Dodgers Blank Rodriguez, Sox (8/6/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Bryan Holoday was activated for today's game after being signed yesterday and Ryan Hanigan was placed on the Disabled List with an ankle injury. Way too many injured catchers this year between Blake Swihart, Christian Vazquez and now Hanigan. Tommy Layne was also given his release, guess the Sox are going with Fernando Abad as their lefty specialist moving forward.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, not how you wanted to follow up after pulverizing the Los Angeles Dodgers last night. The Dodgers turned the trick on the Red Sox, shutting them out due to lights out pitching from Ross Stripling and the Dodgers bullpen. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-5, 5.93 ERA) was lit up for 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings but the key to the game was the top of the first. The Sox had the bases loaded but couldn't score. The Sox bats had just 3 hits and a walk the rest of the game. The Sox bullpen held the fort but the bats didn't as the Dodgers shut out Boston 3-0 at Dodgers Stadium. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Stripling got the ball in the top of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts singled off of Stripling to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt ripped a base hit to center but Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to start. David Ortiz grounded out to second to move the runners over but Jackie Bradley Jr walked to load the bases. Sandy Leon grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Rodriguez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ortiz made a jumping grab of a Howie Kendrick liner to start. Corey Seager grounded out to third and Justin Turner struck out swinging to end the inning.

Travis Shaw struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Andrew Benintendi grounded out to short. Rodriguez took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. The Dodgers struck first in the bottom of the second as Adrian Gonzalez got a base hit to left to start. Enrique Hernandez got a base hit to left but Josh Reddick lined out to left. Scott Van Slyke struck out swinging but AJ Ellis got a base hit to left to score Gonzalez, putting the Dodgers up for good. Stripling struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was already over 1-0 Dodgers.

                                                       Ellis puts LA ahead

Mr. Mookie got a base hit to center to start the top of the third but Holt forced him at second. Bogaerts grounded out to second to move Holt to second and Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning. Holt made a great diving stop on a Kendrick grounder to start the bottom of the third and Seager struck out swinging. Turner flied out to right to end the inning.

JBJ lined out to right to start the top of the fourth as legendary, retiring broadcaster Vin Scully said he's going to miss the roar of the crowd the most when he goes. Leon flied out to right but Shaw got a base hit to right. Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                        We'll miss ya, Scully

Gonzalez beat out a grounder to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Hernandez got a base hit to center. Reddick struck out swinging and Van Slyke lined out to right. Sox pitching coach Carl Willis sprinted to the mound to tell Rodriguez that Gene Kelly was a good dancer. Rodriguez was so inspired that he got Ellis to pop up to center to end the inning.

Rodriguez struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Mr. Mookie grounded out to second. Holt grounded out to first to end the inning. The Dodgers iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Chris Taylor pinch hit for Stripling to begin. Taylor got a base hit to left and Kendrick walked. Seager doubled to right to score Taylor but Turner grounded out to short. Gonzalez hit a broken bat flare to center to score Kendrick and chase Rodriguez. Once again E-Rod struggled allowing 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 8 hits and a walk. Matt Barnes came in and Joc Pederson pinch hit for Hernandez. Pederson struck out swinging and Reddick lined out to first to end the inning with the Dodgers up 3-0.

                                                               Not good enough

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the sixth with Grant Dayton now on the mound. Bogaerts flied out to right to start and Ortiz struck out swinging. JBJ flied out to right to end the inning. Aaron Hill took Ortiz spot in the batting order with Shaw moving to first to start the bottom of the sixth. Van Slyke got a base hit to center but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Ellis took strike three and Dayton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Leon walked to start the top of the seventh but Shaw struck out swiHinging. Benintendi struck out swinging and Hanley Ramirez pinch hit for Barnes. Ramirez struck out swinging as well to end the inning. 

                                                Bryan Holoday doesn't find this fun

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Kendrick struck out swinging to start. Seager grounded out to second but Turner got a base hit to left. Gonzalez took strike three to end the inning.

Joe Blanton came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Sox analyst Dave O'Brien told a story of how bench coach Torey Lovullo learned how to double knot his shoes from legendary UCLA basketball coach John Wooden. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to start and Holt grounded out to short. Bogaerts got a base hit to left but Hill grounded out to short to end the inning. Pederson grounded out to first to start the bottom of the eighth but Reddick singled to right. Clay Buchholz came in to pitch and Van Slyke took strike three. Ellis forced Reddick at second to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the top of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Leon went down hacking and Shaw whiffed to end the game. The Dodgers had blanked the Sox 3-0.

                                                            Dodgers win

Jackass of The Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. Not that the bats did anything but he got hammered for 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 8 hits and a walk.

                                                   "Get out of here, Jackass" - Farrell

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4.

Matt Barnes tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Clay Buchholz got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Hanley Ramirez struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

That game sucked and the Sox are in trouble. Pedroia fouled a ball off his foot and is out, Ortiz was taken out of this one and the National League rules pretty much force Hanley to the bench. They can't afford to lose both Pedroia and Ortiz. Stripling wasn't even that good and the Sox couldn't touch him or the bullpen. Rodriguez also failed once again and its a mental issue at this point. Just by looking at his body language, any time he gets a runner on it totally screws him up. He didn't pitch until May and he hasn't looked good at all. David Price has underperformed, Pomeranz has been a bust so far, Clay Buchholz looks washed and E-Rod hasn't lit it up. Thank goodness for Rick Porcello and Steven Wright. Just hope they can bounce back tomorrow. The loss dropped the Sox to 60-49, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series tomorrow evening when David Price (9-7, 4.30 ERA) takes on Brandon McCarthy of the Dodgers. The game begins at 7:10 PM Eastern time at Dodger Stadium.

Wright, Sox Rout The Dodgers (8/5/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. With Blake Swihart not coming back and unlikely the Sox are going to Christian Vazquez, the Sox claimed Texas Ranger catcher Bryan Holaday off waivers. He was hitting .238 with 2 home runs so this is more a depth move than anything. Unless Ryan Hanigan is hurt, which is a possibility.

                                                                           IN

As for the game, what a massacre. Sox fans now have dueling choices for AL Cy Young Award nominees as Steven Wright (13-5, 3.01 ERA) took a big step forward with a complete game, 3 hit shutout against a damn good Los Angeles Dodgers team. Wright allowed a hit in the first inning and just two the rest of the way in total domination. Offensively the Sox got to Scott Kazmir for four runs with home runs by Sandy Leon and Mookie Betts. Then the Sox got 5 runs in the eighth inning with Sandy Leon driving in more runs and Travis Shaw going yard as well. It all added up to a much needed 9-0 victory at Dodger Stadium.

                                                              3T approve of the win

Kazmir got the ball in the top of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts got a base hit to center to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded into a double play and Xander Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning. Wright got the ball in the bottom of the first and Chase Utley popped up to Bogaerts who nearly cleaned out Bryce Brentz to start. Corey Seager flied out to left but Justin Turner doubled over the head of Mr. Mookie. Old friend Josh Reddick flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Hanley Ramirez walked to start. Jackie Bradley Jr forced Hanley at second but Aaron Hill drilled a base hit to center to move JBJ to third. Sandy Leon hit a sac fly to left to score JBJ but Bryce Brentz forced Sandy at second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                  JBJ scores

Old friend Adrian Gonzalez struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Yasmani Grandal did the same. Howie Kendrick also went down hacking to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the third as Wright struck out swinging to start. Mr. Mookie struck his 23rd home run of the season to increase the lead. Pedroia grounded out to second and Sox analyst "Psycho" Steve Lyons said you can eat off the floor at Dodger Stadium. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                           Betts jacks one

Joc Pederson walked to start the top of the third and Kazmir bunted him over to second. Utley flied out to center and Seager grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Ramirez grounded out to short to start. JBJ struck out swinging but Hill walked. Leon belted his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead and Brentz got a base hit to center. Wright lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                              Leon adds to the lead

After taking a foul ball off his foot, Pedroia came out of the game and Travis Shaw took his spot in the lineup for the bottom of the fourth. Turner struck out looking before Reddick went down hacking. Gonzalez lined out to left to end the inning.

Seager booted a grounder by Mr. Mookie for an error to start the top of the fifth before Shaw popped up to short. Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. Grandal grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Kendrick flied out to right. Pederson took strike three to end the inning.

Ramirez popped up to second to open the top of the sixth but JBJ walked. Hill walked and that was it for Kazmir. Josh Fields came in and Leon grounded into a double play to end the inning. Scott Van Slyke pinch hit for Fields to start the bottom of the sixth and grounded out to third to start. Utley flied out to right and Seager grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jesse Chavez came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Brentz. Holt lined out to short and Wright struck out swinging. Mr. Mookie flied out to right to end the inning. Turner took strike three to start the bottom of the seventh and Reddick did the same. Gonzalez flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the eighth as Shaw belted his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead. Bogaerts got a base hit to center but Ramirez struck out swinging. JBJ got a base hit to right that moved Xander to third and Bradley took second on the throw to nowhere. Hill was intentionally walked for some inane reason to load the bases and Leon made the Dodgers pay by missing a grand slam by eight feet, settling for an rbi single as Bogaerts scored. JP Howell came in to face Holt and Utley booted a grounder to allow both JBJ and Hill. Wright struck out swinging but Mr. Mookie singled to right to score Leon. Shaw grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 9-0.

                                                          Sox pour it on

Andrew Benintendi took over for Bradley to start the bottom of the eighth and Grandal got a base hit to right to start. Kendrick flied out to right and Pederson forced Grandal at second. Enrique Hernandez pinch hit for Howell and got a base hit to right to move Pederson to third. Utley flied out to left to end the inning.

Chris Taylor came in for Turner with Luis Avilan in to pitch the top of the ninth. Bogaerts grounded out to second to start. Ramirez struck out swinging and Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning. Wright came back to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth and Seager popped up to third to start. Taylor struck out swinging and Reddick popped up to short to end the game. Wright had tossed a complete game shutout and the Sox had won it 9-0.

                                                                  Sox win

Hero of The Night is Steven Wright. He tossed a complete game 3 hit shutout allowing just a walk and striking out 9.

                                                              Hero Wright

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 5 with a home run and 2 rbis.

Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Jackie Bradley was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Aaron Hill was 1 for 1 with 3 walks and a run scored.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 3 with a 2 run home run, 4 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Bryce Brentz was 1 for 2.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 2.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

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

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like the Sox have dueling chances to win the American League Cy Young Award. Rick Porcello has one more win but Wright has the better ERA. Both of them have a chance at 20 wins this early in August and if David Price has a strong stretch run, this would be a VERY tough team to beat. The Sox haven't made the playoffs in 3 years but if the rotation holds up as well as the offense, they just might pull it off. This was a straight demolition of the Dodgers and the Sox need to keep the momentum going in the final 54 games of the season. The Sox have a gauntlet of AL East teams to run in September and having a good month of August will be key in that stretch. The bats stepped up tonight, hopefully they can keep this momentum. The win improved the Sox to 60-48, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Dodgers tomorrow evening when Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4, 5.91 ERA) takes on old pal Rich Hill. The game begins at 7:00 Eastern time at Dodger Stadium.

Sox Drop Mariners in 11 (8/4/16)

Before the game, the Boston Red Sox waived goodbye to Michael Martinez as he was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians. We'll always have July 22nd right?

                                                             Bye bye Martinez

As for the game, better late than never for the Boston Red Sox. Once again the vaunted offense was shut completely down, this time by Ariel Miranda and the Seattle bullpen....for the most part. Miranda held the Sox to just 2 runs in 6 innings courtesy of a Travis Shaw home run and Mookie Betts rbi double. Sad part was Drew Pomeranz pitched his best game for Boston so far by holding Seattle to 2 runs in 6 innings himself. The battle of the bullpens lasted all the way into the 11th inning. Brock "The Hitman" Holt got the big rbi hit to drive in Shaw against Cody Martin. In the bottom of the frame, Brad Ziegler had the tying run at third but struck out Seth Smith to end the game. The Sox had prevailed 3-2 in 11 innings at Safeco Field.

                                                       Janet Jackson approves of the win

Miranda got the ball in the top of the first for his ML debut and Mr. Mookie Betts led off by hitting one up the elevator shaft. Xander Bogaerts got a seeing eye single into left and David Ortiz dumped a base hit to left as well. Dustin Pedroia walked to load the bases but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging. Aaron Hill flied out to right to end the inning. Pomeranz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Guillermo Heredia walked to start. Franklin Gutierrez struck out swinging and Robinson Cano took strike three. Nelson Cruz grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Travis Shaw smoked his 13th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Ryan Hanigan and Bryce Brentz both watched strike three go by and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Sox take the lead

Dae-ho Lee lined out to second to start the bottom of the second but Kyle Seager walked. Mike Zunino struck out swinging and Leonys Martin grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Bogaerts got a base hit to left to start the top of the third but Ortiz grounded into a double play. Pedroia flied out to left to end the inning. Shawn O'Malley caught Pedroia asleep with a bunt single to start the bottom of the third and Heredia forced him at second. Heredia was thrown out at second trying to steal and Gutierrez struck out swinging to end the inning.

JBJ grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth but Hill got a base hit to right. Shaw took strike three and Hanigan flied out to center to end the inning. Cano flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Cruz and Lee drew back to back walks. Seager flied out to center but Zunino walked to load the bases. Martin grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Brentz doubled to right to start. Mr. Mookie also doubled to right to score Brentz. Bogaerts lined out to the left field wall and Ortiz lined out to center. Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                             Mr. Mookie drives in a run

The lead lasted 8 seconds in the bottom of the fifth as O'Malley pulverized a home run into the Pacific Ocean to start. Heredia dropped down a bunt to catch Pedroia asleep and moved to second on a grounder to third by Heredia. Cano grounded out to second to move Heredia to third and Cruz was intentionally walked. The slumping Lee broke a 3 for 36 skid with a base hit to center to score Heredia. Seager grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       O'Malley hits one way out of here

JBJ got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth but Hill flied out to right. Shaw hit a bullet...right to Lee who doubled off Bradley to end the inning. Zunino was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to start the bottom of the sixth before Martin struck out swinging. O'Malley struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Pomeranz who allowed just 2 runs in 6 innings of work off 4 hits and 6 walks.

                                                            Better outing from Drew

Drew Storen came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hanigan lined out to short to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Brentz and grounded out to first. Mr. Mookie singled in the hole at short but Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Heredia grounded out to second to start. Gutierrez walked but Cano grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Vidal Nuno came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ortiz popped up to second to start. Pedroia blooped a base hit to center but JBJ struck out swinging. Tom Wilhelmson came in to face Hill and Aaron walked. Shaw grounded out to short to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Cruz struck out swinging to start. Lee struck out swinging but Seager got a base hit to left. Zunino struck out swinging to end the inning.

Sandy Leon pinch hit for the 0 for 20 Hanigan to start the top of the ninth and grounded out to second. Holt walked but Mr. Mookie banged into a double play to end the inning. Fernando Abad came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Leon just barely got Martin at first on a swinging bunt in front of the plate. O'Malley got a base hit to center and Gutierrez walked to put the winning run at second. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to face Cano with Nori Aoki running for Gutierrez. Cano grounded out to second to end the inning.

Blake Parker came in to pitch the top of the tenth and Bogaerts flied out to right to start. Ortiz grounded out to first but Pedroia singled to center. JBJ walked but Hill grounded out to third to end the inning. Cruz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the tenth and Adam Lind pinch hit for Lee. Lind struck out swinging and Seager went down hacking to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the 11th with Cody Martin now on the mound. Shaw drilled a base hit to left and Leon dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Holt hit a chopper up the middle for a base hit off the glove of O'Malley to score Shaw to put Boston ahead. Mr. Mookie struck out swinging and Holt was caught in a rundown to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                        Shaw scores the go-ahead run

Brad Ziegler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Zunino walked to start. Luis Sardenas ran for Zunino and Martin dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Luis to second. O'Malley grounded out to first to move Sardenas to third and Seth Smith pinch hit for Heredia. Smith struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2 in 11 innings.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brock Holt. His rbi single in the 11th put the Sox up for good

                                                       Brock "The Hero" Holt

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 6 with an rbi.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Travis Shaw was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Bryce Brentz was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Drew Pomeranz tossed 6 innings of 2 runs scored. He allowed 4 hits and 6 walks.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Fernando Abad tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Craig Kimbrel got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Brad Ziegler earned his 21st save with a scoreless 11th inning.

The Bad:

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 1.

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 5.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Final Thoughts:

Big, big win by the Sox considering their offensive woes lately and being on the road in extra innings. Pomeranz pitched his best game with the Sox and the bullpen was lights out. With a quartet of Tazawa, Koji Uehara, Kimbrel and Ziegler....this team could be very tough to beat if the starters can go 6 innings at a time. The Sox are going to need all hands on deck because they have a good a shot as anyone to make the playoffs as they're only 2 games out of first place in a very competitive AL East. The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays are in their sights and two good months of baseball, especially against an AL East gauntlet in September, could get them over the hump. The win improved the Sox to 59-48, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now have to travel to Los Angeles for a three game deathmatch with the Dodgers. Steven Wright (12-5) takes on Scott Kazmir of LA. The game begins tomorrow night at 10:10 PM eastern time at Dodger Stadium.

Iwakuma Outduels Porcello, Sox (8/3/16)

Once again the supposedly elite Boston Red Sox offense was held in check in tonight's game against the Seattle Mariners. Hisashi Iwakuma blanked the Sox for 7 2/3 innings while holding them to just 5 measly hits. Meanwhile "Slick" Rick Porcello (14-3, 3.46 ERA) tossed a complete game while allowing 3 runs off just 4 hits. Solo home runs by Nelson Cruz, Mike Zunino and Adam Lind were all the runs the Mariners would need. The Sox did get a run against Edwin Diaz in the ninth and bring the tying run to the plate, but Sandy Leon failed to get a run home and the Mariners had won it 3-1 at Safeco Field.

Iwakuma got the ball in the top of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts led off by striking out swinging. Brock "The Hitman" Holt took strike three. Xander Bogaerts lined out to right to end the inning. Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Nori Aoki flied out to right to start. Seth Smith grounded out to third and Robinson Cano grounded out to short to end the inning.

David Ortiz struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Jackie Bradley Jr also went down hacking. Aaron Hill beat out a roller to third but Travis Shaw popped up to second to end the inning. The Mariners struck first in the bottom of the second as Nelson Cruz hit a home run all the way to Vancouver to put the Mariners up for good. Kyle Seager walked but Adam Lind grounded into a double play. Leonys Martin lined out to left to end the inning with the Mariners up 1-0.

                                                          Kiss that one goodbye

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Sandy Leon lined out to left to start. Andrew Benintendi got his first big league hit with a sliced single to left field. Mr. Mookie popped up to second but Holt got a base hit to left. Bogaerts popped up to first to end the inning.

                                                        First for Benintendi

Mike Zunino struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Luis Sardinas took strike three. Aoki grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ortiz flied out to right to begin the top of the fourth and JBJ grounded out to second. Hill flied out to right to end the inning. Smith grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Cano struck out swinging. Cruz popped up to first to end the inning.

Shaw popped up to short to start the top of the fifth but Leon blooped a base hit to third. Benintendi struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie popped up to second to end the inning. Seager popped up to third to start the bottom of the fifth and Lind took strike three. Martin struck out swinging to end the inning.

Holt struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Bogaerts grounded out to third. Ortiz grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Mariners struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Zunino hit a home run all the way to Jupiter to increase the lead. Sardinas lined out to right but Aoki was plunked. Smith struck out swinging and Cano popped up to right to end the inning with the Mariners ahead 2-0.

                                                        Another home run

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the seventh as JBJ flied out to center to start. Hill flied out to left and Shaw flied out to center to end the inning. The Mariners iced it in the bottom of the seventh as Cruz took strike three to start. Seager lined out to right but Lind clobbered a home run into the Baltic Sea to increase the lead. Martin struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mariners up 3-0.

                                                          This one's over

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eighth with Guillermo Heredia in for Smith to start. Leon took strike three but Benintendi got a base hit to right to chase Iwakuma. Drew Storen came in to pitch and Mr. Mookie got a base hit to center to bring the tying run to the plate. Holt popped up to short and Bogaerts flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. Porcello returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Zunino led off with a base hit to left. Sardinas popped up the bunt to Leon and Aoki lined out to center. Heredia grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Porcello tossed a complete game but allowed the 3 solo shots

                                                           Porcello deserved run support

Suddenly the Sox rallied against Edwin Diaz in the top of the ninth although Ortiz struck out swinging to start. JBJ got a broken back single to right and Hill was hit with a pitch before a wild pitch moved both runners over. Shaw grounded out to second but JBJ scored to break up the shutout. Leon grounded out to second to end the game. The Mariners had won it 3-1.

                                                          Mariners win

Jackass of The Night is Xander Bogaerts. He left 2 men on in the 3rd and 2 men on in the 8th in a close game.

 

                                                           Jackass Bogaerts

The Good:

Aaron Hill was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 3.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Rick Porcello tossed a complete game 4 hitter allowing just 3 runs off 3 solo shots.

The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 4 but drove in a run

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox can't do anything right lately. Some days they hit and the bullpen blows it, some days they don't hit at all, and some days the starting pitching gets rocked. Tonight it was option B.They couldn't do anything against Iwakuma and its amazing how an offense this good consistently has been shut down lately. The key to the game was Bogaerts failing with 2 men on and Ortiz going 0 for 4 didn't help either. When your big bats don't hit, you're in deep doo doo. The worst part is Porcello once again pitched his ass off and this non-win might cost him the AL Cy Young Award. To add insult to injury both the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays won so this loss pushes the Sox further back in the race. Apart from Benintendi getting a couple of hits there was nothing positive about this game. The less said of it, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 58-48, 3 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to earn a split with the Mariners tomorrow night when Drew Pomeranz goes for the Sox against Ariel Miranda of Seattle. The game begins at 10:10 PM at Safeco Field.

Cano Homer Stuns Sox Late (8/2/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some shocking roster moves. Michael Martinez and Tommy Layne were designated for assignment as the Sox activated left handed pitcher Fernando Abad and called up last year's first round pick, outfielder Andrew Benintendi directly from the Portland Sea Dogs. Martinez was expendable with the rise of Benintendi but choosing to cut Layne was a head scratcher as he posted a respectable 3.77 ERA. Guess they figure Robbie Ross Jr was more valuable moving forward.

                                                             OUT

                                                                           IN

As for the game, after snatching victory from the jaws of defeat the past two games, tonight it was the Red Sox turn to get burned late. The Sox broke out to a 4-0 lead over Wade LeBlanc and the Seattle Mariners. David Price was cruising tossing seven shutout innings as David Ortiz drove in two runs, Aaron Hill drove in a run and Hanley Ramirez hit a home run. All of a sudden the Mariners rallied in the bottom of the eighth to chase Price down 4-2. Robinson Cano hit a 3 run bomb off new addition Fernando Abad (1-5, 2.86 ERA) to put the Mariners up 5-4. The Sox failed to rally in the top of the ninth as Edwin Diaz slammed the door. The Mariners served the Sox back from the previous night with a 5-4 victory at Safeco Field.

                                                 Lurch's reaction to the 8th inning

LeBlanc got the ball in the top of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to third to start. Dustin Pedroia walked but Xander Bogaerts popped up to short. David Ortiz doubled into the left field corner to score Pedroia with the game's first run. Hanley Ramirez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                         Sox take the lead

Price got the ball in the bottom of the first and Guillermo Heredia flied out to right to start. Franklin Gutierrez grounded out to third and Robinson Cano grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Aaron Hill popped up to second. Sox analyst Dave O'Brien says that "Psycho" Steve Lyons brings cookies into the booth but they always seem to be gone when Dave reaches for one. Sandy Leon flied out to left to end the inning. Nelson Cruz grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Dae-ho Lee grounded out to second. Kyle Seager doubled to left but Mike Zunino took strike three to end the inning.

Bryce Brentz flied out to center to start the top of the third and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging. Pedroia flied out to left to end the inning. Leonys Martin flied out to left to start the bottom of the third and Luis Sardinas struck out swinging. Heredia popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Bogaerts struck out swinging to start. Ortiz also went down hacking but Ramirez launched his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead. JBJ doubled to center and Hill drilled a base hit to left to score Bradley. Leon grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                        Home Run Hanley

Gutierrez took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth but Cano got a base hit to right. Cruz struck out swinging and Lee forced Cano at second to end the inning. 

Brentz grounded out to second to open the top of the fifth and Mr. Mookie flied out to center. Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning. Seager grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth and Zunino struck out swinging. Martin popped up to short to end the inning.

Bogaerts took strike three to start the top of the sixth and Ortiz lined out to center. Ramirez hit a ground rule double down the left field line but JBJ grounded out to first to end the inning. Sardinas lined a ball off Price but right to Hill, who threw to first for the out. Price was okay and Heredia lined out to third. Gutierrez got a base hit to left but Cano grounded out to first to end the inning.

Dan Roach came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hill grounded out to second to start. Sandy Leon grounded out to first and Andrew Benintendi made his Major League debut by pinch hitting for Brentz. Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning. Cruz grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the seventh and Lee grounded out to third. Seager flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth and Mr. Mookie doubled down the left field line and moved to third on a grounder to second by Pedroia. Bogaerts was plunked but Ortiz hit a sac fly to left to score Mr. Mookie. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                             Betts scores a run

Things fell apart in the bottom of the eighth as Zunino hit a home run into the Pacific Ocean to start. Martin blooped a base hit to center, Sardinas got a base hit to right and Heredia singled over the head of Ramirez to score Martin. That was it for Price who ran out of the gas in the eighth inning. He would be charged with 4 runs in 7 plus innings.

                                                         Price is knocked out

Matt Barnes came in to face pinch hitter Seth Smith and struck him out swinging. Then Sox manager John Farrell brought in new addition Fernando Abad to pitch to Cano. The move backfired as Cruz, who was 1 for 11 against Abad, crushed a home run all the way to Brazil to put the Mariners on top. Cruz flied out to center and Lee grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Mariners up 5-4.

                                                        Cano with the dagger

Edwin Diaz came in to close out the top of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Hill and drew a walk but Leon struck out swinging. Benintendi took strike three right down the middle to end the game. The Mariners had stunned the Sox 5-4.

                                                          Mariners win

Jackass of The Night is Fernando Abad. He gave up the backbreaking 3 run home run to Cano.

                                                               Jackass Abad

The Good:

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Aaron Hill was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Travis Shaw walked as a pinch hitter.

Matt Barnes struck out the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bryce Brentz was 0 for 2

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

David Price pitched 7 outstanding innings but fell apart in the 8th to be charged with 4 runs off 7 hits.

Final Thoughts:

That game was karma for the previous two were the Sox snatched victory from the jaws of defeat. Tonight it went the other way. For 7 1/2 innings this was headed to a 4-0 shutout and then it was gone in the blink of an eye. Can't really blame John Farrell because Price was cruising until the 8th inning and Cano was 1 for 11 against Abad. Sometimes things happen that you can't help. The Sox still have 47 games in the season so this is no time to panic because Abad gave up a home run and Benintendi went 0 for 2. Still, a victory tonight would have kept the pressure on the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox should put this game behind them and concentrate on winning the next one. The loss dropped the Sox to 58-47, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night when "Slick" Rick Porcello (14-2) takes on Hisashi Iwakuma of Seattle. The game begins 10:10 PM eastern time at Safeco Field. 

Sox Rally Past Mariners Late (8/1/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves ahead of today's trade deadline. Joe Kelly was sent down to Pawtucket to make room for closer Craig Kimbrel to come off the Disabled List. The other move was Sox GM Dave Dombrowski traded relief pitcher Pat Light to the Minnesota Twins for lefty reliever Fernando Abad. The Sox don't want to overuse Tommy Layne in the lefty specialist role so hopefully Abad can fill that gap for the one and done situations.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, for seven innings it looked like yet another loss without any offense against an inferior team. Eduardo Rodriguez had held the Mariners to just one run but James Paxton pitched shutout ball. The Sox got a run in the top of the eighth on an unlikely Aaron Hill home run while Junichi Tazawa survived a scary bottom of the eighth. Mookie Betts then drilled a home run off Steve Cishek to put Boston on top in the ninth. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel, fresh off the Disabled List slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox had stolen one 2-1 at Safeco Field.

                                                  Jennifer Lawrence approves of the win

Paxton got the ball in the top of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to second to start. Dustin Pedroia took strike three and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Rodriguez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Guillermo Heredia lined out to short to start. Leonys Martin struck out swinging and Robinson Cano grounded out to short to end the inning.

David Ortiz flied out to left to start the top of the second before Hanley Ramirez lined out to second. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to end the inning. Nelson Cruz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Dae-ho Lee grounded out to short. Kyle Seager struck out swinging to end the inning.

Aaron Hill got a base hit to right to start the top of the third but Sandy Leon dumped a base hit to right. Brentz grounded into a double play to end the inning. Franklin Gutierrez walked to start the bottom of the third but Chris Iannetta took strike three. Shawn O'Malley hit a bullet that Rodriguez barely caught, doubling off Gutierrez at first to end the inning. That could have gone real bad, Rodriguez got lucky.

                                                          "Ahhhhhhh!!!!!" - E-Rod

Mr. Mookie flied out to left to open the top of the fourth and Pedroia did the same. Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Heredia grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Martin did the same. Cano singled off the glove of Pedroia but Cruz flied out to right to end the inning.

Ortiz grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth but Ramirez drilled a base hit to right. JBJ took strike three and Hill lined out to center to end the inning. Lee struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Seager grounded out to second. Gutierrez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Leon struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Brentz did the same. Mr. Mookie doubled to left but Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning. Iannetta struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Shawn O'Malley interfered with Leon on a bunt attempt. Pedroia caught a pop up from Heredia to end the inning.

Bogaerts grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Ortiz grounded out to first. Ramirez took strike three to end the inning. The Mariners finally cracked Rodriguez in the bottom of the seventh as Martin grounded out to second to start. Cano doubled to the right field fence, Cruz walked and Lee doubled to center to score Cano. That was it for Rodriguez who ran out of gas after allowing 1 run in 6 1/3 innings on 3 hits. Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch and Seager was hit to load the bases. Gutierrez and Iannetta both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mariners up 1-0.

                                                     Rodriguez deserved better

The Sox answered in the top of the eighth as JBJ popped up to third to start. Hill then blasted his 9th home run of the season to tie the game. Leon hit one up the elevator shaft and Brentz struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                         Home Run Hill

Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and O'Malley flied out to center to start. Nori Aoki pinch hit for Heredia and singled to center. Aoki took second on a wild pitch then moved to third on the Martin grounder to first. Cano was intentionally walked and the gamble worked as Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                    Sit down Cruz

The Sox took command in the top of the ninth with Steve Cishek now on the mound. Mr Mookie belted his 22nd home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Pedroia flied out to center and Bogaerts flied out to right to chase Cishek. Vidal Nuno came in to pitch to Ortiz and David grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                         Sox take the lead

The returning Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Seth Smith pinch hit for Lee. Smith grounded back to the mound and Seager swung and missed for strike three....but the ball got away allowing Kyle to reach first. Adam Lind pinch hit for Gutierrez and struck out swinging. Mike Zunino pinch hit for Iannetta and walked to put the tying run at second. O'Malley took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 2-1.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Mookie Betts. His home run in the ninth led the Sox to victory.

                                                         Mr. Mookie Hero

The Good:

Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3.

Aaron Hill was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Sandy Leon was 1 for 3.

Eduardo Rodriguez allowed just 1 run in 6 1/3 innings.

Robbie Ross Jr got the final 2 outs of the seventh inning.

Junichi Tazawa got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 18th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bryce Brentz was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

None

Final Thoughts:

Two days in a row the Sox stole one in the ninth inning. While these kinds of win are fun, they're definitely not sustainable. Nobody knows what's wrong with the Red Sox offense although at least you can say James Paxton is pretty good. Still, the Sox have been unusually quiet offensively lately but winning games where they don't hit well is crucial as we head down the stretch. The Sox only have 58 games left and they're still in the AL East race. They're going to need to get the big bats back in order if they want to make the playoffs for the first time since winning it all in 2013. The win improved the Sox to 58-46, 1 game behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Mariners tomorrow night when David Price (9-7, 4.26 ERA) goes one on one with Wade Leblanc of Seattle. The game begins at 10:10 PM eastern time at Safeco Field.