Reds Bash Crawford, Sox (6/21/24)

The Boston Red Sox win streak came to an end at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds and a comedy of errors. Andrew Abbott held the Sox bats to just 2 home runs in 5 2/3 innings and the bullpen allowed just 3 hits the rest of the way. Meanwhile Kutter Crawford (3-7, 3.59 ERA) got plagued by bad defense as he left the game in the seventh trailing 3-2. Cam Booser threw a bunt away for a 2 run error to essentially ice the game. The Sox bats failed to rally against Alexis Diaz in the ninth and the Reds snapped the Sox streak with a 5-2 win at Great American Ballpark.

                                                                  Bad game all around

Abbott got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging but Tyler O'Neill walked. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. The Reds tagged Crawford in the bottom of the first as TJ Friedl flied out to right to start. Elly De La Cruz struck out swinging but Jeimer Candelario hit a home run all the way to France to put the Reds on top. Spencer Steer popped up to short to end the inning with the Reds up 1-0.

                                                               Reds strike first

The Sox answered in the top of the second as Connor Wong blasted his sixth home run of the season to tie the game. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to short, Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging and Enmanuel Valdez went down hacking to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Wong ties it up

The Reds got another one in the bottom of the second as Jake Fraley struck out swinging to start. Jonathan India hit a home run all the way to Deep Space 9 to put the Reds back on top. Santiago Espinal flied out to right but Will Benson walked. Luke Maile walked and Friedl was hit with a pitch the load the bases. De La Cruz took strike three to end the inning with the Reds up 2-1.

                                                              India goes yard

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to start. Duran clobbered his 7th home run of the season to tie the game but Gonzalez struck out swinging. O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                            Duran ties it up

The longballs continued as Candelario hit his second home run of the game to but the Reds back on top in the bottom of the third. Steer flied out to left but Fraley got a base hit to right. India grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Reds up 3-2.

                                                            Candelario does it again

Devers struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Wong popped up to third. Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning. Espinal grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Benson took strike three. Maile struck out swinging to end the inning.

Dalbec flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Valdez got a base hit to left. Rafaela flied out to right but Duran flied out to left to end the inning. Friedl took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth and De La Cruz went down hacking. Candelario lined out to left to end the inning.

Gonzalez got a base hit inside the bag at first to start the top of the sixth but O'Neill struck out swinging. A passed ball moved Gonzalez to second but Devers struck out swinging. Fernando Cruz came in to pitch to Wong and Connor swung at air to end the inning. Steer grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Fraley flied out to center. India also flied out to center to end the inning.

Yoshida grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Dalbec took strike three. Valdez flied out to center to end the inning. The Reds finished off Crawford in the bottom of the seventh as Valdez threw a grounder by Espinal away for an error. Benson flied out to center but Maile doubled to right to chase Kutter. Crawford would be charged with 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings although only 3 were earned. Cam Booser came in and Friedl dropped down a bunt. Booser threw the ball 100 feet over the head of Connor Wong for an error to score Espinal and Maile. Cruz walked and Stuart Fairchild pinch ran for Friedl. Candelario struck out swinging and that was it for Booser. Brad Keller came in and Devers threw a ball hit by Steer away for the third error of the inning. Fraley lined out to left to end the inning with the Reds up 5-2.

                                                        Crawford deserved better

Nick Martinez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Duran got a base hit to center but David Hamilton pinch hit for Gonzalez and flied out to right. O'Neill took strike three to end the inning. India walked to start the bottom of the eighth and Espinal got a base hit to right. O'Neill gunned down India at third but Espinal made it to second on the throw. A wild pitch moved Espinal to third but he was thrown out at home on a grounder to second by Benson. Maile lined out to short to end the inning.

Alexis Diaz came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers flied out to center to start. Wong got a base hit to center and took second on defensive indifference. Yoshida struck out swinging and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Dalbec. Smith grounded out to second to end the game. The Reds had won 5-2.

                                                              Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Cam Booser. His error in the seventh led to the insurance runs scoring to put the game out of reach.

                                                              Nice throw Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 3.

Brad Keller tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 but struck out and made a crucial error in the seventh.

Kutter Crawford was charged with 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss but only 3 were earned. He allowed 5 hits and walked 2.

Final Thoughts:

What a way for the win streak to end. Not that the Sox were doing much offensively but those 3 errors turned a 3-2 game into 5-2 and out of reach. In a one run game they could have played small ball and used their speed to their advantage. Instead, their bad defense cost them this game. Crawford didn't pitch that bad but errors by Valdez and Booser were killer. Its a shame because the Reds aren't that good and the Sox need to win to keep pace with the New York Yankees. The Sox might be playing for the wild card in September if the Sox can't gain ground on them in the meantime. The loss dropped the Sox to 40-36, 10 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Reds when Nick Pivetta gets the start for Boston against Frankie Montas of Cincinnati. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Great American Ballpark.

O'Neill Powers Sox Past Blue Jays (6/17/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Romy Gonzalez was activated from the Injured List and Jamie Westbrook was sent back to Worcester to make room for him. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic move for sure.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                   IN

It was a great night for Boston sports as the Boston Celtics won their 18th NBA Championship with their Game 5 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, winning the NBA Finals. Also, the Red Sox smashed the Toronto Blue Jays. Tyler O'Neill hit two home runs to pace the offense that pounded out 11 hits and 7 runs. Nick Pivetta (4-4, 3.88 ERA) tossed 7 gutty innings allowing just 3 runs to earn the win. Things got hairy in the ninth inning when the Jays put two runners on against Brad Keller, but Kenley Jansen got the final out to win the game 7-3 at the Skydome.

                                                       The Boston Celtics approve of the win

Yusei Kikuchi got the ball in the top of the first and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging but Tyler O'Neill mashed his 13th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Rafael Devers then clobbered his 14th home run of the season to go back to back. Connor Wong flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                      Back to back jacks

Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first and Davis Schneider popped up to short to start. Danny Jansen flied out to left but Vladimir Guerrero Jr singled to center. Daulton Varsho struck out swinging to end the inning.

Romy Gonzalez flied out to right to start the top of the second and Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. David Hamilton also struck out swinging to end the inning. Justin Turner walked to start the bottom of the second and George Springer got a base hit to center to moved Justin to third. Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a sac fly to center to score Turner to cut the lead and Ernie Vlement singled to left. Kevin Kiermaier struck out swinging and Clement was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Jays down 2-1.

                                                          Jays get a run back

Ceddanne Rafaela joined the homer parade with his 8th of the season to start the top of the third. Duran flied out to left and Refsnyder struck out looking, but O'Neill clobbered his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      O'Neill goes yard again

Schneider grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third and Jansen struck out swinging. Guerrero Jr lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the fourth as Wong got a base hit to left to start. Gonzalez got a base hit to left and Dalbec got a base hit to center. Kiermaier bobbled the ball and Wong scored another run. Hamilton struck out swinging, Rafaela struck out swinging and Gonzalez was thrown out at home after Dalbec got picked off first to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                       Another rbi for Dalbec

Enmanuel Valdez came in for Hamilton to start the bottom of the fourth and Varsho flied out to center to start. Turner doubled to left but Springer hit one up the elevator shaft. Kiner singled off the glove of Devers to put runners at the corners but Clement flied out to center to end the inning.

Trevor Richards came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Duran flied out to left to start. Refsnyder took strike three and O'Neill grounded out to third to end the inning. Kiermaier flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Schneider struck out swinging. Jansen got a base hit to center but Guerrero Jr flied out to right to end the inning.

Devers flied out to right to start the top of the sixth and Wong grounded out to second. Gonzalez walked but Dalbec forced him at second to end the inning. The Jays got a run back in the bottom of the sixth although Varsho hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Who else but Turner hit a home run all the way to Ottawa to cut the lead. Springer grounded out to third and Kiner lined out to short to end the inning with the Jays down 5-2.

                                                               Had to be him....great

The Sox answered in the top of the seventh with Tim Mayza now on the mound. Valdez grounded out to first but Rafaela got a base hit to right. Duran got a base hit to left and Refsnyder doubled to right to score Rafaela. O'Neill was intentionally walked and Devers hit a sac fly to center to score Duran. Wong took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 7-2.

                                                          Good work Refsnyder

Pivetta returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Clement got a base hit to left to start. Kiermaier grounded into a double play but Schneider hit a home run all the way to Montreal to cut the lead. Jansen lined out to left to end the inning with the Jays down 7-3. That was it for Pivetta who battled for 7 innings and allowing 3 runs on 9 hits and a walk.

                                                         Pivetta gets the job done

Brandon Eisert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Gonzalez singled to left to start. Dalbec flied out to right but Valdez walked. Gonzalez looked to have stolen third but the Blue Jays challenged he was out, turns out he was. Rafaela walked but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Brad Keller came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Guerrero Jr lined out to right to start. Varsho popped up to short and Turner lined out to left to end the inning.

Refsnyder walked to start the top of the ninth but O'Neill grounded into a double play. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Springer flied out to left to start the bottom of the ninth and Kiner flied out to right. Suddenly Clement got a base hit to center and Kiermaier walked. Sox manager Alex Cora panicked and brought in Kenley Jansen to save the day. Both runners advanced on defensive indifference and Schneider popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Tyler O'Neill. His two home runs powered the offense in this one.

                                                                Tyler O'Hero

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Enmanuel Valdez walked in two plate appearances.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Nick Pivetta got the win by tossing 7 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 9 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

Brad Keller tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Kenley Jansen earned his 12th save by getting the final out in the ninth inning.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but hit a home run and drove in two total runs.

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

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Don't know what Cora was thinking to bring in Jansen at the end other then micromanaging every game like its Game 7 of the world series. Even if Schneider hit a home run the Sox still had the lead. Otherwise it was a good game all around with O'Neill hitting a couple of rockets, Devers hitting a rocket and other guys getting on base. Five guys only had one hit the whole game but either scored a run or knocked in one. That's definitely timely hitting for sure. Kudos to Pivetta for tossing 7 strong innings to give the bullpen a rest, if only Jansen could have had the night off but that's on Cora. The Sox suddenly caught fire winning 6 of 8 since that Chicago disaster on June 8th. Hopefully they can keep the momentum going on this road trip. The win improved the Sox to 38-35, 11.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win their fourth game in a row and second against the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow night. Tanner Houck gets the start for the Sox against Chris Bassitt of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Sox Pound Rodon, Yankees (6/15/24)

Turnabout is fair play a day after the Boston Red Sox were knocked around by the New York Yankees. This time it was the Red Sox that ambushed Carlos Rodon and the Yankees early on in tonight's game for five runs. The Yankees did manage two runs off Sox starter Cooper Criswell but Justin Slaten (4-2, 3.06 ERA) and the Boston bullpen held the fort. Enmanuel Valdez and Jarren Duran drove in some late runs and Kenley Jansen slammed the door in the ninth as the Sox beat the Yankees 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                    George Clinton approves of the win

Criswell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Volpe struck out swinging to start. Juan Soto walked but Aaron Judge forced him at second. Alex Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox blitzed Rodon in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran doubled to left to start. Rob Refsnyder flied out to right but Tyler O'Neill doubled off the Monster to score Duran. Rafael Devers walked and Connor Wong singled off the glove of Gleyber Torres to score O'Neill. Masataka Yoshida flied out to left but Jamie Westbrook doubled off the Monster to score Devers. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                          Westbrook caps off the rally

The Yankees answered in the top of the second as Giancarlo Stanton singled to left to start. Anthony Rizzo walked and Torres moved both runners over with a grounder to second. Austin Wells struck out swinging but DJ LeMahieu got a base hit to center to score both runners. Volpe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees down 3-2.

                                                      LeMahieu brings the Yankees closer

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Ceddanne Rafaela singled to right to start. Duran lined out to left and Refsnyder forced Rafaela at second. O'Neill got a base hit to right and Devers doubled to center to score both runners. A wild pitch moved Devers to third and Wong walked. Yoshida lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 5-2.

                                                              Devers drives in a pair

Soto took strike three to start the top of the third and Judge grounded out to second. Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. Westbrook struck out swinging to open the bottom of the third before Dalbec watched strike three go by. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Stanton ripped a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but Rizzo took strike three. Torres lined out to left and Wells also was frozen for strike three to end the inning. As usual Alex Cora pulled a guy too early and Criswell was done after 88 pitches, 4 innings and 2 runs allowed so he couldn't get the win.

                                                     Short and sweet for Criswell

Duran took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Refsnyder walked. O'Neill and Devers both went down hacking to end the inning.

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Rafaela booted a grounder by LeMahieu for an error to start. Volpe forced LeMahieu at second then Soto walked. Judge walked to load the bases and Verdugo forced Volpe at home. Stanton struck out swinging to end the inning. Wong grounded back to the mound to open the bottom of the fifth before Yoshida did the same. Westbrook struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rizzo grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Torres popped up to third. Wells took strike three to end the inning. Ron Marinaccio came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Dalbec walked to start. Rafaela caught LeMahieu asleep at third with a bunt but Duran struck out swinging. Refsnyder took strike three and O'Neill flied out to right to end the inning.

LeMahieu struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before Volpe lined out to second. Suddenly Soto hit a home run all the way to Nepal to cut the lead. Judge got a base hit to right and that was it for Slaten. Brennan Bernardino got Verdugo to force Judge at second to end the inning with the Yankees down 5-3.

                                                         "That's a home run"

The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the seventh as Devers flied out to left to start. Wong struck out swinging but Yoshida pounded a ground rule double into the bullpen. Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Westbrook and drilled a base hit to center. Yoshida looked to have scored but Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged that he was out. Replays showed Yoshida was safe and the run counted. Valdez stole second but Dalbec flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                         SAFE!

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Stanton struck out swinging to start. Rizzo and Torres drew back to back walks before Wells singled to center to load the bases. Jahmai Jones pinch ran for Wells and LeMahieu hit a grounder to short. It looked like Jones was out at second as Rizzo scored but once again Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged the call. Once again Boone was told to shove it and Jones was out. Kenley Jansen came in for the 4 out save and Oswaldo Cabrera pinch ran for LeMahieu. Volpe flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                          "We scored?" - LeMahieu

Jose Trevino took over for Jones with Victor Gonzalez now on the mound for New York to start the bottom of the eighth. Rafaela doubled to left and Duran lined a base hit to center. Rafaela scored and Duran took second on the throw home. Refsnyder walked but O'Neill grounded into a double play. Trevino tried to pick Duran off the third, but the throw went wide allowing Jarren to score. Devers took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 8-4.

                                                          Duran adds to the lead

David Hamilton took over for O'Neill to start the top of the ninth and Soto flied out to center to start. Judge also flied out to center and in a symbolic twist of fate, Verdugo made the last out with a liner to left. The Sox had won it 8-4.

                                                           Jansen locks it down

Hero of The Night is Rafael Devers. His 2 run double in the second gave the Sox all the runs they'd need.

                                                          Devers The Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Tyler O'Neill was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Jamie Westbrook was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Enmanuel Valdez singled, scored and stole a base.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 4.

Cooper Criswell allowed 2 runs in 4 innings while striking out 6.

Brennan Bernardino retired the only man he faced.

Kenley Jansen earned is 11th save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Greg Weissert allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Justin Slaten got the win but allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

David Hamilton played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

The shoe was on the other foot in this one. After the Yankees and Verdugo embarrassed the Red Sox last night, it was Boston's turn. Getting to Rodon early was very important considering Criswell started and things got hairy in the eighth. Thankfully Jansen put the fire out and the Sox got some insurance in the later innings. The Yankees one weakness is the bullpen and the Sox exploited it tonight. They may be a mile out of first place but beating the Yankees is never a bad thing. There's still 90 games left to turn it around, as unlikely as that may seem. The win improved the Sox to 36-35, 13 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win the series tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Kutter Crawford (2-6) takes on Marcus Stroman of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Rally In 5th Sinks Phillies (6/12/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox got some interesting news. Former 2020 5th round pick Shane Drohan was returned to the Worcester Red Sox from the Chicago White Sox. As bad as Chicago has been this season, they STILL didn't give Drohan a chance to start. The joke's on them now. Welcome back Shane.

                                                          He's baaaaaaackkkkkkkk

It was a great night all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Philadelphia Phillies in tonight's game. The Phillies got 4 runs off starter Nick Pivetta through four innings but the Sox got a run in the fourth and plated five in the fifth to go ahead. David Hamilton hit a two run home run in the sixth inning although the Phillies rallied late for a run against Zack Kelly. Kenley Jansen got tagged for a run in the ninth but still slammed the door on the Phillies. The Sox had pulled it out 8-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                      Jayson Tatum approves of the win

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kyle Schwarber walked to start. Nick Castellanos doubled to left but Bryce Harper got a base hit off the glove of Bobby Dalbec to score Schwarber. Alec Bohm struck out swinging but Bryson Stott scored Castellanos by beating out a double play ball. Whit Merrifield popped up to short to end the inning with the Phillies up 2-0.

                                                        Phillies go up early

Cristopher Sanchez got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran led off with a liner to third to start. Rob Refsnyder lined out to left and Tyler O'Neill got a base hit to left but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning.

David Dahl led off the top of the second with a grounder to short before Rafael Marchan lined out to left. Johan Rohas got a base hit to center and Schwarber walked again, but Castellanos lined out to right to end the inning. Rafael Devers got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the second before Connor Wong flied out to right. Jamie Westbrook hit a bullet to Harper, who doubled off Devers to end the inning.

The Phillies got another run in the top of the third as Harper walked to start. Bohm forced him at second but Stott walked. Merrifield singled to right to score Bohm with another run. Dahl doubled to left to score Stott to seemingly ice the game. Marchan took strike three and Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Phillies up 4-0.

                                                              Phillies are up big....for now

Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before David Hamilton lined out to second. Ceddanne Rafaela walked and Duran got a base hit to short, then a wild pitch moved the runners over. Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning.

Schwarber flied out to right to start the top of the fourth but Castellanos tripled to right. Harper took strike three and Bohm struck out swinging to end the inning. Pivetta got rocked for 4 runs in 4 innings and Sox manager Alex Cora felt he had to take him out to give the Sox a chance.

                                                             Not good enough, Nick

The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as O'Neill grounded out to third to start. Devers tripled into the right field corner and Wong drew a walk. Westbrook hit a sac fly to right to score Devers to break up the shutout. Dalbec forced Wong at second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-1.

                                                    Sox get a run back.

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Stott took strike three to start. Merrifield popped up to second and Dahl flied out to left to end the inning. Suddenly the Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth as Hamilton got a base hit to right to start. Rafaela got a base hit to left to move Hamilton to third and Duran hit a routine grounder to Merrifield...thrown away for an error to score Hamilton and Rafaela. That was it for Sanchez as Jose Ruiz came in to allow Refsnyder to get a base hit to left. O'Neill hit a sac fly to left to score Duran but Devers took strike three. Wong got a abse hit off the glove of Merrifield to move Refsnyder to third. Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Westbrook and smacked a double to center. Refsnyder and Wong scored but Valdez was thrown out in a rundown to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                             Valdez drives in a pair

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Marchan grounded out to second to start. Rojas struck out swinging and Schwarber went down hacking to end the inning. Spencer Turnbull came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Dalbec walked to start. Hamilton launched his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Rafaela grounded out to short but Duran doubled to left. Refsnyder grounded out to second but Duran foolishly was thrown out at home trying to score from second to end the inning with the Sox up 8-4.

                                                                    Home run David

Castellanos walked to start the top of the second and that was it for Kelly. Brennan Bernardino came in and got Harper to line out to third. A wild pitch moved Castellanos to second and Bohm grounded out to short. Stott doubled to right to score Castellanos and Merrifield walked. Dahl grounded out to first to end the inning with the Phillies down 8-5.

                                                          Stott gets an rbi

O'Neill walked to start the bottom of the seventh and Devers walked as well. Wong struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved the runners over. Valdez walked to chase Turnbull. Seranthony Dominguez got Dalbec to fly out to right and Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Marchan grounded out to third to start. Rojas flied out to center but Schwarber singled to center. Castellanos was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Gregory Soto came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Rafaela singled in the hole at third to start. Duran forced Rafaela at second but Refsnyder was hit with a pitch. O'Neill struck out swinging and Devers lined out to left to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the top of the ninth and Harper hit a ground rule double into the left field line. Harper went to third on a balk and Bohm hit a sac fly to score Harper. Stott struck out swinging but Merrifield walked. Dahl flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 8-6.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of the Night is David Hamilton. He started the fifth inning rally and his two run homer in the sixth proved the be the margin of victory.

                                                                   Hamilton Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Tyler O'Neill was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jamie Westbrook drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Enmanuel Valdez knocked in two runs and walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Cam Booser pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Nick Pivetta allowed 4 runs in 4 innings off 6 hits and 4 walks.

Zack Kelly allowed a run in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refnsyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Kenley Jansen allowed a run in the ninth inning but still earned his 10th save.

Final Thoughts:

Well that's more like it. What looked to be another routine loss turned into a good win. The Sox rallied big time in this one and it came at a good time. The Sox came into this one after losing 3 of their last 5 games and needed a win. Pivetta got rocked but the bullpen held Philly to just 2 runs in 5 innings so the Sox could surge ahead. One thing to watch for is the 8-9-1 speed threat of Hamilton, Rafaela and Duran. That could be a lot of stolen bases and 1st to 3rds on a team desperate for offense and no ace pitcher. Still, rather have a win than a loss. The win improved the Sox to 34-34, 14 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 NL East leaders tomorrow night when Tanner Houck (6-5) takes on Aaron Nola of Philadelphia. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Outlast White Sox in 10 Innings (6/9/24)

It was good news all around for the city of Boston. The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 2 of the NBA Finals and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Chicago White Sox in 10 innings. For eight innings it looked like Chicago was about to take three out of four from the Red Sox. The Red Sox' bullpen game went south as Justin Slaten and Brennan Bernardino allowed 4 runs to give the White Sox a 4-3 lead going into the ninth inning. Then David Hamilton's double and steal of third allowed Reese McGuire to hit a sac fly to tie the game. A routine grounder by Jarren Duran fielded by Andrew Vaughn was dropped by Michael Soroka to allow Duran to reach first with Ceddanne Rafaela taking third. After Duran swiped second, Jamie Westbrook drove in Ceddanne with a sac fly. A Rob Refsnyder base hit scored the insurance run and Cam Booser slammed the door in the bottom of the frame. The Red Sox salvaged the game, series and possibly the season with a 6-4 victory in 10 innings at Comiskey Park.

                                                      Jaylen Brown approves of the win

Chris Flexen got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran flied out to center to start. Enmanuel Valdez flied out to left and Rob Refsnyder grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Zack Kelly took the mound in the bottom of the first and Corey Julks grounded out to short to begin. Nicky Lopez grounded out to first and Luis Robert Jr took strike three to end the inning.

Dominic Smith took strike three to start the top of the second before Connor Wong lined out to short. David Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning. Gavin Sheets walked to start the bottom of the second before Andrew Vaughn took strike three. Paul DeJong forced Sheets at second but Oscar Colas walked. A wild pitch moved both runners over but Lenyn Sosa struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                               Good start by Kelly

Bobby Dalbec flied out to left to start the top of the third before Reese McGuire grounded out to short. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the third and Martin Maldonado flied out to right to start. Julks singled to left before Julks stole second. Lopez struck out swinging and Robert Jr flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth as Duran tripled into the right field corner to start. Valdez walked and Refsnyder grounded into a double play, but Duran scored. Smith walked but Wong popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Duran scores a run

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Sheets singled in the hole at short. Hamilton then threw a routine grounder by Vaughn away for an error and McGuire had Sheets picked off...if he didn't throw the ball away for another error. DeJong then hit a home run all the way to the Romulus to put the White Sox on top. Colas flied out to center, Sosa struck out swinging and Maldonado flied out to left to end the inning with the White Sox up 3-1.

                                                              DeJong goes long

The BoSox fought back in the top of the fifth as Hamilton atoned for his error with his third home run of the season to cut the lead. Dalbec flied out to center, McGuire popped up to third and Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning with the BoSox down 3-2.

                                                         Home run Hamilton

Julks struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Lopez also went down hacking. Robert Jr grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sammy Peralta came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Duran walked to start. Jamie Westbrook punch hit for Valdez and lined out to third but Refsnyder got a base hit to left. Duran took third and Rob second on the throw. Garrett Cooper pinch hit for Smith and White Sox manager Pedro Grifol sent in Justin Anderson to face him. Cooper grounded out to third but Duran scored to tie the game. Wong was hit with a pitch and stole second, but Hamilton flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                               Tie game

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Sheets struck out swinging to start. Vaughn singled to center and DeJong hit a ground rule double into the bullpen. Colas took strike three and Sosa was intentionally walked to load the bases. Maldonado flied out to center to end the inning.

Dalbec struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh before McGuire got a base hit to right. Rafaela struck out swinging and Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. The White Sox took command in the bottom of the seventh as Julks doubled to center to start. Duke Ellis pinch ran for Julks and Lopez dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Ellis to second. Robert Jr was intentionally walked but Sheets got a base hit to left to score Ellis. Brad Keller came in to pitch and Vaughn flied out to right to move Robert to third. DeJong struck out swinging to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                           Sheets drives in a run

John Brebbia came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Westbrook took strike three to start. Refsnyder flied out to right but Cooper got a base hit to center. Wong popped up to second to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Colas struck out swinging to start. Sosa doubled to left then promptly stole third. Maldonado struck out swinging and Ellis froze for strike three to end the inning.

Tanner Banks came in to close out the top of the ninth but Hamilton doubled to right to start. Dalbec struck out swinging but Hamilton stole third. McGuire hit a sac fly to left to score David to tie the game and Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                                  Tie game

Lopez flied out to left to start the bottom of the ninth before Robert Jr struck out swinging. Sheets struck out swinging to end the inning.

Michael Soroka came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Rafaela starting at second base. Duran hit a routine grounder to Vaughn who threw to Soroka....dropped for an error to put runners at the corners. Duran stole second and Westbrook hit a sac fly to score Rafaela and move Duran to third. Refsnyder got a base hit to center to score Duran with another run. Cooper took strike three but Wong beat out a grounder to the mound but Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Red Sox ahead 6-4.

                                                               Refsnyder hits the killshot

Cam Booser came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Sheets starting at second base. Vaughn struck out swinging before DeJong went down hacking. Danny Mendick pinch hit for Colas and lined out to left to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 6-4.

                                                                Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is David Hamilton. His home run, double, stolen base and run scored helped tie the game before the Sox won it in extras.

                                                                  Hero Hamilton

The Good:

Enmanuel Valdez walked before leaving the game.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Dominic Smith walked in two plate appearances.

Reese McGuire was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Zack Kelly tossed two scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless inning.

Brad Keller got the final 2 outs of the seventh inning.

Kenley Jansen got the win with 2 scoreless innings.

Cam Booser earned his first save of the season with a scoreless tenth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Justin Slaten allowed 3 runs in 2 innings of work.

Brennan Bernardino allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 but walked, stole a base and scored three runs.

Jamie Westbrook was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but hit a sac fly.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch and stole a base.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That's the kind of game that could turn a season around. 2 outs away from losing 3 out of 4 to the worst team in baseball turns into a come from behind win. Playing without almost all of their offensive firepower, the Sox still battled to win the game. They may have no brains with all the errors they make but they have tons of heart. Even the role players like Westbrook and Cooper at least made contact to drive in runs rather than simply strike out. The running game worked with Duran, Hamilton and Wong all getting steals and it helped lead to victory. The Sox can do without bullpen games but blame the front office for not having enough starting pitching depth. Still, a win is a win and this one was badly needed. The win improved the Sox to 33-33, 12.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to carry momentum back home against the Philadelphia Phillies. Kutter Crawford (2-5) takes on Zack Wheeler of Philadelphia this Tuesday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.