Buchholz Hammered on Patriots Day (4/21/14)

One year after the most infamous Boston Marathon of all time, the Sox could not repeat the magic on Patriots Day 2014. Clay Buchholz once again stunk the joint out as its become apparent he's not the same pitcher he was from the first half of 2013.

Nick Markakis led the game off with a ground out to second base. Nelson "pain in the ass" Cruz struck out but Chris Davis walked. Jonny Gomes then made a diving catch to rob Adam Jones of a hit to end the inning. Wei-Yin Chen got Brock Holt to ground out to begin the bottom of the first. Pedroia grounded out but not before nearly taking out Jonathan Schoop at third base when Pedroia lost control of his bat on a swinging strike two. David Ortiz drew a 4 pitch walk but Napoli grounded out to end the inning.

Steve Clevenger grounded out to second to begin the top of the second, Schoop grounded out to short and Ryan Flaherty grounded out to Buchholz to end the inning. In the bottom of the second, last night's comeback starter Jonny Gomes did what he usually does, strike out. Xander Bogaerts popped up to center and Daniel Nava struck out to end the inning.

Steve Lombardozzi started the third inning rally with a single. David Lough singled and after Holt dropped his pop up into the stands, Markakis singled Lombardozzi home. Lough took third and he scored on Cruz' single. The hits kept on coming as Davis singled Markakis home and Cruz took third. Cruz scored on the force at second by Jones. Clevenger then doubled home Jones to make it 5-0 just like that. Not only have the Red Sox trailed in nearly every game they've played this season, they've trailed big. Schoop doubled home Clevenger and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. After breezing through the first two innings, Buchholz allowed 7 hits and was replaced by Burke Badenhop. After finishing last night's game less than 12 hours ago, the Sox needed Buchholz to pitch a good game with the rest of the troops tired....well he failed miserably. Luckily Badenhop got Flaherty to bang into a double play to end the inning. Just like that the game was over 2 1/2 innings into it.  Could the Red Sox rally? Hell no! David Ross and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to begin the bottom of the third and Holt grounded out to end the inning.

Picking up where he left off, Lombardozzi led off the top of the 4th with a single. Somehow Badenhop got Lough to line out to center but Markakis walked. Cruz banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox got their first runner of the day on a miracle walk by Pedroia to begin the 4th. Somehow Ortiz singled but Napoli kept up the incompetence with a full count strike out. More basebawful continued when Gomes lined out to short.....who doubled off Pedroia to end the inning.

Badenhop walked Davis to begin the top of the 5th but recovered to strike out Jones and get Clevenger to bang into a double play. 3 double plays by Badenhop, talk about putting out the fire. The Sox finally struck in the bottom of the 5th. Bogaerts worked a lead-off walk and Nava somehow hit one in the hole at short. Ross nearly hit into a double play but beat out the relay throw to first. Somehow Jackie Bradley Jr hit a ground rule double to score Boegarts and advance Nava to third. Holt lined out to center but Ross scored to cut the lead 6-2. Pedroia then cut the lead in half with a double down the line to score Bradley Jr. Ortiz lined one off the glove at second but was thrown out at first to end the inning. Still, a 3 run deficit with 4 innings to go is better than 6.

Badenhop continued his scoreless streak by getting Schoop to ground out to begin the top of the 6th. Flaherty and Lombardozzi both grounded out to first to end the inning. 3 2/3 scoreless innings for Badenhop, great job to keep them in the game. Ryan Webb replaced Chen for the 6th inning and struck out Napoli, Gomes and Bogaerts in short order.

Craig Breslow took over for the top of the 7th and Lough grounded out to first. Markakis flied out but Cruz walked. Cruz was the first base runner since Clevenger's double in the 3rd. He didn't go far as Davis grounded out into the shift to end the inning. Zach Britton took the mound for the bottom of the 7th. Nava flied out to right but David Ross clocked his first home run of the year to make it 6-4. Bradley Jr grounded out but Holt singled to left. Pedroia walked and with the tying runs on.....Ortiz grounded out to end the inning. Inching closer but still trailing.

The O's struck back in the top of the 8th. Jones singled to lead off and Clevenger hit a picture perfect ground ball to Pedroia but Bogaerts botched the relay throw and Steve was safe at first. Schoop flied out to center but Clevenger tagged up and advanced to second. Flaherty singled to center and Bradley Jr threw a hundred feet from home but Ross got Flaherty at second to end the inning. Still, it was back to a 3 run lead for Baltimore. It goes down as an earned run allowed on Breslow but Bogaerts, Clevenger and Bradley Jr were more responsible. Darren O'Day replaced Britton for the bottom of the 8th and Mike Napoli greeted him with a blast to centerfield to cut the lead 7-5. Mike Carp pinch hit for Gomes and grounded out to short, great clutch hitting. Bogaerts lashed a base hit to left to put the tying run at the plate. Nava singled off the glove of O'Day and that was it for him, O's manager Buck Showalter brought in lefty Brian Matusz. For some reason, Sox manager John Farrell pinch hit David Ross for Jonathan Herrera the utility infielder. The Sox then literally ran into a double play as Herrera struck out and Bogaerts stopped halfway to third and allowed himself to be tagged. BASEBAWFUL!

Carp stayed in left, AJ Pierzynski took over at the dish and Andrew Miller took the mound for the top of the 9th. Lombardozzi lined out and Lough popped up. Bradley Jr made a basket catch to rob Markakis of a hit to retire the side. O's closer Tommy Hunter was brought in to finish the game. Bradley Jr grounded out and it looked like Holt did as well....until Lombardozzi threw the ball away. They ruled it a hit but it was clearly an error. Pedroia nearly tied the game but the ball hit the top of the wall for a double. Showalter then made the bold move by intentionally walking Ortiz to load the bases for Napoli, who ended last year's Patriots Day game with a wall ball. This year....he grounded out to second, but Holt scored to make it 7-6. This left it up to Mike Carp, not the master of walkoffs Jonny Gomes, to win the game. As expected, Carp grounded out to end the game. A tough loss but it was great to see the Sox come back after being down 6-0.


THE GOOD:

Burke Badenhop kept the Sox in the game with 3 2/3 scoreless relief. Andew Miller pitched a scoreless 9th. Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run and an rbi. Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi. David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.


THE BAD:

Jackass of the Day is an easy one. With the Sox needing to rest their bullpen, Clay Buchholz went out and pitched miserably, lasting only 2 1/3 while giving up 7 hits and 6 runs that cost the Sox the game. Jonathan Herrera struck out with the tying runs on base in the 8th. Mike Carp came up twice with a chance to win the game and failed both times. Jonny Gomes was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts


THE UGLY:

Craig Breslow allowed the eventual deciding run in the 7th but that was more of heads up baseball by Steve Clevenger than his own fault, especially in 2 innings of relief. Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5 but that included a home run and an rbi groundout in the 9th. Xander Bogaerts countered going 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored by playing horrendous defense and running the bases horribly, leading to the defeat. Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored on his lone hit.


Honorable Mention:

AJ Pierzynski caught the top of the 9th with no problems.


Final Thoughts:

None

Yankess Pound Lackey, Defeat Sox (4/12/14)

Well that didn't take long for the Boston Red Sox. Fans were hoping the Sox would turn the corner after beating the New York Yankees yesterday but the good vibes lasted just 24 hours before the Yankees struck back. John Lackey (2-1, 3.86 ERA) got pummeled by the Yankees for six runs and didn't make it out of the sixth inning. The Yankees broke a 2-2 tie in the fourth inning with back to back home runs by Brian McCann and Alfonso Soriano before adding two more runs. The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh against Hideki Kuroda and Matt Thornton to plate two runs and have the tying run at first. Mike Carp then was foolishly thrown out trying to steal and Kelly Johnson hit a home run off Burke Badenhop. Shawn Kelley slammed the door in the ninth and the Yankees evened this opening series against each other with a 7-4 victory at Yankee Stadium.

                                                         Randy Quaid is angry again

Kuroda got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Daniel Nava singled to center and David Ortiz singled to right, but Mike Napoli hit one up the elevator shaft. Mike Carp grounded out to first to start. The Yankees wasted no time getting to Lackey in the bottom of the first as Brett Gardner grounded out to second to start. Brian Roberts grounded out to first but Jacoby Ellsbury caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down to third. Carlos Beltran hit a home run all the way to Sorrento, Italy to put the Yankees on top. Brian McCann struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                        Beltran strikes first

The Sox answered in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right to start. AJ Pierzynski smacked his first home run of the season to tie the game. Jonathan Herrera struck out swinging and Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to first. Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                               Home run AJ

Alfonso Soriano grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Kelly Johnson beat out a roller to short. Johnson moved to second on the Yangervis Solarte grounder to second and Dean Anna popped up to short to end the inning.

Nava grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Ortiz flied out to center. Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning. Gardner struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third and Roberts grounded back to the mound. Ellsbury singled to center and stole second, but Beltran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Carp flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Bogaerts grounded out to third. Pierzynski singled to center and Herrera walked, but JBJ flied out to left to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fourth as McCann and Soriano hit back to back jacks to begin. Johnson and Solarte struck out swinging before Anna flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-2.

                                                       Soriano with the dagger

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Pedroia doubled to center. Pedroia moved to third on the grounder to second by Nava but Ortiz popped up to short. Napoli popped up to center to end the inning. Gardner grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Roberts flied out to left. Ellsbury struck out swinging to end the inning.

Carp struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Ellsbury dropped a pop up by Bogaerts for an error. Pierzynski struck out swinging and Herrera grounded out to third to end the inning. The Yankees finished off Lackey in the bottom of the sixth as Beltran doubled to center and McCann hit a home run all the way to Nogales, Mexico to ice the game. Soriano got a base hit to right but Johnson banged into a double play. Solarte got a base hit to left and finally the plug was pulled on Lackey. He got hammered for 10 hits, 6 runs and four home runs in 5 2/3 innings. Craig Breslow came in and Solarte moved to second on a wild pitch. Anna took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees up 6-2.

                                                     Longball Lackey

The Sox came out swinging in the top of the seventh as JBJ walked to start. Pedroia struck out swinging but Nava walked to chase Kuroda. Old friend Matt Thornton came in and Ortiz took strike three, but both runners pulled off a double steal. Napoli was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Carp drilled a base hit to left to score JBJ & Nava to cut the lead. Dellin Betances came in to pitch to Bogaerts and.....Nava was thrown out second to end the inning with the Sox still down 6-4.

                                                             Sox strike back

Gardner singled to center to start the bottom of the seventh and was sacrificed to second by Roberts. That was it for Breslow as Andrew Miller was brought in to face Ellsbury. Jacoby walked but Beltran struck out swinging and McCann popped up to short to end the inning.

Adam Warren came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Bogaerts struck out swinging to start. Pierzynski grounded out to short and Herrera struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees tagged Burke Badenhop in the bottom of the eighth as Soriano grounded out to short to start. Johnson then hit a home run to the outer jungle of Mongolia to increase the lead. Solarte singled to right and Anna doubled to right.....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Anna was safe at second, but the call was upheld. Gardner popped up to center and Roberts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-4.

                                                      Another home run

Shawn Kelley came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Ichiro Suzuki now in right. JBJ flied out to left, Pedroia flied out to center and Nava grounded out to first to end the game. The Yankees had won it 7-4.

                                                            Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Mike Carp. You can't get yourself thrown out in that situation representing the tying run with the Yankees on the ropes.

                                                            Jackass Carp

The Good:

AJ Pierzynski was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Craig Breslow pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Andrew Miller pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

John Lackey took the loss allowing 6 runs on 10 hits and four home runs.

Burke Badenhop allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Daniel Nava was just 1 for 4 but stole a base, walked and scored a run

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Tough loss for the Sox that might have been an epic comeback victory. Sad part is those were the type of victories the Sox would pull out of their collective asses last year, too bad its a new year. A lot of things went right this game by coming back again and again but giving up the long ball and Carp getting thrown out were backbreakers. Ortiz popping up with a man on third was also a killer and its a sign that this year is different. Kuroda pitched well but the Yankees bullpen isn't the same without Mariano Rivera anymore. The Sox should be able to get to the bullpen and they shot themselves in the foot in this one. We're only twelve games into the season but the Sox are definitely coming out of the gate ice cold. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow when Felix Doubront (1-1) takes the mound against Ian Nova of the Yankees. The game begins at 8:10 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sizemore, Lester Drop Yankees (4/11/14)

When the Boston Red Sox lost Jacoby Ellsbury in free agency, they rolled the dice by trying to resurrect Grady Sizemore after he hadn't played in the big leagues since 2011. The gamble has worked so far as Grady was the difference in tonight's game against the New York Yankees. Trailing 1-0 against Yankees ace CC Sabathia in the sixth inning, Jonny Gomes tied the game with a home run and Sizemore smashed a three run home run to give the Sox the lead. Jon Lester (1-2, 2.57 ERA) was game as he tossed 6 2/3 strong innings. The duo of Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica was enough to close the door as the Sox defeated the Yankees 4-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                    Shanice Jordan approves of the win

Sabathia got the ball in the top of the first and Jonny Gomes took strike three to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to first but David Ortiz walked. Mike Napoli took strike three to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first and Derek Jeter grounded out to second to start. Jacoby Ellsbury lined out to center and Carlos Beltran popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Grady Sizemore began the top of the second by going down hacking before Xander Bogaerts also struck out swinging. Ryan Roberts lined out to left to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the second when Alfonso Soriano hit a home run all the way to Saudi Arabia to put the Yankees on top. Francisco Cervelli grounded out to third, Yangervis Solarte struck out swinging and Ichiro Suzuki grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                        The funky Alfonso

David Ross tried to start a rally with a double to left to start the top of the third and moved to third on the Jackie Bradley Jr grounder to short. Gomes popped up to first in foul territory and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Brian Roberts popped up a bunt back to Ross to start the bottom of the third and Kelly Johnson flied out to right. Jeter hit a squibber single in front of the plate and Ellsbury walked, but Jeter was forced at third by Beltran to end the inning.

Ortiz grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth before Napoli lined out to first. Sizemore grounded out to first to end the inning. Lester froze Soriano for strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Cervelli grounded out to second. Solarte also took strike three to end the inning.

Bogaerts walked to start the top of the fifth before moving to second on the grounder to short by Roberts. Ross and JBJ both struck out swinging to end the inning. Ichiro beat out a roller to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Roberts hit into a double play. Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox roared to life in the top of the sixth as Gomes led off with his first home run of the season to tie the game. Pedroia struck out swinging but Ortiz beat out a roller to third. Napoli ripped a base hit to center and Sizemore belted his second home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Bogaerts and Roberts both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                     Sizemore puts Boston on top

Jeter flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Ellsbury singled to right. Jacoby stole second but Beltran took strike three in the process. Soriano grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ross grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh before JBJ grounded out to third. Gomes singled to center but Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Cervelli took strike three to start. Solarte grounded out to short but Ichiro singled to right. Roberts walked and Johnson dumped a base hit to right to score Ichiro. That was it for Lester who lasted 6 2/3 innings allowing just two runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six. Junichi Tazawa came in to face Jeter and Derek flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-2.

                                                  Lester stays strong

Cesar Cabral came in to pitch to Ortiz in the top of the eighth and ended up walking him. Adam Warren came in to face Napoli and Mike flied out to center. Sizemore got a base hit to right but Bogaerts flied out to center. Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts and struck out swinging to end the inning. Tazawa returned for the bottom of the eighth and Ellsbury was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Beltran struck out swinging but Soriano singled to right. Brian McCann pinch hit for Cervelli and struck out swinging to end the inning.

Dellin Betances came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Ross took strike three to start. JBJ watched strike three go by and Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning. Edward Mujica came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Solarte grounded out to first to start. Ichiro flied out to center and Brett Gardner pinch hit for Roberts. Gardner struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Grady Sizemore. His 3 run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                            Hero Sizemore

The Good:

Jonny Gomes was 2 for 5 with a home run.

David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Jon Lester got the win by tossing 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six batters.

Junichi Tazawa tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Edward Mujica got his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Mike Carp struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

David Ross was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Jonathan Herrera played third in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have been sputtering to start the season but that was a good win against the Yankees. Sabathia didn't give an inch but the Sox held on to get four runs off him. Sizemore has big shoes to fill with Ellsbury on the Yankees and today he was the hero of this one. Lester also pitched well but credit to Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica for slamming the door after Lester was gone. The Sox offense is faltering a bit but Sizemore stepped up big time. Hopefully this could be the start of something good moving forward. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow afternoon when John Lackey (2-0) goes for the Sox against Hiroki Kuroda of New York. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Pineda, Yankees Shut Down Sox (4/10/14)

Looks like the New York Yankees got away with some chicanery in tonight's game against the Boston Red Sox. On paper Michael Pineda dominated the Red Sox by allowing just a single run in 6 innings but the camera's picked up what looked to be pine tar on his hand. Red Sox fans are fuming that Sox manager John Farrell didn't do anything about it because the Sox ended up losing this game. Clay Buchholz pitched well allowing just 2 earned runs but the Yankees put the game away after an error by Jonathan Herrera. The miscue led to two runs scoring which was all the Yankees needed. Ironically after Pineda left the game in the top of the seventh after allowing a home run to Daniel Nava and a base hit to Xander Bogaerts, not a single batter reached base . It all added up to a tainted 4-1 victory by the Yankees over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.

                                             Unless he's using his hand to wipe, that's pine tar

Pineda got the ball in the top of the first inning and Grady Sizemore flied out to center to start. Dustin Pedroia flied out to the right field warning track and David Ortiz hit a bullet right to Kelly Johnson to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner struck out swinging to start. Derek Jeter hit a roller up the middle for a base hit and took second on old friend Jacoby Ellsbury's grounder to second. Carlos Beltran flied out to a running Jackie Bradley Jr to end the inning.

Mike Napoli popped up to Beltran to start the top of the second before Daniel Nava struck out swinging. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Brian McCann grounded into the shift in right to start the bottom of the second before Alfonso Soriano was frozen for strike three on a curveball. Johnson grounded out to second to end the inning.

AJ Pierzynski struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr drew a walk. Jonathan Herrera struck out swinging but JBJ stole second. Sizemore grounded out to third to end the inning. Daniel Nava made a great diving catch to rob Yangervis Solarte of a broken bat hit to start the bottom of the third. Dean Anna grounded out to first but Gardner hit a seeing eye single into right. Jeter grounded out to first to end the inning.

Pedroia and Ortiz both flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Napoli walked. Nava struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees struck in the bottom of the fourth as Ellsbury hit a routine grounder to Herrera who did a backflip on the ball for an error. Beltran ripped a base hit to right and McCann ripped a base hit inside the first base line to score Ellsbury, moving Carlos to third. Soriano banged into a double play but Beltran scored another run. Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning but the Yankees led 2-0.

                                                        Error leads to disaster

Bogaerts tried to start a rally in the top of the fifth by dumping a base hit to left to start. Pierzynski lined out to a running Gardner before JBJ struck out swinging. Herrera also struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Solarte took strike three to start. Anna hit his first career home run all the way to Jupiter to pretty much seal the game. Gardner struck out swinging but Jeter pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands. Ellsbury ripped a base hit to left to score Jeter but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Yankees leading 4-0.

                                                              First homer for Anna

Sizemore grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Pedroia popped up to short. Ortiz belted a double to center but Napoli flied out to center to end the inning. Beltran flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and McCann took strike three. Soriano grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox finally struck in the top of the seventh as Nava clobbered his first home run of the season to cut the lead. Bogaerts singled to center and that was it for Pineda. Cesar Cabral came in to pitch and Bogaerts moved to second on a balk, but Pierzynski struck out swinging. JBJ struck out swinging and David Phelps came in to pitch to Herrera. Sox manager John Farrell countered by bringing in Ryan Roberts to pinch hit for Herrera. Roberts grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                                   Nava blasts one

Craig Breslow came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Johnson grounded out to second to start. Solarte flied out to left and Anna flied out to center to end the inning. 

Sizemore popped up to short to start the top of the eighth before Pedroia grounded out to short. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. Chris Capuano came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Gardner grounded out to second to begin. Jeter grounded out to first and Ellsbury grounded out to second to end the inning.

Phelps returned to close out the top of the ninth and Napoli watched strike three go by to start. Nava also took strike three and Bogaerts popped up to center to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-1.

                                                         Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. He took the loss allowing 4 runs in just 6 innings of work while giving up 7 hits.

                                                            Jackass Buchholz

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.

Craig Breslow pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Chris Capuano pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jonathan Herrera was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Ryan Roberts grounded out in his only at-bat.

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Daniel Nava was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like Pineda got away with one there as camera showed he clearly had something on his pitching hand. The Sox were in no position to argue after Jack Morris squawked about Buchholz last year and St. Louis Cardinals fans claimed Jon Lester had something in the World Series. Still, it was strange that Pineda of all people shut down the Sox for that long. Buchholz didn't get much help from his defense but still allowed four runs to put the game out of reach. Pineda was also gone in the seventh, the Sox had three full innings to get a couple of runs and failed miserably. Its another tough loss in an April full of them so far this season. Hopefully the Sox break out of this funk soon before they start losing ground to the Yankees. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Yankees when Jon Lester (0-2) takes the mound against CC Sabathia of New York. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sox Stun Rangers Late (4/9/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Craig Breslow was activated off the Disabled List and activated for tonight's game. Breslow gives the Sox a much needed shot in the arm as his relief experience is badly needed. The Sox sent Brandon Workman back to Pawtucket as a corresponding move.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                               IN

As for the game, once again the Red Sox looked like they were sleepwalking through another game. Once the Rangers took a 2-1 lead in the eighth, all hope looked lost. Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth. Who else but David Ortiz hit the 3 run shot off reliever Neil Cotts to put the Sox ahead. Koji Uehara slammed the door in the ninth inning and the Sox stole one against the Texas Rangers 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Britt Linn approves of the win

Jake Peavy got the start for the Red Sox and Shin-Soo Choo hit the first pitch of the game over the head of Jackie Bradley Jr for a double to start. Elvis Andrus hit a grounder to Napoli but Choo didn't run to third. That was a huge mistake as Prince Fielder grounded out to second and Choo went to third. Alex Rios walked and stole second but Mitch Moreland struck out swinging to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr got the start for Texas and Jonny Gomes grounded out to third to start. Dustin Pedroia also grounded out to third and David Ortiz was retired on a dribbler in front of the plate to end the inning.

Peavy cruised in the top of the second inning as Donnie Murphy struck out swinging on a nasty changeup to start. Leonys Martin popped up to left and Robinson Chirinos took strike three to end the inning. Mike Napoli and Xander Bogaerts drew back to back walks to start the bottom of the second but Daniel Nava took strike three. Ryan Roberts banged into a double play to end the inning.

Josh Wilson struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Choo walked. David Ross threw out Choo trying to steal and Andrus grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Ross hit one up the elevator shaft to start. JBJ and Gomes both walked and Pedroia hit a dribbler in front of the plate. Ross Jr threw the ball away allowing JBJ to score and Pedroia to take second. Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                     Ooops!

Peavy turned up the heat in the top of the fourth as Fielder, Rios and Moreland all struck out swinging in short order. Napoli grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth but Bogaerts walked. Nava was called out on strike three and Bogaerts overslid the bag on a steal attempt for a double play to end the inning.

                                                       Yerrrrr out!

Murphy popped up to Pedroia to start the top of the fifth but Martin hit a routine grounder to third. Roberts threw the ball wide of first for a "single". Chirinos popped up to Roberts in foul territory and Wilson popped up to second to end the inning

Choo walked to start the top of the sixth and moved to second on the swinging bunt by Andrus. Fielder moved Choo to third with a grounder but Rios flied out to third to end the inning. Pedroia began the bottom of the sixth by striking out swinging before Ortiz doubled off the garage door in center. That was it for Ross Jr as Alexi Ogando came in to pitch. Napoli popped up to short on the first pitch and Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.

The Rangers finally tagged Peavy in the top of the seventh when Moreland hit a home run all the way to Santo Domingo to tie the game. Murphy grounded out to short and Martin went down hacking. Chirinos walked and that was it for Peavy after 109 pitches. He made one mistake to Moreland but was outstanding otherwise. Kevin Kouzmanoff pinch hit for Wilson and Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch. Kouzmanoff singled to right but Choo flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           Peavy deserved better

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Nava took strike three to start. Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts and also took strike three. Ross whiffed to end the inning. 

Jonathan Herrera took over at third with Andrew Miller on the mound for the top of the eighth. Andrus doubled into the right field corner to start and moved to third on the grounder by Fielder. Rios hit a fly ball to JBJ with Andrus and Jackie fired home...safe! Andrus scored and the Rangers took the lead.

                                                      Rangers take the lead

Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth as JBJ walked to start. AJ Pierzynski pinch hit for Gomes and dumped a base hit down the right field line. Grady Sizemore pinch ran for Pierzynski and was erased by the Pedroia force. Neal Cotts came in to pitch to Ortiz and Big Papi swatted a 3 run bomb just over the Pesky Pole to give the Sox the lead. Rangers manager Ron Washington wanted the call reviewed and when the umpires looked at the tape, nobody had any clue where the ball landed so it was upheld. Napoli whiffed and Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox led 4-2.

                                                  Ortiz pounds a home run into right

Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Sizemore now in to center, Nava now in left and JBJ in right. Murphy grounded back to Koji to start and Martin whiffed. Jim Adduci pinch hit for Chirinos and popped up to Herrera in foul territory to end the game. The Sox had stole one 4-2.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of the Night is David Ortiz. His 3 run home run was the difference in the game.

                                                        Hero Big Papi

The Good:

AJ Pierzynski singled as a pinch hitter.

Jackie Bradley Jr walked 3 times and scored 2 runs.

Jake Peavy deserved the win by going 6 2/3 innings while allowing just the home run to Moreland. He struck out 8 batters.

Junichi Tazawa retired the final batter of the seventh inning.

Koji Uehara got the save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 with 3 strikeouts.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 2.

Mike Carp struck out as a pinch hitter.

David Ross was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Andrew Miller vultured the win by allowing a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jonny Gomes was 0 for 2 but walked.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 but walked.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 2 and got caught stealing but walked twice.

Honorable Mention:

Grady Sizemore pinch ran for Pierzynski in the bottom of the eighth.

Jonathan Herrera played third base in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a good comeback win but it would be nice for the offense to not fall asleep for seven innings day after day. Jake Peavy pitched his ass off but has nothing to show for it because the bats were quiet for most of the game. The Ortiz homer bailed out another bad offensive performance and something's not right with this team. They hit into more double plays than they score runs it seems. Losing Jacoby Ellsbury severely impacted team speed but who would have thought it would be this bad? Still, a win is a win even if its better late than never. Ortiz has been bailing out the Sox for 11 years now and they're gonna miss him when he's gone. As mentioned earlier, Craig Breslow has been activated so they have the trio that got them to the World Series last year back. The Sox now travel to the Bronx for a set with the New York Yankees. Clay Buchholz takes the mound for the Sox opposite Michael Pineda of the Yan kees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Rangers Outslug Sox at Fenway (4/8/14)

The 2014 Boston Red Sox seem to be stuck in a rut. A day after John Lackey pitches a good game, Felix Doubront (1-1, 9.00 ERA) craps his pants against the Texas Rangers. The Rangers lit up Felix for 5 runs and knocked him out in the third inning. Burke Badenhop and Brandon Workman also took a beating as the Rangers pounded out a total of 13 hits and 10 runs. The Sox offense woke up late to score 7 total runs but clearly it wasn't enough. The Rangers feasted on the Sox and won the game 10-7 at Fenway Park.

                                                    "CAN SOMEONE PITCH WELL!!!"

Doubront got the ball in the top of the first and Shin-Soo Choo led off by drawing a walk. Elvis Andrus dropped down a bunt to move Choo to second and Shin moved to third on the fly out to center by Prince Fielder. Adrian Beltre flied out to right to end the inning with Stevie Ray Vaughn's rendition of Voodoo Child blaring on the stadium speakers. Martin Perez got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jonny Gomes led off with a walk. Dustin Pedroia banged into a double play and David Ortiz whiffed to end the inning as Blind Melon's No Rain played over the Fenway speakers.

Alex Rios led off the top of the second by grounding out to new Sox player Ryan Roberts to start. Donnie Murphy popped up to Pedroia near foul territory and Michael Choice took strike three to end the inning. The Sox failed with men on base again as Mike Napoli chopped a single up the middle to start. Grady Sizemore dumped a base hit to center and Napoli moved to third on the liner to right by Xander Bogaerts. AJ Pierzynski killed the rally by banging into a double play to end the inning.

The Rangers pulverized Doubront in the top of the third as Robinson Chirinos hit one onto the Mass Pike to give the Rangers the lead. Josh Wilson grounded out to third but Choo singled off the Monster. Andrus took strike three but Fielder chopped a double over the head of Napoli into the right field corner that scored Choo. Fielder took third on the throw home and he scored when Beltre singled past the diving Bogaerts. Rios singled to left and Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves came out to tell Doubront that Law & Order SVU was on in the clubhouse. Murphy hit a pop up but Sizemore dove the wrong way and the ball dropped in for an rbi "double". Doubront was squeezed on a walk by Choice and Chirinos chased him by drawing a walk. The postage stamp strike zone frustrated Felix too much and he was gone after 2 2/3 innings and 5 runs allowed. Burke Badenhop came in and got Wilson to ground into a force to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 5-0.

                                                     Not Doubront's day

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third although Roberts walked to start. Jackie Bradley Jr banged into a double play and Gomes took strike three to end the inning. 

The Rangers lit up Badenhop in the top of the fourth as Choo led off with a walk. Andrus singled past the diving Bogaerts and Fielder singled past the diving Pedroia to score Choo plus advance Andrus to third. Beltre pounded a double off the Monster to score Andrus but Rios grounded out to short. JBJ ran down a Murphy liner to right but it scored Fielder with another run. Choice grounded out to short to end the inning but the game was over early 8-0.

                                                          Rangers pour it on

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia doubled into the left field corner to start. Ortiz hit a fly out to deep center but it was enough to move Pedroia to third. Napoli hit another chop up the middle for a hit to score Pedroia with the Sox' first run. Sizemore hit a grounder to Murphy who tagged out Napoli but Sizemore beat out the throw to first. Sox manager John Farrell came out to argue that Murphy never tagged him and umpire Ron Kulpa told Farrell that he was out of the baseline anyway. Farrell said the hell with it and went back to the dugout as Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox did get a run but trailed 8-1.

                                                      Pedroia scores a run

The Rangers got the run back in the top of the fifth as Chirinos doubled to left to start. He moved to third on the bunt by Wilson and scored on the double down the right field line by Choo. Choo moved to third on the Andrus grounder but Fielder grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rangers up 9-1. Badenhop allowed four runs of his own, not great.

                                                              Badenhop wasn't much help

Pierzynski singled up the middle to start the bottom of the fifth but Roberts banged into the Sox fourth double play of the game. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brandon Workman came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Jim Adduci pinch hit for Beltre to begin. Adduci hit a ground ball to Napoli who flipped it to Workman for the out. Gomes made a running grab of a Rios liner and Murphy swung and missed for strike three to end the inning. Gomes led off with a walk but...stop me if you've heard this....Pedroia banged into a double play. Ortiz grounded into the shift to end the inning.

Workman cruised in the top of the seventh as Choice grounded out to second to start. Chirinos flied out to left and Wilson grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the seventh as Napoli got a base hit to right to start. Sizemore lined a base hit to right and Napoli moved to third on the fly out by Bogaerts. A wild pitch moved Sizemore to second and Pierzynski singled up the middle to score Napoli and move Grady to third. That was it for Perez as Jason Frasor came in to pitch. Roberts walked to load the bases and JBJ doubled off the top of the Monster to score both Sizemore and Pierzynski. Gomes struck out swinging and Pedroia grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 9-4.

                                                       Pierzynski is pumped up

Workman kept up the pace in the top of the eighth as Choo grounded out to second to start. Andrus was rung up by home plate umpire Chris Conroy for strike three and Fielder whiffed to end the inning. Neal Cotts came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Ortiz whiffed on a 92 mph fastball to start. Napoli also went down hacking but Sizemore doubled into the right field corner. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.

The Rangers finally got to Workman in the top of the ninth as Adduci doubled off the Monster to start. Rios hit a liner off Pedroia for an infield single to put runners at the corners but Murphy forced Rios at second. Choice hit a sac fly to center to score Adduci with another run. Chirinos grounded into a force to end the inning with the Rangers ahead 10-4.

                                                        Rangers score another run

Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the ninth against Joakim Soria. Pierzynski singled to center to start but Roberts was rung up for strike three. JBJ singled to right and Gomes singled up the middle to score AJ. Pedroia whiffed but Ortiz doubled off the centerfield wall to score JBJ and Gomes to cut the lead. Napoli whiffed on a big curveball to end the game. The rally was fun but it wasn't enough as the Rangers had won it 10-7.

                                                                Dammit

Jackass of the Night is Felix Doubront. He got rocked for 5 runs in just 2 2/3 innings.

                                                                     Jackass Doubront

The Good:

Jonny Gomes was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Grady Sizemore was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

AJ Pierzynski was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Ryan Roberts walked twice in four plate appearances.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4.

Burke Badenhop allowed 4 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Brandon Workman allowed a run in 4 innings of work.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 5 but drove in 2 runs.

Final Thoughts:

Seems like the Red Sox are stuck in a rut they can't get out of. They somehow ground into 5 double plays yet still put 7 runs on the board. Too bad Felix Doubront and Burke Badenhop stunk the joint out in this one. Doubront seems to fall apart when calls don't go his way and that needs to change or else umpires will prey on that. The Sox are going to have to make a roster move tomorrow because Craig Breslow is ready. The word is Brandon Workman may be sent back to Pawtucket even though it should be Badenhop after that performance. The healthier the Sox get, the better they'll be in the long run. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to take the rubber game of this series when they send Jake Peavy (0-0, 3.00 ERA) to the mound up against Alexi Ogando of the Rangers. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Lackey, Sox Down Rangers (4/7/14)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a surprise roster move. Brock Holt was sent down to AAA and the Sox signed free agent Ryan Roberts, formerly of the Tampa Bay Rays. This was an experience move as Roberts could help the team immediately with Will Middlebrooks out.

                                                                  OUT

                                                                IN

After a terrible weekend, the world champion Boston Red Sox got back on track against the visiting Texas Rangers. John Lackey (2-0, 1.38 ERA) tossed 7 gutty innings to earn the win while Jackie Bradley Jr and AJ Pierzynski paced the offensive attack. RBI's by Daniel Nava and Dustin Pedroia along with shutdown relief by Chris Capuano and Koji Uehara sent the Sox to a 5-1 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park.

                                          Tiffany approves of the win

Lackey got the ball in the top of the first inning and Shin-Soo Choo was rung up for strike three on a high strike to begin the game. Elvis Andrus lined a bullet right to Pedroia for the out before Prince Fielder grounded out to second to end the inning. Tanner Scheppers got the ball in the bottom of the first and Daniel Nava led off the game by getting hit with a pitch. Dustin Pedroia whiffed on a curveball before David Ortiz grounded into the shift but Andrus dropped the throw to extend the inning. Rangers manager Ron Washington came out to challenge that the ball was caught but the relay throw was dropped. The call was upheld only for Mike Napoli to bang into a double play to end the inning.

Old buddy Adrian Beltre lined out to center to open the top of the second before Alex Rios got a base hit to left only for Nava to boot the ball, allowing Rios to reach second. Mitch Moreland struck out swinging and Jackie Bradley Jr made a sliding catch on a Donnie Murphy liner to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second inning as Grady Sizemore grounded out to second to start. Xander Bogaerts legged out a seeing eye single and made it to third on a hit and run single by AJ Pierzynski. Jonathan Herrera popped up to Beltre in foul territory but JBJ got a base hit up the middle to score Bogaerts and advance Pierzynski to third. Nava drew a walk to load the bases but Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0

                                                 JBJ drives in a run

Leonys Martin tried to catch the Sox asleep with a bunt to start the top of the third but the alert Pedroia gunned him down at first. JP Arencibia flied out to a running JBJ before Choo tripled just over the head of Sizemore in center. Andrus grounded out to second to end the inning. Ortiz led off the bottom of the third by grounding into the shift before Napoli singled to left. Sizemore hit into a double play to end the inning.

The Rangers struck back in the top of the fourth although Fielder grounded out to second to start. Beltre and Rios stroked back to back singles before a passed ball moved them both into scoring position. Sizemore made a great diving catch on a Moreland liner but Beltre scored to tie the game. Murphy whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                            Moreland makes the grab

The Sox wasted no time getting the lead back in the bottom of the fourth although Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Pierzynski singled to center and Herrera singled him to third. The defensive wizard JBJ came up big as his base hit to left scored AJ and moved Herrera to third. Nava popped up to left and Pedroia popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

Lackey whiffed Martin to begin the top of the fifth before Arencibia grounded out to second. Choo was frozen for strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a chance to get some insurance in the bottom of the fifth as Ortiz whiffed on a 95 mph fastball. Napoli singled past the diving Murphy to right and Sizemore singled in almost the same spot. Bogaerts popped up to first but a wild pitch moved the runners over. Pierzynski whiffed to end the inning.

Lackey kept up the pace in the top of the sixth although Andrus singled up the middle to start. Fielder popped up to center and Beltre hit into a double play to end the inning. Pedro Figueroa took over on the mound for the bottom of the sixth and Herrera was plunked to start. JBJ flied out to center as Sox analyst learned how to send a text, but Nava banged into a double play to end the inning.

Rios worked a leadoff walk to start the top of the seventh and swiped second. Rios moved to third on the grounder by Moreland but Lackey got a big out when Murphy popped up to second. Martin drew a walk and Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves sprinted to the mound to tell Lackey that 2 plus 2 is 4. Martin swiped second but Arencibia grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Lackey who tossed 7 innings of 1 run ball to put the Sox in line for the win.

                                            Good effort from a happy Lackey

Seth Rosin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Pedroia led off by grounding out to short to begin. Ortiz hit a fly out a mile high to center before Napoli beat out a grounder under the glove of Murphy. Sizemore doubled off the Monster but Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning.

Chris Capuano got the call to pitch the top of the eighth and Choo singled into the left field corner to start. Andrus lined out to Sizemore in center before Fielder banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the eighth as Pierzynski singled to center to begin. Herrera tried to bunt but Rosin ended up walking him. JBJ did drop down a bunt but everyone ran for it and nobody covered first. Fielder threw the ball to no one and Pierzynski scored, Herrera moving to third on the error. That was it for Rosin as Shawn Tolleson came in to pour gas on the fire as Nava singled home Herrera and moved JBJ to third. Pedroia beat out a double play ball to score JBJ with another run. Ortiz forced Pedroia at second and Napoli forced Ortiz at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

It was time for the Orient Express as Koji Uehara came in to close out the top of the ninth inning. Beltre lined out to left and Herrera nearly fell into the Ranger dugout to snare a pop up from Rios. Moreland extended the inning with a base hit over the head of Pedroia before Murphy doubled off the Monster. Martin whiffed to end the game. The Sox snapped their 3 game losing streak with a 5-1 win.

                                                  Sox win


Hero of the Night is Jackie Bradley Jr. He drove in 2 runs and made 2 great catches to lead the Sox to victory.

                                                          Jackie Bradley Hero



The Good:

Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a hit by pitch.

Mike Napoli was 3 for 5.

Grady Sizemore was 2 for 4.

AJ Pierzynski was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Jonathan Herrera was 1 for 2 with a walk, hit by pitch and a run scored.

John Lackey got the win by tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed just 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

Chris Capuano tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox offense is off to a cold start but John Lackey is picking up where he left off last season. He pitched a determined game after the Sox had lost 3 straight games and the offense picked him up. Koji Uehara looks just as dominant as he did last year so that's encouraging. The Sox offense is going to have to figure itself out if the Sox hope to repeat this season. Sizemore hasn't played in 3 years so he's going to have to knock some rust off. Getting Shane Victorino back to full strength would help big time. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it two in a row over the Rangers when they send Felix Doubront (1-0) to the mound to take on Martin Perez at 6:10 PM at Fenway Park.