Basebawful Report of the Month

Matt Barnes - 5 Good, 1 Jackass

Andrew Benintendi - 10 Good, 6 Bad, 4 Ugly, 1 Hero

Mookie Betts - 11 Good, 2 Bad, 6 Ugly, 1 Hero

Xander Bogaerts - 9 Good, 2 Bad, 10 Ugly, 1 Hero

Jackie Bradley Jr - 8 Good, 2 Bad, 10 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Ryan Brasier - 9 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Jackass

William Cuevas - 3 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Rafael Devers - 8 Good, 6 Bad, 4 Ugly, 1 Hero

Nathan Eovaldi - 2 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero

Heath Hembree - 6 Good, 3 Bad

Brock Holt - 10 Good, 2 Bad, 4 Ugly, 2 Hero

Brian Johnson - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Joe Kelly - 7 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Jackass

Craig Kimbrel - 8 Good

Ian Kinsler - 5 Good, 7 Bad, 9 Ugly, 1 Hero

Sandy Leon - 1 Good, 10 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Tzu-Wei Lin - 8 Good, 3 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero, 2 Honorable Mention

JD Martinez - 9 Good, 2 Bad, 8 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Mitch Moreland - 5 Good, 7 Bad, 5 Ugly, 1 Hero

Eduardo Nunez - 5 Good, 3 Bad, 5 Ugly

Steve Pearce - 8 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero

Drew Pomeranz - 2 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Brandon Phillips - 2 Good, 6 Bad, 1 Hero

Rick Porcello - 2 Good, 3 Ugly

Bobby Poyner - 5 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly

David Price - 2 Good, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Eduardo Rodriguez - 3 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Hero

Chris Sale - 2 Good, 2 Ugly

Robby Scott - 4 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Jackass

Blake Swihart - 6 Good, 4 Bad, 6 Ugly, 3 Honorable Mention

Tyler Thornburg - 2 Good, 1 Bad

Sam Travis - 3 Good, 6 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero, 2 Honorable Mention

Christian Vazquez - 5 Good, 5 Bad, 7 Ugly, 2 Honorable Mention

Hector Velazquez - 6 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly

Brandon Workman - 6 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Steven Wright - 8 Good, 2 Bad

Most Valuable Player of the month is Mookie Betts with 11 Good

Least Valuable Player of the month is Sandy Leon with 10 Bad

The Ugliest Players of the month are Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr with 10 Ugly

Hero of the Month is Brock Holt with 2 Hero

Jackass of the Month is Robby Scott with 2 Jackass

The Honorable Player of the Month is Blake Swihart with 3 Honorable Mention.

Sox Beat Yankees In Season Finale (9/30/18)

Finally the 2018 MLB regular season is over and the Boston Red Sox went out with a win. After clinching the AL East title and homefield advantage throughout the AL playoffs, there wasn't much left to play for. Even though the two teams probably didn't care, bragging rights were on the line in this game for the fans for the winner would have won the season series. The Red Sox exploded early with their starters before both teams went to their JV's the rest of the way. The Sox also lit up highly hyped rookie Justice Sheffield and the regular season came to a close with a 10-2 victory at Fenway Park to win the season series and end with 108 wins.

                                                    Check out Baltimore...woof!

"Slick" Rick Porcello got the start for the Sox and Brett Gardner flied out to right to start. Aaron Judge grounded out to second and Aaron Hicks grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox iced the game early in the bottom of the first inning against Luis Cessa. Mr. Mookie Betts led off with a single and came all the way around to score when Brock "The Hitman" Holt singled to right and Judge botched the play. JD Martinez singled but Xander Bogaerts popped up to first. Mitch Moreland doubled home Holt and Eduardo Nunez hit a squibber to Luke Voit who tossed to Cessa....AND HE MISSED IT! Martinez scored and Cessa had to come out of the game. David Robertson came into the game and Ian Kinsler beat out a double play ball to score Moreland. Sandy Leon whiffed to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                    Down goes Cessa

Porcello returned for one more inning in his tuneup by getting Miguel Andujar grounded out to first to start. Luke Voit looked at strike three before Gary Sanchez walked. Gleyber Torres whiffed to end the inning. The Sox tacked it on in the bottom of the second against Jonathan Loaisiga as Gardner dropped a pop up by Jackie Bradley Jr in foul territory. JBJ made the Yankees pay with a base hit to right but Mr. Mookie popped up to short. Holt doubled home JBJ but Martinez whiffed. Bogaerts smashed his 23rd homer of the year to light up the crowd. Moreland grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 7-0 Sox.

                                                 Bogaerts puts the game away

The Sox began emptying their bench as Joe Kelly took over on the mound, Tzu-Wei Lin took over for Betts in the batting order but stayed in center with JBJ moving to right. Neil Walker singled and Adeiny Hechavarria walked but Gardner whiffed. Judge banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the third although Nunez singled to start. Kinsler whiffed and Leon banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Yankees struck back in the top of the fourth inning although Hicks grounded back to the mound to start. Andujar doubled and Voit blasted a 300,000 foot home run to put the Yankees on the board. Sanchez was plunked but Poyner punched out Torres and Walker to end the inning with the Yankees down 7-2.

                                                            Voit hits one out

Highly touted Yankees rookie Justice Sheffield came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and the Sox tagged him. JBJ grounded out to second but Lin and Holt walked. Martinez greeted the rookie with his 43rd home run of the year to light up the crowd. Bogaerts doubled and Blake Swihart pinch ran for him. A wild pitch moved Swihart to third but Moreland popped up to third and Nunez grounded to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-2.

                                                            Martinez goes yard

Cora decided to switch up his defense in the top of the fifth as Lin moved from center to short, Holt went from left to right, Swihart took over in left, JBJ went from right to center and Eduardo Rodriguez came in to pitch. Hechavarria popped up to first, Gardner whiffed and Judge looked at strike three to end the inning. Stephen Tarpley came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Kinsler grounded out to short to start. Leon grounded out to third but JBJ walked. Lin whiffed to end the inning.

Matt Barnes had the top of the sixth and Hicks whiffed to start. Andujar grounded out to short but Voit singled and moved to second on a wild pitch. Barnes blew away Sanchez to end the inning. The Yankees sent up the white flag in the bottom of the fifth as Tyler Wade took over for Hicks but went to right, Ronald Torreyes replaced Judge and took over at short, Kyle Higashioka replaced Sanchez behind the plate, Walker went to left and Hechavarria went to third. Holt whiffed and Brandon Phillips pinch hit for Martinez only to strike out swinging. Swihart swung at strike three headed to the backstop and motored to first on the passed ball. Moreland walked and Sam Travis pinch ran for Mitch. AJ Cole relieved Tarpley and walked Nunez to load the bases. Rafael Devers ran for Nunez but Kinsler flied out to center to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in for the top of the seventh and Torres flied out to left to start. Walker walked but Hechavarria whiffed. Gardner lined out to third to end the inning. Leon flied out to right to begin the bottom of the seventh but JBJ smacked a ground rule double. Lin and Holt whiffed to end the inning.

Drew Pomeranz came in to pitch the top of the eighth and punched out Torreyes to begin. Wade grounded out to short and Andujar whiffed to end the inning. Chance Adams came in for the bottom of the eighth and Phillips flied out to center to begin. Swihart whiffed but Travis doubled. Devers whiffed to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the top of the ninth and he froze Voit to start. Higashioka whiffed and Torres whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won the season series 10 games to 9 and this game 10-2.

                                               Ending the season in style



Hero of the Night by default is JD Martinez. His 3 run homer matched the Yankees entire offense.

                                               Martinez is the last regular season Hero



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 3 runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 including a 2 run home run.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a walk, run scored and an rbi.

Sam Travis was 1 for 1.

Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 3 with a walk.

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

Rick Porcello pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless inning.

Eduardo Rodriguez got the win with a scoreless 5th inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Drew Pomeranz pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Brandon Phillips was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Blake Swihart was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 1 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Poyner allowed 2 runs in an inning



The Ugly:

Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Ian Kinsler was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.




Final Thoughts:

Now that the regular season is over its time for the October dance. The only question now is who will be coming to Fenway this coming Friday night? The Oakland A's visit the New York Yankees this Wednesday night in the wild card game. I'm guessing its going to be the Yankees that win it because the storylines will write themselves in the days leading up to Game 1 of the division series. Then again if Oakland wins, all the talk will be about how Oakland did well against the Sox this year including the no-hitter. Either way what a season this was. When Derek Jeter pretty much handed the Yankees Giancarlo Stanton they were instantly named the odds on favorites to win the World Series. The consensus was if the 2016 Sox offense could mesh with the 2017 pitching then the 2018 Sox would be tough to beat. That's exactly what happened as Mr. Mookie and Bogaerts returned to form and JD Martinez filled the void left by David Ortiz. If it wasn't for injuries the Sox could have had four guys win 15 or more games. On July 1st after David Price crapped himself, the Sox were in second place. They went on a hot streak by winning 10 straight games and never looked back, sweeping the Yankees out of Fenway in early August to boot. The Sox have a chance at full redemption regardless of who their opponent is after being early dropouts the last two years. A series win isn't the ultimate goal but it would be a good start. The next game will be Friday night but as of this time we don't know who the opponent is and when. Now we wait.

Yankees Bash Sox (9/29/18)

As the 2018 regular season comes to a close, something in the air has things feeling like the ALDS is going to be Boston Red Sox vs New York Yankees. Tonight the Yankees outslugged the Red Sox to earn their 100th win of the season and Yankee fans are bragging about sweeping the Sox next week despite the WC game still to be played. In yet another game that had a Spring Training feel, the Yankees outlasted the horrible Boston bullpen and took the game 8-5 at Fenway Park.

The Yankees scored first in the top of the first against starter Nathan Eovaldi as Rafael Devers took a routine grounder by Brett Gardner and spiked it like a football before doing the boogie woogie for an error. Andrew McCutchen whiffed and Aaron Hicks looked at strike three before Giancarlo Stanton scored Gardner with a double to put the Yankees on top. Didi Gregorius whiffed to end the inning but it was 1-0 Yankees.

                                                       The carnage begins

The Sox failed to respond against starter Domingo Germain in the bottom of the first inning. Andrew Benintendi and Brock "The Hitman" Holt stroked back to back singles but JD Martinez whiffed. Devers looked at strike three before Mitch Moreland flied out to left to end the inning.

Eovaldi settled down in the top of the second inning as Miguel Andujar grounded out to second, Greg Bird also grounded out to second and Austin Romine looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Ian Kinsler drew a leadoff walk to start. Kinsler swiped second and Jackie Bradley Jr doubled him home. Blake Swihart whiffed but Christian Vazquez was plunked. That was it for Germain as Yankees manager Aaron Boone brought in Stephen Tarpley to pitch. The Sox pulled off a double steal when JBJ and Vazquez both swiped bases but Benintendi flied out to center. Holt whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

Eduardo Rodriguez was brought in for a tune up in the top of the third and walked Gleybar Torres to start. Gardner lined out to left but McCutchen singled. Hicks hit a ball back to the mound but Rodriguez was just able to get Hicks at first. Stanton whiffed to end the inning. Lance Lynn came in to pitch the bottom of the third and froze Martinez for strike three to begin. Devers grounded out to second but Moreland walked. Kinsler grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Yankees took the lead in the top of the fourth inning as Gregorius singled to start. Andujar flied out to center but Bird doubled home Didi to give the Yankees the lead. Romine grounded out to short but Torres then crushed a 15,000 foot bomb to increase the lead. Gardner walked but McCutchen struck out to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-1. Nice going Rodriguez!

                                                     "I sucked today" - Rodriguez

The Sox did manage to fight back in the bottom of the fourth although JBJ grounded out to second to start. Swihart doubled but Vazquez whiffed. Benintendi singled home Swihart to cut the lead in half. Holt popped up to third to end the inning but the Sox were down 4-2.

                                               "We're not dead yet!" - AB

The Yankees iced the game with Brandon Workman now on the mound for the top of the fifth inning. Hicks singled and Tyler Wade pinch ran for him. Stanton singled but Gregorius beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners only for Andujar to clear the bases with a double. Bird whiffed but Romine lashed a single to center. JBJ picked the ball up and threw it into the Red Sox bullpen for an error that scored Andujar and moved Romine to second. Torres looked at strike three but it was now 7-2 and all over.

The Yankees emptied the bench in the bottom of the fifth inning as Ronald Torreyes came in for torres, Adeiny Hechavarria came in for Gregorius, Gardner moved to center, McCutchen moved to left and Wade took over in right. Sam Travis pinch hit for Martinez and whiffed before Devers struck out swinging as well. Moreland popped up to third to end the inning.

Heath Hembree took over on the mound for the top of the sixth and Gardner flied out to left to begin. McCutchen lined out to center and Wade whiffed to end the inning.  Sonny Gray came in for the bottom of the sixth and Kinsler greeted him with a double. JBJ grounded out to second but Kinsler moved to third, only to be stranded when Swihart whiffed. Vazquez lined out to right to end the inning.

Things got comical in the top of the seventh inning as Tzu-Wei Lin took Benintendi's spot in the batting order but moved to center. JBJ went from center to right field, Swihart went from right to left and Steven Wright took over on the mound. Stanton then crushed a home run into the Monster Seats and whoever caught the ball pulled a Henry Rowengartner and fired the ball all the way back, actually hitting Stanton as he rounded second. The fan was given a heroes ovation as he was kindly escorted out of Fenway. Hechavarria whiffed and Andujar flied out to left but Bird singled. Romine whiffed to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 8-2.

                                                        Highlight of the day

The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the seventh as Lin grounded out to second, Holt looked at strike three and Travis watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez had the top of the eighth inning and Torreyes grounded out to third to begin. Gardner grounded back to the mound but McCutchen singled. Wade grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox somehow scored in the bottom of the eighth with Tommy Kahnle now on the mound. Brandon Phillips pinch hit for Devers and walked before Moreland singled.  Kinsler walked to load the bases with nobody out but JBJ flied out to left. Swihart grounded out to second but Phillips scored and the runners moved up. Vazquez lined out to the mound to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 8-3.

                                                Velazquez "If only I started"

Kyle Higashioka pinch hit for Stanton in the top of the ninth and flied out to left to start. Hechavarria flied out to right but Andujar doubled to chase Velazquez. Robby Scott came in and struck out Bird to end the inning. Jonathan Holder had the bottom of the ninth and the Sox refused to go quietly. Lin hit a ground rule double and Holt smashed a 2 run bomb to right to inch the Sox closer. How big were the runs given up by Workman now?

                                                     Its not over yet!

 Travis singled but Phillips whiffed. For whatever reason Yankees manager Aaron Boone brought in the damn closer, Aroldis Chapman to "save" this meaningless game. Moreland whiffed but Kinsler walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Unfortunately JBJ whiffed to end the game and the Yankees had won it 8-5.

                                                     Game over


Jackass of the Night is Brandon Workman. The 3 runs he allowed put the game out of reach in the top of the fifth inning.

                                                 Workman the Jackass


The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 3 with an rbi.

Tzu-Wei Lin was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Brock Holt was 2 for 5 including a 2 run home run.

Sam Travis was 1 for 3.

Brandon Phillips walked and scored a run in two plate appearances.

Ian Kinsler was 1 for 2 with 3 walks with a stolen base and a run scored.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Hector Velazquez tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Robby Scott struck out the only man he faced.



The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with an error and 2 strikeouts.

Eduardo Rodriguez allowed 3 runs in just 2 innings.

Steven Wright pitched a scoreless 7th inning.



The Ugly:

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with an error but drove in a run and stole a base.

Blake Swihart was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drive in a run and scored.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch and stole a base.

Nathan Eovaldi allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Even though the final game of the regular season doesn't mean anything, the winner will have won the season series as both teams will be heading in 9-9 against each other. The Yankees' pathetic record against the Baltimore Orioles and other cellar dwelling teams is the reason why they're in the wild card game this Wednesday night. The Sox once again looked pedestrian but nobody got hurt so who cares. These are the dog days of the season and luckily there's only one more meaningless game before they start to matter again. It was funny to see the rifle armed fan peg Stanton at second and Holt's homer made some of the Yankees media nervous but apart from that, the less said of this nonsensical nonsense the better. Tomorrow afternoon the regular season finally comes to an end and bragging rights is on the line as Luis Cessa gets the start for the Yankees opposite "Slick" Rick Porcello at 3:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Host WC After Beating Sox (9/28/18)

In a game that meant a hell of a lot more to the New York Yankees than it did the Boston Red Sox, the Yankees played with a fire that got them the win they needed. The Yankees clinched the top wild card spot so they will host the wild card game against the Oakland A's this coming Wednesday night. The Red Sox trotted out pitchers that wont be making the post-seaso roster in a game manager Alex Cora clearly didn't care about. The Yankees ran away with this one by a score of 11-6 at Fenway Park.

                                               "Loss to the Yankees? Meh!"

Brian Johnson (4-5, 4.17 ERA) took the mound in the top of the first and started out well. McCutchen lined out to third to begin before Aaron Judge flied out to right to end the inning. Aaron Hicks popped up to first to end the inning. JA Happ got the start for New York and he froze Mr. Mookie Betts for strike three to start. Andrew Benintendi whiffed before JD Martinez flied out to left to end the inning.

Johnson got Giancarlo Stanton to fly out to center to begin the top of the second but walked Luke Voit. Didi Gregorius beat out a double play ball but Miguel Andujar lined out to right to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts flied out to center to begin. Steve Pearce looked at strike three and Rafael Devers flied out to center to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the third inning when Gary Sanchez crushed a 50,000 foot moonshot to give the Yankees the lead. Johnson recovered to get both Gleyber Torres and McCutchen to strike out swinging before Judge walked. Hicks and Stanton stroked back to back singles to score Judge with another run. Voit flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                    Yankees strike first

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Eduardo Nunez grounded out to second to start before Ian Kinsler lined out to left. Blake Swihart whiffed to end the inning.

Sox manager Alex Cora waived the white flag early as he sent William Cuevas to take a beating in the top of the fourth inning. Gregorius lined out to center but Andujar doubled. Second base umpire Andy Fletcher keeled over and had to be hauled off on a gurney as Sanchez walked. Torres doubled home both runners and McCutchen singled him home. Judge singled and Hicks smashed a 400,000 foot bomb to ice the game. Stanton singled and FINALLY Cora removed the stunned Cuevas. As good as William was against Cleveland, he was that bad tonight. Heath Hembree came in and got Voit and Gregorius to fly out to right to end the inning but it was 8-0 Yankees.

                                                     "I sucked tonight!" - Cuevas

The Sox tried to fight back when Mr. Mookie singled to open the bottom of the fourth and Benintendi walked. They were stranded as Martinez flied out to right, Bogaerts whiffed and Pearce grounded into a force to end the inning.

Drew Pomeranz strolled to the mound to begin the top of the fifth and Andujar lined out to first to begin. Sanchez whiffed and Torres grounded out to short to end the inning. Rafael Devers grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the fifth before Nunez grounded out to first and Kinsler looked at strike three to end the inning.

Pomeranz returned for the top of the sixth inning and got McCutchen to ground out to third to begin. Judge and Hicks both watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Sox finally rallied against Happ in the bottom of the sixth although Swihart whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie singled and Benintendi doubled him to third. Martinez popped up to first but Bogaerts walked to load the bases. Pearce cleared the bases with a grand slam into the Monster Seats to cut the lead in half. Devers grounded out to short but the Sox were back in it 8-4.

                                             Pearce with a grand salami

Just as the soon as the Sox inched closer Pomeranz reared his head and ruined it in the top of the seventh. Stanton whiffed but Voit crushed a 9,000 foot bomb to kill off the momentum. Gregorius singled and Andujar walked to chase Pomeranz. Joe Kelly came in and got a grounder to short by Sanchez...but Xander booted it and Gregorius scored another run. Kelly punched out Torres and got McCutchen to ground into a force to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 10-4.

                                                Voit pours it on

Chad Green replaced Happ for the bottom of the seventh as Nunez lined out to center to start. Kinsler flied out to right before Swihart whiffed to end the inning.

Bobby Poyner came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Judge greeted him with a 800 foot home run to increase the lead. Hicks flied out to right, Stanton flied out to right and Voit whiffed to end the inning but it was 11-4 Yankees.

                                               Judge hits another one out

The Sox tagged Dellin Betances in the bottom of the eighth inning as Mr. Mookie walked to start. Benintendi whiffed but Martinez singled. Bogaerts popped up to third but Pearce singled home Betts. Devers walked but Nunez lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 11-5.

                                                           Pearce does it again

Tzu-Wei Lin took over for Martinez in the batting order but moved to center with Betts moving to right as the top of the ninth inning began. Gregorius lined out to right before Andujar popped up to first. Sanchez doubled but Torres whiffed to end the inning. Zach Britton came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and the Sox tagged him. Kinsler walked and Sam Travis pinch hit for Swihart only to erase Kinsler at second with a force. Mr. Mookie hit a routine grounder to short but Gregorius threw the ball away. Benintendi lined out to short before Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Lin, drawing a walk to load the bases. Bogaerts drew a bases loaded walk to drive in Travis. Instead of another grand slam, this time Pearce grounded out to third to end the game. The Yankees had won 11-6.

Jackass of the Night is William Cuevas. He allowed 6 runs in just 1/3 of an inning putting a Sox in too big of a hole to climb out of.

                                                  Cuevas the Jackass


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Christian Vazquez walked as a pinch hitter.

Steve Pearce was 2 for 5 with 5 total rbis including a grand slam.

Heath Hembree got the final two outs of the 4th inning.

Joe Kelly got the final two outs of the sixth.



The Bad:

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 4.

Blake Swihart was 0 for 3.




The Ugly:

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with an error but walked twice, drove in a run and scored.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but walked.

Ian Kinsler was 0 for 3 but walked.

Sam Travis was 0 for 1 but scored a run.

Brian Johnson took the loss allowing just 2 runs in 3 innings of work.

Drew Pomeranz gave up 2 runs, 1 earned in 2 1/3 innings of work.

Bobby Poyner allowed a run in 2 innings of work.



Honorable Mention:

Tzu-Wei Lin played centerfield in the bottom of the eighth inning.




Final Thoughts:

Unlike the Baltimore game, this game had more positives than there were negatives. Its no secret that neither William Cuevas or Drew Pomeranz will sniff the post-season roster, so for those two to give up 8 runs isn't going to matter next week. Its debateable if Poyner or Johnson make the roster as well. The fact the Sox were able to tag not only Happ but Betances and Britton as well is encouraging when the games start to matter. This game meant a hell of a lot more to the Yankees than it did to the Red Sox who are just trying to keep everybody healthy at this point. Yankee fans can dance around saying this is a Game 1 preview (already arrogantly believing the wild card game is in the bag) but Chris Sale is no William Cuevas. Thankfully the regular season is coming to a close and the next tuneup is tomorrow afternoon. Nathan Eovaldi (6-7) gets the start for the Red Sox opposite Domingo Germain at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Final Off-Day News (9/27/18)

The Boston Red Sox made an international signing today. 17 year old Dominican teenager Angeudis Santos was signed to be apart of the Domincan Red Sox next season. He could be a prospect in a few years, he may not be. Time will tell on that one.

                                                     Not a real picture of Angeudis Santos

On This Day in Basebawful History:

1970 - Sox sweep Senators

1989 - Yankees shut out Red Sox

2016 - Yankees delay celebration, beat Price & Sox

2017 - Sox beat Jays, inch closer to AL East Division title

Tomorrow night the Sox open their final regular season series against the New York Yankees at home. Brian Johnson (4-4) takes the mound against JA Happ of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Bullpen Blows Game 2 Against Orioles (9/26/18)

Well if the Boston Red Sox have any hope for post-season success in October they're going to have to rely on their starting pitching to carry them because their bullpen is downright offensive. Gone are the days of Alan Embree, Mike Timlin and Keith Foulke, Hideki Okajima, Manny Delcarmen and Jon Papelbon, or Junichi Tazawa, Craig Breslow and Koji Uehara. Tonight the rancid bullpen gave up 7 runs to the last place Baltimore Orioles, turning a winnable game into a slaughter. Matt Barnes and Craig Kimbrel, two guys the Sox really need got lit up and the hapless Dirty Birds pecked the Sox 10-3 to wrap up their season series at Fenway Park.

Chris Sale got the start and the Orioles immediately tagged him. Cedric Mullins was plunked to begin the game but Jonathan Villar whiffed. Trey Mancini triple home Mullins to give the O's the lead. Adam Jones was plunked and Renato Nunez smacked a sac fly to score Mancini to increase the lead. Joey Rickard flied out to center to end the inning with the O's up 2-0.

                                                          The O's take the lead

The Sox refused to go quietly against O's starter Jimmy Yacabonis in the bottom of the first inning. Jackie Bradley Jr got the rare leadoff start and he singled to right to begin. Brock "The Hitman" Holt singled him to third but Steve Pearce popped up to short. Rafael Devers walked to load the bases but Blake Swihart took strike three. Brandon Phillips hit a routine grounder to first BOOTED by Villar! Bradley scored to cut the lead but Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                    Phillips got lucky

Sale settled down in the top of the second as John Andreoli lined out to third before Steve Wilkerson whiffed. Caleb Joseph struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the second as Sam Travis grounded back to the mound to start. Tzu-Wei Lin lined out to center and JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning.

Sale cruised in the top of the third inning as Mullins grounded out to third to start. Villar lined out to left before Mancini whiffed to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the third although Holt lined out to center to begin. Pearce walked and took second on a wild pitch but Devers looked at strike three. Swihart walked but Phillips grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jones singled to start the top of the fourth before Nunez struck out swinging. Rickard grounded a ball to Holt who flipped the ball to Phillips for the ou.....wait.....what? Grumpy O's manager Buck Showalter challenged the call that Phillips missed the catch and New York Yankees manag..errr Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre DEMANDED the call be overturned and it was ruled a miss catch error on Brandon. Price recovered to strike out Andreoli and Wilkerson whiffed to end the inning. The Sox tied it up in the bottom of the fourth although Vazquez grounded out to third to begin. Travis singled and Lin lit up the crowd with a triple to tie the game. JBJ walked to put runners at the corners and chase Yacabonis from the game. The O's got a key out when Tanner Scott came in and froze Holt for strike three. Pearce grounded out to short to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.

                                                            Lin ties it up

Sale got tagged again in the top of the fifth as Joseph singled to start. Mullins popped up the bunt attempt back to the mound and Villar looked at strike three. Mancini walked and Jones doubled home Joseph to end Sale's day. Chris didn't look right as he left after allowing 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings.

                                                      Sale's velocity was down...uh oh

Eduardo Rodriguez was brought in to clean up the mess and he got Nunez to fly out to center to end the inning with the O's ahead 3-0.

The Sox wasted no time getting that run back in the bottom of the fifth as Devers doubled to start and Swihart singled him home to tie the game. Swihart swiped second but Phillips whiffed. Vazquez walked but Travis lined out to center. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position but Lin grounded out to first to end the inning, another squander but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                       Devers scores to tie it up

Rodriguez looked great in the top of the sixth, striking out the side in order. Rickard whiffed, Andreoli looked at strike three and Wilkerson whiffed to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as JBJ failed to reach on a bunt attempt before Holt grounded out to third. Pearce whiffed to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in to crap his pants in the top of the 7th inning. Joseph doubled and a wild pitch moved him to third before Mullins whiffed. Villar walked and stole second before Mancini singled in both runners to give the O's the lead. Jones and Nunez stroked back to back singles to score Mancini as Barnes was roundly booed as Cora yanked him. Bawful performance by Barnes.

                                                          Barnes gives it up again

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in to put the fire out as Jace Peterson pinch ran for Nunez....promptly stealing second. DJ Stewart pinch hit for Rickard and Andreoli popped up to first to end the inning with the O's up for good 6-3.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh with Paul Fry on the mound. Devers grounded out to third, Swihart grounded out to second and Phillips grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier got the call to pitch the top of the eighth and Wilkerson grounded out to short to begin. Joseph lined out to center and Mullins grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eighth as Vazquez grounded out to second, Travis grounded out to third and Lin lined out to center to end the inning.

Showalter had one last laugh against the Red Sox in his final game against them as O's manager in the top of the ninth against closer Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel. Vazquez moved to third, Swihart took over behind the plate and Holt went to right for no apparent reason as Villar walked to start. Villar stole second and moved to third on the Mancini fly out to right. A wild pitch scored Villar before Jones was plunked. Peterson and Stewart drew back to back walks to load the bases and that was it for the incompetent Kimbrel.

                                              "I sucked tonight!" - Kimbrel

Robby Scott came in and Andreoli smacked a ground rule double to score Jones and Peterson before Wilkerson singled in Andreoli. Joseph whiffed and Mullins flied out to right but Kimbrel was charged with four runs and the O's led 10-3....ugh.

Mercifully the game ended in the bottom of the ninth as JBJ whiffed to start. Holt lined out to short and Pearce grounded out to short to end the game. The O's had won the final game of the season series 10-3.

Jackass of the Night is Matt Barnes. He took a 3-3 game and opened the floodgates by allowing 3 runs in the 7th inning.

                                                   Barnes the Jackass



The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Blake Swihart was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and stolen base.

Eduardo Rodriguez tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Hector Velazquez got the final two outs of the 7th inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Brandon Phillips was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Robby Scott allowed 2 inherited runners to score in 2/3 of an inning



The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Steve Pearce was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Sam Travis was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Tzu-Wei Lin was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Chris Sale didn't look good as he surrendered 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings with diminished velocity.




Final Thoughts:

Even though this game was considered a throwaway considering it was the second game of a doubleheader, there were some alarming factors in tonight's loss. Sale's velocity was down, Matt Barnes sucked, Craig Kimbrel sucked and the JV's didn't look very good in terms of being a potential emergency starter or bench ace in the playoffs. If Sale is going to pitch like that in the ALDS then forget about it. If Kimbrel pitches like that considering how awful the rest of the bullpen is then once again forget about it. There was absolutely nothing positive to come out of this game and that's very telling. I know none of the potential regular starters played but some key pitchers failed to deliver and if they can't beat the hapless O's, how are they going to beat the New York Yankees or Oakland A's? Speaking of the Yankees, after an off-day the final regular season series starts with them Friday night. JA Happ goes for the Yankees while the Red Sox don't even care as they send Brian Johnson (4-4) to the mound at 7:11 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Annihilate Orioles in Game 1 (9/26/18)

After a rainout turned today into a doubleheader, the Boston Red Sox took their frustrations out on the hapless Baltimore Orioles in Game 1 this afternoon. The Sox pounded out 22 hits and 19 runs to beat around the last place O's. David Price (16-7, 3.58 ERA) tossed 5 effective innings and the Sox laughed all the way to a 19-3 drubbing at Fenway Park.

                                                      Talk about a mercy killing

Price got the ball in the top of the first and Cedric Mullins whiffed to start. Jonathan Villar flied out to left and Adam Jones grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox exploded on O's starter Ryan Meisinger early. Mr. Mookie Betts got the party started with a base hit but was erased on the Andrew Benintendi force. JD Martinez doubled Benintendi to third and Xander Bogaerts doubled both runners home to give the Sox the early lead. Mitch Moreland walked and Ian Kinsler singled to load the bases and chase Meisinger after just 1/3 of an inning. Donnie Hart was the next victim as Rafael Devers cleared the bases with a double to ice the game in the first inning.  Blake Swihart popped up to second and Sandy Leon did as well to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                   The Sox strike first

Right on cue Price fell apart in the top of the second inning as Trey Mancini led off with a 400,000 foot home run into the Atlantic Ocean to start the inning. Tim Beckham walked and Renato Nunez crushed a 3,000 foot bomb to cut the lead. Joey Rickard singled and Austin Wynns walked to make the fans groan but Price recovered to strike out Steve Wilkerson. Mullins walked to load the bases but Villar was frozen for strike three. Jones grounded into a force to end the inning but the O's had clawed back to make it 5-3.

                                                     The O's answer

Mr. Mookie walked to start the bottom of the second before he swiped second. Benintendi lined out to left and Betts moved to third on the Martinez fly out to right, but Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning.

Price recovered in the top of the third as Mancini grounded out to short to begin. Beckham singled but Nunez looked at strike three. Rickard doubled to center and Beckham took off for home. The relay throw from Bogaerts came in and.....YOU'RE OUTTA THERE! Beckham was out and Buck Showalter ran out to argue but to no avail, inning over. John Means came in to pitch the bottom of the third and Moreland whiffed to start. Kinsler grounded out to first and Devers popped up to third to end the inning.

Price cruised in the top of the fourth as Wynns popped up to second, Wilkerson grounded out to first and Mullins whiffed to end the inning. The Sox exploded again in the bottom of the fourth although Swihart flied out to right to begin. Leon looked at strike three but Mr. Mookie doubled. Benintendi singled and Martinez crushed his 42nd home run of the year to increase the lead. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning but it was 8-3 Sox.

                                                  Martinez goes yard

Price came back for one more inning and Villar singled to start the top of the fifth. Jones advanced Villar to second by grounding back to the mound but Mancini whiffed. Villar stole third but Beckham grounded out to second to end the inning. Price had a rocky second inning but he dominated the other four to earn the win.

                                                      A win for Price

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Moreland doubled and Kinsler doubled him home. Devers singled home Kinsler but Swihart whiffed. Leon flied out to left and Betts was given the rest of the day off when Tzu-Wei Lin pinch hit for him only to ground out to short to end the inning with the score 10-3 Sox.

                                                   Take a rest Mookie

Steven Wright came in for the top of the sixth and froze both Nunez and Rickard to begin. Wynns singled and took second on a passed ball but Wilkerson grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox weren't done in the bottom of the sixth as Benintendi lined out to second to start. Cody Carroll replaced Means and poured gas on the fire. Martinez singled and Bogaerts smashed his 22nd home run of the year to increase the lead. Moreland flied out to left and Kinsler popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 12-3.

                                                  Bogaerts goes yard

Sam Travis took Bogaerts spot in the batting order but went to left field with Lin moving to short and Benintendi going to center to open the top of the seventh. Mullins grounded out to third, Villar grounded back to the mound and Jones grounded out to short to end the inning. Jace Peterson took over for Villar but went to second, John Andreoli took over for Jones but went to right with Rickard going to left and Wilkerson moving to short to begin the bottom of the seventh. The Sox poured it on when Devers and Swihart crushed back to back jacks to start, the 20th of the year for Devers. Leon whiffed but Lin walked and Benintendi doubled him home. Martinez lined out to first and Travis looked at strike three to end the inning but it was 15-3 Sox.

                                                 Devers pounds a home run to right

Heath Hembree came in to pitch the top of the eighth and struck out Mancini to start. Beckham flied out to center and Nunez flied out to left to end the inning. To prove how much of a jerk Showalter is, despite having SEVEN pitchers left in the bullpen, he had Jace Peterson move from second base to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Caleb Joseph at first and Corban Joseph taking over for Beckham playing second. The Sox teed off on the infielder as Moreland singled but Kinsler banged into a double play. Devers then blasted his second homer of the game before Peterson was late covering first, leading to a Swihart single to keep the inning going. Leon doubled Blake to third and Lin doubled both men home. Benintendi singled Lin home and Sox manager Alex Cora gave Martinez the night off by having Christian Vazquez hit for him. Vazquez whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 19-3, yikes.

                                                Devers goes yard again

Brandon Workman had mop up duty in the top of the ninth as DJ Stewart pinch hit for Rickard only to ground out to first. Wynns grounded out to second as Wilkerson doubled. Mullins flied out to left to end the game. The Sox embarrassed the Orioles and handed them their franchise record 112th loss with a 19-3 victory.

                                                     Another win


Hero of the Night is a tough one with so much offense but I'll go with Rafael Devers. He was 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored, 2 home runs and 6 total rbis.

                                                     Devers the Hero


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 2 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.

Tzu-Wei Lin was 1 for 2 with a walk, 2 runs scored and 2 rbi's.

Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 6 with 2 rbi's and 2 runs scored.

JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with 3 total rbis, 3 runs scored and a home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored, 4 total rbis and a home run.

Mitch Moreland was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Ian Kinsler was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Blake Swihart was 2 for 5 with 2 total runs scored and a home run.

David Price got the win with 5 innings of 3 run ball while striking out 6.

Steven Wright pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Christian Vazquez struck out as a pinch hitter.

Sam Travis struck out in his only plate appearance.



The Ugly:

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

What a massacre that was. Couldn't happen to a nicer manager too as Buck Showalter has been chirping at the Red Sox for 8 years now with nothing much to show for it. Remember how adamant he was that the 2013 Red Sox weren't that good, or making fun of the flu riddled Sox last year? Well if this is his last year before they fire him, here's one more middle finger for him. The O's may win the nightcap but it doesn't matter at this point, 112 losses is a franchise record. The 1962 Mets are saying "who are these bums?" It was good to see the starters produce even if it was against a bad team because they need momentum going into the post-season next week. It would have been nice to see Price go 7 but oh well. The win propelled the Sox to 107-51 with 4 games remaining. Chris Sale (12-4) starts the nightcap opposite Jimmy Yacabonis at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park

Sox Beat Orioles, Set Franchise Record (9/24/18)

In 118 years of Boston Red Sox baseball only one team has ever won more than 105 games in a single season....this one. Tonight the Sox feasted on the hapless Baltimore Orioles for win number 106 on the season. Nathan Eovaldi (6-7, 3.88 ERA) threw his second consecutive quality start and Mookie Betts took another step toward American League MVP with another 2 run home run and the Sox knocked off the dirty birds 6-2 to not only set their franchise record for wins but clinch homefield advantage for the entire AL playoffs at Fenway Park.

                                                 "We set the record!"

Eovaldi came out firing in the top of the first as Cedric Mullins grounded out to first to begin. Trey Mancini singled but Jonathan Villar whiffed. Adam Jones grounded into a force to end the inning. Dylan Bundy got the start for Baltimore and he whiffed Mr. Mookie to start. Andrew Benintendi walked, stole second and took third when catcher Caleb Joseph's throw sailed away. JD Martinez whiffed but Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.

Eovaldi sent a message by punching out DJ Stewart to open the top of the second inning. Tim Beckham looked at strike three but Renato Nunez singled. Steve Wilkerson grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the second as Rafael Devers whiffed to start. Steve Pearce and Brock "The Hitman" Holt stroked back to back doubles to give the Sox the lead. Christian Vazquez singled home Holt but Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed. Mr. Mookie then smashed his 32nd homer of the year to ice the game early. Benintendi singled but Martinez looked at strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                  Mr. Mookie goes yard

Eovaldi got Joseph to ground out to short to begin the top of the third before Mullins looked at strike three. Mancini whiffed to end the inning. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to open the bottom of the third before Devers popped up to short. Pearce and Holt drew back to back walks before Vazquez popped up to first to end the inning.

Eovaldi blew away Villar to begin the top of the fourth before Jones lined out to right. Stewart looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth against new pitcher Donnie Hart as JBJ singled and Mr. Mookie singled him to third. Betts swiped his 29th base of the year and Benintendi singled home JBJ, advancing Mookie to third. Martinez walked to load the bases before Bogaerts singled in Betts. The rally ended as Devers grounded into a 1-2-5 double play and Pearce flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.

                                                    Betts scores and its 6-0

The Orioles struck back in the top of the fifth as Beckham singled and Nunez singled him to third. A wild pitch scored Beckham and send Nunez to second but Eovaldi recovered to freeze Wilkerson. Joseph whiffed but another wild pitch moved Nunez to third but Eovaldi froze Joseph to end the inning. Eovaldi had gone 5 innings, allowed just 1 run and struck out TEN.

                                                       Eovaldi strikes out 10

Sean Gilmartin came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Holt grounded out to first, Vazquez grounded out to third and JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning.

Eduardo Rodriguez of all people was brought in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and he did well. Mancini flied out to right, Villar flied out to center and Jones also flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox offense went into hibernation as Mr. Mookie popped up to second to start. Benintendi whiffed but Martinez walked and Bogaerts singled. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning.

Rodriguez returned for the top of the seventh inning and Joey Rickard pinch hit for Stewart only to pop up to first. Beckham looked at strike three but Nunez singled. Wilkerson whiffed to end the inning.  The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the seventh inning as Pearce grounded out to second to start. Holt grounded out to second and Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Joe Kelly came in to pitch the top of the eighth and crapped his pants. Joseph singled and Mullins walked but somehow Mancini whiffed. Villar walked to load the bases and Sox manager Alex Cora had enough. Ryan Brasier was brought in and Jones scored Joseph with a sac fly to cut into the lead. Corban Joseph pinch hit for Rickard but Villar was picked off to end the inning with the O's down 6-2.

                                            "Go on, go on, git!" - Cora

Mancini moved to left with Jones moving to right, Corban Joseph taking over at first to start the bottom of the eighth. JBJ lined out to left, Mr. Mookie whiffed and Benintendi lined out to center to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in to close out the top of the ninth and Corban Joseph singled to start only to be erased on the Beckham double play. Nunez grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had set a franchise record with 106 wins, clinched homefield advantage throughout the playoffs and defeated the O's 6-2.

                                               Uncharted territory now


Hero of the Night is Nathan Eovaldi. In a tuneup for the playoffs he struck out 10 O's in 5 innings while allowing just one run.

                                                  Eovaldi is the Hero



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with 2 total runs scored, a stolen base and a 2 run home run.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base and an rbi.

JD Martinez walked twice in four plate appearances.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Steve Pearce was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Eduardo Rodriguez pitched 2 scoreless innings.

Ryan Brasier got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Joe Kelly allowed a run in just 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

Back in 2011 before the season the Red Sox were heralded as the "best team evahhh", well this year's team really is the best team ever with their franchise record 106th win tonight. Other teams around the league who have won more games in the past can laugh all they want but they can all go stick it in their hat. It was been a wonderful season but unfortunately they have to do more come October after back to back failures. They could win all 5 games they have left but nobody will care if they don't get out of the first round in a few weeks. Its nice to see a win even if its over the pathetic Orioles so at least there's a positive. Good to see Eovaldi go out and look good which could mean a possible playoff start like Doug Fister last year. Tomorrow night the Sox turn to David Price (15-7) opposite Ryan Meisinger at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.