the inning. The red hot Bogaerts smashed yet another home run to add to the lead to begin the bottom of the seventh. Kinsler grounded out to third, Holt grounded out short and Swihart grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.

                                              Another home run

Joe Kelly came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ramirez greeted him with a single. Encarnacion grounded out to third before Diaz lined out to first. Melky Cabrera pinch hit for Guyer and walked. Kelly punched out Gomes to end the inning. The Sox weren't done scoring yet and this time Cody Allen was the victim. JBJ singled before Mr. Mookie flied out to right. Benintendi whiffed but Moreland walked. Martinez singled home JBJ to wrap up the scoring. Bogaerts lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-4.

                                                      Martinez with another rbi

Ryan Brasier had mop up duty in the top of the ninth. Allen lined out to left, Gonzalez grounded out to first and Lindor lined out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-4.

                                                     Cora celebrates with Bogaerts


Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He clocked not one, but two home runs and set the tone for the offensive explosion.

                                                     Bogaerts the Hero



The Good:

Mitch Moreland was 2 for 4 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's.

Ian Kinsler was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Matt Barnes got the win with a scoreless 7th inning.

Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Heath Hembree allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 5 but drove in 3 runs and scored.

Brock Holt was 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Blake Swihart was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Brian Johnson lasted 4 1/3 innings while giving up 3 runs.




Final Thoughts:

Now that's more like it. The Sox broke their three game losing streak in style by pounding a potential playoff opponent. It was nice to see the offense get back on track and the Sox are gonna need more nights like this to survive the rest of the month with the New York Yankees playing nothing but garbage from here on. Speaking of which, the Yankees just lost to the 77 loss Miami Marlins tonight. The win proved the Sox to 89-39, 9.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. It should be noted the 2010 Red Sox that suffered season ending injuries to Jacoby Ellsbury, Dustin Pedroia and Kevin Youkilis won 89 games. This year's team has 89 wins...on August 22nd. Tomorrow afternoon is the finale with David Price taking on Adam Plutko at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Drop Third Straight, Indians Win (8/21/18)

Nothing is going right for the Boston Red Sox this week. After dropping the bullpen game against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Sox now have put up two consecutive stinkeroos against the AL Central leading Cleveland Indians. If these are playoff previews then the Sox are in deep doo-doo. Tonight the Indians hit, fielded and pitched better in all three phrases which led to a 6-3 victory over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                                Grumpy Sox fan

Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first and Fransisco Lindor popped up to third to start. Michael Brantley grounded back to the mound before Jose Ramirez also grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Bieber had no issues with the Sox in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts looked at strike three to begin. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second and JD Martinez watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Indians almost struck in the top of the second inning. Yandy Diaz singled but Yonder Alonso whiffed. Melky Cabrera doubled Diaz to third but Yandy was thrown out at home on a Jason Kipnis grounder to first. Yan Gomes flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts popped up to first to begin. Mitch Moreland whiffed before Ian Kinsler grounded out to short to end the inning.

Eovaldi kept pact in the top of the third inning as Greg Allen hit a squibber in front of the plate to start. Lindor grounded out to short but Brantley walked. Ramirez grounded out to first to end the inning. Bieber mowed down the Sox in the bottom of the third as Eduardo Nunez grounded out to short, Sandy Leon took strike three and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Indians struck first in the top of the fourth inning. Diaz lined out to right and Alonso grounded out to first to begin. All Eovaldi needed was one more out but he couldn't get it. Cabrera and Kipnis stroked back to back singles before Gomes singled in Cabrera. Allen doubled in Kipnis to increase the lead before Lindor flied out to left to end the inning with the Indians up 2-0.

                                               "Eovaldi you stink" - Willis  "I know" - Eovaldi

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to start but Benintendi singled. Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning.

Things looked bleak when Brantley doubled to start the top of the fifth but Ramirez whiffed. Brantley moved to third on the grounder by Diaz but Alonso grounded out to first to end the inning. Bieber was unstoppable in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts and Moreland both flied out to center to start. Kinsler watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Indians iced the game in the top of the sixth when Cabrera launched a 500,000 foot home run to begin the inning. Kipnis flied out to left but Gomes and Allen stroked back to back singles to chase Eovaldi. He was eventually charged with 4 runs in 5 1/3 innings, not good.

                                             "I sucked tonight" - Eovaldi

Joe Kelly came in and whiffed Lindor but Brantley singled home Gomes but was thrown out at second trying to stretch to end the inning. Still the Indians were up for good 4-0.

                                                          4-0 Indians

Nunez tried to get a rally going in the bottom of the sixth with a double but Leon flied out ti right. JBJ lined out to right and Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning.

Brandon Workman came in to continue the trend of relievers giving up runs in the top of the seventh. Ramirez walked and stole second before going to third on the Diaz ground out. Alonso hit a sac fly to increase the lead with Cabrera looking at strike three to end the inning with the Indians up 5-0.

Brandon Guyer took over in right but somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh. Benintendi doubled and Martinez singled him to third. Bogaerts doubled home Benintendi and Moreland scored Martinez with a sac fly, advancing Bogaerts to third. That was it for Bieber as Adam Cimber came in and got Kinsler to ground out, although Bogaerts scored to bring the tying run to the plate. That was it for the rally as Nunez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Indians ahead 5-3. How big were the last two runs now?

                                              Bogaerts tries to keep the Sox in it

Once again the useless bullpen failed to keep the score intact in the top of the eighth inning. Tyler Thornburg made a mad dash in from the bullpen and blew away Kipnis but Gomes smashed a 3,750 foot bomb to increase the lead again. Allen was plunked but Lindor popped up to third. Brantley lined out to second to end the inning with the score now 6-3.

                                                        This sucks

Old pal Andrew Miller came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Steve Pearce pinch hit for Leon. Naturally Pearce whiffed as did JBJ. Mr. Mookie grounded out to second to end the inning.

Blake Swihart came in to catch the top of the ninth with Drew Pomeranz taking the hill. Ramirez walked but Diaz banged into a double play. Alonso singled but Guyer lined out to third to end the inning. With Cody Allen unavailable, old friend Indians manager Terry Francona brought in Brad Hand to close out the bottom of the ninth. Benintendi whiffed before Martinez lined out to short. Kipnis booted a ball by Bogaerts and allowed him to reach. Bogaerts ran to second on defensive indifference but Moreland whiffed to end the game. The Indians had won 6-3.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Nathan Eovaldi. After pitching great earlier this month he turned back into a pumpkin. He lasted just 5 1/3 innings but gave up 4 crucial runs.

                                                           Nathan is a Jackass



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Eduardo Nunez was 1 for 3.

Drew Pomeranz pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 2.

Steve Pearce was 0 for 1.

Brandon Workman allowed a run in the top of the 7th.

Tyler Thornburg allowed a run in the top of the eighth.



The Ugly:

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored.

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Ian Kinsler was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

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



Honorable Mention:

Blake Swihart caught the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Sox are stumbling a bit. This was the first time they've lost three in a row all year and it comes at a bad time with the New York Yankees playing nothing but garbage until the end of the month. Also getting knocked around by the Indians doesn't inspire confidence at all when the calendar turns to October. Still, getting Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez back would be nice. The loss drops the Sox to 88-39, 8 games in front of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look bounce back tomorrow night with Brian Johnson taking on Carlos Carrasco at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Indians Come Back, Stun Sox (8/20/18)

One day after the Boston Red Sox were totally shut down against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Sox pounced on the Cleveland Indians and their ace Corey Kluber. The Sox scored the first 3 runs but old friend Terry Francona's boys showed the same fight they did in the 2016 ALDS by coming back and defeating the Red Sox. The Indians turned a 3-0 deficit into a 5-3 win with one clutch hit after another. "Slick" Rick Porcello (15-6, 4.04 ERA) got smacked around but gave up the decisive blow in the 7th inning. The Sox tried to fight back but the Indians stunned the Sox with a 5-4 win in the opener of this 4 game set at Fenway Park.

Porcello got the ball in the top of the first and froze Fransisco Lindor for strike three to begin. Michael Brantley grounded out to second and Jose Ramirez took strike three to end the inning. After yesterday's disgrace, the Sox jumped on Indians ace Corey Kluber in the bottom of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts whiffed and Andrew Benintendi took strike three but Mitch Moreland singled. JD Martinez doubled Mitch to third and Xander Bogaerts scored both of them with a base hit. Ian Kinsler lined out to center to end the inning but the Sox had the 2-0 lead.

                                                Bogaerts with a 2 run hit

Porcello got rocked in the second inning although Yandy Diaz grounded out to short to start. Yonder Alonso and Melky Cabrera hit back to back singles although Porcello whiffed Jason Kipnis on a 3-2 fastball. A wild pitch moved both runners along but Rick whiffed Yan Gomes to end the inning. The Sox got to Kluber in the bottom of the second although Brock "The Hitman" Holt lined out to center to start. Sandy Leon flied out to left but Jackie Bradley Jr doubled to center. Mr. Mookie singled him to third and Benintendi singled home JBJ. The Sox had Kluber on the ropes but Moreland grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                               Benintendi makes it 3-0

Porcello cruised in the top of the third as Greg Allen lined out to right, Lindor popped up to third and Brantley grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Martinez grounded out to second, Bogaerts grounded out to short and Kinsler grounded out to third to end the inning.

Porcello mowed down the Indians in the top of the fourth as Ramirez popped up to first, Diaz whiffed and Alonso went down swinging to end the inning. The Sox had another chance in the bottom of the fourth when Holt singled to start but he was thrown out trying to steal. Leon whiffed but JBJ singled only for Mr. Mookie to whiff badly to end the inning.

The Indians got one back in the top of the fifth as Cabrera smashed a 20,000 foot home run to put the Indians on the board. Porcello recovered to get Kipnis to ground out to first, Gomes to fly out to right and Allen to line out to left but the score was 3-1 Sox.

                                               Cabrera starts the comeback for Cleveland

Kluber continued to pitch well as Benintendi froze for strike three to start the bottom of the fifth. Moreland walked but Martinez whiffed and Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning.

The Indians tied it up in the top of the sixth as Porcello failed to cover first on a hard hit ball to first by Lindor and Brantley smoked a 349,000 foot home run to tie the game. Ramirez popped up to third, Diaz grounded back to the mound and Alonso flied out to right but the damage was done, the game was tied 3-3. Porcello keeps giving up the long ball.

                                                    Tie game in the sixth

Kinsler tried to start a rally with a single to open the bottom of the sixth but Holt lined out to left. Leon flied out to right and JBJ hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Porcello returned for the top of the seventh and Sox manager Alex Cora quickly regretted it although Cabrera grounded out to first to start. Kipnis walked but was erased on the force by Gomes. Right on cue Greg Allen crushed only his second homer of the year to give the Indians the lead. Lindor flied out to center to end the inning but Porcello had given up 5 runs off 3 home runs in 7 innings, nice job.

                                                   Not good enough Porcello

Kluber returned for the bottom of the seventh and got Mr. Mookie to ground out to first but that was it. Francona didn't want to make a mistake and leave him in too long so he was lifted for Oliver Perez. Benintendi grounded out ti first but Moreland walked to chase Perez. Adam Cimber came in and Martinez singled Moreland to third to put the tying run on first. That was it as Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning.

Tyler Thornburg sprinted from the bullpen to pitch the top of the eighth and naturally allowed a single to Brantley. Ramirez popped up to third before Diaz whiffed. Alonso lined out to right to end the inning as Thornburg made a mad dash into the dugout. Brandon Guyer took over in right for the bottom of the eighth and Kinsler whiffed to start. Brad Hand replaced Cimber and the Sox countered by pinch hitting Eduardo Nunez for Holt. Nunez flied out to right but pinch hitter Steve Pearce (for Leon) doubled to bring the tying run to the plate. Naturally JBJ whiffed to end the inning.

Nunez stayed at third with Blake Swihart taking over behind the plate with the incompetent Drew Pomeranz on the mound for the top of the ninth. Strangely Drew got out of the inning as Guyer lined out to center to start. Kipnis whiffed and Gomes grounded out to third to end the inning. Indians closer Cody Allen got the call to close out the bottom of the ninth but the Sox refused to go quietly. Mr. Mookie led off with a double and Benintendi walked to put the tying run at first. Moreland beat out a double play ball to keep the tying run at first but Martinez popped up to first. Bogaerts somehow beat out an infield single to score Mr. Mookie and put the tying run at second. Unfortunately Kinsler flied out to left on a full count to end the game. The Indians held on to win it 5-4.

Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. The long balls were just too much to overcome and he gave up 3 of them in his 7 innings of work for 5 total runs.

                                             Porcello is the Jackass


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with 3 rbi's.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3.

Steve Pearce doubled as a pinch hitter.

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



The Bad:

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Ian Kinsler was just 1 for 5.



Honorable Mention:

Blake Swihart caught the top of the ninth inning.




Final Thoughts:

If this was a playoff preview the Sox are in big trouble. This felt like the 2016 Division Series where the Indians just knew they could beat the Sox and shut them down. Francona's team never panicked when down 3-0 and came back to win. This was a really telling loss because if the Sox can't win the games with playoff implications, how the hell are they going to actually do it in the playoffs? The offense left 11 guys on base and that just can't happen. That's 2017 Red Sox garbage, not this year's team that can actually hit. This loss leaves a really bad taste in anyone's mouth but it can be corrected with 3 straight wins for sure. The loss dropped the Sox to 88-38, 9 games in front of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Nathan Eovaldi (5-4) goes up against Shane Bieber at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rays Bullpen Shuts Out Sox (8/19/18)

The good news was the Boston Red Sox pitching staff held the Tampa Bay Rays to 2 runs on just four hits in tonight's game, the bad news was the Rays shut out the Sox 2-0 behind superb pitching from their entire bullpen. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez (7-1, 2.74 ERA) was the hard luck loser in the spot start for the injured Chris Sale but the story was the bats, or lack thereof. In one of the most pathetic offensive displays of the season, the Sox mustered two bloop singles and didn't hit a ball hard once all game. Old pal Jalen "Twin" Beeks and a host of others blinded the Sox to avert a sweep with a 2-0 win at Fenway Park. How many runs or hard hit balls did the Sox have Dean Wormer?

Velazquez took the mound in the top of the first and Mallex Smith grounded out to second to start. Xander Bogaerts made a great play and throw to rob Matt Duffy of a hit but Jake Bauers drew a walk. Tommy Pham whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning. Tampa "starter" Diego Castillo got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short to start. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to first and Steve Pearce flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rays took the lead for good in the top of the second as Joey Wendle led off with a 950 foot blast to put the Rays on the board. CJ Cron grounded out to short but Ji-Man Choi singled up the middle and Brandon Lowe was plunked. Velazquez got out of it by getting Jesus Sucre to bang into a double play but the Rays were up 1-0.

                                              "AH GODDAMMIT!!!!" - Velazquez

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as JD Martinez popped up to first to begin. Xander Bogaerts got a lucky double but Eduardo Nunez grounded out to second, moving Xander to third. That was it for Castillo as old friend Jalen "Twin" Beeks was summoned and he whiffed Brock "The Hitman" Holt to end the inning.

Velazquez was back for the top of the third and Smith grounded out to first on the first pitch but Duffy singled to left. Bauers flied out to left and Pham grounded out to a running Holt to end the inning. Beeks returned for the bottom of the third and Blake Swihart swung at a ball that bounced in the dirt for strike three. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short and Mr. Mookie popped up to second to end the inning.

Velazquez got some revenge by getting Wendle to ground out to second to open the top of the fourth inning. Cron lifted a blooper to right but a diving Mookie made the catch for the second out. Choi and Lowe worked back to back walks but Sucre was rung up on a questionable strike three call to end the inning. That was it for Velazquez who gave the Sox 4 innings as a last second replacement for Sale.

Beeks came out for the bottom of the fourth and somehow Benintendi singled to right. Somehow Pearce drew a walk but naturally Martinez banged into a double play. Bogaerts drew a walk but Nunez lined to left to end the inning and their last scoring chance.

Brandon Workman came in to pitch the top of the fifth and got Smith to ground out to second to start. Duffy lined out to right and Bauers whiffed on just 7 pitches from Workman to end the inning. Beeks came back for the bottom of the fifth and Holt hit a routine grounder to short....but Wendle booted it for an error. Naturally Swihart banged into a double play and JBJ whiffed to end the inning.

Pham grounded out to third on the first pitch of the top of the sixth before Wendle grounded out to second. Cron hit a bullet to third but Nunez snuffed it out for a 6 pitch inning by Workman. The Sox did nothing against Beeks in the bottom of the sixth as Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to start. Jalen's college roomate Benintendi grounded out to second and that was it for Beeks. The ex-Sox tossed 3 2/3 shutout innings before Chaz Roe was brought in. Pearce popped up to second to end the inning. If the Sox had to lose, at least it was to one of their own, tip your cap to Beeks.

                                                      Beeks shuts down the Sox

Joe Kelly came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Choi lined out to center to begin. Kelly whiffed Lowe on a curve and Sucre flied out to right to end the inning. The lifeless Sox offense did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Martinez whiffed on a 3-2 curve and Bogaerts grounded out weekly to first. Nunez fell down whiffing to end the inning. That's 7 scoreless innings with two measly hits for the Rays bullpen.

Heath Hembree came in for the top of the eighth and Smith lined out to a running Betts in right to start. Duffy flied out to a running JBJ but Bauers walked. Kevin Kiermaier ran for Bauers but Pham lined out to right to end the inning. Jose Alvarado came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Ian Kinsler pinch hit for Holt only to whiff on a 3-2 count. Swihart whiffed badly as did JBJ to end the inning. The Sox had not one hard hit ball the entire game, it was complete domination by the Rays bullpen.

Matt Barnes had the top of the ninth for the Sox and crapped his pants. Wendle whiffed with the bat flying out of his hands but Cron crushed a 90,000 foot blast to ice the game. Just for good measure Choi walked and stole second although Lowe whiffed. Sucre whiffed to end the inning but it was 2-0 Rays.

                                                      Well this game's over

Sergio Romo was brought in to close it out and the Sox went quietly. Mr. Mookie whiffed badly, Benintendi lined out to short and Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Pearce only to whiff to end the game. The Sox did not hit one hard hit ball all game and were shut out 2-0.

Jackass of the Night is JD Martinez. The Sox only chance was when they had two on and none out and Martinez banged into a double play.

                                                            Stop smiling, Jackass


The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Hector Velazquez took the loss but pitched 4 innings of 1 run ball.

Brandon Workman pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 8th inning,.



The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mitch Moreland struck out as a pinch hitter

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Brock Holt was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Ian Kinsler struck out as a pinch hitter.

Blake Swihart was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Matt Barnes gave up the insurance run in the top of the ninth.



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4.

Steve Pearce was 0 for 2 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

Of all the losses this season, this had to be the most brutal. Even when the Sox got no-hit by Sean Manaea some of the A's had to make good plays and some of the balls were hard hit. There was not ONE hard hit ball the entire game by the Sox offense. The only two hits were bloops and all 27 outs were a strikeout, a pop up or a ground ball. I would say getting shut out happens, but at least you can put some hits together or hit the ball hard. The Sox did none of that today and they deserved this miserable loss. Still its only one game and they still have a huge lead in the pennant race, unfortunately there's a dark cloud on the horizon. Next up is Corey Kluber and the AL Central leading Cleveland Indians. The loss dropped the Sox to 88-37, 9.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox hope to crack Kluber when they send "Slick" Rick Porcello (15-5, 4.04 ERA) to the mound at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Price Dominates Rays, Sox Win 88th (8/18/18)

Before the game it was suddenly announced that Chris Sale's shoulder injury returned and he was placed back on the 10 day disabled list. The Sox are being very cautious with their ace down the stretch and considering how he ran out of gas last year, nobody will be complaining. The Sox brought back Brandon Workman to take Sale's spot on the roster.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                           IN

As for the game, the steamroller keeps chugging along as the juggernaut Red Sox once again took apart the Tampa Bay Rays. This time they took advantage of shoddy fielding and some qiestionable calls to put a 4 spot on the board in the first inning and hold on from there. David Price (13-6, 3.69 ERA) tossed 7 great innings and the Sox took down the Rays 5-2 at Fenway Park for their 88th win, tying the 1990 Red Sox for total wins....on August 18th.

                                                      Joe Morgan approves of the win

The Sox got off to a wonderful start in the top of the first inning when Carlos Gomez hit a routine grounder to short but Xander Bogaerts turned and threw the ball completely out of Fenway Park for an error. Matt Duffy singled but Price got Jake Bauers to pop up to first. Tommy Pham looked at strike three and CJ Cron grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time pouncing on Tyler Glasnow in the bottom of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts whiffed but Andrew Benintendi doubled. Mitch Moreland followed with a double to score Benintendi to put the Sox on top. Moreland somehow stole third and Martinez walked. Somehow Martinez swiped second and Bogaerts walked to load the bases. Ian Kinsler walked to drive in a run before Brock "The Hitman" Holt hit a routine grounder to first. Bauers somehow overthrew Glasnow covering to score two runs. The Sox then looked like complete clowns when not only was Kinsler picked off trying to go to third but Holt tried to run to second and he got thrown out as well. It was a stupid ending to a successful inning that saw the Sox up 4-0.

                                                      Sox strike first

Price settled down in the top of the second inning as Joey Wendle popped up to second to start. Willy Adames lined out to right and Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to second to end the inning. Glasnow recovered in the bottom of the second to strike out Sandy Leon to start. Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed and Mr. Mookie flied out to right to end the inning.

Price felt the concept of the Rays was offensive in the top of the third inning. He froze Michael Perez for strike three before Holt made a great play to snuff out a bunt attempt by Gomez. Price froze Duffy to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Benintendi popped up to second before Moreland waived at a 1-2 pitch in the dirt. Martinez then pounded his 38th home run of the year into the Red Sox bullpen to increase the lead. Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 5-0 Sox.

                                            Martinez loses one...literally

Could Price pitch with a five run lead in the top of the fourth? Bauers whiffed but Pham walked. Cron singled in the hole at short before Pham made a boo boo for Tampa. Wendle flied out to the left field wall but Pham ran all the way to third and was doubled off the second to end the inning and allow Price to escape. Kinsler damn near hit one out to begin the bottom of the fourth but it hooked foul, eventually flying out to center to start. Holt hit a rocket but right to Bauers before Leon grounded out to second to end the inning.

Price trudged to the mound for the top of the fifth and Adames was frozen for strike three. Kiermaier grounded out to short but Perez singled up the middle and Gomez was hit on the top of the hand. Price was on the ropes again but needed just one pitch to get Duffy to pop up to center to end the inning. JBJ didn't help the Sox by popping up to short on the first pitch of the bottom of the fifth. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third an Benintendi flied out to center to end the inning.

Price had a 5 run lead but suddenly couldn't find the plate in the top of the sixth as he walked Bauers to start. He went 3-2 on Pham before catching the outside corner for strike three. Sure enough, Cron took a cut fastball and swatted it 593,000 feet to put the Rays on the board. Wendle flied out to center and Adames grounded out to short but it was 5-2 Sox.

                                                The Rays fight back

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Moreland lined out to center, Martinez grounded out to first and Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning.

Price returned for one more inning in the top of the seventh inning although Kiermaier greeted him with a double into the left field corner. Price recovered to freeze both Perez and Gomez before Duffy lined out to first to end the inning. It wasn't pretty but Price held the Rays to just 2 runs in 7 innings of work while striking out 8, good work!

                                      Price goes 7 strong and gets a hand from the Hitman

Glasnow came back for the botom of the seventh and got Kinsler to fly out to left before Holt popped up to third. That was it for Glasnow as Rays manager Kevin Cash felt the kid did the best he could after the miserable first inning. Adam Kolarek came in and whiffed Leon to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came on for the top of the eighth and got a gift when Bauers was called out on a bang bang play at first. The replay showed he was safe but the umpire called him out anyway. Brasier took the initiative to blow away Pham and Mr. Mookie had to run down a wind blown pop up by Cron to end the inning. JBJ hit a weak grounder to second to begin the bottom of the eighth before Mr. Mookie grounded out to short. Benintendi lashed a single to right but Moreland grounded into a force to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in for the top of the ninth for the save and got Wendle to ground out to short to start. Kimbrel whiffed Adames on a curve before Kiermaier flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

                                                  Another win, another save

Hero of the Night is David Price. The big lefty made just one mistake in 7 brilliant innings while striking out 8 guys to earn his 13th win of the season.

                                                      Price is the Hero


The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

JD Martinez was 1 for 2 with a walk, rbi, stolen base and 2 runs scored.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 37th save of the season with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run, stole a base and scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 2 with an error but walked and scored.

Ian Kinsler was 0 for 2 but walked and drove in a run.

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.




Final Thoughts:

Another good win for the Red Sox as time is running out for the New York Yankees to catch them. Yankee fans have already resorted to the "you can't win in October" or "we don't need to win da division, we're gonna win da wild card den da division series den da pennant baybeeee!" insults. The Yankees are going to have to earn their playoff spot with a huge west coast trip at the beginning of September but play nothing but cream puffs until then. The Sox need to keep pace with the Yankees for the next two weeks if they want to go into September with a big lead. Price stepped up tonight with a big game and the shaky bullpen held it down nicely. The offense was nothing special but took advantage of mistakes to score some runs. Sometimes its by any means necessary. The win improved the Sox to 88-36, 10.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Due to the injury to Sale, it'll be Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez going for the Sox tomorrow afternoon against the Tampa Bay bullpen. Yes its another one of those damn "bullpen games" for Tampa since they're so cheap they can't go out and get someone off the scrap heap or trade a single A prospect for an AAA starter. Either way the game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.