My sentiments exactly
Lester got the call in the top of the first inning and Ian Kinsler shot a base hit into center to start. Elvis Andrus struck out swinging on a nasty cutter but Josh Hamilton lined a base hit past Dustin Pedroia to move Kinsler to third. Old friend Adrian Beltre banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Colby Lewis in the bottom of the first as Mike Aviles led off with a single off the Monster and Pedroia smashed his third home run of the year into the Monster Seats. Adrian Gonzalez slapped a seeing eye single to right but David Ortiz popped up to Beltre in foul territory. Kevin Youkilis looked at strike three on the outside corner but Ryan Sweeney doubled off the top of the centerfield wall. Cody Ross grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.
The Rangers exploded in the top of the second as Michael Young struck out swinging to start. Nelson Cruz doubled to center and Mike Napoli hit a home run all the way to Florida to tie the game. Yorvit Torrealba walked, Craig Gentry ripped a base hit to center and Kinsler walked to load the bases. Andrus beat out a roller to the mound to score Torrealba but Ross dropped a pop up by Hamilton. Kinsler ended up being forced at third but Gentry scored to increase the lead. Beltre singled in the hole at second to load the bases but Young grounded out to short to end the inning with Lester at 63 pitches and the Rangers ahead 4-2.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the second as Jarrod Saltalamacchia flied out to center to start. Jason Repko took strike three on the outside corner and Aviles struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Rangers finished off Lester in the top of the third as Cruz roped a base hit to center to start. Napoli and Torrealba drew back to back walks and that was mercifully it for Lester. He was absolutely horrible, eventually being charged with 7 runs in 2 plus innings. Scott Atchison came in to take a beating as Gentry forced Napoli at third but Cruz scored another run. Kinsler walked to re-load the bases and Andrus scored Torrealba with a sac fly to the right field wall. Hamilton dumped a base hit to right to score Gentry and move Kinsler to third. Beltre flied out to right to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 7-2.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Gonzalez flied out to right but Gentry trapped a sinking live drive by Ortiz for a hit. Youkilis struck out swinging to end the inning.
Atchison cruised in the top of the fourth as Young struck out swinging to start. Cruz grounded out to third and Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning. Sweeney popped up to Beltre in foul territory to start the bottom of the fourth but Ross beat out a roller off of Lewis' glove for a single. Saltalamacchia flied out to center but Repko lashed a base hit to left. Ross made it to third but Repko was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning.
Atchison struck out Torrealba swinging on a slider to start the top of the fifth but Gentry lined a base hit to center. Kinsler grounded back to the mound but Gentry broke up the double play by wiping out Aviles at second. Andrus forced Kinsler at second to end the inning. Aviles flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Pedroia popped up to Beltre in foul territory. Gonzalez popped up to center to end the inning.
The Rangers struck again in the top of the sixth as Hamilton grounded out to second to start. Beltre popped up to first but Young hit a home run all the way to Cuba to increase the lead. Cruz flied out to right to end the inning with the Rangers up 8-2.
Ortiz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Youkilis struck out swinging to earn the hat trick. Sweeney doubled off the bottom of the Monster but Ross lined out to short to end the inning.
Matt Albers came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Napoli popped up to left to start. Torrealba flied out to the right field warning track and Gentry popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Saltamacchia popped up to Napoli to start. Repko struck out swinging and Aviles was frozen for strike three to end the inning.
Things fell apart in the top of the eighth with Mark Melancon on the mound as Kinsler hit a straight fastball right down the middle off the Monster for a double before Andrus drew a walk. Hamilton hit a home run all the way to Alabama and Beltre followed with a home run to South Carolina as the boo's rained down. David Murphy pinch hit for Young and drew a walk before Cruz launched a home run to Arizona to mercifully knock out Melancon from the game. Justin Thomas came into the game to take a beating as NESN showed a graphic that Josh Hamilton's home run landed 15 rows lower than the Ted Williams red seat. For those that don't know Ted Williams hit the longest home run recorded at Fenway marked by a red seat and Hamilton's home run was pretty close to it. Napoli singled to the left field wall but Torrealba took strike three to get a mock cheer from the Fenway crowd. A wild pitch moved Napoli to second and Gentry singled in the hole at short to put runners at the corners. Alberto Gonzalez pinch hit for Kinsler and scored Napoli with a grounder to third. Andrus doubled to center to score Gentry and Brandon Snyder pinch hit for Hamilton. Snyder walked but Beltre popped up to right to end the inning with the Rangers up 16-2...woof!
Koji Uehara came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Nate Spears pinch hit for Pedroia. Spears struck out swinging but Gonzalez launched his second home run of the year to cut the lead. Ortiz grounded out to second and Youkilis struck out swinging to earn the golden sombrero plus end the inning with the Sox down 16-3.
Gonzalez goes yard
Vicente Padilla came in and he took a beating as well in the top of the ninth as Murphy broke an 0 for 13 slump with a base hit to left. Cruz struck out swinging but Napoli hit yet another home run to Winchester Mass to wrap up the scoring. Torrealba got the Rangers' 21st hit of the night with a base hit to left but was forced at second by Gentry. Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers up 18-3.
Mark Lowe came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Sweeney singled to right to start. Ross struck out swinging and Saltalamacchia lined out to second before Repko earned the hat trick with a swinging strikeout to end the game. The Rangers had annihilated the Red Sox 18-3.
Jackass of the Night is Jon Lester. He set the tone for the night by allowing 7 runs in 2 plus innings and putting the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a 2 run home run.
Adrian Gonzalez was 2 for 4 with a home run.
Ryan Sweeney was 3 for 4.
Ryan Sweeney was 3 for 4.
Scott Atchison allowed just 1 run in 4 innings.
Matt Albers pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
The Bad:
Nate Spears struck out as a pinch hitter.
Kevin Youkilis was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 4.
Mark Melancon allowed 6 runs without recording an out.
Justin Thomas allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.
Vicente Padilla allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
Mike Aviles was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.
Cody Ross was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jason Repko was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Final Thoughts:
Talk about a living hell for the Boston Red Sox. The stench of September 2011 followed them into this season and they still haven't looked right. Not only did Lester get pounded but the bats were silenced by Colby Lewis and Melancon looks like a deer in the headlights. His body language in the eighth made it seem like he wanted to be anywhere else but Fenway. The Sox have to do something with him because the Sox sent off "Glasbones" Jed Lowrie for him but so far he's giving them less than Glassbones ever did. Lester will have bad days and so will the offense but it just seems like nothing's gone right for the Sox this year similar to the end of last year. The only highlights was Gonzalez hitting a home run, Sweeney going 3 for 4 and Matt Albers not giving up a run. Otherwise the defending repeat American League champion Rangers pounded out 21 hits and 18 runs. Hopefully they wore themselves out and the Sox can serve it back to them tomorrow. After all any time the Sox score 10 runs they do absolutely nothing the next day. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow against the Rangers when Josh Beckett (1-1) takes the mound against Derek Holland of Texas. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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