Tuesday, July 25, 2017

Incompetent Sox Blow Game in 13 (7/25/17)

The Boston Red Sox are finding new ways to piss off their fans every single day it seems. One day after getting shut-out by the lowly Mariners and the story breaking that the team are a bunch of jerks, they turned what should have been a gutty 5-4 extra innings win into a shocking 6-5 defeat at Safeco Field against the Seattle Mariners. A wild pitch and an infield single was all it took to seal the doom of the Sox.
                                                      "This team SUCKS!"

Seattle ace King Felix Hernandez took the mound in the top of the first inning and Mookie Betts flied out to center. Andrew Benintendi singled and took second on a wild pitch, but Dustin Pedroia grounded out right to Hernandez. Hanley Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning. Sox starter Drew Pomeranz matched Hernandez in the bottom of the first. Jean Segura grounded out to second, Danny Valencia struck out and Robinson Cano grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly in the top of the second inning as Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first, Xander Bogaerts whiffed and Mitch Moreland struck out swinging to end the inning. The Mariners struck first in the bottom of the second although Nelson Cruz struck out to start. Kyle Seager beat out an infield single but Mitch Haniger flied out to right. Ben Gamel walked and Guillermo Heredia cleared the bases with a 3 run home run. Mike Zunino walked but Segura lined out to right to end the inning with the Mariners in command 3-0.
                                                 Vazquez sez "This sucks!"

The Sox failed to answer in the top of the third inning. Christian Vazquez flied out to center as Rafael Devers made his major league debut with a fly out to center. Betts flied out to center as well to end the inning. Pomeranz tried to settle down in the bottom of the third by striking out Valencia to start. Cano doubled but Cruz flied out to right. Seager walked but Haniger struck out to end the inning. Pomeranz was not long for this game.

The Sox got one back in the top of the fourth inning although Benintendi flied out to center to start. Pedroia struck out but Ramirez blasted a solo home run to cut the deficit. JBJ hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning but it was now 3-1.
                                                     Ramirez blasts one to make it 3-1

Pomeranz struggled again in the bottom of the fourth inning. Gamel singled and took second on a wild pitch, moving to third on the fly out by Heredia. Pomeranz got a hufe out by striking out Zunino but Segura walked. Drew bore down to strike out Valencia to end the inning.

Hernandez dominated the top of the fifth as Bogaerts flied out to center, Moreland lined out to second and Vazquez lined out to third to end the inning in short order. Pomeranz finally had a clean inning in the bottom of the fifth, his last. Cano grounded out to third, Cruz whiffed and Seager flied out to left to end the inning. Pomeranz' failure to go deep cost the Sox big once the game went into extras.

The Sox exploded to take the lead in the top of the sixth inning. Devers walked but Betts struck out. Benintendi walked and a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Pedroia stepped up to tie the game with a double, moving to third on the ground out by Ramirez. JBJ lashed a single to center to score Pedroia with the go-ahead run and chase Felix from the game. Steve Cishek replaced Hernandez and got Bogaerts to strike out to end the inning, but it was now 4-3 Sox.
                                             JBJ puts the Sox on top

Heath Hembree was first out of the pen in the bottom of the sixth and he cruised. Haniger grounded out to third, Gamel flied out to center and Heredia popped up to short to end the inning.

Moreland walked to open the top of the seventh inning but Vazquez lined out to right and Devers banged into a double play to end the inning. The lead evaporated in seconds in the botton of the seventh when Zunino blasted a solo home run to tie the game. Segura walked and that was it for Hembree. Matt Barnes came in and induced a double play by Valencia. Cano singled but Cruz struck out to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.
                                                    Shame on you Hembree

The Sox had a great chance to take the lead in the top of the eighth against David Phelps. Betts flied out but Benintendi and Pedroia stroked back to back singles. Ramirez beat out a double play ball to put the go-ahead run at third and that was it for Phelps. Marc Rzepczynski got JBJ to ground out to end the inning. Barnes returned for the bottom of the eighth and cruised. Seager struck out, Haniger grounded out to third and Gamel grounded out to first to end the inning.

Edwin Diaz came in to pitch the top of the ninth and the Sox squandered a chance to lead AGAIN. Bogaerts popped up to first and Moreland grounded out to second before Vazquez singled. Brock Holt pinch ran for Vazquez and Devers walkedto put the go-ahead run at second. Betts flailed away at the first pitch and flied out to end the inning, what a waste.

Sandy Leon took over behind the plate with Brandon Workman on the mound in the bottom of the ninth inning. Heredia grounded out to third, Zunino struck out and Segura grounded out to second to end the inning. On to extra innings we went.

Nick Vincent was brought in to pitch the top of the tenth but the Sox offense was asleep. Benintendi grounded out to second, Pedroia popped up to second and Ramirez hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel got the ball in the bottom of the tenthand nearly gave it away when Valencia singled to start. Danny Espinosa pinch ran for Valencia and swiped second but Kimbrel blew away Cano and Cruz. Seager walked but Craig blew away Haniger to end the inning.

James Pazos came in to pitchthe top of the eleventh inning and Cano gave the Sox life by booting a ground ball hit by JBJ. Bogaerts walked to put 2 men on with no out and Sox manager John Farrell sent in Chris Young to pinch hit for Moreland rather than having Mitch drop a bunt down. Right on cue Young flied out to right, nice going Farrell. Leon beat out a double play ball to once again put the go-ahead run at third...but Devers struck out to end the inning. Another waste.

Doug Fister (0-5, 7.46 ERA) came in to pitch the bottom of the eleventh inning as Deven Marrero took over at first. Fister froze Gamel for strike three to start. Heredia singled but was erased on a force by Zunino. Segura grounded to second to end the inning.

Tony Zych appeared out of thin air to pitch the top of the 12th inning. Betts struck out, Benintendi flied out to right and Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning. Fister cruised in the bottom of the 12th inning. Espinosa and Cano flied out to center before Cruz struck out to end the inning.

The Sox FINALLY broke through in the top of the thirteenth inning. Ramirez singled but JBJ and Bogaerts struck out. A wild pitch moved Ramirez to second but Marrero walked. Leon slammed a single home to score Ramirez with the go-ahead run. Marrero swiped third but Devers flied out to end the inning. The Sox were 3 outs away from winning this damn thing 5-4.
                                                   Ramirez is safe and the Sox lead it

Fister returned to finish the job in the bottom of the thirteenth. He struck out Seager but Haniger walked. Gamel just beat out a double play ball and the Sox were one out away from victory. Then it all blew to hell as Heredia singled Gamel to third and Fister threw a pitch 700 feet out of Safeco field to score Gamel and advance Heredia to third. Zunino walked and Segura singled up the middle, scoring Heredia with the winning run. Just like that a 5-4 win was a 6-5 defeat. Unbelievable, another bitter loss in a season that's slipping away.
                                                    A bitter loss


Jackass of The Night is Mookie Betts. He went 0 for 6 with 2 strikeouts and left the go-ahead run on second in the ninth inning.
                                            Looking the wrong way, Jackass


The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with a walk and a run scored.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 6 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 6 with two total runs scored including a solo home run.

Deven Marrero walked and stole second in his only plate appearance.

Sandy Leon was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

Matt Barnes tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 10th inning.



The Bad:

Chris Young was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 6 but drove in a run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drew a walk.

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3 but walked.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 but walked twice and scored a run in his ML debut.

Drew Pomeranz lasted only 5 innings and allowed 3 runs, getting in trouble the whole time he was in. The bullpen had to throw 8 innings because he only went 5.

Heath Hembree cruised in the 6th but allowed the tying run in the 7th.

Doug Fister took the loss but tossed 2 2/3 innings before things fell apart.



Honorable Mention:

Brock Holt pinch ran for Vazquez in the 9th.



Final Thoughts:

The season began with so much promise and it appears to be blowing up in smoke right before our eyes. The 4 hour games, the lack of clutch hitting, the behavior of David Price, and now these unbelievable losses are too much for most fans to take. The Red Sox were supposed to be the best team in the American League this year on paper and things are rapidly going downhill. Losses like these happen every year, but the timing of it was just dreadful. The Sox had a chance to bury the New York Yankees but instead fell on their face against the LA Angels and Mariners. If the Red Sox are banking on Rafael Devers to lead them to the promised land, they are screwed. The loss dropped the Sox to 55-47, 1 game ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox turn to Chris Sale to dig them out of their hole. The Mariners send out Andrew Moore as they look for the sweep at 3:40 PM at Safeco Field.

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