Basebawful Report of The Month

Austin Davis - 7 Good, 4 Bad

Christian Arroyo - 4 Good, 1 Bad, 2 Ugly

Brayan Bello - 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 2 Jackass

Xander Bogaerts - 13 Good, 5 Bad, 7 Ugly

Jackie Bradley Jr - 8 Good, 8 Bad, 4 Ugly, 2 Honorable Mention

Ryan Brasier - 3 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Ugly, 2 Hero, 2 Jackass

Franchy Cordero - 5 Good, 8 Bad, 9 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Kutter Crawford - 2 Good, 2 Ugly, 1 Hero

Darwinzon Hernandez - 2 Good, 2 Bad

Bobby Dalbec - 9 Good, 11 Bad, 3 Ugly

Tyler Danish - 1 Good, 2 Ugly

Rafael Devers - 6 Good, 2 Bad, 5 Ugly

Jake Diekman - 6 Good, 3 Bad, 3 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Jeter Downs - 3 Good, 7 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Honorable Mention

Jarren Duran - 5 Good, 8 Bad, 9 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Nathan Eovaldi - 2 Bad, 1 Ugly

Michael Feliz - 1 Ugly

Rich Hill - 1 Bad

Tanner Houck - 4 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 2 Jackass

Jaylin Davis - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly

JD Martinez - 5 Good, 4 Bad, 9 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Kaleb Ort - 5 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Ugly

Nick Pivetta - 1 Good, 2 Bad, 2 Jackass

Kevin Plawecki - 3 Good, 5 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Rob Refsnyder - 7 Good, 6 Bad, 6 Ugly, 1 Honorable Mention

Hansel Robles - 1 Bad, 1 Jackass

Chris Sale - 1 Good, 1 Bad

Yolmer Sanchez - 2 Good, 3 Bad, 2 Ugly, 1 Jackass, 1 Honorable Mention

Hiro Sawamura - 8 Good, 3 Bad, 1 Jackass

John Schreiber - 8 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Connor Seabold - 1 Good, 1 Jackass

Trevor Story - 1 Good, 5 Bad, 5 Ugly, 1 Hero

Matt Strahm - 3 Good, 2 Bad

Phillips Valdez - 1 Good, 1 Bad

Christian Vazquez - 11 Good, 6 Bad, 7 Ugly, 

Alex Verdugo - 8 Good, 5 Bad, 10 Ugly, 1 Hero, 1 Jackass

Garrett Whitlock - 5 Good, 1 Ugly

Josh Winckowski - 2 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Ugly, 1 Jackass

Connor Wong - 1 Good, 1 Bad, 1 Honorable Mention

Most Valuable Player is Christian Vazquez with 11 Good

Least Valuable Player is Bobby Dalbec with 11 Bad, 

The Ugliest Players of the Month are Jarren Duran and JD Martinez with 9 Ugly

Hero of The Month is Ryan Brasier with 2 Hero

Jackasses of the Month are Ryan Brasier, Brayan Bello and Tanner Houck with 2 Jackass

The Honorable Player of the Month is Jackie Bradley Jr with 2 Honorable Mention

Sox Fifth Inning Rally Drops Brewers (7/31/22)

For four innings it looked like the Milwaukee Brewers would effortlessly sweep the Boston Red Sox. Then suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the fifth inning. Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez, Christian Vazquez and Alex Verdugo had four straight doubles to turn a 2-0 game into 5-2.  Josh Winckowski (4-5, 5.00 ERA) was pulled after just 5 innings and 65 pitches but got credit for the win. The bullpen managed to lock it down the rest of the game. Jackie Bradley Jr and Jaylin Davis also knocked in runs to give the Sox a 7-2 victory over the Brewers in the final game before the trade deadline at Fenway Park.

                                                           Eduard Khil approves of the win

Winckowski got the ball in the top of the first and Christian Yelich got a base hit to center to start. Willy Adames popped up to first and Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Aaron Ashby got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jaylin Davis walked to start. Xander Bogaerts singled to center but Martinez flied out to right to move Davis to third. Christian Vazquez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Brewers struck first in the top of the second as Andrew McCutchen popped up to second. Kolten Wong doubled to center and Hunter Renfroe continued to torture the Red Sox with a two run homer all the way to Alaska. Luis Arias popped up to second and Omar Narvaez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Brewers up 2-0.

                                                               Renfroe does it again

Alex Verdugo grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. Christian Arroyo walked but Yolmer Sanchez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tyrone Taylor grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Yelich got a base hit to right. Adames took strike three and Tellez lined out to right to end the inning. Ashby turned up the heat in the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to start. Davis and Bogaerts also struck out swinging to end the inning.

McCutchen singled to center to start the top of the fourth but Wong popped up to right. Renfroe singled to left and Urias was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Narvaez banged into a double play to end the inning. Martinez doubled to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Vazquez flied out to center. Verdugo struck out swinging and Dalbec popped up to second to end the inning.

Taylor grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth before Yelich popped up to short. Adames doubled to right and Tellez was intentionally walked, but Adames was picked off to end the inning. That was it for Winckowski after just 65 pitches. He allowed 2 runs in 5 innings to get the decision.

                                                     Short but sweet for Winckowski

Suddenly the Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth as Arroyo walked to start. Sanchez hit a double play grounder to short but Wong dropped the throw for an error. JBJ dropped down a bunt but it got Arroyo thrown out at third. Davis lined out to left but Bogaerts doubled to left to score both runners, tying the game. Martinez doubled to right to score Bogaerts to put the Sox on top and Vazquez doubled down the first base line to score Xander. That was it for Ashby as Hoby Milner came in to pitch to Verdugo. Alex doubled to left to score Vazquez for their fourth straight double. Dalbec flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                       Bogaerts ties it up

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the sixth and McCutchen flied out to right to start. Wong lined out to center but Renfroe singled to center. Urias lined one past Whitlock but Narvaez hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The Sox scored again in the bottom of the sixth as Arroyo doubled to left to start. Sanchez moved Arroyo to third with a lineout to right and JBJ hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to score Arroyo. That was it for Milner as Jandel Gustave allowed a base hit by Davis to score JBJ. Bogaerts flied out to right but Martinez lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 7-2.

                                                               Davis adds to the lead

Taylor struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Yelich grounded out to short. Adames grounded out to third to end the inning. Brent Suter came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez popped up to short. Verdugo watched strike three go by and Dalbec grounded out to second to end the inning.

Austin Davis came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mike Brosseau pinch hit for Tellez. Brosseau popped up to first before McCutchen struck out swinging. Pedro Severino pinch hit for Wong and was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Peter Strzelecki came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Arroyo singled to center to start. Sanchez forced Arroyo at second but JBJ hit yet another ground rule double. Davis and Bogaerts both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Renfroe singled to left to start the top of the ninth before Urias singled down the third base line to chase Davis. John Schreiber came in to face Narvaez but Victor Caratini pinch hit for him. Caratini flied out to center, Taylor lined out to right and Yelich grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-2.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is JD Martinez. His double in the fifth inning put the Sox up for good.

                                                               JD Hero

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Josh Winckowski got the win with 5 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 7 hits and a walk.

Garrett Whitlock tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Austin Davis tossed a scoreless inning.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jaylin Davis was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

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

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Yolmer Sanchez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts: 

We've made it to the trade deadline and the Sox stumbled into the end of July for sure. The Sox should be looking to sell high considering some of the prospects they have in the system like Marcelo Mayer, Nick Yorke and Gilberto Jimenez. Still, a win is a win and this was a good one. The entire offense contributed and Josh Winckowski looked strong as well. No idea why they pulled him after just 5 innings but he got the job done. The bullpen locked it down as well and John Schreiber is having a low key dominant season. On a sad note, this might have been the final game for the core of the team that won the World Series in 2018. Bogaerts, Vazquez, Martinez and possibly Bradley could be dealt or released. With all the injuries on the team, it makes more sense to sell. Still, they might surprise and add a starter by dealing some of the prospects. We'll find out tomorrow. The win improved the Sox to 51-52, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Houston for a three game set with the defending AL Champion Astros. Nathan Eovaldi (4-3) takes on Luis Garcia of Houston. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Minute Maid Park.

Brewers Pound Sox (7/30/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Christian Arroyo was activated from the Injured List and Jeter Downs was sent down to Worcester to make room for him. Not that it matters with how bad the offense has been.

                                                                               OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, its time to sell for the Boston Red Sox. Just two days away before the trade deadline the 2022 Red Sox have completely fallen apart amidst injuries to their entire starting rotation and bullpen overuse because of it. Last year's NL Central Division champions beat the crap out of Nick Pivetta (8-8, 4.47 ERA) and the beleaguered Boston bullpen. Pivetta got rocked for four runs in just 5 innings, 2 of which courtesy of a Hunter Renfroe two run home run. The Brewers then feasted on the bullpen for five more runs although the Sox did rally in the bottom of the seventh. A Willy Adames sac fly in the eighth and a three run rally in the ninth sealed the doom of the Red Sox. The Sox took one step closer to implosion with an embarrassing 9-4 loss to the Brewers at Fenway Park.

                                                           Sign on Chaim Bloom's door

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Christian Yelich doubled to center to start. Yelich took third on a passed ball but Willy Adames struck out swinging. Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez singled in the hole at third to score Yelich to put the Brewers up for good just three batters into the game. Andrew McCutchen doubled to left and Kolten Wong hit a grounder to third. Wong beat the throw out but Tellez was thrown out at home on the play. Wong stole second but Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Brewers up 1-0.

                                                        Of course its Tellez

Eric Lauer got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran walked to start....only to get picked off. Christian Vazquez singled to right and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk, but JD Martinez flied out to center. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Brewers struck again in the top of the second as Luis Urias grounded out to short to start. Omar Narvaez hit a home run all the way to Argentina to increase the lead. Tyrone Taylor walked but Yelich banged into a double play to end the inning with the Brewers up 2-0.

                                                            Home run for Narvaez

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Bobby Dalbec popped up to second to start. Christian Arroyo tripled into the right field corner and Jaylin Davis ripped a base hit to left to score Christian. Kevin Plawecki and Duran both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                                Davis gets one back

Adames popped up to second to start the top of the third before Tellez pounded a ground rule double down the left field line. McCutchen lined out to left but Wong ripped a base hit to left. Renfroe grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Vazquez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Bogaerts drew a walk. Martinez flied out to right and Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning.

Urias lined out to center to start the top of the fourth but Narvaez singled to center. Taylor flied out to left but Yelich singled to center to move Narvaez to third. Yelich swiped second but Adames struck out swinging to end the inning. Dalbec grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Arroyo singled in the hole at short. Davis struck out swinging and Plawecki popped up to second to end the inning.

The Brewers finished off Pivetta in the top of the fifth as Tellez grounded out to third to start. McCutchen walked and stole second but Wong took strike three. Renfroe put the exclamation point on the Jackie Bradley Jr trade with a 2 run bomb all the way to New Orleans to increase the lead. Urias grounded out to third to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 4-1. That was it for Pivetta who allowed 4 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks.

                                                           Pivetta struggles

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as Duran grounded out to short to start. Vazquez and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the sixth as Narvaez flied out to left to start. Taylor took strike three but Yelich walked. Adames took strike three to end the inning. Trevor Gott came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Martinez lined out to second to start. Verdugo singled in the hole at second but Dalbec took strike three and Arroyo struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Brewers struck in the top of the seventh as Tellez singled to left. McCutchen doubled to left and Wong hit a sac fly to center to score Tellez. Renfroe grounded out to third and Urias popped up to short to end the inning with the Brewers up 5-1.

                                                         Tellez starts the rally

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh with Hoby Milner now on the mound. Davis singled to center before moving to second on the grounder to second by Plawecki. Duran hit a roller to the mound for a single and Vazquez ripped a base hit to left to score Davis. Brad Boxberger came in to pitch to Bogaerts and Xander singled to right to score Duran. Vazquez moved to third and he scored on the Martinez sac fly to right. Verdugo lined out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                     Bogaerts drives in a run

As soon as the Sox got back in the game, the Brewers struck in the top of the eighth with Jake Diekman now on the mound. Caratini pinch hit for Narvaez and was hit with a pitch. Taylor walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over, but Yelich struck out swinging. For whatever reason Sox manager Alex Cora wanted Ryan Brasier to pitch to Adames. Adames hit a sac fly to center to score Caratini and Tellez was intentionally walked. McCutchen forced Tellez at second to end the inning with Milwaukee up 6-4.

                                                           Sac fly for Adames

Devin Williams came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Dalbec grounded out to short to start. Arroyo got a base hit down the third base line but Davis struck out swinging. Franchy Cordero pinch hit for Plawecki and struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Brewers blew it open in the top of the ninth as Wong doubled to left to start. Renfroe struck out swinging but Urias doubled off the Monster to score Wong and chase Brasier. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch and Caratini grounded out to second to move Urias to third. A wild pitch scored Urias and Taylor hit a home run to the moon to ice the game. Yelich struck out swinging to end the inning with the Brewers up 9-4.

                                                             Brewers pour it on

Jandel Gustave came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Duran flied out to center to start. Vazquez walked but Bogaerts flied out to right. Martinez flied out to center to end the game. The Brewers had won it 9-4.

                                                                  Brewers win

Jackass of The Night is Ryan Brasier. He allowed two runs and let an inherited runner to score in one full inning of work.

                                                                  Ryan Jackass

The Good:

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Christian Arroyo was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Jaylin Davis was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Franchy Cordero struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Pivetta allowed 4 runs in just 5 innings of work. He allowed 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out four.

Jake Diekman was charged with a run in 1/3 of an inning.

Hiro Sawamura allowed two inherited runners to score and one of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kaleb Ort allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

It was quite the icing on the sundae to have Hunter Renfroe hit his 18th home run of the season when none of the Red Sox outfielders may come close to hitting 18 this season. The trade that brought Jackie Bradley Jr back to Boston looks like a monumental mistake considering how things turned out. The Sox pulling close down 5-4 only for the bullpen to allow 4 runs is a microcosm of the season as the pitching just hasn't been there. Losing 4/5ths of your starting rotation doesn't help either. The Sox are most likely going to be sellers in the next two days so say your goodbyes while you still can. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-52, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox try to avoid a sweep (laughable) tomorrow afternoon against the Brewers when Josh Winckowski (3-5) goes against Aaron Ashby of the Brewers. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Woodruff, Brewers Shut Down Sox (7/29/22)

Before the game the Seattle Mariners claimed Phillips Valdez off waivers. He was one of the lone bright spots of the 2020 season where Chaim Bloom scraped the bottom of the barrel for pitchers but regressed ever since. Good luck in Seattle.

                                                                 Bye bye Valdez

As the season continues to spiral for the Boston Red Sox, its just a question of who goes on Monday's trade deadline. Tonight the Sox took another step toward "sellers" as they got shut completely down by Brandon Woodruff and the Milwaukee Brewers. Austin Davis was the Sox "opener" but Brayan Bello (0-3, 8.82 ERA) got tagged for 2 runs. The Sox did manage a run against Woodruff but Hiro Sawamura allowed 2 runs in the ninth to put the game away. The Brewers sent the Sox one step closer to fire sale with a 4-1 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                           Sox fans reaching their breaking point

Austin Davis got the ball in the top of the first inning and Christian Yelich struck out swinging to start. Willy Adames singled in the hole at second but Andrew McCutchen forced Adames at second. Old friend Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning. Woodruff got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Christian Vazquez singled to left but Alex Verdugo popped up to third. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.

Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Luis Urias struck out swinging. Victor Caratini flied out to right to end the inning. JD Martinez struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second and Franchy Cordero drew a walk. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging and Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to second to end the inning.

Kolten Wong grounded out to second to start the top of the third and that was it for Davis after 2 1/3 shutout innings. Brayan Bello came in to pitch and Tyrone Taylor was immediately plunked. Yelich struck out swinging and Adames grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                      Not bad for an "Opener"

Yolmer Sanchez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Duran went down hacking as well. Vazquez also swung at air to end the inning.

McCutchen took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Renfroe grounded out to first. Tellez struck out swinging to end the inning. Verdugo popped up to third to open the bottom of the fourth and Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Urias grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth but Caratini walked. Wong walked but Taylor grounded into a double play to end the inning. Cordero lined out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Dalbec grounded back to the mound. JBJ took strike three to end the inning.

The Brewers struck first in the top of the sixth as Yelich doubled down the third base line to start. Adames singled in the hole at short and McCutchen beat out a double play ball to score Yelich. Renfroe grounded out to third and Tellez was intentionally walked. Urias struck out swinging to end the inning with the Brewers up 1-0.

                                                           Brewers take the lead

The Sox answered in the bottom of the sixth as Sanchez took strike three to start. Duran struck out swinging but Vazquez doubled to center. Verdugo doubled to center to score Vazquez with the tying run. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                            Verdugo ties it up

The Brewers struck back in the top of the seventh as Caratini singled in the hole at short to start. Wong banged into a double play but Taylor tripled into the centerfield triangle and Sox manager Alex Cora blundered by yanking Bello at the first side of trouble. Ryan Brasier came in and Yelich ripped a base hit to left to score Caratini to put Milwaukee on top. Adames struck out swingi8ng

                                                                Yelich drives in a run

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the seventh as Martinez grounded out to third to start. Cordero doubled to left and Dalbec walked to chase Woodruff. Brad Boxberger came in to pitch and JBJ struck out swinging. Sanchez lined out to short to end the inning, what a waste.

McCutchen took strike three to start the top of the eighth before Renfroe struck out swinging. Tellez struck out swinging to end the inning. Devin Williams came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran got a base hit to right to begin. Vazquez forced Duran at second but Verdugo reached on a nubber in front of the plate. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Jeter Downs pinch ran for Vazquez. Martinez forced Verdugo at second to end the inning.

Hiro Sawamura came in to take a beating in the top of the ninth with Kevin Plawecki now in to catch. Urias flied out to right before Caratini drew a walk. Wong doubled to left and Taylor hit a sac fly to left to score Caratini. Yelich was intentionally walked but Adames dumped a ground ball to left....booted by Verdugo for an error to score Wong. McCutchen flied out to center to end the inning with the Brewers up 4-1.

                                                                 Brewers ice the game

Josh Hader came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Cordero. Refsnyder struck out swinging but Dalbec got a base hit to left. Jaylin Davis pinch hit for JBJ and struck out swinging. Sanchez took strike three to end the game. The Brewers had won it 4-1.

                                                              Brewers win

Jackass of The Night is Hiro Sawamura. He put the game out of reach by allowing 2 runs in the ninth inning.

The Good:

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Austin Davis tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rob Refsnyder struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jaylin Davis struck out as a pinch hitter.

Yolmer Sanchez was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Brayan Bello took the loss but allowed just 2 runs in 4 1/3 innings.

Ryan Brasier allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Kevin Plawecki caught the top of the ninth.

Jeter Downs played third base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Trevor Story being out sucks but the major reason for the recent failures apart from the starting rotation falling apart is the bottom of the order is a black hole. Cordero, Dalbec, Bradley and Sanchez and Duran are all hitting under .238 while Plawecki and Downs aren't hitting either. When you have 5 guys and 2 off the bench that aren't producing, its very hard to win games. Sawamura and Bello were just a victim of lack of run support and some bad defense as well. Just another reason for Sox GM Chaim Bloom to blow it up and get whatever he can for Martinez, Eovaldi, etc. They also could get a good draft pick for falling down the crapper as well. They got three days to decide whether to add or sell so let's see how that goes. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-51, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Brewers with Nick Pivetta (8-7) on the mound against Eric Lauer of Milwaukee. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Three Run Sixth Puts Sox Past Guardians (7/28/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox signed a familiar face. Danny Santana was brought back to the organization and will play for the Florida Complex Sox to get his wind back. Welcome back Danny.

                                                                           IN

As for the game, for the first five innings it looked like the Red Sox were headed to another loss to the Clevland Guardians. They trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth after a Jose Ramirez home run against Sox starter Kutter Crawford. Xander Bogaerts crushed a three run home run to put the Sox on top. Jake Diekman (5-1, 4.03 ERA) and Garrett Whitlock held the fort and the Sox had come away with the win 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Hayden Panettiere approves of the win

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Steven Kwan lined out to center to start. Amed Rosario and Jose Ramirez also lined out to center to end the inning. McKenzie got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran watched strike three go by to begin. Alex Verdugo grounded out to third but Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. JD Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. 

Josh Naylor doubled to left to open the top of the second but Andres Gimenez popped up the bunt to Crawford. Franmil Reyes grounded out to second to move Naylor to third but Nolan Jones struck out swinging to end the inning. Christian Vazquez popped up to short to begin the bottom of the second before Franchy Cordero struck out swinging. Bobby Dalbec took strike three to end the inning. 

Luke Maile swung at air to start the top of the third and Myles Straw popped up to right. Kwan popped up to short to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Jeter Downs flied out to center. Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. 

The Guardians struck first in the top of the fourth although Rosario grounded out to third to start. Ramirez then hit a home run all the way to Luxembourg to put Cleveland on top. Naylor lined out to left but Gimenez was hit with a pitch. Gimenez stole second but Reyes popped up to second to end the inning with the Guardians up 1-0.

                                                              Home run Ramirez

Verdugo got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Martinez flied out to right and Vazquez lined out to right to end the inning.

Jones lined out to right to start the top of the fifth and Maile flied out to center. Straw lined out to right to end the inning. Cordero took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Dalbec flied out to right. JBJ grounded out to third to end the inning. Cordero took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Dalbec flied out to right. JBJ grounded out to third to end the inning.

Crawford returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Kwan got a base hit to left to start. Rosario lined out to left and Ramirez grounded back to the mound to move Kwan to left. Defying all logic, Sox manager pulled Crawford after just 69 pitches and not letting him at least finish the inning. Jake Diekman came in to get Naylor to ground out to second to end the inning.

                                                         Crawford deserved better

Naturally the Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Downs beat out a roller to third to start. Duran dropped down a bunt that got Downs thrown at second but Verdugo singled to center. Bogaerts then launched his 8th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Martinez lined out to third and Vazquez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                         Bogaerts puts the Sox on top

Diekman returned for the top of the seventh and Gimenez struck out swinging to start. Reyes struck out swinging and Jones grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh as Cordero doubled to center to start. Dalbec got a base hit to left to score Franchy but JBJ grounded into a double play. Downs struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                        Dalbec is all smiles

The Guardians tagged Garrett Whitlock in the top of the eighth as Maile walked to start. Straw singled to right to put runners at the corners and Maile scored on the double play hit by Kwan. Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians down 4-2.

James Karinchak came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran lined out to left to start. Verdugo  grounded out to second but Bogaerts walked. Bogaerts looked to have stolen second but Guardians manager Terry Francona challeged the call. The umps ruled Bogaerts safe and Martinez walked. Bogaerts stole third and Vazquez took strike three to end the inning.

Whitlock returned for the top of the ninth with Yolmer Sanchez in for Franchy Cordero. Ramirez flied out to center to start but Naylor doubled to center. Gimenez grounded out to first and Reyes grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His 3 run bomb put the Sox in front for good.

                                                           X Gon Hero To Ya

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Jeter Downs was 1 for 3.

Kutter Crawford allowed just a run in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed just 3 hits and struck out 2.

Jake Diekman got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in 2 innings of work but earned his 3rd save of the year.

Honorable Mention:

Yolmer Sanchez played second base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a much needed win just days before the trade deadline. The rumors of Christian Vazquez and JD Martinez being dealt are swirling but Bogaerts himself says he's safe. Words don't mean anything but I'd rather they keep those guys and get themselves an ace pitcher. If Cora wants to pull Kutter Crawford after 69 pitches, he better not wonder why the bullpen is toast by September. Still, with all the injuries in the rotation it may not matter. If they sell, they better get a pitcher or two for Martinez, Bogaerts, etc. The win improved the Sox to 50-50, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in row when they welcome in the Milwaukee Brewers to Fenway Park tomorrow night. Brayan Bello (0-2) takes on Brandon Woodruff of Milwaukee. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Guardians Rally Past Sox (7/27/22)

Murphy's Law continued for the Boston Red Sox season as they invented a new way to lose tonight against the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians broke out to a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the fourth off Nathan Eovaldi but the Sox rallied to pull within one run. Bobby Dalbec smashed a two run home run in the sixth to put the Sox on top but Myles Straw tied the game against John Schreiber in the eighth and Josh Naylor tagged Tanner Houck (5-4, 3.30 ERA) for a home run in the ninth. Emmanuel Chase slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox fell further into the abyss with a 7-6 loss to the Guardians at Fenway Park.

                                                      "A HOME RUN TO NAYLOR??"

Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first and Steven Kwan grounded out to first to start. Amed Rosario singled in the hole at short but Jose Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. Josh Naylor forced Rosario at second to end the inning. Quantrill got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo flied out to center and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning. 

The Guardians took advance of Boston's incompetence in the top of the second as Franmil Reyes hit a ground rule double down the right field line to start. Owen Miller got a base hit to center to put runners at the corners and Nolan Jones hit a double play ball to Franchy Cordero. Not only did he boot it for an error, he threw the ball away as well to score Reyes and move Jones to second. Miller scored on the grounder to third by Austin Hedges and Myles Straw doubled to center to score Jones. Kwan popped up to second and Rosario lined out to center to end the inning but the Guardians led 3-0.

                                                   "Aye carumba" - Cordero

The Sox did rally in the bottom of the second as JD Martinez popped up to first to start. Christian Vazquez grounded out to second but Cordero walked. Bobby Dalbec mashed his 9th home run of the season to cut the lead and Jackie Bradley Jr got a base hit to right. JBJ got picked off to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                         Home run Dalbec

Ramirez grounded out to second to start the top of the third and Naylor grounded out to second. Reyes beat out a roller to third but Miller was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Yolmer Sanchez led off the bottom of the third by watching strike three go by. Duran also took strike three but Verdugo beat out a roller to third. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Guardians rallied in the top of the fourth as Jones doubled to center to begin. Hedges caught the Sox completely asleep with a bunt single to put runners at the corners but Straw struck out swinging. Kwan doubled to right to score Jones and Rosario got a base hit to left to score Hedges. Ramirez popped up to first and Naylor grounded out to second to end the inning with the Guardians ahead 5-2.

                                                           Kwan drives in a run

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez flied out to right to start. Vazquez got a base hit to right and Cordero doubled off the Monster....and off the glove of Kwan for an error. Kwan threw to Rosario and he airmailed a throw home for another error to score Vazauez, putting Cordero at third. Dalbec hit a sac fly to right to score Cordero but JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                            Sac fly for Dalbec

Reyes grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Miller also grounded out to third. Jones doubled to right but Hedges lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Sanchez lined out to second to start. Duran grounded back to the mound but Verdugo got a base hit to left. Bogaerts walked and both runners moved over on a wild pitch, but Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Eovaldi came back for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Straw grounded out to short to start. Kwan flied out to left and Rosario grounded out to second to end the inning. Eovaldi didn't have his best stuff as he allowed 4 runs in just 6 innings off nine hits.

                                                   Eovaldi could have been better

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez got a base hit to right to start. Cordero forced Christian at second but Dalbec smashed his second home run of the night to put the Sox on top. Guardians manager Terry Francona yanked Quantrill and replaced him with Sam Hentges. JBJ flied out to left and Sanchez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                               Dalbec does it again

John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Naylor grounded out to second but Reyes walked. Miller struck out swinging to end the inning. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Duran to start the bottom of the seventh and grounded out to short. Verdugo grounded out to short and Enyel De Los Santos came in to face Bogaerts. Xander doubled just past short but Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.

Things fell apart in the top of the eighth as Jones hit a roller to Cordero who did a frog splash on the ball for an error, moving Jones to third. Andres Gimenez pinch hit for Hedges and flied out to right, but Straw doubled to right to score Jones with the tying run. Kwan lined out to left and Rosario grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.

                                                                Tie game

Enyel De Los Santos came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Luke Malle now behind the plate. Vazquez grounded back to the mound before Cordero lined out to center. Dalbec took strike three to end the inning.

Tanner Houck came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Naylor then hit a home run all the way to Greenland to put the Guardians on top. Reyes grounded out to short and Miller grounded out to second to end the inning with the Guardians up 7-6.

                                                             Naylor puts Cleveland on top

Emmanuel Clase came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Sanchez flied out to center and Refsnyder also lined out to center to end the game. The Guardians had won the game 7-6.

                                                              Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Tanner Houck. He served up the go-ahead jack to Naylor to lose the game.

                                                       Good work, Jackass

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 3 with 2 home runs and 5 total rbis

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4.

Yolmer Sanchez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 3 with a walk and 3 runs scored but committed 3 errors.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Nathan Eovaldi went 6 innings but allowed 5 runs, only 4 earned. He allowed 9 hits and struck out 1.

John Schreiber allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

As the season continues to circle the drain just days away from the trade deadline, the Sox may seriously start thinking about blowing up the team. Christian Vazquez, JD Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi are all free agents and the Sox could get a king's ransom for some of them. The injuries to the starters this year were too much to overcome so pulling the chute might be the best option for them. Still, there's time to turn things around with two months left, but it doesn't look good as of now. Schreiber hasn't been hit hard all year but NOW he gives up a run? Its all adding up this year and none of it has been any good. The loss dropped the Sox under .500 at 49-50, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Guardians when Kutter Crawford takes the hill against Triston McKenzie. The game begins at 7:10 at Fenway Park.

Guardians Pound Winckowski, Sox (7/26/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a series of roster moves. Connor Seabold was activated from the Injured List and sent down to Worcester, Darwinzon Hernandez was sent down to Worcester and Phillips Valdez was designated for assignment. Hernandez didn't show much promise and Valdez was a nice success story in 2020, but the Sox need to win and he's not helping. In the place of Hernandez, Josh Winckowski was activated from the Covid List to make tonight's start.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, so much for the Sox beating non-AL East teams. Josh Winckowski (3-5, 5.18 ERA) took a beating at the hands of the Cleveland Guardians. He allowed five runs in 3 innings to put the Sox in a hole although the offense rallied for two runs in the bottom of the frame. Then with the bases loaded and Austin Davis on the mound, Yolmer Sanchez threw a crucial grounder away for a two run error to put the game out of reach. Both teams scored another run but the game was settled as Cleveland beat the Red Sox 8-3 at Fenway Park. 

                                                                 Angry Sox Fan

Winckowski got tagged immediately in the top of the first as Steven Kwan lined out to left to start. Amed Rosario grounded out to short but Jose Ramirez walked. Josh Naylor got a base hit to left and Owen Miller got a base hit to center to score Ramirez. Andres Gimenez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Guardians up 1-0.

                                                       Miller drives in a run

Bryan Shaw got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder flied out to left to start. Alex Verdugo lined out to center but Xander Bogaerts doubled to center. JD Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Guardians struck again in the top of the second as Nolan Jones lined out to center to start Austin Hedges hit a home run all the way to Japan to increase the lead. Myles Straw flied out to right but Kwan singled down the first base line. Rosario flied out to left to end the inning with the Guardians up 2-0.

                                                             Home run Hedges

Christian Vazquez walked to begin the bottom of the second before Kevin Plawecki was rung up for strike three. Yolmer Sanchez flied out to center and Bobby Dalbec lined out to left to end the inning.

The Guardians iced the game in the top of the third as Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Naylor doubled to right then moved to third when Miller lined one off Winckowski but Bogaerts threw him out. Gimenez was hit with a pitch and Jones hit a home run all the way back to Cleveland to put the game out of reach. Hedges took strike three to end the inning but the Guardians were up 5-0. That was it for Winckowski who allowed 5 runs in just 3 innings, definitely not good enough.

                                                            Winckowski gets hammered

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Jaylin Davis hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to begin. Refsnyder was hit with a pitch and Verdugo beat out a double play ball. Bogaerts got a base hit to left to score Davis and chase Shaw. Nick Sandlin came in and Martinez was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Vazquez got a base hit to left to score Verdugo and Plawecki hit a fly ball to right. Bogaerts made a mad dash home and was called out on the throw. Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call but the umpires held it up with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                 "I was safe!!!!" - Bogaerts

Things fell apart in the top of the fourth with Austin Davis now on the mound. Straw got a base hit to center but Kwan took strike three. Rosario singled to right and Ramirez walked to load the bases. Naylor hit a double play ball to Sanchez who threw the ball away for an error to score Straw and Rosario. Ramirez and Naylor pulled off a double steal but Gimenez flied out to left to end the inning with the Guardians up 7-2.

                                                       Dammit Sanchez

Kirk McCarty came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Sanchez struck out swinging to start. Dalbec flied out to right but Davis drew a walk. Refsnyder forced Jaylin at second to end the inning.

Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Jones grounded out to short to start. Hedges walked but Straw grounded into a double play to end the inning. Verdugo flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Bogaerts lined out to right. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kwan got a base hit to center to begin the top of the sixth but Rosario struck out swinging. Ramirez reached first on a swinging bunt in front of the plate but Naylor flied out to left. Miller grounded out to second to end the inning. Vazquez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Plawecki lined out to center. Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and Gimenez walked to start. Jones grounded into a double play and Hedges went down hacking to end the inning. Dalbec whiffed to start the bottom of the seventh but Davis grounded out to short. Refsnyder singled to left and Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. 

Tanner Houck got tagged in the top of the eighth as Straw grounded out to third to start. Kwan singled off the glove of Vazquez then promptly stole second. Rosario got a base hit to right to score Kwan and Ramriez grounded out to second to move Amed all the way to third. Naylor struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians up 8-2.

                                                       Kwan scores a run

Eli Morgan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts doubled to left to start. Martinez went down hacking but Vazquez grounded out to first. Bogaerts moved to third on that grounder and scored on the Plawecki double to center. Sanchez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                         Plawecki drives in a run

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Miller struck out swinging to start. Gimenez went down hacking and Jones flied out to left to end the inning. Alex Call came in for Jones to start the bottom of the ninth with Emmanuel Clase on the mound. Dalbec flied out to center, Davis went down hacking and Refsnyder grounded out to second to end the game. The Guardians had won it 8-3.

                                                        Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Yolmer Sanchez. The Sox had just rallied to get back in the game and his two run error sealed the door shut for Cleveland.

                                                       Yolmer Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Jaylin Davis was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Hiro Sawamura tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless inning.

Kaleb Ort pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Josh Winckowski allowed 5 runs in 3 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

Austin Davis allowed 2 runs in an inning.

Tanner Houck allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Kevin Plawecki was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Final Thoughts:

When the eulogy for the season is written come the end of September, the lack of starting pitching depth was the story for this epic collapse. When Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale all got hurt, not a single rookie starter was able to fill in. Connor Seabold, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski totally sucked. You would think ONE of them would have shown some life, but nope. Winckowski getting pounded today and putting the Sox in the hole they couldn't climb out of has been going on since he was called up. His sinker should be a lot better than it is, maybe the lights are too bright for him at this time. Not just the pitching failed, the Sox almost stopped trying after Bogaerts was thrown out at the plate to kill that rally. They only got one more run the rest of the game while the Guardians poured it on. The Sox need to sell at the deadline and build for next year. Eovaldi, Martinez and Bogaerts will fetch a good haul if Sox GM Chaim Bloom can get a deal done. It makes no sense to keep this group for another two months because they have no chance in hell at winning anything the way its currently constructed. The less said of this awful game, the better. The loss drops the Sox to 49-49, 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the wild card. The Sox look to take the rubber game against the Guardians tomorrow night with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound against Cal Quantrill of Cleveland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.