Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Rangers Blast Fister, Avoid Sweep (7/5/17)

After the Boston Red Sox pounded the Texas Rangers for 2 consecutive games, the Rangers had enough. Riding the hot pitching of Andrew Cashner, the bats pummeled Doug Fister (0-2, 6.14 ERA) and avoided a sweep with a 8-2 victory at Fenway Park.

Cashner began his dominance in the top of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to the pitcher to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to first and Xander Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning. Fister got the ball in the bottom of the first and immediately plunked Shin-Soo Choo. He froze Carlos Gomez looking then got Nomar Manzara to ground into a double play to end the inning.

Cashner got Mitch Moreland to fly out to left to open the top of the second inning. Hanley Ramirez grounded out to third but Andrew Benintendi walked. Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to left to end the inning. The Rangers quickly pounced on Fister in the bottom of the second inning. Adrian Beltre doubled and Rougned Odor blasted a two run home run to put Texas on top. Mike Napoli popped up, Jurickson Profar grounded out and Jonathan Lucroy struck out looking to end the inning with the Rangers up 2-0.
       "You lucky bastard!" - Vazquez

Boston failed to answer in the top of the third as Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to begin. Tzu-Wei Lin walked and moved to second on the Mr Mookie ground out. Pedroia struck out to end the inning. Fister got tagged in the bottom of the third although he struck out Gallo to start.  Choo lined out to right but Gomez homered to increase the lead. Mazara walked but Beltre flied out to end the inning with Texas now up 3-0.
   Carlos Gomez makes Gomez Adams proud

Once again Boston failed to answer in the top of the fourth inning. Bogaerts grounded out to second and Moreland hit a bullet...right to Beltre at third. Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning. The Rangers finally finished off Fister in the bottom of the fourth inning. Odor and Napoli walked and Profar dropped down a bunt. Fister fielded it but then heaved it at the Boston Globe photographer for absolutely no reason. The error allowed the bases to be loaded and Odor scored on the Lucroy sac fly. Gallo singled to reload the bases and Napoli scored on the Choo sac fly. Gomez singled home Profar and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough, finally pulling the inept Fister. Robby Scott came in to strike out Mazara but it was now 6-0 and out of reach.
       "GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" -JF

Meanwhile Cashner was throwing a no-hitter as he struck out Benny The Kid and JBJ to open the top of the fifth.  Vazquez grounded out to end the inning. Scott then turned heel by plunking both Beltre and Odor to start the bottom of the fifth. Beltre moved to third on the Napoli fly out then Profar doubled home both runners. Lucroy grounded out as Pete Kozma pinch hit for Gallo only to fly out to end the inning with Texas up 8-0.
  The raucous crowd approves

The no hitter didn't last although Cashner struck out Lin to open the top of the sixth. Mr. Mookie lined out to center but Kozma earned some boo's by dropping a routine pop up by Pedroia. Deven Marrero pinch ran for Pedroia and Bogaerts made Kozma and Cashner pay by belting a 2 run home run to piss off the fans. Moreland followed with a single but Ramirez lined out to end the inning. Still, the Sox broke the shutout to trail 8-2.
               Bogaerts hits a shot

Lin moved to second with Marrero at third along with Fernando Abad now pitching to begin the bottom of the sixth. Choo led off with a double but Gomez struck out. Choo swiped third but Mazara grounded out right to third. Beltre lined out to end the inning as it was revealed Gallo was carried out on a stretcher after leaving the game.

Robinson Chirinos replaced Odor after it was revealed Odor was wheeled away on a gurney after leaving the game. The Sox tried to fight back as Benny The Kid walked to open the top of the seventh. JBJ singled but Vazquez banged into a double play. Lin lined out to end the inning. Heath Hembree got the call to begin the bottom of the seventh inning. Chirinos whiffed and Napoli flied out, but Profar doubled. Lucroy struck out to end the inning.

Matt Bush took over for Cashner to begin the top of the eighth inning.  Mr. Mookie flied out to right, Marrero grounded out to second and Bogaerts struck out to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning. Kozma grounded out to third, Kozma grounded out to second and Gomez flied to center to end the inning.

The torture ended in the top of the ninth with Alex Claudio on the mound. Moreland struck out and Sam Travis pinch hot for Ramirez...only to ground out. Benny The Kid grounded out to end the game. The Rangers had won going away 8-2.


Jackass of The Night is Doug Fister. He got hammered for 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings, remaining winless.
                   Fister is a Jackass


The Good:

Andrew Benintendi walked twice in four plate appearances.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.

Fernando Abad pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4.

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3.

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3.

Sam Travis was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.

Robby Scott gave up 2 runs in 1 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Deven Marrero scored a run as a pinch-runner but was hitless at the plate.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4.

Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 2 but walked.



Final Thoughts:

Once again Doug Fister didn't have it and it cost the Sox big time tonight. What could have been a crucial 3 game sweep to knock the New York Yankees further back turned into an ignominious defeat. They were no-hit for almost six innings and the incompetence of Doug Fister didn't help at all. If only Steven Wright didn't get hurt we wouldn't have a conga line of journeymen such ad Kyle Kendrick and Doug Fister. The loss dropped the Sox to 49-36, 4 games in front of the Yankees who lost to Toronto tonight. The Red Sox Head to Tampa Bay for a four game set to finish off the first half of the season. Tomorrow night Chris Sale (11-3, 2.61 ERA) goes up against Jacob Faria in game 1 at 7:05 PM in Tampa.

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