Sale, Valdez Guide Sox Past Padres (5/20/23)

The Boston Red Sox might have offensive woes but at least Chris Sale (4-2, 5.01 ERA) looks like he's coming back to normal. Sale delivered one of his best starts of the season against the San Diego Padres, holding them to just 2 runs in 7 innings. Meanwhile Enmanuel Valdez launched a 3 run bomb against Padres starter Joe Musgrove to give the Sox a lead. Alex Verdugo added an insurance run as Sale survived a Juan Soto blast and a homer by Fernando Tatis Jr to finish his strong outing. Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen stepped up to lock down the win as the Sox made it four straight wins by beating the Padres 4-2 at Petco Park.

                                                         Ayla Aysel approves of the win

Musgrove got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo flied out to center to start. Masataka Yoshida doubled to right. Triston Casas grounded out to first to move Yoshida to third but Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Sale got the ball in the bottom of the first and Fernando Tatis Jr flied out to left to start. Ha-Seong Kim took strike three and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second although Jarren Duran grounded out to second to begin. Raimel Tapia got a base hit to right and Kike Hernandez was hit with a pitch. It looked like Tapia was thrown out at third on a double steal...BUT WAIT! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged both men were safe and the umpires ruled they were. Enmanuel Valdez left no doubt with a 3 run home run to put the Sox on top. Connor Wong struck out swinging but Verdugo drew a walk. Yoshida swung at strike three but the ball got away allowing him to reach first. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                             Valdez with the bomb

The Padres answered in the bottom of the second when Juan Soto hit a home run all the way to Puerto Rico to cut the lead. Nelson Cruz flied out to right and Jake Cronenworth grounded out to second. Brandon Dixon popped up to first to end the inning with the Padres down 3-1.

                                                      That ball is gone

Devers flied out to center to start the top of the third before Duran grounded out to second. Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning. Jose Azocar grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Austin Nola watched strike three go by. Tatis Jr grounded out to short to end the inning.

It looked like Hernandez was out at second base trying leading off the top of the fourth to stretch a single into a double but once again Alex Cora challenged the call. Sure enough, the call was overturned but Valdez struck out swinging. Wong singled off the glove of Kim to put runners at the corners and Verdugo got a base hit to left to score Hernandez. Yoshida forced Verdugo at second and promptly stole second base. Casas lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                    "I'm the man, I'm the man!" - Verdugo

Kim grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Bogaerts popped up to second. Soto struck out swinging to end the inning.

Devers flied out to right to start the top of the fifth and Duran flied out to center. Tapia grounded out to short to end the inning. Cruz walked to start the bottom of the fifth before Cronenworth struck out swinging. Dixon was hit with a pitch but Azocar lined out to right. Nola took strike three to end the inning.

Luis Garcia came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Hernandez grounded out to third to begin. Valdez and Wong both watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Padres inched closer in the bottom of the sixth when Tatis Jr hit a home run all the way to Moscow to start. Kim doubled to right and moved to third on a liner to right by Bogaerts. Soto and Cruz both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Padres down 4-2.

                                                        Tatis brings San Diego closer

Tim Hill came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Verdugo took strike three to start. Yoshida grounded out to short but Casas walked. Devers forced Casas at second to end the inning. Sale returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Cronenworth struck out swinging to start. Dixon flied out to center and Azocar grounded out to short to end the inning. Sale was great, allowing just 2 runs off 3 hits and a walk while striking out 8 in seven innings.

                                                             Vintage Sale

Duran grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth before Tapia grounded out to second. Steven Wilson came in to face Hernandez and Kike flied out to left to end the inning. Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Rougned Odor pinch hit for Nola. Odor lined out to first, Tatis Jr flied out to right and Kim flied out to center to end the inning.

Brett Sullivan came in for Kim to start the top of the ninth and Valdez doubled to right to start. Wong popped up to short, Verdugo flied out to left and Yoshida popped up to third to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Bogaerts flied out to right to start. Soto walked and Matt Carpenter pinch hit for Cruz. Carpenter popped up to third but Soto swiped second base. Cronenworth walked but Dixon popped up to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Enmanuel Valdez. His three run home run outscored the Padres entire offensive output.

                                                      Enmanuel Hero

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch, stole a base and scored 2 runs.

Chris Sale tossed 7 innings of 2 run ball to earn the win. He allowed 3 hits and a walk while striking out 8.

Chris Martin tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 10th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Raimel Tapia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base and scored a run.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like Sale is starting to come around and its badly needed with all the holes in Boston's lineup due to injuries and ineffectiveness. He hadn't been right in a while so this was definitely a welcomed sight. The offense didn't really do much but did just enough when it counted. If the Sox can get clutch hits, sometimes that means more than someone going 3 for 4 with nobody on base. Valdez had a breakout game for sure and he was the centerpiece of the Christian Vazquez trade last August. He was a prolific power hitter in the minors and this is just a taste of what's to come if he can bring his power stroke to the majors. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the Sox can keep up the momentum moving forward. The win improved the Sox to 26-20, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it five wins in a row and a series sweep against the Padres tomorrow afternoon when Corey Kluber (2-5) takes on old pal Michael Wacha of San Diego. The game begins at 4:10 PM Eastern time at Petco Park.

Paxton, Sox Shut Down Padres (5/19/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Kutter Crawford was activated from the Injured List as the corresponding move to Ryan Sherriff being sent to Worcester yesterday.

                                                                   IN

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat but the good news was THIS is the James Paxton (1-0, 2.45 ERA) that Sox GM Chaim Bloom envisioned when he signed him to a contract last off-season. It only took a year and two months but James got his first win with the Red Sox in a dominating effort against old friend Xander Bogaerts and the San Diego Padres. Paxton held San Diego to just 1 run in 6 solid innings while the Sox bats erupted for six runs against Blake Snell. Rafael Devers hit two home runs including a three run shot to pace the offense. Rob Refsnyder also drove in a few runs as well. Josh Winckowski tossed 3 shutout innings to earn the save and the Sox had won the game 6-1 at Petco Park.

                                                    Nikki Brooks approves of the win

Snell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Justin Turner took strike three and Rob Refsnyder grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Paxton got the ball in the bottom of the first and Fernando Tatis Jr got a base hit to left but was thrown out at second by Refsnyder trying to stretch a double. Ha-Seong Kim singled to right but old friend Xander Bogaerts flied out to right. Juan Soto walked but Nelson Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second when Rafael Devers mashed his 12th home run of the lead to put Boston in front. Masataka Yoshida singled to left but Kike Hernandez was frozen for strike three. Pablo Reyes flied out to left and Jarren Duran lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                           Devers hits one out

Jake Cronenworth struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Brandon Dixon popped up to first. Austin Nola lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Connor Wong doubled to left to start. Alex Verdugo and Justin Turner drew back to back walks to load the bases and Refsnyder doubled to center, scoring two runs. Devers then clobbered a three run blast to ice the game. Yoshida grounded out to second, Hernandez grounded out to first and Reyes flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                           That's two for Devers

The Padres struck back in the bottom of the third when Adam Engel popped up to third to start. Tatis Jr hit a home run all the way to Venezuela to cut the lead. Kim struck out swinging and Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning.

Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Wong went down hacking as well. Verdugo flied out to right to end the inning. Soto lined out to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Cruz got a base hit to left. Cronenworth singled to left but Dixon struck out swinging. Nola walked to load the bases but Engel popped up to first to end the inning.

Brent Honeywell came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Triston Casas pinch hit for Turner. Casas took strike three before Refnsyder walked. Devers lined out to second and Yoshida grounded out to short to end the inning. Tatis Jr grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Kim flied out to center. Verdugo made an outstanding catch to rob Bogaerts of a hit to end the inning.

                                                      "Sorry Bogey" - Verdugo

Hernandez took strike three to start the top of the sixth before Reyes grounded out to second. Dixon booted a grounder by Duran for an error but Wong lined out to center to end the inning. Soto grounded out to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Cruz lined out to third. Cronenworth popped up to third to end the inning. That was it for Paxton who allowed 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5.

                                                          Paxton gets the job done

Verdugo got a base hit to right to start the top of the seventh before Casas flied out to center. Refsnyder grounded into a double play to end the inning. Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Dixon flied out to center to start. Nola walked and Trent Grisham pinch hit for Engel. Grisham grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Tom Cosgrove came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Devers struck out swinging to start. Yoshida grounded back to the mound but Hernandez singled to left. Reyes flied out to left to end the inning. Tatis Jr grounded back to the mound to begin the bottom of the eighth and Kim lined out to center. Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.

Duran singled in the hole at second to start the top of the ninth and moved to second on a wild pitch. Wong grounded out to short and Verdugo was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to move Jarren to third. Casas grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Winckowski returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and Soto grounded back to the mound to start. Cruz struck out swinging and Cronenworth struck out swinging as well to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.

                                                    Winckowski saves it

Hero of The Night is James Paxton. He tossed six innings of 1 run ball holding the Padres to just 1 run on 5 hits and 2 walks. He also struck out five batters.

                                                               Hero Paxton

The Good:

Justin Turner walked and scored a run before leaving the game.

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with 2 home runs and 4 total rbis.

Josh Winckowski earned the save with 3 shutout innings.

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Pablo Reyes was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4.

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run

Final Thoughts:

Big win by the Sox especially with Paxton on the mound. The offense was Rafael Devers and Rob Refsnyder but getting good pitching means not having to worry about scoring 8 runs a game to have to win it. Also kudos to Sox manager Alex Cora for sticking with Winckowski to finish it off, saving the rest of the bullpen for tomorrow's game. Paxton was damn good before he got hurt and this was definitely a sign of his old self by dominating a damn good Padres team. Too bad Bogaerts is on the other side of things now, thank you Chaim Bloom. If the Sox want to get back in the race they need to go on a nice winning streak, maybe this will be the catalyst. The win improved the Sox to 25-20, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the Padres tomorrow night when Chris Sale (3-2) takes the hill against Joe Musgrove of San Diego. The game begins at 10:10 PM Eastern time at Petco Park.

Off-Day News (5/18/23)

The Boston Red Sox made a roster move during today's off-day. Ryan Sherriff was optioned down to Worcester. The rumor is Kutter Crawford is coming back tomorrow so Sherriff was the expendable one.

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On This Day in Boston Red Sox Basebawful History:

2001 - Pedro Martinez dominates Royals

2013 - Ortiz, Sox drops Twins

2016 - Royals take Game 1 of Doubleheader

  

           Price, Sox win Game 2 against Kansas City

2017 - A's beat up Velazquez, Sox

2018 - Orioles beat Pomeranz, Sox

2019 - Astros defeat Velazquez, Sox

2021 - Blue Jays blank Sox

2022 - Pivetta's complete game beats Astros

The Sox are back in action tomorrow night in San Diego to take on the Padres and old friend Xander Bogaerts. James Paxton gets the start for Boston against Blake Snell for San Diego. The game begins at 9:40 PM Eastern time at Petco Park.

Sox Bats Pound Mariners (5/17/23)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in Game 1 of their NBA Eastern Conference Finals series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox laid waste to the Seattle Mariners. Pablo Reyes drove in 4 runs, Justin Turner hit a 2 run bomb while Rafael Devers and Kike Hernandez both drove in 2 runs apiece. On the other side of the ball, Brayan Bello (3-1, 4.45 ERA) held the Mariners to just 1 run despite throwing 107 pitches in 5 innings. The Sox bullpen didn't allow a run in the final three innings and the Sox got a much needed win, beating the Mariners 12-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Hayden Panettiere approves of the win

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and JP Crawford grounded out to first to start. Ty France popped up to second and Julio Rodriguez took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first with Marco Gonzales on the mound. Alex Verdugo grounded out to second but Justin Turner singled to center. Rob Refsnyder got a base hit to left and Rafael Devers singled to center to score Turner. Masataka Yoshida walked to load the bases but Kike Hernandez flied out to center. Pablo Reyes doubled to left to score both Refsnyder and Devers to increase the lead. Jarren Duran took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                         Devers gets the party started

Jarred Kelenic struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Eugenio Suarez walked. Cal Raleigh walked but Teoscar Hernandez went down hacking. Taylor Trammell flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox tacked it on in the bottom of the second as Connor Wong popped up to second to start. Verdugo doubled to left and Turner launched his 5th home run of the season to increase the lead. Refsnyder walked but Devers flied out to right. Yoshida hit a grounder to short and Crawford threw the ball away to move Refsnyder to third. Hernandez singled to right to score Refsnyder and chase Gonzales. Trevor Gott came in to pitch and Reyes doubled to center to score Yoshida and Hernandez. Duran singled to center to score Reyes but Wong forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-0.

                                                    Reyes is having a good day

Raimel Tapia took over for Verdugo to start the top of the third and Jose Caballero walked. Crawford was hit with a pitch but France struck out swinging. Rodriguez flied out to center but Kelenic walked. Suarez struck out swinging to end the inning. Tapia singled to center to start the top of the third before moving to second on a Turner grounder to first. Refsnyder struck out swinging and Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Mariners struck back in the top of the fourth as Raleigh hit a ground rule double down the right field line to begin. Hernandez went down hacking and Raleigh moved to third on a Trammell grounder to second. Caballero beat out a roller to Reyes to score Raleigh to put Seattle on the board. Crawford grounded out to short to end the inning with the Mariners down 9-1.

                                                               Mariners get one back

Matt Brash came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Yoshida lined out to Kelenic to start. Hernandez singled to left but Reyes went down hacking. Duran walked and Wong was hit with a pitch to load the bases, but Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning.

France grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Devers threw a ball hit by Rodriguez away for an error. Kelenic doubled to left but Suarez struck out swinging. Raleigh walked to load the bases but Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Bello who struggled with his command to throw 107 pitches but still allowed just 1 run in 5 innings off 3 hits and 5 walks.

                                                   Bello struggles but leaves with the lead

Gabe Speier came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Turner got a base hit to left to begin. Refsnyder got a base hit to right and Devers doubled to right to score Turner. Yoshida grounded out to second to score Refsnyder and move Devers to third. Hernandez hit a sac fly to center to score Devers and Reyes lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 12-1.

                                                             Another double for Devers

Joely Rodriguez came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Trammell grounded out to first to start. Caballero walked and Sam Haggerty pinch hit for Crawford. Haggerty walked and France singled to right to load the bases. Rodriguez hit a double play ball to short and Reyes threw the relay throw away for an error to allow Caballero and Haggerty to score. Kelenic lined out to left to end the inning with the Mariners down 12-3.

                                                          Mariners get two back

Chris Flexen came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Duran got a base hit to right. Wong flied out to left and Tapia grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Triston Casas came in for Turner with Chris Martin now on the mount for the top of the seventh. Suarez grounded out to third, Raleigh grounded out to first and Hernandez took strike three to end the inning. Casas lined out to first to start the bottom of the seventh before Refsnyder grounded out to short. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning.

Enmanuel Valdez came in for Devers with Ryan Sherriff now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Trammell walked to start before Caballero popped up to second. Haggerty doubled to center but France lined out to short. Rodriguez grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the eighth and Yoshida grounded out to third to start. Hernandez grounded back to the mound and Reyes grounded out to third to end the inning.

Justin Garza came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Kelenic flied out to left to start. Suarez struck out swinging and Raleigh flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 12-3.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Pablo Reyes. He was 2 for 5 with 4 total rbis to outscore the Mariners by himself.

                                                         Reyes El Heroe

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Raimel Tapia was 1 for 3.

Justin Turner was 3 for 4 with a 2 run homer and 3 total runs scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 4 with a walk and 3 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Brayan Bello tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball to earn the win. He allowed 3 hits and 5 walks while striking out seven.

Chris Martin tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Ryan Sherriff tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Justin Garza tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3.

Joely Rodriguez was charged with 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Enmanuel Valdez played second base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was more like it. After scoring just 5 runs in three games, the Boston bats put up 21 runs the past two games. Bello was all over the place today but he limited the damage to just 1 run. The bats came to play especially newcomer Pablo Reyes. With Trevor Story out with shoulder surgery, they need someone to step up and play short with Marcelo Mayer and Mikey Romero not ready yet down in the minors. The bullpen stepped up as well besides Joely Rodriguez but he should be okay moving forward. The win improved the Sox to 24-20, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night all the way out in San Diego to take on the Padres and old friend Xander Bogaerts. James Paxton gets the start for Boston against Blake Snell for San Diego. The game begins at 9:40 PM Eastern time at Petco Park.

Sox Snap Streak, Beat Mariners (5/16/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Brennan Bernardino was sent down to Worcester after being straight batting practice the last couple of days and John Schreiber was put on the Injured List with a right teres strain. In their places, the Sox called up two minor league veterans in Justin Garza and Ryan Sherriff. Sherriff might give them something....we hope.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, the Sox bats finally woke up against a tough Seattle Mariners pitching staff. The Sox got to Luis Castillo for four runs in the bottom of the first although Nick Pivetta (3-3, 6.30 ERA) gave four runs back in the top of the fourth. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the fifth with a Masataka Yoshida ground rule double rbi and a Jarren Duran home run to put the Sox up for good. This time the Sox bullpen held up as the new additions Ryan Sherriff and Justin Garza (along with Josh Winckowski) held the foot after Pivetta left the game. The Sox added two runs for insurance and broke their losing streak with a 9-4 win over the Mariners at Fenway Park.

                                                        Miguel Diaz approves of the win

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and JP Crawford took strike three to start. Ty France lined out to first and Julio Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Castillo in the bottom of the first as Kolten Wong booted a grounder by Alex Verdugo to start. Masataka Yoshida tripled into the centerfield triangle to score Alex to put Boston on top. Justin Turner then mashed his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Rafael Devers grounded out to first before Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Suddenly Triston Casas belted his sixth home run of the season to increase the lead. Enmanuel Valdez walked but Reese McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                       Sox with a big inning

Jarred Kelenic lined out to first to start the top of the second before Eugenio Suarez walked. Cal Raleigh singled to right and both runners moved over on a nubber in front of the plate by Teoscar Hernandez. Taylor Trammell watched strike three go by to end the inning. Pablo Reyes was frozen for strike three to begin the bottom of the second before Verdugo lined out to right. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning.

Wong grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Crawford walked. France grounded into a double play to end the inning. Turner grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Devers struck out swinging. Duran also went down hacking to end the inning.

The Mariners roared back in the top of the fourth as Rodriguez flied out to center to start. Suarez got a base hit to left and Raleigh drew a walk. Hernandez tripled off the glove of Verdugo to cut the lead in half and Trammell hit a home run all the way into the Baltic Sea to tie the game just like that. Wong doubled to center but Crawford flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                           Mariners tie it up

Casas walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Valdez popped up to Suarez in foul territory. McGuire grounded out to first and Reyes grounded out to short to end the inning.

France doubled to left to start the top of the fifth before Rodriguez grounded out to third to move Ty to third. Pivetta got a big out by striking out Kelenic swinging but Suarez drew a walk. Raleigh struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox took control in the bottom of the fifth as Verdugo doubled to left to start. Yoshida pounded a ground rule double into the right field stands to score Alex. Turner flied out to right to move Yoshida to third and a wild pitch scored him. Devers struck out swinging but Duran clobbered his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Casas flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 7-4.

                                                          Duran hits one out

Hernandez flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and that was it for Pivetta after 98 pitches. He battled back to allow four runs in 5 1/3 innings. Ryan Sherriff made his Red Sox debut facing pinch hitter AJ Pollock. Pollock struck out swinging and Sherriff snuffed out Wong's bunt attempt to end the inning.

                                                    New Sherriff in town

Tayler Saucedo came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Valdez grounded out to second to start before McGuire grounded out to second. Reyes grounded out to short to end the inning.

Crawford hit one up the elevator shaft to begin the top of the seventh and that was it for Sherriff. Josh Winckowski came in to get France to ground out to short. Rodriguez got a base hit to right but Kelenic struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh with Paul Sewald on the mound. Verdugo walked before Yoshida flied out to center. Turner singled to right but Devers flied out to center. Duran ripped a base hit to center to score Verdugo and send Turner to third. Juan Then came in to pitch to Casas but Duran swiped second base first. Casas watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

                                                       Duran drives in another run'

Suarez flied out to center to start the top of the eighth before Raleigh grounded out to first. Hernandez got a base hit to right and took second on a wild pitch. Pollock grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Valdez flied out to center to start. McGuire, Reyes and Verdugo got three straight hits to load the bases and Yoshida scored McGuire with a grounder to first. Turner grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.

                                                         Yoshida drives in another run

Justin Garza made his Sox debut to finish the top of the ninth inning. Wong grounded out to second before Crawford grounded out to short. France flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-4.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Masataka Yoshida. He was 2 for 5 with 3 big rbis while scoring twice.

                                                              Masataka Hero

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a walk and 3 runs scored.

Justin Turner was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a home run, stolen base and 2 total rbis.

Triston Casas was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

Ryan Sherriff pitched a full scoreless inning.

Josh Winckowski tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Justin Garza pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Reese McGuire was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Pablo Reyes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Nick Pivetta got the win but allowed 4 runs in just 5 1/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 4 walks while striking out 6.

Final Thoughts:

So that's what a win looks like. After four straight losses that were barely competitive, its about time the offense broke out. Duran, Verdugo, Turner and Yoshida picked it up on a day where Devers didn't get it done. After last year's dreadful performance, its good to see Duran's comeback this year so far. Pivetta got rocked early but held on to pitch into the sixth inning. Sherriff and Garza looked good in their debuts but time will tell if they can keep up the momentum. Its a shame the Sox got off to such a mediocre start because the Tampa Bay Rays have been red hot to start the season. Still, got to win games if they want to get back in the race, tonight was a good win. The win improved the Sox to 23-20, 9 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow night when Brayan Bello (2-1) gets the ball against Marco Gonzales of Seattle. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Mariners Pound Sox, Bullpen (5/15/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Ryan Brasier was mercifully sent down to Worcester while Joely Rodriguez was called up to take his spot. Talk about re-arranging the chairs of the Titanic. Then again, maybe Rodriguez will be good.

                                                                 OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster as the Sox dropped their fourth game in a row. The Sox bats were silenced by the Seattle Mariners and George Kirby. Kirby held the Sox to 8 hits and one measly run in 6 2/3 innings. Meanwhile Tanner Houck (3-3) allowed four runs in five innings but only threw 75 pitches. Naturally after he was out of the game, the Sox bullpen allowed five runs including four from Richard Bleier alone. The ultimate kick in the ass was served by catcher Cal Raleigh. Growing up a Jason Varitek fan, Raleigh hit two home runs in the house Varitek played in to guide the Mariners to a 10-1 victory over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                         Angry Sox fan

JP Crawford led off the top of the first with a grounder back to the mound. Ty France grounded out to second and Julio Rodriguez went down hacking to end the inning. Kirby got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran looked at strike three to start. Alex Verdugo got a base hit to center and Justin Turner slapped a base hit to left, but Rafael Devers grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Jarred Kelenic grounded out to second to start the top of the second inning before Eugenio Suarez grounded out to short. Cal Raleigh struck out swinging to end the inning. Triston Casas popped up to third to start the bottom of the second before Raimel Tapia grounded out to third. Pablo Reyes took strike three to end the inning.

Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging to open the top of the third inning before Taylor Trammell flied out to right. Kolten Wong grounded out to first to end the inning. Enmanuel Valdez flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Connor Wong grounded out to short. Duran grounded out to second to end the inning.

Crawford grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth before Reyes made a great leaping catch to rob France of a base hit. Rodriguez doubled to left but Kelenic grounded out to second to end the inning. Verdugo grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the fourth before Turner went down hacking. Devers got a base hit to right but Casas flied out to left to end the inning.

The Mariners struck first in the top of the fifth as Suarez singled to left to start. Raleigh then hit a home run all the way into the Rio Grande to put the Mariners up for good. Hernandez got a base hit to left but Trammell swung at air for strike three. Wong flied out to center and Crawford took strike three to end the inning with the Mariners up 2-0.

                                                               Raleigh jacks one

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Tapia flied out to left to begin. Reyes laid down a bunt down the third base line to reach first but was thrown out at second trying to steal. That proved costly as Valdez drew a walk. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Mariners knocked Houck out in the top of the sixth as France lined a base hit to left. Verdugo inexplicably turned a fired the ball into the Monster seats for an error to advance France to third. Rodriguez walked and that was it for Houck after just 75 pitches. Brennan Bernardino came in and Kelenic beat out a double play ball to score France. Suarez took strike three but Kelenic stole second on the throw. Raleigh highlighted the Red Sox incompetence with a home run to Neptune to ice the game. Hernandez singled to right but Trammell struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-0.

                                                        Houck disappointed tonight

The Sox did try to fight back in the bottom of the sixth as Duran doubled to left to start. Verdugo went down hacking and Turner grounded out to third, but Devers doubled to left to score Duran. Casas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                        Devers drives in a run

Things went further south in the top of the seventh inning although Wong grounded out to first to start. Crawford pounded a ground rule double into the right field corner and that was it for Bernardino. John Schreiber came in and froze France for strike three but then started clutching his arm. Schreiber had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded onto an ambulance and rushed to Mass General's ICU as Richard Bleier took his place. Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning but now Schreiber was gone.

                                                           Things get even worse

Tapia tried to start a rally with a base hit to left to start the bottom of the seventh, but Reyes hit one up the elevator shaft. Valdez got a base hit to left but Wong struck out swinging. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Duran and Gabe Speier came in to pitch to him. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Refsnyder was plunked to load the bases. Verdugo lined out to third to end the inning.

It looked like Kelenic grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth but Mariners manager Scott Servais challenged that Jarred was safe. Sure enough, the call was overturned and Kelenic was on first.  A wild pitch moved Kelenic to second and Suarez hit a home run into the Potomac River to add to the misery. Raleigh got a base hit to left and Hernandez hit a ground ball to Valdez. Enmanuel threw himself on the ball like a grenade for an error and AJ Pollock pinch hit for Trammell. Pollock got a base hit to left to score Raleigh but Wong beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Crawford popped up to first but France doubled off the Monster to score Hernandez. Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mariners up 9-1.

                                                           Mariners pour it on

Tayler Saucedo came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Turner struck out swinging to start. Devers grounded back to the mound and Casas went down swinging to end the inning.

Reese McGuire came in to catch with infielder Pablo Reyes coming in to pitch to save the bullpen. Kelenic singled to right and Suarez walked, both runners moving over on the grounder to first by Raleigh. Hernandez walked to load the bases and Pollock got a base hit to left to score Kelenic. Wong flied out to right and Jose Caballero pinch hit for Crawford. Caballero grounded out to short to end the inning with the Mariners up 10-1.

                                                       Infielders pitching games now

Sam Haggerty came in to play center with Chris Flexen in to pitch the bottom of the ninth inning. Tapia grounded out to first to start, but Reyes singled to left. Valdez grounded into a double play to end the game. The Mariners had won it 10-1.

                                                               Mariners win

Jackass of The Night is Brennan Bernardino. He allowed two inherited runners to score and one of his own to put the game out of reach.

                                                               Jackass Bernardino

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was hit with a pitch.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Pablo Reyes was 2 for 4 despite allowing a run in the ninth inning.

John Schreiber struck out the only man he faced.

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Tanner Houck took the loss by getting charged with 4 runs in 5 plus innings. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out 5.

Richard Bleier allowed 4 runs in 1 1/3 innings although only 2 were earned.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Raimel Tapia was just 1 for 4.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 with a walk but committed an error.

Honorable Mention:

Reese McGuire caught the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was an unimitgated disaster in a season that hasn't gone right at all so far. Houck continues to have problems the second time through the order, hence why he should be in the bullpen, but worse is Schreiber got hurt. He was one of the best surprises last year and if they lose him for an extended period, they're in big trouble. They haven't even been competitive on this losing streak. Its one thing to play hard and lose, its another to get neutered 6-1 or 10-1. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 22-20, 9 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to break their four game losing streak tomorrow night against Seattle when Nick Pivetta (2-3) takes on Luis Castillo of Seattle. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.