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

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

                                                 The Gronk approves of the win

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

                                                 Bogaerts puts Boston up early

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

                                                Royals tie it up

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

                                                 Pedroia drives in another run

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

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

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

                                               Pedroia 7 for his last 7

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

                                                   Hanley and Mookie go back to back

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

                                                   Good work Price

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

                                                 Another rbi for Bogaerts

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

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

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

                                                   Big win for the Sox.



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

                                                     X-Man Hero



The Good:

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

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a home run.

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

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

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

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Clay Buchholz pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

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



The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

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

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



Honorable Mention:

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




Final Thoughts:

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

Sox Rally Past Orioles For 5th Straight Win (8/16/16)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox have just won five games in a row and are tied for first place in the AL East. All they had to do was beat the Baltimore Orioles in Baltimore. In front of a disheartening crowd of just 26,000 people, the Sox bolted to a 3-0 lead in the top of the fifth thanks to the red hot Mookie Betts belting a 3 run home run. Eduardo Rodriguez then had to leave the game in the bottom of the fifth due to injury and the O's scored 3 runs against Matt Barnes, Fernando Abad and Brad Ziegler in the bottom of the seventh to tie the game. Who else but Betts struck a 2 run home run in the top of the eighth to put the Sox back on top. Ziegler settled down in the eighth and Craig Kimbrel slammed the door in the ninth to lock up the game. The Sox now own a share of first place after their fifth straight win, beating the Orioles 5-3 at Camden Yards.

                                                        Jagar Tharn approves of the win

Yovanni Gallardo got the ball in the top of the first inning and Dustin Pedroia led off by grounding out to short. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third but David Ortiz walked. Mr. Mookie Betts forced Ortiz at second to end the inning. Rodriguez got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Adam Jones flied out to center to start. Jonathan Schoop struck out swinging and Manny Machado hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to start the top of the second but Sandy Leon walked. Travis Shaw grounded into a double play to end the inning. Mark Trumbo took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Steve Pearce grounded out to short. Chris Davis walked but Matt Wieters flied out to left to end the inning.

Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to second to start the top of the third and Andrew Benintendi grounded back to the mound. Pedroia beat out a roller to the left side of the mound Bogaerts got a base hit to center and Ortiz walked to load the bases. Mr. Mookie flied out to right to end the inning. JJ Hardy took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Nolan Reimold popped up to first. Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.

JBJ struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Leon flied out to left. Shaw walked but Holt lined out to right to end the inning. Schoop struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Machado also went down hacking. Trumbo also swung at air to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fifth as Benintendi doubled off the right field wall but Pedroia lined one off Gallardo...right to Hardy to throw Dustin out at first. Bogaerts walked but Ortiz struck out swinging. Who else but Mr. Mookie clobbered a three run home run just over the wall in left to put the Sox on top. JBJ grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                         Betts is all fired up

The mood changed in the bottom of the fifth as out of complete nowhere Rodriguez apparently hurt himself in the middle of his at-bat to Pearce and had to leave the game. Rodriguez was throwing a no-hitter to boot, such a shame. Matt Barnes came in and walked Pearce but Davis struck out swinging. Wieters flied out to right and Hardy struck out swinging to end the inning. Rodriguez was diagnosed with a hamstring strain, lovely.

                                                             Rodriguez exits

Vance Worley came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Leon flied out to center to start. Shaw walked but Holt grounded into a double play to end the inning. Reimold grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Jones grounded out to short. Pedroia made a great diving catch to rob Schoop of a hit to end the inning.

Benintendi flied out to right to start the top of the seventh and Pedroia did the same. Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning. The O's fought back in the bottom of the seventh as Machado lined out to first to start. Trumbo walked but Pearce beat out a roller to third for Baltimore's first hit of the game. That was it for Barnes as Fernando Abad was summoned to face Davis. Naturally Davis walked to load the bases and Wieters got a base hit to left to score Trumbo and Pearce. Brad Ziegler came in and struck out Hardy swinging, but Hyun Soo Kim pinch hit for Reimold. Kim got a base hit to right to reload the bases and Jones walked to score Davis to tie the game. Schoop struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           O's tie it

Brad Bach came in to pitch the top of the eighth and the Sox caught a break when Schoop failed to catch a liner by Ortiz to start for a "single". Mr. Mookie then belted a 2 run home run to put the Sox back on top. JBJ grounded out to second, Leon struck out swinging and Shaw also went down hacking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                               Jump for joy

Machado got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Trumbo grounded into a double play. Pearce was hit with a pitch and that was it for Ziegler. Robbie Ross Jr came in to face Davis and struck him out swinging to end the inning.

Mychal Givens came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Holt got a base hit to left. Benintendi and Pedroia both struck out swinging followed by Bogaerts grounding out to third to end the inning. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Wieters struck out swinging to start. Hardy lined out to right and Kim grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won the game 5-3.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Mookie Betts. He drove in all five runs with a 3 run home run and a 2 run shot.

                                                               Mr. Hero

                                    

The Good:

David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Travis Shaw walked twice in four plate appearances.

Eduardo Rodriguez tossed 4 no-hit innings before leaving with injury.

Robbie Ross Jr struck out the only man he faced.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 21st save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Matt Barnes allowed 2 runs in 2 1/3 innings.

Fernando Abad was charged with a run in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4.

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Brad Ziegler allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 inning to vulture the win.

Final Thoughts:

If Sox fans were concerned after David Ortiz retires that the Sox are going to be down a slugger, they aren't anymore. Mookie Betts is the real deal and now a legitimate case for American League MVP. He's now hitting .315 with 28 home runs and 89 rbis and we still have 44 games left in the season. Still, he's a big reason the Sox just claimed a share of first place although there are concerns. The bullpen once again blew a lead with the same guys, Barnes/Abad/Ziegler as the perpetrators. The problem is those guys are pitching in those spots because Koji Uehara and Junichi Tazawa appear to be out of gas. Those two saved the Sox bacon time and time again for three full seasons but this seems to be it for them. Still, Kimbrel locked it down when it mattered. Another problem is now Rodriguez pulled something and had to leave the game. The Sox are already thin in the rotation after Steven Wright went down and now Rodriguez is gone too? The Sox already had no choice but to put Clay Buchholz back in the rotation but if E-Rod is hurt long term with a bad hammy, then what? Henry Owens again? This was the definition of a costly win but still, it was a win. The Sox are a month and a half away from the playoffs and they can go on a run if they pull themselves together, especially with the AL East gauntlet staring them in the face next month. The win improved the Sox to 66-52, tied for first place with the Orioles in the AL East. The Sox look to take sole possession of first place tomorrow night against the Orioles when David Price (10-8) matches up against Dylan "King Kong" Bundy of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Sox Rally Past Diamondbacks (8/13/16)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox are starting to make their push for the playoffs for the first time in three years. The Sox beat the Arizona Diamondbacks after their spot starter Clay Buchholz only lasted 4 1/3 innings. Arizona took a 3-1 lead over Boston when Robbie Ross Jr (2-2, 3.80 ERA) allowed an inherited runner to score from Buchholz. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fifth against Archie Bradley scoring 3 runs to take the lead. Brock "The Hitman" Holt smacked a two run home run in the bottom of the sixth for some insurance. Things got hairy in the eighth when Matt Barnes walked the bases loaded but Brad Ziegler struck out the next three batters to keep the lead. Craig Kimbrel locked it down in the ninth and the Sox had won 2 in a row against Arizona 6-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Otar The Mad approves of the win

Buchholz got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jean Segura grounded out to second to start. Michael Bourn flied out to center and Paul Godschmidt struck out swinging to end the inning. Bradley got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dustin Pedroia popped up to short. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jake Lamb walked to start the top of the second but Rickie Weeks grounded into a double play. Yasmany Tomas grounded out to short to end the inning. David Ortiz struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second and Hanley Ramirez lined back to Bradley. Travis Shaw popped up to short to end the inning.

Chris Owings walked to start the top of the third but Oscar Hernandez flied out to center. Socrates Brito grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Sandy Leon got a base hit to right to start. Brock Holt forced Sandy at second but Andrew Benintendi singled to left. Pedroia dumped a base hit to right to score Holt and move Benintendi to third. Bogaerts struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                 Safe!

The Diamondbacks struck back in the top of the fourth as Segura lined out to third to start. Bourn got a base hit to center, Goldschmidt walked and both runners pulled off a double steal. Lamb grounded out to second to score Bourn and Weeks got a base hit to right to score Goldschmit. Tomas grounded out to second to end the inning with Arizona up 2-1.

                                                                  Arizona takes the lead

Ortiz grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth and Ramirez grounded out to second. Shaw popped up to short to end the inning.

The Diamondbacks struck again in the top of the fifth as Owings singled to center to start. Hernandez flied out to left and that was it for Buchholz. He'd be charged with 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks in his first start in over a month. Robbie Ross Jr got Brito to fly out to left but Segura walked. Bourn got a base hit to right to score Owings but Goldschmidt forced him at second to end the inning with the Diamondbacks up 3-1.

                                              "This one's on me, Clay. I got Wright hurt" - JF

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fifth as Leon belted his fifth home run of the season to start. Segura and Brito nearly collided on a routine pop up by Holt for an error to allow Brock to reach second. Benintendi doubled to center to score Holt and moved to third on a grounder to second by Pedroia. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Mr. Mookie chopped a base hit over Lamb's head to score Benintendi. Ortiz walked but Ramirez popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                                 Leon starts the rally

Ross froze Lamb for strike three to start the top of the sixth and that was it for Robbie. Junichi Tazawa came in and Weeks flied out to center, but Shaw couldn't come up with a grounder by Tomas for an error. Owings grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Shaw popped up to short to start. Leon walked and Holt smashed his 6th home run of the season to increase the lead. That was it for Bradley as Steve Hathaway was brought in to face Benintendi. Andrew took strike three and Randall Delgado came in to face Pedroia. Dustin got a base hit to left but Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.

                                                          Hitman Home Run

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hernandez drilled as base hit to left to start. Brito struck out swinging and Segura grounded into a double play to end the inning. Daniel Hudson came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie popped up to second to start. Ortiz lined out to right and Ramirez also flied out to right to end the inning.

Things looked bad when Bourn, Goldschmidt and Lamb walked consecutively to load the bases with nobody out to start the top of the eighth. Brad Zeigler came in and struck Weeks out swinging on 3 pitches. Tomas went down hacking and Fenway erupted when Owings swung at air to end the inning. Ziegler had pulled the Houdini to get out of the jam.

                                                       Outstanding job by Ziegler

Adam Loewen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Aaron Hill pinch hit for Shaw. Hill popped up to first, Leon grounded out to third and Holt flied out to center to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the top of the ninth and Phil Gosselin pinch hit for Hernandez. Gosselin struck out swinging and Brandon Drury pinch hit for Brito. Drury flied out to right and Segura grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-3.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brad Zeigler. He pulled the Houdini in the top of the eighth to keep the Sox on top.

                                                                     Hero Ziegler

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 3 with a walk, a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Junichi Tazawa got the final 2 outs of the 6th inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 19th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Matt Barnes walked the bases loaded in the top of the eighth.

Clay Buchholz allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 3 hits and 3 walks.

The Ugly:

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

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run home run and he scored 3 runs.

Robbie Ross Jr allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Final Thoughts:

What an effort by Ziegler and the Red Sox there. Having to start Buchholz with Steven Wright down, surviving that, then surviving the eighth inning. Sandy Leon would probably be in contention for AL MVP if he was brought up just a month earlier. Bogaerts and Betts are cooling off big time due to bumps & bruises with limited days off since the all-star break but the bottom of the order got it done tonight. Benintendi, Holt and Leon stepped up big time and the Sox would be in a playoff spot if the season ended now. Still, there's 47 games left in the season and the Sox need a nice winning streak to the catch the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles. The Sox have a death march against the AL East next month that might decide the division but they can get ahead of the curve with a streak now. If only Wright didn't get hurt, Buchholz isn't giving them much. The win improved the Sox to 63-52, 2 games behind the Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox go for the series sweep tomorrow afternoon when "Slick" Rick Porcello (15-3) takes on Zack Greinke of Arizona. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Rally Past Sox Again (8/11/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Bryce Brentz was sent down to Pawtucket and in his place, Roenis Elias was called up. Andrew Benintendi had made Brentz expendable and the Sox need Elias with Steven Wright down.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                IN

As for the game, looks like Alex Rodriguez is going to get the last laugh after all. For seven innings the Boston Red Sox were once again beating the New York Yankees for the second game in a row. Eduardo Rodriguez held the Yankees to just 1 run in 7 innings in his best start of the season while Hanley Ramirez tagged Michael Pineda twice for runs. Then Brad Ziegler came in to pitch the top of the eighth and allowed a 2 run double to Jacoby Ellsbury to put the Yankees on top and A-Rod drove in the final run. The Sox got the tying run on base in the ninth but Dellin Betances closed it out. The Yankees humiliated the Red Sox for the second straight night as the Yankees won 4-2.

                                                           Live look at A-Rod

Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Brett Gardner struck out swinging to start. Jacoby Ellsbury struck out swinging on a slider low and away and Chase Headley lined out to short to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Pineda in the bottom of the first as Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right but David Ortiz hit a ground rule double into the right field stands. Hanley Ramirez got a base hit to center and Ortiz somehow beat the throw home to give the Sox the lead. Ramirez took second on the throw but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Ortiz motors home

Alex Rodriguez lined out to second to start the top of the second and Starlin Castro flied out to left. Didi Grigorious popped up third to end the inning. Travis Shaw grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded back to the mound. Sandy Leon hit a ground rule double when a fan reached over and grabbed a line drive down the left field line. The fan was escorted out of Fenway by armed security and Andrew Benintendi struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Yankees struck back in the top of the third although Gary Sanchez struck out swinging to start. Austin Romine hit a home run all the way to Romulus to tie the game. Aaron Hicks singled off the glove of Bogaerts but Gardner grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                               Romine ties it up

Pedroia doubled to left to start the bottom of the third as Hockey East commissioner Joe Bertagna joined the broadcast booth. His claim to fame was he was the unnamed goalie in the movie Love Story that was nominated for Best Picture in 1970. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to move Pedroia to third and Ortiz walked. Ramirez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Ellsbury flied out to left to start the top of the fourth and Headley did the same. A-Rod popped up to second to end the inning after showing footage of him inside the Green Monster.

                                                              A-Rod having some fun
 

JBJ was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the fourth but Shaw flied out to center. JBJ was thrown out at second trying to steal but Holt got a base hit to right. Leon singled in the hole at second to move Holt to third but Benintendi grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Castro flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Gregorius got a base hit to left. Sanchez flied out to center but Romine walked. Hicks grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Pedroia was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to start. Bogaerts singled to right but Ortiz lined out to center. Ramirez doubled to center to score Bogaerts and JBJ walked. Shaw flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox back on top 2-1.

                                                       Ramirez is fired up

Gardner grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth and Ellsbury took strike three. Headley grounded out to short to end the inning. Holt flied out to left to start the bottom of the sixth and Leon took strike three. Benintendi flied out to left to end the inning.

Rodriguez came back for one final inning in the top of the seventh as A-Rod struck out swinging to start. Castro struck out swinging and Gregorius flied out to center to end the inning. Rodriguez was great, tossing 7 innings of one run ball allowing 3 hits and a walk.

                                                             Good work E-Rod

Luis Cessa came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Pedroia grounded out to first to start. Bogaerts and Ortiz both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brad Ziegler came in to cough up the game in the top of the eighth as Sanchez collided with Ramirez after a grounder to second and the umps ruled him safe. Mark Teixeira pinch hit for Romine and struck out swinging. Hicks singled to right, Gardner singled to center and Ellsbury doubled to left, scoring both Sanchez and Hicks to put the Yankees up for good. Headley was intentionally walked to load the bases and A-Rod scored Gardner on a squibber in front of the plate. Castro struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-2.

                                                    Ramirez' expression says it all

Aaron Hill pinch hit for Ramirez to start the bottom of the eighth and grounded out to short. JBJ grounded out to third and Shaw flied out to center to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Gregorius struck out swinging to start. Sanchez and Teixeira both struck out swinging as well to end the inning. Dellin Betances came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Holt struck out swinging to start. Leon doubled to right and took third on a wild pitch. Benintendi walked to put the tying run on but Pedroia struck out swinging. Bogaerts took strike three to end the game. The Yankees had won it 4-2.

                                                                  Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Brad Ziegler. He allowed the 3 runs in the eighth to lose the game.

                                                               Jackass Ziegler

The Good:

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Jackie Bradley walked and was hit with a pitch in four plate appearances.

Sandy Leon was 3 for 4.

Eduardo Rodriguez allowed just 1 run in 7 innings off 3 hits and a walk.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth inning,.

The Bad:

Aaron Hill was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Travis Shaw was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox are in deep doo-doo because everything is going wrong at once. Guys are getting banged up left and right and the bullpen is imploding before our eyes. The Sox have been begging for good starts from Drew Pomeranz and Eduardo Rodriguez and they totally wasted them both. That was Rodriguez' best start of the season and it went for naught. Ziegler has been automatic since the Sox traded for him so this was even more frustrating. The season started with so much promise but injuries and ineffectiveness has them in third place and fading fast. Unless the Sox find a way to navigate through the injuries, they're going to be on the outside looking in come October. Sox manager John Farrell pinch running Steven Wright started a trickle effect that the Sox haven't recovered from. Losing 2 of 3 to the Yankees with the retiring A-Rod getting the final rbi is just embarrassing. The loss dropped the Sox to 61-52, 3 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in the Arizona Diamondbacks for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. David Price (9-8) takes on Patrick Corbin of Arizona. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Ninth Inning Rally Stuns Angels (7/31/16)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed to another miserable loss with no offense. Tyler Skaggs and the Angels bullpen had held the Sox scoreless while the Angels put up 3 runs in 5 innings against Boston starter Steven Wright. Clay Buchholz (4-9, 5.79 ERA) manage to hold the Angels scoreless and the Sox went into the ninth down 3-0. All of a sudden Mookie Betts drove in a run and Dustin Pedroia clobbered a 3 run home run to put the Sox ahead. Xander Bogaerts hit a home run of his own and suddenly the Sox had a two run lead. The tying run came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth but Brad Ziegler slammed the door and the Sox stole one, 5-3 at Angel Stadium.

                                                                      Happy fans

Skaggs got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts walked to start. Dustin Pedroia swung at strike three in the dirt and Xander Bogaerts took strike three and David Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. Wright got the ball in the bottom of the first and Yunel Escobar doubled to left to start. Kole Calhoun walked and Mike Trout got a base hit to left. Escobar tried for home and Ryan Hanigan missed the tag....but Escobar never touched home. The alert Wright picked up the ball and tagged Escobar out. Albert Pujols singled to right to load the bases and Andrelton Simmons struck out swinging but the ball got away. Hanigan made a mad dash to retrieve the ball and throw out Calhoun at home to end the inning. The Angels got 3 hits and a walk and ended up with nothing.

                                                   "You're out you dummy!" - Wright

Hanley Ramirez beat out a roller to second to start the top of the second before taking second on a passed ball. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short, Aaron Hill took strike three and Ryan Hanigan grounded out to second to end the inning. Jefry Marte singled to left to start the bottom of the second then Ji-Man Choi singled in the hole at short. Carlos Perez took strike three before Johnny Giavotella flied out to right. Escobar took strike three to end the inning.

Bryce Brentz walked to start the top of the third but Mr. Mookie struck out swinging. Pedroia struck out swinging and Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning. Calhoun struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Trout grounded back to the mound. Pujols popped up to first to end the inning.

Ortiz grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth and Ramirez grounded out to second. JBJ dumped a base hit to right but Hill flied out to left to end the inning. Simmons singled to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Marte hit one up the elevator shaft. Choi took strike three and Perez flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Hanigan grounded out to short to start. Brentz and Betts both got singles but Pedroia took strike three that was a little high. Sox manager John Farrell sprinted out of the dugout with a sickle and took a swing at home plate umpire Gabe Morales. Farrell was escorted out of the park by armed security. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                  "YOU SUCK MORALES!" - Farrell

Wright fell apart in the bottom of the fifth as Giavotella flied out to left to start. Escobar got a base hit to center and Calhoun blooped a base hit to center to move Yunel to third. Trout singled off the glove of a jumping Bogaerts to score Escobar and move Calhoun to third. Pujols grounded out to second to score Calhoun and Simmons walked. Marte drilled a base hit to center to score Trout to seemingly ice the game. Choi was hit with a pitch but home plate umpire Gabe Morales refused to send him to first because he made no attempt to get out of the way. Choi popped up to Bogaerts to end the inning with the Rangels up 3-0. That was it for Wright who allowed 3 runs in just 5 innings off 10 hits and 2 walks.

                                                           Not Wright's best stuff

Ortiz struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and that was the day for Skaggs. Deolis Guerra came in to face Ramirez and Hanley popped up to first. JBJ reached on an error by Marte but Hill flied out to right to end the inning. Clay Buchholz came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Perez hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Giavotella lined out to second and Escobar flied out to right to end the inning.

Hanigan took strike three to start the top of the seventh and Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Brentz. Holt doubled into the left field corner but Betts struck out swinging. Angels manager Mike Scoscia brought in JC Ramirez to face Pedroia and Dustin grounded out to second to end the inning. Calhoun struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Trout drew a walk. Pujols flied out to center but Buchholz threw a pickoff throw away to allow Mike to reach third. Simmons flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                          Nice throw Claydro

Bogaerts grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth with Shane Robinson in for Marte. Ortiz struck out swinging and Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning. Robinson grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Choi lined out to center. Perez popped up to Pedroia to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the top of the ninth with Gregorio Petit in for Giavotella and Huston Street now on the mound. JBJ walked and Hill got a base hit to center, but Hanigan struck out swinging. Holt struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie was down to his last strike....when Betts singled to right to score JBJ. Out of nowhere Pedroia jacked a 3 run home run to dead center to put the Sox on top. Not to be outdone, Bogaerts clobbered his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead. Jose Alvarez came in to pitch to Ortiz and David flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                              Happy Sox

Brad Ziegler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Petit grounded out to second to start. Escobar ate up Ziegler on a comebacker but Brad recovered to get Calhoun to bang into a double play to end the game. The Sox had stole the game 5-3.

                                                                  What a victory

Hero of The Night is Dustin Pedroia. His 3 run home run in the top of the ninth won the game for the Sox.

                                                              Hero Pedroia

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Bryce Brentz was 1 for 1 with a walk.

Brock Holt was 1 for 2.

Clay Buchholz got the win with 3 scoreless innings.

Brad Ziegler earned his 20th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Steven Wright was tagged for 3 runs in just 5 innings on TEN hits and 2 walks.

Final Thoughts:

That was the biggest win of the season so far. The Baltimore Orioles snapped their losing streak and the Sox was one strike away from losing 3-0 with their manager ejected. All of a sudden Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts turned the game from 3-0 down to up 5-3. The Sox had one of the best offenses in baseball and they proved it today. On the other side of the ball, Wright faltered but Buchholz was there to pick up the pieces. On top of that, Ziegler locked it down after getting drilled on a comebacker. The Sox can't afford to lose Brad with Craig Kimbrell still out. That was definitely a gutty win and the Sox needed it badly on this road trip. The Sox may make a move at the trade deadline tomorrow, they might now. If they do, it'll be interesting to see who they get and who they give up. Until then, hopefully this win can give them some momentum. The win improved the Sox to 57-46, 1.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now continue their west coast trip by flying to Seattle for a four game set with the Mariners beginning tomorrow night. Eduardo Rodriguez goes for the Sox against James Paxton of Seattle. The game begins at 10:10 PM Eastern time at Safeco Field.

Angels Walkoff Ziegler, Sox (7/28/16)

For the second straight night, the normally reliable Brad Ziegler blew a save to allow the other team to win. Only this time, he wasn't the only problem. The Boston Red Sox behind David Price held the Angels scoreless for eight innings while Mookie Betts had driven the game's only run against Jered Weaver. In the bottom of the ninth, the Angels loaded the bases with one out. Old friend Daniel Nava hit a grounder to Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez threw the ball away trying to get Mike Trout at home allowing Mike and Albert Pujols to score, ending the game just like that. The Angels had stunned the Sox 2-1 at Angel Stadium.

                                                           "Another loss"

Weaver got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to the centerfield wall to start. Dustin Pedroia got a base hit to right and looked to have stolen second....but Angels manager Mike Scioscia challenged that Dustin was out. Sure enough, replays showed Pedroia was out and Xander Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning. Price got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Yunel Escobar hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Kole Calhoun struck out swinging and Mike Trout grounded out to short to end the inning.

David Ortiz walked to start the top of the second but Hanley Ramirez lined out to a running Gregorio Petit. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging and Travis Shaw flied out to left to end the inning. Albert Pujols got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second but Jefry Marte grounded into a double play. Andrelton Simmons grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Sandy Leon lashed a base hit to right to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt ripped a base hit to right to move Leon to third and Mr. Mookie hit a sac fly to left to score Leon. Pedroia hit a bullet to Simmons who doubled Holt off first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                               Leon scores a run

Jet Bandy got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the third but Gregorio Petit grounded into a double play. Johnny Giavotella struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bogaerts flied out to left to start the top of the fourth but Ortiz lined a base hit to right. Ramirez singled to center but JBJ grounded into a double play to end the inning. Escobar grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth but Calhoun caught Price asleep with a bunt single. Trout forced Calhoun at second and Pujols took strike three to end the inning.

Shaw lined out to second to start the top of the fifth and Leon flied out to left. Holt lined out to second to end the inning. The Angels threatened in the bottom of the fifth as Marte got a base hit up the middle to start. Simmons struck out swinging but Bandy walked. Marte was thrown out trying to steal third but Petit singled to center. Giavotella singled to right to load the bases but Escobar forced Giavotella at second to end the inning.

Mr. Mookie flied out to center to start the top of the sixth before Pedroia flied out to right. Bogaerts ripped a base hit to center and Ortiz was intentionally walked. JC Ramirez was brought in to face Ramirez and Hanley flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Calhoun grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Trout grounded out to short. Pujols lined out to center to end the inning.

Fernando Salas came in to pitch the top of the seventh and JBJ grounded out to first to start. Shaw singled to right but Leon forced him at second. Holt grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Marte grounded out to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Simmons took strike three. Bandy grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Joe Smith came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mr. Mookie singled to left to start. Betts got picked off and Pedroia grounded out to second. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. Price returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Petit grounded out to third to start. Giavotella flied out to right but Escobar singled to center. Calhoun struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Price who pitched arguably his best game of the season, tossing 8 shutout innings allowing 7 hits and a walk.

                                                         Great work Price

Cam Bedrosian came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Ortiz popped up to third. Ramirez and JBJ both struck out swinging to end the inning. Brad Ziegler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Trout beat out a grounder to third to start. Pujols ripped a base hit to left and Carlos Perez pinch hit for Marte. Ji-man Choi pinch ran for Pujols, but Perez fouled off a bunt for strike three. Simmons ripped a base hit to center to load the bases and old pal Daniel Nava pinch hit for Bandy. Ziegler was 0-2 on Nava when Daniel hit a routine grounder to Ramirez. Hanley threw home....5 feet over the glove of Leon. Both Trout and Choi scored to win the game for the Angels 2-1 just like that.

                                                             Angels win

Jackass of the Night is Hanley Ramirez. His error led the game winning runs to score.

                                                             Nice throw, Jackass

The Good:

David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Travis Shaw was 1 for 3.

Sandy Leon was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3.

David Price deserved the win with 8 shutout innings allowing just 7 hits and a walk while striking out 6.

The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Brad Ziegler took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the bottom of the ninth.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with an rbi but got picked off in a one run game.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 and was caught stealing in a one run game.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Final Thoughts:

That game and especially that ending was an absolute nut punch. The last two weeks the Sox either get outslugged or outpitched when desperately needed. David Price pitches arguably his best game of the season and the Sox can only scratch out a run against Michael Fulmer and Cam Bedrosian. Even in the ninth inning all Ramirez had to do was throw correctly home and they might have won this one. Still, it was Ziegler who walked the bases loaded and the offense that only scored one run. No one is safe in this one, even Mr. Mookie got picked off and Pedroia was thrown out trying to steal. The return of Craig Kimbrel soon should give the Sox a proven closer back but Ziegler's been shaky the last two games. If the AL East race wasn't so close, every game wouldn't be as important. Unfortunately this was a winnable game and they blew it big time. Two days in a row they allow a last second home run and now they've lost 6 out of their last 7 games. Only thing they can do is try to salvage the rest of this series. The loss dropped the Sox to 55-45, 2.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back against the Angels tomorrow night when "Slick" Rick Porcello (13-2) takes on former San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum. The game begins at 10:10 PM Eastern time at Angel Stadium.