Sox Hold Off Late A's Rally (4/24/13)

After last night's disaster the Sox brass made a move to option one of the two pitchers that stunk out the mound. If you guessed Alfredo Aceves.,...WELL YOU'RE WRONG! BAAAHAHAHA! Steven Wright made his major league debut to take a horrific beating only to be sent back to Pawtucket in favor of the returning Daniel Bard, who hasn't been the same since he was knocked out of the rotation last year. Hopefully he's rediscovered himself and can join Tazawa to be one of the top set-up men in baseball like he was in 2010 and 2011.

                                                                       Out

                                                                        In

As for the game, Stephen Drew and David Ortiz backed a struggling Jon Lester (4-0, 2.27 ERA) with enough offense to defeat the Oakland A's 6-5 at Fenway Park. Ironically, it was Lester's 89th win which tied him with none other than Babe Ruth for 5th place in wins by a left-handed starter.

                                   Nearly 100 years later, Babe Ruth approves of the win

Lester got the ball in the top of the first inning and promptly walked Coco Crisp. Fear not! Derek Norris grounded into a double play shortly after. Seth Smith walked and Jed Lowrie singled but Josh Donaldson grounded into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Brett Anderson got the ball in the bottom of the first and struck out Jacoby Ellsbury. Shane Victorino grounded out but Dustin Pedroia doubled into the gap. David Ortiz struck out to end the inning.

Lester began the top of the second by striking out Brandon Moss but Chris Young began his monster day by walking. Freiman flied out but Young stole second. Andy Parrino struck out to end the inning. The Sox got a leadoff walk to begin the bottom of the second courtesy of Mike Napoli. Unfortunately Jonny Gomes flied out, Will Middlebrooks popped up and Stephen Drew struck out to end the inning.

Lester cruised in the top of the third inning. Crisp flied out, Norris popped up and Smith struck out to end the inning. The Sox couldn't generate any offense against Anderson in the bottom of the third. David Ross flied out, Ellsbury grounded out and Victorino struck out in short order.

The A's struck first in the top of the fourth inning. Lowrie singled but was erased when Donaldson beat out the double play ball. Moss singled and Young launched a towering 3 run home run over the Monster Seats to give the A's a 3-0 lead. Freiman walked but Parrino grounded into a double play to end the inning. Not the best stuff from Lester so far.

                                                  Lester says "Young you varmint!"

The Sox refused to go quietly and rallied in the bottom of the third inning. Pedroia grounded out but Ortiz doubled. Napoli doubled as well to score Ortiz to cut the lead. Gomes walked and both runners advanced by the force by Middlebrooks. Drew then cleared the bases with a triple to tie the game, way to go Drew. Ross struck out but it was now 3-3.

                                                     Drew's triple ties up the game

Lester returned for the top of the fifth and got Crisp to grounded out but uncharacteristically walked another man, this time Norris. Smith lined out and Lowrie grounded out to end the inning. The Sox took the lead off the injured and tiring Anderson in the bottom of the fifth. Ellsbury beat out an infield hit then swiped second base. Victorino doubled him home then moved to third on the infield hit by Pedroia. Ortiz lashed a single to score Victorino and chase Anderson from the game. Chris Resop came in and plunked Napoli. Sox manager John Farrell pinch hit Daniel Nava for Gomes and he singled home Ortiz. Middlebrooks flied out and that was it for Resop. Jerry Blevins came in and struck Drew out. Ross flied out to end the inning but the Sox had a 6-3 lead.

                              Napoli believes he can fly, Ortiz believes he can touch the sky

Lester ran into more trouble in the top of the sixth. Donaldson doubled but Jon struck out both Moss and Young. Freiman walked and Parrino beat out an infield single to load the bases. That was all for Lester as John Farrell pulled him in favor of Junichi Tazawa. Taz got Crisp to fly out to end the inning. Lester didn't have his best stuff but he still left with the lead.

                                                 Lester battled and still got his fourth win

The Sox offense was done for the night as Blevens returned for the bottom of the sixth. Ellsbury popped up as both Victorino and Pedroia grounded out in short order.

Victorino left the game with back stiffness as Nava took his place in right and Mike Carp took his spot in the batting order, playing left field. Norris and Smith both popped up but Lowrie doubled and Donaldson singled him home to chase Tazawa. Big lefty Andrew Miller came in and allowed a stolen base to Donaldson but struck out Moss to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 6-4. Ortiz popped up to begin the bottom of the seventh and Pat Neshek came in for Blevins. Napoli struck out but Nava singled. Middlebrooks flied out to end the inning.

Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the 8th and Young greeted him with another home run to cut the lead to just one run. Josh Reddick pinch hit for Freiman but Uehara struck him out. Eric Sogar pinch hit for Parrino and looked at strike three. Crisp flied out to end the inning but the Sox lead was down to 6-5.

                                                           Everybody panic!!!!

Grant Balfour came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth but the Sox couldn't add to the lead. Drew and Ross struck out but Ellsbury and Carp walked. Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.

That left it up to Andrew Bailey to close out the game and that's exactly what he did. John Jaso pinch hit for Norris and whiffed. Bailey then blew away Smith and Lowrie to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 6-5.

Hero of the night is Andrew Bailey. He struck out all three men he faced with the game on the line and beginning to slip away with the A's continuing to claw back.

                                                    Hero of the Night: Andrew Bailey

The Good:

Mike Carp walked in his only plate appearance.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a run batted in and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 1 for 2 with a walk, hit by pitch, run scored and an rbi.

Jonny Gomes walked in one of his two plate appearances before being lifted for Nava.

Daniel Nava was 2 for 2 with an rbi after coming in for Gomes.

Andrew Miller retired the only two men he faced.

The Bad:

David Ross was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Koji Uehara gave up a solo home run to Young in his one inning of work.

The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 but walked, scored a run and stole a base.

Shane Victorino was 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored one of his own.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

Stephen Drew was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count with a game tying, 2 run triple.

Jon Lester got the win but failed to make it out of the 6th inning. He gave up 3 runs on 6 hits and an unusual 6 walks.

Junichi Tazawa escaped a bases loaded jam in the 6th inning but got knocked out in the 7th, allowing a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good win coming off the heels of last night's massacre. Lester didn't have his best stuff and the bullpen was shaky, but they did just enough to win. Every win counts by hook or crooks. Middlebrooks, Drew and Ross are about as close to automatic outs as it gets at this point. Shocking considering Middlebrooks was on pace for 25 homers before he got hurt last year and Drew was supposedly a damn good shortstop for Arizona. Ross is a backup so can't really get too mad when he only plays once or twice a week. Still, if the Sox want to actually contend this year, they need more production from the bottom of the lineup. Then again the Sox aren't built to contend so who cares? Uehara has stunk two games in a row, if he keeps it up fans will be begging for Joel Hanrahan to come back. Andrew Bailey is finally proving his worth. After being injured for most of last year, he's stepped up big after Joel Hanrahan went down. THIS is what Ben Cherrington must have seen when he traded Reddick for him. Daniel Bard is back for another go-around, he could be a huge lift to the bullpen if he rediscovered himself. Tomorrow night the Houston Astros come to town for a 4 game set. Clay Buchholz (4-0) takes the mound opposite Phil Humber at 6:30 PM. Get your tickets now!

A's Bomb Sox in Rain Shortened Game (4/23/13)

It was a bad night for Boston sports. The Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff series to the New York Knicks and the Boston Red Sox got smacked around by the Oakland A's. Last night it was the Sox who danced all over the A's, tonight it was the complete opposite. Facing a guy who didn't want to be out there and a knuckleballer out of his element, the A's pounded out 13 hits and 13 runs in just 7 innings before the umpires showed mercy on the Sox by calling the game. The A's took game 2 of this 3 game set at Fenway Park.

                                                    "Aceves you suck!"

Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves (1-1) got the start and initially started out well. He struck out Coco Crisp to begin the top of the first inning. John Jaso lined out and Seth Smith looked at strike three to end the inning. Bartolo Colon got the start for Oakland and he dominated. Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino both flied out to left but Dustin Pedroia rolled one just past Colon for an infield single. Mike Napoli whiffed to end the inning.

The first signs of trouble started in the top of the second inning. Jed Lowrie flied out but Brandon Moss singled. Josh Donaldson walked but Josh Reddick flied out. Chris Young popped up to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the second inning. Daniel Nava flied out and both Will Middlebrooks and Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out to end the inning.

The A's exploded in the top of the third due to ineffectiveness and lousy defense. Eric Sogard walked, Crisp singled and Jaso walked to load the bases immediately. Smith walked to force home Sogard but Lowrie looked at strike three. Things unraveled when Moss singled home two runs and a balk was called on Aceves to advance the remaining runners to second and third. Donaldson scored Smith with a sac fly and Aceves goofed again. Napoli heroically fielded a grounder by Reddick but Aceves was late getting to the bag. The worst part was Aceves threw the ball up into the Red Sox radio booth for an error to score Moss. ANOTHER balk was called to move Reddick to third and he scored when Middlebrooks fielded a grounder and threw the ball into the NESN broadcast booth. Sogard grounded out but the incompetence had put the Sox in a 6-0 hole.

                                                             "This sucks"

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third. Jonny Gomes lined out, Stephen Drew flied out and Ellsbury struck out to end the inning.

Aceves returned for the top of the fourth and Sox manager John Farrell found out very quickly that he didn't want to be out there. Crisp grounded out but Jaso lashed a straight fastball for a double. Smith then crushed another straight fastball for a 2 run home run to put the game out of reach 8-0. Lowrie lashed another straight fastball for a single and Farrell had enough, pulling the disgruntled starter for 28 year old rookie knuckleballer Steven Wright. For someone to quit on the team like that is inexcusable.

                                               "Man, can't wait till Farrell pulls me"

Wright did manage to get Moss to bang into a double play to end the inning, whoopie. The incompetent Sox offense accomplished nothing in the bottom of the fourth with the weather getting colder and rainier as time went on. Victorino lined out and both Pedroia and Napoli grounded out to end the inning.

Wright returned for the fifth and was hammered, apparently he doesn't pitch well in rainy weather.  Donaldson singled but Reddick struck out. Both Young and Sogard walked to load the bases and Crisp doubled home Donaldson and Young. Jaso singled home the remaining runners and took second on a passed ball by Saltalamacchia. Jaso was erased on the force out by Smith and Lowrie flied out to end the inning with the A's ahead 12-0. The Sox mustered their only offense in the bottom of the fifth. Nava grounded out and Middlebrooks flied out but Saltalamacchia and Gomes hit back to back singles. That was it as Drew popped up to end the inning.

The A's got another one in the top of the 6th off Wright. Moss and Donaldson worked back to back walks and Reddick doubled home Moss. Young flied out, Sogard struck out and Chris Wells pinch hit for Crisp. Wells flied out to end the inning but the Raiders kicked the field goal to lead the Patriots 13-0.....uh, I mean the A's led the Red Sox 13-0. Ellsbury walked in the bottom of the 6th and moved to third on groundouts by Victorino and Pedroia. Napoli popped up to end the inning. 6 shut-out innings by Colon, where was this in 2008?

                                       Washed up at age 35 in 2008, ace at age 40 in 2013

Pedro Ciriaco took over for Pedroia and Mike Carp replaced Napoli in the batting order but was in left field with Nava moving to first base. Wright returned for another beating but actually weathered the storm so to speak. Jaso singled but Smith flied out. Lowrie struck out but Moss singled. Donaldson struck out to end the inning. He got rocked and rolled but Wright saved the bullpen for better days. He competed better than Aceves did, that's for sure.

                                   Not the ideal way to make your major league debut

Colon finished the night with a flurry, striking out Nava, Middlebrooks and Saltalamacchia in short order. Heavier rain came in and with the score a complete blowout, the umpires showed mercy and called the game. Technically this meant Bartolo Colon, the same guy who was washed up on the Red Sox 5 years ago, pitched a complete game 3 hit shut-out. The A's had won it 13-0, unreal.

Jackass of the Night is easy. Alfredo Aceves not only crapped himself, he refused to clean it up and grooved easily hittable fastballs until John Farrell had no choice but to pull him out. I don't think we'll be seeing Aceves again for a long time after a stunt like that.

                                                           Thanks for nothing Jackass


The Good:

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 1 for 3.

Jonny Gomes was 1 for 2.



The Bad:

Shane Victorino was 0 for 3.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Daniel Nava was also 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 3 with two strikeouts and a throwing error.

Stephen Drew was 0 for 2

Steven Wright took a beating to save the rest of the Red Sox bullpen for better days. He was tagged for 5 runs off 6 hits and 4 walks in 3 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 2 but walked once.



Honorable Mention:

Pedro Ciriaco played second base in the top of the seventh.

Mike Carp played left field in the top of the seventh.



Final Thoughts:

Simply put the Red Sox did nothing wright in all facets of the game. They couldn't pitch, hit or defend at all and the 13-0 final reflected that. The stinkeroo put a damper on what was a pretty good April so far considering David Ortiz missed most of it. The good news is I don't think we'll be seeing Aceves for a while so hopefully the pitching staff can pull together without him. Hopefully the Royals game gave Allen Webster the confidence he needed to really be "The Chosen One" which would keep Aceves and John Lackey from stinking up the mound in the future. Tomorrow afternoon Jon Lester (3-0) goes one on one with Brett Anderson in Game 3 of the series at 4:05 PM.

Napoli Slams A's (4/22/13)

The stench of yesterday's double header sweep was erased in less than 24 hours as the Boston Red Sox, led by Mike Napoli, slammed the Oakland A's and hung on to win 9-6 at Fenway Park for their 13th win in 19 games.

                                               Major Winchester approves of the win

Felix Doubront (2-0) took the hill in the top of the first inning and old friend Coco Crisp grounded out to begin the frame. Chris Young lined out and another old friend, Brandon Moss, struck out to end the inning. AJ Griffin cruised for the A's in the bottom of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to second, Shane Victorino lined out to second and Dustin Pedroia flied out to end the inning in short order.

The A's struck first in the top of the second inning. Yet another old buddy, Jed Lowrie, walkled to start the top of the second inning but Derek Norris looked at strike three. Josh Donaldson doubled Jed to third and...stop me if you've heard this....old friend Josh Reddick singled home both runners to give the A's a 2-0 lead. Nate Freiman flied out and Andy Parrino struck out to end the inning. The Sox did manage to fight back in the bottom of the second inning, David Ortiz and Mike Napoli stroked back to back doubles to cut the lead in half. Napoli was stranded as Daniel Nava lined out, Will Middlebrooks whiffed and Jarrod Saltalamacchia flied out to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

Doubront recovered in the top of the third inning. Crisp and Young grounded out before Moss whiffed to end the inning. Griffin kept the lead intact in the bottom of the third inning. Stephen Drew flied out to right but Ellsbury doubled. Victorino flied out but it was deep enough to advance Ellsbury to third. Pedroia popped up to end the inning.

Doubront settled down in the top of the fourth inning. Lowrie popped up, Norris struck out and Donaldson grounded out to end the inning. The Sox roared back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ortiz struck out but Napoli was plunked. Nava doubled to deep left and Middlebrooks crushed a 3 run home run into the Monster Seats to give the Sox a 4-2 lead. Saltalamacchia struck out but Drew singled. Ellsbury popped up to end the inning.

                                                  Middlebrooks makes it 4-2.

The A's struck back in the top of the fifth inning. Reddick struck out but Freiman walked. Parrino singled and both runners moved up on a wild pitch. Crisp walked to load the bases and Young scored Freiman with a sac fly. Crisp stole second and Lowrie walked to re-load the bases. Doubront recovered to get Lowrie to fly out to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 4-3. The Sox put the game away with a furious rally in the bottom of the fifth inning. Victorino singled and Pedroia reached on an infield error by Parrino. Ortiz walked and Napoli sent the crowd into a frenzy with a grand slam to give the Sox an 8-4 lead. Nava lofted a ball that Moss dropped for an error and that was it for Griffin. Chris Resop was brought in and Nava was erased on the Middlebrooks fielder's choice. Saltalamacchia doubled home Middlebrooks and moved to third on the Drew fielder's choice. Ellsbury walked and stole second before Victorino walked to load the bases. Pedroia grounded out to end the inning but the Sox had batted around to put themselves up 9-3.

                                             Napoli says "Down with those Oakland bums!"

With a commanding lead, Doubront pitched with confidence in the top of the sixth inning. Norris struck out but Donaldson walked. Reddick struck out and Freiman popped up to end the inning. Jerry Blevins was brought in to pitch the bottom of the sixth inning. Ortiz and Napoli whiffed and Nava popped up to end the inning.

Doubront came back for the seventh but was on a short leash. Parrino grounded out and Crisp lined out and that was it for Felix after 113 pitches. 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball is pretty solid so it was a good effort. 

                                                    Felix gets a big hand

Clayton "Viggo" Mortensen got Young to ground out to end the inning. Sean Doolittle got the call in the bottom of the seventh inning. Middlebrooks and Saltalamachia both whiffed then Drew and Ellsbury both walked to chase Doolittle. Jesse Chavez replaced Sean and got Victorino to ground out to end the inning.

The A's clawed back in the top of the eighth inning. Moss walked but Lowrie struck out. Norris was hit with a pitch and Donaldson doubled both runners home. Reddick doubled home Donaldson to chase Mortensen. Seth Smith pinch hit for Freiman and rookie Alex Wilson came in to pitch to him. Smith walked and Sox manager John Farrell lifted Wilson for Junichi Tazawa. Eric Sogard pinch hit for Parrino and lined out. Crisp grounded out to end the inning but the game was closer with the Sox ahead 9-6. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the eighth inning. Pedroia and Ortiz popped up and Napoli struck out to end the inning.

Andrew Bailey was brought in to close the game out in the top of the ninth. Young walked but Andrew struck out both Moss and Lowrie. John Jaso pinch hit for Norris and grounded out to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-6.

Hero of the Night is Mike Napoli. His grand slam proved to be the difference in the game.

                                            Hero of the night: Mike Napoli

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a stolen base.

Stephen Drew was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Felix Doubront earned the win by tossing 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball. He did walk 5 but struck out 8

Junichi Tazawa slammed the door in the 8th inning.

Andrew Bailey earned his 4th save with a clean ninth inning.

The Bad:

Clayton Mortensen allowed 3 runs in just 2/3 of an inning

Alex Wilson walked the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Shane Victorino was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run, 

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 5 but scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored twice.

Daniel Nava was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Will Middlebrooks was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was a 3 run home run, he also scored twice.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have been finding ways to win for much of April and this time it was "outslug your opponent". Putting up 9 runs usually means a victory and this was a big win coming off the heels of the double-header sweep. The bats got hot and Doubront pitched well again. If he can rediscover the form he had last year, combined with Buchholz and Lester, this rotation could be dangerous. Tomorrow night Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves gets the start with John Lackey on a rehab assignment opposite Bartolo Colon in Game 2 of this 3 game series.

Royals Win Game 2 in Extras (4/21/13)

After the Boston Red Sox offense faltered in Game 1 earlier this afternoon against the Kansas City Royals, tonight it was the bullpen that couldn't get it done as the Royals completed a double-header sweep with a 5-4 10th inning win at Fenway Park

"The Chosen One" Allen Webster got the ball in the top of the first inning and immediately ran into trouble. Alex Gordon lined a lead-off double and Pedro Ciriaco threw Alex Escobar's grounder into the Monster Seats, allowing Gordon to score and Escobar to advance to second just like that. Webster recovered to strike out Billy Butler and Eric Hosmer. Lorenzo Cain grounded out to end the inning.

                                                   "Oh Pedro..."

Jeremy Guthrie got the start for Kansas City and the Sox wasted a chance in the bottom of the first. Jacoby Ellsbury walked and took second on a wild pitch. Unfortunately Daniel Nava smashed a line drive right to short who doubled off Ellsbury at second for the double play. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.

Webster cruised in the top of the second inning. Mike Moustakas grounded out, Jeff Francoeur popped up and old friend George Kottaras grounded out to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second inning. Mike Napoli greeted Guthrie with a solo home run to tie the game. Jarrod Saltalamacchia walked but Will Middlebrooks popped up. Mike Carp doubled home Salty but David Ross struck out. Ciriaco grounded out to end the inning but the Sox had taken a 2-1 lead.

Webster nearly pitched a clean top of the third. Elliot Johnson whiffed and Gordon grounded out. Escobar singled but Butler popped up to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third. Ellsbury led off with a double and moved to third on the ground out by Nava. Pedroia singled home Jacoby to increase the lead 3-1. Pedroia was then foolishly thrown out trying to steal. That lost baserunner loomed large as Napoli doubled. Napoli then was inexplicably thrown out at home on the single by Saltalamachia. Had the Sox scored one more run, they may have won.

                                                     Mr. Horse hates bad baserunning

Webster kept the Sox on top in the top of the fourth inning. Hosmer grounded out but Cain was plunked. The alert Ross then threw out Cain trying to swipe second. Mouistakas flied out to end the inning. Guthrie settled down in the bottom of the fourth inning. Middlebrooks grounded out but Carp tripled into the triangle. All Ross had to do was hit the ball to the right side, but instead grounded out to third. Ciriaco grounded out to end the inning. Another wasted chance.

Right on cue, the Royals tied it in the top of the fifth. Francoeur whiffed but the light hitting Kottaras smoked a home run to cut the lead 3-2. Johnson struck out but Gordon launched a home run to tie the game. Escobar grounded out to end the inning. The Sox took the lead back in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ellsbury lined out but Nava walked. Pedroia singled and Napoli singled home Nava to give the Sox a 4-3 lead, moving Pedroia to third Napoli took second on a passed ball and one more run could have been enough. Instead Saltalamacchia struck out and Middlebrooks grounded out to end the inning. Still, the Sox had the lead back.

Webster returned for the top of the fifth inning and walked Butler to begin. Billy was erased on the Hosmer fielder's choice and Cain lined out. Moustakas popped up to end the inning. A solid effort by Webster to toss 6 solid innings of 3 run ball.

                                                   Solid effort by The Chosen One

Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the top of seventh and got Franceour to line out. Kottaras and Johnson both struck out to end the inning. The Sox threatened again in the bottom of the seventh against new pitcher Luke Hochevar. Nava lined out but Pedroia walked. Napoli lined out but Pedroia swiped second. Saltalamacchia grounded out to end the inning.

Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the 8th and he crapped his pants. Gordon grounded out and Escobar flied out but Butler crushed a 400 foot home run to center to tie the game. Webster was denied the win. Hosmer singled but Cain struck out to end the inning. Could the Sox rally in the bottom of the 8th? NO! Kelvin Herrera relieved Hochevar and got Middlebrooks to ground out. Carp struck out and Ross grounded out to end the inning.

Andrew Bailey got the call in the top of the ninth inning. He got Moustakas to fly out before striking out both Francoeur and Kottaras to end the inning. The Sox failed to walk it off in the bottom of the ninth. Ciriaco struck out but Ellsbury singled and stole second. Nava struck out and Pedroia was intentionally walked. Unfortunately Napoli couldn't make the Royals pay as he flied out to end the inning. On to extra innings we go.

Andrew Miller got the ball in the top of the 10th and pissed himself. Miguel Tejada pinch hit for Johnson and looked at strike three. Gordon singled and Escobar walked to put runners on. Miller recovered to strike out Butler but Hosmer hit one in the hole at short to load the bases. Miller walked in Cain to give the Royals a 5-4 lead. Moustakas grounded out to end the inning with the damage done. Royals closer Greg Holland got the ball in the bottom of the 10th inning with Salvador Perez catching and Chris Getz at second base. Holland put on a clinic by striking out Saltalamacchia, Middlebrooks AND Carp to end the game. The Royals had won 5-4 and swept the double-header.

Jackass of the Night is Koji Uehara. Yes Miller lost the game but had Uehara not given up the home run, the game wouldn't have gone into extra innings to begin with.

                                                        Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 2 for 4 with a walk, run scored and a stolen base.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 3 for 5 including a home run, 2 total rbi's and a run scored.

Mike Carp was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Allen Webster pitched well against the Royals allowing just 2 earned runs in 6 innings while striking out 5.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 7th inning

Andrew Bailey pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

David Ross was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Andrew Miller took the loss by allowing the go-ahead run to score in the top of the 10th.



The Ugly;

Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Pedro Ciriaco was 0 for 3 with an error but walked.


Final Thoughts:

Well today was a momentum killer. After riding high following the Nava home run yesterday, the Royals bitchslapped the Red Sox back to reality with a double-header sweep. Still, the Sox were supposed to lose with dignity and they weren't done until the final out in either game. Webster showed why he's "The Chosen One" and should continue to improve. The Sox still have bullpen issues in the wake of Joel Hanrahan's injury so that needs to be looked at going forward. Tomorrow night the Sox begin a set with the Oakland A's. Felix Doubront goes mano e mano with AJ Griffin at Fenway Park.

Royals Snap Streak, Take Game 1 (4/21/13)

All good things must come to an end and the Boston Red Sox 7 game win streak was snapped at the hands of the Kansas City Royals in Game 1 of the day/night double-header at Fenway Park, 4-2. The Sox certainly missed the presence of Shane Victorino who was out with back spasms.

Ryan Dempster got the ball and immediately ran into trouble. Alex Gordon flied out to left but Alex Escobar smashed a home run into the monster seats to give the Royals a quick lead. Billy Butler struck out but Hosmer legged out an infield single, then stole second. Lorenzo Cain grounded out to end the inning with Kansas City up 1-0. Ervin Santana had a reputation of taking a while to get going and he proved that in the bottom of the first inning when the Sox rallied. Jacoby Ellsbury popped up but Daniel Nava and Dustin Pedroia stroked back to back singles. David Ortiz lined one for a base hit that scored Nava and moved Pedroia to third. Mike Napoli grounded out but Pedroia scored to give the Sox a 2-1 lead. Jarrod Saltalamacchia lined out to end the inning but the Sox clawed back.

                                                    Ortiz ties it up

Dempster settled down in the top of the second inning. Mike Moustakas grounded out as both Jeff Francoeur and Salvador Perez struck out to end the inning. Will Middlebrooks legged out an infield single to open the bottom of the second. Stephen Drew struck out and Jonny Gomes popped up but Ellsbury singled. Nava whiffed to end the inning.

Dempster made quick work of the Royals in the top of the third inning. Chris Getz lined out but Gordon walked. Escobar banged into a double play to end the inning. Santana found his groove in the bottom of the third. Pedroia lined out, Ortiz grounded out and Napoli whiffed to end the inning.

The Royals took control in the top of the fourth inning. Butler singled off the Monster and Hosmer also singled. Cain doubled home Butler to tie the game. Dempster recovered to strike out Moustakas and Francoeur but Perez singled home both runners to give the Royals a 4-2 lead. Getz popped up but the damage was done.

                                              Even Bluto can't believe Dempster melted down

Could the Sox answer in the bottom of the fourth? NO! Saltalamacchia flied out, Middlebrooks struck out and Drew popped up to end the inning.

Dempster recovered to have a good fifth inning. Gordon struck out, Escobar grounded out and Butler flied out to end the inning. Santana continued to dominate in the bottom of the fifth inning. Gomes grounded out, Ellsbury flied out and Nava grounded out to end the inning.

Dempster returned for the top of the sixth and got Hosmer to fly out, but Cain walked. Moustakas walked but Francoeur struck out. Perez flied out to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth. Pedroia popped up but Ortiz doubled. Napoli moved Ortiz to third with a fly out but Saltalamacchia whiffed to end the inning.

Dempster returned for the top of the seventh and cruised. Getz grounded out, Gordon struck out and Escobar popped up to end the inning. Dempster battled and pitched well apart from the mistake to Perez to battle through seven.

                                                      Made just one mistake but pitched well

The Sox mustered nothing against Santana in the bottom of the seventh inning. Middlebrooks flied out before Drew and Gomes struck out to end the inning.

Clayton "Vigo" Mortensen came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning. He got Butler to ground out before striking out both Hosmer and Cain. Good effort from Vigo. The Sox then blew a golden chance in the bottom of the eighth against old friend Bruce Chen. Ellsbury grounded out but Nava singled. Pedroia flied out but Ortiz singled. Pedro Ciriaco pinch-ran for Ortiz as Aaron Crow replaced Chen. Napoli walked to load the bases but Saltalamacchia grounded out to end the inning. Thanks a lot Jarrod.

                                                          Exactly Billy

Rookie Alex Wilson took the mound in the top of the ninth. Moustakas and Francoeur singled and Perez BARELY beat out a triple play. Getz flied out to end the inning. What a feather in the cap it would have been if Wilson had gotten a triple play. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the ninth against closer Greg Holland. Middlebrooks and Drew whiffed and Gomes flied out to end the game. The Royals had won it 4-2.

Jackass of the Night is Jarrod Saltalamacchia. He was 0 for 4 including failing with the bases loaded in the bottom of the 8th.

                                                       Salty is the Jackass today


The Good:

Daniel Nava was 2 for 4 with a run scored. David Ortiz was 3 for 4 with an rbi before being lifted. Will Middlebrooks was 1 for 3. Clayton Mortensen pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Alex Wilson pitched a scoreless ninth.



The Bad:

Stephen Drew was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts. Jonny Gomes was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4. Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 but scored a run. Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run. Ryan Dempster took the loss but pitched 7 innings to save the bullpen for game 2. He allowed 4 runs on 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 8.



Honorable Mention:

Pedro Ciriaco pinch ran for David Ortiz in the bottom of the eighth.



Final Thoughts:

It was nice while it lasted but the win streak had to end sometime. Its a shame it ended this way but it was good to see Dempster pitch 7 to save the bullpen for Game 2. They couldn't generate any offense against Santana or Holland but that's Ervin's reputation. The Sox come back later tonight for the finale with "The Chosen One" Allen Webster taking the ball.

Nava's Blast Keys Emotional Return at Fenway (4/20/13)

The Sox got some good news during last night's postponement as David Ortiz was cleared to play and taken off the Disabled List after missing the first 15 games of the season. The struggling Jackie Bradley Jr was sent down to Pawtucket in his place.

Out

                                                                     In


After the city of Boston being on lockdown last night as the Watertown Police was trying to catch or kill the idiots responsible for bombing the Boston Marathon cancelled last night's game, today marked the Boston Red Sox' first home game at Fenway Park since the Marathon bombing. With one of the prime suspects in custody and the other taking a long dirt nap where he belongs, the city can now heal and move on as best they can. David Ortiz helped provide the emotional lift at the beginning of the game and Daniel Nava provided the emotional lift at the end. Ortiz grabbed the microphone, thanked our first responders, police and fire departments, Mumbles Menino and a hosts of others. Then he bellowed "This is our fucking city! And nobodies gonna dictate our freedom. Stay strong!" The crowd roared as some cranky old New York Yankee fans put down Ortiz for cursing on national television....please. If Derek Jeter said "This is our fucking city!" the first game in New York following 9/11 every Red Sox fan in the country would have stood and cheered.

                                        David Ortiz with the big pre-game emotional speech

As for the game, it didn't look good until the very end when Daniel Nava's late blast sealed a 4-3, emotional win over the Kansas City Royals.

                                             Dr. BJ Hunnicutt approves of the win.

Clay Buchholz (4-0, 0.90 ERA) got the start for the home team and he navigated the first inning without a struggle. Alex Gordon struck out but Alcides Escobar singled. The slow footed Billy Butler grounded into a double play to end the inning. "Big Game" James Shields got the ball in the bottom of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury struck out and Shane Victorino popped up but Dustin Pedroia walked. David Ortiz flied out to end the inning.

Buchholz got annoyed in the top of the second inning. Eric Hosmer struck out but Lorenzo Cain singled. Mike Moustakas flied out as Cain swiped second. Jeff Francoeur struck out to end the inning. Shields stepped it up in the bottom of the second. Mike Napoli walked but Daniel Nava banged into a double play. Will Middlebrooks struck out to end the inning.

Buchholz cruised in the top of the third as well. Salvador Perez and Chris Getz grounded out before Gordon struck out to end the inning. Shields matched Clay in the bottom of the third. Stephen "PU" Drew and David Ross struck out before Ellsbury grounded out to end the inning.

Clay cruised in the top of the fourth with three straight groundouts from Escobar, Butler and Hosmer in short order to retired the side. The Sox didn't generate much offense in the bottom of the fourth either. Victorino struck out and Pedroia grounded out, but Ortiz singled. Napoli whiffed to end the inning.

The Royals struck first in the top of the fifth. Cain doubled and moved to third on the fly out by Moustakas. Francoeur singled home Cain to make it 1-0. Francoeur stole second as Perez struck out. Getz struck out as well to end the inning with the Royals on top. The Sox couldn't answer in the bottom of the fifth. Nava walked but Middlebrooks banged into a double play. Drew singled but Ross struck out to end the inning.

The Royals threatened in the top of the sixth. Gordon doubled and moved to third on the sacrifice bunt by Escobar. Buchholz got out of it by getting Butler to line out to short and Hosmer grounded out to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth. Ellsbury singled and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Victorino. Pedroia grounded out but moved Ellsbury to third who scored to tie the game on the base hit by Ortiz. Napoli struck out but it was now tied 1-1.

                                             Ortiz ties it up with a base hit

Just as soon as the Sox tied it up, the Royals re-took the lead in the top of the seventh. Cain doubled but Moustakas flied out. Francoeur grounded out but Perez tripled home Cain to give the Royals a 2-1 lead. Getz tried to get on with a bunt but was thrown out to end the inning. The Sox almost rallied in the bottom of the seventh inning. Aaron Crow replaced James Shields and Nava was hit with a pitch to open the frame. Middlebrooks singled but Nava got picked off second. Drew smacked a ground ball that was booted by Moustakas, allowing Drew to reach. Instead of bases loaded and nobody out, it was 2 on with one out. Tim Collins relieved Crow as Jarrod Saltalamacchia pinch hit for David Ross. Unfortunately Jarrod popped up and Ellsbury to fly out to end the inning.

Buchholz returned for the top of the eighth with Saltalamacchia behind the plate. Gordon grounded out but Escobar singled. Butler walked but Saltalamacchia tried to throw Escobar out, the throw sailed into center allowing Escobar to reach third. Disaster was avoided when Hosmer bounced into a double play to end the innings. Buchholz pitched 8 innings of 2 run ball, 9 times out of 10 that would be good enough to win. He deserved more run support.

                                                          8 inning gem by Buchholz

The Sox then pulled off a rally for the ages in the bottom of the 8th. Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Victorino and doubled, posing for the cameras after reaching second.

                                                  Gomes with the gun show.

Pedroia walked to put the go-ahead run on but Ortiz bounced into a double play, moving Gomes to third. Kelvin Herrera was brought in to pitch to Napoli and walked him. That set the stage for the dramatic finish. Nava blasted a 3 run home run to right as Sox announcer Don Orsillo said "Boston this is for you." Middlebrooks grounded out but the Sox had taken a 4-2 lead in an emotional game.

 "Boston this is for you" - Don Orsillo

Unfortunately the ninth inning was a bit of a struggle for closer Andrew Bailey. Nava moved to right and Gomes stayed in left field. Cain immediately greeted Bailey with a solo blast to cut the lead 4-3. Moustakas flied out but Francoeur singled to put the tying run on. Perez struck out and old pal George Kottaras pinch hit for Getz. Kottaras walked to put the go-ahead run on but Gordon grounded out to end the game. The Sox held on to win the emotional contest 4-3.

Hero of the Night is an easy one. Daniel Nava's 3 run blast put the Sox in front for good for a city that needed an emotional lift.

                                                  Hero of the Night: Daniel Nava

The Good:

Jonny Gomes doubled and scored in his only plate appearance. Dustin Pedroia walked twice in 4 plate appearances. David Ortiz made his season debut by going 2 for 4 with an rbi single. Mike Napoli walked twice in 4 plate appearances and scored a run. Stephen Drew was 1 for 3. Clay Buchholz pitched a gem, lasting 8 innings while scattering 8 hits and a walk, allowing 2 runs and striking out 6 to earn the win.


The Bad:

Shane Victorino was 0 for 2 with a strikeout before being lifted. David Ross was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts before being lifted. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.


The Ugly:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 but scored a run. Will Middlebrooks was just 1 for 4. Andrew Bailey served up a home run to Lorenzo Cain but earned his 3rd save of the season.


Final Thoughts:

Much like the New York Yankees and New York City needed an emotional lift after 9/11, the Red Sox and Boston in general needed a game like this. Not only was it a great game, the home team won in dramatic fashion. Everything seems to be going right with the Red Sox as they earned their 12th win in 16 games and got David Ortiz back in the lineup. The Red Sox play a day night double-header tomorrow with the Royals with Ryan Dempster going in Game 1 and "The Chosen One" Allen Webster going in Game 2. Hopefully the Sox can keep the momentum going.

Game Postponed (4/19/13)

Tonight's game between the Kansas City Royals and the Boston Red Sox has been postponed due to the state lockdown as Boston Police search for the Marathon bombers. Hope this all ends soon.

On this day in Basebawful history:

1915 - Senators defeat Red Sox

1971 - Indians defeat Sox in 13 innings

1981 - Red Sox beat White Sox late

1984 - Sox lose seventh straight game

1991 - Sox sweep Royals, Clemens beats Saberhagen

1993 - Dopson, Sox blank Chicago on Patriots Day

2000 - Sox blank Tigers

2001 - Red Sox sweep Devil Rays

2011 - A's shutout Sox

The Sox are back in action tomorrow afternoon when they play the Kansas City Royals. Clay Buchholz goes for the Sox up against "Big Game" James Shields at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.