Sox Bash Twins Into Submission (5/6/17)

Its about time! The Boston Red Sox offense which had been dormant pretty much all season came to life for one day at least. The Sox pounded the Minnesota Twins for 16 hits and 11 runs as they demolished the Twinkies 11-1 at Target Field

                                                               Happy fan

The Red Sox offense failed to score in the top of the first against Tepesch who hadn't pitched in 19 days. Mr. Mookie Betts whiffed badly on a 3-2 pitch. Dustin Pedroia worked a walk and stole second on the 3-2 strikeout by Xander Bogaerts. Andrew Benintendi flied out meekly to left to end the inning, pathetic. "Slick" Porcello (2-4, 3.95 ERA) got the ball in the bottom of the first and got Robbie Grossman to fly out to left. Joe Mauer struck out but Miguel Sano lined one over the head of Bogaerts for a base hit. Kennys Vargas grounded out to end the inning.

In an absolute shock, the Sox exploded in the top of the second inning. Hanley Ramirez grounded out, Mitch Moreland flied out but Chris Young blasted a solo home run into the upper deck in left to give the Sox the lead. Sandy Leon singled up the middle and Josh Rutledge hit one to Jorge Polanco who bobbled it for an error. Mr. Mookie walked to load the bases and Pedroia cleared them with a 3 run double. Bogaerts singled to right and Benny The Kid tripled down the left field line to score the two runners and chase Tepesch after just 1 1/3 innings. Twins manager Paul Molitor pulled him for Drew Rucinski and Ramirez greeted him with a single to score Benintendi. Moreland doubled home Ramirez to make it 8-0. Chris Young struck out to end the inning but the Sox had a commanding lead.

                                                 8 run explosion

Could Porcello pitch with a lead for the first time in weeks? YES! Max Kepler looked at strike three and Eduardo Escobar whiffed, but Jason Castro singled. Polanco singled but Eddie Rosario struck out to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the third. Leon grounded out, Rutledge grounded out and Mr. Mookie flied out to end the inning. The Twins tagged Porcello in the bottom of the third as Grossman homered to right. Mauer grounded out and Sano flied out before Vargas grounded out to end the inning. The Twins were now down 8-1.

The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth. Pedroia lined out but Bogaerts and Benny The Kid stroked back to back singles. Ramirez whiffed an so did Moreland to end the inning. Porcello cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Kepler popped up and Escobar grounded out. Castro struck out to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth when Young blasted his second home run into the upper deck as Hanley Ramirez danced in the dug-out. Leon struck out but Rutledge walked. Mr. Mookie banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 9-1.

                                                   Hanley celebrates the home run

Porcello got some schizophrenic defense in the bottom of the fifth inning. Benintendi made two great running catches to rob Polanco and Rosario of hits but dropped a routine ball hit by Grossman. Benintendi than ran down a line drive by Mauer to end the inning.

Old buddy Craig Breslow took the mound in the top of the sixth inning. Pedroia hit a 400 foot out but Bogaerts stretched out a double. Bogaerts got caught in a run-down after Benny The Kid hit one back to Breslow but he survived long enough for Benintendi to reach second before getting tagged out. Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning. Porcello returned for the bottom of the 6th inning. Sano struck out but Vargas hit a ground rule double. Kepler flied out but Vargas went to third.

Ryan Pressly got the ball in the top of the seventh inning. Moreland greeted him with a single before being lifted by pinch runner Deven Marrero. Young grounded out but Marrero moved to second. Leon and Rutledge hit back to back singles to score Marrero to increase the lead. Mr. Mookie popped up and Pedroia grounded out to end the inning but the Sox were now up 10-1.

Rutledge moved from third to first with Marrero moving to third as Porcello returned for the bottom of the seventh. Castro greeted Rick with a double but Polanco and Rosario flied out. Grossman also flied out to end the inning. Porcello as great again, tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball to earn his second win.

                                                    Outstanding effort by Porcello

Michael Tonkin came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning. Bogaerts lined out but Benny The Kid singled to right for his third hit of the game. Ramirez whiffed but Marrero walked. Young grounded into a force to end the inning. Rookie Ben Taylor took the mound in the bottom of the eighth and Mauer greeted him with a single. Ehire Adrianza pinch hit for Sano and flied out. Vargas grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the ninth when Leon homered to dead center to increase the lead. Rutledge worked a walk but Mr. Mookie popped up. Pedroia walked and Twins manager Paul Molitor brought in backup catcher Chris Gimenez to get the final two outs. Somehow he got Bogaerts and Benintendi to fly out to end the inning with the Sox up 11-1.

                                                       Kiss it goodbye, home run Leon

Fernando Abad got the ball in the bottom of the ninth. Kepler flied out, Escobar popped up and Castro flied out to end the game. The Red Sox had won 11-1.

Hero of the Night is Chris Young. His two home runs were the difference in the game even if the 9 other runs weren't scored. The Sox have been lacking home runs all year so this was a big lift.

                                                      Chris Young: Hero


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia knocked in a 3 run double, walked twice, stole a base and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 6 with a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 6 with 2 rbi's and a run scored.

Mitch Moreland was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Deven Marrero walked and scored a run.

Sandy Leon was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored and a home run

Josh Rutledge was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Rick Porcello was outstanding, tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 6 to earn the win.

Ben Taylor pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Fernando Abad pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 5 but walked and scored.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 5 but made the hit count as he drove in a run and scored.



Final Thoughts:

Now THAT'S more like it. That's the Red Sox offense everyone expected this year. It was great to finally see the offense explode since they did it so frequently last year. Not only that, Porcello pitched well again so it looks like he's back to where he was last year as well. Hopefully this can continue because it looks like the New York Yankees are for real this year. The win improves the Sox to 16-14 on the season, 4 games behind the Yankees. Tomorrow is the monster match between Chris Sale and Ervin Santana as the Sox and Twins wrap up their three game set at 2:05 PM.

Porcello, Sox Tame Tigers (8/19/16)

That's more like it! One day after the Boston Red Sox bullpen coughed up yet another game, the Sox offense made sure that wouldn't happen again. Facing Michael Fulmer and the Detroit Tigers, the Sox bats pounded out sixteen hits and ten runs to put the game out of reach quickly. Meanwhile "Slick" Rick Porcello (17-3, 3.22 ERA) continued his Cy Young Award march by tossing 7 innings of 2 run ball to leave no doubt. David Ortiz and Jackie Bradley Jr both hit 2 run home runs in the first inning as Andrew Benintendi and Dustin Pedroia drove in runs against Fulmer. Hanley Ramirez hit a 2 run double off Bruce Rondon and another one against Mark Lowe. Fernando Abad and Heath Hembree had no problems shutting the door and the Red Sox had won this one 10-2.

                                                        Olivia Munn approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Fulmer in the top of the first as Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to left and David Ortiz clobbered his 28th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to right but Hanley Ramirez got a base hit to left. Ramirez stole second and Jackie Bradley Jr belted his 21st home run of the season to increase the lead. Sandy Leon lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                             Papi & JBJ touch em all

Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ian Kinsler lined out to left to start. Both Erick Aybar and Miguel Cabrera grounded out to second to end the inning.

Brock "The Hitman" Holt led off the top of the second by flying out to left and Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second. Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. The Tigers struck back in the bottom of the second as Pedroia threw wide of Porcello on a grounder by Victor Martinez to start. JD Martinez hit a home run all the way to Sicily to cut the lead in half. Tyler Collins took strike three but Casey McGehee walked. Jarrod Saltalamacchia struck out swinging and Andrew Romine forced McGehee at second to end the inning with the Tigers down 4-2.

                                                       Martinez goes yard

Bogaerts grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Ortiz grounded out to second. Mr. Mookie grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Kinsler struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Aybar went down hacking. Cabrera grounded out to third to end the inning.

Ramirez lined out to second to start the top of the fourth and JBJ flied out to center. A fan interfered with a double into the right field line by Leon but Holt flied out to left to end the inning. Victor Martinez grounded out to short but JD Martinez singled in the hole at short. Collins flied out to center but McGehee got a base hit to right. Saltamacchia struck out swinging to end the inning.

Benintendi lined out to first to start the top of the fifth on a great play by Cabrera. Pedroia grounded out to short but Bogaerts got a base hit inside the bag at third. Ortiz walked but Mr. Mookie forced him at second to end the inning. Romine popped up to short to start the bottom of the fifth and Kinsler struck out swinging. Aybar flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth but Ramirez took strike three to start. JBJ flied out to left but Leon beat out a roller to short. Holt got a base hit to center and Benintendi blooped a base hit to center to score Leon, moving Brock to third. Pedroia got a base hit to right to score Holt and move Benintendi to third. That was it for Fulmer as Bruce Rondon came in to face Bogaerts. Xander grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.

                                                       Pedroia drives in another run

Cabrera took strike three to start the bottom of the sixth and Victor Martinez flied out to right. JD Martinez walked but Collins struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh as Ortiz got a base hit to right to begin. Mr. Mookie singled off the glove of Aybar and Ramirez doubled into the right field gap to score both runners. JBJ flied out to center, Leon went down hacking and Holt also struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 8-2.

                                                       Ramirez drives in a pair

Aaron Hill took over for Holt in the bottom of the seventh as Porcello returned for one final inning. McGehee grounded out to second to start but Bogaerts failed to come up with a "single" by Saltalamacchia. Romine grounded into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Porcello who allowed 2 runs, only one earned, in seven innings off 4 hits and 2 walks.

                                                       "Good work guys" - Porcello

Mark Lowe came in to pitch the top of the eighth as Benintendi doubled to right to begin. Pedroia singled in the hole at short but Bogaerts flied out to right to move Andrew to third. Travis Shaw pinch hit for Ortiz and walked to load the bases. Mr. Mookie struck out swinging but Ramirez hit a rocket to the left field wall to score both runners. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-2.

                                                          Ramirez is on fire

Heath Hembree came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Deven Marrero in for Pedroia. Alex Presly pinch hit for Kinsler and flied out to the right field warning track followed by Aybar grounding out to second. Dixon Machado pinch hit for Cabrera and grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Kyle Ryan came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Leon struck out swinging to start. Hill grounded out to short and Benintendi struck out swinging to end the inning. Fernando Abad came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and James McCann pinch hit for Victor Martinez to start. McCann struck out swinging and JD Martinez flied out to center. Collins took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-2.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rick Porcello. He allowed 2 runs in 7 innings off 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8 batters.

                                                           Slick Rick Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

David Ortiz was 2 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 3 for 5 with 4 rbis, a stolen base and a run scored.

Travis Shaw walked as a pinch hitter.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Fernando Abad pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Aaron Hill was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Deven Marrero played second base in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Big win by the Sox considering their bullpen woes. Can't blow a game if the starter is outstanding and the offense produces. Still, the 8th inning woes for the Sox need to be addressed but there won't be any if the offense produces like this. Ramirez drove in 4 big runs and home runs by Bradley and Ortiz put this away early. Porcello might be the odds on favorite to win Cy Young and Mookie Betts is in the running for AL MVP. A few more 3 home run games by Betts might do the trick. The Baltimore Orioles lost again so the Sox leapfrogged them and got closer to the Toronto Blue Jays. This is going to be a wild finish in September with the death march through the AL East, the Sox need to build some momentum in the few weeks before it starts. More games like this would help but that might be asking too much as the level of competition steps up. The win improved the Sox to 68-53, a half game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the third game of this series tomorrow night against the Tigers when Drew Pomeranz (9-9) takes on Daniel Norris of the Detroit. The game begins at 9:30 PM eastern time at Comerica 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 Beat Indians in Makeup Game (8/15/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Steven Wright was placed on the Disabled List with a bad shoulder stemming from last week. Sox manager John Farrell might have cost the Sox the season by having him get hurt pinch running. On top of that, Roenis Elias was sent back to Pawtucket and Hanley Ramirez was placed on the bereavement list. My condolences to Hanley. To replace the three of them, the Sox called up infielders Deven Marrero and Marco Hernandez along with relief pitcher Heath Hembree.

                                                                              IN

                                                                      IN

As for the game, the Red Sox have to play 11 straight games on the road and they needed to make a statement in today's makeup game against the Cleveland Indians. Drew Pomeranz (9-9, 2.99 ERA) tossed 7 2/3 innings allowing just 2 runs to the AL Central frontrunners. Meanwhile the Indians took a 1-0 lead on a Rajai Davis home run in the fourth but the retiring David Ortiz had one last surprise. Ortiz pounded a 2 run home run in the top of the sixth and Jackie Bradley Jr followed with one of his own 2 batters later. More than enough cushion as Fernando Abad and Craig Kimbrel locked up the safe. The Sox started their insane road trip with a 3-2 victory over the Indians at Progressive Field.

                                                        Sanguine approves of the win

Tomlin got the ball in the top of the first and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to old pal Michael Martinez to start. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right and David Ortiz popped up to third to end the inning. Drew Pomeranz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mookie Betts fell down making a catch on a Rajai Davis fly ball to start. Jose Ramirez grounded out to first and Francisco Lindor struck out swinging to end the inning.

Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to center to start the top of the second and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first. Aaron Hill grounded out to second to end the inning. Old pal Mike Napoli flied out to left to start the bottom of the second and Carlos Santana flied out to center. Brandon Guyer flied out to right to end the inning.

It looked like Travis Shaw struck out swinging to start the top of the third but the pitch got away allowing Travis to reach first. Bryan Holaday struck out swinging but Shaw took second on a wild pitch. Andrew Benintendi lined out to right but Pedroia got a base hit to right. Shaw tried to come around but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

                                                              Yerrrr out!

Abraham Almonte took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Chris Gimenez did the same. Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.

Bogaerts got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth but Ortiz grounded into a double play. Mr. Mookie got a base hit to left and JBJ got a base hit to center, but Hill lined back to Tomlin to end the inning. The Indians struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Davis hit a home run all the way to Cincinnati to start. Ramirez walked and promptly stole second, but Lindor was retired on a tapper in front of the plate. Ramirez was thrown out at third trying to steal...but wait! Indians manager Terry Francona challenged that Ramirez was safe, but the call upheld. Napoli doubled to left and Santana hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Indians ahead 1-0.

                                                  "To the 30...to the 20....to the 10"

Shaw flied out to center to start the top of the fifth and Holaday grounded out to third. Benintendi lined out to left to end the inning. Guyer singled off the glove of Bogaerts to start the bottom of the fifth and took second on a wild pitch. Almonte struck out swinging, Gimenez struck out swinging and Martinez flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the sixth as Pedroia got a base hit to left to start. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Ortiz smashed his 27th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Mr. Mookie flied out to center but JBJ crushed his 19th home run of the season for the insurance run. Hill grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                              JBJ makes it a 2 run game

Davis grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Ramirez popped up to second. Lindor grounded out to short to end the inning.

Shaw grounded out to first to start the top of the seventh and Holaday grounded out to short. Benintendi grounded out to first to end the inning. Napoli walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Santana grounded into a double play. Guyer grounded out to second to end the inning,

Pedroia grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth and Bogaerts flied out to right. Kyle Crockett came in to pitch to Ortiz and David singled to right. Jeff Manship came in to face Betts but Mr. Mookie walked. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning. Pomeranz ran out of gas in the bottom of the eighth as Almonte struck out swinging to start. JBJ failed to come up with a double by Gimenez but Martinez flied out to center. Davis doubled into the right field corner to chase Pomeranz. He fell one batter short but tossed 7 2/3 innings allowing 2 runs off 5 hits and 2 walks. Fernando Abad came in and Davis stole third, but Ramirez popped up to Benintendi to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                              Good effort from Drew

Zach McAllister came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hill singled off the glove of Martinez to start. Shaw doubled to the left field fence but Holaday struck out swinging. Benintendi popped up to left and Pedroia lined out to left to end the inning. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Lindor doubled to left to start. Napoli walked and Tyler Naquin ran for him. Santana struck out swinging and Jason Kipnis pinch hit for Guyer. Kipnis struck out swinging on a 96 mph fastball and Almonte

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is David Ortiz. His 2 run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                            Big Papi is the Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Drew Pomeranz got the win by allowing 2 runs in 7 2/3 innings off 5 hits and 2 walks.

Fernando Abad got the final out of the eighth inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 20th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bryan Holaday was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4.

Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

That game was too close for comfort but a win is a win. The Sox need Pomeranz more than ever to pitch like he did today because Steven Wright is out. With David Price still shaky and Eduardo Rodriguez not having a good year, its up to Pomeranz to carry them to victory. The Sox offense didn't do much against Tomlin but Josh leads the league in home runs allowed. The two home runs hit by the Sox turned out to be the difference makers. The Sox are on an unforgiving roadtrip with the majority of their remaining games on the road so if the Sox want to make the playoffs, they're going to have to earn it. Still, if this is the AL Central's best....the Sox took it right to them this time. Maybe they'll see each other again come October when the stakes are higher, who knows? All in all it was a good win and the Sox needed it to keep pace. The win improved the Sox to 65-52, 1 game behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now have a chance to take over first place because they now travel to Baltimore for a brief two game set against them. Tomorrow night it'll be Eduardo Rodriguez going for the Sox against Yovani Gallardo of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Ramirez, Bats Power Sox Past Diamondbacks (8/12/16)

So much for the slumping Boston Red Sox. Xander Bogaerts and Hanley Ramirez had been struggling lately but not today young fella. Against the Arizona Diamondbacks, Bogaerts got two hits while Hanley hit not one, but two 3 run homers to pace the offense. David Ortiz also went yard as the bats got 11 hits and 9 runs. Meanwhile David Price (10-8, 4.29 ERA) battled big time as he overcame two first inning runs to go 8 innings and surrendering 1 further run after the first. Once again Fernando Abad gave up a run in the top of the ninth, but it wasn't nearly enough as the Sox ran away with this one 9-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Natalia Forrest approves of the win

Price got the ball in the top of the first inning and things went south immediately as Jackie Bradley Jr fell ass over tea kettle on a routine fly ball by Jean Segura for a "triple". Phil Gosselin flied out to center and Segura was thrown out at third when the throw home beat him. Paul Goldschmidt got a base hit to right and Rickie Weeks hit a home run all the way to Portugal to put Arizona on top. Old pal Chris Owings flied out to right to end the inning with the Diamondbacks up 2-0.

                                                           "Well this sucks" - Bradley

The Sox blasted Diamondbacks starter Patrick Corbin in the bottom of the first as Dustin Pedroia led off by reaching on an error by Segura to start. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to a running Segura. David Ortiz singled into the shift and Hanley Ramirez smashed a three run home run to put the Sox on top. Jake Lamb booted a grounder by Jackie Bradley Jr and Aaron Hill made him pay with a base hit to to left. Bryan Holaday ripped a base hit to center to score JBJ with another run. A wild pitch moved Holaday to second but Andrew Benintendi flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                            Holaday caps the rally

Brandon Drury grounded out to third to start the top of the second and Lamb grounded out to short. Tuffy Gosewisch struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the second as Pedroia singled in the hole at short to start. Bogaerts singled to left but Mr. Mookie popped up to second. Ortiz got a base hit to center to score Pedroia and Ramirez belted his second 3 run homer in consecutive innings. Patrick Corbin slumped down and old school fans got reminded of Byung-Hyun Kim in the 2001 World Series. JBJ struck out swinging but Hill got a base hit to right to finally chase the ineffective Corbin. Zack Godley came in and Holaday lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-2.

                                                           I knew that looked familiar

As with the theme all week, Dustin Pedroia had to come out of the game in the top of the third. Too many games without a day off caught up to the Sox as Travis Shaw took Dustin's spot in the lineup. Michael Bourn grounded out to first and Segura grounded out to third. Gosselin struck out swinging to end the inning. Benintendi was hit with a pitch to start the bottom of the third but Shaw grounded into a double play. Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.

Goldschmidt took strike three to start the top of the fourth but Weeks singled to left. Owings struck out swinging but Drury got a base hit to center. Lamb grounded out to first to end the inning. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Ortiz struck out swinging. Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Arizona got one back in the top of the fifth as Gosewisch hit a home run all the way to St. Louis to cut the lead. Bourn grounded out to second, Segura grounded out to short and Gosselin took strike three to end the inning with Arizona down 8-3.

                                                              Gosewisch hits one out

JBJ struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fifth and Hill looked to have beaten out a roller to second. The Diamondbacks challenged the call and sure enough, replays showed Hill was out. Holaday grounded out to third to end the inning.

Goldschmidt grounded out to third to start the top of the sixth and Weeks lined out to center. Owings singled in the hole at short and Drury walked, but Lamb popped up to third to end the inning. Benintendi lined out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Shaw struck out swinging. Bogaerts singled to right but Mr. Mookie forced him at second to end the inning.

Gosewisch got a base hit to center to start the top of the seventh but Bourn flied out to left. Segura struck out swinging but Gosselin singled to right. Goldschmidt flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh when Ortiz smashed his 26th home run of the season to increase the lead. Ramirez popped up to third, JBJ struck out swinging and Hill lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 9-4.

                                                        Number 26 for Big Papi

Brock "The Hitman" Holt took over for JBJ to start the top of the eighth and Weeks took strike three to start. Owings singled to left and a wild pitch moved him to second, but Drury took strike three. Lamb flied out to right to end the inning and that was it for Price. He tossed 8 innings allowing 3 runs off 10 hits and a walk. He also struck out eight batters.

                                                     Price was a horse tonight

Socrates Brito took over for Bourn to start the bottom of the eighth with Dominic Leone now on the mound. Holaday struck out swinging to start and Benintendi did the same. Shaw completed the tri-fecta by swinging at air to end the inning.

Fernando Abad came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Gosewisch lined out to short to start. Brito struck out swinging but Segura doubled to center. Gosselin singled to left to score Segura then took second on defensive indifference. Goldschmidt walked but Weeks flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-4.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Hanley Ramirez. He hit two 3 run bombs to outscore the Diamondbacks all by himself.

                                                    Ortiz says "You da Hero!"

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 2 with 2 runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

David Ortiz was 3 for 4 with a home run with 2 total rbis and 3 runs scored.

Aaron Hill was 2 for 4.

David Price got the win by allowing 3 runs in 8 innings of work off 10 hits and a walk while striking out 8.

The Bad:

Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4.

Fernando Abad allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Bryan Holaday was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Brock Holt played left field in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Good to see Price dominate again, especially after the first inning. Also great to see the offense step it up with Bogaerts and Ramirez busting out of their slumps. Also good to see Ortiz and Betts in action because both left games due to injury lately. When the offense is clicking they're very tough to beat and with the pitching of Price, the Sox were definitely going to come out on top of this one. The Sox need to go on a run in the worst way and maybe this will be the start. The Sox were angry after dropping 2 of 3 to the Yankees with back to back bullpen implosions so David Price said "Bullpen schmulpen". Speaking of the Yankees, think the Sox might having buyer's remorse over dropping Tommy Layne for Fernando Abad. He better pick it up soon or else Sox GM Dave Dombrowski will be under fire for that one. Still, there wasn't much to complain about in this one, especially with the heart of the order getting it done as they should. The win improved the Sox to 62-52, 2.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row over Arizona tomorrow night when Clay Buchholz gets the spot start against Archie Bradley of Arizona. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Bullpen Implodes Against Yankees (8/10/16)

For six innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were heading to an easy victory over the fading New York Yankees. Yankees starter Nathan Eovaldi left after the first inning and the Sox put up four runs against their bullpen. Meanwhile Drew Pomeranz had held the Yankees to just 1 run on a Didi Gregorius home run. Then it all fell apart. Matt Barnes, Fernando Abad (1-6, 3.19 ERA), Junichi Tazawa and Robbie Ross Jr combined to allow 9 hits and 8 runs over the next 2 innings to not only blow the game but put it out of reach. Worst yet, the Yankees bullpen recovered to toss 4 shutout innings to lock it down. It was one of the most embarrassing losses of the season as the Yankees rallied to win this won 9-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                             The Red Sox bullpen

Pomeranz got the ball in the top of the first and Brett Gardner beat out a roller to third to start. Jacoby Ellsbury dropped down a sacrifice bunt but Chase Headley struck out swinging. Mark Teixeira struck out swinging to end the inning. Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Dustin Pedroia flied out to the right field warning track to start. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to short and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center to end the inning.

Starlin Castro grounded out to second to start the top of the second and Didi Gregorius struck out swinging. Gary Sanchez grounded out to third to end the inning. Chasen Shreve came in to pitch the bottom of the second as Nathan Eovaldi was taken out of the game. David Ortiz walked to start but Hanley Ramirez popped up to first. Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to left and Travis Shaw grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Austin Romine grounded out to short to start the top of the third and Aaron Hicks grounded out to third. Gardner popped up to Shaw in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third and Headley bobbled a "single" by Leon to start. Andrew Benintendi popped up a bunt to Romine but Pedroia doubled to the left field wall. Bogaerts was hit with a pitch to load the bases and chase Shreve. Blake Parker came in to face Betts and Mr. Mookie beat out a double play ball to score Leon. Ortiz popped up to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Betts beats it out

Ellsbury grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Headley grounded out to short. Teixeira singled to left and Castro struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth as Ramirez flied out to right to start. JBJ singled to center and Shaw drew a walk. Leon got a base hit to right to load the bases. Benintendi forced Shaw at second but Bradley scored to increase the lead. Nick Goody came in to pitch to face Pedroia and Dustin popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                                 JBJ scores a run

The Yankees struck back in the top of the fifth as Gregorius hit a home run all the way to the moon to start. Sanchez got a base hit to right and Romine got a base hit to left, but Hicks struck out swinging. Gardner grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Yankees down 2-1.

                                                       Home run for Didi

The game was essentially blown in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts walked to start. Mr. Mookie doubled to left and David Ortiz was intentionally walked to load the bases with nobody out. Ramirez flied out to left on a 3-1 count and Tommy Layne was brought in to face JBJ. Bradley popped up to first and Aaron Hill pitch hit for Shaw only to strike out swinging to end the inning. That cost the Sox dearly.

Ellsbury popped up to short to start the top of the sixth but Headley got a base hit to center. Teixeira walked and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough of Pomeranz. Drew did a lot better than recently albeit very short. He allowed just 1 run in 5 1/3 innings off 6 hits and a walk. Clay Buchholz came in to get Castro to ground into a double play to end the inning.

                                               "Hope the bullpen doesn't blow it" - DP

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Leon walked to start. Benintendi struck a base hit down the right field line to move Sandy to third and chase Layne. Tyler Clippard came in and Pedroia dumped a base hit to left to score Leon. Benintendi moved to third on the hit and he scored when Bogaerts forced Pedroia at second. Mr. Mookie doubled to center but Bogaerts was thrown out at home. That also proved costly as Ortiz was intentionally walked. A wild pitch moved up both runners but Ramirez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                     Benintendi scores a run

Matt Barnes came in to piss down his leg in the top of the seventh as Gregorius singled past the lunging Bogaerts to start. Sanchez drilled a base hit to left and Romine also got a base hit to left to score Gregorius. The retiring Alex Rodriguez pinch hit for Hicks to a chorus of boos. A-Rod flied out to right to move Sanchez to third and that was it for Barnes. It was Fernando Abad's turn to crap his pants as Gardner struck out swinging but Ellsbury got a base hit to right to score Sanchez. Headley got a base hit to left to score Romine to tie the game and chase Abad. Junichi Tazawa came in to also vomit up his intestines as Teixeira walked to load the bases. Castro doubled to left to score Ellsbury and Headley to put the Yankees up for good. Gregorius popped up to third to end the inning but the Yankees scored five runs to take a 6-4 lead.

                                                                Yankees take the lead

The Sox were deflated in the bottom of the seventh as Rob Refsnyder took over in right for New York. JBJ got a base hit to left to chase Clippard as Adam Warren came in to pitch. Hill took strike three and Leon struck out swinging, but the umpires lost track of the pitch count. After the delay, Benintendi lined back to the mound to end the inning.

The beating continued in the top of the eighth with Brock "The Hitman" Holt now in right. Sanchez hit a home run all the way to Belgium and Romine walked to chase Tazawa. Robbie Ross Jr came in to get pounded as Refsnyder singled to center and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Gardner flied out to left but Ellsbury walked. A wild pitch scored Romine but Headley popped up to first. ANOTHER wild pitch scored Refsnyder as the boos rained down at Fenway. Teixeira struck out swinging but the Yankees had scored eight runs in two innings to lead 9-4.

                                               Wild thing, you make my butt sting!

Pedroia popped up to second to start the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts flied out to left. Holt flied out to left as well to end the inning.

Brad Ziegler came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Castro grounded out to third to start. Gregorius grounded out to second but Sanchez got a base hit to left. Romine flied out to right to end the inning. Dellin Betances came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and things got even worse when Ortiz fouled a ball off his foot and had to be helped off the field. Bryce Brentz struck out swinging in David's place and Ramirez took strike three. JBJ grounded out to first to end the game. The Yankees had won it 9-4.

                                                            Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Junichi Tazawa. He allowed the go-ahead 2 run double and a home run of his own to put the game out of reach.

                                                          Jackass Tazawa

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

David Ortiz walked 3 times in 5 plate appearances.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Travis Shaw walked in two plate appearances.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Drew Pomeranz allowed just 1 run in 5 1/3 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

Clay Buchholz got the final two outs of the sixth inning.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Bryce Brentz pinch hit for Ortiz and struck out swinging.

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Matt Barnes was charged with 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

Fernando Abad was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

Robbie Ross Jr allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked, was hit with a pitch and drove in a run.

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was one of the most embarrassing losses of the season for a variety of reasons. Having the bases loaded in the fifth and doing nothing then seemingly putting the game away only for the bullpen to implode was disgraceful. This might be the worst Yankees team since the early 90's and a win like that could inspire them. If it was just Tazawa or Barnes you could say, eh they had a bad day, but all four of them including Abad and Ross? The Sox traded for Ziegler because Tazawa and Koji Uehara had been overworked the last three years, but Tazawa looked off. Dumping Tommy Layne for Fernando Abad might have been a mistake because he hasn't looked good at all since the trade. The Sox better turn their bullpen around quick because they're going to fall behind the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles with more games like this one. The Yankees used their entire bullpen more or less and the Sox could only get two runs off of them. Even worse, Steven Wright hurt himself sliding into second against the Los Angeles Dodgers and will miss his start tomorrow. Eduardo Rodrigues has been named the replacement starter, god help us. On top of that, both Mookie Betts and David Ortiz had to leave the game. Probably THE worst loss of the season when you look at it as a whole. The loss dropped the Sox to 61-51, 2.5 games behind the Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series tomorrow night against the Yankees when Eduardo Rodriguez takes on Michael Pineda of the Yankees. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.