Sox Pound Twins, Sale Dominant (8/26/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Hunter Renfroe was placed on the Bereavement List and Jarren Duran was called up from Worcester to take his place. Condolences go out to Renfroe.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, that's more like it. The Sox showed life for the first time in weeks by pounding the Minnesota Twins on both sides of the ball. Chris Sale (3-0, 2.35) held the Twins to just two runs before leaving in the sixth inning. The trio of Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock, Garrett Richards and Matt Barnes slammed the door the rest of the way. Offensively the Sox got three home runs, two from Bobby Dalbec, to pace the offense. Dalbec drove in seven runs all by himself to outscore the Twins. Rafael Devers and Alex Verdugo also drove in runs as the Sox won easily 11-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Jamie Lee Curtis approves of the win

Sale got the ball in the ball in the top of the first and Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging to start. Brent Rooker walked but Josh Donaldson struck out swinging. Miguel Sano grounded out to short to end the inning. John Gant got the start for the Twins in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez grounded out to short to start. Kyle Schwarber walked but JD Martinez struck out swinging. Rafael Devers flied out to left to end the inning.

Luis Arraez grounded out to first to start the top of the second before Ryan Jeffers struck out swinging. Willians Astudillo lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Alex Verdugo walked to start. Christian Vazquez walked but Christian Arroyo forced Verdugo at third. Jarren Duran beat out a double play ball and Bobby Dalbec smashed his 15th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                    That one for Dalbec

Sale managed to pitch an immaculate inning in the top of the third as Nick Gordon, Andrelton Simmons and Refsnyder all struck out swinging on 9 pitches to end the inning.

                                                            Immaculate inning for Sale

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as Schwarber doubled to right to start. Martinez took strike three and Devers grounded out to first, but Verdugo lashed a base hit to center to score Schwarber with another run. Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                                Verdugo drives in a run

Rooker struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Donaldson flied out to center. Sano struck out swinging to end the inning. Arroyo grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the fourth before Duran struck out swinging. Dalbec grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Twins struck back in the top of the fifth as Arraez grounded out to second to start. Jeffers got a base hit just to the side of Sale but Astudillo hit a home run all the way to Naples, Italy to cut the lead in half. Gordon flied out to left and Simmons flied out to left to end the inning with the Twins down 4-2.

                                                          Astudillo hits one out

Kyle Barraclough came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Hernandez beat out a roller to third to start. Schwarber walked but Martinez lined out to left. Devers stepped up with a base hit to right to score Hernandez with another run. Verdugo struck out swinging but Devers swiped second base. Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                          Devers drives in a run

Refsnyder flied out to center to start the top of the sixth but Rooker walked. Donaldson was hit with a pitch and as usual Sox manager Alex Cora bounded out of the dugout to take out a pitcher at the first sign of trouble despite getting just 16 outs. Once again Sale was removed before going six full innings and forcing the bullpen to essentially toss 4 innings. He did well, allowing just 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings while striking out eight batters. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in and Sano struck out swinging before Arraez grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                               Sale removed early AGAIN

Luckily the Sox put the game on ice in the bottom of the sixth with Edgar Garcia now on the mound. Arroyo was plunked and Duran got a base hit to left. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Dalbec ripped a base hit to center to score both runners. Hernandez and Schwarber walked to load the bases but Martinez banged into a double play, scoring Dalbec in the process. Devers capped off the inning with his 30th home run of the season to ice the game. Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-2.

                                                              Devers hits one out

Jeffers struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Astudillo grounded out to third. Gordon grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Vazquez grounded out to first to start. Arroyo grounded out to second but Duran walked. Dalbec launched his second home run of the night to increase the lead and chase Garcia. Ralph Garza came in to catch Hernandez looking to end the inning with Boston ahead 12-2.

                                                        That's two for Dalbec

Garrett Richards came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Simmons got a base hit to left to start. Refsnyder flied out to right before Simmons took second on a grounder to third by Rooker. Donaldson and Sano both walked to load the bases but Arraez lined out to left to end the inning. Jake Cave took over in center and Astudillo himself took over on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Schwarber walked to start before taking second on a passed ball. Martinez grounded out to third and Devers flied out to left but Verdugo reached on an error by Gordon to put runners at the corners. Vazquez forced Verdugo at second to end the inning.

Schwarber moved to first with Dalbec taking over at third and Matt Barnes now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Kepler was plunked before moving to second on the Astudillo grounder back to the mound. Gordon struck out swinging but Simmons walked. A wild pitch moved both runners over but Refsnyder took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 12-2.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Bobby Dalbec. He stepped up with two home runs and 7 total rbis to outscore Minnesota by himself.

                                                             The crowd salutes our Hero

The Good:

Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 4 with four walks and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a home run, a stolen base, 3 total rbis and a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a walk and 3 runs scored.

Chris Sale got the win by tossing 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 2 hits while striking out 8.

Garrett Whitlock tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Garrett Richards tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored two runs.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The season may be going down the drain but that was a good win. The Twins are wretched and the Sox need to beat teams like this if they want to salvage what's left of the season. Chris Sale coming back healthy has been a nice spark and Kyle Schwarber finally ignited some offense. The problem is the bullpen is dead tired with a month still to go in the season the rotation has been cucka since the all-star break. Still, Dalbec stepped up tonight and maybe Schwarber being activated lit a fire under his ass. Beating up on the Twins is nothing special but every win counts. The win improved the Sox to 73-56, 3 games behind the New York Yankees for the first wild card spot. The Sox now travel to Cleveland for a set with the Indians. Eduardo Rodriguez (9-7) gets the start opposite Logan Allen of Cleveland. The game begins at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Progressive Field.

Sox Incredible Rally Falls Short in 10 (8/25/21)

If the Boston Red Sox fail to make the playoffs a month from now, not only is their second half collapse to blame but possibly this individual game can be pointed to as well. For six innings the Boston Red Sox were completely lifeless against the Minnesota Twins. Sox starter Nick Pivetta was pulled after allowing 4 runs in 4 innings on just 87 pitches and Bailey Ober pitched a five inning shutout. Then the Sox got a run in the seventh, a run in the eighth and Kyle Schwarber hit a game tying home run in the bottom of the ninth....then the wheels fell off. The Sox had the winning run at second with nobody out but failed to score and the Twins hit two home runs off Hansel Robles in the top of the tenth, driving in 5 runs to ice the game. The Sox did get two runs back but that was it as the Twins used a tenth inning explosion to knock out the Sox 9-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                   "NICE GOING ROBLES!!!"

Pivetta got in trouble immediately in the top of the first inning as Max Kepler led off with a base hit inside the third base bag. Jorge Polanco walked but Josh Donaldson struck out swinging. Luis Arraez flied out to left and Miguel Sano grounded into a force to end the inning. Ober got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Kike Hernandez flied out to center to start. Kyle Schwarber struck out swinging and Xander Bogaerts watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Twins struck first in the top of the second as Nick Gordon walked to start. Ryan Jeffers was hit with a pitch but Jake Cave beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Andrelton Simmons got a base hit to center to score Gordon to put Minnesota on top. Kepler got another base hit inside the bag to load the bases but Polanco flied out to left. Donaldson flied out to center to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.

                                                                Simmons drives in a run

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Rafael Devers walked to start. JD Martinez struck out swinging, Alex Verdugo lined out to right and Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Twins struck again in the top of the third as Arraez grounded out to first to start. Sano then hit a home run all the way to Providence, Rhode Island to increase the lead but Pivetta came back to punch out Gordon swinging. Jeffers took strike three to end the inning with Minnesota up 2-0.

                                                           Sano hits a moonshot

The Sox once again failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Travis Shaw struck out swinging to begin. Christian Vazquez got a base hit to left before moving to second on the grounder to third by Hernandez. Schwarber singled to right to move Vazquez to third but Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.

The Twins finished off Pivetta in the top of the fourth as Cave struck out swinging to start. Hernandez dropped a pop up by Simmons for a "single" and Andrelton moved to second on a grounder to short by Kepler. Polanco seemed to have iced the game with a 15,000 foot home run but Donaldson struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Pivetta who was hit hard again, allowing 4 runs in just 4 innings setting the stage for another long game by the bullpen.

                                                             Pivetta doesn't last long

Devers flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Martinez flied out to right. Verdugo singled to right but was thrown out trying to stretch a double to end the inning. Austin Davis came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Arraez grounded out to second to start. Sano struck out swinging and Gordon went down hacking to end the inning. Renfroe tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Shaw struck out swinging again. Vazquez flied out to right and Hernandez swung at air to end the inning.

The Twins beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the sixth as Jeffers grounded out to short to start. Cave grounded out to second and Simmons grounded out to first to end the inning. Danny Coulombe came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Sox blew another rally. Schwarber got a base hit to left and Bogaerts walked, but Devers flied out to center. Martinez flied out to right and Hernandez popped up to third to end the inning.

Davis returned briefly in the top of the seventh as Kepler lined out to right to start. Polanco struck out swinging and that was it for Davis who saved the Sox collective bacon with 2 2/3 scoreless innings. Hiro Sawamura came in and it looked like Donaldson was safe when he was ruled out at second on a double to left. Twins manager Rocco Baldelli challenged and sure enough, the call was overturned and Josh was safe. Arraez was intentionally walked but Sano forced him at second to end the inning. The Sox began their comeback against Tyler Duffey in the bottom of the seventh as Renfroe popped up to short to start. Shaw doubled to left and Vazquez got a base hit to center to score him. Hernandez singled to center to bring the tying run to the plate and chase Duffey. Caleb Theilbar came in and Vazquez moved to third on the fly ball to center by Schwarber. Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                  Shaw scores a run

Martin Perez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Gordon to begin. Refsnsyder lined out to left, Jeffers grounded out to short and Cave grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth although Devers struck out swinging to start. Martinez flied out to right but Verdugo got a base hit to center.  Renfroe singled in the hole at second but the ball got under the glove of Polanco to score Alex all the way from first. Kevin Plawecki pinch hit for Shaw and Twins manager Rocco Baldelli countered by bringing in Kyle Barraclough to face Kevin. Plawecki was plunked to put the tying run on and Bobby Dalbec ran for him. Vazquez forced Dalbec at second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                               Verdugo gets the rally going

Josh Taylor came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Simmons popped up to first in foul territory to begin. Kepler flied out to center and Polanco struck out swinging to end the inning. Alex Colome came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hernandez doubled to center to start. Schwarber shocked everyone by hitting a home run to dead center to tie the game. Bogaerts got a base hit to center to put the winning run on and Devers drew a walk. Things looked good when Martinez lined out to right to move Bogaerts to third just ninety feet away. With the game on the line....Verdugo struck out swinging and Renfroe hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Schwarber ties it up

Hansel Robles came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Polanco starting at second base. The wheels fell off immediately as Donaldson hit a home run all the way to the Azores to put the Twins up for good. Arraez grounded out to second and Sano grounded out to short. Just one out away from keeping the game close, instead Refsnyder got a base hit to center and Jeffers was hit with a pitch. Cave then put the exclamation point on the inning with a 3 run home run all the way back to Minnesota to increase the lead.

                                                         5 runs allowed in one inning

Ralph Garza came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Renfroe at second base. Dalbec got a base hit to right but Vazquez banged into a double play for two big outs. Renfroe did score on the play and Hernandez then belted his 17th home run of the season to cut the lead, but Schwarber popped up to third to end the game. The Twins had won the game 9-6.

                                                             Twins win

Jackass of the Night is Hansel Robles. He allowed two home runs and 5 total runs in the top of the tenth.

                                                              Jackass Robles

                                                                       

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 3 for 6 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Kyle Schwarber was 3 for 6 with a 2 run home run.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Hunter Renfroe was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec got a base hit in his only at-bat.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Hiro Sawamura got the final out of the seventh inning.

Kevin Plawecki was hit with a pitch in his only at-bat.

Austin Davis pitched 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Martin Perez pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Nick Pivetta allowed 4 runs in just 4 innings of work while allowing 6 hits.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice.

Final Thoughts:

What a waste of a season that started with so much promise. Take away the first three games of the season and the Sox were the dominant team in the American League until the end of June. Since then they've fallen so far off a cliff that the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays blew right by them. The Sox are running out of time to right the ship with just 34 games left in the season. Robles getting blasted after Pivetta started out awful is just a sign of how badly the pitching has faltered in the last two months. Offensively the Sox got the hits they needed to get back in the game and even tried their best in the tenth but 5 runs allowed by Robles sealed their doom. The less said of this everglades disaster the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 72-56, 3 games behind the Yankees for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night when they send Chris Sale (2-0) to the mound against John Gant of the Twins. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Outslug Twins (8/24/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The struggling Jarren Duran was sent back down to Worcester and Tanner Houck was called up to start tonight's game. Duran wasn't ready for the big time although he could be back in a few weeks when rosters expand. They're going to need Houck for the stretch run in case somebody gets hurt.

                                                                       OUT

                                                               IN

As for the game, the bad news was the Sox pitching staff was hammered for nine runs and 14 hits by the Minnesota Twins. Tanner Houck was knocked out in the fifth inning after allowing 3 runs. Martin Perez, Hiro Sawamura and Matt Barnes all got tagged for 6 runs as well. The good news was the Boston bats exploded for 11 runs off 11 hits to outscore the Twins. Travis Shaw and Kike Hernandez both hit home runs while Hunter Renfroe hit two of them. Alex Verdugo had 3 hits as well as the Sox survived a seventh and ninth inning meltdowns to win the game 11-9 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Irina Voronina approves of the win

The Twins wasted no time getting to Houck in the top of the first as Max Kepler led off with a triple to right. Brent Rooker struck out swinging but Jorge Polanco singled to right to score Kepler. Josh Donaldson flied out to left and Luis Arraez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.

                                                             Polanco drives in a run

Griffin Jax got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez led off with a line out to right but Kyle Schwarber popped up to third. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.

Umpire Tom Haillon had to leave the game as Mitch Garver got a base hit to right to start the top of the second. Nick Gordon banged into a double play but Miguel Sano drew a walk. Jake Cave got a base hit in the hole at second but Kepler struck out swinging to end the inning. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and JD Martinez lined out to right. Alex Verdugo walked and took second on a wild pitch, but Hunter Renfroe was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start.

Rooker took strike three to start the top of the third but Polanco lined out to right. Josh Donaldson singled to center but was thrown out at second by Verdugo trying to stretch a double to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Travis Shaw hit his eighth home run of the season to start. Christian Vazquez struck out swinging and Hernandez flied out to right but Schwarber walked. Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                    Shaw turns back the clock 5 years

The Twins struck again in the top of the fourth as Arraez singled to left to start. Garver struck out swinging but Gordon doubled to center. Sano ripped a base hit to center to score both runners but Cave took strike three. Kepler flied out to right to end the inning with the Twins up 3-1.

                                                    Twins take the lead

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Devers walked to start. Martinez struck out swinging but Verdugo doubled to right. Renfroe then clubbed his 24th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Shaw struck out swinging and Vazquez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.

                                                      That's one for Renfroe

Rooker was hit with a pitch to start the top of the fifth and took second on a wild pitch. Polanco struck out swinging and Donaldson popped up to third....all of a sudden Sox manager Alex Cora came out of the dugout to a chorus of boos with Houck at just 90 pitches. That's right, once again he yanked a starter early as Houck couldn't get credit for the win. Josh Taylor came in and got Arraez to ground out to second to end the inning. Will Cora ever learn?

                                                       90 pitches for Houck and got yanked

The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Hernandez hit a ground ball to third that was thrown away by Arraez to allow Kike to reach second on the hit/error. Schwarber lined out to first and Bogaerts popped up to first, but Devers hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to score Hernandez. Martinez walked and Verdugo doubled to center to score both runners. Renfroe put the exclamation point on the inning with a two run home run to increase the lead and chase Jax. Juan Minaya came in and walked both Shaw and Vazquez, but Hernandez forced Christian at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-3.

                                                   That's two for Renfroe

Martin Perez came in to get tagged in the top of the sixth as Garver doubled to right to start. Gordon grounded out to second to move Mitch to third and Garver scored on the grounder to short by Sano. Cave struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins down 9-4.

                                                        Perez allows another run

Schwarber got a base hit in the hole at second to start the bottom of the sixth but Bogaerts flied out to right. Devers grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Twins inched closer in the top of the seventh as Shaw booted a grounder by Kepler to start. Rooker forced Kepler at second but Polanco hit a home run all the way to Nebraska to cut the lead. That was it for Perez as Hiro Sawamura was brought in only to walk Donaldson. Arraez singled to left and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Garver struck out swinging but Gordon singled to center to score both runners. Sano grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Twins down 9-8. Cora pulling Houck early bit him again as the bullpen once again imploded.

                                                        Polanco hits one out

Tyler Duffey came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Martinez grounded out to second to start. Verdugo singled to center but Renfroe struck out swinging. Shaw took strike three to end the inning.

Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Cave singled to center to start. Cave was thrown out at second trying to steal....but wait! Twins manager Rocco Baldelli challenged the call but it was upheld. Kepler flied out to left but Rooker drew a walk. Rob Refsnyder ran for Rooker but Polanco struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox got some insurance in the bottom of the eighth with Caleb Theilbar now on the mound. Vazquez got a base hit to center and Hernandez clocked his 16th home run of the season to increase the lead. Schwarber grounded out to short, Bogaerts hit one up the elevator shaft and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-8.

                                                   Hernandez hits one out

Matt Barnes came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with Christian Arroyo now in left. Donaldson hit a home run all the way to the outer reaches of Siberia before Arraez walked on four pitches not even close. Garver walked and Sox manager Alex Cora pulled the plug on Barnes who imploded AGAIN. Hansel Robles came in and somehow struck out Gordon swinging. Sano struck out swinging and Cave lined out to second to end the game. The Sox had hung on to win 11-9.

                                                                Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Hunter Renfroe. He hit a three run bomb and a two run homer to put the Sox in front for good.

                                                    Devers salutes our Hero

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5 with a two run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and two runs scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Josh Taylor retired the only man he faced.

Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Hansel Robles earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 5.

Martin Perez was charged with 3 runs in 1 1/3 innings.

Hiro Sawamura allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Matt Barnes allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Kyle Schwarber was just 1 for 4 but walked.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, drove in a run and scored two runs.

Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a home run but struck out twice and committed an error that led to a run.

Tanner Houck allowed 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings. He allowed 8 hits and struck out 6.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Arroyo played second base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Thank goodness for the bats being hot tonight because the Sox pitching staff is in ruins. Alex Cora's constantly pulling starters early has Barnes, Sawamura, Ottavino and Garrett Whitlock on fumes and Martin Perez isn't good at all. All Cora had to do was let Houck finish the fifth and at least start the sixth, instead the Sox bullpen allows 6 runs in 4 innings and look spent. Robles saved the day but how long will he last until his arm falls off too? Pulling Houck, Chris Sale and others after 5 innings has the Sox looking up at the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays. On the other side of the ball, the bats beat up the Twins and they needed each and every run scored. The Sox won't be able to outslug everyone the next month so the pitching HAS to improve or else they'll be missing the playoffs. When will enough be enough for Cora to stop pulling the starters? Barnes is finished as the closer so they may as well use Robles or Whitlock from here on. Its a shame all the bad news overshadowed the good because the bats did very well and they won the game. The win improved the Sox to 72-55, 2.5 games behind the Yankees for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Twins tomorrow night when Nick Pivetta takes the mound, taking on Bailey Ober of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Shaw, Sox Walkoff Rangers in 11 (8/23/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Christian Arroyo was activated from the Injured List before tonight's game against the Texas Rangers. Jonathan Arauz was sent down to Worcester to make room for him. This will improve the Sox bench for sure.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                    IN

As for the game, what a game! In a microcosm of the season, the Red Sox had a 3-1 lead going into the ninth against the Texas Rangers but the Rangers rallied to tie the game against Matt Barnes. The Rangers scored the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth against Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock and the Sox looked dead when Christian Arroyo was thrown out at home in the bottom of the tenth. Rafael Devers saved the day with an rbi double and one inning later, Travis Shaw smashed a walkoff grand slam to give the Sox the victory to stay alive in the wild card race. It was a great ending at Fenway as the Sox beat the Rangers 8-4 in 11 innings at Fenway Park.

                                                         Ingrid Pitt approves of the win

Nathan Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yonny Hernandez took strike three to start. Isiah Kiner grounded out to short and Adolis Garcia grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Kolby Allard got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez flied out to center to start. Kyle Schwarber walked but JD Martinez struck out swinging. Xander Bogaerts lined out to center to end the inning.

Nathaniel Lowe struck out looking to start the top of the second before DJ Peters struck out swinging. Jason Martin got a base hit to right but Nick Solak forced Martin at second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Rafael Devers got a base hit to center to start. Hunter Renfroe lined out to center and Kevin Plawecki flied out to left, but Alex Verdugo belted his 12th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                    Alex Verdugo hit a home run

Andy Ibanez got a base hit to center to start the top of the third but Jose Trevino popped up to short. Hernandez got a base hit to left but Kiner banged into a double play to end the inning. Hernandez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Schwarber struck out swinging. Martinez flied out to center to end the inning.

Garcia struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Lowe grounded out to first. Peters flied out to left to end the inning. Bogaerts walked to start the bottom of the fourth and Devers flied out to center. Renfroe forced Bogaerts at second but Plawecki popped up to second to end the inning.

The Rangers got a run back in the top of the fifth as Martin got a base hit to left to begin. Solak hit a routine grounder to Devers who threw his glove at the ball and tripped over his feet for an error. Ibanez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over and Trevino hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts. Xander threw to first and Dalbec inexplicably tried to catch the ball barehanded for an error to score Martin. Hernandez hit a comebacker to the mound and Eovaldi came home to get Solak. Plawecki threw the ball away away trying to get Trevino at second but they nabbed Hernandez in a rundown for a double play to end the inning with the Rangers down 2-1. Cora won't be happy about two more errors committed.

                                            "Can these guys stop making errors?" - Cora

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Verdugo got a base hit to center to start. Dalbec popped up to first but Hernandez walked. Schwarber struck out swinging and Martinez flied out to center to end the inning.

Kiner grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth before Eovaldi struck out Garcia swinging. Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the sixth although Bogaerts popped up to first to start. Devers' bunt attempt was snuffed out by Allard but Renfroe pounded his 23rd home run of the season to increase the lead. Plawecki popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                      Renfroe hits one very far

Eovaldi came back for one more inning in the top of the seventh as Peters grounded out to short to start. Martin struck out swinging and Solak grounded out to second to end the inning. Eovaldi was great, tossing 7 innings and allowing just the unearned run and 4 hits while striking out 7.

                                                      Eovaldi was very good today

Josh Sborz came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Verdugo beat out a roller to short. Jarren Duran pinch hit for Dalbec but took strike three. Hernandez walked to chase Sborz and bring Brett Martin into the game.  Schwarber singled to left to load the bases and Christian Arroyo made his return off the Injured List by running for Kyle. The rally ended as Martinez struck out swinging and Bogaerts grounded out to first to end the inning.

Travis Shaw came in for Duran and Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the top of the eighth. Ibnez grounded out to short but Trevino walked. Hernandez flied out to left but Kiner singled to center. Garcia flied out to left to end the inning. Devers grounded out to first to start the bottom of the eighth and Spencer Patton came in to pitch. Renfroe grounded out to third and Plawecki lined out to right to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in to close out the top of the ninth with Christian Vazquez now behind the plate. Lowe singled off the glove of Shaw and Peters singled to right, but Martin struck out swinging. Solak got a base hit to left to load the bases and Ibanez hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to tie the game. That was it for Barnes as Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch and he struck out Trevino swinging to start. Hernandez was plunked to reload the bases but Kiner struck out swinging to end the game with the game tied 3-3.

                                                             Barnes blows the lead

Verdugo grounded out to first to start the bottom of the ninth and Shaw popped up to third. Hernandez walked to put the winning run on first but Arroyo forced Hernandez at second to end the inning.

The Rangers took command in the top of the tenth with Kiner starting at second to start. Garcia grounded out to short to move Kiner to third and Isiah scored on the base hit to left by Lowe. Peters took strike three and Martin struck out swinging to end the inning but the Rangers were up 4-3.

                                                      Rangers take the lead

Things didn't look good with Dennis Santana now on the mound with Arroyo at second to start the bottom of the tenth. Martinez flied out to center to move Arroyo to third but Christian was thrown out at home on a grounder to short by Bogaerts. Down to their last strike...Devers doubled to right to score Bogaerts and tie the game. Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning witn the game tied 4-4.

                                                           Devers tied it

Martin started the top of the eleventh at second but this time Solak popped up to first to start. Martin moved to third on a grounder to third by Ibanez and Trevino grounded out to second to end the inning. Renfroe started the bottom of the eleventh at second base and Vazquez dropped down a bunt. Santana threw wide of first and Vazquez was safe, forcing the Rangers to intentionally walk Verdugo to take their chances with Shaw. Shawn then belted a walkoff grand slam to end the game and win it for the Sox 8-4.

                                                                    Red Sox win!

Hero of the Night is Travis Shaw. His walkoff grand slam won the game.

                                                          Grand Slam Hero

The Good:

Kike Hernandez walked 3 times in 5 plate appearances.

Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez scored a run.

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 4 with a 2 run homer, a walk and two total runs scored.

Nathan Eovaldi tossed 7 innings of one run ball, allowing 4 hits and striking out 7.

Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 1 at the plate.

JD Martinez was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 4.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran struck out as a pinch hitter.

Matt Barnes blew the save by allowing 2 runs in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run and he scored two runs.

Garrett Whitlock allowed an unearned run but earned the win with 2 2/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

Big win by the Sox considering the New York Yankees had already won and things were headed south real fast. Barnes blowing the lead, Whitlock allowing the run to score in the tenth and Arroyo getting thrown out at home looked like the Sox were headed for certain doom. Then Devers saved the day by tying the game and Shaw reintroduced himself to Boston with the walkoff grand slam. Chaim Bloom is going to look like a genius if Shaw and Schwarber pay off in the post-season if one or both become their Steve Pearce. Eovaldi tossed a hell of a game and its a shame Barnes blew the save because Nathan did so well, Whitlock's run was unearned so his ERA lowers to 1.64. Even though the Yankees are ahead right now, they're kicking themselves for leaving Whitlock unprotected in the Rule 5 draft for sure. All in all it was a great win and the Sox need to go on a nice win streak to get back in either first place or overtake the Yankees. They only have 36 games left in the season to make something happen. The win improved the Sox to 71-55, 2.5 games behind the Yankees for the first wild card. The Sox return to action tomorrow night as they welcome the Minnesota Twins to town. Tanner Houck gets the start for Boston against Griffin Jax of the Twins. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.