Jays Shut Down Sox Again (5/9/15)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Travis Shaw was sent back to Pawtucket and Matt Barnes was called up to replace him. Hanley Ramirez is back in the lineup so that will do it for now for Travis. He'll be back.

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                                                                     IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster by the Boston Red Sox. After getting blanked last night by the Toronto Blue Jays, the Sox didn't do much better tonight. Drew Hutchison lasted just 5 innings but held the anemic bats to just 1 run. Liam Hendriks and Roberto Osuna threw 4 shutout innings to keep the Sox off the board. Meanwhile Joe Kelly (1-2, 6.35 ERA) got hammered again, this time for 6 runs before getting knocked out in the sixth inning. Matt Barnes allowed a run of his own and the sliding Sox dropped another one, 7-1 at the Skydome.

                                                           "Another loss"

Hutchison got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to Ryan Goins to start. Dustin Pedroia lined out to left and David Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. The Jays wasted no time getting to Kelly in the bottom of the first as Devon Travis grounded out to third to start. Josh Donaldson got a base hit to right and took second when Kelly threw the pickoff throw away. Jose Bautista walked and both runners moved over on a wild pitch. Edwin Encarnacion walked to load the bases and Sox manager John Farrell had to storm out of the dugout as the acting pitching coach to tell Kelly to shut up and pitch. Russell Martin hit a fly ball to right that scored Donaldson, moved Bautista to third and put the Jays on top. Encarnacion swiped second and Kevin Pillar walked to reload the bases. Michael Saunders grounded out to third to end the inning with Toronto on top 1-0.

                                                            Jays take the lead

Hanley Ramirez led off the top of the second with a grounder to Donaldson who threw low to Encarnacion for an error. It looked like Pablo Sandoval hit into a double play but Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Sandoval was safe. The umps overturned the call but Mike Napoli struck out swinging. Allen Craig also went down hacking to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the second as Chris Colabello walked to start. Ryan Goins flied out to left but Kelly ran into Travis on his way to first on a grounder to first for an interference call. Naturally Donaldson singled to left to score Colabello to increase the lead. Bautista flied out to deep center to move Travis to third and Encarnacion walked. Martin struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 2-0.

                                                              Jays get another run

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Xander Bogaerts singled to right to start. Swihart popped up to third in foul territory but Mr. Mookie got a base hit to center. Pedroia struck out swinging and Ortiz flied out to left to end the inning. Pillar grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third before Saunders lined out to right. Colabello grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ramirez took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Sandoval ripped a base hit to left. Napoli doubled to right but Craig lined out to short. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. The Jays iced the game in the bottom of the fourth although Sox analyst "Psycho" Steve Lyons told a hilarious story of when he came to the Skydome with the Chicago White Sox, he threw a ball through the glass window in centerfield thinking it was bulletproof, having to pay $1,200 for repairs months later after he was traded back to Boston. Goins struck out swinging but Travis walked. Donaldson flied out to right but Bautista walked. Both runners pulled off a double steal but it was moot when Encarnacion hit a home run all the way to Quebec to ice the game. Martin grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Jays up 5-1.

                                                             Yeah that'll do it

The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth as Swihart took strike three to start. Mr. Mookie doubled to left and Pedroia dumped a base hit to right to score Betts. Ortiz got an opposite field base hit but Ramirez flied out to right. Sandoval walked to load the bases but Napoli flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                      Sox get on the board

Pillar flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Saunders grounded out to short. Colabello took strike three to end the inning.

Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the top of the sixth as Craig was frozen for strike three to start. Bogaerts grounded out to short and Swihart flied out to center to end the inning. The Jays finished off Kelly in the bottom of the sixth as Goins grounded back to the mound to start. Travis lined out to center but Donaldson beat out an infield single to short to end Kelly's day. He allowed 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 4 hits and SEVEN walks. Matt Barnes came in and poured gas on the fire as he uncorked a wild pitch to move Donaldson to second. Bautista got a base hit to center to score Donaldson and close the book on Kelly. Encarnacion singled to right but Martin popped up to second to end the inning with the Jays up 6-1.

                                                       Another bad start for Kelly

Ezequiel Carrera came in for Colabello to start the top of the seventh and Mr. Mookie grounded out to first to start. Pedroia grounded out to second and Ortiz popped up to third to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Pillar popped up to third to start. Sox analyst Steve Lyons quipped that when the Montreal Expos were winning a game, nobody cared because no goals were scored. Saunders grounded out to second but Carrera blooped a double just in front of Craig. Goins drew a walk and Travis dumped a base hit to center to score Carrera. Donaldson struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 7-1 Jays

                                                        Jays get another run

Ramirez grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth before Sandoval got a base hit to left. Napoli and Craig both struck out swinging to end the inning. Tommy Layne came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bautista grounded out to short to start. Encarnacion took strike three but Martin singled in the hole at short. Pillar forced Martin at second to end the inning.

Justin Smoak came in for Encarnacion and Roberto Osuna came in to close out the top of the ninth. Bogaerts grounded out to third, Swihart struck out swinging and Betts flied out to center to end the game. The Jays had won it 7-1.

                                                                    Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Joe Kelly. Not that the Sox were doing anything at the plate, but Kelly didn't give them a chance to win by allowing 6 runs in 5 2/3 innings including a dumb interference in the second inning.

                                                               Get out of the way Jackass!

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Tommy Layne pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Allen Craig was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Matt Barnes allowed an insurance run and one of his own in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4

Final Thoughts:

Another no-show by the Boston bats but it looks like help is on the way. Shane Victorino is almost through with his rehab in Portland and Hanley Ramirez should get his wind back soon. Still, it doesn't matter if you can't pitch and the Sox starters are struggling big time. Kelly couldn't find the plate so he left a meatball for Encarnacion to hit a mile. Farrell running around as the pitching coach and manager thankfully ended because new pitching coach Carl Willis will take over tomorrow. Baseball fans remember Willis as a top set-up man for the 1991 World Series Champion Minnesota Twins. Hopefully he can help some of the starters out because they're pitching like crap. The key to the game was the top of fourth when the Sox had second and third but couldn't get anyone in when the game was only 2-0. Had Craig or Bogaerts done something, things might have turned out different. The Sox can't hit or pitch right now and everything stinks. The loss dropped the Sox to 13-17, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Clay Buchholz (1-4, 6.03 ERA) takes on RA Dickey of Toronto.

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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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.

Sox Rally Falls Short Against Tampa (5/6/15)

Once again the Boston Red Sox invented a new way to lose. The offense was supposed to be a strength this year but its been a liability lately. Justin Masterson (2-1, 5.18 ERA) was rocked for 4 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Meanwhile Alex Colome of the Tampa Bay Rays held the Sox to two runs in 5 innings. The Sox did manage to get a Mookie Betts home run late in the game, but the lack of clutch hitting sealed their fate. Pablo Sandoval failed to drive Dustin Pedroia in to tie the game and with the tying run on, both Pedroia and new Sox addition Luis Jimenez failed to drive it in. It all added up to a 5-3 victory by the Rays over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                             Randy Quaid is angry again

Masterson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kevin Kiermaier walked to start. Kiermaier was thrown out at second trying to steal when his foot came off the bag. Logan Forsythe was hit with a pitch but James Loney grounded into a double play to end the inning. Colome got the ball in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to left to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded back to the mound and Ortiz grounded into the shift...but Forsythe threw the ball away for an error. Mike Napoli grounded out to third to end the inning.

Evan Longoria grounded out to third to start the top of the second inning but David DeJesus ripped a base hit to center. Joey Butler grounded into a double play to end the inning. Pablo Sandoval grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Allen Craig struck out swinging. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the third as Asdrubal Cabrera lined out to center to start. Brandon Guyer doubled to left and Rene Rivera struck out swinging. Kiermaier walked and Forsythe got a base hit in the hole at short to score Guyer. Pedroia absolutely robbed Loney of a base hit to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                        Forsythe makes up for the error

The Sox responded in the bottom of the third as Xander Bogaerts doubled to the centerfield wall to start. Blake Swihart doubled almost to the same spot for his first career rbi when Bogaerts scored to tie the game. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to move Swihart to third and Pedroia scored Blake with a sac fly to center. Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                          First career rbi for Swihart

The lead lasted about eight seconds when Longoria hit a home run all the way to Barcelona to tie the game in the top of the fourth. DeJesus doubled to center then moved to third on the Butler grounder to short. Cabrera popped up to second but Guyer walked. Rivera walked to load the bases and Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves strutted and danced to the mound to tell Masterson that the Wells Investigation was on-going. Kiermaier lined out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                      Longoria ties it up

Napoli struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Sandoval lined a base hit to left. A wild pitch moved Sandoval to second and Craig grounded out to short to move Pablo to third. With a chance to break the tie...Holt struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Rays knocked out Masterson in the top of the fifth as Forsythe popped up to Pedroia to start. Loney singled past the diving Pedroia and took second on a wild pitch. Longoria and DeJesus both walked to load the bases with Edward Mujica warming. Farrell left Masterson in one batter too late as Butler blooped a single to right to score both Loney and Longoria. That was it for Masterson who allowed 4 runs off 7 hits and SIX walks in just 4 1/3 innings. Mujica came in and struck out Cabrera swinging to put the fire out. Guyer grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 4-2 Rays.

                                                     Justin couldn't find the plate

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts popped up to third in foul territory to start. Swihart struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie lined out to a running Kiermaier to end the inning.

The Rays threatened in the top of the sixth as Rivera doubled to the centerfield wall to start. Kiermaier looked to have beat out a bunt down the third base line but Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Kiermaier was out. Sure enough, the umpires overturned the call and Kevin was out. Forsythe grounded back to Mujica who threw out Rivera at home for the second out. That was it for Mujica as Tommy Layne was brought in to face Loney. Loney flied out to center to end the inning. Pedroia ripped a base hit to right to start the bottom of the sixth to chase Colome from the game. Xavier Cedeno came in to face Ortiz and David grounded out to short to move Dustin to second. Steve Geltz came in to pitch to Napoli and Mike grounded out to short to move Pedroia to third. Sandoval lined out to center to end the inning.

Longoria walked to start the top of the seventh and Junichi Tazawa was summoned to face pinch hitter Steven Souza Jr. Souza walked but Craig made a great catch to rob Butler of a base hit. Cabrera drilled Guyer in the on-deck circle with a foul ball before popping up to second. Guyer forced Souza at second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the seventh as Craig walked to start. Holt damn near killed Brandon Workman with a liner into the dugout before forcing Craig at second. Bogaerts lined out to right but Holt made it to second after a throwing error on the bases. Swihart struck out swinging to end the inning.

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rivera popped up to short to start. Kiermaier struck out swinging and Forsythe flied out to center to end the inning. Kevin Jepsen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie launched a home run off some girl in the Monster Seats to cut the lead. Pedroia grounded out to short but Ortiz drew a walk. Napoli dropped a base hit to left and Luis Jimenez pinch ran for Ortiz. Sandoval walked to load the bases and Daniel Nava pinch hit for Craig. Nava forced Jimenez at home and

                                                     Betts brings the Sox closer

Alexi Ogando got tagged in the top of the ninth as Loney grounded out to short to start. Longoria hit a home run all the way to Pluto to increase the lead and Souza walked to make the fans groan. Butler forced Souza at second and Cabrera grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 5-3.

                                                          Longoria ices it

Brad Boxberger came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but Bogaerts singled in the hole at second to begin. A wild pitch moved Xander to second but Swihart hit one up the elevator shaft. Mr. Mookie walked to put the tying run on but Pedroia struck out swinging. Jimenez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the game. The Rays had won it 5-3.

                                                           Sox lose

Jackass of The Night is Brock Holt. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including making the rally killing final out in the eighth.

                                                           Brock The Jackass

The Good:

Pablo Sandoval was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Edward Mujica tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Tommy Layne got the final out of the sixth inning.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Luis Jimenez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Justin Masterson took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings getting tagged for 7 hits and 6 walks.

Alexi Ogando allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

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

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but walked.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Allen Craig was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Blake Swihart was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The starting pitching has been wretched all season but the offense has been just as bad. Shane Victorino and Christian Vazquez being out sucks but losing Hanley Ramirez isn't good either. Mike Napoli is hitting just .167 and Mookie Betts just .234 despite the home run. There's still plenty of time to turn it around but if the offense doesn't improve, they're going to be in last place when all is said and done. Masterson got rocked again and his velocity is way down from the last time he was on the Red Sox in 2008. If he can't get his velocity back, he's not going to do very well. The bullpen besides Ogando did well but they can't be tossing 4-5 innings a night or else they're going to burn out. The Orient Express can only put out so many fires, they're going to need some help from the rotation. All in all it was a bad loss but it was only one game. The loss dropped the Sox to 13-15, 4 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to bounce back Friday night in Toronto with a set against the Blue Jays. Wade Miley (1-3) takes the hill against Aaron Sanchez of Toronto. The game begins Friday night at 7:05 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.

Rays Send Sox To Fourth Straight Loss (5/4/15)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Dalier Hinojosa was sent down to Pawtucket and Luis Jimenez was called up to take his place. The Sox are looking for some infield depth and hopefully Jimenez is the answer.

                                                                 OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, make it four straight losses for the Boston Red Sox with the bats being the problem in this one. Jake Odorizzi of the Tampa Bay Rays held the high powered Sox offense to just 1 run in 7 innings of work. Meanwhile Clay Buchholz (1-4, 6.03 ERA) got hammered again, allowing 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings before being lifted in the seventh. The Rays tagged Clay for four early runs and overcame a second inning RBI triple by Xander Bogaerts. The Sox bullpen led by Junichi Tazawa and Craig Breslow held the fort but the bats did almost nothing against the Rays as Tampa walked away with this one 5-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                              Not looking good

Buchholz got hammered in the top of the first inning as Kevin Kiermaier led off with a grounder to second to start. Steven Souza Jr struck out swinging but James Loney lofted a ball down the left field line. It looked like Hanley Ramirez caught the ball then dropped it when he crashed into the wall but apparently the umpires flat out called he didn't make the catch. Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call but it was upheld. Not only that Ramirez had to be hauled off on a gurney, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to Mass General's ICU. Allen Craig took over in left as Evan Longoria doubled to left to score Loney and David Dejesus singled up the middle to score Longoria. Logan Forsythe flied out to left to end the inning but the Rays were up 2-0 and Hanley as out.

                                                                Get well soon

Odorizzi got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to third to start. Dustin Pedroia doubled to right but David Ortiz struck out swinging. Allen Craig grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Rays struck again in the top of the second as Asdrubal Cabrera got a seeing eye single into right and Joey Butler hit a home run all the way to Vermont to put the game out of reach. Rene Rivera flied out to left and Kiermaier grounded out to second, but Souza Jr was hit with a pitch. Loney flied out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 4-0.

                                                           "HE hit one out?" - Boagerts

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the second as Pablo Sandoval took strike three to start. Mike Napoli lined out to a running Kiermaier. Holt hit a triple into the right field corner and Bogaerts tripled nearly into the same spot to cut the lead. Sandy Leon grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                          X Gon Triple For Ya

Longoria struck out swinging to start the top of the third after almost getting his shoulder taken off. Dejesus grounded out to second but Forsythe doubled off the Monster. Cabrera blooped a single to right and took second on the throw home to keep Forsythe at third. Butler walked but Rivera struck out swinging to end the inning. Mr. Mookie doubled to center to begin the bottom of the third but Pedroia flied out to center. Ortiz flied out to center as well to move Betts to third, but Craig struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kiermaier lined out to right to start the top of the fourth before Souza Jr walked. Souza was thrown out at second trying to steal and Loney struck out swinging to end the inning. Sandoval grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth before Napoli flied out to left. Holt doubled to left but Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Longoria flied out to left to start the top of the fifth before Dejesus grounded out to short. Forsythe singled to center but Cabrera flied out to right to end the inning. Leon struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Mr. Mookie flied out to center. Pedroia struck out swinging to end the inning.

Buchholz turned up the heat in the top of the sixth as Butler, Rivera and Kiermaier all struck out swinging in short order. Forsythe dropped a pop up by Ortiz for a "single" to start the bottom of the sixth before Craig singled off the glove of Dejesus. Sandoval grounded into a double play and Napoli flied out to right to end the inning.

Things fell apart in the top of the seventh as Souza Jr singled to left to start. Loney was retired on a squibber in front of the plate but Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough after 107 pitches. Buchholz battled but would be charged with 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings. He allowed 9 hits and 2 walks. Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch and Longoria walked. Dejesus singled to right to score Souza and Forsythe walked to load the bases. Cabrera popped up to short and Butler forced Forsythe at second to end the inning with the Rays up 5-1.

                                               "Yeah you're out Clay, now beat it!" - Farrell

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the seventh as Holt lined out to left to start. Bogaerts flied out to let and Leon lined out to center to end the inning.

Craig Breslow came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rivera popped up to second to start. Kiermaier grounded out to second but Souza Jr doubled down the left field line. Loney popped up to Craig to end the inning. Ernesto Frieri came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to start. Pedroia walked and took second on a wild pitch, but Ortiz flied out to left. Craig struck out swinging to end the inning.

Longoria flied out to center to start the top of the ninth and Brandon Guyer pinch hit for Dejesus. Guyer popped up to second and Forsythe did the same to end the inning. Erasmo Ramirez came in to close out the ninth and Sandoval grounded out to second to start. Napoli grounded out to second and Holt lined out to left to end the game. The Rays had won the game 5-1.

                                                                  Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Clay Buchholz. Not that the Sox were doing much offensively but Clay putting them in an early hole cost them big time. He allowed 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings of work off 9 hits and 2 walks. He also struck out 9 batters.

                                                              Clay Jackass

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Craig Breslow tossed two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 4.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4.

Junichi Tazawa allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Allen Craig was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Hanley Ramirez played left field in the top of the first inning.

Final Thoughts:

Losing Hanley sucked and that's a huge blow to the Red Sox offense if he's out a while. The real problem is the offense has become schizophrenic. Sometimes they hit, sometimes they don't. With the Red Sox starters allowing 4-5 runs a game means the offense HAS to produce. Still, Odorizzi was damn near unhittable and the Sox couldn't get untracked at all. Maybe the Hanley injury shook them up but they need to be mentally tougher than that if that's the case. Still, Sox analyst Don Orsillo said the Sox are losing way too many games to AL East opponents and he's right. If the Sox have any hope of making the playoffs, winning the division is a priority considering this isn't the classic New York Yankees anymore and the Sox beat the Rays two years ago. If Hanley is out, they're in trouble. The loss dropped the Sox to 12-14, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a fifth straight loss tomorrow night when Rick Porcello (2-2) takes on Drew Smyly of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Rally Past Sox (5/1/15)

Its a new month but the same old Boston Red Sox as the New York Yankees did what they usually do, beat the Sox late in the game. The Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Justin Masterson but he stayed tough after that. The Sox got a sac fly by Mookie Betts against CC Sabathia in the third inning and an Allen Craig home run in the fourth inning to put the Sox ahead. Then the Yankees rallied for a run in the seventh after Ryan Hanigan got hit in the wrist by an errant pitch by Tommy Layne. Alex Rodriguez came off the bench to hit a pinch hit home run off Junichi Tazawa (0-1, 2.31 ERA) in the eighth inning, career shot number 660. The Sox had two men on in the bottom of the eighth but Dellin Betances struck out both Brock "The Hitman" Holt and Xander Bogaerts. Andrew Miller blew the Sox away in the ninth and the Yankees prevailed 3-2 over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                       Angry Sox fan

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Masterson in the top of the first inning as Jacoby Ellsbury lined a base hit in front of Allen Craig to start. Brett Gardner flied out to left but Mark Teixeira drew a walk on four pitches not even close. Brian McCann also flied out to Hanley but Carlos Beltran doubled to the Monster to score Teixeira. Chase Headley grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                            Beltran puts NY on top

Sabathia got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to the left field warning track to start. Dustin Pedroia popped up to left and David Ortiz popped up to Gardner to end the inning.

Garrett Jones led off the top of the second inning with a liner to Pedroia to start. Old pal Stephen "PU" Drew struck out swinging and Didi Gregorius grounded out to short to end the inning. Hanley Ramirez led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to short. Mike Napoli grounded out to third but Pablo Sandoval got a base hit off the bottom of the Monster. Craig took strike three to end the inning.

Ellsbury grounded out to short to open the top of the third before TV analyst Michael Kay brought up the record amount of snowfall in Massachusetts earlier this year. Gardner slapped a base hit to left but Teixeira hit into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Xander Bogaerts doubled to the left field wall to start. Ryan Hanigan lined out to the centerfield warning track to move Bogaerts to third, and Xander scored on the sac fly to center by Mr. Mookie. Pedroia walked and Ortiz dropped a base hit to left to move Dustin to third. With a chance to break the game open....Hanley grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Tie game

McCann led off the top of the fourth by grounding out Pedroia but Beltran ripped a base hit to right. Headley doubled into the right field corner but Masterson got a big out when Jones whiffed on a high 89 mph fastball. PU Drew grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox surged ahead in the bottom of the fourth as Napoli went down hacking to start. Sandoval hit one up the elevator shaft but Craig hit a home run into the Monster seats to put Boston on top. Naturally YES showed Bucky Dent's home run out of nowhere as Bogaerts walked. The Yankees caught a break when Hanigan doubled down the left field line and a fan reached out to grab the ball. The ball was ruled dead on a ground rule double that prevented Bogaerts scoring. Mr. Mookie grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                         First home run for Craig

Gregorious grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth but Ellsbury slapped a base hit to center. Gardner popped up to left but Teixeira walked. McCann was plunked to load the bases but Beltran grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedroia beat out a roller to Sabathia to start the bottom of the fifth but Ortiz lined to Headley, doubling Dustin off of first. Ramirez hit a ball under Gregorius' glove for an error and the Yankees caught another break when Napoli hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to keep Hanley at third. Sandoval grounded out to short to end the inning.

Headley lined out to Pedroia to start the top of the sixth before Jones popped up to short. PU Drew lined out to the left field warning track to end the inning. Craig watched strike three go by to start the bottom of the sixth before Bogaerts flied out to the left field warning track. Sabathia won a footrace with Hanigan to retire him on a grounder to first to end the inning.

Gregorius walked to start the top of the seventh and that was it for Masterson. He'd be charged with 2 runs in 6 plus innings of work. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks before Tommy Layne came in to replace him. Ellsbury popped up to short and Gardner struck out swinging, but disaster struck. Somehow Layne's errant pitch managed to hit BOTH Teixeira in the wrist and Hanigan in the hand. Hanigan had to be rushed to Mass General's ICU and Sandy Leon came in to catch for him. Naturally McCann drilled a base hit to left to score Gregorius with the tying run. Beltran popped up to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                              "HABOOOOWOWOWWOWWWWW!!!!" - Hanigan & Teixeira

Esmil Rogers came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Pedroia walked but Ortiz hit into a double play to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Headley grounded out to second to start. Alex Rodriguez pinch hit for Jones and hit his 660th career home run to put the Yankees on top. PU Drew popped up to short but Gregorius lined a base hit to left. A balk moved Didi to second and a wild pitch moved him to third. Ellsbury grounded out to first to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 3-2.

                                                       Move over Mays

Chris Young came in for Beltran with Dellin Betances coming in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Ramirez grounded out to second but Napoli drew a walk. Sandoval slapped a base hit to left and Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Craig. Holt struck out swinging on a nasty splitter and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Gardner walked to start. Teixeira shattered his bat on a grounder to second but Gardner moved up a base. McCann struck out swinging and Young was intentionally walked. Headley flied out to right to end the inning. Old pal Andrew Miller came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Leon popped up to first in foul territory to start. Mr. Mookie struck out swinging and Pedroia lined out to Headley to end the game. The Yankees had won it 3-2.

                                                                   Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Junichi Tazawa. He served up the pinch hit jack to Alex Rodriguez after A-Rod had never hit a pinch hit home run before.

                                                                 Jackass Tazawa

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ryan Hanigan was 1 for 3 before leaving with injury.

Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 4.

Allen Craig was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Justin Masterson was charged with 2 runs in 6 plus innings of work. He allowed 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 2.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4.

Brock Holt struck out as a pinch hitter.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Tommy Layne allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Final Thoughts:

This felt like one of those losses from 1999 to 2002 where the Yankees ride out the starter and pounce on the Red Sox bullpen while their own bullpen is lights out. The Sox got 2 runs by the fourth inning and were silenced the rest of the way. Blowing the rally in the eighth inning with Holt striking out was their last big chance. Its a shame because the Sox were essentially one swing from winning this one in the eighth, but it was not to be. Masterson pitched his ass off and Layne couldn't hold the fort. A-Rod hit his 660th home run but it was the first pinch hit home run of his career. Thanks a lot, Tazawa. The Sox haven't been able to gain any momentum at all for one reason or another. Hopefully they can bounce back tomorrow offensively because tonight sucked. The loss dropped the Sox to 12-11, 2 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Yankees when Wade Miley (1-2) takes on Nathan Eovaldi tomorrow on Fox Saturday Baseball. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.