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.

Tanaka, Yankees Shut Down Sox (7/17/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. William Cuevas was sent back to Pawtucket and the Sox activated pitcher Drew Pomeranz. If Pomeranz pitches well, the Sox will have a 5 man rotation that will be pretty tough to beat.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, the Red Sox got bushwhacked by the New York Yankees and their ace Masahiro Tanaka on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball. Dustin Pedroia caught Tanaka with a first inning home run but the Sox would have just two hits the rest of the way. David Price (9-7, 4.36 ERA) played with fire all game, allowing 11 total hits. He got tagged for 3 runs in the fourth inning and was knocked out in the sixth with the Sox trailing 3-1. The Sox bullpen held the Yankees scoreless but the Yankees bullpen shut down the Sox. The Sox got the tying run to the plate in the top of the ninth but Hanley Ramirez grounded into a double play to end it. The Yankees had beaten the Sox 3-1 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                                    This game sucked

Tanaka got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to left to start. Dustin Pedroia then launched his ninth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Xander Bogaerts popped up to center and David Ortiz flied out to Jacoby Ellsbury to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Sox strike first

Price got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner lined out to a diving Brock Holt to start. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to second but Carlos Beltran doubled off the right field wall. Alex Rodriguez walked but Chase Headley grounded out to first to end the inning.

Hanley Ramirez struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short. Travis Shaw drew a walk and Sandy Leon drilled a base hit to right, but Holt grounded out to first to end the inning. Didi Gregorius grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Starlin Castro drilled a base hit to right as the ESPN analysists brought up the fact Chicago White Sox pitcher Thornton Lee somehow got a first place MVP vote over Ted Williams and Joe Dimaggio in 1941. Rob Refsnyder grounded out to first to move Castro to second but Austin Romine lined out to a running Bradley to end the inning.

Mr. Mookie flied out to left to start the top of the third before Pedroia lined out to right. Bogaerts lined out to second to end the inning. Gardner grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Ellsbury popped up to second. Beltran got a base hit to left but A-Rod grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ortiz struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth before Ramirez also went down hacking. Jackie Bradley Jr took strike three to end the inning. The Yankees blasted price in the bottom of the fourth as Headley lined out to right to start. Gregorius got a base hit to center and Castro doubled to left to score Didi to tie the game. Refsnyder struck out swinging but Romine singled off the glove of Pedroia to score Castro. Gardner singled to left and Ellsbury dumped a base hit to center. Bradley Jr then turned and fired the ball 100 feet over the head of the catcher for an error to score Romine. Beltran grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-1.

                                                         JBJ overthrows everyone

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Shaw flied out to center to start. Leon struck out swinging but Hitman Holt doubled to right. Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to end the inning. A-Rod grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Headley grounded out to third. Gregorius doubled to right and Castro popped up to second to end the inning.

Pedroia flied out to right to start the top of the sixth before Bogaerts struck out swinging. Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning. The Yankees finished off Price in the bottom of the sixth as Refsnyder flied out to left to start. Romine also flied out to left but Gardner lined a base hit over the head of Pedroia. Ellsbury singled to right and that was it for Price. He allowed ELEVEN hits and a walk in just 5 2/3 innings. Robbie Ross Jr got Beltran to pop up to third to end the inning.

                                "Gimmie that ball....and...AND GET OUTTA HERE!" - Farrell

Dellin Betances came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Ramirez lined out to center to start. JBJ grounded out to third and Shaw took strike three to end the inning. A-Rod struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and Headley grounded out to third. Gregorius was hit with a pitch and that was it for Ross. Heath Hembree came in to get Castro to force Gregorius at second to end the inning.

Aaron Hicks came in for Beltran with Andrew Miller coming in to pitch the top of the eighth. Leon flied out to center and Bryce Brentz pinch hit for Holt. Brentz walked but Mr. Mookie lined out to center. Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning. Refsnyder walked to start the bottom of the eighth but Romine popped a bunt up to Romine. Tommy Layne came in to pitch to Gardner and Brett forced Refsnyder at second. Gardner stole second but Ellsbury grounded out to short to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Bogaerts lined out to right to start. Ortiz walked and Michael Martinez pinch ran for him. Ramirez grounded into a double play to end the game. The Yankees had won it 3-1.

                                                              Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Hanley Ramirez. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts including grounding into the game ending double play.

                                                             Jackass Ramirez

The Good:

Sandy Leon was 1 for 3.

Brock Holt was 1 for 2.

Bryce Brentz walked as a pinch hitter.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless inning.

Heath Hembree tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Tommy Layne pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and an error.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a solo home run.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

David Price took the loss but allowed only 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings, He allowed 11 hits and a walk.

Honorable Mention:

Michael Martinez pinch ran for Ortiz in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Sometimes you get beat by a good pitcher and this was one of those games. Tanaka was on his game tonight and it takes a lot to beat him on one of those nights. The scary part is David Price was matched up against him and lost. That's not a good sign going forward if Price can't beat other team's aces. Madison Bumgarner outpitched him back in June and now this. The worst part is the Sox could have gained ground if they won because the Baltimore Orioles lost to Tampa Bay today. The Sox couldn't generate any offense and even if JBJ didn't throw the ball away, they still would have lost. It was one of those games where you just tip your hat and say "ya got me". The loss dropped the Sox to 51-39, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action against the San Francisco Giants. Rick Porcello (11-2) faces old pal Jake Peavy this Tuesday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez, Sox Beat Yankees (7/16/16)

Make it six wins in a row for the suddenly hot Boston Red Sox. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-3, 7.18 ERA) came up from Pawtucket and spun a beauty against the New York Yankees. Rodriguez held the Yankees to just 1 run in 7 strong innings to hold up the pitching side. The offense wore down CC Sabathia by getting two runs off him going into the sixth inning. Sandy Leon crushed a three run home run to essentially ice the game. Matt Barnes allowed a home run to Chase Headley but Koji Uehara slammed the door on the 5-2 victory by the Red Sox over the Yankees at Yankee Stadium.

                                                           Luke Donald approves of the win

Sabathia got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to right to start. Dustin Pedroia walked but Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. E-Rod got the ball in the bottom of the first and Brett Gardner singled to center to start. Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left and Bryce Brentz nearly cleaned out Xander Bogaerts on a line drive by Carlos Beltran. Alex Rodriguez forced Gardner at second to end the inning.

David Ortiz lined out to short to start the top of the second and Hanley Ramirez popped up to left. Jackie Bradley Jr got his first hit against Sabathia with a bloop single to left. Aaron Hill struck out swinging to end the inning. Brian McCann grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Mark Teixeira grounded back to the mound. Didi Gregorius flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Bryce Brentz reached when Didi Gregorius threw his grounder away for an error. Sandy Leon hit a bullet to third but Mr. Mookie got a base hit to center. Pedroia walked to load the bases and it looked like Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning, but alert Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Bogaerts was safe at first. Sure enough, Bogaerts was ruled safe and Brentz scored a run. Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                           "Safe you idiot!" - Bogaerts

The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the third as Starlin Castro popped up to first to start. Chase Headley popped up to second but Gardner hit a home run all the way to Shea Stadium to tie the game. Ellsbury grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                              Home run Gardner

The Sox answered in the top of the fourth as Ramirez flied out to center to start. JBJ beat out an infield single to third but Hill popped up to second. Brentz also beat out a roller to third and Leon lashed a base hit to left to score Bradley. Mr. Mookie walked to load the bases but Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                         Leon drives in a run

Beltran flied out to left to open the bottom of the fourth before A-Rod walked. McCann singled to right but Teixeira grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Bogaerts flied out to center to open the top of the fifth before Ortiz also flied out to center. Sox analyst Jerry Remy told a hilarious story of when he was with the California Angels, manager Dick Williams had second base placed to the right so his small ball lineup could reach second easier. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Gregorius doubled to right to start the bottom of the fifth before Castro lined out to short. Headley grounded out to short to move Gregorius to third and Gardner walked. Ellsbury popped up to second to end the inning.

The Sox broke it open in the top of the sixth as JBJ got a base hit to left to start. Hill hit a roller to third and Headley threw low to first, under the glove of Teixeira for an error to move Bradley to third. Brentz grounded out to third but Leon crushed his second home run of the season to ice the game. Mr. Mookie drilled a base hit to right to chase Sabathia. Anthony Swarzak came in to pitch and Pedroia grounded out to third to move Betts to second. Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                             Leon hits one out

Beltran popped up to first to start the bottom of the sixth before A-Rod flied out to right. McCann popped up to second to end the inning.

Ortiz walked to start the top of the seventh but Ramirez forced him at second. JBJ grounded out to first to move Ramirez to second but Hill lined out to right to end the inning. Teixeira popped up to first to start the bottom of the seventh before Gregorius struck out swinging. Castro grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Rodriguez who tossed one of his best games of the season. He allowed just 4 hits, 2 walks and 1 run in 7 innings.

                                                    Good work Rodriguez

Brentz grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth before Leon struck out swinging. Mr. Mookie took strike three to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Headley greeted him with a home run all the way to Albany to cut the lead. Gardner struck out swinging, Ellsbury grounded out to short and Beltran popped up to short to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-2.

                                                    Home run Headley

Richard Bleier came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Pedroia flied out to center to start. Bogaerts grounded out to short but Ortiz got a base hit to left. Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. Koji Uehara came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and A-Rod popped up to short to start. McCann struck out swinging and Teixeira grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Sandy Leon. His three run home run propelled the Sox to victory.

                                                               Hero Leon

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Eduardo Rodriguez got the win by throwing 7 innings of 1 run ball on 4 hits and 2 walks.

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

The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Matt Barnes allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 5 but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Bryce Brentz was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Everything is coming up Red Sox and now the Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays have something to fear. Not only does Eduardo Rodriguez look right but Drew Pomeranz is expecting to activated tomorrow. Those two along with Rick Porcello, David Price and Steven Wright are going to give the Sox a 1-5 punch that nobody can match. How about Sandy Leon coming out of nowhere to be in the running for AL MVP? Who saw that coming last year? As long as the Sox don't suffer any more devastating injuries, this team is primed for a stretch run. The offense just needs to remain consistent and this team is going places, unlike the Yankees. Good to see Rodriguez pitch well and Leon hit the home run to push the streak to six wins in a row. The win improved the Sox to 51-38, 2 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Yankees out of the Bronx tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. David Price (9-6) takes on Masahiro Tanaka of New York at 8:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sox Beat Yankees Out of Break (7/15/16)

During the all-star break the Boston Red Sox made a bevy of roster moves. Noe Ramirez was optioned down to Pawtucket and Eduardo Rodriguez was activated from the Disabled List to take his place. Junichi Tazawa was placed on the Disabled List with a bad shoulder and William Cuevas was called up to take his place. Finally, the Sox traded 18 year old pitcher Anderson Espinoza to the San Diego Padres for starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz. The big lefty was 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts for the Padres. If he can pitch that well with the Sox already boasting David Price, Steven Wright and Rick Porcello, the Sox just became one of the favorites to win the AL East.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, the Red Sox came out of the all-star break swinging. The Sox won their fifth game in a row by coming to New York and beating the Yankees. Steven Wright (11-5, 2.78) continued his march toward 20 wins and the AL Cy Young award by tossing 6 solid innings, allowing 3 runs to keep the Sox in reach. Meanwhile the Sox played home run derby with Michael "Pine Tar" Pineda. Ryan Hanigan and Travis Shaw went yard but it was Xander Bogaerts two run jack that proved to be the difference. The vaunted Sox bullpen stepped up as Brad Ziegler, Robbie Ross Jr and Koji Uehara slammed the door on the Yankees. It all added up to a 5-3 win over the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

                                                          Reena Sky approves of the win

Pineda got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts was robbed of a base hit by Mark Teixeira to start. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Wright got the ball in the bottom of the first as Brett Gardner flied out to left to start. Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left and Carlos Beltran struck out swinging to end the inning.

David Ortiz struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second. Jackie Bradley Jr also grounded out to second to end the inning. Brian McCann popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Teixeira lined out to left. Alex Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Travis Shaw struck out swinging to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt was rung up for strike three but Ryan Hanigan hit his first home run in almost a year to put the Sox on top. Mr. Mookie beat out a roller to third but Pedroia grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Home Run Hanigan

Didi Gregorius struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Mr. Mookie made a great catch on a Starlin Castro fly ball. Chase Headley grounded out to first to end the inning.

Bogaerts lined out to to third to start the top of the fourth before Ortiz lined out to right. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Gardner was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to start the bottom of the fourth before Ellsbury took strike three. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as JBJ walked to start. Shaw then smashed his 10th home run of the season to increase the lead. Holt struck out swinging, Hanigan grounded out to short and Mr. Mookie lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                             Bradley congratulates Shaw

McCann struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Teixeira popped up to short. A-Rod got the Yankees first hit of the game with a nubber in front of the plate. Gregorius popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth as Pedroia got a base hit to left to start. Bogaerts belted his 11th home run of the season to chase Pineda from the game. Chasen Shreve came in and Ortiz got a base hit to the centerfield fence. Ramirez forced Ortiz at second but JBJ lined out to left. Shaw and Holt worked back to back walks to load the bases, chasing Shreve from the game. Nick Goody came in to face Hanigan and Ryan flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                            Bogaerts goes yard

The Yankees finally got to Wright in the bottom of the sixth as Castro looped a base hit to center to start. Headley was hit with a pitch but Gardner flied out to center. Ellsbury walked to load the bases and Beltran ripped a base hit down the line to score Castro and Headley. Ellsbury moved to third on the hit and he scored on the force at second by McCann. Teixeira popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox still up 5-3. That was it for Wright who tossed six solid innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk.

                                                            Good work Wright

Mr. Mookie lined out to left to start the top of the seventh but Pedroia drew a walk. Bogaerts struck out swinging and that was it for Goody. Nathan Eovaldi was brought in to face Ortiz and David grounded out to first to end the inning. Brad Ziegler came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and A-Rod grounded out to first to start. Gregorius grounded out to second and Castro popped up to second to end the inning.

Ramirez got a base hit down the third base line to start the top of the eighth but JBJ hit a bullet to Gregorius. Shaw lined out to third but Holt roped a base hit to left. Sox analyst Dave O'Brien brought up how Boston prospect Michael Kopech hit 105 on the gun down in Salem and Jerry Remy said that would have scared him in his playing days. Hanigan struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                    "105? I don't want to see that. I'll take the day off" - Remy

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Headley singled past the diving Bogaerts to start. Gardner flied out to center and Ellsbury was rung up on a check swing strike three. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to start. Pedroia struck out swinging and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Koji Uehara came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and McCann struck out swinging to start. Teixeira flied out to center and A-Rod popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His two run home run proved to be the runs needed to win the game.

                                                       X Gon Hero For Ya

The Good:

Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Steven Wright got the win allowing 3 runs in 6 innings off 3 hits and a walk.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Koji Uehara earned his 5th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Final Thoughts:

Everything is clicking right now for the Red Sox. The starters are pitching well, the trade for Ziegler shored up the bullpen and the offense has been hitting the ball out of sight. Once Craig Kimbrel comes back healthy this bullpen will be devastating down the stretch. As long as the Sox don't suffer any more catastrophic injuries this just might be the team to beat going forward. Uehara as a closer is like old times again and the Sox shorten the game with Ziegler out there. With the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays all within jockeying position of the Red Sox, this is going to be a hell of a stretch run. The win improved the Sox to 50-38, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow when Eduardo Rodriguez (1-3, 8.59 ERA) looks to get back on track against CC Sabathia of the Yankees. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

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.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                        IN

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.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                      IN

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.