Bullpen Blows 24th Save to Rays (9/5/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Zack Kelly returned from the paternity list and Josh Winckowski was sent back down to Worcester. Get out AND STAY OUT!!!!

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As for the game, what more can be said about the Boston bullpen? They have officially blown 24 saves this season and even if they blew just 15, they'd be in the playoffs picture right about now. Not only that, the Sox bats have the ML worst batting average with men in scoring position including the last place teams. Michael Wacha held the Tampa Bay Rays to just 2 runs in 6 innings of work while the Sox scratched out three measly runs against Luis Patino. The in the bottom of the seventh Jeurys Familia coughed up the lead and Zack Kelly allowed the go-ahead run to score. The Sox had a chance to tie the game in the top of the ninth but failed miserably as the Rays continued their season long dominance over the Red Sox with a 4-3 win at Tropicana Field.

                                                   Red Sox vs the AL East this year

The Sox wasted no time getting to Luis Patino in the top of the first inning although Tommy Pham struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo launched his ninth home run of the season to put Boston on top and Xander Bogaerts followed with a base hit to left. Rafael Devers flied out to center and Trevor Story grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.

                                                         Verdugo strikes first

The Rays wasted no time pounding Wacha in the bottom of the first as old pal Manny Margot effortlessly ripped a base hit to center to start. Somehow Randy Arozarena popped up to first but David Peralta easily singled to center to move Margot to third. Harold Ramirez laughed as he stuck his bat out and singled to right to score Margot with the tying run before Isaac Parades struck out swinging. Christian Bethancourt somehow forced Ramirez at second to end the inning but the game was tied 1-1.

                                                            Ramirez ties it up

Patino effortlessly shut down the Sox in the top of the second as Triston Casas grounded weakly back to the mound, Kike Hernandez grounded out to shot and Franchy Cordero literally took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. Wacha got a lucky strikeout of Taylor Walls swinging to begin the bottom of the second but naturally Yu Chang absolutely smashed a double over the head of Cordero. Joe Siri moved Chang to third with a grounder to first and Margot...somehow struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Kevin Plawecki hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Somehow Pham and Verdugo drew back to back walks but Bogaerts struck out swinging on a pitch that would have been ball four. Devers got a lucky bloop single to center to score Pham to put the Sox back on top. Verdugo went to third on the play and Story worked an 8 pitch at bat before doubling to left to score Alex with another run. Casas popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                     Pham scores the go-ahead run

Somehow Arozarena flied out to right to start the bottom of the third before Peralta also shockingly flied out to right. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning as Sox fans were completely confused at how the Sox didn't give up a run after scoring their own.

The bottom of the order did nothing as usual in the top of the fourth as Hernandez popped up weakly to second to start. Cordero struck out swinging on a pitch that bounced five feet in front of home plate and Plawecki grounded weakly back to the mound to end the inning. Shockingly Parades struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fourth but naturally Bethancourt effortlessly doubled to right. The Rays made a rare mental error when Bethancourt was thrown out at third on a grounder to the mound by Walls and Chang grounded out to third to end the inning.

Pham flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Verdugo got a lucky single to right. Verdugo moved to second on the grounder to short by Bogaerts and Devers was intentionally walked to get to Story. Once again every move an AL East opponent makes against the Red Sox worked out as Story forced Devers at second to end the inning. That would have been a double play too if there was only one out to boot. The Rays finally got to Wacha in the bottom of the fifth as Siri easily singled in the hole at short to start. The umps felt sorry for Wacha and rung up Margot for strike three but Arozarena worked a 9 pitch double off the wall that Cordero crashed into the wall trying to get. Siri scored and Cordero had to be carted off with what looked to be a broken ankle, never want to see guys get hurt. Rob Refsnyder came in to play left and robbed Peralta of a home run immediately after he came in. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning but the Rays were back in it down 3-2.

                                                       Get well soon Franchy 

Old pal Jalen "Twin" Beeks came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Casas did what every other prospect did when they were called up....take strike three right down the middle to start. Hernandez struck out swinging on a pitch up at his eyes and Refsnyder lined out weakly to center to end the inning. Wacha returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Parades grounded out to first to start. Bethancourt grounded out to third and Walls struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Wacha who tossed 6 solid innings allowing just 2 runs.

                                                                Wacha deserved better

Calvin Faucher came in to pitch the top of the seventh and somehow walked Plawecki to start. Naturally Pham struck out swinging and Verdugo forced Plawecki at second, but Bogaerts got a lucky single to right. Devers was unintentionally intentionally walked to load the bases and naturally Story struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rays laughed as Jeurys Familia came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh as Vidal Brujan pinch hit for Chang. Brujan was hit with a pitch and swiped second before moving to third on the grounder to second by Siri. Margot effortlessly doubled to left to score Brujan to tie the game and chase Familia. Sox GM Chaim Bloom refusing to get bullpen help at the deadline led to this. Zack Kelly came in and Margot moved to third on the Arozarena grounder to short. Peralta did the honors by effortlessly doubling to right to score Margot and put the Rays up for good. Ramirez lined out to left to end the inning with the game all but over, 4-3 Rays.

                                                        Rays go up for good

The Sox rolled over in the top of the eighth against Colin Poche as Casas once AGAIN took strike three right down the middle to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and Refsnyder  went down hacking to end the inning. Say what you will about the useless bullpen but the Sox had just 6 hits in the game, pathetic. Kelly cruised in the bottom of the eighth as Parades grounded out to third to start. Bethancourt struck out swinging and Walls lined out to second to end the inning. 

Pete Fairbanks came in to close out the top of the ninth and Reese McGuire pinch hit for Plawecki. Reese got a lucky single up the middle before Connor Wong ran for him. Naturally with a man on base Pham struck out swinging on a pitch three feet outside. Verdugo hit a double play ball to short to force Wong but Brujan threw the ball away to allow Verdugo to reach second on the error. Brujan was hurt on the play and Yandy Diaz took over for him as Bogaerts came to the plate with the game on the line. Guess what happened? Of course Bogaerts looked at a straight fastball right down the middle to end the game. A graphic showed the 2022 Red Sox officially have the WORST batting average in MLB with men in scoring which includes the Cincinnati Reds and Texas Rangers. They deserved this 4-3 defeat by the Rays.

                                                          Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Jeurys Familia. He came in with a one run lead and blew it, taking the loss.

                                                             Jackass Familia

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run and 2 total runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Reese McGuire got a base hit as a pinch hitter.

Michael Wacha tossed 6 solid innings allowing 7 hits and 2 runs while striking out 7.

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts before leaving the game.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 2 but walked.

Zack Kelly allowed the go-ahead run to score but none of his own in 1 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong ran for McGuire in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was the 24th blown save of the season for the Red Sox and if Chaim Bloom still has a job this November, hell has frozen over. Back in 2020 all the Sox needed was a decent rotation and they might have made the playoffs, Bloom said nah. In 2021 all the Sox needed was a better rotation and they might have won the World Series, Bloom said nah. In 2022 all the Sox needed was a good bullpen and rotation depth, Bloom said nah. Sox manager Alex Cora isn't infallible for his decisions this season but he's been given very little to work with by Bloom. That's only the half of it, even with the bullpen woes the Sox bats managed just 6 hits in the game. Once they get men on, especially in scoring position, very rarely do they get a hit when it matters. Trevor Story coming up empty with the bases loaded in the seventh pretty much sealed their fate. Not to mention Triston Casas is supposedly the savior at first base but is refusing to swing the bat. Hopefully its just first week jitters but he looks completely lost so far. Then again, most everyone looks lost as soon as there is a runner at second base. If the bullpen only blew half of the leads they'd be 79-57 right now, right there in the thick of things. As it is, they're one step closer to elimination in a season that can't end fast enough. The loss dropped the Sox to 67-69, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox next defeat at the hands of an AL East team comes tomorrow night against the Rays. Garrett Cleavinger goes for Tampa against Rich Hill (6-5) of the Red Sox. The humiliation begins at 6:40 PM at Tropicana Field.

Story, Sox Sweep Rangers (9/4/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Today's starter Kutter Crawford was placed on the Injured List with a bad shoulder and perennial punching bag Josh Winckowski was brought up to make today's start. In a much needed move, Bobby Dalbec was FINALLY sent down to Worcester and top prospect Triston Casas was called up. Dalbec has been a monumental, rally killing disappointment this season and its time to see if Casas can bring something to the table in the final few weeks of the season. Can't be any worse than Dalbec....right?

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As for the game, don't look now but the Sox have won five straight games including a four game sweep of the hapless Texas Rangers. Today the Sox had to call up Josh Winckowski as an emergency after Kutter Crawford was scratched with a bad shoulder. The Rangers scored two first inning runs off Winckowski but that was all they got. Trevor Story belted a go-ahead 3 run homer in the bottom of the first and Xander Bogaerts drove in a run in the bottom of the second. The amounted for all of the scoring the whole game. The much maligned Sox defense played their best game all season by making several great defensive plays, most notably rookie Triston Casas and Trevor Story. Casas got his first big league hit and the Sox bullpen stepped up. The quartet of Kaleb Ort, Jeurys Familia, Matt Strahm and John Schreiber locked it down the rest of the game. Kaleb Ort earned his first big league victory as the Sox beat the Rangers 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                            Happy fans

Winckowski got the ball in the top of the first and walked Marcus Semien on four pitches not even close to start. Corey Seager popped up to left but Semien swiped second. Nathaniel Lowe effortlessly singled to right to put runners at the corners and Adolis Garcia pounded a ground rule double into the right field corner to score Semien. Rookie Triston Casas made a great play to rob Jonah Heim of a hit but Lowe scored to increase the lead. Leody Tavares grounded out to first to end the inning with the Rangers up 2-0.

                                                          The Rangers strike first

Dane Dunning got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tommy Pham got a base hit to center to start. Alex Verdugo followed with a seeing eye single to right and Xander Bogaerts hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to score Pham. Rafael Devers popped up to third in foul territory but Trevor Story smashed his 16th home run of the season into the Monster Seats to put Boston on top. Casas made his Sox debut at the plate by flying out to the right field warning track and Rob Refsnyder drew a walk. Refsnyder swiped second but Franchy Cordero struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                        Story finds the Monster Seats

Kole Calhoun flied out to right to start the top of the second before Ezequiel Duran grounded back to the mound. Bubba Thompson struck out swinging to end the inning. Connor Wong led off the bottom of the second by drawing a walk before Pham got hit on the elbow. Verdugo ripped a fly out to center to move Wong to third and Bogaerts ripped a base hit to right to score Connor. Devers popped up to first in foul territory and Story struck out swinging on a pitch down and away to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                          Sox score another run

Semien led off the top of the third by grounding out to third but Seager drew a walk. Lowe grounded back to the mound to move Seager to second but Casas made a great play to rob Garcia of a single to end the inning. Casas grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third before Refsnyder dumped a base hit to left. Cordero beat out a double play ball to keep the inning going and Wong worked a walk. Pham forced Wong at second to end the inning.

Winckowski struck out Heim swinging to start the top of the fourth but Tavares singled to left. Calhoun walked on four pitches not even close but Duran struck out swinging on a nasty sinker. Thompson grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Winckowski as he lasted just 4 innings while allowing 2 runs. He struggled to last this long but kept the damage to a minimum.

                                                         Winckowski doesn't last long

Verdugo singled to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Bogaerts beat out a double play ball....BUT WAIT! Twins manager Rocco Baldelli challenged the call and Bogaerts was out on the double play. Devers popped up weakly to left to end the inning.

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Semien flied out to left to start. Naturally Ort walked Seager but Corey only made it to second on the grounder to third by Lowe. Garcia flied out to right to end the inning. Story singled past the lunging Semien and somehow stretched a double as he beat Seager's tag by a hair. Rangers interim manager Tony Beasley finally took out Dunning and John King came in to pitch. Casas got his first major league hit off the glove of Seager but was doubled off second on a bullet to Corey by Refsnyder. Naturally Cordero struck out swinging to end the inning, another failure by Sox manager Alex Cora to move runners over.

Ort returned for the top of the sixth and Story made a great jumping catch to rob Heim of a hit to start. Tavares lined a base hit to right but Ort blew away Calhoun with a 97 mph fastball. That was it for Ort as Jeurys Familia was brought in but Tavares was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Wong grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth before Pham also grounded out to short. Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning.

Familia returned for the top of the seventh and Duran grounded out to short to start. Thompson struck out swinging and Semien lined out to third to end the inning. Bogaerts singled down the right field line to start the bottom of the seventh but once AGAIN Devers banged into a double play. Story lined a base hit to center but Casas grounded out to short to end the inning.

Matt Strahm came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Seager grounded out to short to start. Bogaerts made a great play to rob Lowe of a hit and Garcia popped up to center to end the inning. Jonathan Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Refsnyder ripped a base hit to center to start. Rob moved to second on the grounder to second by Cordero but Wong drew a walk. A wild pitch moved the runners over but naturally Pham struck out swinging. Verdugo swung at ball four in the dirt for strike three to end the inning. Once again the Sox did absolutely nothing after the second inning.

John Schreiber came in to close out the top the of the ninth and Heim took strike three on the inside corner to start. Tavares lined out to right and Calhoun took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-2.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Trevor Story. His 3 run homer put the Sox up for good and he made several defensive gems.

                                                           Hero Story

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Connor Wong walked 3 times and scored a run.

Kaleb Ort got his first big league victory by tossing 1 1/2 scoreless innings.

Jeurys Familia tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Matt Strahm pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4.

Josh Winckowski lasted just 4 innings allowing 3 hits and 3 walks but allowed just 2 runs.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have no chance in hell to get back into playoff contention but if they finish September strong, at least there will be hope for the future. The Sox may have something if Casas can hit as well as he can field but there's a lot of holes to fill, primarily on the pitching side. Things worked out today but the rag-tags aren't going to get it done the whole month. Tanner Houck being out for the season gives them no hope of going on a run but they'll try to finish strong anyway. Bogaerts seems to have woken up now that the pressure is off and Story is back too little too late. Still, now all they can hope for is to get above .500 and stay there. The Sox may have a decent bench if they can hang on to Reese McGuire, Refsnyder and Christian Arroyo and would have a good starting nine if certain players perform better next year, but the pitching is dreadful. The only question now is will the Yankees continue to collapse? Unfortunately the Sox may hurt that cause because they just happen to be going to Tampa Bay tomorrow. The win improved the Sox to 67-68, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Tampa for a three game set with the Rays. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox play a Labor Day matinee with Michael Wacha (10-1, 2.56 ERA) going against Captain TBD of Tampa. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Tropicana Field.

Sox Stun Rangers in Ninth (9/1/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some September call-ups. Connor Wong and Eduard Bazardo were called up for tonight's game. Now the Sox have another reliever and a third catcher...yippie.

                                                                        IN

As for the game, ITS A MIRACLE!!!! If the July 22nd game against Toronto was the low point in the season, tonight's comeback win against the Texas Rangers has to be one of the high points. The Rangers broke out to a 4-2 lead over Rich Hill in the top of the fifth but Alex Verdugo chased Texas starter Glenn Otto with a home run in the sixth. The Rangers got four runs off Zack Kelly and Eduardo Bazardo to give the Rangers an 8-3 lead. Game over right? WRONG! Rafael Devers and Christian Arroyo knocked in runs in the eighth inning and a furious rally in the ninth inning tied the game with the bases loaded. Rob Refsnyder did the honors with a base hit to left to score Devers with the winning run. The Sox trailed 8-3 in the 8th and won the game 9-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                             Mimsy approves of the win

Hill got the ball in the top of the first and Marcus Semien flied out to center to start. Corey Seager flied out to left but Nathaniel Lowe walked. Adolis Garcia took strike three to end the inning. Otto got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tommy Pham took strike three to begin. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging but Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jonah Heim flied out to center to start the top of the second before Leody Taveras caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down the first base line. Taveras stole second and moved to third on the grounder to second by Mark Mathias. Charlie Culberson flied out to center to end the inning. JD Martinez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Christian Arroyo flied out to center. Franchy Cordero took strike three to end the inning.

The Rangers struck first in the top of the third as Bubba Thompson walked to start. Semien got a base hit to left and Seager also got a base hit to left to score Thompson. Lowe walked to load the bases but Garcia popped up to second. Heim hit one up the elevator shaft and Taveras watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Rangers up 1-0.

                                                           Seager strikes first

Rob Refsnyder led off the bottom of the third with a grounder to second before Kevin Plawecki flied out to center. Pham took strike three to end the inning.

Mathias grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth before Culberson grounded out to short. Thompson grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Verdugo beat out a roller to second to start. Bogaerts walked but Devers was frozen for strike three. Martinez grounded out to first to move the runners over and Arroyo doubled to right to score them both. Cordero flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

The Rangers blasted Hill in the top of the fifth as Semien walked to start. Seager doubled to right to score Semien and Lowe singled in the hole at short to move Seager to third. That was it for Hill who would be charged with 4 runs in just 4 innings. John Schreiber came in to pitch and Garcia beat out a double play ball to score Seager. Heim walked and Taveras beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Mathias got a base hit to center to score Garcia but Culberson popped up to second to end the inning with the Rangers up 4-2.

                                                               Hill doesn't last long

Refsnyder grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth before Plawecki lined out to third. Pham struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Thompson dropped down a bunt single down the third base line. Semien flied out to center but Thompson stole second. Seager and Lowe both struck out swinging to end the inning. Verdugo chased Otto with his 8th home run of the season to inch the Sox closer. Jesus Tinoco came in to get Bogaerts to ground out to second. Devers lined out to center but Martinez got a base hit to left. Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                            Verdugo goes yard

Zack Kelly came in to crap his pants in the top of the seventh as Garcia struck out swinging to start. Heim beat out a roller to third before Taveras walked. Mathias walked to load the bases and Kole Calhoun pinch hit for Culberson. Calhoun hit a sac fly to left to score Heim and Thompson beat out a roller to third to reload the bases. Semien singled in the hole at sort to score Taveras with another run. Seager grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rangers up 6-3.

Ezequiel Duran took over for Calhoun to start the bottom of the seventh and Cordero walked to start. Refsnyder got a base hit to center and Reese McGuire pinch hit for Plawecki. McGuire naturally banged into a double play and Pham grounded out to third to end the inning.

Eduard Bazardo made his season debut in the top of the eighth and Lowe dumped a base hit to right. Garcia then hit a home run all the way to Anaheim to increase the lead. Heim grounded out to third, Taveras grounded out to second and Mathias also grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rangers up 8-3.

                                                            Rangers pour it on

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the bottom of the eighth as Matt Moore came in to pitch. Verdugo got a base hit to center but Bogaerts forced him at second. A wild pitch moved Bogaerts to second and he scored on the Devers double to right. Martinez walked and Arroyo singled to center to score Devers. Kike Hernandez pinch hit for Cordero and Jose Leclerc came in to pitch to him. Hernandez struck out swinging but Refsnyder walked to load the bases. McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 8-5.

                                                         Devers drives in a run

Jeurys Familia came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Duran grounded out to third to start. Thompson grounded out to second but Semien singled to left. Seager flied out to right to end the inning. Jonathan Hernandez came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but suddenly the Sox rallied. Pham and Verdugo drew back to back walks and Bogaerts singled in the hole at first to load the bases. Devers doubled to left to score Pham & Verdugo but Martinez struck out swinging. Arroyo was intentionally walked to set up a double play. It failed as Hernandez got a base hit to right to score Bogaerts to tie the game and Refsnyder got a base hit to left to score Devers with the winning run. The Sox had stunned the Rangers 9-8.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rob Refsnyder. His hit in the ninth won the game.

                                                         The Sox salute our Hero

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 4 with a walk, home run and 3 total runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with 3 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 4 wit a walk and 3 rbis.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

John Schreiber tossed a scoreless inning.

Kaleb Ort tossed a scoreless inning.

Jeurys Familia got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 2.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Rich Hill allowed 4 runs in 4 innings off 5 hits and 4 walks.

Zack Kelly allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

Eduardo Bazardo allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was a comeback win for the ages, too bad its for a team on the brink of missing the playoffs. Still, a win like that might spark a run. Rich Hill got lit up and so did both Bazardo and Kelly, but the offense came through big time. The team's strength is still its offense and with Trevor Story healthy, they still have a 1-6 that's as good as anyone. If the bats don't suffer any more catastrophic injuries like Eric Hosmer than they might have a chance to bop their way through September. Getting some good pitching for once would be nice. The win improved the Sox to 64-68, 9.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the wild card. The Sox look to make it three wins a row and second straight tomorrow night against the Rangers. Nick Pivetta takes the mound against Dallas Keuchel of Texas. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Slam Red Sox (8/30/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox officially completed the trade they made with the Chicago White Sox for Jake Diekman. Today the Player To Be Named they got along with Reese McGuire was 25 year old right handed pitcher Taylor Broadway. Broadway should have graduated in 2020 but was allowed to play 2021 for Ole Miss before being drafted in the sixth round, 19 picks after the Sox chose Daniel McElveny (who's hitting .177 in Salem this year by the way). This year he was 3-2 with a 4.74 ERA for the AA Birmingham Barons before he was traded. He's not one of the highly regarded prospects in Chicago's system but at this point it doesn't matter. Bloom seems to be collecting 2021 draft picks (Alex Binelas came over in the Hunter Renfroe trade while Corey Rosier and Max Ferguson came from San Diego in the Jay Groome trade) so its become comical to see Bloom try to scoop up as many 2021 draftees that he can.

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As for the game, what did you expect? Its clear that the team has given up, especially on the pitching side. Kutter Crawford (3-6, 5.47 ERA) continued to prove he has no business in the majors as he got beat around and knocked out in the fifth inning by the Minnesota Twins. The sad part was the Sox took a 4-3 lead in the top of the fifth in a rally against Chris Archer but it all crashed in the bottom of the frame. The Twins got the first two men on to chase Crawford and Ryan Brasier  hit Jose Miranda before Nick Gordon hit a grand slam to put the Twins up for good. Minneosta beat around Jeurys Familia and Matt Barnes for three more runs as the fading Sox fell 10-5 to the Twins at Target Field.

                                                 Joe Flaherty's message to Ryan Brasier

Archer got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Pham grounded out to second to start. Alex Verdugo walked but Xander Bogaerts forced him at second. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins wasted no time getting to Crawford in the bottom of the first as Luis Arraez struck out swinging to start. Carlos Correa popped up to second but Max Kepler walked. Jose Miranda walked and Nick Gordon doubled home both runners to put the Twins up. Gio Urshela popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.

                                                             Safe at home

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second as JD Martinez grounded out to short to start. Trevor Story lined out to left and Franchy Cordero struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins struck again in the bottom of the second as Jake Cave hit a home run all the way to the moon to start. Gilberto Celestino grounded out to short, Gary Sanchez popped up to Cordero and Arraez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 3-0.

                                                              Cave increases the lead

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the third as Kike Hernandez grounded out to short to start. Reese McGuire also grounded out to short and Pham grounded out to third to end the inning. Correa flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Kepler grounded out to first. Miranda doubled to center but Gordon struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox rallied in the top of the fourth as Verdugo singled to left to start. Bogaerts doubled down the left field line and Devers hit a sac fly to center to score Verdugo. Bogaerts moved to third on the play and Martinez walked to put runners at the corners. As usual Story banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox still down 3-1.

                                                              Devers hits a sac fly

Urshella doubled to right to start the bottom of the fourth but was thrown out at third by Verdugo trying to stretch a triple. Cave walked but Celestino struck out swinging and Sanchez froze for strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth although Cordero struck out swinging to start. Hernandez got a base hit to right before McGuire dropped a base hit to left. Pham got a seeing eye single to right to score Hernandez and chase Archer. Caleb Thielbar came in to pitch and Verdugo forced Pham at second to put runners at the corners. Bogaerts got a base hit to left to score McGuire and move Verdugo to third. Devers walked to chase Thielbar and Michael Fulmer came in to pitch. A wild pitch scored Verdugo to put the Sox on top and Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston up 4-3.

                                                        Sox take the lead

As usual once the Sox scored a run, they gave it right back in the bottom of the fifth. Arraes flied out to left but Verdugo dropped a routine pop up by Correa for an error. Kepler walked on five pitches not even close to chase Crawford. He got lit up again and was charged with 5 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Ryan Brasier came in to pour gas on the fire as Miranda was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Gordon annihilated a grand slam to put the Twins up for good. Urshela struck out swinging and Cave lined out to right to end the inning with the Twins up 7-4.

                                                        Crawford's season in a nutshell

The Sox rolled over in the top of the sixth as Story grounded out to third to start. Cordero struck out swinging and Hernandez grounded out to first to end the inning. Jeurys Familia came in to take a beating in the bottom of the sixth as Celestino grounded out to short to start. Sanchez then hit a home run all the way to Brooklyn Park, Minnesota to increase the lead. Arraez grounded out to second but Correa walked. Kepler flied out to center to end the inning with the Twins up 8-4.

                                                             Sanchez hits one out

Trevor Megill came in to pitch the top of the seventh and McGuire struck out swinging to start. Pham walked and Verdugo doubled to center to score him. Bogaerts grounded out to second to move Verdugo to third as Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 8-5.

                                                         Verdugo drives in a run

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Miranda grounded out to second to start. Gordon grounded out to first and Urshela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Griffin Jax came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Martinez flied out to center to start. Story struck out swinging and Cordero lined out to short to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to get tagged in the bottom of the eighth as Cave flied out to center to start. Celestino walked, Sanchez singled to left and Arraez singled to center to score Celestino. Correa singled to left to score Sanchez but Kepler popped up to short. Miranda struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 10-5.

                                                        Twins break it wide open

Emilio Pagan came in to close out the top of the ninth and Hernandez walked to start. McGuire popped up to third and Pham took strike three before Hernandez took second on defensive indifference. Verdugo grounded out to first to end the game. The Twins at won it 10-5.

                                                         Twins win

Jackass of the Night is Ryan Brasier. He allowed the go-ahead grand slam to Gordon to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                        Jackass Brasier

The Good:

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

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Zack Kelly pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Kutter Crawford took the loss by being charged with 5 runs in just 4 1/3 innings allowing 4 hits and 4 walks.

Jeurys Familia allowed a run in the sixth inning.

Matt Barnes allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drew a walk.

Reese McGuire was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

This season has been a disaster but thankfully there's only 32 games remaining. Its beyond ridiculous at this point how the offense doesn't drive in runs when they fall behind and every reliever they bring in gets pounded no matter the situation. Brasier, Barnes and Familia allowed 5 runs (and 2 inherited) to put the game out of reach. The Twins are a good team but the relief pitching has been atrocious for the Sox. Its been a terrible season and to a man the team looks like they've given up. Someone has to pay for this whether its Sox GM Chaim Bloom, Cora or both of them. Its a shame how the Sox seemed to have it turned around in June only to fall flat on their face the last two months. The only saving grace is the New York Yankees have fallen flat as well and their gigantic lead is shrinking. As for this game, another loss in a season full of them. The loss dropped the Sox to 62-68, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid a sweep tomorrow night when Michael Wacha (9-1) takes on Joe Ryan of the Twins. The game begins at 7:40 PM at Target Field.

Sox Bats Silenced by Twins (8/29/22)

The Boston Red Sox made some roster moves that were somewhat expected. Hiro Sawamura and Austin Davis were designated for assignment before tonight's game and in their places, the Sox called up Kaleb Ort and 27 year old right handed pitcher Zack Kelly from Worcester. Davis and Sawamura have been straight batting practice lately but mostly are casualties from two straight years of bullpen overuse. The Sox not having a proper rotation since 2019 pretty much sealed the fate of Davis and Sawamura. Ort we know but Kelly was an undrafted rookie free agent signed by Oakland in 2017 and was signed as a minor league free agent by the Red Sox prior to the 2021 season. He'll be making his ML debut soon.

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As for the game, another waste of time in a season spiraling down the drain. The Boston Red Sox were stoned cold by Dylan "King Kong" Bundy and the Minnesota Twins bullpen. Bundy was knocked out in the fifth inning after giving up 2 runs and 9 hits. The Sox had just one hit the rest of the game against the bullpen. Meanwhile Brayan Bello (0-4. 7.27 ERA) was a victim of terrible bullpen management by Alex Cora as he was charged with 3 runs in 4 innings. Cora brought in John Schreiber with the bases loaded in the fifth and Gio Urshela cleared them with a double. The Sox failed to score the rest of the way and the Sox lost 4-2 at Target Field.

                                                  Foamy is on strike for better managing

Bundy got the ball in the top of the first and Tommy Pham reached on a roller to the mound to start. Alex Verdugo flied out to left and Xander Bogaerts flied out to right. Rafael Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Luis Arraez lined out to right to start. Carlos Correa struck out swinging but Max Kepler lined out to left to end the inning.

JD Martinez popped up to second to start the top of the second but Trevor Story got a base hit to left. Franchy Cordero flied out to right and Christian Arroyo flied out to center to end the inning. Jose Miranda grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Nick Gordon got a base hit to right. Gio Urshela struck out swinging and Jake Cave forced Gordon at second to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Reese McGuire grounded out to short to start. Pham got a base hit to left and Verdugo doubled to left to score Tommy. Bogaerts got a base hit to center to move Verdugo to third but Devers lined out to right. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Verdugo drives in a run

Gilberto Celestino singled to right to start the bottom of the third before old pal Sandy Leon popped up to third. Arraez got a base hit to left but Correa forced Celestino at third. Kepler flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Story walked to start. Cordero singled to right to move Story to third but Arroyo popped up to second. McGuire doubled to left to score Story but Pham grounded out to third. Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                          McGuire doubles in a run

The Twins got a run back in the bottom of the fourth as Miranda singled to right to start. Gordon singled to center and Urshela walked to load the bases with nobody out. Cave hit a sac fly to center to score Miranda and Celestino flied out to right to move Gordon to third. Leon grounded out to first to end the inning with the Twins down 2-1.

                                                            Cave drives in a run

Bogaerts singled in the hole to start the top of the fifth before Devers lined out to center. Martinez struck out swinging but Story got a base hit to center to move Bogaerts to third. Caleb Theilbar came in to pitch to Cordero but Sox manager Alex Cora countered by pinch hitting Rob Refsnyder. Rob struck out swinging to end the inning. The Twins knocked Bello out in the bottom of the fifth as Arraez and Correa drew back to back walks to start. That was it for Bello who'd be charged with four runs in 4 innings of work. 

                                                       "Damn you Cora" - Bello

Matt Strahm came in to pitch and Kepler moved the runners over with a squibber in front of the plate. Miranda walked to load the bases and Kyle Garrick pinch hit for Gordon. Gordon took strike three but Sox manager Alex Cora inexplicably brought in John Schreiber to pitch to Urshela. Urshela doubled to right to clear the bases and ice the game. Cave struck out swinging but the Twins now led 4-2.

                                                         Urshela ices it

Caleb Hamilton took over at first to start the top of the sixth and Arroyo grounded out to third to start. McGuire lined out to left and Pham flied out to right to end the inning. Zack Kelly made his ML debut in the bottom of the sixth and Celestino took strike three to start. Leon watched strike three go by but Arraez got a base hit to right. Arraez got thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning.

Jhoan Duran came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Bogaerts struck out swinging and Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Correa lined out to left to start. Kepler flied out to center but Miranda walked. Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Griffin Jax came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Martinez grounded out to third to start. Story got a base hit to center then promptly stole second. Refsnyder and Arroyo both struck out swinging to end the inning. Urshela walked to begin the bottom of the eighth but Cave lined out to center. Celestino flied out to center and Leon struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jorge Lopez came in to pitch the top of the ninth and McGuire grounded out to third to begin. Pham grounded out to first and Verdugo struck out swinging to end the game. The Twins had won it 4-2.

                                                                Sox lose

Jackass of The Night is John Schreiber. He allowed the 3 run double to Urshela to lose the game.

                                                              Jackass Schreiber

The Good:

Tommy Pham was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.

Trevor Story was 3 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and run scored.

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 2.

Zack Kelly tossed a scoreless inning.

Kaleb Ort pitched two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brayan Bello was charged with 4 runs in 4 innings off 5 hits and 3 walks.

Matt Straham allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Reese McGuire was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

What was Cora thinking bringing Schreiber in the fifth inning? Its way to early to manage every game like its Game 7 of the World Series like he did last September. The difference is, last year they were in the driver's seat while this year they're on the outside looking in. Bello once again got rocked and he's looked bad in every single game he's pitched so far. Then again, so has the other rookies. The real problem was the Sox bats scoring just 2 runs against the starter and none off the Twins bullpen. Its all adding up to a lost season where absolutely nothing is going right. The loss dropped the Sox to 62-67, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Twins when Kutter Crawford (3-5) takes on Chris Archer of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:40 PM Eastern time at Target Field.