Sox Beat Rays In Season Finale (10/5/22)

The miserable 2022 Boston Red Sox season is finally over and at least the Sox went out with a bang, sweeping the Tampa Bay Rays out of Boston before their first round showdown with the Cleveland Guardians. JD Martinez in his possible final game with the Red Sox was the hero of this one, hitting two home runs including a 3 run bomb to pace the offense. Sox starter Nick Pivetta allowed 2 runs in 4 innings but Eduard Bazardo picked up his first career win by pitching the fifth inning. The Sox pulled away in the bottom of the eighth with rbis from Triston Casas and Christian Arroyo and Matt Barnes earned possibly his final save with the Red Sox as Boston ended 2022 winners with a 6-3 victory over the Rays at Fenway Park.

                                                                We made it!

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first and Manny Margot struck out swinging to start. Randy Arozarena struck out swinging but Jiman Choi got a base hit to right. Harold Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Josh Fleming in the bottom of the first inning as Kike Hernandez grounded out to short to start. Rafael Devers got a base hit to left and Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right. Alex Verdugo beat out a double play ball and JD Martinez smashed his 15th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Eric Hosmer grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                         Martinez jacks one

Isaac Paredes walked to start the top of the second and David Peralta did the same. Rene Pinto took strike three and Taylor Walls forced Peralta at second. Jonathan Aranda grounded out to second to end the inning. Christian Arroyo got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the second and Reese McGuire struck out swinging. Abraham Almonte took strike three and Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Rays struck back in the top of the third as Margot grounded out to second to start. Arozarena got a base hit to left and Choi hit a home run all the way to South Korea to cut the lead. Ramirez flied out to center and Paredes did the same to end the inning with the Rays down 3-2.

                                                               Choi hits one out

Devers grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third and Bogaerts struck out swinging. Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning.

Peralta flied out to center to start the top of the fourth but Pinto doubled to center. Walls walked but Aranda struck out swinging. Margot forced Walls at second to end the inning. That was it for Pivetta who was pitching well but Alex Cora wanted the bullpen to get in one last game. He allowed 2 runs in 4 innings.

                                                    Pivetta shuts it down for the winter

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez belted his possibly last home run in a Red Sox uniform to start. Hosmer singled to center but Arroyo grounded into a double play. McGuire got a base hit to center but Almonte grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                             Martinez hits another one out

Eduard Bazardo came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Triston Casas took over for Hosmer at first. Arozarena walked and Vidal Brujan ran for him. Brujan got picked off and its a good thing he was because Choi doubled to right. Ramirez grounded back to the mound and Paredes grounded out to short to end the inning. Hernandez took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth and Devers grounded out to first. Bogaerts beat out a roller to third to chase Fleming. Shawn Armstrong came in and Walls struck out swinging to end the inning.

Matt Strahm came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Peralta was hit with a pitch to start. Pinto grounded into a double play and Walls struck out swinging to end the inning. Javy Guerra came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Martinez flied out to right to begin. Casas flied out to left and Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning.

Yu Chang took over for Bogaerts, Bobby Dalbec took over for Devers and Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the seventh. Aranda struck out swinging to start and Margot lined out to left. Brujan then hit a home run all the way to Concord to cut the lead. Choi walked and Josi Siri pinch hit for Ramirez. Siri lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                          Couldn't quite get it

JT Chargois came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and McGuire flied out to center to start. Almonte was hit with a pitch but Hernandez grounded into a double play to end the inning.

John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Paredes flied out to center. Peralta hit a ground rule double down the right field linen but Pinto struck out swinging. Walls walked but Aranda flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the eighth as Jimmy Yacabonis came in to pitch. Dalbec beat out a roller to third and Chang drew a walk. Verdugo flied out to left and Connor Wong pinch hit for Martinez. Wong walked to load the bases and Casas walked to score Chang. Arroyo drove in the final run of the year with a base hit to right to score Chang. McGuire struck out swinging and Almonte took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 6-3.

                                                        Sox ending the season with a bang

Matt Barnes came in to close out the top of the ninth and Margot grounded out to second to start. Brujan flied out to left and Choi flied out to center to end the game & the season. The Sox had won it 6-3.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of The Night is JD Martinez. In his last game with Boston he hit two home runs and outscored the Rays by himself.

                                                                     One final Hero

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec singled and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3.

Yu Chang walked and scored a run.

Connor Wong walked in his only at-bat.

Eric Hosmer was 1 for 2.

Triston Casas walked and scored a run.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Nick Pivetta allowed just 2 runs in 4 innings.

Eduardo Bazardo got the win with a scoreless fifth inning.

Matt Straham pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Matt Barnes earned his 8th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Reese McGuire was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Abraham Almonte was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Final Thoughts:

Now its time for the eulogy. This year was pretty much decided before the season when Sox GM Chaim Bloom made the mistakes of letting Kyle Schwarber walk and trading Hunter Renfroe for Jackie Bradley Jr. Schwarber hit 46 home runs for Philadelphia and Hunter hit 29 for Milwaukee. Franchy Cordero hit 8 and JBJ hit 3 before being released. The failure by proxy is Bobby Dalbec hit just 12. That's 75 home runs to 23....yikes. On top of that, Trevor Story was a titanic bust hitting .238 in just 94 games. The killer can be blamed on Sox GM Chaim Bloom if you want but the injuries did the team in. Rich Hill, James Paxton and Michael Wacha all got hurt along with Nathan Eovaldi causing the Sox to rely on four rookies. Connor Seabold, Kutter Crawford, Brayan Bello and Josh Winckowski weren't ready for prime time and the AL East feasted on them. Even when the Sox traded pieces at the deadline, Eric Hosmer was hurt within 2 weeks and the Sox faded out of sight with their bad pitching. The July disaster against the Toronto Blue Jays was the microcosm of the lost season. Bad pitching and couldn't beat the AL East. Worse, John Henry has made it clear he's done spending money so we've probably seen the last of every expiring contract including Bogaerts, Hosmer, Pham, Matt Strahm, Nate Eovaldi and Martinez. Replacing Schwarber and Renfroe was a disaster so Sox fans have almost zero faith Sox GM Chaim Bloom can do any better this coming winter. Who knows, maybe John Henry will have a change of heart and they'll sign some free agents and re-sign Bogaerts....yeah right. The final record of the season is 78-84, good for last place for the second time in three seasons. Chaim Bloom did everything asked of him by the owners and could get fired anyway. The farm system didn't have a good season compared to last year either so he's on the hot seat for sure. Hopefully the Sox can turn it around and we can laugh at this season by this time next year....we hope.

Jays Sweep Hapless Sox (10/2/22)

The good news is the Boston Red Sox don't have to play the Toronto Blue Jays anymore. The bad news was this is after the Jays just completed a three game sweep and won 16 out of 19 games this year, almost all of them by multiple runs.  At least this game wasn't embarrassing, they just got beat. Kevin Gausman allowed 2 runs in 3 innings and said "I'm ready for the playoffs, I'm out." and the Sox still couldn't win. Michael Wacha (11-2, 3.32 ERA) ended his season on a sour note, allowing 5 runs in 4 innings. A two run single off Gausman by Bobby Dalbec gave the Sox the lead but home runs by Teoscar Hernandez and Whit Merrifield tied it. The Jays rallied for three more runs off Wacha and the only other run scored by Boston was a Bobby Dalbec home run. Kaleb Ort allowed a run in the seventh and the Blue Jays put a cigarette out on the 2022 season with a 6-3 victory at the Skydome

                                                                  3 more games

Gausman got the ball in the top of the first and Kike Hernandez flied out to center to start. Triston Casas struck out swinging and Tommy Pham lined out to short to end the inning. Wacha got the ball in the bottom of the first and George Springer popped up to third to start. Bo Bichette grounded out to second and Vladimir Guerrero Jr grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as JD Martinez got a base hit to left to start. Christian Arroyo struck out swinging but Abraham Almonte doubled to center. Yu Chang struck out swinging but Bobby Dalbec got a base hit to center to drive in both runners. Connor Wong grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                             Dalbec driving in a pair

The Jays answered in the bottom of the second as Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run all the way to Quebec to start. Matt Chapman popped up to short before Danny Jansen struck out swinging. Raimel Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays down 2-1.

                                                       Home run Hernandez

Hernandez got a base hit to center to start the top of the third but was forced at center by Casas. Pham struck out swinging and Martinez flied out to left to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Whit Merrifield hit a home run all the way to Newfoundland to start. Old pal Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to third but Springer got a base hit in the hole at short. Bichette grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                             Home run Merrifield

Zach Pop came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Arroyo grounded out to second to start. Almonte grounded back to the mound and Chang grounded out to second to end the inning. The Jays took command in the bottom of the fourth as Guerrero walked to start. Hernandez smashed a home run all the way to Calgary to put the Jays up for good. Chapman took struck three but Jansen doubled to center. Tapia struck out swinging but Merrifield got a base hit to left. Jansen scored and Wong threw the ball away for an error to allow Whit to take third. Bradley Jr grounded out to first to end the inning with the Jays up 5-2. That was it for Wacha as he allowed 5 runs in 4 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

                                                    Hernandez  with another home run

Dalbec struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Wong did the same. Wong struck out swinging and Hernandez lined out to first to end the inning. Eduardo Bazardo came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Springer got a base hit to right to start. It looked like Springer stole second but Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Springer was out. Sure enough, replays showed he was out. Bichette struck out swinging and Guerrero Jr grounded out to first to end the inning.

Adam Cimber came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Casas lined out to center to start. Pham grounded out to short but Martinez got a base hit to center. Arroyo beat out a roller past the mound but Almonte flied out to left to end the inning. Hernandez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Chapman was hit with a pitch. Jansen flied out to center and Tapia hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Anthony Bass came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Chang grounded out to short to start. Somehow Dalbec crushed his 12th home run of the season to cut the lead. Wong grounded out to short and Hernandez lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                       Dalbec finally hits one out

Naturally Kaleb Ort came in to allow a run in the bottom of the seventh as Merrifield doubled to right to start. Bradley Jr grounded out to second to move Merrifield to third and Springer hit a grounder to short. Chang fired home but Merrifield beat the throw to increase the lead. Bichette forced Springer at second then stole second himself. Guerrero Jr lined out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 6-3.

                                                           Jays score another run

Yimi Garcia came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Casas appeared to have singled to center on a trap. The Jays challenged but replays showed it was a trap. Naturally Pham banged into a double play anyway and Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning. Franklin German came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Hernandez got a base hit to center to start. Chapman walked but Jansen went down hacking. Tapia swung at air and Merrifield forced Chapman at second to end the inning.

Bradley Zimmer took over for Hernandez with Jordan Romano in to close out the top of the ninth. Arroyo popped up to second but Almonte reached on a throwing error by Guerrero. Chang took strike three but Almonte stole second. Dalbec flied out to center to end the game. The Jays had swept the Sox and won this game 6-3.

                                                                       Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Michael Wacha. He allowed 5 runs in 4 innings to put the game out of reach and take the loss.

                                                           Jackass Wacha

The Good:

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 total rbis.

Eduardo Bazardo tossed two scoreless innings.

Franklin German pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Yu Chang was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with an error and a strikeout.

Kaleb Ort allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Abraham Almonte was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Thank god this season is almost over. That was the last time the Sox have to face Toronto and that was their last road trip of the season. The Red Sox have gotten dominated by New York Yankee teams of the past but losing 16 out of 19 is straight belt to ass. If the Jays had still beaten the Sox 11 games to 8, the Sox would be over .500. One of the worst things about this season was if the Sox had a decent record against AL East teams, they'd be in the playoffs. Add 4 more wins against the Jays, Yankees, Orioles and Rays and right now they'd have 91 wins. Its a shame the way things turned out the way they did but that's on Chaim Bloom. He allowed Schwarber to walk and trade Renfroe for Bradley. Then he went bargain bin shopping for Wacha, James Paxton and Rich Hill and all 3 got hurt. The biggest factor wasn't even Bloom's fault but Chris Sale only pitching in two games this year. As for this one? Wacha had a good season but not even he could stop the Jays onslaught. The Sox need to design their offense and pitching to stop them next season in the off-season....if Bloom is allowed to do that. The loss dropped the Sox to 75-84, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now come home for their final 3 games of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays. Rich Hill makes his final start for the Red Sox against Tyler Glasnow of Tampa. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Martinez, Sox Drop Orioles (9/29/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Nathan Eovaldi was activated from the Injured List to make two more starts before the season is over. The rumor is he won't be coming back so this is audition time. Connor Seabold was optioned to Worcester and his season is over after going 0-4 with a 11.29 ERA. Better luck next year Connor.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, its not only Nate Eovaldi that's auditioning for other teams. Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez won't be coming back and Martinez was the hero in this one, breaking a 3-3 tie to put the Sox ahead with a home run. The returning Nathan Eovaldi lasted just 5 innings but only allowed 2 runs to the Baltimore Orioles. The Sox tied the game against Mike Baumann with two rbis from Triston Casas and Kike Hernandez. The Sox took a 3-2 lead but Kyle Stowers hit a home run off Matt Strahm in the seventh. With one out in the eighth, JD Martinez took Dillon Tate deep for a two run home run. Kaleb Ort slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox had taken three in a row from the Orioles including this one 5-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                  1999 Pedro Martinez approves of the win

Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first and Cedric Mullins struck out swinging to start. Adley Rutschman doubled to left but Anthony Santander lined out to second. Ryan Mountcastle grounded out to second to end the inning. Baumann got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tommy Pham grounded out to short to start. Rafael Devers flied out to center but Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right. Alex Verdugo doubled to right but JD Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.

Gunnar Henderson doubled to right to start the top of the second but Austin Hays popped up to second. Rougned Odor hit a bullet to Bogaerts who doubled off Gunnar to end the inning. Triston Casas grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second but Christian Arroyo doubled to left. Kike Hernandez and Connor Wong both grounded out to short to end the inning.

The O's struck first in the top of the third as Kyle Stowers got a base hit to right to start. Jorge Mateo got a base hit to left and both runners moved over on the swinging bunt by Mullins in front of the plate. Rutschman grounded out to first to score Stowers and Casas booted a grounder by Santander for an error to score Mateo. Mountcastle lined out to left to end the inning with the O's up 2-0.

                                                     "I don't got it" - Casas

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third as Pham grounded out to short to start. Devers also grounded out to short and Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning.

Henderson got a base hit to right to start the top of the fourth but Hays took strike three. Odor flied out to center and Stowers popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Verdugo grounded out to second to start. Martinez doubled to left and and Casas atoned for his error with a double to left to score him. Arroyo struck out swinging but Hernandez drilled a base hit to right to score Casas. Wong took strike three to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.

                                                             Hernandez ties it up

Mateo struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Mullins popped up to third. All of a sudden Sox manager Alex Cora bounded out of the dugout to take the ball after just 72 pitches. Eovaldi shouted at him and left under protest. How do you take a guy out of his potential last start in Boston out after 72 pitches? Eduardo Bazardo walked Rutschman but got Santander to ground back to the mound to end the inning. Eovaldi lasted 4 2/3 innings and allowed 2 runs on just 5 hits.

                                                              Eovaldi doesn't last long

Bryan Baker came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Pham flied out to right to start. Devers flied out to left and Bogaerts lined out to left to end the inning.

Mountcastle struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth and Henderson also went down hacking. Hays flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox got to Cionel Perez in the bottom of the sixth and Verdugo got a base hit to right to start. A wild pitch moved Verdugo to second but Martinez struck out swinging. Casas beat out a roller to short to put runners at the corners and Arroyo grounded out to third to score Verdugo. Hernandez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

                                                           Casas scores a run

Matt Strahm came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Odor grounded out to second to start. Stowers then hit a home run all the way to Sri Lanka to tie the game. Mateo struck out swinging but Mullins beat out a roller to third. Rutschman grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                                Stowers jacks one

Logan Gillaspie came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Abraham Almonte pinch hit for Wong. Almonte struck out swinging, Pham lined out to right and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning.

Zack Kelly came in to pitch with Reese McGuire behind the plate for the top of the eighth inning. Santander flied out to left to start and Mountcastle struck out swinging. Arroyo booted a grounder by Henderson for an error and Hays got a base hit to left. Odor forced Hays at second to end the inning. Dillon Tate came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts walked to start. Verdugo forced Xander at second but Martinez blasted his 14th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Casas walked but was forced at second by Arroyo. Hernandez forced Arroyo at second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-3.

                                                          Martinez puts Boston on top

Yu Chang came in to play second with Kaleb Ort in to close out the top of the ninth. Stowers struck out swinging and Terrin Vavra pinch hit for Mateo. Vavra grounded out to short but Mullins got a base hit to center. Rutschman grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is JD Martinez. His two run home run put the Sox up for good in the eighth.

                                                                      JD Hero

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Triston Casas was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Nathan Eovaldi allowed just 1 earned run in 4 2/3 innings off 5 hits.

Eduard Bazardo tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Zack Kelly got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.

Kaleb Ort earned his first save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 4.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Abraham Almonte struck out as a pinch hitter.

Matt Strahm allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and and error but drove in a run.

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Yu Chang played second base in the top of the ninth.

Reese McGuire caught the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Six games remaining and this might have been the final home run for JD Martinez and start by Nathan Eovaldi. They might shut them both down or they may not. But if this was it, that was a hell of a goodbye by Martinez. Its too bad Triston Casas wasn't around all year, Jarren Duran regressed and Trevor Story wasn't healthy because a lineup of Duran, Verdugo, Bogaerts, Devers, Martinez, Story, Casas, Christian Vazquez and Kike Hernandez would have been great. Then again, the problem was four of the five starters got hurt and couldn't beat the AL East as a result. The Sox just took 3 out of 4 against Baltimore but its too little, too late. It would be funny if the Sox win their last 6 in a row to end the year on a 10 game win streak...but that's very unrealistic. The only thing left to do is enjoy all these guys that most likely won't be back for the next six games. The win improved the Sox to 75-81, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Toronto for their final road trip of the season against the Blue Jays, who's 13-3 against them this season. Nick Pivetta (10-11) goes for the Sox against Alek Manoah of Toronto.

Rizzo, Yankees Drop Sox (9/24/22)

For the third game in a row, the New York Yankees found a way to beat the Boston Red Sox late in the game. This time it was Anthony Rizzo who did the honors. The Sox broke out to a 3-1 lead on Domingo German on home runs from Triston Casas and Reese McGuire, but the Yankees put 5 runs on the board against Nick Pivetta. Rbis from Casas and Alex Verdugo tied the game but a 2 run home run by Rizzo off John Schreiber was the dagger. The Sox had 2 men in in the top of the eighth and the bases loaded in the ninth, but Scott Effross got Bobby Dalbec to ground out to end it. The Yankees eliminated the Sox and won the game 7-5 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                            Yankees massacre the Sox

German got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Pham struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees wasted no time getting to Pivetta in the bottom of the first as Aaron Judge took strike three to start. Anthony Rizzo popped up to second but Gleyber Torres hit a home run into the Long Island Sound to put New York on top. Josh Donaldson struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                             That didn't take long

The Sox answered in the top of the second as Alex Verdugo walked to start. Kike Hernandez grounded out to third to move Verdugo to second but Triston Casas belted his fourth home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Bobby Dalbec took strike three but Reese McGuire pounded his third home run of the season to increase the lead. Abraham Almonte took strike three to end the inning with Boston up 3-1.

                                                            McGuire jacks one out

The Yankees got another one in the bottom of the second as Giancarlo Stanton took strike three to start. Oswaldo Cabrera and Harrison Bader drew back to back walks and Isiah Kiner-Falefa got a base hit to left. Cabrera scored but Bader was thrown out at third. Kyle Higashioka popped up to third to end the inning with the Yankees down 3-2.

                                                              Yankees get a run back

Pham grounded out to second to start the top of the third and Devers flied out to left. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. Judge flied out to center to start the bottom of the third but Rizzo walked. Torres struck out swinging and Rizzo was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Verdugo doubled to right to start the top of the fourth but Hernandez flied out to center. Casas grounded out to first to move Verdugo to third but Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees took command in the bottom of the fourth as Donaldson took strike three to start. Stanton got a base hit in the hole at short and Cabrera hit a home run all the way to Albany to put New York on top. Bader took strike three and Kiner grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-3.

                                                      Cabrera puts New York ahead

McGuire grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth and Almonte popped up to second. Pham flied out to center to end the inning. The Yankees finished off Pivetta in the bottom of the fifth as Higashioka singled to center to start. Judge walked but Rizzo lined out to center to move Higashioka to third. Torres struck out swinging but Donaldson's swinging bunt up the third base line scored Higashioka. Stanton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 5-3. That was it for Pivetta who got rocked for 5 runs in 5 innings, not good.

                                                            Pivetta was horrible

Zack Britton came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Devers walked to start. Bogaerts singled to left but Verdugo struck out swinging. Hernandez walked to load the bases and Casas walked to score Devers. Lou Trivino came in to pitch to Dalbec and naturally Bobby watched strike three go by. McGuire grounded out to second as the Sox still trailed 5-4.

                                                               Sox get a run back

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Cabrera took strike three to start. Bader struck out swinging and Kiner grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the seventh as Almonte beat out a single to short to start. Pham struck out swinging and Lucas Luetge came in to face Devers. Rafael struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved Almonte to second. Bogaerts beat out a roller to third and Verdugo ripped a base hit to left to score Almonte. Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                             Sox tie it up

John Schreiber came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh with Aaron Hicks pinch hit for Higashioka. Hicks walked but Judge struck out swinging. Rizzo then hit a home run all the way to California to ice the game. Torres beat out a roller to third and Donaldson walked, but Stanton struck out swinging. Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 7-5.

                                                             Watch it go, Jackass

Jose Trevino came in for Hicks in the top of the eighth and Casas walked to start. Dalbec got a base hit to left to chase Luetge. Clarke Schmidt came in to face pinch hitter Rob Refsnyder and naturally Rob took strike three. Almonte lined out to center and Pham forced Casas at third to end the inning. Connor Wong took over behind the plate with Refsnyder taking Pham's spot and Eduard Bazardo on the mound to start the eighth. Bader grounded out to second to start and Kiner grounded to short. Trevino grounded out to short to end the inning.

Scott Effross came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers got a base hit to left to begin. Bogaerts got plunked but Verdugo struck out swinging. Hernandez grounded out to short to move the runners over and Casas walked to load the bases. Naturally Dalbec grounded out to short to end the game. The Yankees had won it 7-5.

                                                          Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is John Schreiber. His 2 run homer allowed cost the Sox the game.

                                                          John Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Triston Casas was 1 for 2 with 3 walks, a 2 run home run and 3 total rbis.

Reese McGuire was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Eduard Bazardo pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Rob Refsnyder struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Pivetta allowed 5 runs in just 5 innings off 6 hits and 4 walks.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Abraham Almonte was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong caught the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

This year can't end soon enough. The most frightening stat of all is if the Red Sox were just mediocre against the Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees, they'd be in a playoff spot. Instead they're dead last and eliminated from the playoffs. The only thing they did right is Aaron Judge didn't get his 61st homer, no Tracy Stallard just yet. This year has been so unfair to the point Schreiber has been so good all year but the one time he needed to shut the Yankees down, he couldn't do it. Then the bats load the bases in the ninth against a borderline AAA pitcher and couldn't get it done. Its been that kind of year and thankfully its over in 11 games. The loss dropped the Sox to 72-79, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a four game sweep tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball when Brayan Bello takes on Nestor Cortes of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Anderson, Reds Shut Down Sox (9/21/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Jaxx Groshans was released from the Greenville Drive after hitting just .154 in 53 games. He was a fifth round pick back in 2019 and if he can't hit in High A, not much you can do with him. In the majors, the Red Sox placed Garrett Whitlock on the Injured List with a bad hip. To make today's start, the Sox are calling up Connor Seabold. So long Groshans and see you next year Whitlock.

                                                                  OUT

                                                                         IN

The 2022 Boston Red Sox season is just about over and hopefully next year they have better luck health wise. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock's season is over and Connor Seabold (0-3, 10.47 ERA) failed to win his first game as he was beaten by the Cincinnati Reds. Chase Anderson held the supposedly good Sox offense to just 3 measly hits and a run in 5 innings. All in all the Boston bats had just 6 hits in a total no-show against a Reds team playing out the string. The Reds got 4 runs off Seabold and another run off Franklin German to end the Sox win streak with a 5-1 victory at Great American Ballpark.

                                                               Sox season just about over

Anderson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Pham was plunked to start. Rafael Devers flied out to right, Xander Bogaerts flied out to left and Alex Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning. Seabold got the ball in the bottom of the first and TJ Friedl struck out swinging to start. Jonathan India struck out swinging but Kyle Farmer was hit with a pitch. Jake Fraley struck out swinging to end the inning.

JD Martinez grounded out to short to start the top of the second before Triston Casas did the same. Rob Refsnyder took strike three to end the inning. Donovan Solano popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Aristides Aquino grounded out to third. Alejo Lopez popped up to short to end the inning.

Reese McGuire lined out to center to start the top of the third before Kike Hernandez lined out to left. Pham took strike three to end the inning. The Reds struck first in the bottom of the third as Stuart Fairchild got a base hit to right to start. Chuckie Robinson flied out to right and Friedl flied out to center, but a wild pitch moved Fairchild to second. India got a base hit to left and Fairchild scored when Pham threw the ball away. A wild pitch moved India to third but Farmer flied out to center to end the inning with the Reds up 1-0.

                                                             Nice throw Pham

The Sox responded in the top of the fourth as Devers beat out a roller to third to start. Bogaerts got a base hit to left to move Rafael to third, and Devers scored on the sac fly by Verdugo to center. Martinez struck out swinging and Bogaerts was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           Devers is safe

Fraley got a base hit to center but was immediately thrown out in a rundown trying to stretch a double to begin the bottom of the fourth. Solano popped up to second and Aquino flied out to right to end the inning.

Casas flied out to right to start the top of the fifth but Refsnyder got a base hit to left. McGuire struck out swinging and Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Reds broke Seabold in the bottom of the fifth as Lopez grounded out to first to start. Fairchild beat out a roller to third but Robinson struck out swinging. A wild pitch moved Fairchild to second but Friedl walked anyway. India got a base hit to center to score Fairchild and move Friedl to third. India swiped second and Farmer blooped a base hit to right to score both runners to ice the game. A wild pitch moved Farmer to second but Fraley grounded out to short to end the inning with the Reds up 4-1. That was it for Seabold who got rocked for 4 runs in 5 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

                                                        Seabold doesn't last long

Fernando Cruz came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Pham struck out swinging to start. Devers struck out swinging but Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Eduard Bazardo came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Solano flied out to right to start. Aquino and Lopez both flied out to center to end the inning.

Reiver Sanmartin came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Verdugo got a base hit to right to start. Martinez lined out to center and Casas grounded into a double play to end the inning. Tyler Danish came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Fairchild struck out swinging to start. Robinson got a base hit to right but Friedl flied out to center. India forced Robinson at second to end the inning.

Derek Law came in to pitch the top of the eighth with Matt Reynolds in for Lopez. Refsnyder grounded out to first, McGuire lined out to right and Hernandez flied out to right to end the inning. Franklin German came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Farmer grounded out to first to start. Fraley struck out swinging but Solano hit a home run all the way to Nebraska to wrap up the scoring. Aquino popped up to second to end the inning with the Reds up 5-1.

                                                             Home run Solano

Pham struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth but Devers got a base hit to left. Bogaerts also got a base hit to left and Alexis Diaz was brought in to face Verdugo. Naturally Verdugo grounded into a double play to end the game. The Reds had won it 5-1.

                                                                  Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Connor Seabold. He got lit up for 4 runs in just 5 innings of work to take the loss.

                                                        Jackass Seabold

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3.

Eduard Bazardo pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Tyler Danish pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 3.

Franklin German allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Final Thoughts:

Thankfully the season is just about over because this is flat out embarrassing. Its as if the Sox have totally checked out when they let guys like Chase Anderson and the Angels bullpen dominate them. Then again, starting guys like Connor Seabold doesn't exactly inspire confidence. Seabold was doing very well before falling apart in the fifth but that seems to be his M.O. This season went down the drain due to injuries but the offense falling flat down the stretch again and again with supposedly elite talent shouldn't be ignored. Devers, Martinez, Bogaerts and Verdugo should be killing the ball but instead they only get slap singles. Its fairly obvious that Martinez won't be coming back next year and Bogaerts might be gone as well. Its a shame how the season was supposed to be better than last year and fell completely apart. The loss dropped the Sox to 72-76, good for last place in the AL East with just 14 games left. The Sox look to get revenge on the New York Yankees tomorrow night when Michael Wacha (11-1, 2.61 ERA) takes on Jameson Taillon of New York. The game begins at 7:15 at Yankee Stadium.