Sox Drop Embarrassing Game to A's (7/19/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox announced Jake Faria cleared waivers and returned to Worcester. Yippie.....

                                                                 Back to Worcester

As for the game, talk about taking two giant steps backward. After winning 8 of 9, the Sox fell flat on their face against the worst team in baseball. After getting blanked yesterday, Brayan Bello (7-6, 3.60 ERA) got hammered by the A's for three 2 run home runs in today's game. Meanwhile the Sox offense put up 5 runs on the board through six innings but couldn't get a clutch hit when it counted the rest of the way. With Connor Wong at second base, Rob Refsnyder hit a measly pop up to end the game to give the A's a 6-5 win at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                     "Can't get a clutch it!"

Ken Waldichuk got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Sox immediately struck. Rob Refnsyder walked to start but Masataka Yoshida flied out to center. Justin Turner then belted his 15th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Rafael Devers flied out to right but Adam Duvall got a base hit to left. Duvall took off for second and Shea Langeliers threw the ball away, allowing Duvall to reach third on an error. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                               Home run Turner

The A's answered against Bello in the bottom of the first as Tony Kemp got a base hit to center and JJ Bleday hit a home run all the way to San Jose just like that. Jordan Diaz struck out swinging, Seth Brown popped up to third and Tyler Soderstrom grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                     Kiss that one goodbye

Kike Hernandez tried to start a rally with a base hit to right to start the top of the second. Connor Wong forced Hernandez at second but Yu Chang flied out to right. Wong got thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Langeliers grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second but Jace Peterson walked. Cody Thomas then hit his first home run of the season to put the A's up for good. Nick Allen struck out swinging but Kemp was plunked. Bleday forced Kemp at second to end the inning with the A's up 4-2.

                                                             That one is gone

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Refsnyder grounded out to short to start. Yoshida struck out swinging and Turner flied out to right to end the inning. Diaz grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third but Brown walked. Soderstrom banged into a double play to end the inning.

Devers took strike three right down the middle to start the top of the fourth before Duvall did the same. Verdugo drew a walk but Hernandez flied out to right to end the inning. The A's iced it in the bottom of the fourth as Langeliers doubled to right and Peterson hit a home run all the way to the outer reaches of Mongolia to put the game out of reach. Thomas struck out swinging, Allen grounded out to third and Kemp grounded out to second to end the inning with the A's up 6-2. That was it for Bello who got beat up by the worst team in baseball, allowing 6 runs in just 4 innings.

                                                      "I sucked today" - Bello

The Sox did fight back in the top of the fifth as Wong walked to start. Chang struck out swinging and Wong scored all the way around on a base hit to center by Refsnyder. Yoshida doubled to right to chase Waldichuk and Lucas Erceg came in to face Turner. Turner grounded out to second but Refsnyder scored to cut the lead. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 6-4.

                                                       Refsnyder brings the Sox closer

Joely Rodriguez came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and it was the A's turn for stupidity. Bleday doubled to right and Diaz beat out a roller to short to put runners at the corners. Brent Rooker pinch hit for Brown and hit a grounder to second. For some reason Bleday hesitated going home so after Rooker was thrown out at first, Bleday was gunned down at home by Turner for the double play. Solderstrom struck out swinging to end the inning. Had the Sox come back to win, that would have been the play of the game.

It looked like the Sox would come back when Duvall singled to left to pen the top of the sixth. Verdugo struck out but Peterson threw Hernandez' grounder into the stands to score Duvall. Angel Felipe came in to pitch and Wong struck out swinging. Sox manager Alex Cora countered by having Triston Casas pinch hit for Chang but he too struck out swinging to end the inning with the A's ahead 6-5.

                                                                       Whoooooops!!!

Josh Winckwoski came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Langeliers struck out swinging to start. Peterson grounded out to short but Thomas hit a seeing eye single to left. Allen took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox failed to tie the game in the top of the seventh as Refsnyder lined out to center to start. Yoshida popped up to third and Turner lined out to short to end the inning. Kemp singled to center to start the bottom of the seventh but Bleday flied out to center. Diaz singled to left but Rooker struck out swinging. Soderstrom struck out swinging to end the inning.

The ineptitude continued in the top of the eighth with Sam Long now on the mound. Devers flied out to left, Duvall also flied out to left and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Just to get him some work, Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Langeliers popped up to third to begin. Peterson walked but Thomas flied out to center. Allen struck out swinging to end the inning. Valiant effort by the bullpen to shut the door after Bello left the game.

Aledmys Diaz came in for Soderstrom with Trevor May in to close out the top of the ninth. Jarren Duran pinch hit for Hernandez and flied out to left, but Wong walked to put the tying run on. Casas struck out swinging again but Wong stole second. With the tying run in scoring postion......Refsnyder lined out to right to end the game. The Sox had lost 2 of 3 to the worst team in baseball 6-5.

                                                          A's win

Jackass of the Night is Brayan Bello. He got lit up by the worst team in baseball, allowing 6 runs off three home runs in just 4 innings.

                                                            Jackass Bello

The Good:

Adam Duvall was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a stolen base.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3.

Connor Wong walked twice, stole a base and scored a run.

Joely Rodriguez pitched a scoreless fifth inning

Josh Winckowski tossed two scoreless innings

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Yu Chang was 0 for 2 with a strikeout

Triston Casas was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 but walked, stole a base, drove in a run and scored twice

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4 but drove in 3 total runs including a two run homer.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but drew a walk.

Final Thoughts:

Its been that kind of season for the Sox who have lost series to all three of the last place teams in baseball this year. Unlike last year where they beat up the bad teams but were completely incompetent against AL East teams, this year is the total opposite. If the Sox end up missing the playoffs this year by a few games when all is said and done, look at all these losses to bottom feeding teams as to the reason why. Losing two of three to a team that's not even trying to hide the fact they're tanking is inexcusable. The worst part is Paxton and Bello got beat up and they've been their best starters this season. They desperately need another starter since Tanner Houck, Garrett Whitlock and Chris Sale remain out. They got plenty of talent in the minors to make a move so its up to Sox GM Chaim Bloom whether he wants to blow it up or add in a few weeks. As of right now they're an incomplete team due to injuries. The loss dropped the Sox to 51-46, 9 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox have an off-day tomorrow and they come back home Friday night to play the enigmatic New York Mets. James Paxton (5-2, 3.51 ERA) looks to rebound the Sox against Kodai Senga of the Mets. The game begins Friday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Pivetta, Sox Blank Hapless A's (7/17/23)

No starter? No problem for the Boston Red Sox. Against the worst team in baseball, the Sox feasted on them and set some records in the process. Nick Pivetta (6-5, 4.44 ERA) tossed 6 no-hit innings in relief while setting the Red Sox relief record for strikeouts with 13. On the other side of the ball, Connor Wong led the Boston attack with 3 hits and 3 rbis. Justin Turner knocked in two runs, Yu Chang added one, Adam Duvall added one and the Sox ran away with this one 7-0 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                       Farenheit approves of the win

Paul Blackburn got the start for Oakland and the Sox wasted no time scoring. Jarren Duran doubled to right to start before moving to third on the Alex Verdugo ground out to second. Justin Turner then hit a sac fly to right to score Duran with the first run. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Turner drives in a run

Brennan Bernardino was the "opener" and he got the ball in the bottom of the first. Zack Gelof struck out swinging but Jordan Diaz was hit with a pitch. Ryan Noda got a base hit to right but Brent Rooker banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Adam Duvall doubled to left to start. Triston Casas got a base hit to left but Christian Arroyo popped up to second. Connor Wong ripped a base hit to left to score Duvall but Yu Chang grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                          Wong gets it done

Tyler Soderstrom grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second before Shea Langeliers struck out swinging. JJ Bleday grounded out to second to end the inning. Good work by Bernardino to allow no runs to keep the Sox on top.

                                                    Bernardino gets it done

Duran grounded out to first to start the top of the third but Verdugo doubled to center. Turner lined out to left and Yoshida also flied out to left to end the inning. Nick Pivetta came in to pitch the bottom of the third and Nick Allen struck out looking to start. Seth Brown flied out to right but Gelof walked. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Duvall went down hacking to start the top of the fourth but Casas walked. Arroyo lined out to center and Wong took strike three to end the inning. Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Noda went down hacking to start. Rooker struck out swinging and Soderstrom took strike three to end the inning.

Chang struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Blackburn made a great stab of a Duran line drive. Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Langeliers grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Bleday flied out to left. Allen grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth as Turner doubled to right to begin. Yoshida got a base hit to left to put runners at the corners and Duvall scored Turner with a sac fly to right. Yoshida swiped second, Casas drew a walk and Arroyo dumped a base hit to right to load the bases. Wong ripped a double to left to score Yoshida & Casas and Chang scored Arroyo with a grounder to third. That was it for Blackburn as Sam Moll came in to pitch to Duran. Jarren flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.

                                                                  Wong ices the game

Pivetta was relentless in the bottom of the sixth as Brown struck out swinging to start. Gelof went down hacking and Aledmys Diaz pinch hit for Jordan Diaz. Aledmys took strike three to end the inning.

Verdugo struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Turner flied out to right. Yoshida took strike three to end the inning. Noda struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh and got so mad he attacked home plate umpire Emil Jimenez with a bat. He had to be escorted out by armed security as Rooker also struck out swinging. Soderstrom also went down hacking to end the inning.

                                                           Yerrrrr out!

Cody Thomas came in for Noda with Angel Felipe now on the mound for Oakland to start the top of the eighth. Duvall grounded out to short, Casas went down hacking and Arroyo flied out to center to end the inning. Pivetta returned for one last inning in the bottom of the eighth and Langeliers struck out swinging. Bleday walked but Allen struck out swinging. Brown flied out to left to end the masterpiece. Pivetta tossed 6 no-hit innings of relief while striking out 13 batters, Dick Radatz never did that.

                                                          Outstanding job

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth as Wong singled to left to start. Chang popped up to second but Duran drew a walk. Verdugo walked to load the bases and Turner scored Wong by forcing Duran at third. Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 7-0.

                                                      Turner drives in a run

Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Gelof struck out swinging to begin. Diaz struck out swinging but Thomas walked. Rooker went down hacking to end the game. Sox pitchers had struck out 18 batters and won the game 7-0.

                                                            Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Nick Pivetta. He earned the win by throwing 6 no-hit innings while striking out 13 batters, a new Red Sox relief record.

                                                Hero Pivetta

The Good:

Adam Duvall was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Triston Casas was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Connor Wong was 3 for 4 with 3 rbis and a run scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

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

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

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but stole a base and scored a run.

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

Yu Chang was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

I know the A's are terrible but 18 strikeouts are still 18 strikeouts. Bernardino, Pivetta and Martin mowed down the A's and with Rafael Devers out with a calf strain, Connor Wong took command tonight. Both Wong and Casas are starting to hit a little better and that's desperately needed, especially with Trevor Story rumored to be near a return. Pivetta was outstanding and the combination of Pivetta & Bernardino may be unorthodox but its working. The Sox still need to get key guys back from injury like Garrett Whitlock, Tanner Houck, Chris Sale, Story and Devers. If they get those guys back, the Sox may be primed for an October run. The win improved the Sox to 51-44, 8 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. It should be noted that the New York Yankees are in last place this late in the season for the first time since 1990. Guess what happened in 1990, the Sox won the AL East. The Sox look to make it four wins in a row and two against the A's tomorrow night when Alex Cora picks a name out of a hat to face Luis Medina of Oakland. The game begins at 9:40 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Sox Homer Parade Tames Cubs (7/14/23)

Good news Boston Red Sox fans, they picked up where they left off before the All-Star break. After going into the break winning five in a row, the Sox made it six after downing the Chicago Cubs. The Sox as a team hit five home runs in this one, two of them by Rafael Devers who's not happy about not being an All-Star. On the other side of the ball, Brayan Bello (7-5, 3.14 ERA) won his seventh game of the year by tossing six solid innings while allowing just three runs. Josh Winckowski and Brennan Bernardino slammed the door in the next two innings before Kenley Jansen earned his 20th save by getting out of a bases loaded jam in the ninth inning. It all added up to an 8-3 victory over the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

                                                 Dr. Brian Virgil approves of the win

Kyle Hendricks got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second and Justin Turner took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mike Tauchman grounded out to first to start. Nico Hoerner took strike three and Ian Happ lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second when Rafael Devers launched his 21st home run of the season to put Boston on top. Alex Verdugo grounded out to short but Adam Duvall clobbered his seventh home run of the season to increase the lead. Triston Casas got a base hit to center but Connor Wong struck out swinging. Yu Chang also struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                         Devers & Duvall go yard

Seiya Suzuki struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second before Cody Bellinger struck out swinging. Christopher Morel beat out a roller to third but Jared Young grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Duran legged out a double to left to start before making a mad dash to third on a fly out to center by Yoshida. Turner hit a sac fly to right to score Duran and Devers belted his second home run of the night to increase the lead. Verdugo singled to center and stole second, but Duvall grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                          Devers does it again

The Cubs tagged Bello in the bottom of the third as Miles Mastrobuoni struck out swinging to start. Tucker Barnhart doubled to center and Tauchman doubled to center to score Barnhart. Hoerner singled in the hole at short but Happ popped up to third. Suzuki grounded out to second to end the inning with the Cubs down 4-1.

                                                                   Cubs get one back

The Sox got that run right back when Casas belted his 10th home run of the season to start the top of the fourth. Wong grounded out to third, Chang struck out swinging and Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                           Casas says "kiss it goodbye"

The Cubs answered in the bottom of the fourth as Bellinger hit a home run all the way to Indiana to cut the lead. Morel struck out swinging, Young grounded out to second and Mastrobuoni flied out to left to end the inning with the Cubs down 5-2.

                                                    Home run Bellinger

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Turner grounded out to third but Devers got a base hit to right. Anthony Kay came in to face Verdugo and walked him before both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Duvall struck out swinging to end the inning. Barnhart singled to right to start the bottom of the fifth but was gunned down by Verdugo trying to stretch a double. Tauchman grounded out to second and Hoerner grounded out to third to end the inning.

Casas lined out to center to start the top of the sixth before Wong struck out swinging. Chang lined out to left to end the inning. Happ lined out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Suzuki grounded out to short. Bellinger smashed a home run all the way to Neptune to cut the lead and Morel singled in the hole to short. Young popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3. That was it for Bello who tossed 6 solid innings allowing just 3 runs on 8 hits. He did strike out 5 batters.

                                                        Bello gets it done

The Sox iced the game in the top of the seventh inning with Mark Leiter Jr now on the mound. Duran grounded out to first to start but Yoshida singled to center. Turner then belted his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead. Devers went down hacking and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                         Turner jacks one out

Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Mastrobuoni flied out to left to start. Barnhart struck out swinging and Tauchman flied out to left to end the inning.

Javier Assad came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Duvall watched strike three go by to start. Casas grounded out to short and Wong did the same to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Christian Arroyo taking Casas' spot. Hoerner flied out to center, Happ took strike three and Suzuki struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth when Chang belted his fourth home run of the season to add to the lead. Duran singled to left and Yoshida also got a hit to left before Turner moved Jarren to third with a line out to center. Devers took strike three and Verdugo grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3. 

                                                            Chang launches one

Tayler Scott came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Bellinger flied out to left to start. Morel singled to center and moved to third on a stolen base and a throwing error by Wong. Young walked but Mastrobuoni struck out swinging. Barnhart walked to load the bases and Sox manager Alex Cora threw his hands up, pulling Scott for closer Kenley Jansen. Tauchman struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                                    Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers, his two home runs powered the offense to victory

                                                               Hero Devers

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Triston Casas was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Brayan Bello got the win by allowing 3 runs in 6 solid innings. He gave up 8 hits and struck out 5.

Josh Winckowski tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Kenley Jansen got the only man he faced out.

The Bad:

Connor Wong was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a 2 run homer and drove in 3 total runs.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Adam Duvall was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Yu Chang was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Tayler Scott left the bases loaded after 2/3 of an inning.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Arroyo played second base in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Big win tonight as not only did it set the tone to start the second half but they move into a tie for fourth place with the New York Yankees who lost tonight to the Colorado Rockies. The Sox are only 2 games behind the Houston Astros for the final wild card so the Sox are definitely within striking distance. They need to get their injured pitchers back if they have any hope for October because their lineup and bench is as good as anyone and Sox manager Alex Cora can mix and match the bullpen, but without Whitlock, Sale and Houck they can forget about a stretch run. Still, a win is a win and they all count. The win improved the Sox to 49-43, 8.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it seven wins in a row and two over the Cubs when James Paxton 5-1, 2.73 ERA takes on Marcus Stroman of the Cubs. The game begins at 2:20 PM Eastern time at Wrigley Field.

ChiSox Bullpen Shuts Down BoSox (6/25/23)

Just when you think things can't get any worse for the Boston Red Sox, it does. The 34-44 White Sox were doing a bullpen game against Kutter Crawford (2-4, 4.01 ERA). Naturally Chicago scored four runs off Crawford on the back of Luis Robert's two home runs and an rbi from...you guessed it....Andrew Benintendi. Meanwhile the White Sox bullpen allowed just one measly run to Boston on an Adam Duvall rbi double. Brennan Bernardino and Kaleb Ort didn't allow any runs in relief, but the anemic Red Sox offense were held to just 5 hits as Chicago took the game 4-1 at Comiskey Park.

                                                  ''Lost to the White Sox bullpen...ugh''

Tanner Banks got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder grounded out to second to start. Justin Turner grounded out to second and Rafael Devers struck out swinging on a pitch not even close to end the inning. Crawford got the ball in the bottom of the first and Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second to start. Andrew Vaughn flied out to right and Luis Robert Jr popped up to center to end the inning. 

The BoSox tried to rally in the top of the second inning as Adam Duvall doubled to right to start. Masataka Yoshida then got drilled in the right hand. Naturally Bobby Dalbec and Christian Arroyo struck out swinging but Kike Hernandez beat out a roller off the glove of Banks to load the bases. Caleb Hamilton took a curveball right down the middle for strike three to end the inning. Elroy Jimenez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Yasmani Grandal lined out to center. Jake Burger flied out to center to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first but Refsnyder lined out to right to start the top of the third inning. Turner and Devers both walked and Duvall somehow doubled off the left field wall to score Turner. Naturally Yoshida popped up to left and that was it for Banks. Jesse Scholtens came in to pitch and Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Triston Casas to hit for Dalbec. As usual, Casas popped up to left to end the inning with Boston up 1-0.

                                                            Duvall drives in a run

Gavin Sheets struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third inning but Elvis Andrus got hit with a pitch. Zach Remillard grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth inning as Arroyo flied out to right to start. Hernandez popped up to short and Hamilton struck out swinging again to end the inning. Benintendi ripped a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Vaughn struck out swinging. Robert then hit a home run all the way to Indonesia to put the ChiSox up for good. Jimenez grounded out to short but Grandal hit a swinging bunt down the third base line. Burger forced Grandal at second to end the inning but the White Sox up for good, 2-1.

                                                          Robert goes yard

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the fifth inning as Refsnyder grounded out to short to start before Turner took strike three. Devers walked but Duvall popped up to right to end the inning. Sheets walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Andrus lined out to right. Remillard flied out to center but Benintendi iced the game with a triple down the right field line to score Sheets. Vaughn struck out swinging to end the inning with the ChiSox icing it 3-1.

                                                             Benintendi slides in safe

Once again the BoSox failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Seby Zavala took over for Grandal. Yoshida grounded out to short, Casas popped up to center and Arroyo lined out to second to end the inning. Naturally Robert hit a home run to the moon to start the bottom of the sixth. Jimenez flied out to center, Zavala flied out to center as well and Burger took strike three to end the inning with Chicago up 4-1. That was it for Crawford who made essentially three mistakes, two of them to Robert to allow 4 runs in 6 innings of work.

                                                            Not his best stuff

The BoSox left more men on base in the top of the seventh as Hernandez lined out to center to start. Jarren Duran pinch hit for Hamilton and got a base hit to left. Refsnyder took strike three right down the middle but Turner moved Duran to third with a single in the hole at third. The ChiSox brought in Aaron Bummer to pitch to Devers and naturally he hit a pop up to right to end the inning. Connor Wong took over behind the plate in Refsnyder's spot with Brennan Bernardino coming in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Clint Frazier pinch hit for Sheets and struck out swinging before Andrus also took strike three. Remillard singled to center but Bernardino picked him off to end the inning.

Duvall hit a bullet right to Bummer's face to start the top of the eighth before Yoshida took strike three right down the middle. Casas also struck out swinging to end the inning, pathetic. Benintendi grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth and that was it for Bernardino. Kaleb Ort came in and Vaughn popped up to short. Robert Jr then dumped a base hit to left but Jimenez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Keynan Middleton effortlessly closed the door in the top of the ninth as Arroyo lined out to second to start. Hernandez grounded out to third and Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The White Sox had won the game 4-1.

                                                             White Sox win

Jackass of The Night is Triston Casas. He allowed Benintendi to score the third run and went 0 for 3 at the plate

                                                          Jackass Casas

The Good:

Justin Turner was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers walked twice in four plate appearances.

Adam Duvall was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jarren Duran was 1 for 2.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Kaleb Ort tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec struck out in his only plate appearance.

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Caleb Hamilton was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Kutter Crawford took the loss by allowing 4 runs in just 6 innings of work. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out four.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Can things get any worse for the Red Sox? Its bad enough they penny pinched in the off-season and now the product on the field is suffering. With Chris Sale on the downside of his career, the Red Sox don't have a legitimate ace anymore. Trotting out Corey Kluber, Brayan Bello, Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford and Nick Pivetta isn't going to cut it. Not to mention the real cataclysm was not scoring runs in a bullpen game against a team 10 games under .500. To say Chaim Bloom's tenure as GM has been a disaster class is an understatement. Apart from 3 months in 2021, they've been a sub .500 team since he took over. Not resigning ANY of their free agents and signing a washed up Kluber + unproven commodity in Yoshida would have most GM's on the unemployment line. Let's see how long Chaim lasts at this rate. The loss dropped the Sox to 40-39, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action at home against the Miami Marlins. Garrett Whitlock (4-2) takes on Sandy Alcantara of Miami this Tuesday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Crush Twins (6/20/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox signed 33 year old relief pitcher Kyle Barraclough. He made his MLB debut with the Miami Marlins back in 2015 and earned a ring with the Washington Nations with 33 games in 2019. He pitched in 8 games with the Los Angeles Angels last year and was on the street this year. If they needed another arm in Worcester, why not?

                                                             IN

As for the game, nice to see the Boston bats explode again. The Sox offense pounded Bailey Ober and the Minnesota Twins for 15 hits and 10 runs, doing most of their damage in the later innings. Christian Arroyo led the charge by going 5 for 5 with 4 home runs and Masataka Yoshida was 3 for 5 with 3 rbis of his own. On the other side of the ball Kutter Crawford (2-3, 3.74 ERA) tossed 5 shutout innings in just 77 pitches to get the win. Unfortunately the Sox brought in Corey Kluber to finish the game off and he got lit up for 4 runs in the final two innings to lose the shutout. The Sox still won the game 10-4 at Target Field.

                                                    Ken Rosenberg approves of the win

Ober got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo grounded out to second to start. Justin Turner singled to left but Rafael Devers flied out to center. Turner took second on a passed ball but Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. Crawford got the ball in the bottom of the first and Edouard Julien grounded back to the mound to start. Carlos Correa and Alex Kirilloff both struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Adam Duvall struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Triston Casas flied out to right. Christian Arroyo and Connor Wong stroked back to back singles to left but Enrique Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Byron Buxton got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the second but Joey Gallo popped up to third. Royce Lewis got a base hit to left but Max Kepler grounded into a double play to end the inning. 

Verdugo flied out to center to start the top of the third and Turner struck out swinging. Devers also swung at air for strike three to end the inning. Ryan Jeffers got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the third but Willi Castro popped up to third. Julien popped up to short but Correa got a base hit to left. Kirilloff grounded out to short to end the inning. 

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth as Yoshida grounded back to the mound to start. Duvall blasted his 5th home run of the year to put Boston ahead but Casas grounded out to second. Arroyo then smashed his third home run of the year to increase the lead. Wong popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. 

                                                         Duvall watches it go

Buxton popped up to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Gallo struck out swinging. Lewis singled to center but Kepler flied out to left to end the inning. 

Hernandez flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Verdugo grounded out to first. Turner was hit with a pitch but Devers grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Crawford came back for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth as Jeffers doubled to left to start. Castro grounded out to first to move Jeffers to third but Julien struck out swinging. Correa also went down hacking to end the inning. Crawford tossed 5 shutout innings allowing 6 hits.

                                                          Good work Crawford

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth as Yoshida got a base hit to left to start. Duvall flied out to left and Casas flied out to center, but Arroyo singled to right to move Masataka to third. Wong got a base hit to right to score Yoshida but Hernandez popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                              Wong drives in a run.

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Donovan Solano pinch hit for Kirilloff. Solano struck out swinging but Buxton walked. Gallo took strike three and Lewis popped up to first to end the inning. 

The Sox exploded in the top of the seventh with Brent Headrick on the mound. Verdugo singled to left and Turner doubled to right to score him, taking third on the throw. Devers was hit with a pitch and Yoshida lined a ball off Headrick to score Turner. Duvall flied out to left but Casas got a base hit to right to load the bases. Arroyo doubled to right to clear the bases then Wong followed with a walk. Hernandez flied out to right and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-0.

                                                            Yoshida adds to the cause

Corey Kluber came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Kepler walked to start. Jeffers grounded into a double play and Castro popped up to third to end the inning. 

Kyle Farmer came in for Correa with Oliver Ortega on the mound to start the top of the eighth. Turner walked but Devers flied out to left. Yoshida belted his 8th home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. Duvall popped up to second and Casas struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-0.

                                                               Home run Yoshida

Julien got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the eighth but Farmer took strike three. Solano flied out to left but Buxton hit a home run all the way to Ecuador to cut the lead. Gallo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins down 10-2.

                                                              Twins strike back

Christian Vazquez took over for Buxton with Castro himself now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Arroyo got a base hit to center but Wong flied out to right. Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Twins rallied in the bottom of the ninth as Lewis hit a home run all the way to North Dakota to start. Kepler followed with a home run all the way to India and Jeffers beat out a roller to third. Castro flied out to left, Julien grounded out to first and Farmer grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-4.

                                                                     Sox win

Hero of The Night is Christian Arroyo. He was 5 for 5 with with a home run, 4 total rbis and a run scored.

                                                              Hero Arroyo

The Good:

Justin Turner was 2 for 3 with a walk, hit by pitch, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 3 for 5 with a home run, 3 total rbis and 3 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Kutter Crawford tossed 5 shutout innings off 6 hits while striking out 5.

Brennan Bernardino tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

The Bad:

Enrique Hernandez was 0 for 5.

Corey Kluber got the "save" by allowing 4 runs in 3 innings.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Adam Duvall was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Good win by the Sox but two bad notes. Enrique Hernandez was totally useless and hes down to batting .229 on the season. Might be time to get a new 6th man so to speak. Also Corey Kluber can't start or pitch in relief, might be time to say goodbye to him too with his ERA over 7. Sox GM Chaim Bloom went cheap to sign him and paid for it. Still, the positives were Crawford pitched well again, Arroyo had a hell of a game and both Duvall & Yoshida got some power back. The Sox were banking on Yoshida becoming Hideki Matsui 2.0 but instead hes been Kaz Matsui 2.0. Hopefully Duvall & Yoshida can start mashing because Casas and Devers cant carry the team by themselves. All in all besides two guys it was a heck of a win and they need all the momentum they can get. The win improved the Sox to 39-35, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to win their sixth straight game and second straight against the Twins tomorrow evening when Garrett Whitlock takes on Sonny Gray of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:40 PM Eastern time at Target Field.

Sox Bats Punish Twins For 5th Straight Win (6/19/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox sent Chris Murphy back to Worcester after the doubleheader. They'll see him again soon.

                                                                   OUT

As for the game, suddenly the Boston Red Sox got hot. After sweeping the New York Yankees in Fenway Park the Sox took their hot streak on the road and laid waste to the bungholes of the Minnesota Twins. The Sox beat up Pablo Lopez of the Twins for 5 runs and knocked him out in the sixth inning. They then scored four runs off Jovani Moran and Jose De Leon to put the game away. Meanwhile James Paxton (3-1, 3.29 ERA) started to look more himself as he tossed 6 1/3 gutty innings allowing 3 runs to keep the Sox on it. The tag team of Josh Winckowski and Justin Garza finished off the Twins as the Sox took this one 9-3 at Target Field.

                                                    Jagar Tharn approves of the win

Lopez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran doubled to left to start. Alex Verdugo lined out to right to move Duran to third and Rafael Devers struck out swinging. Adam Duvall grounded out to short to end the inning. Paxton got the ball in the bottom of the first and Verdugo made a great diving catch to rob Donovan Solano of a hit to start. Edouard Julien grounded out to short and Byron Buxton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Masataka Yoshida popped up to third to start the top of the second and Christian Arroyo lined out to right. Triston Casas popped up to third to end the inning. Carlos Correa flied out to right to start the bottom of the second and Alex Kirilloff grounded out to first. Will Castro grounded out to short to end the inning.

Connor Wong flied out to center to start the top of the third but Pablo Reyes walked. Duran doubled to center and Verdugo was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Devers struck out swinging but Duvall walked to score Reyees. Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                              Sox strike first

Kyle Farmer struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Joey Gallo got a base hit to right. Old friend Christian Vazquez lined out to third and Solano struck out swinging to end the inning.

Arroyo took strike three to start the top of the fourth and Casas grounded out to second. Wong walked and Julien threw a grounder away by Reyes for an error. Duran made him pay by ripping a double to right to score both runners. Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                          Duran drives in a pair

Julien grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Buxton walked. Correa grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Devers grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth and Duvall struck out swinging. Yoshida also went down hacking to end the inning. The Twins fought back in the bottom of the fifth as Kirilloff struck out swinging to start. Castro got a base hit to right and Farmer was hit with a pitch, but Gallo flied out to center. Who else but Vazquez hit a home run all the way to Milwaukee to tie the game. Solano popped up to second to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                          Vazquez hits one out

The Sox took command in the top of the sixth as Arroyo struck out swinging to start. Casas got a base hit to right and Wong doubled to center, but Reyes struck out swinging. Jovani Moran came in to pitch to Duran but Sox manager Alex Cora countered by sending in Rob Refsnyder to pinch hit. Refsnyder walked to load the bases and Verdugo tripled into the right field corner to clear them. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                                   A triple for Verdugo

Julien struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Buxton watched strike three go by. Correa grounded out to third to end the inning.

Jose De Leon came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Duvall flied out to center to start. Yoshida also flied out to center but Arroyo walked. Casas pounded his 8th home run of the season to ice the game but Wong grounded out short to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                           Home run Casas

Paxton came back briefly in the bottom of the second just to strike out Kirilloff swinging. He was pulled after allowing 3 runs in 6 1/3 innings off 3 hits and a walk. Josh Winckowski came in and Castro got a base hit to left followed by a Farmer base hit to right. Gallo popped up to third and Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                                Good job Paxton

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the eighth as Reyes got a base hit to left. Refsnyder grounded back to the mound to move Rob to second and Verdugo got a base hit off the glove of Julien to score Reyes. Emilio Pagan came in to pitch and Devers walked. Duvall walked to load the bases but Yoshida grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 9-3.

                                                             Verdugo drives in another run

Justin Garza came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Solano got a base hit to right to start. Julien struck out swinging and Buxton forced Solano at second. Correa got a base hit to left but Kirilloff grounded out to short to end the inning.

Griffin Jax came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Arroyo grounded out to second to start. Casas flied out to center and Wong grounded out to third to end the inning. Castro struck out swinging to start the bottom of the ninth but Farmer walked. Gallo took strike three but Vazquez walked. Solano forced Christian at second to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-3.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Alex Verdugo. His 2 run triple put the Sox up for good.

                                                                Hero Verdugo

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Rob Refsnyder walked and scored a run.

Triston Casas was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Pablo Reyes was 2 for 3 with a walk and 3 runs scored.

James Paxton got the win by firing 6 1/3 innings allowing 3 runs off 3 hits and a walk.

Josh Winckowski got the final 2 outs of the seventh inning.

Justin Garza pitched the final two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Adam Duvall was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.

Final Thoughts:

Looks like not only is Paxton coming around but the Sox bats as well. Casas, Duran and Verdugo were the stars of this one and are supposed to be the future of the team. It was good to see the trio perform well and better to see Paxton start to find his form. It would be unfair to expect him to pitch like he did in his prime but something close might be what the Sox need this season to get over the hump. A healthy Sale, Paxton and one of the younger starters developing would start to draw some interest. Still, the Sox need to take a game at a time and after knocking off the Yankees, taking out the Twins would be nice. The Sox are a month and change away from the trade deadline and the picture will be more clearer on team needs once we get closer. As for now, good win and hopefully they can keep this momentum going. The win improved the Sox to 38-35, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it five wins in a row and second straight against the Twins tomorrow night when Kutter Crawford (1-3) takes on Bailey Ober of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:40 PM eastern time at Target Field.