Yankees Crush Red Sox (7/6/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. The Sox traded last year's 6th round pick, right handed pitcher CJ Weins to the Detroit Tigers for veteran relief pitcher Trey Wingenter. Also, the Salem Red Sox released Elvis Soto. Weins was 0-2 with a 4.81 ERA for Salem at the time of the trade and Wingenter was 4-4 with a 3.31 ERA for the Toledo Mud Hens. The Sox are desperate for middle relief and before the trade deadline, this was the best they were going to do. Soto was 0-3 with a 4.88 ERA in 7 starts for Salem this year and the Sox think last year's pitching crop can do better than that. Good luck to Weins and Soto.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, so much for the Red Sox hot streak. The New York Yankees dished it back to the Red Sox tonight as Josh Winckowski was rocked for 3 runs in just 3 2/3 innings and Brennan Bernardino (3-2, 1.72 ERA) was the one who gave up the go-ahead runs. The combo of Greg Weissert and Chase Anderson got nailed for NINE runs combined by a relentless Yankee attack. Ben Rice had THREE home runs including two 3 run bombs. Meanwhile the Sox did chase Gerrit Cole in the fifth inning after four runs allowed, but the Yankee bullpen held strong. All in all the Yankees pounded out 14 hits and 14 runs as they bashed Boston 14-4 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                     "Knock out Cole only to lose?"

Cole got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. David Hamilton took strike three and Wilyer Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. The Yankees wasted no time getting to Winckowski in the bottom of the first as Ben Rice hit a home run all the way to Cuba to instantly give New York the lead. Juan Soto popped up to third, Aaron Judge flied out to right and Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                               That didn't take long

Rafael Devers struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Enmanuel Valdez got a base hit to right. Masataka Yoshida flied out to left but Reese McGuire got a base hit to center. Dominic Smith walked to load the bases but Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Anthony Volpe grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second and Trent Grisham struck out swinging. Jose Trevino walked, Oswaldo Cabrera got a base hit to right and DJ LeMahieu walked to load the bases....but Rice struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Duran popped up to second to start. Hamilton doubled to right but Abreu flied out to center. Devers got a base hit to right to score Hamilton for his 1,000th career hit. Devers stole second, Valdez walked and Yoshida singled to left to score Rafael. McGuire got a base hit to left to score Valdez but Smith struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                           1,000 hits for Devers

The Yankees answered in the bottom of the third as Soto grounded out to first to start. Judge beat out a roller to the mound and Verdugo of all people hit a home run to Wyoming to tie the game. Volpe struck out swinging and Grisham's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Winckowski to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                           Anybody but him....

Rafaela struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Duran swung at air as well. Hamilton also went down hacking to end the inning. Trevino doubled to left to start the bottom of the fourth and Cabrera dropped down a bunt to move him to third. LeMahieu grounded out to short and that was it for Winckowski. He allowed 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks. Brennan Bernardino got Rice to line out to center to end the inning.

                                                     Josh had trouble with the long ball

The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth as Abreu struck out swinging to start. Devers clobbered his obligatory home run against Cole, 19th of the year to put Boston ahead. That was it for Cole as Tim Hill got Valdez to pop up to short. Yoshida grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.

                                                            Total Yankee killer

The Yankees exploded in the bottom of the fifth although Soto grounded out to first to start. Judge singled to right and Verdugo caught Bernardino asleep with a bunt single to chase him. Greg Weissert came in and Volpe hit a ground rule double to center into the bullpen to score Judge. Grisham was intentionally walked to load the bases and Austin Wells pinch hit for Trevino. Wells walked to score Verdugo to put the Yankees ahead and Cabrera hit a sac fly to right to score Volpe to increase the lead. LeMahieu singled to left to score Grisham and Sox manager Alex Cora brought in Chase Anderson to stop the bleeding. Instead Rice smacked a 3 run bomb all the way to the moon to ice the game. Soto struck out for failibg to get into the batters box to end the inning with the Yankees up 10-3.

                                                            All Yankees in this one

The Sox were deflated in the top of the sixth as McGuire grounded out to second to start. Smith grounded back to the mound and Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning. Judge grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth and Verdugo grounded out to second. Volpe flied out to right to end the inning. 

Volpe threw a ball away by Duran to start the top of the seventh for an error and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Hamilton. Gonzalez struck out swinging and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Abreu. Refsnyder flied out to center and Devers did the same to end the inning. The Yankees poured it on in the bottom of the seventh as Grisham doubled to center to start. Wells popped up to third but Cabrera singled to center to move Grisham to third. LeMahieu singled to right to score Grisham and Rice annihilated his third home run of the game to make this a laugher. Soto flied out to center and Judge took strike three to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 14-4.

                                                             Have a day Ben Rice

Jahmai Jones took over for Judge with Joah Maciejewski now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Valdez struck out swinging to start and Yoshida did the same. McGuire also went down hacking to end the inning. Connor Wong took over for Devers to start the bottom of the eighth and Verdugo flied out to left to start. Volpe struck out swinging and Grisham flied out to right to end the inning. 

Smith got a base hit to right to start the top of the ninth but Rafaela struck out swinging. Smith moved to second when Duran was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate but Gonzalez grounded out to third to end the game. The Yankees had won it 14-4.

                                                                Yankees win

Jackass of the Night is Greg Weissert. He ended any hope of a comeback by allowing 4 runs in a seven run 5th by the Yankees.

                                                                 Nice going Jackass

The Good:

David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Dominic Smith was 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Josh Winckowski allowed 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks.

Brennan Bernardino took the loss allowing 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Chase Anderson allowed 5 runs in 3 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong played second in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Welcome to the Ben Rice show here at Yankee Stadium. He was something else today and just have to tip your cap. When a guy hits three home runs and drives in 7 runs by himself, you're not gonna win too many games like that. Winckowski couldn't get the job done but the bullpen allowed 11 runs in relief. Devers had his obligatory home run against Gerrit Cole but other than that, there wasn't much to cheer about. The back end of the bullpen with Justin Slaten and Kenley Jansen has been solid but the middle relief isn't up to snuff. You can get ANYONE to pitch middle relief though. That might be their target at the trade deadline. They also need another starter because Winckowski clearly isn't the answer. The Sox never replaced Chris Sale as an ace but getting even a number 3 might help. This just wasn't the Red Sox day. The loss dropped the Sox to 48-41, 8 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the rubber game of the series tomorrow night on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball when Kutter Crawford (4-7) takes on Luis Gil of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Sox Rally Past Yankees In 10 Innings (7/5/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Chris Martin was placed on the Injured List with right elbow inflammation and Cam "The Carpenter" Booser had been called up from Worcester to take his place. Elbow injuries are scary

                                                                          OUT

                                                                             IN

As for the game, that might have been the win of the season against the New York Yankees. For eight innings the Yankees had a comfortable 3-1 lead on the Red Sox. The Yankees rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth to chase incompetent starter Tanner Houck. Nestor Cortes allowed a Romy Gonzalez home run in the fifth but all hope looked lost. Then with two outs in the top of the ninth, Mastaka Yoshida belted a two run home run off Clay Holmes to tie the game. Then in the top of the tenth, Ceddanne Rafaela smashed a two run home run off Tommy Kahnle to give the Sox the lead. In the bottom of the tenth, Kenley Jansen survived a first and third with nobody out situation to record three straight outs. The Sox had stolen one against the Yankees 4-2 in 10 innings at Yankee Stadium.

                                                   Coco Lovelock approves of the win

Cortes got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging and Tyler O'Neill lined out to left to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ben Rice popped up to third to start. Juan Soto took strike three and Aaron Judge grounded out to short to end the inning.

Rafael Devers struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Connor Wong grounded out to second. Romy Gonzalez doubled to left but Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. Alex Verdugo grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second and Gleyber Torres lined out to left. Austin Wells grounded out to first to end the inning.

Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to second to open the top of the third and Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right. Duran flied out to right to end the inning. After a rain delay, Anthony Colpe got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the third. Trent Grisham walked but was forced at second by DJ LeMahieu. Rice grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Refsnyder flied out to left to start the top of the fourth but O'Neill walked. Devers struck out swinging and Wong popped up to third to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Soto walked to start. Judge walked but Verdugo flied out to left. Torres appeared to hurt himself beating out a roller to short to load the bases and Oswaldo Cabrera ran for him. Wells hit a routine grounder to second and Valdez...threw the ball away allowing Soto to score. Volpe walked home Judge and Sox manager Alex Cora had enough of Houck. For whatever reason, Sox manager Alex Cora is treating every game like its Game 7 of the World Series and Tanner was done after being charged with 3 runs in 3 1/3 innings. Bailey Horn came in and Grisham grounded out to second to score Cabrera and LeMahieu grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 3-0.

                                                               Houck was garbage tonight

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth as Gonzalez belted his first home run of the season to start. Yoshida flied out to center but Valdez atoned for his error with a base hit to center. Rafaela struck out swinging and Duran flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                           First of the year for Romy

Rice got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Soto forced him at second. Judge struck out swinging and Verdugo did the same to end the inning.

Refsnyder lined out to second to start the top of the sixth and O'Neill took strike three. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Cabrera grounded out to third to start the bottom of the sixth and Wells got a base hit to center. Volpe struck out swinging and Grisham flied out to right to end the inning. Yeoman's effort by Horn to escape that jam in the fourth and keep the Sox in it from there.

                                                               Unsung hero Bailey Horn

Luke Weaver came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Wong struck out swinging to start. Weaver snuffed out Gonzalez' bunt attempt and Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning. Cam "The Carpenter" Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and LeMahieu grounded out to third to start. Rice walked but Soto flied out to center. Judge also flied out to center to end the inning.

Valdez got a base hit off the glove of Weaver to start the top of the eighth and Wells threw a swinging bunt away off the bat of Rafaela for an error. David Hamilton ran for Valdez but Duran struck out swinging. Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Refsnyder and also struck out swinging. O'Neill grounded out to third to end the inning. Verdugo struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth and Cabrera flied out to center. Wells got a base hit to left and Volpe flied out to center to end the inning.

Clay Holmes came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers grounded back to the mound to start. Wong grounded out to short and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Gonzalez. Yankee fans gladhanded each other thinking the game was in the bag only for Smith to get a base hit to right. Yankee fans were still saying that "Nestah got da win bay-beee" when Smith took second on defensive indifference only for Yoshida to shock the world by belting his third home run of the season to tie the game. Hamilton flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                Smith laughing all the way to the bank

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Grisham took strike three to start. LeMahieu grounded out to third and Rice popped up to short to end the inning.

The Red Sox had a nasty surprise waiting for Tommy Kahnle in the top of the tenth with Hamilton starting at second base. Rafaela crushed his 10th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Duran doubled to left but Abreu struck out swinging. O'Neill was retired on a nubber in front of the plate but Devers was intentionally walked. Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                           Touch em all Rafaela

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Rice starting at second base. Soto got a base hit to right to move Rice to third and Yankee fans started gladhanding each other again saying "Dis Judge kid will hit a homah to win da game baybeee!" Instead Judge popped up to third, Verdugo popped up to first and Cabrera grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had stolen this one 5-3 in 10 innings.

                                                           Sox win

We have Co-Heroes of the Night. Masataka Yoshida belted a 2 out 2 run home run to keep the Sox alive and Ceddanne Rafaela hit a 2 run bomb to give the Sox the lead.

                  As Loudness would say "YOU ARE DA HEROOOOOOOES"

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 3 with a home run.

Dominic Smith singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

Enmanuel Valdez was 2 for 3.

David Hamilton scored the go-ahead run in the 10th inning.

Bailey Horn tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Cam Booser pitched two scoreless innings.

Justin Slaten got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 17th save with a scoreless tenth inning.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Tanner Houck was charged with 3 runs in 3 1/3 innings off 2 hits and 4 walks.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Nothing like sticking it to the Yankees just when they think they had the game won. The Yankees do it to the Red Sox all the time so it was nice to see the Sox rally for once. For 8 innings the game was essentially in the bag for New York but Yoshida, Smith and Rafaela never gave up. Also give a shoutout to the bullpen for throwing essentially 7 shutout innings against one of the best offenses in the game. Bailey Horn and Cam Booser combined for 4 2/3 scoreless innings to get the game to the ninth inning. Kudos to Romy Gonzalez for his first home run of the season as well. This might get into the head of Clay Holmes as well as a young pitcher. Someone like Kenley Jansen could shrug a game like this off, could Clay? The Sox have won six games in a row and apart for that 4 game losing streak at the end of June, they've been playing a lot better than they were going into the Chicago series. Hopefully the Sox can keep up the momentum all the way to the all-star break. The win improved the Sox to 48-40, 8 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it six wins in a row and second straight against the Yankees.

Rafaela, Sox Bash Marlins (7/2/24)

After a successful month of June that saw the Boston Red Sox claw their way back to respectability, the Sox opened the month of July with a salvo on the Miami Marlins. Kutter Crawford (4-7. 3.42 ERA) put together one of his best starts of the season by holding the Marlins to just one run in six strong innings. Offensively the Sox got to Miami starter Valente Bellozo for two runs in the first on a single by Rafael Devers. Ceddanne Rafaela delivered the knockout punch with a three run home run in the fourth inning. The Sox survived Zack Kelly giving up a couple of runs in the bottom of the seventh but the Sox scored 3 more runs to pad the lead. It all added up to a comfortable 8-3 victory over the Marlins at Loan Depot Park.

                                                      Brandi Love approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Bellozo in the top of the first as Jarren Duran flied out to left to start. Tyler O'Neill singled in the hole at short and Wilyer Abreu doubled to center. Rafael Devers smacked a base hit to right off the glove of Jake Burger to score both runners. Connor Wong struck out swinging but Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to left. Enmanuel Valdez took strike three to end the inning with Boston up 2-0.

                                                              Devers drives in a pair

Crawford got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jazz Chisholm Jr flied out to right to start. Bryan De La Cruz struck out swinging and Josh Bell popped up to first to end the inning. 

Dominic Smith struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third. Duran walked and stole second, but O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning. Jesus Sanchez grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second and Jake Burger flied out to left. Xavier Edwards flied out to center to end the inning.

Abreu struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Devers did the same. Wong completed the trifecta by swinging at air to end the inning. Vidal Brujan flied out to left to start the bottom of the third and Emmanuel Rivera struck out swinging. Nick Fortes got a base hit to center but Chisholm took strike three to end the inning.

Yoshida got a base hit to right to start the top of the fourth and Valdez got a base hit to left. Smith popped up to third but Rafaela bashed his ninth home run of the season to increase the lead. Duran flied out to center and O'Neill lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                          He got all of that one

De La Cruz flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Bell struck out swinging. Sanchez grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Abreu took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Devers grounded out to first. Wong lined out to second to end the inning. The Marlins struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Burger hit a home run all the way into the Atlantic Ocean to start. Edwards and Brujan both struck out swinging but Rivera beat out a roller to third. Fortes grounded out to third to end the inning with the Marlins down 5-1.

                                                        Burger gets one back

Declan Cronin came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Valdez flied out to left but Smith hit a ground rule double to center. Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning. Crawford returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Chisholm Jr popped up to third to start. De La Cruz flied out to center and Bell took strike three to end the inning. Crawford held the Marlins to just 3 hits and a run in 6 strong innings.

                                                                    Good job Crawford

Duran grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh but O'Neill got a base hit to center. Abreu flied out to center but Devers got a base hit to left. Wong drilled a base hit in the hole at short to score O'Neill and Yoshida got a base hit to center to score Devers. Valdez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 7-1.

                                                        Yoshida drives in a run

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Sanchez hit a home run all the way to India to start. Burger grounded back to the mound but Edwards singled to center. Brujan did swing and miss for strike three...but the ball got away from Wong allowing Vidal to make it to first. Rivera got a base hit to center to score Edwards but Fortes popped up to Kelly to end the inning with the Marlins down 7-3.

                                                    Longest home run of the season

JT Chargois came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Smith took strike three to start. Rafaela grounded out to third but Duran clobbered his tenth home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. O'Neill walked but Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                      All smiles in this one

Bailey Horn came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Chisholm Jr grounded out to first to start. De La Cruz struck out swinging and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning.

Devers grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth and Wong grounded out to third. Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. Horn came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Sanchez lined out to center to start. Burger got a base hit to center but was forced at second by Edwards. Xavier took second on defensive indifference but Brujan grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                                      Sox win

 

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His three run home run proved to be the difference maker.

                                                                Sox salute our Hero

The Good:

Tyler O'Neill was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Masataka Yoshida was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Kutter Crawford earned the win by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball allowing just 3 hits.

Bailey Horn tossed the final two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Zack Kelly allowed 2 runs in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base but the one hit was a home run.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Dominic Smith was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Good way to start the month by beating up on a bad team. After the Chicago disaster last month, the Sox definitely need to take care of business against the Marlins. Crawford looked great tonight and that's what the Sox are going to need moving forward. Sox GM Craig Breslow banked on the homegrown starters like Crawford, Brayan Bello and Tanner Houck and if they don't deliver, that's on Craig for not getting an ace after trading Chris Sale. The bats came through in this one and its nice to see the power stroke from Duran and Rafaela. If only Trevor Story was healthy this lineup could bop with anyone. Still, a win is a win even if its against a bad team. The win improved the Sox to 45-40, 9 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three wins in a row and second straight against the Marlins tomorrow night when Brayan Bello (7-5) takes on Trevor Rogers of Miami. The game begins at 6:40 PM at Loan Depot Park.

Winckowski, Sox Down Padres (6/30/24)

The Boston Red Sox have been hoping to find top flight starting pitching from within and they might have it with the resurgence of Josh Winckowki (2-1, 2.72 ERA). Josh stared down the San Diego Padres and shut them out in 5 strong innings. Offensively the Sox got to San Diego starter Matt Waldron with a two run Rafael Devers home run in the bottom of the first. The Sox got another run in the third and Jarren Duran went yard in the bottom of the fifth. The bullpen came in and the only blemish was a Ha-Seong Kim rbi double off Justin Slaten in the top of the seventh. The tag team of Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen slammed the door and the Sox staved off a series sweep with a 4-1 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                      Victoria June approves of the win

Winckowski got the ball in the top of the first inning and Luis Arraez lined out to left to start. Jurickson Profar grounded out to short and Jake Cronenworth struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox got to Wauldron got the ball in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran grounded back to the mound to start. David Hamilton flied out to left but Wilyer Abreu walked. Rafael Devers crushed his 18th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                      Kiss that one goodbye

Manny Machado got a base hit to right to start the top of the second but Donovan Solano lined out to third. Jackson Merrill got a base hit to right and Ha-Seong Kim moved both runners over with a grounder to third. Kyle Higashioka grounded out to first to end the inning. Masataka Yoshida took strike three to start the bottom of the second but Dominic Smith doubled to center. Reese McGuire took strike three and Ceddanne Rafaela hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Bryce Johnson got a base hit to center to open the top of the third but Arraez grounded into a double play. Profar grounded out to second to end the inning. Merrill made a great running catch to rob Duran of a hit to start the bottom of the third and Hamilton lined out to first. Abreu got a base hit to right and Devers did the same to move Wilyer to third. A passed ball scored Abreu but Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                          Abreu scores another run

Cronenworth got hit with a pitch to start the top of the fourth but Machado grounded into a double play. Solano grounded out to second to end the inning. Yoshida got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth and a passed ball moved him to second. Smith grounded out to first to move Yoshida to third but McGuire flied out to center. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Merrill got a base hit to left to start the top of the fifth and Kim dropped down a bunt to move him a second. Higashioka grounded out to third and Johnson flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Winckowski who allowed just 4 hits in 5 shutout innings.

                                                         Good work Winckowski

The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth as Duran blasted his ninth home run of the season to increase the lead. Hamilton flied out to left and that was it for Waldron. Wandy Peralta came in to pitch and Abreu got a base hit to center. A wild pitch moved Abreu to second and a grounder to second by Devers moved Wilyer to third. Valdez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                               Duran leaves the yard

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Arraez got a base hit to right to start. Profar flied out to center but Arraez moved to second on a grounder to short by Cronenworth. That was it for Bernardino as Justin Slaten came in to face Machado. Manny grounded out to third to end the inning. Stephen Kolek came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Yoshida got a base hit to right to start. Smith grounded into a double play and McGuire grounded out to first to end the inning.

Solano struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh but Merrill doubled to center. Kim doubled to left to score Merrill to cut the lead. Higashioka grounded out to short to move Kim to tbhird and David Peralta pinch hit for Johnson. Peralta grounded out to second to end the inning with the Padres down 4-1.

                                                             Kim drives in a run

Adrian Morejon came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela struck out swinging to start. Duran walked and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Hamilton. A wild pitch moved Duran over to second and Refsnyder walked. Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Abreu and struck out swinging before Devers flied out to center to end the inning.

Chris Martin came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Arraez grounded back to the mound to start. Profar got a base hit to center but Cronenworth struck out swinging. Machado flied out to right to end the inning. Jeremiah Estrada came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Valdez flied out to center to start. Yoshida flied out to center as well and Smith completed the trifecta with a fly out to center to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the top of the ninth and Solano flied out to right to start. Merrill struck out swinging and Kim lined out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-1.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Josh Winckowski. He blanked the Padres for five innings to give the Sox a much needed win.

                                                        Hero Winckowski

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

Rob Refsnyder walked as a pinch hitter.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 2 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 16th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 3.

Romy Gonzalez struck out as a pinch hitter.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Dominic Smith was just 1 for 4.

Brennan Bernardino allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have been banking on the home grown starters such as Kutter Crawford, Tanner Houck and Brayan Bello this season while being patient with Nick Pivetta. Hopefully Winckowski has figured things out to give them a lift moving forward. The Sox could really use an ace but we all know Sox GM Craig Breslow is "on a budget" so that's not possible. We still have a month before the trade deadline to see what Breslow can do to add to the team. Still, a win is a win and Duran and Devers were a big part of today's win. The three headed monster of Justin Slaten, Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen are also tough to beat. If the Sox can keep their starters going 6 or 7 innings, they'll be in good shape moving forward. But who are we kidding? The win improved the Sox to 44-40, 9 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night on the road in Miami for a three game set with the Marlins. Kutter Crawford (3-7) goes for the Sox against Valente Bellozo of Miami. The game begins Tuesday night at 6:40 PM at Loan Depot Park.

Padres Pound Houck, Sox (6/29/24)

So much for the feel good story of the June 2024 Boston Red Sox. After crushing everyone in their path after being embarrassed by the hapless Chicago White Sox, they came crashing down to earth with their fourth straight loss. Today the San Diego Padres laid waste to their bungholes by taking out Tanner Houck (7-6, 2.67) on his 28th birthday and the Boston bullpen. The Sox defense didn't help either with 3 errors as the Padres pounded out 16 hits and 11 runs. Meanwhile Michael King held the Sox bats to just 1 measly run in 6 innings and the bullpen wasn't even challenged. A six run fifth inning sealed the deal as San Diego bashed the Sox 11-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                  "Well that got out of hand quickly" - GL

Birthday boy Houck got the ball in the top of the first inning and Luis Arraez grounded out to short to start. Jurickson Profar struck out swinging and Jake Cronenworth flied out to right to end the inning. King got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran popped up to second to start. Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging and Tyler O'Neill also went down hacking to end the inning.

The Padres struck first in the top of the second as Manny Machado grounded out to second to start. Donovan Solano singled to right, Jackson Merrill got a base hit to right and Ha-Seong Kim singled to center. Duran booted the ball for an error to allow Solano to score to put the Padres up. Brett Sullivan struck out swinging and Bryce Johnson grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Padres up 1-0.

                                                           "I don't got it" - Duran

Rafael Devers took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Masataka Yoshida lined out to left. Connor Wong popped up to first to end the inning.

The Padres iced the game in the top of the third as Arraez got a base hit to left to start. Profar and Cronenworth both struck out swinging but Machado hit a home run all the way to Maine to increase the lead. Solano lined out to center to end the inning with the Padres up 3-0.

                                                            Machado ices it

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to first to start. Dominic Smith got a base hit to right but Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Merrill hit a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to start the top of the fourth and Kim grounded out to third. Sullivan lined one off of Houck but Valdez threw him out anyway. Johnson grounded out to first to end the inning with the Padres up 4-0.

                                                            Merrill goes yard too

Abreu doubled to left to start the bottom of the fourth and ONeill lined out to short. Devers grounded out to second and Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning.

The Padres finished off Houck in the top of the fifth as Arraez walked to start. Profar got a base hit to center to move Luis to third and Cronenworth got a base hit to right to score Arraez. Machado then hit a three run bomb into the Charles River to pretty much Houck's ERA title hopes. Solano lined out to third and FINALLY Sox manager Alex Cora yanked Houck. He was awful, allowing 8 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Bailey Horn made his Major League debut by getting Merrill to line out to center but Kim got a base hit to left. Sullivan hit a home run all the way to Portugal to increase the lead. Johnson struck out swinging but the Padres put up six runs to lead 10-0.

                                       "Gadzooks! This birthday sucked" - Houck

Wong got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fifth and Valdez walked. Smith took strike three and Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Arraez doubled to right to start the top of the sixth and moved to second on the Profar grounder to short. Cronenworth hit one up the elevator shaft and Machado grounded out to second to end the inning. Tyler Wade came in for Profar to start the bottom of the sixth but Duran broke up the shutout with his eighth home run of the season. Abreu singled to center but O'Neill struck out swinging. Devers grounded into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were down 10-1.

                                                          Duran goes yard

Solano grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh and Merrill did the same. Kim walked and Horn threw a routine grounder by Sullivan away for an error. Johnson walked to load the bases but Arraez struck out swinging to end the inning. Apart from the home run to Sullivan, not the worst debut for Horn.

                                                          Horn in his ML debut

Yuki Matsui came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Wong struck out swinging but Valdez doubled to right. Smith took strike three to end the inning.

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Wade struck out swinging to start. Devers booted a grounder by Cronenworth for yet another error but Machado took strike three. David Peralta pinch hit for Solano and got a base hit in the hole at short. Merrill doubled to right to score Cronenworth to wrap up the scoring. Kim grounded out to short to end the inning with the Padres up 11-1.

                                                      Merrill drives in another run

Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Duran and was hit with a pitch. Abreu struck out swinging and O'Neill also went down hacking to end the inning.

Reese McGuire took over for Yoshida in the lineup but behind the plate in the field and Smith the first baseman came in to pitch. Sullivan flied out to right before Johnson did the same. Arraez got a base hit to center but Wade lined out to center to end the inning. Smith pitched better than Kelly, Houck and Horn. May as well keep him there when Triston Casas comes back.

                                                         Good work Smith

Enyel De Los Santos came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Devers struck out swinging to start. McGuire walked but Wong popped up to second. Valdez hit one up the elevator shaft to end the game. The Padres had won it 11-1.

                                                            Padres win

Jackass of the Night is Tanner Houck. He allowed 8 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 9 hits and a walk.

                                                          Happy birthday Jackass

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was hit with a pitch in his only at-bat.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4.

Dominic Smith was 1 for 3 at the plate and pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

The Bad:

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3.

Bailey Horn allowed 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings and made an error.

Zack Kelly allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran hit a home run but struck out and made an error to allow a run to score.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Reese McGuire caught the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

So much for the resurgent 2024 Red Sox. For two weeks they looked like a competent baseball team but now they've lost 4 in a row and crashed down to Earth. Its a shame too because the 8-9-1 combo of Rafaela, David Hamilton and Duran was running teams out of the ballyard but it appears Sox manager Alex Cora has gotten away from that. Houck sucked on his birthday, maybe he had too much cake before the game. Tough way for Bailey Horn to make his ML debut, especially since he got outpitched by a first baseman. When your first baseman throwing a clean inning on the mound is a highlight of your afternoon, you know it was a bad day. The Sox have to rebound in a hurry or else they'll remain at the bottom of the standings. The loss dropped the Sox to 43-40, 10 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid the sweep tomorrow when Josh Winckowski (1-1) gets the start against Matt Waldron of San Diego. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.