Gibson, Twins Shut Down Sox (7/22/16)

So much for the Boston Red Sox high powered offense. Tonight Kyle Gibson had only two wins going into the season but tonight earned his third big time. Holding the Sox to just 2 hits and a walk in 8 innings, the Twins survived a ninth inning rally to defeat the Sox. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-4, 6.70 ERA) was the hard luck loser but it would be the Twins that took the game 2-1 at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Eduardo Nunez greeted him by flying out to the right field warning track. Robbie Grossman singled to center but Joe Mauer whiffed. The alert Sandy Leon gunned down Grossman trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox got one of their only hits off Gibson 2 pitches into the top of the first when Mr. Mookie Betts swatted a solo home run into the Monster Seats to give the Sox the quick lead. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging but the ball got away so he made it to first. Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single but David Ortiz banged into a double play to kill the rally. Hanley Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                           Mookie puts the Sox on top

The Twins wasted no time tying in the game in the top of the second as Brian Dozier hit a 400,000 foot home run into the Atlantic Ocean to tie the game. Miguel Sano whiffed but Max Kepler singled to center. Kepler was erased on the force by Eduardo Escobar but Juan Centeno whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Dozier ties it up

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to start. Travis Shaw and Sandy Leon both flied out to right to end the inning.

Rodriguez settled down in the top of the third as Byron Buxton whiffed to start. Nunez grounded out to third before Grossman flied out to center to end the inning. Gibson began to dominate the bottom of the third as Brock "The Hitman" Holt whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third and Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning.

Rodriguez struck out Mauer to begin the top of the fourth but Dozier doubled to....BUT WAIT! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Dozier was out at second and he was indeed. Sano singled to right but Kepler looked at strike three to end the inning. Bogaerts whiffed to open the bottom of the fourth before Ortiz grounded out to third. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

All of a sudden Mookie Betts keeled over grabbing his hamstring and had to be hauled off in an ambulance headed to Mass General's ICU. Michael Martinez took over in right to begin the top of the fifth. Escobar lined out to center before Rodriguez snared a liner off the bat of Centeno. Buxton beat out an infield single to third but Nunez whiffed to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the fifth as JBJ flied out to right, Shaw whiffed and Leon popped up to third to end the inning.

The Twins struck in the top of the sixth although Grossman whiffed to start. Mauer walked and that was it for Rodriguez. The lefty lasted just 5 1/3 innings before Farrell pulled the plug although he didn't pitch bad. Heath Hembree came in and poured gas on the fire by walking Dozier and allowing an rbi double to Sano to put Minnesota on top. Sox manager John Farrell stormed out of the dugout and chased Hembree away, kicking dirt at him as Robbie Ross Jr was summoned. Kepler whiffed and Escobar flied out to right to end the inning with the Twins up 2-1.

                                                      Rodriguez deserved better

The Sox tried to rally when Holt walked to begin the bottom of the sixth but was forced at second by Martinez. Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning.

Ross dominated the top of the seventh although Centeno singled to center to begin. Buxton popped up a bunt back to Ross and Nunez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gibson cruised in the bottom of the seventh as Bogaerts flied out to center, Ortiz lined out to center and Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa came in for the top of the eighth and Grossman lined out to right to begin. Mauer grounded out to second but Dozier and Sano stroked back to back singles. Kepler flied out to center to end the inning. Eddie Rosario took over for Grossman in left as JBJ whiffed to open the bottom of the eighth. Shaw grounded out to second but Leon reached when Escobar dropped a pop up for an error. The Sox failed to capitalize as Holt grounded out to short to end the inning. Gibson had hurled 8 innings of 1 run ball, how???

Tommy Layne came in for the top of the ninth and Escobar grounded out to third to begin. Centeno was snuffed out on a bunt attempt before Buxton grounded out to third to end the inning. Brandon Kintzler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but the Sox refused to go quietly. Martinez and Pedroia stroked back to back singles before Bogaerts walked to load the bases with nobody out. The normally reliable Ortiz suddenly banged into a double play to kill any hope. Ramirez lined out to right to end the game. The Twins had won it 2-1.

                                                    Nice try Hanley


Jackass of the Night is David Ortiz. He was 0 for 4 including banging into two double plays in key spots, once in the first and once in the ninth.

                                                        Ortiz is the Jackass



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 2 with a solo home run before leaving.

Michael Martinez was 1 for 2.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Tommy Layne pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3.

Heath Hembree allowed a walk and an rbi double.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4.

Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but walked.

Eduardo Rodriguez took the loss but managed to toss 5 1/3 innings of 2 run ball, normally that would be good enough for a win. He allowed 6 hits and struck out 8




Final Thoughts:

Have a day Kyle Gibson, the normally .500 pitcher pitched the game of his life at Fenway and had to be because Rodriguez kept pace. That was a beautiful and unlikely pitcher's duel but the wrong team came out on top. The big guns such as Ramirez and Ortiz didn't do much and the loss of Betts didn't help either. Hopefully Mookie just pulled a hammy but you never know. Games like this happen so there's no need to panic but the Sox can't afford to lose ground with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles neck and neck with the Sox in the AL East race. The less said about this offensive ineptitude the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-40, 0.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action at home against the Twins. David Price goes for the Sox up against Ricky Nolasco at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Sweep Rays Into Break (7/10/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Sean O'Sullivan was placed on the Disabled List with a bad knee and Brad Ziegler was activated to take his place. The Sox need a new set up man/closer with Craig Kimbrel out and he's just what the doctor ordered.

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As for the game, at least the Sox are going into the all-star break on a bit of a hot streak. They've won 7 of their last 9 games including today's first half finale against the Tampa Bay Rays. David Price (9-6, 4.34 ERA) was masterful, blinding the Rays for 8 innings allowing just four hits. David Ortiz hit his 525th career home run and Mookie Betts went 3 for 4 with an rbi of his own. Brad Ziegler made his Sox debut with a scoreless ninth and the Sox walked into the break with a 4-0 win over the Rays at Fenway Park.

                                                       Sweeping into the break

Price got the ball in the top of the first inning and Logan Forsythe struck out swinging to start. Brad Miller grounded out to first but Evan Longoria doubled to the wall. Brandon Guyer got hit with a pitch but Logan Morrison struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Jake Odorizzi in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts singled to right to start. Dustin Pedroia smacked a double high off the Monster and Xander Bogaerts hit a sac fly to right to score Betts, moving Bogaerts to third. David Ortiz then annihilated his 22nd home run of the season and 525th career to increase the lead. Jackie Bradley Jr singled to center but Aaron Hill took strike three. Travis Shaw flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                            Number 22 for Big Papi

The Rays threatened in the top of the second as Curt Casali got a base hit to center but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Corey Dickerson ripped a base hit to center but Nick Franklin struck out swinging. Oswaldo Arcia struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Bryce Brentz flied out to center to start. Sandy Leon doubled down the left field line and moved to third on a passed ball. Mr. Mookie blooped a base hit just inside the right field foul line to score Leon to put the Sox on top. Pedroia grounded out to third to move Betts to second but Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                         Betts drives in a run

Forsythe hit a bullet off the Monster for a single to start the top of the third but Miller forced him at second. Longoria grounded into a double play to end the inning. Ortiz walked to start the bottom of the third but JBJ flied out to left. Hill flied out to left and Shaw struck out swinging to end the inning.

Guyer struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Morrison grounded out to second. Casali grounded out to third to end the inning. Brentz grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Leon took strike three. Mr. Mookie grounded out to first to end the inning.

Dickerson struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth as Sox analyst Dennis Eckersley hilariously told a story that Sandy Alomar Sr got a few hits off him and Eck yelled at him for it. Franklin grounded back to the mound and Arcia struck out swinging to end the inning. Pedroia flied out to left to begin the bottom of the fifth before Bogaerts grounded out to short. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Forsythe struck out looking to open the top of the sixth and Miller flied out to right. Longoria flied out to right to end the inning. Matt Andriese came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and JBJ took strike three to start. Hill flied out to center and Shaw struck out swinging to end the inning.

Price dominated the top of the seventh as Guyer was plunked to start. Morrison grounded out to third to move Guyer to second but Casali lined out to right. Dickerson struck out swinging to end the inning. Brentz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Leon singled off the glove of Andriese. Mr. Mookie got a base hit to right but Pedroia struck out swinging. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Price came back for one final inning in the top of the eighth as Franklin lined out to third to start. Arcia grounded out to first but Forsythe walked. Sox analyst Dennis Eckersley was miffed when Miller tried to bunt and said "You gonna bunt? What?? What are you doing? You're gonna punch out is what you're gonna do." Right on cue Miller struck out swinging to end the inning. Price was masterful, allowing just 4 hits and a walk while striking out 10 in 8 shutout innings.

                                                                     Good work Price

Ortiz lined out to first to start the bottom of the eighth and JBJ grounded out to short. Alex Coleme came in to face Hill and Aaron grounded out to short to end the inning.

Brad Ziegler made his Sox debut in the top of the ninth and Longoria struck out swinging to start. Guyer took strike three and Morrison grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is David Price. He shut out the Rays for 8 innings allowing just 4 hits and a walk. He struck out 10 batters.

                                                             David Hero

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Aaron Hill was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Bryce Brentz was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

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

Final Thoughts:

Things look good for the Red Sox going into the break. They're only two games out of first place and they got great starts from both Rick Porcello and David Price. The offense has been solid all season and the addition of Ziegler is going to help down the road when Craig Kimbrel returns and Junichi Tazawa's feeling better. Who would have thought David Ortiz would have one of the best seasons of his career in his last season? The Sox have 75 games remaining and if the starting pitching matches the offense, they might be playing October baseball for the first time in 3 years. Beating the AL East teams will most certainly help that. The win improves the Sox to 49-38, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. After the break the Sox return to action Friday the 15th in a three game set with the New York Yankees in the Bronx. If there was ever a time to send a statement, it will be then. Steven Wright (10-5) takes the hill against Michael "Pine Tar" Pineda of New York. The game begins Friday night at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Porcello, Sox Shut Dow Rays (7/9/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a bevy of roster moves. The Sox sent 19 year old infielder Luis Alejandro Basabe and 20 year old right handed pitcher Jose Almonte to the Arizona Diamondbacks for veteran relief pitcher Brad Ziegler. Luis and his twin brother Alexander have been a tag team since signing with the Dominican Sox and he was hitting .310 with 4 home runs at the time of the trade with the Greenville Drive. Almonte was 2-2 with a 3.91 ERA in 10 starts for the Drive and could be a prospect for Arizona to develop. Ziegler was a dominating set-up man for the Oakland Athletics and Arizona Diamondbacks and is exactly the kind of pitcher the Sox need with Craig Kimbrel on the Disabled List and the duo of Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara worn out after four straight years of over-ruse. Kimbrel is scheduled to have knee surgery during the all-star break so it'll be a while before we see him again. Marco Hernandez was sent down to Pawtucket as well and replacing them will be Noe Ramirez and Michael Martinez.

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As for the game, who would have thought a year after being mostly batting practice that "Slick" Rick Porcello (11-2, 3.66 ERA) would be in contention for the AL Cy Young Award? Porcello took a big step by holding the Tampa Bay Rays to just 1 run in 7 strong innings of work. There wasn't much offense in this one compared to the last few days but Xander Bogaerts turned a 1-0 game into 2-1 when he launched a home run off Matt Moore in the fourth inning. Dustin Pedroia added the insurance runs and Koji Uehara turned back the clock three years to close out the ninth inning. The Sox won their third game in a row and second straight against the Rays 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Roger Maltby approves of the win

Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Rays wasted no time tagging him. Logan Forsythe popped up to first but Brad Miller hit a home run all the way to Hiroshima to put the Rays on top. Evan Longoria flied out to the left field wall but Logan Morrison hit a seeing eye single into right. Steven Souza Jr took strike three to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                              Miller goes yard

Moore got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts led off with a base hit to right. Dustin Pedroia flied out to right and Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Corey Dickerson led off the top of the second with a double off the Monster to start. Nick Franklin struck out swinging and Oswaldo Arcia flied out to center to move Dickerson to third. Curt Casali struck out swinging to end the inning. David Ortiz lined out to a running Souza to start the bottom of the second but Jackie Bradley Jr singled through the shift up the middle. Aaron Hill popped up to short and Travis Shaw flied out to center to end the inning.

Forsythe popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the third before Miller popped up to third. Longoria flied out to center to end the inning. Bryce Brentz grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third before Sandy Leon popped up to short. Mr. Mookie popped up to right to end the inning.

Morrison popped up to JBJ to start the top of the fourth before Bogaerts threw a grounder by Souza away for an error. Dickerson lined out to left and Souza was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia walked to start. Bogaerts belted his 10th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Ortiz walked but JBJ popped up to third. Hill got a base hit to left but Shaw struck out swinging. Brentz struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                       X Gon Give It To Ya

Franklin doubled to center to start the top of the fifth before Arcia struck out swinging. Casali was rung up for strike three and Bogaerts made a great play to rob Forsythe of a hit to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Leon beat out a grounder to third to start. Mr. Mookie hit a routine pop up to Souza....who dropped it for an error. Pedroia did the honors with a base hit to left to score both runners. Pedroia took second on the throw and Bogaerts drew a walk. Ortiz and JBJ both struck out swinging and Hill flied out to center to end the inning.

                                                    "I don't got it" - Souza Jr

Miller lined out to right to start the top of the sixth but Longoria ripped a base hit to left. Morrison got a base hit to center but Souza grounded into a double play to end the inning. Shaw grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the sixth before Brentz grounded out to third. Leon lined a base hit to center but Mr. Mookie forced Leon at second to end the inning.

Porcello returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Dickerson grounded back to the mound to start. Franklin lined out to right and Arcia grounded out to Hill to end the inning. That was it for Porcello who dominated the Rays for 7 innings. He allowed one run off 6 hits while striking out 5.

                                                        "Good work ya sonovagun" - Farrell

Dylan Floro came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound and Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Casali flied out to left to start. Forsythe grounded out to short and Miller popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth as JBJ doubled to center to start. Hill struck out inning and Shaw was intentionally walked. Brentz grounded out to second to move the runners over....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Brentz was safe, but the call remained. Leon struck out swinging to end the inning.

Koji Uehara came in to close out the top of the ninth and Longoria singled to left to start. Morrison grounded out to short to move Evan to second and Souza took strike three. Dickerson struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-1.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rick Porcello. He earned his 11th win with 7 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed six hits and struck out 5.

                                                                 Hero Porcello

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Koji Uehara earned his fourth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bryce Brentz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drew a walk.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Good win against a struggling team and it shows Porcello is not the same pitcher from last year. The offense didn't do much in this one but they did just enough. Bogaerts getting that home run was clutch but so was the Pedroia base hit after Souza dropped the ball. The Sox capitalized on the error and it helped them win. Matt Barnes and Koji Uehara slammed the door and the Sox are gonna need both of them. Junichi Tazawa is dealing with arm trouble and Craig Kimbrel is out with a torn meniscus. Hopefully Koji can turn back the clock three years for the time being until Kimbrel comes back. Not much else to complain about as the Sox survived a down offensive night to win the game. The win improved the Sox to 48-38, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The final game before the all-star break is tomorrow afternoon against the Rays. David Price (8-6, 4.64 ERA) goes for the Sox against Jake Odorizzi. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Hold Off Rays Rally (7/8/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox sent a big brown sack full of money to the Cleveland Indians for reserve outfielder Michael Martinez. After the Blake Swihart fiasco cost the Sox his services for pretty much the season, the Sox needed an extra outfielder with Ryan LaMarre not getting it done. Maybe Martinez might help. Sean Coyle was designated for assignment to make room for him. Aaron Hill was also activated for tonight's game

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As for the game, that was close. The Tampa Bay Rays damn near came back to beat the Red Sox in tonight's game. The Sox rallied for two quick runs off Rays starter Chris Archer but the Rays tied it against Boston starter Sean O'Sullivan. David Ortiz hit his 21st homer of the year and new addition Aaron Hill drove in a run but the Rays tied it in the top of the fifth. Bryce Brentz put the Sox back on top with an rbi single and Hill added the insurance run. That run was needed as Evan Longoria took Koji Uehara deep in the top of the ninth to bring the tying run to the plate. Koji got Logan Morrison to fly out to give the Sox the 6-5 victory over the Rays at Fenway Park.

                                                        Well said Tommy Boy

O'Sullivan got the ball in the top of the first and Logan Forsythe struck out swinging to start. Brad Miller grounded out to second but Evan Longoria got a base hit to center. Logan Morrison struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time jumping on Chris Archer in the bottom of the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts walked to start. Betts stole second and Dustin Pedroia singled to center to move Mookie to third. Xander Bogaerts ripped a base hit to left to score Mr. Mookie but David Ortiz popped up to second. Hanley Ramirez walked to load the bases and Jackie Bradley Jr hit a fly ball to right that Steven Souza Jr clipped Brandon Guyer trying to catch. Pedroia scored on the sac fly and Bogaerts was picked off to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                              "My bad" - Souza

The Rays fought back in the top of the second as Guyer lined out to left to start. Souza flied out to center but Corey Dickerson doubled down the right field line. Nick Franklin dumped a base hit just in front of JBJ to score Dickerson to cut the lead. Franklin swiped second but Hank Conger struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays down 2-1.

                                                             Rays cut the lead

Brock "The Hitman" Holt lined out to left to start the bottom of the second before Aaron Hill made his Sox debut with a grounder to short. Sandy Leon grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Rays tied it instantly in the top of the third as Forsythe hit a home run all the way to Taiwan to tie the game. Miller grounded out to short, Longoria struck out swinging and Morrison grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Rays tie it up

Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Pedroia flied out to right. Bogaerts flied out to left to end the inning.

Guyer flied out to a tumbling JBJ to start the top of the fourth before Souza grounded out to short. Dickerson flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz clobbered his 21st home run of the season to put the Sox back on top. Ramirez struck out swinging and JBJ grounded out to second, but Holt ripped a base hit to center. Holt tried to swipe second but caught his left leg on the bag. Holt had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to Brigham & Women's ICU. Bryce Brentz ran for Holt and Hill ripped a base hit off the Monster to score Bryce with another run. Leon struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                         Ortiz does it again

The Rays rallied in the top of the fifth as Franklin ripped a base hit to right to start. Franklin stole second and moved to third on the Conger grounder to third. Forsythe walked and Miller hit a sac fly to left to score Franklin to cut the lead. Forsythe stole second and took third on a wild pitch. Longoria ripped a base hit off the Monster to score Logan to tie the game. Morrison singled to right and Guyer was hit with a pitch to load the bases, but Souza Jr forced Guyer at second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4. Sox analyst Dave O'Brien "O'Sullivan gets out of it and I'm not exactly sure how." That was it for O'Sullivan who allowed 4 runs in 5 innings off 7 hits and a walk.

                                                        Struggled but survived

Mr. Mookie grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Pedroia grounded out to third. Bogaerts also grounded out to third to end the inning.

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the top of the sixth as Dickerson singled to left to start. Franklin forced Dickerson at second and Conger took strike three before Forsythe forced Franklin at second to end the inning. The Sox pushed ahead in the bottom of the sixth as Ortiz lined out to center to start. Ramirez got a base hit up the middle and immediately stole second base. JBJ flied out to center but Brentz got a base hit to left to score Ramirez with the go-ahead run.

                                                              Brentz with a big rbi

Miller struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh and Heath Hembree came in to pitch to Longoria. Evan got a base hit to left but Morrison popped up to second. Guyer flied out to right to end the inning. Erasmo Ramirez came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Leon popped up to short to start. Mr. Mookie singled to center and stole second, but Pedroia grounded out to third. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Souza Jr struck out swinging to start. Dickerson walked but Franklin struck out swinging. Conger went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox got some insurance in the bottom of the eighth with Xavier Cedeno now on the mound. Ortiz grounded back to the mound but Ramirez struck out swinging after fouling a ball off his foot. JBJ singled to right and Brentz singled to center to move Bradley to third. Hill got a base hit to right to score JBJ and chase Cedeno. Ryan Garton got Leon to fly out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-4.

                                                      Good debut for Hill

Travis Shaw came in to play first for Hanley with Koji Uehara on the mound to close out the top of the ninth. Forsyth lined out to left before Miller took strike three. Longoria hit a home run all the way to Mongolia but Morrison flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-5.

                                                             Sox win

                             

Hero of The Night is Aaron Hill. He made his Sox debut by driving in two big runs with two clutch hits.

                                                                  Hero Hill

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 stolen bases and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Brock Holt was 1 for 2 with a stolen base.

Bryce Brentz was 2 for 2 with an rbi and a run scored.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Heath Hembree got the final two outs of the seventh inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

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

Sean O'Sullivan battled his way through five innings allowing 4 runs off 7 hits and a walk while striking out four.

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

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Koji Uehara allowed a run in the ninth but picked up his third save of the year.

Honorable Mention:

Travis Shaw played first base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Bad news was Brock Holt suffered a sprained ankle on that play at second so he may be headed to the Disabled List. Ramirez also didn't feel good after fouling a ball off his foot so keep both of them in mind. Otherwise that was another good offensive display to get the job done when needed. The Rays matched them run for run until O'Sullivan left and the unlikely duo of Bryce Brentz and Aaron Hill saved the day. Ortiz hit another home run inching closer in the all time record books and Mr. Mookie stole a couple of bags in this one. If Ramirez and Holt are okay, the Sox are gonna be fun to watch after the all-star break. O'Sullivan had balls of steel to have the bases loaded in the fifth and still work his way out of it, kudos for that. Too bad this isn't 2013 Koji with Craig Kimbrel out for this one, but the game still ended in a W. With the AL East picture very close, every win counts. The win improved the Sox to 48-37, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 3 straight wins and 2 in a row over the Rays tomorrow afternoon when "Slick" Rick Porcello (10-2) takes on Matt Moore of Tampa. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (7/7/16)

The Boston Red Sox made a few roster moves during today's off-day. The Sox sent minor league prospects second baseman Wendell Rijo and right handed pitcher Aaron Wilkerson to the Milwaukee Brewers for 34 year old third baseman Aaron Hill. Also Ryan LeMarre was sent down to Pawtucket as well. With Pablo Sandoval out, the Sox needed a veteran third baseman and Hill might be the answer.

                                                                   OUT

                                                                  IN

On This Day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful History:

1986 - Clemens loses to Stewart, A's

2000 - Braves beat Sox behind Glavine

2013 - Angels blank Sox

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night against the Tampa Bay Rays. Sean O'Sullivan goes for the Sox against Chris Archer of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outslug Rangers (7/6/16)

A day after the Boston Red Sox were relatively silent against the Texas Rangers, the bats woke up in a hurry to defeat the Texas Rangers in tonight's game. The Sox needed the offense because the Rangers smacked around Steven Wright (10-5, 2.68 ERA) for six runs in 6 innings. David Ortiz hit a two run home run in the bottom of the first that set the tone and rookie Bryce Brentz knocked in three runs of his own. Ryan Hanigan also drove in a pair of runs to add to the cause. After Wright left the Boston bullpen shut down the Rangers the rest of the way as the Sox got 10 hits and 11 runs to beat the Rangers 11-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Josie Canseco approves of the win

Wright got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jurickson Profar grounded back to the mound to begin. Ian Desmon struck out swinging and Rougned Odor flied out to left to end the inning. Martin Perez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second but Xander Bogaerts singled off the glove of Elvis Andrus. David Ortiz then launched his 20th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Hanley Ramirez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                           Big Papi does it again

The Rangers struck back in the top of the second as Adrian Beltre ate up Pedroia with a grounder for an error. Prince Fielder was hit with a pitch but Ryan Rua flied out to right. Nomar Mazara got a base hit to left to score Beltre to cut the lead. A wild pitch moved the runners over but Andrus struck out swinging. Bobby Wilson struck out swinging with the Rangers down 2-1.

                                                     Beltre scores a run

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr walked to start. Bryce Brentz hit a double play ball to Rougned Odor but JBJ ran in front of him causing Odor to bobble the ball for an error. Travis Shaw hit a routine grounder to Beltre who bobbled that one for another error to load the bases. Ryan Hanigan dropped a base hit to right to score both JBJ and Brentz. Mr. Mookie doubled off the Monster to score Shaw and Pedroia hit a routine grounder to Andrus....booted for yet another error to score Hanigan. Bogaerts hit a fly ball to right to move Betts to third and he scored on the sac fly to left by Ortiz. Ramirez lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 7-1.

                                                          Sox pour it on

Profar flied out to the centerfield warning track to start the top of the third and Desmond got a base hit to center. Odor and Beltre both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third as JBJ lined a ball off the glove of Odor into centerfield and Bradley took second on the throw. Brentz hit a ground ball into right field and Mazara threw the ball over everything to score JBJ, advancing Bryce to second. Shaw doubled to the Monster to score Brentz but Hanigan lined out to a sliding Rua. Shaw stole third but Mr. Mookie grounded out to third. Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 9-1.

                                                  Not even Giant Gonzalez catches THAT one

Fielder walked to start the top of the fourth but Rua struck out swinging. Mazara got a base hit to left but Andrus grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts drew a walk to start. Ortiz hit a bullet but right to Odor but Ramirez doubled to right. JBJ grounded out to second but Brentz blooped a single to right to score both runners. Shaw struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-1.

                                                           Good work Brentz

Wilson grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Profar struck out swinging. Desmond grounded out to short to end the inning. Jared Hoying took over for Beltre with Jose Leclerc taking over for Perez on the mound to start the bottom of the fifth. Hanigan struck out swinging to start before Mr. Mookie smacked a double off the bottom of the Monster. Pedroia walked but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Ortiz walked to load the bases but Ramirez forced him at second to end the inning.

The Rangers tagged Wright in the top of the sixth as Odor flied out to center to start. Hoying beat out a roller to third and Fielder hit a home run all the way to Columbia to cut the lead. Rua got a base hit to center but Mazara flied out to right. Andrus grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Rangers down 11-3.

                                                            Home run Fielder

JBJ grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth and Brentz struck out swinging. Shaw flied out to left to end the inning.

The Rangers rallied in the top of the seventh as Wilson singled to center to start. Profar singled to right to move Wilson to third and Sox pitching coach Carl Willis sprinted to the mound to tell Wright that he forgot his gum in the locker. Desmond then tripled into the centerfield triangle to clear the bases, ending Wright's night. He got hammered for 6 runs in 6 innings allowing 9 runs and a walk. Tommy Layne came in to pitch and Odor struck out swinging. Hoying singled to center to score Desmond but Fielder struck out swinging. Rua struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rangers down 11-6

                                                      Not the best outing from Wright

Hanigan grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to end the night for Leclerc. Tony Barnette got Pedroia to fly out to center to end the inning.

Marco Hernandez took over for Shaw to start the top of the eighth and Mazara was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to begin. Andrus walked to chase Layne and Matt Barnes came in to face Wilson. Wilson struck out swinging but Andrus swiped second base. Profar grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Bogaerts was plunked to start the bottom of the eighth but Ortiz flied out to right. Ramirez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Desmond struck out swinging to start. Odor grounded out to first but Hoying walked. Hoying took second and third on defensive indifference then Fielder drew a walk. Pitching coach Carl Willis ran to the mound to tell Kimbrell that Bring It On: All or Nothing was on in the locker room. Kimbrel blew away Rua to end the game. The Sox had won it 11-6.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is David Ortiz. His two run homer started the party and his sac fly in the second was the difference in the game.

                                                       Saluting the Hero

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk, hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.

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

Bryce Brentz was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Matt Barnes tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

One of the ultra rare times the winning pitcher ends up on the Bad list but Steven Wright got hammered for 6 runs in 6 innings. He allowed 9 hits and a walk while striking out 7.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Tommy Layne allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Marco Hernandez played third base in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Big win by the Sox with the All-Star game approaching. The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays are hanging around the first place position but the Sox are hanging in there too. The Sox offense is as good as anyone in the league but the pitching isn't quite up to snuff. Today's game was a microcosm of the season as the Sox allowed 6 runs but scored 11. They can't beat up everyone like they did the Rangers, but Wright had an unusually bad day. Still, hats off to Brentz, Ortiz and the bullpen for locking it all down. The win improved the Sox to 46-38, 3 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox are back in action Friday night against the Tampa Bay Rays. Sean O'Sullivan gets the start for the Sox against Chris Archer of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.