Tigers Rally Past Tazawa, Sox (8/8/15)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. With Mike Napoli traded yesterday, the Sox called up Deven Marrero from Pawtucket to take his place. With all the kids on the roster to finish out the season, at least it might be fun to see if any of them can show promise. The Sox also made a minor league trade, sending a brown bag full of money to Colorado for 29 year old former Harvard University pitcher Shawn Haviland. Shawn was 4-5 with a 4.19 ERA for the Charlotte Knights which means Koji Uehara's injury might be worse than expected. They might call up someone to take his spot and Haviland takes the place of whoever is called up.

                                                                       IN

As for the game, what a frustrating day that was for the Boston Red Sox. The Sox broke out to a 2-0 lead over Alfredo Simon with rbis from Travis Shaw and Rusney Castillo. Then Rajai Davis hit a 2 run home run off Wade Miley to tie the game in the fifth. David Ortiz put the Sox on top with a home run in the sixth but the Tigers scored three runs in the bottom of the frame. The Sox rallied for three runs of their own in the top of the seventh but old pal Victor Martinez hit a two run shot off Junichi Tazawa (2-5, 3.26 ERA) in the bottom of the frame. The Sox got the tying run on in the eighth and the ninth innings but Bruce Rodon slammed the door. The Tigers had beaten the Sox 7-6 at Comerica Park.

                                                           "Thanks a lot, Tazawa" - GL

Simon got the ball in the top of the first inning and Brock "The Hitman" Holt led off with a grounder to second. Rusney Castillo flied out to the right field warning track and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Miley got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rajai Davis struck out swinging to start. Jose Iglesias got a base hit to left but was picked off by the alert Miley. Ian Kinsler grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as David Ortiz doubled off the centerfield wall to start. Pablo Sandoval grounded out to first to move David to third and Ortiz scored on the Travis Shaw sac fly to center. Alejandro De Aza flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Ortiz slides in safe

Victor Martinez grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second and JD Martinez flied out to right. Nick Castellanos took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the third as Blake Swihart got a seeing eye single into right to start. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to move Blake to second and Holt beat out a grounder to first to put runners at the corners. Castillo just barely beat out a double play ball to score Swihart with another run. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                           Swihart scores a run

James McCann got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the third then moved to second on a grounder to the mound by Jefry Marte. Anthony Gose walked but Davis took strike three. Iglesias flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the fourth as Ortiz grounded out to first to start. Sandoval also grounded out to first and Shaw grounded out to second to end the inning. Kinsler got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Victor Martinez struck out swinging. JD Martinez lined out to center and Castellanos struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as De Aza walked to start. Swihart got a base hit to left but JBJ popped up to third. It looked like Holt had a base hit to left but Davis caught it an inch off the ground. Sox manager John Farrell challenged that it was a trap but the replays showed it was a clean catch....barely. Castillo struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                             Too close to call

The Tigers struck back in the bottom of the fifth as McCann grounded out to second to start. Marte singled to center but Gose forced him at second. Suddenly Davis hit a home run all the way to California to tie the game. Iglesias' bunt attempt was snuffed out by Miley to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                           Davis ties it up

The Sox answered in the top of the sixth as Bogaerts grounded out to third to start. Ortiz belted his 23rd home run of the season to put the Sox back on top but Sandoval grounded out to third. Shaw grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                          Home run Ortiz

Miley fell apart in the bottom of the sixth as Kinsler singled to center to start. Sandoval made a great catch on a JD Martinez liner but Victor Martinez doubled past Pablo left to score Kinsler. Castellanos singled in the hole at short to put runners at the corners and a wild pitch scored Martinez with the go-ahead run. McCann doubled to left to score Castellanos but Marte grounded out to third. Gose took strike three to end the inning but the Tigers were up 5-3. That was it for Miley who got rocked for 5 runs in 6 innings of work off 9 hits and a walk.

                                                            Miley wasn't good enough

The Sox rallied in the top of the seventh as De Aza got a base hit to right to start. Swihart hit a roller to first and Marte bobbled it for a "single". JBJ flied out to right to move De Aza to third but Holt popped up to third. Castillo beat out a grounder to third to score De Aza and Bogaerts got a base hit to right to load the bases. Blaine Hardy came in to face Ortiz and David ripped a base hit to center to score both Swihart and Castillo. Sandoval struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-5.

                                                      "Attaway Papi" - Arnie Beyeler

Junichi Tazawa came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the seventh as Davis flied out to right to start. Iglesias flied out to right but Kinsler got a base hit to left. Sox analyst Dennis Eckersley said to throw a splitter away and groaned when Tazawa threw an inside fastball that Victor Martinez crushed for a two run home run to put the Tigers up for good. Eck "Oh that's terrible!" JD Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                               Martinez with a home run

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eighth as Shaw struck out swinging to start. De Aza got a base hit to right and and it looked like Swihart grounded into a double play, but Sox manager John Farrell challenged Swihart was safe. Sure enough, Swihart was ruled safe and JBJ walked to put the tying run at second. Holt grounded out to second to end the inning. Alexi Ogando came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Castellanos walked to start. Andrew Romine ran for him and McCann got a base hit to right. Marte dropped down a bunt to move the runners over but instead Romine was out at third by a hair. Gose sand Davis both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Alex Avila took over at first with Bruce Rondon now in to close out the top of the ninth. Castillo struck out swinging and Bogaerts flied out to right. Ortiz walked to put the tying run on and Deven Marrero ran for him. Sandoval took strike three to end the game. The Tigers had won the game 7-6.

                                                               Tigers win

Jackass of The Night is Junichi Tazawa. He gave up the two run home run to V-Mart in the seventh to lose the game.

                                                                  Jackass Tazawa

The Good:

David Ortiz was 3 for 4 with a walk, a 2 run homer, 3 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Alejandro De Aza was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Blake Swihart was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Alexi Ogando pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 5.

Wade Miley got pounded for 5 runs in 6 innings off 9 hits and a walk.

The Ugly:

Brock Holt was just 1 for 5.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Deven Marrero ran for Ortiz in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Its been that kind of season for the Boston Red Sox. Bad pitching, bad pitching and more bad pitching. Miley and Tazawa allowed five runs in just two innings and the Sox couldn't bop their way back in the later innings. One day after losing Koji Uehara, his tag team partner blows the game. Still, the Sox had their chances all game to drive in runs but failed every time. Pablo Sandoval not getting the bat off his shoulders with the tying run at first was just a microcosm of his below average season. There's still 51 games left in the season and what can you do besides play the kids at this point? At least Swihart looked good in this one. The loss dropped the Sox to 49-62, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Henry Owens makes his second major league start against Tigers ace Justin Verlander. Good luck with that! The game begins at 2:05 PM eastern time at Comerica Park.

Sox Drop A's in Eleven (5/11/15)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Shane Victorino was activated from the Disabled List and Luis Jimenez was designated for assignment to make room for him. Right field has been a mess this season with Daniel Nava and Allen Craig struggling. Hopefully Victorino can rediscover the form he had in 2013.

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                                                                     IN

As for the game, that was one of the best back and forth games all season for the Red Sox with Boston coming out on top. Both starters Scott Kazmir of Oakland and Rick Porcello of Boston lasted just 5 innings with the A's leading 3-2. The Sox jumped ahead against Evan Scribner on rbis from Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia. Craig Breslow blew the lead in the seventh and the score remained until the top of the eleventh. Pablo Sandoval cracked a home run off Angel Castro and Matt Barnes (1-0, 1.69 ERA) slammed the door in the bottom of the frame. The Sox had won the game 5-4 in 11 innings at the Oakland Coliseum.

                                                        Jack Nicklaus approves of the win

Kazmir got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to third to start. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging and David Ortiz grounded out to Eric Sogard to end the inning. Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Billy Burns took strike three to start. Old pal Coco Crisp lined out to left but old friend Josh Reddick got a base hit to left. Billy Butler grounded out to Pedroia to end the inning.

Hanley Ramirez walked to start the top of the second but Mike Napoli lined out to right. Pablo Sandoval grounded into a double play to end the inning. Stephen Vogt led off the bottom of the second by grounding out to short. Ike Davis watched strike three go but Brett Lawrie lined a base hit to center. Marcus Semien flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Shane Victorino hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the second before Xander Bogaerts grounded out to short. Blake Swihart flied out to right to end the inning.

The A's struck first in the top of the third as Sogard flied out to left to start. Billy Burns dropped down a bunt to reach on a single then took second on a wild pitch. Crisp grounded out to second to move Burns to third and Reddick walked. Butler lashed a base hit to right to score Burns to put Oakland on top. Vogt flied out to right to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                             Butler drives in a run

The Sox answered in the top of the fourth as Mr. Mookie grounded back to Kazmir to start. Pedroia walked and Ortiz lofted a base hit to center. Pedroia tried for home but Semien's throw was off to allow Dustin to score on the "error". Ramirez struck out swinging but Napoli walked. Sandoval grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                   Pedroia scores

The A's struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Davis doubled to center to start. Lawrie got a base hit to center to move Davis to third but Davis pulled up lame and had to leave the game. Max Muncy pinch ran for Davis and scored on the double play hit by Semien. Sogard got a base hit to center but Burns popped up to left to end the inning with the A's up 2-1.

                                                        Semien hits into a double play

The Sox answered in the top of the fifth as Victorino popped up to short to start. Bogaerts popped up to second but Swihart doubled to the right field wall. Mr. Mookie dumped a base hit to left to score Swihart to tie the game. Crisp made a great jumping catch to rob Pedroia of a double to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                          Swihart scores a run

The A's got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Crisp took strike three to start. Reddick flied out to left but Butler doubled to right. Vogt doubled over the head of Victorino to score Butler with the go-ahead run. Muncy flied out to center to end the inning with the A's ahead 3-2. That was it for Porcello who was charged with 3 runs off 5 hits and a walk in 5 innings.

                                                               A's take the lead

Ortiz doubled to left to start the top of the sixth but was immediately picked off. Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Ortiz was safe, but replays upheld the call. Ramirez lined out to center but Napoli walked. Sandoval struck out swinging to end the inning. Alexi Ogando came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Lawrie grounded out to second to start. Semien struck out swinging but Sogard lashed a base hit to center. Burns doubled to center but Napoli made a leaping catch to rob Crisp to end the inning.

Evan Scribner came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Victorino lined out to right to start. Bogaerts got a base hit to right and Swihart drilled a base hit to move Xander to third. Mr. Mookie drilled a base hit to center to score Bogaerts and move Swihart to third. Pedroia beat out a double play ball to score Swihart to put the Sox on top and chase Scribner. Fernando Abad came in to pitch to Ortiz and David hit a bullet...right to Muncy to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.

                                                        Swihart scores a run

Craig Breslow came in to cough up the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Reddick struck a base hit to center to start. Butler singled up the middle to move Reddick to third and Josh scored on the sac fly to right by Vogt. Mark Canha pinch hit for Muncy and struck out swinging to chase Breslow. Junichi Tazawa got Lawrie to ground into a force to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                            We're tied again

Old friend Edward Mujica came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ramirez flied out to right to start. Napoli struck out swinging and Sandoval flied out to left to end the inning. Semien struck out swinging to open the bottom of the eighth but Sox manager John Farrell wanted Tommy Layne to face Sogard. Eric's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Pedroia and Burns popped up to short to end the inning.

Tyler Clippard came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Victorino lined out to right to start. Bogaerts lined a base hit up the middle then moved to second on a grounder to first by Swihart. Mr. Mookie popped up to right to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr took over in right field for Victorino to start the bottom of the ninth. Crisp lined out to a running JBJ before Reddick walked to chase Layne. Sox closer Koji Uehara came in and Butler flied out to right. Vogt also flied out to right to end the inning.

Pedroia walked to start the top of the tenth but Ortiz flied out to center. Ramirez flied out to left but a wild pitch moved Pedroia to second. Napoli lined out to first to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth and Canha walked to start. Lawrie flied out to center and Semien struck out swinging. Canha stole second but Sogard popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox finally struck in the top of the eleventh with Angel Castro now on the mound. Sandoval crushed his fourth home run of the season to put Boston on top. JBJ walked and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Bogaerts. Swihart struck out swinging but Mr. Mookie walked. Pedroia lined a base hit up the middle but JBJ was caught napping at third to end the inning. The Sox now led 5-4.

                                                             Sandoval puts Boston ahead

Barnes returned for the bottom of the eleventh and Burns flied out to left to start. Crisp popped up to second and Reddick lined out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Pablo Sandoval. His home run in the eleventh won the game.

                                                            Hero Sandoval

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a walk and 2 rbis.

David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr walked in his only plate appearance.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Blake Swihart was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Alexi Ogando pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Junichi Tazawa tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Tommy Layne pitched a full scoreless inning.

Koji Uehara pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Matt Barnes earned the win with 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Shane Victorino was 0 for 4.

Craig Breslow allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice, drove in a run and scored a run.

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice.

Rick Porcello was charged with 3 runs in just 5 innings of work allowing 9 hits and a walk while striking out three.

Final Thoughts:

That was a tough one to win but it counts all the same. Porcello only lasting 5 innings meant the bullpen had to throw the final six innings. Not good when you have rotation issues as the Sox do. Still, they scored runs when they had to and shout out to Sandoval for his first big hit of the season. The offense is going to be there this season but the team is going to live or die with that rotation....god help us. Things worked out this time but tomorrow might be a different story. The win improved the Sox to 15-17, 5.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the A's tomorrow night when Justin Masterson (2-1, 5.18 ERA) takes on Drew Pomeranz of Oakland. The game begins at 10:00 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Sanchez, Jays Blank Sox (5/8/15)

Before the game the Sox made roster moves. Edward Mujica was designated for assignment while David Ortiz was suspended for tonight's game after losing his appeal for his April 19th incident. 3rd baseman Travis Shaw was called up from Pawtucket to make his Major League debut. Mujica was having an up and down year, but so has everyone that pitched. Either way good for Travis Shaw.

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                                                                      IN

Also in a shocking move, the Red Sox fired pitching coach Juan Nieves. This was definitely a passing of the blame situation as Red Sox GM Ben Cherrington essentially bargain bin shopped for starting pitchers after trading away Felix Doubront, Jake Peavy, Jon Lester and John Lackey then failing to re-sign Lester. Wade Miley and Justin Masterson just haven't been good while Rick Porcello and Joe Kelly have been up and down. Still, the Red Sox starters ERA being last in the league at 5.54 isn't surprising but what IS surprising is the bullpen hasn't been good either, leading to a 4.86 team wide ERA. The Orient Express and Craig Breslow can only pitch in so many games, others have to step up. Firing Nieves and essentially Mujica is essentially passing the buck that Cherrington screwed up. Hope the next pitching coach knows what he's walking into.

                                                     YOU'REEEEEEE FIREDDDDDDDDDD

As for the game, things didn't get any better for the Boston Red Sox as they were walloped by the Toronto Blue Jays. Without David Ortiz for one game, the Sox bats once again were silenced, this time by Aaron Sanchez. Sanchez dominated the Sox for seven shutout innings allowing just 2 runs. Playing without Christian Vazquez, David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez hampered the offense but Wade Miley (1-4, 6.91 ERA) hampered the pitching. He got rocked for 4 runs in 6 innings including two home runs. Robbie Ross Jr got his brains beat in for 3 runs and the Jays blanked the Sox by a touchdown 7-0 at the Skydome. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Sanchez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to center to start. Dustin Pedroia lashed a base hit to left. Pablo Sandoval grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Jays wasted no time getting to Miley in the bottom of the first as Devon Travis lined out to center to start. Josh Donaldson hit a home run off the roof of the dome to put the Jays up for good two batters into the game. Jose Bautista broke his bat on a base hit in the hole at short and Edwin Encarnacion doubled to the left field wall. Russell Martin hit a comebacker to Miley who caught Bautista in a rundown for the second out. Danny Valencia was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                       "Well this sucks" - Swihart

Mike Napoli led off the top of the second by striking out swinging but Daniel Nava drew a walk. Allen Craig moved Nava to second with a grounder to third and Blake Swihart lined out to short to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the second as Kevin Pillar struck out swinging to start. Chris Colabello hit his first home run in almost a year to increase the lead but Ryan Goins took strike three. Travis struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.

                                                       Home run for Framingham's own

It looked like Xander Bogaerts reached on an error to start the top of the third but Blue Jays manager John Gibbons challenged that Xander was out. The umps upheld the call and Travis Shaw made his major league debut by forcing Bogaerts at second. Mr. Mookie flied out to right but Pedroia walked. Sandoval grounded out to first to end the inning. Donaldson flied out to a running Nava to start the bottom of the third before Bautista grounded out to short. Encarnacion struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Napoli walked to start. Nava walked and Craig was hit with a pitch. Swihart took a 3-2 pitch on the outside corner for strike three and Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the threat. Martin struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Valencia singled to left. Pillar popped up to Craig and Colabello struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt to start the top of the fifth as Shaw grounded out to short to start. Betts grounded out to second and Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning. Goins lined out to left to begin the bottom of the fifth before Travis grounded out to second. Donaldson singled to left but Bautista was rung up for strike three to end the inning.

Sandoval grounded back to the mound to start the top of the sixth and Napoli flied out to center. Nava flied out to center to end the inning. The Jays iced it in the bottom of the sixth as Encarnacion walked to start. Martin got a base hit to left and Valencia ripped a base hit to center to score Encarnacion, moving Martin to third. Pillar hit a sac fly to right and Valencia was thrown out trying to tag up. Colabello struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 4-0. That was it for Miley who allowed 4 runs in 6 innings off 8 hits and a walk.

                                                       Not the best by Miley

Ezequiel Carrera took over for Valencia to start the top of the seventh and Craig was ruled safe on a grounder to short. Jays manager John Gibbons challenged the call and the call was reversed, he's out. Sox manager John Farrell stormed out to demand an explanation from first base umpire Gary Cederstrom. Swihart struck out swinging and Bogaerts flied out to left to end the inning. 

                  "I don't know what kind of shenanigans you got going on, but I don't like it" - Farrell

Alexi Ogando came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Goins grounded out to first to start. Travis grounded out to short and Donaldson struck out swinging to end the inning.

Shaw walked to start the top of the eighth and Mr. Mookie singled to left to chase Sanchez. Aaron Loup came in to face Pedroia and Dustin popped up to first in foul territory. Sandoval and Napoli both struck out swinging to kill yet another rally to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr imploded in the bottom of the eighth as Bautista looked to have tripled off the top of the centerfield wall and the umps had to look to see if it was gone. It wasn't, but Bautista scored anyway on the base hit to left by Encarnacion. Martin doubled down the left field line and a fan picked the ball up which cost the Jays a run. Didn't matter as Carrera got a base hit to left to score both runners and chase the incompetent Ross. Craig Breslow came in and froze Pillar for strike three. Colabello struck out swinging and Goins grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays up 7-0.

                                                       "I sucked tonight" - Ross

Justin Smoak came in for Encarnacion with Steve Delabar on the mound to close out the top of the ninth. Nava struck out swinging, Craig struck out swinging and Swihart grounded out to second to end the game. The Jays had won it 7-0.

                                                               Sox lose

Jackass of The Night is Wade Miley. Not that the Sox bats were doing much, but allowing 4 runs in 6 innings was too big a hole to climb out of.

                                                    "Pitch better, Jackass" - Farrell

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 3 with a walk.

Daniel Nava walked twice in four plate appearances.

Alexi Ogando tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Craig Breslow tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3.

Robbie Ross Jr allowed 4 runs without recording an out.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Allen Craig was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That game went south real quick. Having the bases loaded and nobody out in the fourth and not scoring was the killer but Miley getting roughed up didn't help. Robbie Ross having a melt down in the eighth inning was more annoying than anything since the offense cranked out a whopping 2 hits. Injuries to Shane Victorino, Christian Vazquez and Hanley Ramirez are bad enough but David Ortiz missing the game due to suspension hurt big time. Having the Pawtucket Red Sox of Mookie Betts, Blake Swihart and Travis Shaw wasn't going to cut it. The Sox are in big trouble unless they learn how to hit again because the pitching is going to be more like what Miley did tonight than the alternative. The loss dropped the Sox to 13-16, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Blue Jays when Joe Kelly (1-1) takes on Drew Hutchison of Toronto. The game begins at 1:10 PM at the Skydome.

Porcello, Sox Blank Rays (5/5/15)

THAT is the Rick Porcello (3-2, 4.38 ERA) the Boston Red Sox were hoping to get when they sent Yoenis Cespedes to the Detroit Tigers. Porcello was masterful tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays, holding Tampa scoreless in 7 strong innings. The Red Sox bats were once again relatively silenced but a sixth inning home run by Mookie Betts off Drew Smyly was all the offense the Sox would need. In the bottom of the eighth, Mookie hit yet another home run for the big insurance run. Koji Uehara slammed the door in the top of the ninth and the Red Sox had blanked the Rays 2-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Darrelle Revis approves of the win

Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kevin Kiermaier singled past a diving Xander Bogaerts to start. Steven Souza Jr struck out swinging and James Loney popped up to Allen Craig in left. Porcello had Kiermaier picked off....if he didn't throw the ball away for an error. Evan Longoria was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Smyly got the ball in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to third to start. Dustin Pedroia drew a walk and stole second, but David Ortiz struck out swinging. Mike Napoli grounded out to second to end the inning.

David Dejesus singled to right to start the top of the second before Logan Forsythe lined out to center. Asdrubal Cabrera struck out swinging but Dejesus stole second on the play. Joey Butler flied out to right to end the inning. Pablo Sandoval grounded out to short to start before Allen Craig drew a walk. Brock "The Hitman" Holt took strike three and Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning.

Bobby Wilson grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Kiermaier grounded out to second. Souza Jr beat out an infield single to third but Loney grounded out to second to end the inning. Blake Swihart grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the third before Mr. Mookie popped up to short. Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning.

Longoria singled to center to start the top of the fourth before Dejesus singled to left. Forsythe hit a bullet to Betts who doubled off Longoria at second. Cabrera struck out swinging to end the inning. Kiermaier absolutely robbed Ortiz of a double at the wall to start the bottom of the fourth but Smyly booted a grounder by Napoli. Sandoval struck out swinging and Craig flied out to left to end the inning.

Butler struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Wilson got a base hit to center. Kiermaier forced Wilson at second before Souza Jr got a base hit to left. Loney grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Holt grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Bogaerts struck out swinging. Swihart hit a bullet but right to Cabrera to end the inning. 

Longoria grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth although Sox analyst Don Orsillo hilariously went "Longoria's long throw is in time. As Sandoval is able to get Betts....wait, what am I talking about?" Even "Psycho" Steve Lyons had to laugh at that one. DeJesus grounded out to first but Forsythe singled to left. A wild pitch moved Forsythe to second....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Forsythe was out. The umpires upheld the call but Cabrera popped up to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the bottom of the sixth as Mr. Mookie belted his third home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Pedroia grounded out to third but Ortiz doubled to right. Napoli grounded out to third and Sandoval struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                    Betts goes yard

Porcello returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh as Butler grounded out to short to start. Wilson struck out swinging and Kiermaier lined out to first to end the inning. Porcello was outstanding, tossing 7 shutout innings allowing 8 hits while striking out six.

                                                            Good work Porcello

Xavier Cedeno came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Craig ripped a base hit to left....only to get thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Holt grounded out to second but Bogaerts walked. Swihart grounded out to third to end the inning.

Alexi Ogando came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Souza Jr popped up to first to start. Loney popped up to short and Longoria lined out to left to end the inning. Ernesto Frieri came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie clobbered his second home run of the game for an insurance run. Pedroia flied out to center and Ortiz popped up to short, but Kiermaier couldn't catch a pop up by Napoli for a "single". Sandoval flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                       Mr. Mookie does it again

Koji Uehara came in to close out the top of the ninth and DeJesus grounded out to second to start. Forsythe hit one up the elevator shaft and Cabrera grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 2-0.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rick Porcello. He pitched seven shutout innings allowing 8 hits and no walks. He struck out 6 batters.

                                                            Hero Porcello

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with 2 home runs.

Allen Craig was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Alexi Ogando pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Koji Uehara earned his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Blake Swihart was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Damn good win by the Red Sox and second straight strong outing by Porcello. If he can get back on track, that would solve a little bit of Boston's pitching woes. The offense was once again held in check and its starting to get concerning. Hanley Ramirez, Shane Victorino and Ryan Hanigan all being out hurts but the Sox are going to have to make due. They still have plenty of time to turn it around but with this rotation, they NEED to start hitting again. Still, Porcello did a great job but so did Ogando and Uehara as well. Mr. Mookie continues to be a solid investment with two big home runs that the Sox desperately needed. All in all it was a good win and hopefully they can build some momentum out of it. The win improved the Sox to 13-14, 4 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Tampa tomorrow night when Justin Masterson (2-0) faces Alex Colome of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Eovaldi, Yankees Outlast Sox (5/2/15)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox placed catcher Ryan Hanigan on the Disabled List with a fractured knuckle and called up rookie catcher Blake Swihart from Pawtucket to make his major league debut. Swihart was drafted in the first round with the 26th pick back in 2011 and helped lead the Salem Sox to the 2013 Mills Cup. Hopefully he does well with Christian Vazquez and now Hanigan on the shelf.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                        IN

As for the game, for most of the season the bats have been okay but the pitching has been garbage. Today it was the opposite as Wade Miley (1-3, 7.15 ERA) tossed 7 strong innings and allowing just 3 runs to the New York Yankees. Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi held the high powered Sox to just 2 runs in 7 innings but the Sox kept it close. Pablo Sandoval struck out with the tying run on and Alexi Ogando allowed a home run to Chris Young to seal the Sox' fate. Dellin Betances slammed the door as the Yankees had won the game 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                     "I hate losing to the Yankees" - Ash

Miley got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jacoby Ellsbury dumped a base hit to right to start. Brett Gardner struck out swinging but Ellsbury swiped second base. Alex Rodriguez grounded out to short and Mark Teixeira grounded out to third to end the inning. Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts took a 96 mph fastball on the outside corner for strike three to start. Dustin Pedroia flied out to center but Chase Headley lost David Ortiz' pop up in the sun for a "single". Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Brian McCann grounded out to first to start the top of the second before Chris Young poked a double down the right field line. Chase Headley hit a broken bat grounder to short and Gregorio Petit grounded out to third to end the inning. Pablo Sandoval led off the bottom of the second with a pop up and Headley damn near cleaned out Didi Gregorius catching it. Mike Napoli grounded back to the mound and Brock "The Hitman" Holt flied out to left to end the inning.

The Yankees struck first in the top of the third as Gregorius singled to right to start. Ellsbury struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved Didi to second. Gardner doubled into the left field corner to score Gregorius but was thrown out at third trying to stretch. A-Rod grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                          Yerrrr out!

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Xander Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Blake Swihart made his ML debut by striking out swinging and Mr. Mookie flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning.

Teixeira grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before McCann grounded out to second as well. Sandoval made a nice stab at a Young liner to end the inning. The Sox tied it in the bottom of the fourth when Pedroia launched his fifth home run of the year to start. Ortiz got a base hit to center but Ramirez flied out to right. Sandoval got a base hit to center but Sandoval grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                                 Tie game'

The Yankees took command in the top of the fifth as Headley doubled down the third base line to start. Petit blooped a single to center that Headley couldn't move on but a Gregorius sacrifice bunt to third moved both runners over. Ellsbury grounded out to first but one strike from being out of it, Miley allowed a Gardner base hit to left to score both runners. A-Rod grounded out to third to end the inning but the Yankees led 3-1.

                                                            Gardner drives in a pair

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Holt grounded out to first to start. Bogaerts flied out to center but Swihart got his first major league hit beating out a roller to second. Mr. Mookie forced him at second to end the inning.

Teixeira flied out to left to start the top of the sixth before McCann popped up to Bogaerts and Young did the same to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Pedroia grounded out to third to start. Ortiz grounded out to short but Ramirez poked a ground ball into right for a base hit. Sandoval ripped a base hit to right but Napoli flied out to right to end the inning.

Miley returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Headley flied out to center to start. Petit struck out swinging and Holt damn near cleaned out Mr. Mookie catching a liner by Gregorius to end the inning. Miley pitched well, allowing just 3 runs in 7 innings off 7 hits. He just got no run support.

                                                          Miley deserved better

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh although Holt lined out to center to start. Bogaerts popped up to second but Swihart drew a walk to chase Eovaldi. Former Sox prospect Chris Martin came in and Mr. Mookie doubled off the Monster to score Swihart, cutting the lead. Pedroia grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                         Swihart scores his first run

Tommy Layne came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ellsbury grounded out to second to start. Gardner grounded out to short and that was it for Layne, Alexi Ogando came in to face A-Rod and Rodriguez ripped a base hit to left. Teixeira grounded out to second to end the inning. Justin Wilson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Ortiz grounded out to short to start. Ramirez walked to put the tying run on but Sandoval struck out swinging on a pitch way over his head. Dellin Betances came in to pitch to Napoli and Mike went down hacking to end the inning.

The Yankees iced the game in the top of the ninth as McCann flied out to right to start. Young then hit a home run all the way to Houston to increase the lead. Headley struck out swinging and Petit grounded back to the mound to end the inning but it was 4-2 Yankees.

                                                              Young hits one out

Betances returned to close out the bottom of the ninth and Holt struck out swinging to start. Bogaerts went down hacking and Swihart took strike three to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-2.

                                                                 Dammit

Jackass of The Night is Alexi Ogando. His home run allowed iced the game for New York.

                                                            Jackass Ogando

The Good:

David Ortiz was 2 for 4.

Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 4.

Blake Swihart was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher is on the Good list but Wade Miley tossed 7 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 7 hits and struck out 3.

Tommy Layne tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Mike Napoli was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Final Thoughts:

That was a bad loss considering Wade Miley finally pitched well. Eovaldi throws gas and the Sox couldn't catch up with it in time. The Yankees bullpen is pretty good as well and the Sox just couldn't get the job done. Pedroia, Bogaerts, Napoli and Betts went 2 for 16 combined and that's not going to work. Still, the good signs are Miley pitched well, Swihart had a good debut and the bats will improve as the year goes on. The loss dropped the Sox to 12-12, 3 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow night when Joe Kelly (1-0) goes for the Sox against Adam Warren of the Yankees. The game begins at 8:05 PM at Fenway Park.