Basebawful Report of The Month

Matt Barnes - 9 Good, 1 Ugly

Andrew Benintendi - 9 Good, 6 Bad, 5 Ugly, 1 Hero

Mookie Betts - 12 Good, 12 Ugly, 1 Hero

Xander Bogaerts - 10 Good, 3 Bad, 8 Ugly, 2 Hero, 1 Jackass

Jackie Bradley Jr - 5 Good, 6 Bad, 12 Ugly, 1 Hero

Ryan Brasier - 3 Good, 3 Bad

Colten Brewer - 6 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Andrew Cashner - 1 Good, 2 Jackass

Michael Chavis - 7 Good, 5 Bad, 7 Ugly, 1 Hero

Rafael Devers - 10 Good, 2 Bad, 11 Ugly, 2 Hero

Nathan Eovaldi - 2 Good, 2 Bad

Heath Hembree - 5 Good, 5 Bad, 1 Ugly

Darwinzon Hernandez - 6 Good, 1 Bad

Marco Hernandez - 4 Good, 5 Bad, 1 Hero

Brock Holt - 11 God, 5 Bad, 1 Ugly

Trevor Kelley - 1 Bad

Sandy Leon - 3 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly

JD Martinez - 9 Good, 4 Bad, 9 Ugly, 2 Hero

Mitch Moreland - 3 Good, 2 Bad

Eduardo Nunez - 1 Good, 4 Bad, 1 Ugly

Rick Porcello - 1 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass

David Price - 2 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Eduardo Rodriguez - 4 Good, 1 Hero

Chris Sale - 1 Good, 1 Hero, 3 Jackass

Josh Taylor - 9 Good, 4 Bad, 1 Ugly

Sam Travis - 5 Good, 4 Bad, 3 Ugly

Christian Vazquez - 8 Good, 5 Bad, 9 Ugly, 2 Hero

Hector Velazquez - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 1 Jackass

Marcus Walden - 6 Good, 4 Bad, 1 Ugly

Ryan Weber - 1 Bad

Brandon Workman - 6 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly

Steven Wright - 1 Good, 2 Bad

Most Valuable Player is Mookie Betts with 12 Good

The Least Valuable Players are Jackie Bradley Jr and Andrew Benintendi with 6 Bad

The Co-Ugliest Players of the Month are Mookie Betts and Jackie Bradley Jr with 12 Ugly

Heroes of the Month are Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers, JD Martinez and Christian Vazquez

Jackass of the Month is Chris Sale with 3 Jackass

The Honorable Player of the Month is nobody

Dombrowski Does Nothing, Sox Lose To Rays (7/31/19)

Boston Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski has officially handed the AL East championship off to the New York Yankees on a silver platter. The MLB trade deadline passed and Dombrowski did absolutely nothing, sending a message that the Red Sox better win with what they got. Well, they didn't win tonight and pretty much are screwed for the remainder of the season. The Tampa Bay Rays beat down "Slick" Rick Porcello (9-8, 5.74 ERA) for 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings. The Sox offense tried to fight back with 5 runs of their own but Heath Hembree allowed 2 more runs in the seventh inning. Once again once the Sox were down in the later innings, they were finished and the Rays won it 9-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Dave Dombrowski's message to the AL

The Rays wasted no time tagging Porcello in the top of the first inning as Ji-Man Choi doubled to right to start. Austin Meadows struck out swinging but Travis d'Arnaud put the Rays up for good with a base hit to center to score Choi. Nate Lowe struck out swinging and Avisail Garcia grounded into a force to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                        Rays strike first

Andrew Kittredge got the start for Tampa in the top of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers flied out to left and Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Rays iced the game in the top of the second inning as Kevin Kiermaier hit a home run to South America to increase the lead. Matt Duffy grounded back to the mound and Eric Sogard took strike three, but Willy Adames singled to right. Choi walked and Meadows smashed a home run to Neptune to ice the game. d'Arnaud grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rays up 5-0.

                                                      Rays ice the game

JD Martinez lined out to short to start the bottom of the second and Andrew Benintendi struck out swinging. Sam Travis got a base hit to right but Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Porcello settled down in the top of the third as Lowe lined out to first to start. Garcia singled to third but Kiermaier went down hacking. Duffy flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third although Michael Chavis grounded out to short to start. Jackie Bradley Jr took first on an error by Lowe and Mr. Mookie singled him to third. Ryan Yarbrough came in to pitch and Devers scored JBJ with a sac fly to cut the lead. Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                        JBJ scores a run

Sogard lashed a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth and moved to second on the Adames grounder to third. Choi popped up to second and Meadows flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez belted his 23rd homer of the season to cut the lead. Benintendi grounded out to second, Travis popped up to second and Bazquez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                            Martinez goes yard

d'Arnaud singled to short to start the top of the fifth but Lowe flied out to left. Garcia struck out swinging and Kiermaier grounded into a force to end the inning. Chavis singled to right to start the bottom of the fifth but JBJ popped up to short. A passed ball moved Chavis to third but Mr. Mookie took strike three. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Rays finally chased Porcello in the top of the sixth although Duffy took strike three to start. Sogard took strike three but Adames smashed a home run all the way to Brazil to chase the angry Porcello. As soon as Rick got in the dugout, he punched and broke both TV's that Sox manager Alex Cora uses to check the bullpens. Rick lasted just 5 2/3 innings while giving up 6 runs. Darwinzon Hernandez came in to pitch and Choi doubled to center. Meadows struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                 Porcello attacks the TV's

Bogaerts popped up to second to start the bottom of the sixth Martinez singled off the glove of Lowe but was forced at second by Benintendi. Travis grounded out to first to end the inning.

Heath Hembree came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as d'Arnaud struck out swinging to start. Lowe walked but Garcia struck out swinging. Kiermaier tripled home Lowe and Duffy singled Kevin in to ice the game. A wild pitch moved Duffy to second but Sogar flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

                                                        Duffy ices it

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh although Vazquez struck out swinging to start. Chavis somehow launched his 17th home run of the season to cut the lead. JBJ whiffed but Mr. Mookie doubled to right Devers singled Betts home and Diego Castillo came in to pitch, Bogaerts singled Devers to third and Martinez got a base hit to center to score Devers. How big was the Duffy single now? Colin Poche came in and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning with the Sox down 8-5.

                                                      Chavis goes yard

Josh Taylor came in for the top of the eighth and Adames flied out to center to start. Choi and Meadows both went down hacking to end the inning. Guillermo Heredia came in for Meadows for the bottom of the eighth and Travis singled to right to start. The rally ended as Vazquez, Chavis and Bradley all went down hacking to end the inning.

Marcus Walden came in to pitch the top of the ninth and d'Arnaud struck out swinging to start. Lowe whiffed and Garcia went down hacking to end the inning. Mike Zunino came in for Lowe but behind the plate with Chaz Roe now on the mound to close out the bottom of the ninth. Mr. Mookie singled to center to start then moved to second on the Devers grounder. Betts moved to third on the Bogaerts grounder but Martinez walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Benintendi took strike three to end the game. The Rays had won it 8-5.

                                                            Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He was shelled for 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings to take the loss. He hit the TV's harder than he attacked the Rays batters.

                                                     TV punching Jackass

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

JD Martinez was 3 for 4 with a walk, home run and 2 total rbis.

Sam Travis was 2 for 4.

Michael Chavis was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Darwinzon Hernandez got the final out of the sixth inning.

Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Heath Hembree allowed 2 runs in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Good luck to the Rays and New York Yankees in their battle for AL East supremacy. Dave Dombrowski essentially handed them the keys to the kingdom due to his inactivity at the trade deadline. Everyone on the planet knew the Sox needed another pitcher either in the bullpen or in the rotation because what they have clearly isn't good enough. To add insult to injury, when Dombrowski was asked by the media why he didn't make a move he quipped "You would not believe the offers I got for our relief pitchers." No Dave, I don't believe it. Because any GM knows that if you're gonna blow a team up, you do it. If you look to add a piece, you do it. Doing absolutely nothing is the worst thing you can do. Tonight's game isn't half as important as the ramifications from being idle at the deadline. How could Dave see Porcello, David Price, Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi struggling and think this was good enough to win? What if one or more of those guys get hurt? The loss drops the Sox to 59-50, 10 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to avoid a sweep when they send Andrew Cashner (1-3) to the mound up against Brendan McKay of the Rays. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rays Edge Sox in Crucial Series Opener (7/30/19)

Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! After the Boston Red Sox won 5 out of 7 games against the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays, it gave fans a glimmer of hope that the Sox are coming back into contention. That hope was just fools gold as the Rays undid a week's worth of good with a narrow victory over the Sox. David Price got knocked out in the fifth inning and the Rays took a 4-3 lead. Andrew Benintendi's 2 run homer gave the Sox the lead back but the worthless Red Sox bullpen coughed up the lead in the top of the sixth. The Sox had 2 men on in the seventh inning, the bases loaded in the eighth and two more men on in the ninth but couldn't get the clutch hit to tie the game. The Sox can score 12 runs a game if they score first but when they fall behind in the later innings, they suddenly forget how to drive in runs. It all added up to a bitter 6-5 defeat to the Rays at Fenway Park.

Price got the ball in the bottom of the first and Matt Duffy walked to start. Duffy got picked off by Vazquez but Travis d'Arnaud singled to right. Austin Meadows and Avisail Garcia both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first against Charlie Morton as Mr. Mookie Betts walked to start. Rafael Devers popped up to third and Xander Bogaerts popped up to short but JD Martinez singled Betts to third. Andrew Benintendi walked to load the bases and Mitch Moreland lashed a base hit to right to score Betts and Bogaerts. Christian Vazquez flied out to center to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                         Moreland drives in a pair

Michael Brosseau lined out to right to start the top of the second but Nate Lowe singled to center. Willy Adames forced Lowe at second and Guillermo Heredia flied out to right to end the inning. Brock "The Hitman" Holt lined out to right to start the bottom of the second and Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to third. Mr. Mookie lined out to left to end the inning.

The Rays struck back in the top of the third although Mike Zunino struck out swinging to begin. Duffy doubled to left but d'Arnaud went down hacking. Meadows tripled over the head of Betts to score Duffy to cut the lead. Garcia struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays down 2-1.

                                                              Incoming triple

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the third as Devers singled to center to begin. Bogaerts singled to right to move Devers to third but Martinez went down hacking. Benintendi grounded a base hit to right to score Devers and move Bogaerts to third. Moreland banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                      Big hit for Benintendi

Brosseau walked to start the top of the fourth and Devers dropped a double play relay throw by Moreland for an error hit by Lowe. Adames took strike three but Heredia hit a seeing eye single to left to load the bases. Zunino took strike three and Duffy whiffed to end the inning. Vazquez doubled to center to begin the bottom of the fourth but Holt flied out to left. JBJ struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Rays pounced on Price in the top of the fifth as d'Arnaud led off with a home run all the way to Saturn to cut the lead. Meadows took strike three but Garcia hit a home run all the way to Jupiter to tie the game. Brosseau singled and Lowe double him to third to chase the incompetent Price from the game. Price lasted just 4 1/3 innings and would be charged with 4 runs. Marcus Walden came in and Eric Sogard pinch hit for Adames. Sogard grounded out to second but Brosseau scored to give the Rays the lead. Heredia flied out to right to end the inning with Tampa ahead 4-3.

                                                    Price sucked again

 

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fifth as Devers singled to center to start. Bogaerts popped up to second and Martinez lined out to center to chase Morton from the game. Rays manager Kevin Cash wanted Adam Kolarek to pitch to Benintendi and Andrew made him pay by swatting his 11th home run of the year to give the Sox the lead back. Moreland grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                                 Benintendi goes yard

Things fell apart in the top of the sixth although Zunino grounded out to second to start. Duffy grounded out to first but d'Arnaud walked to chase Walden. Josh Taylor was brought in to face Meadows and Austin singled to right. Colten Brewer was brought in to face Garcia and Avisail doubled over the head of Bradley to clear the bases and give the Rays the lead. Brosseau popped up to short to end the inning with the Rays ahead 6-5. The Sox bullpen had three chances to get one out and blew all three of them.

                                                     Rays take the lead

The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez lined out to right to start. Holt grounded out to third and JBJ lined out to left to end the inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez came in for the top of the seventh and Lowe took strike three to start. Sogard took strike three and Heredia grounded out to short to end the inning. Diego Castillo came in for the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to start. Devers doubled to center but Bogaerts flied out to left. Martinez walked to chase Castillo and Colin Poche came in to face Benintendi. Andrew struck out to end the inning.

Nathan Eovaldi came in for the top of the eighth and Zunino struck out swinging to start. Duffy singled to right but d'Arnaud went down hacking. Meadows walked but Garcia struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the eighth with Chaz Roe now on the mound. Sam Travis pinch hit for Moreland and doubled to center but Vazquez struck out swinging. Oliver Drake came in to pitch to Vazquez and he walked him. JBJ lined out to third and Emilio Pagan came in to face Mr. Mookie. Betts beat out an infield single to load the bases but Devers lined out to left to end the inning. What a waste.

                                                 Devers can't believe it

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Brosseau struck out swinging to start. Lowe grounded out to third but Sogard walked. Heredia flied out to right to end the inning. Bogaerts flied out to right to begin the bottom of the ninth and Martinez struck out swinging. Benintendi singled to left and Travis singled Benintendi to third to put the tying run 90 feet away. Vazquez flied out to Meadows to end the game. The Rays had held on to win it 6-5.

                                                          Dammit

Jackass of the Night is Colten Brewer. He gave up the double to Garcia that put the Rays up for good.

                                                   Brewer the Jackass

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 4 with 3 total rbis, a walk and a 2 run homer.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Sam Travis was 2 for 2 at the plate.

Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Nathan Eovaldi pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Price was horrible, allowing 4 runs in just 4 1/3 innings in a crucial game.

Marcus Walden was charged with a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Josh Taylor gave up a hit to the only man he faced.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5 at the plate.

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

All that momentum build up last week gone in just one game. The Sox had a great chance to get back in the AL East race by knocking off the Rays tonight for momentum but couldn't get the clutch hit when it counted. Not only did Price crap the bed in a big game situation but the bullpen failed as well. Walden, Taylor and Brewer all had one out to get and none of them could get it. After that the Sox couldn't drive in a run if their lives depended on it. It all added up to one of the most frustrating games of the season considering the stakes involved. The Sox could have blown past the Rays and gain ground on the New York Yankees if they swept this series but they just dropped the first game. Its nice to see Benintendi contribute and the Sox bullpen in the later innings stepped up, but everything else in the game made Sox fans want to pull their hair out. If the bullpen's misfire doesn't convince Sox GM Dave Dombrowski to make a move for another pitcher before tomorrow's deadline, I don't know what will. The offense has been there all season but the Sox desperately need another pitcher to salvage the season. The loss dropped the Sox to 59-49, 9 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound when "Slick" Rick Porcello (9-7) takes on Ryan Yarbrough of the Rays tomorrow night in the second game of this series. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Off-Day News (7/29/19)

Another off-day and no trades or signings made by the Boston Red Sox. This isn't good for the Sox considering they're right there on the cusp of a comeback in the AL East race. They took 5 out of 7 against the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays with another 7 games coming up against these same two teams. Considering how iffy Chris Sale, Andrew Cashner and David Price have been, the Sox need another pitcher in a bad way. They don't need an ace per say either, just someone that go 6-7 innings and can get outs. Red Sox GM Dave Dombroski has 2 days to get something done.

                                                  Sox fans message to Dombrowski

On this day in Basebawful history:

1970 - Culp, Thomas guide Sox past A's

2013 - Rays beat Sox on controversial call

2017 - Sox beat Royals in 10 innings

2018 - Eovaldi wins first game as a Sox pitcher

Tomorrow night the Sox start a crucial three game set with the Tampa Bay Rays at Fenway Park. David Price (7-4, 3.66 ERA) gets a rematch with Charlie Morton of the Rays at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Pound Sale, Defeat Sox (7/28/19)

Amazing how the Boston Red Sox won 5 out of 7 games against the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees yet it seems like a colossal failure after dropping today's game against the Yankees. The Sox had New York reeling and sent their ace Chris Sale (5-10, 4.26 ERA) out to complete the sweep. The Sox did manage to pound out 10 hits and 6 runs but Sale had nothing. The Yankees crushed Sale for 6 runs and knocked him out of the sixth inning. The Sox defense and bullpen failed as they committed 3 errors and allowed 3 runs in the later innings. The Sox tried to rally in the ninth but the Yankees restored their lead in the AL East with a 9-6 win at Fenway Park.

                                                    "Damn Red Sox!"

Sale got the ball to start the top of the first and Aaron Hicks struck out swinging to start. Aaron Judge was retired on a squibber in front of the plate and Edwin Encarnacion struck out swinging to end the inning. German got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts took strike three to start. Rafael Devers reached on an error by Gleybar Torres but Xander Bogaerts flied out to center. JD Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Luke Voit took strike three to start the top of the second and Didi Gregorius flied out to right. Gleyber Torres lined out to third to end the inning. Andrew Benintendi took strike three to begin the bottom of the second and Brock "The Hitman" Holt lined out to left. Mitch Moreland went down hacking to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the third although Gio Urshela flied out to center to begin. Cameron Maybin walked and Austin Romine smashed a home run into the Charles River to put the Yankees up. Hicks hit one up the elevator shaft and Judge whiffed to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                     Romine goes yard

German dominated the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to start. Sandy Leon also went down hacking and Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the fourth although Encarnacion took strike three to start. Voit walked and Gregorius hit a home run to Bakalakadaka Street to increase the lead. Torres lined out to right but Urshela doubled to center. Maybin lined out to left to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-0.

                                                           Gregorius adds to the lead

The Sox finally got on the board in the bottom of the fourth although Devers flied out to left to start. Bogaerts beat out an infield single to third but Martinez went down hacking. Benintendi stepped up with his tenth home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Holt grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were still alive down 4-2.

                                                             Benintendi hits a home run

Romine flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Hicks hit a routine grounder to Devers. Devers picked the ball up, spiked it like a football and did a salsa for an error. Judge struck out swinging but Encarnacion singled to center. Voit took strike three to end the inning. Moreland singled to left to start the bottom of the fifth but JBJ whiffed. Leon went down swinging and Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Yankees iced the game in the top of the sixth as Gregorius walked to start. Torres forced Didi at second and Urshela doubled home Gleybar to chase Sale. Sale would be charged with 6 runs in just 5 1/3 innings, guess his arm's worse than anyone thought. Colten Brewer came in and Maybin singled home Urshela to ice the game. Maybin got picked off and Romine grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 6-2.

                                                   The ace failed to deliver

The Sox blew a chance to come back in the bottom of the sixth as Devers walked to start. Bogaerts doubled Rafael to third but all Martinez could do is score Devers with a ground out. Tommy Kahnle replaced German and struck out Benintendi swimming but Bogaerts took third. Holt lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 6-3.

                                                        Martinez drives in a run

After the Sox cut the lead in half, Darwinzon Hernandez gave it back in the top of the seventh, Hicks walked to start but Judge took strike three. Encarnacion doubled out of the reach of Benintendi and Voit was intentionally walked to load the bases. Gregorius hit a fly ball to JBJ who caught it and suddenly fired the ball into the centerfield bleachers for an error to score Hicks and Encarnacion. Torres struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 8-3 Yankees.

                                                         Benintendi can't get it

The Sox blew another big rally in the bottom of the seventh as Moreland struck out swinging to start. JBJ singled to center to chase Kahnle and Adam Ottavino was brought in. Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Leon and Vazquez hit a routine grounder to Gregorius who threw the ball away for an error. All Mr. Mookie could do was score JBJ with a sac fly. Devers doubled to left but Bogaerts flied out to right with the Sox down 8-4.

                                                Vazquez tries to help the rally

Marcus Walden came in to cough up the top of the eighth as Urshela grounded out to short to start. Maybin doubled to center and moved to third on the Romine grounder. Walden uncorked a wild pitch that scored Maybin with the final run. Hicks walked and Holt dropped a pop up in foul territory for an error. Judge grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 9-4 Yankees.

                                                      Sox are a comedy of errors

The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the eighth with Zack Britton on the mound. Martinez walked and Benintendi singled off the glove of Gregorius, causing Sox manager Alex Cora to send in Michael Chavis to pinch hit for Holt. Chavis moved both runners over with a ground out and Sam Travis pinch hit for Moreland, drawing a walk to load the bases. The rally ended as JBJ whiffed and Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning.

Heath Hembree came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Encarnacion popped up to first to start. Voit flied out to center and Gregorius grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox rallied but it was too little too late in the bottom of the ninth against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman. Mr. Mookie walked but Devers flied out to left. Bogaerts singled to left and a passed ball moved both runners over. Martinez struck out swinging but Benintendi singled home both runners with a base hit to left. How big were the runs allowed after Sale left now? Chavis whiffed to end the game and the Yankees had won it 9-6.

                                                               Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Chris Sale. The "ace" got lit up by the Yankees in the biggest game of the year for 6 runs in just 5 1/3 innings.

                                                                    Chris Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 4 total rbis.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3.

Sam Travis walked as a pinch hitter.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 2 at the plate.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with an error.

Michael Chavis was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Darwinzon Hernandez allowed 2 runs in the seventh inning.

Marcus Walden allowed a run in the top of the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked and scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error but scored a run.

Colten Brewer allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

For the second series in a row, losing the last game of the set leaves a bad taste in everyone's mouth. For all intents and purposes, this was a very successful stretch by the Sox to win 5 of 7 against the top two teams in the AL East. The problem is they're still 9 games out with 55 to play. The Yankees pounded Sale and pretty much the Sox pitching the whole series, this was just the only time the Sox didn't pound the Yankees into submission. A sweep was possibly too unrealistic but that's what the Sox needed to do to seriously strike fear into the heart's of everyone. If Sale isn't the ace anymore, the Sox are going to need another pitcher to beat the Yankees. Either pick somebody off the scrap heap like when they got Doug Fister or make a trade for one. Sox GM Dave Dombrowski has 3 days to come up with something because the Sox need help if they hope to compete for October. The loss drops the Sox to 59-48, 9 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox get a much needed off-day tomorrow then its on to phase two of this crucial stretch of games. The Tampa Bay Rays come to Fenway for a three game set Tuesday night. David Price takes on Charlie Morton of the Rays at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park

Hot Sox Thrash Yankees Again (7/27/19)

Remember the four game sweep last August where the Boston Red Sox effectively knocked out the New York Yankees and never looked back until the end of the season? This is starting to get a similar vibe as the Sox for the third day in a row smacked the Yankees all over Fenway Park. After scoring 28 runs in the first two games, the Sox scored another nine total against Yankee pitching. Yesterday it was the Mookie Betts show but today it was Andrew Benintendi and JD Martinez supplying the long balls. Sam Travis broke out of his slump big time with 3 hits and the Sox as a team had 15 hits. Eduardo Rodriguez (13-4, 4.13 ERA) was servicable, tossing 5 2/3 innings of 3 run ball to keep the Sox in front. The Sox sent Yankees ace CC Sabathia to the showers in the fifth inning and won another big game against New York 9-5 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Kristy Snow approves of the win

Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first and Aaron Hicks grounded back to the mound to start. Aaron Judge lined out to right but Edwin Encarnacion walked. Luke Voit singled to left but Didi Gregorius lined out to right to end the inning. Sabathia took the mound in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to left to start. Rafael Devers flied out to right and Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the second as Gleyber Torres struck out swinging to start. Gio Urshela then bashed a home run all the way to the Pacific Ocean to give the Yankees the lead. Mike Tauchman grounded out to third and Kyle Higashioka struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                    Yankees were all smiles so far

The Sox tied it in the bottom of the second although JD Martinez whiffed to begin. Christian Vazquez lined out to center but Andrew Benintendi launched his ninth home run of the season just inside the righ field foul line to tie the game. Sam Travis flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                       Benintendi ties it up

Hicks led off the top of the third with a base hit in the hole to the right to start, but was erased on the Judge double play. Encarnacion grounded out to first to end the inning. Michael Chavis lined one off the Monster but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call but it was upheld. Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to right and Mr. Mookie lined out to left to end the inning.

The Yankees took the lead in the top of the fourth as Voit doubled to left to begin. Gregorius grounded out to short and Torres popped up to short, but Urshela singled home Voit to give the Yankees the lead. Tauchman grounded into a force to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-1.

                                                       Yankees lead again

The Sox went up for good in the bottom of the fourth as Devers got a base hit to left to start. Bogaerts flied out to center but Martinez clobbered his 22nd home run of the season to give the Sox the lead back. Vazquez singled to left but Benintendi took strike three. Travis got a base hit to left and Chavis singled home Vazquez. JBJ flied out to left to end the inning but it was 4-2 Sox.

                                                              Martinez puts the Sox on top

Higashioka grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth but Hicks walked. Judge took strike three but Encarnacion doubled to center to score Hicks. Voit struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.

                                                 Encarnacion drives in a run

The Sox finally knocked out Sabathia in the bottom of the fifth as Mr. Mookie flied out to center to start. Devers hit a ground rule double into the stands and he scored on the Bogaerts double off the Monster. That was it for Sabathia as Chad Green came in to strike out Martinez swinging. Vazquez lined out to right to end the inning with Boston ahead 5-3.

                                                      Yeah you're out CC, now beat it!

The Yankees knocked Rodriguez out in the top of the sixth although Gregorius took strike three to start. Torres walked and Urshela singled to right, but Tauchman popped up to short. That was it for Rodriguez who lasted just 5 2/3 innings but held the Yankees to three runs. Matt Barnes came in and struck out Higashioka swinging to end the inning.

                                                     Rodriguez gets the job done

The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the sixth as Benintendi doubled to center to start. Travis singled to right to move Benintendi to third and Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Chavis. Holt scored Benintendi with a sac fly and Travis stole second. JBJ tripled into the left field corner and he scored on the Mr. Mookie sac fly. Devers doubled to center but Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                               Holt's Herculean sac fly impresses Joe West

Barnes returned for the top of the seventh and Hicks whiffed to start. Judge also went down swinging but Encarnacion doubled to left. Voit struck out swinging to end the inning. The relentless Sox scored in the bottom of the seventh as Martinez lined out to center to start. Vazquez grounded out to first but Benintendi doubled to left. Nestor Cortes Jr came in to pitch and Travis singled home Benintendi to increase the lead. Holt drew a walk but JBJ whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-3.

                                                 Travis with a breakout game

Nathan Eovaldi got tagged in the top of the eighth although Gregorius popped up to third to start. Torres singled to right and Urshela doubled to left but Tauchman struck out swinging. Higashioka singled home Torres and Urshela to cut the lead, but Hicks took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees down 9-5.

                                            Higashioka drives in a pair

Tommy Kahnle came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to start. Devers struck out swinging and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.

Brandon Workman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Judge grounded out to second to start. Encarnacion took strike three and Voit watched strike three go by to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-5.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is JD Martinez. He hit the go-ahead home run to put the Sox up for good in the fourth inning.

                                                        Martinez is the Hero

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 4 with a home run.

Sam Travis was 3 for 4 with an rbi, stolen base and a run scored.

Michael Chavis was 2 for 2 with an rbi.

Brock Holt walked and drove in a run as a pinch hitter.

Eduardo Rodriguez got the win with 5 1/3 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 7 hits while striking out 5.

Matt Barnes tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Brandon Workman tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Nathan Eovaldi allowed 2 runs in the top of the eighth.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

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

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored once.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox needed to make a statement to get back in the AL East race and they're doing it so far. They've won 5 out of 6 games to give a sliver of hope for the Red Sox fans. While all this offense is good, the only thing to complain about is the pitching hasn't been great, especially out of the bullpen. Still, Rodriguez won again and he seems to be on pace for 17 or 18 wins if things keep going. The offense looks to be right where it was last year and that should carry them to the end of the season. Sox GM Dave Dombrowski has 4 days left to get another pitcher to bolster either the rotation or bullpen since you never know when someone might get hurt. In 2016 they got Brad Ziegler and in 2017 they got Addison Reed, this time around they need a starter especially if somebody gets hurt. As bad as the Sox played for most of the season, the fact they're one piece away from turning it all around shows there's still a chance. The Sox smacked around the Yankees for 38 runs in this series so far and hopefully it can continue tomorrow in a desperately needed sweep. The win improved the Sox to 59-47, 8 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox will have to earn it as the 12-2 Domingo German takes on Sox ace Chris Sale (5-9) at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Betts, Sox Bash Yankees Again (7/26/19)

Normally when the Boston Red Sox pound out 23 hits and 19 runs in a game against an opponent, they don't do anything the next day. Add to the fact the next day including starting the winless in Boston Andrew Cashner (1-2) taking on noted Red Sox killer James Paxton of the New York Yankees, most people had this game as a lock for the Yankees to win. If you think the Yankees won this game...WELL YOU'RE WRONG! BAAAAHAHA! Somehow the Sox offense picked up where they left off against Masahiro Tanaka and pounded Paxton into submission as well. Mookie Betts was the star of today, clocking 3 home runs and reminding everyone he's the reigning AL MVP. Cashner finally threw a gutty game, tossing 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball to keep the Yankees away from coming back. JD Martinez also went yard and Rafael Devers increased his batting average to .326 as the Sox routed the Yankees 10-5 at Fenway Park.

                                               Kelsey Obsession approves of the win

Cashner got the ball in the top of the first and DJ LeMahieu singled to left to begin. Aaron Judge struck out swinging and LeMahieu was erased on a strike em out, throw em out double play by Edwin Encarnacion to end the inning. Just like last night, the Sox instantly pounced on the starter in the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts took Paxton yard on the 8 pitch of the at-bat to instantly give Boston the lead. Rafael Devers singled in the hole at second but Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging. JD Martinez belted his 21st home run of the season to increase the lead. Christian Vazquez and Andrew Benintendi both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        "That's one!" - Betts

The Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning as Didi Gregorius grounded out to second to start. Luke Voit grounded out to third and Gleyber Torres grounded out to second to end the inning. Paxton kept up the heat in the bottom of the second as Sam Travis, Michael Chavis and Jackie Bradley Jr all struck out swinging to end the inning.

Cameron Maybin flied out to right to start the top of the third and Mike Tauchman flied out to center. Austin Romine singled to right and LeMahieu grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third when Mr. Mookie ripped his second home run of the game to increase the lead. Devers struck out swinging but Bogaerts doubled into the left field corner. Martinez tripled past the diving Judge to add to the score. Vazquez flied out to right and Benintendi lined out to a running Judge to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                            "That's two!" - Betts

Cashner cruised in the top of the fourth as Judge grounded out to second to start. Encarnacion and Gregorius both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did it again in the bottom of the fourth although Travis took strike three to start. Chavis grounded out to third but JBJ singled to right. Mr. Mookie lit the crowd up with his third home run in his third at bat to ice the game. Devers doubled to right but Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 7-0.

                                                      "That's three!" - Betts

The Yankees threatened in the top of the fifth although Voit lined out to right to start. Torres struck out swinging but Maybin singled to short. Tauchman singled to center but Romine lined out to center to end the inning. David Hale came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Martinez grounded out to short to start. Vazquez lined out to first and Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning.

Cashner got tagged in the top of the sixth although LeMahieu grounded out to second to start. Judge grounded out to third but Encarnacion singled to right. Gregorius got a base hit to left and Voit scored Edwin with a base hit to left. Torres took strike three to end the inning but the Yankees were on the board 7-1.

                                                          Voit drives in a run

The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the sixth although Travis popped up to third to start. Chavis singled to left and moved to second on the JBJ grounder. Who else but Mr. Mookie doubled home Chavis to add to the score. Devers doubled home Betts but Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-1.

                                                        Devers adds to the lead

Cashner ran out of gas in the top of the seventh as Maybin walked to start. Tauchman doubled to left and Romine singled home Maybin. LeMahieu banged into a double play but Tauchman scored to cut the lead. Judge doubled to center and that was it for Cashner. He ran out of gas in the later innings but still managed to hold the Yankees to 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings. That's more like it! Marcus Walden came in and froze Encarnacion for strike three to end the inning with the Yankees down 9-3.

                                                         Cashner makes his exit

The Sox kept on coming in the bottom of the seventh although Martinez grounded out to short to start. Vazquez popped up to third but Benintendi doubled just inside the left field foul line. Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged the call but the call was upheld. Maybin crashed into the Monster to catch a line drive by Travis but it fell out of his glove for a "double" that scored Benintendi. Adam Ottavino came in to pitch and Chavis struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-3.

                                                       Travis doubles in a run

Josh Taylor came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Gregorius grounded out to first to start. Voit walked but was thrown out at third by Benintendi on the base hit but Torres. Maybin grounded out to short to end the inning.

                                                     Yerrrrr out!

Zack Britton came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and JBJ grounded out to second to start. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third and Devers took strike three to end the inning.

Heath Hembree got tagged in the top of the ninth as Tauchman singled to left to start. Romine doubled off the Monster to score Tauchman and LeMahieu walked to chase the incompetent Hembree. Brandon Workman came in and got Judge to hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts. Bogaerts dove on the ball and clawed at it like a cat for an error to load the bases. Encarnacion flied out to right but Romine scored on the sac fly by Gregorius. Voit grounded into a force to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-5.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of the Night is Mookie Betts. He hit not one, not two but three home runs to lead the offensive attack.

                                                     Our Hero gets the Gatorade shower

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with 3 total rbis and a 2 run home run.

Andrew Cashner earned the win with 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball. He scattered 10 hits while striking out 6.

Marcus Walden struck out the only man he faced.

Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Heath Hembree allowed 2 runs without getting an out in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but threw out a runner at third and scored a run.

Sam Travis was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Michael Chavis was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

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

Final Thoughts:

So far so good in this crucial stretch for the Red Sox. They took 2 of 3 from the Rays and the first two games from the Yankees so far. They've scored 29 runs in the first two games of the series against the Yankees and unlike the London series, the pitching has kept the Yankees mostly off the scoreboard. Cashner finally delivered even though he ran out of gas in the seventh inning. Getting the first win was a big monkey off his back, hopefully this will spark him for future success because they're going to need him. The offense was relentless in this one and the Sox are gonna need Betts, Devers, Benintendi, Martinez and Bogaerts to lead the charge in the final two months of the season if the Sox hope to see October again. Beating Sox killer Paxton was a big blow to the Yankees who signed him specifically to beat the Red Sox. Its only July but beating him now or in October is still nothing to sneeze at. Hopefully the Sox ride this momentum with the trade deadline less than a week away now. The win improved the Sox to 58-47, 9 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon its a battle of left handed pitchers as Eduardo Rodriguez (12-4) takes on CC Sabathia of the Yankees in what should be a good pitcher's duel. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.