Sox Smash Royals, End Streak (8/27/16)

That's more like it. After a pitiful 3 game losing streak, the Boston Red Sox got back on track against the Kansas City Royals. Dustin Pedroia nearly broke a major league record with 11 straight hits but fell one short. David Price (13-8, 3.97 ERA) tossed 6 solid innings of 2 run ball while the offense pounced on the world champs for 12 hits and 8 runs. The Sox got back on track with an 8-3 victory over the Royals at Fenway Park.

                                                 The Gronk approves of the win

Price got the ball in the top of the first and Paulo Orlando hit a bullet right to Jackie Bradley Jr to start. Cheslor Cuthbert singled past the diving Aaron Hill into left before Lorenzo Cain beat out a double play ball. Eric Hosmer was frozen on a 95 mph fastball on the back to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Royals starter Danny Duffy in the bottom of the first inning as the scorching hot Dustin Pedroia led off with a base hit to center. Xander Bogaerts blasted his 16th home run of the season completely out of Fenway to give the Sox the lead 2 batters into the game. The Royals then played a game of "I got it...I don't got it" as David Ortiz' routine pop up fell in for a "single". Ortiz then tried to take second on a wild pitch but Salvador Perez fired a bullet to second to nail Big Papi. Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center but Hanley Ramirez dumped a base hit to right. Sandy Leon popped up to first to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                 Bogaerts puts Boston up early

The Royals immediately answered in the top of the second although Kendrys Morales popped up to first to start. Perez then swatted a line drive home run into the Monster Seats to put the Royals on the board. Alex Gordon followed with a double high off the Monster and he scored on the double to left by Alcides Escobar. Christian Colon popped up to Hanley on the infield before Orlando waived at a pitch in the dirt to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                Royals tie it up

The Sox countered in the bottom of the second as Chris Young walked to start. Hill flied out to deep right as a passed ball moved Young to second. Jackie Bradley Jr drove home Young with a ground rule double into the right field corner to give the Sox the lead. Pedroia doubled off the Monster to score JBJ but Escobar threw the ball away to allow Pedroia to advance to third. He was stranded as Bogaerts grounded out to second as did Ortiz to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                 Pedroia drives in another run

Price got Cuthbert to pop up to third to start the top of the third before Cain grounded out to second. Hosmer walked but Morales struck out swinging to end the inning. Duffy cruised in the bottom of the third as Mr. Mookie flied out to the centerfield warning track to start. Sox broadcaster Dennis Eckersley told a story of how back in 1998, 41 year old Paul Molitor dropped a bunt on Eck to walkoff the Twins over the Red Sox. What Eck forgot is none other than a young David Ortiz scored the tying run in the 6th inning of that game for the Twins. Back to this game, Ramirez grounded out to second and Leon was caught looking for strike three to end the inning.

                                                 "How DARE you try to win the game Paul!"

Price whiffed Perez on an 88 mph cutter to start the top of the fourth before Gordon lined out to a running Betts. Escobar whiffed on a 90 mph cutter to end the inning. The Sox added to the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Sox broadcaster Dave O'Brien finally pointed out David Ortiz played in the game Eck was talking about. Young drew a four pitch walk before Hill was out on a bang bang play at first after a great play by Hosmer. JBJ took a horrible strike three call but the red hot Pedroia singled home Young to increase the lead. Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                               Pedroia 7 for his last 7

Price continued to pitch well in the top of the fifth as Colon was retired on a swinging bunt to Leon to start. Orlando grounded out to third but Cuthbert doubled down the left field line. Cain flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox displayed some power in the bottom of the fifth although Ortiz flied out to the right field warning track to start. Mr. Mookie and Hanley then belted back to back home runs to light up the crowd. Leon grounded out to third and Young flied out to right to end the inning but it was 7-2 Sox.

                                                   Hanley and Mookie go back to back

Price was nearly perfect in the top of the sixth as Hosmer whiffed to start. Morales grounded out to short but Perez walked. Price finished his outing by catching Gordon looking to end the inning. Price went 6 solid innings while allowing just 2 runs while striking out 7.

                                                   Good work Price

Old nemesis Chien-Ming Wang came in for the bottom of the sixth and the Sox tagged him too. Hill walked but JBJ whiffed. Pedroia continued his hot streak with a base hit up the middle to go 11 for 11 and Bogaerts pounded a ground rule double into the right field corner to score Hill. Ortiz grounded out to second and Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 8-2 Sox.

                                                 Another rbi for Bogaerts

Brad Ziegler was first out of the bullpen in the top of the seventh and Escobar popped up to first to start. Bogaerts made a great play to rob Colon of a hit and also retired Orlando on a grounder to end the inning. Billy Burns took over for Cain to start the bottom of the seventh and Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Leon grounded out to second and Young flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning.

Clay Buchholz was summoned for the top of the eighth and Cuthbert grounded out to short to start. Burns beat out an infield single to second....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call and replays showed he was OUT! Hosmer drew a walk but Hanley fell on his ass making a catch to rob Morales of a hit to end the inning. Sox fans stood in the bottom of the eighth to see if Pedroia could tie the major league record of 12 straight hits. First Hill grounded out to short before JBJ poked a base hit to center. The record remained intact as Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning. Oh well!

Robbie Ross Jr came in for the top of the ninth with Travis Shaw now at third base. Perez jacked a home run off the hands of a fan in the centerfield bleachers to cut the lead. Ross got mad and caught Gordon looking for strike three before Escobar was rung up for strike three on a check swing. Colon got plunked but Betts made a running catch on Orlando to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                   Big win for the Sox.



Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He drove in as many runs by himself as the entire Royals did and hit the big two run home run.

                                                     X-Man Hero



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 4 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Chris Young walked twice and scored 2 runs in 4 at bats.

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

David Price got the win with 6 innings of 2 run ball. He struck out 7 batters as well.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Clay Buchholz pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Robbie Ross Jr gave up a run in the ninth inning.



The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.



Honorable Mention:

Travis Shaw played third base in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That was an impressive win against the red hot Duffy who was 11-1 coming into this game. Not only that but Price pitched his ass off in this one. Buchholz pitched well out of the bullpen and the offense continues to click. Would have been nice to see Pedroia tie the ML record for consecutive hits but at least the game was well in hand when he hit into the double play. Mookie Betts needs a strong September to challenge Mike Trout in the AL MVP race but then again, the entire teams need a strong September to win the AL East race. All in all it was a good win against the current champs and hope they can continue the trend. The win improved the Sox to 72-57, 1 game behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row over the champs tomorrow night. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-5) goes up against Yordano Ventura at 8:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Porcello, Sox Tame Tigers (8/19/16)

That's more like it! One day after the Boston Red Sox bullpen coughed up yet another game, the Sox offense made sure that wouldn't happen again. Facing Michael Fulmer and the Detroit Tigers, the Sox bats pounded out sixteen hits and ten runs to put the game out of reach quickly. Meanwhile "Slick" Rick Porcello (17-3, 3.22 ERA) continued his Cy Young Award march by tossing 7 innings of 2 run ball to leave no doubt. David Ortiz and Jackie Bradley Jr both hit 2 run home runs in the first inning as Andrew Benintendi and Dustin Pedroia drove in runs against Fulmer. Hanley Ramirez hit a 2 run double off Bruce Rondon and another one against Mark Lowe. Fernando Abad and Heath Hembree had no problems shutting the door and the Red Sox had won this one 10-2.

                                                        Olivia Munn approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Fulmer in the top of the first as Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to left and David Ortiz clobbered his 28th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to right but Hanley Ramirez got a base hit to left. Ramirez stole second and Jackie Bradley Jr belted his 21st home run of the season to increase the lead. Sandy Leon lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                             Papi & JBJ touch em all

Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ian Kinsler lined out to left to start. Both Erick Aybar and Miguel Cabrera grounded out to second to end the inning.

Brock "The Hitman" Holt led off the top of the second by flying out to left and Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second. Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. The Tigers struck back in the bottom of the second as Pedroia threw wide of Porcello on a grounder by Victor Martinez to start. JD Martinez hit a home run all the way to Sicily to cut the lead in half. Tyler Collins took strike three but Casey McGehee walked. Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out swinging and Andrew Romine forced McGehee at second to end the inning with the Tigers down 4-2.

                                                       Martinez goes yard

Bogaerts grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Ortiz grounded out to second. Mr. Mookie grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Kinsler struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Aybar went down hacking. Cabrera grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ramirez lined out to second to start the top of the fourth and JBJ flied out to center. A fan interfered with a double into the right field line by Leon but Holt flied out to left to end the inning. Victor Martinez grounded out to short but JD Martinez singled in the hole at short. Collins flied out to center but McGehee got a base hit to right. Saltamacchia struck out swinging to end the inning.

Benintendi lined out to first to start the top of the fifth on a great play by Cabrera. Pedroia grounded out to short but Bogaerts got a base hit inside the bag at third. Ortiz walked but Mr. Mookie forced him at second to end the inning. Romine popped up to short to start the bottom of the fifth and Kinsler struck out swinging. Aybar flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth but Ramirez took strike three to start. JBJ flied out to left but Leon beat out a roller to short. Holt got a base hit to center and Benintendi blooped a base hit to center to score Leon, moving Brock to third. Pedroia got a base hit to right to score Holt and move Benintendi to third. That was it for Fulmer as Bruce Rondon came in to face Bogaerts. Xander grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                       Pedroia drives in another run

Cabrera took strike three to start the bottom of the sixth and Victor Martinez flied out to right. JD Martinez walked but Collins struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh as Ortiz got a base hit to right to begin. Mr. Mookie singled off the glove of Aybar and Ramirez doubled into the right field gap to score both runners. JBJ flied out to center, Leon went down hacking and Holt also struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 8-2.

                                                       Ramirez drives in a pair

Aaron Hill took over for Holt in the bottom of the seventh as Porcello returned for one final inning. McGehee grounded out to second to start but Bogaerts failed to come up with a "single" by Saltalamacchia. Romine grounded into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Porcello who allowed 2 runs, only one earned, in seven innings off 4 hits and 2 walks.

                                                       "Good work guys" - Porcello

Mark Lowe came in to pitch the top of the eighth as Benintendi doubled to right to begin. Pedroia singled in the hole at short but Bogaerts flied out to right to move Andrew to third. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Ortiz and walked to load the bases. Mr. Mookie struck out swinging but Ramirez hit a rocket to the left field wall to score both runners. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-2.

                                                          Ramirez is on fire

Heath Hembree came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Deven Marrero in for Pedroia. Alex Presly pinch hit for Kinsler and flied out to the right field warning track followed by Aybar grounding out to second. Dixon Machado pinch hit for Cabrera and grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Kyle Ryan came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Leon struck out swinging to start. Hill grounded out to short and Benintendi struck out swinging to end the inning. Fernando Abad came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and James McCann pinch hit for Victor Martinez to start. McCann struck out swinging and JD Martinez flied out to center. Collins took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-2.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rick Porcello. He allowed 2 runs in 7 innings off 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8 batters.

                                                           Slick Rick Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 3 for 5 with 4 rbis, a stolen base and a run scored.

Travis Shaw walked as a pinch hitter.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Fernando Abad pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Aaron Hill was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Deven Marrero played second base in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Big win by the Sox considering their bullpen woes. Can't blow a game if the starter is outstanding and the offense produces. Still, the 8th inning woes for the Sox need to be addressed but there won't be any if the offense produces like this. Ramirez drove in 4 big runs and home runs by Bradley and Ortiz put this away early. Porcello might be the odds on favorite to win Cy Young and Mookie Betts is in the running for AL MVP. A few more 3 home run games by Betts might do the trick. The Baltimore Orioles lost again so the Sox leapfrogged them and got closer to the Toronto Blue Jays. This is going to be a wild finish in September with the death march through the AL East, the Sox need to build some momentum in the few weeks before it starts. More games like this would help but that might be asking too much as the level of competition steps up. The win improved the Sox to 68-53, a half game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the third game of this series tomorrow night against the Tigers when Drew Pomeranz (9-9) takes on Daniel Norris of the Detroit. The game begins at 9:30 PM eastern time at Comerica Park.

Tigers Late Rally Snaps Streak (8/18/16)

If the Boston Red Sox want a shot at the playoffs this year, they need to stop with these late inning blown leads. 5 times in the past few weeks the Sox had a late lead only to blow it, and tonight made six courtesy of the Detroit Tigers. Clay Buchholz held the Tigers to 1 measly run in 6 innings while Matthew Boyd held the Sox to a run through six as well. The Sox broke through with 2 runs in the top of the eighth but the combination of Junichi Tazawa and Brad Ziegler gave up 3 runs in the bottom of the eighth. The Sox got the tying run to second base in the top of the ninth but Francisco Rodriguez retired both Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts to end the game. The Tigers had rallied past the Sox 4-3 at Comerica Park.

Boyd got the ball in the top of the first inning and Aaron Hill struck out swinging to start. Xander Bogaerts flied out to left and Mr. Mookie Betts got a base hit to center. Hanley Ramirez got a base hit to right but Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to end the inning. Buchholz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ian Kinsler flied out to JBJ to start. Erick Aybar got a base hit to right but Miguel Cabrera grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Sandy Leon grounded out to second to start the top of the second and Bryan Holaday flied out to left. Deven Marrero grounded out to short to end the inning. The Tigers struck first in the bottom of the second as old friend Victor Martinez grounded out to third to start. JD Martinez got a base hit to left and it looked like Jackie Bradley Jr caught a sinking line drive by Casey McGehee. The Tigers challenged that it was a trap and sure enough, it was called a trap to move Martinez to third. Sox manager John Farrell argued that even if it was a trap, Martinez was tagged out. The umpires told Farrell to get lost and he started yelling at them in the dugout. Home plate umpire Scott Barry told Farrell to shut up and John ran out of the dugout challenging him to a fight. Barry had to tell him that it wasn't Farrell that was ejected but third base coach Brian Butterfield. When things calmed down, old pal Jarrod Saltalamacchia hit a sac fly to center to score Martinez. Andrew Romine got a base hit to right but Alex Presley grounded out to first to end the inning with the Tigers up 1-0.

                                     "What he say?" - JF  "GET OUTTA HERE!" - SB

Andrew Benintendi got a base hit to right to start the top of the third and Hill drew a walk. Bogaerts struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie flied out to center to move Hill to third. Ramirez walked to load the bases but JBJ flied out to left to end the inning. Kinsler flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Aybar's bunt was snuffed out by Buchholz. Cabrera got a base hit to right but Victor Martinez flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth as Leon crushed his seventh home run of the season to tie the game. Holaday flied out to right, Marrero lined out to third and Benintendi took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        What a season for Leon so far

JD Martinez grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and McGehee grounded out to short. Saltalamacchia flied out to left to end the inning.

Hill got a base hit to left to start the top of the fifth and Bogaerts lined out to left. Mr. Mookie forced Hill at second and Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Romine struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and but Presley got a base hit to right. Kinsler lined out to left and Aybar grounded out to second to end the inning.

JBJ grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth and Leon flied out to center. Sox analyst Jerry Remy admitted he gets to the ballpark around 7 AM for day games because he hates waiting around in his hotel room. Then he said eventually he'll get there at 5 AM. Holaday lined out to center to end the inning. Buchholz came back for the bottom of the sixth and Cabrera was hit with a pitch to start. JD Martinez popped up to short and JD Martinez struck out swinging. McGehee also went down hacking to end the inning. That was it for Buchholz who tossed 6 solid innings allowing just 1 run off 6 hits.

                                                            Buchholz was on today

Travis Shaw pinch hit for Marrero to start the top of the seventh with old pal Alex Wilson now on the mound. Shaw struck out swinging and Benintendi flied out to left. Hill popped up to second to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Saltalamacchia flied out to left to start. Romine lined out to center and Presley flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the eighth as Bogaerts beat out a roller to second to start. Mr. Mookie blooped a base hit to right and Ramirez singled up the middle to score Bogaerts. Justin Wilson came in to pitch to Bradley and JBJ grounded into a double play....only for Betts to score on a wild pitch. Leon walked but Holaday struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                           Sox score the go-ahead runs

Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and crapped his pants big time. Kinsler ripped a base hit to left, Aybar doubled to right and Cabrera got a base hit to center to score Kinsler and chase Tazawa. Brad Ziegler poured gas on the fire as Victor Martinez singled to right to score Aybar. Tyler Collins ran for Cabrera as JD Martinez walked to load the bases. McGehee hit a grounder to short and Bogaerts came home to force Collins then Justin Upton ran for Victor Martinez. Saltalamacchia struck out swinging but Romine walked to score Upton to put the Tigers on top. Presley grounded out to second to end the inning with the Tigers up 4-3.

                                                           Tigers take the lead

The Sox did try to rally in the top of the ninth with Francisco Rodriguez no on the mound. Shaw walked to start and Brock "The Hitman" Holt ran for him. Andrew Benintendi beat out a double play ball and the Tigers challenged that he was out. The umpires said he was safe and David Ortiz pinch hit for Hill. Ortiz got a base hit to center and Dustin Pedroia ran for him. With the tying run at second....Bogaerts grounded out to first to move the runners over. With the game on the line....Mr. Mookie hit a bullet to Kinsler to end the game. The Tigers had won it 4-3.

                                                           Tigers win

Jackass of The Night is Brad Ziegler. Yes, Tazawa put the runners on but Ziegler allowed all 3 of them to score, including walking home the go-ahead run with 2 outs.

                                                                Jackass Ziegler

The Good:

Aaron Hill was 1 for 3 with a walk.

David Ortiz singled as a pinch hitter.

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Sandy Leon was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Travis Shaw walked in 2 plate appearances.

Clay Buchholz pitched 6 innings of 1 run ball allowing 6 hits.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4.

Deven Marrero was 0 for 2.

Bryan Holaday was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Junichi Tazawa was charged with 3 runs in the eighth inning to take the loss.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Brock Holt ran for Travis Shaw in the ninth inning.

Dustin Pedroia ran for Ortiz in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

How many games is that now in the past few weeks the Sox have blown in the eighth or ninth inning? The two blown games against the New York Yankees, the Robinson Cano home run off Fernando Abad, the Los Angeles Angels rally and the Minnesota Twins scoring 7 runs in the 7th inning. Every team has blown leads but you'd think with the bullpen they have it wouldn't be as frequent. Still, its not entirely Tazawa and Ziegler's fault, only getting one run off Matthew Boyd should have been a clue it wasn't going to be their day. Still, this could be the end of the line for Tazawa which is a shame, he was the man from 2012-15. Overworked relief pitchers have a shelf life and apparently his is expired. Still, its only one loss but it still stings. The loss dropped the Sox to 67-53, 1.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Tigers when "Slick" Rick Porcello (16-3) takes on Michael Fulmer of Detroit. The game begins at 8:10 PM eastern time at Comerica Park.

Sox Beat Indians in Makeup Game (8/15/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Steven Wright was placed on the Disabled List with a bad shoulder stemming from last week. Sox manager John Farrell might have cost the Sox the season by having him get hurt pinch running. On top of that, Roenis Elias was sent back to Pawtucket and Hanley Ramirez was placed on the bereavement list. My condolences to Hanley. To replace the three of them, the Sox called up infielders Deven Marrero and Marco Hernandez along with relief pitcher Heath Hembree.

                                                                              IN

                                                                      IN

As for the game, the Red Sox have to play 11 straight games on the road and they needed to make a statement in today's makeup game against the Cleveland Indians. Drew Pomeranz (9-9, 2.99 ERA) tossed 7 2/3 innings allowing just 2 runs to the AL Central frontrunners. Meanwhile the Indians took a 1-0 lead on a Rajai Davis home run in the fourth but the retiring David Ortiz had one last surprise. Ortiz pounded a 2 run home run in the top of the sixth and Jackie Bradley Jr followed with one of his own 2 batters later. More than enough cushion as Fernando Abad and Craig Kimbrel locked up the safe. The Sox started their insane road trip with a 3-2 victory over the Indians at Progressive Field.

                                                        Sanguine approves of the win

Tomlin got the ball in the top of the first and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to old pal Michael Martinez to start. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right and David Ortiz popped up to third to end the inning. Drew Pomeranz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mookie Betts fell down making a catch on a Rajai Davis fly ball to start. Jose Ramirez grounded out to first and Francisco Lindor struck out swinging to end the inning.

Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to center to start the top of the second and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first. Aaron Hill grounded out to second to end the inning. Old pal Mike Napoli flied out to left to start the bottom of the second and Carlos Santana flied out to center. Brandon Guyer flied out to right to end the inning.

It looked like Travis Shaw struck out swinging to start the top of the third but the pitch got away allowing Travis to reach first. Bryan Holaday struck out swinging but Shaw took second on a wild pitch. Andrew Benintendi lined out to right but Pedroia got a base hit to right. Shaw tried to come around but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

                                                              Yerrrr out!

Abraham Almonte took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Chris Gimenez did the same. Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.

Bogaerts got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but Ortiz grounded into a double play. Mr. Mookie got a base hit to left and JBJ got a base hit to center, but Hill lined back to Tomlin to end the inning. The Indians struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Davis hit a home run all the way to Cincinnati to start. Ramirez walked and promptly stole second, but Lindor was retired on a tapper in front of the plate. Ramirez was thrown out at third trying to steal...but wait! Indians manager Terry Francona challenged that Ramirez was safe, but the call upheld. Napoli doubled to left and Santana hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Indians ahead 1-0.

                                                  "To the 30...to the 20....to the 10"

Shaw flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Holaday grounded out to third. Benintendi lined out to left to end the inning. Guyer singled off the glove of Bogaerts to start the bottom of the fifth and took second on a wild pitch. Almonte struck out swinging, Gimenez struck out swinging and Martinez flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the sixth as Pedroia got a base hit to left to start. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Ortiz smashed his 27th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Mr. Mookie flied out to center but JBJ crushed his 19th home run of the season for the insurance run. Hill grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                              JBJ makes it a 2 run game

Davis grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Ramirez popped up to second. Lindor grounded out to short to end the inning.

Shaw grounded out to first to start the top of the seventh and Holaday grounded out to short. Benintendi grounded out to first to end the inning. Napoli walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Santana grounded into a double play. Guyer grounded out to second to end the inning,

Pedroia grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth and Bogaerts flied out to right. Kyle Crockett came in to pitch to Ortiz and David singled to right. Jeff Manship came in to face Betts but Mr. Mookie walked. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning. Pomeranz ran out of gas in the bottom of the eighth as Almonte struck out swinging to start. JBJ failed to come up with a double by Gimenez but Martinez flied out to center. Davis doubled into the right field corner to chase Pomeranz. He fell one batter short but tossed 7 2/3 innings allowing 2 runs off 5 hits and 2 walks. Fernando Abad came in and Davis stole third, but Ramirez popped up to Benintendi to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                              Good effort from Drew

Zach McAllister came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hill singled off the glove of Martinez to start. Shaw doubled to the left field fence but Holaday struck out swinging. Benintendi popped up to left and Pedroia lined out to left to end the inning. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Lindor doubled to left to start. Napoli walked and Tyler Naquin ran for him. Santana struck out swinging and Jason Kipnis pinch hit for Guyer. Kipnis struck out swinging on a 96 mph fastball and Almonte

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is David Ortiz. His 2 run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                            Big Papi is the Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Drew Pomeranz got the win by allowing 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks.

Fernando Abad got the final out of the eighth inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 20th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bryan Holaday was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4.

Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

That game was too close for comfort but a win is a win. The Sox need Pomeranz more than ever to pitch like he did today because Steven Wright is out. With David Price still shaky and Eduardo Rodriguez not having a good year, its up to Pomeranz to carry them to victory. The Sox offense didn't do much against Tomlin but Josh leads the league in home runs allowed. The two home runs hit by the Sox turned out to be the difference makers. The Sox are on an unforgiving roadtrip with the majority of their remaining games on the road so if the Sox want to make the playoffs, they're going to have to earn it. Still, if this is the AL Central's best....the Sox took it right to them this time. Maybe they'll see each other again come October when the stakes are higher, who knows? All in all it was a good win and the Sox needed it to keep pace. The win improved the Sox to 65-52, 1 game behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now have a chance to take over first place because they now travel to Baltimore for a brief two game set against them. Tomorrow night it'll be Eduardo Rodriguez going for the Sox against Yovani Gallardo of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Betts, Red Sox Annihilate Diamondbacks For Sweep (8/14/16)

That's one way to sweep a series if you're the Boston Red Sox. The Sox hadn't won all three games of a set since last month against the Tampa Bay Rays and they did it in style against the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Sox bats scored SIXTEEN runs in this one off NINETEEN hits. Zack Greinke was hammered for 9 runs before getting knocked out in the second inning and the bullpen wasn't much better. Mookie Betts smashed 3 home runs while driving in 8 runs on his own while Dustin Pedroia went 5 for 6. Jackie Bradley Jr also hit a 2 run homer in an offensive onslaught. On the other side of the ball "Slick" Rick Porcello (16-3, 3.20 ERA) continued his march toward the AL Cy Young award by tossing 7 strong innings allowing just 1 run. Roenis Elias finished the game off as the Sox massacred the Diamondbacks 16-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                 Accurate description of today's game

Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jean Segura lined a base hit off the Monster but Andrew Benintendi threw the ball away allowing Segura to take second. Michael Bourn struck out swinging and Paul Goldschmidt grounded back to the mound. Jake Lamb took strike three to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Greinke in the bottom of the first as Dustin Pedroia led off with a base hit down the right field line. Brock "The Hitman" Holt struck out swinging but Mr. Mookie Betts belted his 24th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. David Ortiz struck out swinging but Hanley Ramirez drilled a base hit to left. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                                 That's one

Rickie Weeks grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Yasmany Tomas struck out swinging. Chris Owings popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the second as Aaron Hill got a base hit to right. Sandy Leon also got a base hit to right and Benintendi atoned for his error with a double to right to score Hill. Pedroia got a base hit to right to score Leon and move Benintendi to third. Holt hit a comebacker to Greinke who threw Benintendi out at home. Suddenly Mr. Mookie smashed a three run home run to put this game on ice early. Ortiz struck out swinging but Ramirez got a base hit to center. JBJ smashed his 18th homer of the year off the Pesky Pole to increase the lead to chase Greinke. Dominic Leone came in to freeze Hill for strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 9-0.

                                                                That's two

Brandon Drury grounded back to the mound to start the top of the third inning and Tuffy Gosewisch grounded out to short. Segura took strike three to end the inning. Leon flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Benintendi grounded out to second. Pedroia singled to center and Holt popped up to third to end the inning.

Arizona struck back in the top of the fourth as Bourn hit a home run into the Charles River to cut the lead. Goldschmidt grounded out to short but Porcello booted a grounder by Lamb for an error. Weeks grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Diamondbacks down 9-1.

                                                           Bourn goes yard

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fourth as Mr. Mookie got a base hit to left to start. Ortiz singled to right to move Mr. Mookie to third and Ramirez forced David at second to score Betts. JBJ popped up to third and Hill forced Ramirez at second to end the inning with the Sox up 10-1.

                                                                It was Mookie's day

Tomas grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Owings got a base hit to left. Drury flied out to center and Gosewisch forced Owings at second to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth with Adam Loewen now on the mound. Leon walked, Benintendi got a base hit to right and Pedroia got a base hit to right to score Leon. Holt lined out to short but Mr. Mookie clobbered his 3rd home run of the game to increase the lead. Ortiz walked and Randall Delgado came in to pitch with Bryan Holaday in to run for David. Ramirez doubled off the Monster and Travis Shaw pinch ran for him. JBJ grounded out to first to score Holaday and Lamb threw a grounder by Hill away for an error to score Shaw. Leon walked but Benintendi flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 16-1.

                                                        What a massacre

Phil Gosselin pinch hit for Segura to start the top of the sixth and grounded out to second to start. Bourn flied out to left and Goldschmidt lined out to right to end the inning. Socrates Brito came in for Lamb with Steve Hathaway now on the mound to start the bottom of the sixth. Pedroia flied out to center, Holt took strike three and Leon flied out to right to end the inning.

Brito popped up to short to start the top of the seventh and Weeks grounded out to short. Tomas lined out to left to end the inning. That was it for Porcello who tossed 7 strong innings allowing 1 run off just 3 hits.

                                                             Good work Porcello

Enrique Burgos came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Holaday got a base hit to center to start. Shaw and Bradley both struck out swinging and Hill forced Holaday at second to end the innning. 

Roenis Elias came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Owings flied out to right to start. Drury got a base hit to left but Gosewisch flied out to center. Gosselin got a base hit to left and Bourn got another base hit to left to score Drury. Goldschmidt forced Bourn at second base to end the inning with the Diamondbacks down 16-2.

                                                            Arizona gets another run

Jake Barrett came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth as Leon grounded out to first to start. A bird landed near the mound and Benintendi walked because of it....just kidding. Pedroia doubled to center but Holt popped up to third. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                           Mr. Bird says hi

Elias returned to close out the top of the ninth with Holaday moving to third and Hill to second to give Pedroia the game off. Brito got a base hit to left but Weeks flied out to center. Tomas grounded into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 16-2.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Mookie Betts. He hit 3 home runs and drove in 8 runs to outscore the Diamondbacks all by himsef.

                                                                 Our Hero jumps for joy

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 5 for 6 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Bryan Holaday was 1 for 1 with a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Sandy Leon was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a walk, an rbi and a run scored.

Rick Porcello got the win tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball off just 3 hits.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Brock Holt was 0 for 6 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Travis Shaw struck out but scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but hit a 2 run home run with 3 total rbis.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Roenis Elias allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have one of the best offenses in the league and they proved it today. Mookie Betts apparently wants to be in the running for AL MVP and a day like today moves him closer for sure. 26 home runs and 84 rbis only halfway through August is insane and we got a long way to go. Porcello also wants AL Cy Young and this helped his case as well. All in all there wasn't much to complain about in this one except Brock Holt going 0 for 6 and Roenis Elias giving up a run late. Otherwise this was a nice easy win which was much needed considering some of the heartbreaks and nail biters lately. Hopefully the Sox can keep the momentum going as they go on the road for the next eleven games. The win improved the Sox to 64-52, 2 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox travel to Cleveland for their makeup game from all the way back in the first series of the year. Drew Pomeranz (8-9) goes for the Sox against Josh Tomlin of Cleveland. The game begins at 2:10 PM eastern time at Progressive Field.