Red Sox Pulverize Orioles (4/25/26)

Well that's more like it. After getting totally embarrassed the past week by the Detroit Tigers, New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox finally showed some life by beating the crap out of the Orioles in today's game. Garrett Crochet (3-3, 6.30 ERA) returned to form by tossing six shutout innings. The stars of the game was the much maligned offense. They pounded Taylor Rogers and the Baltimore bullpen for 17 hits and 17 runs. Most of them were scored in a 10 run ninth inning when third baseman Weston Wilson was lobbing meatballs up there. Still, Andruw Monasterio hit a grand slam off Keegan Akin, Connor Wong drove in 3 runs, Willson Contreras drove in 5 and even Chad Durbin drove in 3 as well. It all added up to a much needed victory to snap the four game losing streak as the Sox won it 17-1 at Camden Yards.

                New England Patriots 6th round pick Dametrious Crownover approves of the win

Rogers got the ball in the top of the first inning and Ceddanne Rafaela grounded back to the mound to start. Willson Contreras grounded out to first and Wilyer Abreu grounded out to first as well to end the inning. Crochet got the ball in the bottom of the first and Taylor Ward popped up to short to start. Gunnar Henderson struck out swinging and Adley Rutschman flied out to right to end the inning.

Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Andruw Monasterio doubled to center. Jarren Duran took strike three but Caleb Durbin doubled to right to score Andruw. Durbin stole third, Connor Wong walked and Isiah Kiner-Falefa got a base hit to left to score Durbin, moving Connor to third. Rafaela got a base hit to left to score Wong and Contreras walked to load the bases. That was it for Rogers after just 1 2/3 innings as Tyler Wells got Abreu to line out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                       Kiner drives in a run

Pete Alonso struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and old pal Tyler O'Neill popped up to second. Jeremiah Jackson lined out to right to end the inning.

Story struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Monasterio doubled to left. Duran popped up to short and Durbin grounded out to short to end the inning. Leody Taveras flied out to right to open the bottom of the third but Coby Mayo doubled to left. Blaze Alexander struck out swinging but Ward walked. Henderson took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth with Albert Suarez now on the mound. Wong walked and Kiner forced him at second with a bad bunt attempt. Kiner took off for second and Rutschman threw the ball away allowing Isiah to reach third on the error. Rafaela walked and Contreras hit a sac fly to left to score Kiner. Rafaela was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.

                                                            Contreras drives in a run

Rutschman flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Alonso flied out to left. O'Neill took strike three to end the inning.

Abreu got a base hit to left to start the top of the fifth and Jackson booted a grounder by Story for an error. Monasterio tried to drop down a bunt but it got Abreu thrown out at third. Duran popped up to third but Durbin walked to load the bases. Wong jacked a double to right to clear the bases and ice the game but Kiner popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-0.

                                                            Wong clears the bases

Jackson struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth but Taveras worked a wall. Mayo lined out to center and Alexander did the same to end the inning.

Rafaela struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Contreras did the same. Abreu grounded out to first to end the inning. Ward ate up Crochet on a grounder to start the bottom of the sixth but Henderson struck out swinging. Rutschman singled to left but Alonso grounded into a double play to end the inning. Crochet could have gone another inning but with a huge lead, Sox manager Alex Cora told him that was enough after 6 shutout innings where he struck out 7

                                                          Good work Crochet

Story flied out to left to start the top of the seventh and Monasterio grounded out to third. Duran flied out to left to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and O'Neill got a base hit to left to start. Jackson hit a grounder to third and Durbin threw the ball away to allow both runners to advance. Taveras grounded out to first to score O'Neill and move Jackson to third. Mayo popped up to short and Colton Cowser pinch hit for Alexander. Cowser struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's down 7-1.

                                                             O's get a run back

Keegan Akin came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Durbin struck out swinging to start. Wong grounded out to second and Kiner took strike three to end the inning. Danny Coulombe came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Ward singled to left to start. Henderson grounded out to first to move Ward to second and Rutschman lined out to third. Alonso struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox exploded in the top of the ninth as Rafaela tripled into the right field corner to start. Contreras got a base hit to left to score Ceddanne and Abreu got a base hit to center. Story got a base hit to right to load the bases and Monaaterio belted a grand slam to clear the bases. Duran got a base hit to left and O's manager Craig Albernaz brought in third baseman Weston Wilson to pitch. Immediately Durbin clobbered his first home run of the season but Wong popped up to second. Kiner got a base hit to left, Rafaela got a base hit to center and Contreras hit a 3 run bomb to wrap up the scoring. Abreu flied out to right but Mayo booted a grounder by Story for an error. Monasterio flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 17-1.

                                                           What a massacre

Marcelo Mayer took over for Story with Tyler Samaniego in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. O'Neill flied out to left, Jackson grounded out to second and Taveras flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 17-1.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Andruw Monasterio. He was 3 for 6 with a grand slam and 3 total runs scored.

                                                      Andruw Monas-Hero

The Good:

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 5 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Willson Conteras was 2 for 4 with a walk, a home run, 5 total rbis and 2 runs scored.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 6 with a run scored.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 4 with a walk, a home run, 3 total rbis and 3 runs scored.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, 3 rbis, a stolen base and a run scored.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 2 for 5 with a stolen base, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Garrett Crochet got the win with 6 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7.

Danny Coulombe pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Tyler Samaniego pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Greg Weissert allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 6 with 2 strikeouts but scored 2 runs.

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Marcelo Mayer played short in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Where was that against Detroit and New York? Still, for the first time in a while the Sox put together some competitive at-bats which led to rbis and runs scored for once. Durbin and Kiner also stole some bags which is what they're going to have to do to score runs with a power outage going on. Crochet pitched well and he probably would have went 7 if they needed it but the lead was so large not even Weissert was going to screw it up. Cora is still taking fire for playing the utility guys every day and reliance on Weissert but at least Monasterio delivered in this one. Durbin was asked after the game how it felt to get his first home run albeit against a position player and he said "Hey I'll take it". The bats will definitely take it at this point because they need to turn things around in a hurry. Maybe this will be the start of a win streak? Probably not but fans need SOMETHING to hang their hat on. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Orioles tomorrow afternoon when Connelly Early (1-1) takes on Kyle Bradish of Baltimore. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Camden Yards.

Tigers Hammer Crochet, Sox (4/19/26)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the Philadelphia Sixers in Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series but not only did the Boston Bruins choke Game 1 of their first round NHL playoff series to the Buffalo Sabres, but the Boston Red Sox lost to the Detroit Tigers. T Boston Red Sox 2026 season might be over before it really started as Garrett Crochet (2-3, 7.88 ERA) once again got smashed around. This time it was the Detroit Tigers that blitzed him for 5 runs in just 5 innings. Jahmi Jones and Dillon Dingler both homered in the fifth inning to put the Tigers up 5-1. As usual the Boston bats were silenced, this time it was Framber Valdez that did the honors. Framber held the impotent lineup to just 3 hits and a run in 6 innings. The Tigers got a run against Jack Anderson, the Sox got a Caleb Durbin rbi in the ninth and the Sox dropped another one 6-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                        This season in a nutshell

Crochet got tagged out of the gate to start the top of the first inning as Jahmai Jones lined out to right to start. Gleyber Torres took strike three but Matt Vierling doubled to left. Dillon Dingler doubled to center to score Vierling. Riley Greene struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers up 1-0.

                                                               Tigers strike first

The Sox got to Valdez in the bottom of the first as Roman Anthony grounded out to first to start. Andruw Monasterio grounded out to short but Willson Contreras belted his fourth home run of the year to tie the game. Trevor Story got a base hit to left and promptly stole second before Abreu walked. Ceddanne Rafaela took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Tie game

Wenceel Perez took strike three to start the top of the second but Spencer Torkelson walked. Hao-Yu Lee struck out swinging and Javier Baez popped up to first to end the inning. Caleb Durbin grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Carlos Narvaez flied out to center. Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined out to right to end the inning

Jones grounded out to short to start the top of the third and Torres grounded out to second. Vierling grounded out to second to end the inning. Anthony struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Monasterio took strike three. Contreras also went down hacking to end the inning.

Dingler got a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but Greene took strike three. Perez flied out to right and Torkelson struck out swinging to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Abreu flied out to right. Rafaela doubled to center but Durbin flied out to center to end the inning.

Crochet fell apart in the top of the fifth as Lee struck out swinging to start. Baez struck out swinging but Jones hit a home run all the way to Kenya to put the Tigers up for good. Torres walked, Vierling singled to left and Dingler hit the backbreaking home run into the Charles River to ice it. Greene got a base hit to center and Perez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Tigers up 5-1. Crochet crashed and burned in the fifth inning allowing 5 runs in 5 innings.

                                                           Sox have a Crochet problem

The Sox gave up in the bottom of the fifth as Narvaez flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Kiner took strike three. Anthony grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Torkelson lined out to right to start. Lee grounded out to third but Baez got a base hit to left. Kerry Carpenter pinch hit for Jones and got a base hit to right, but Torres flied out to right to end the inning. Monasterio struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the sixth and Contreras flied out to left. Story walked but Abreu flied out to left to end the inning.

Jack Anderson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Vierling grounded out to third to start. Dingler flied out to center and Greene grounded out to third to end the inning. Kyle Finnegan came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela was rung up for strike three to start. Durbin popped up to second but Narvaez doubled to left. Marcelo Mayer pinch hit for Kiner and popped up to third to end the inning.

Perez popped up to second to start the top of the eighth and Torkelson flied out to right. Lee flied out to center to end the inning. Will Vest came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Anthony walked to start. Monasterio grounded into a double play and Contreras grounded out to third to end the inning. The Tigers added insult to injury in the top of the ninth as Baez singled to left to start. Carpenter walked and Torres got a base hit to right to score Baez. Vierling grounded into a double play but Dingler got a base hit to left. Torres tried to score but Anthony gunned him down at home to end the inning with the Tigers up 6-2.

                                                          Fair ball

Old friend Connor Seabold came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Story struck out swinging to start. Abreu beat out a roller to third but Rafaela struck out swinging. Durbin doubled off the Monster to score Abreu and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Narvaez. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the game. The Tigers had won 6-2.

                                                           Tigers win

Jackass of the Night is Garrett Crochet. He got rocked for 5 runs in just 5 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                             Jackass Crochet

The Good:

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3.

Ryan Watson tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

The Bad:

Andruw Monasterio was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but hit a home run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Jack Anderson allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

This season can't end fast enough and we're only 3 weeks into it. If Crochet is actually hurt the season is over. They have no chance with this offense as it is but if the rotation falls apart, then forget about it. Ranger Suarez and Connelly Early look good but if Crochet, Brayan Bello and Sonny Gray fall apart, they'll be in last place by Memorial Day. Crochet was touching 96 on the gun so velocity wasn't the problem, maybe he's tipping his pitches. Either way something is seriously wrong and its very concerning. As usual the Sox bats did nothing and its getting critical there as well. The Sox have scored four runs in 3 games and fans are wondering what can be done. Fire the manager? Trade someone? Demote someone? This team looks lifeless and directionless and it doesn't seem to be any hope in sight. The worst part...its only April. The Sox look to salvage the series tomorrow morning on Patriots Day Monday. Sonny Gray goes for the Sox against Jack Flaherty of the Tigers. The game begins at 11:00 AM at Fenway Park.

Twins Bash Crochet, Sox (4/13/26)

Well this isn't good. Boston Red Sox ace Garrett Crochet (2-2, 7.58 ERA) had his worst start of his entire career, getting lit up for ELEVEN runs while not being able to get out of the second inning. The Minnesota Twins got 4 runs off Crochet in the first inning and seven in the second capped off by a 3 run Victor Caratini home run followed by a Ryan Kriedler big fly. The sad part was the Sox scored 4 runs off Minnesota starter Bailey Ober and got another two against the bullpen. Unfortunately home runs by Byron Buxton and Ryan Jeffers along with late inning pitching proved to be too much to overcome. The Twins had knocked Crochet and the Sox out 13-6 at Target Field.

                                                           Poor Crochet

Ober got the ball in the top of the first inning and Roman Anthony flied out to center to start. Caleb Durbin struck out swinging and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. The Twins blasted Crochet in the bottom of the first as Byron Buxton flied out to the centerfield wall to start. Austin Martin doubled off the top of the left field fence and Crochet threw a wild pitch 20 feet to the right. Luke Keaschall also doubled off the top of the left field fence to score Martin and Ryan Jeffers ripped a base hit to deep left to score Keaschall. Josh Bell flied out to the left field wall but Victor Caratini walked on five pitches not even close. Matt Wallner was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Trevor Story booted a grounder by Brooks Lee to score Jeffers and Caratini, icing the game. Ryan Kriedler ripped an absolute bullet....right to Willson Contreras to end the inning with the game over already 4-0.

                                                          Not off to a good start

Contreras struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Wilyer Abreu walked. Story struck out swinging and Marcelo Mayer popped up to second to end the inning. The slaughter continued in the bottom of the second as Buxton ripped a base hit to center to start. Martin walked on 6 pitches not even close and Keaschall walked on four pitches not even close to load the bases. Jeffers effortlessly singled to left to score Buxton and Bell doubled to the centerfield wall to score both Martin and Keaschall. Caratini put the exclamation point on with a 3 run home run to Nebraska. Somehow Wallner grounded out to first and Lee flied out to the right field wall, but Kreidler hit a home run all the way to Wisconsin to FINALLY chase Crochet. He allowed 11 runs in just 1 2/3 innings and his velocity was down. An Injured List placement might be imminent, Jovani Moran came in to pitch and Buxton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 11-0.

                                           "Yeah you're out Crochet, now beat it!" - Cora

The Sox refused to go quietly in the top of the third as Carlos Narvaez grounded out to third to start. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center but Anthony doubled to right. Durbin doubled to left to score Anthony and somehow Duran smashed his first home run of the season. Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 11-3.

                                                      Home run Duran

Martin grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third and Keaschall lined out to right. Jeffers walked but Bell flied out to left to end the inning.

Abreu struck out swinging to open the top of the fourth and Story grounded out to short. Mayer was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Caratini walked to open the bottom of the fourth and Wallner struck out swinging. Lee flied out to left and Kriedler forced Caratini at second to end the inning.

Narvaez struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Rafaela got a base hit to center. Anthony got hit with a pitch but Durbin popped up to third. Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. Ryan Watson came in to take a beating in the bottom of the fifth as Buxton hit a home run all the way to Michigan to start. Martin took strike three and Keaschall was rung up for strike three, but Jeffers hit a home run all the way to Kansas to increase the lead. Bell flied out to center to end the inning with the Twins ahead 13-3.

                                                        Another home run for the Twins

The Sox dought back in the top of the sixth as Contreras got a base hit in the hole at second to start. Abreu got a base hit to right and Story got a base hit to center to score Contreras. Mayer grounded into a double play and Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 13-4.

                                                     Story drives in a run

Caratini grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the sixth before Wallner popped up to third. Lee grounded out to second to end the inning.

Eric Orze came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rafaela lined out to center to start. Anthony walked and Durbin got a base hit to left, but Duran popped up to third. Andruw Monasterio pinch hit for Contreras and got a base hit to left to score Anthony. Abreu got a base hit to center to score Durbin and move Monasterio to third. Isiah Kiner-Falefa pinch hit for Story and flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 13-6.

                                                  "I'll NEVER give up" - Monasterio

Tyler Samaniego came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Kriedler popped up to second to start. Buxton flied out to left and Martin grounded out to first to end the inning.

Garrett Acton came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mayer walked to start. Narvaez struck out swinging and Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the inning. It looked like Keaschall beat out a grounder to short to start the bottom of the eighth but Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that he was out. Sure enough, replays showed Keaschall was out. Jeffers grounded out to third and Bell flied out to center to end the inning. Yeoman's effort by the bullpen to hold the Twins to two runs in just under 6 innings.

James Outman came in to play center to start the top of the ninth and Anthony walked to start. Durbin lined out to left, Duran took strike three and Monasterio struck out swinging to end the game. The Twins had won 13-6.

                                                                 Twins win

Jackass of the Night is Garrett Crochet. He got rocketed for 11 runs in 1 2/3 innings off 9 hits and 3 walks.

                                                            Jackass Crochet

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, a hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.

Caleb Durbin was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Willson Contreras was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 2 with an rbi.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Jovani Moran tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Tyler Samaniego tossed a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Ryan Watson allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with an rbi but made a critical error to allow runs to score.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 3 but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

What an unmitigated disaster that was and another disasterclass in managing by Alex Cora. He left in Crochet way too long and the sad part was if he got Crochet out of there before the 3 run home run, the Sox might have had a chance the way they battled back. The Sox did manage to score 6 runs in this one including Duran's first home run. Durbin had another multi-hit game so he seems to be coming out of whatever funk he was in to start the season. Unfortunately it was all for naught as the deficit was just too much to overcome. Crochet was sitting at 93 his entire outing but after the game he said he was fine, he just sucked. Hopefully he's right because if he pitches like that again, the Sox are in BIG trouble this season. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Twins when Sonny Gray (2-0, 2.76 ERA) takes on Mick Abel of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:40 PM eastern time at Target Field.

Crochet, Sox Edge Brewers (4/7/26)

Miracles do happen. With Boston Red Sox fans waiting for the bottom to fall out so they can completely turn on the franchise.....the Sox somehow got a win tonight against the Milwaukee Brewers. Garrett Crochet (2-1, 3.12 ERA) barely was able to hold the Brewers down in just 6 1/3 innings. Somehow he allowed just 2 runs to the Brewers while the Sox scored in just one inning. That happened to be the bottom of the sixth on a Trevor Story bases loaded double and a Chad Durbin rbi. After Crochet left, the trio of Zack Kelly, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman somehow slammed the door. The Sox had won the game 3-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Ryan Gosling approves of the win

Crochet got the ball in the top of the first inning and Brandon Lockridge struck out swinging to start. William Contreras lined out to right and Luis Rengifo lined out to third to end the inning. Misiorowski got the ball in the bottom of the first and Roman Anthony struck out swinging to start. Jarren Duran struck out swinging and Willson Contreras took strike three to end the inning.

Gary Sanchez got a base hit to left to start the top of the second before taking second on a grounder to second by Joey Ortiz. Luis Matos took strike three and Sal Frelick grounded out to short to end the inning. Wilyer Abreu took strike three to start the bottom of the second before Trevor Story struck out swinging. Marcelo Mayer grounded out to short to end the inning.

Blake Perkins got a base hit to center to start the top of the third and David Hamilton dropped down a bunt to move him to second. Lockridge struck out swinging but a wild pitch moved Perkins to third. Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning. Ceddanne Rafaela walked to begin the bottom of the third but Connor Wong took strike three. Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Rengifo lined out to center to start the top of the fourth but Sanchez walked. Mayer dropped a double play ball by Ortiz for an error but Matos grounded into one himself to end the inning. Anthony grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Duran struck out swinging. Contreras got a base hit to right but Abreu took strike three to end the inning.

Frelick grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth before Perkins flied out to right. Hamilton grounded out to first to end the inning. Story grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Mayer took strike three. Rafaela singled to left and Wong was hit with a pitch, but IKF grounded out to second to end the inning.

Lockridge struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Contreras singled to center. Rengifo lined out to right and Sanchez was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Anthony took strike three to start the bottom of the sixth but Duran drew a walk. Contreras and Abreu both walked to load the bases, chasing Misiorowski from the game. DL Hall came in to face Story and Trevor doubled to left to score Duran and Contreras. Caleb Durbin pinch hit for Mayer and grounded out to second but Abreu scored another run. Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                          Story drives in a pair

Naturally Crochet fell apart in the top of the seventh as Ortiz singled to center to start. Matos struck out swinging but Ferlick singled to right. Perkins walked and somehow Crochet hit Hamilton to score Ortiz. That was it for Crochet who allowed 2 runs in 6 1/3 innings. Zack Kelly came in to pitch and Christian Yelich pinch hit for Lockridge. Yelich beat out a double play ball to score Frelick then promptly stole second. Contreras grounded out to short to end the inning with the Brewers down 3-2.

                                                           Good work Crochet

Wong popped up to first to start the bottom of the seventh and Kiner grounded out to third. Anthony struck out swinging to end the inning.

Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rengifo grounded out to second to start. Sanchez struck out swinging and Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning. Duran flied out to center to start the bottom of the eighth but Contreras walked. Abreu forced Contreras at second and Jake Woodford came in to pitch to Story. Trevor lined out to right to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Matos flied out to center to start. Frelick walked but Perkins grounded into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Trevor Story. His based loaded double in the sixth sparked the winning rally.

                                                              Trevor Hero

The Good:

Willson Contreras was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Chad Durbin drove in a run in his only plate appearance.

Ceddannne Rafaela was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Garrett Crochet got the win with 6 1/3 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 7.

Zack Kelly got the final two outs of the seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his 3rd save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Roman Anthony was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer was 0 for 2 with a strikeout and an error.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in 2 runs.

Final Thoughts:

No matter how bad the Sox are, they always have a chance with Crochet on the mound. Still, he couldn't go seven innings in this one, but the bullpen stepped up this time. The offense continues to struggle but they did just enough to win. Trevor Story drove in two big runs and they needed both of them to win. On a day when the pitching holds up, they have a chance. Otherwise, don't even bother. Unless guys like Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello step up, this is going to be a long season. The Sox look to win the series tomorrow afternoon when Sonny Gray (1-0, 4.50 ERA) faces former Sox prospect Shane Drohan making his ML debut. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Astros Pound Crochet, Sox (4/1/26)

Before the game it was announced Carlos Narvaez was benched although Boston Red Sox manager Alex Cora refused to elaborate as to why. The way things are going, this team is headed to an implosion. The Houston Astros added to the misery by making mincemeat out of Garrett Crochet (1-1, 3.27 ERA) in today's game while the Red Sox offense struggled for the sixth game in a row. Crochet and the Sox battled to a 2-2 tie but Carlos Correa hit a 3 run jack off Crochet in the bottom of the fifth. Danny Coulombe gave up a home run to old pal Christian Vazquez to put the game out of reach. The Sox did get home runs from Wilyer Abreu and Roman Anthony, but it was too little too late as the Sox dropped their fifth game in a row, including this three game sweep by the Astros 6-4 at Daikin Park.

                                                       The season is out of hand already

Somehow the Sox got a run off Burrows to start the top of the first. Jarren Duran got a base hit to left but Trevor Story flied out to left. Masataka Yoshida drew a walk and Willson Contreras ripped a base hit to center to score Duran. Wilyer Abreu popped up to third and Caleb Durbin forced Contreras to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Sox strike first

The Astros wasted no time getting to Crochet in the bottom of the first as Jose Altuve struck out swinging to start. Yordan Alvarez doubled to right and Isaac Paredes doubled to center to score Alvarez. Story booted a grounder by Correa for an error and Christian Walker made the Sox pay with a base hit to left to score Paredes. Cam Smith struck out swinging and Jake Meyers lined out to center to end the inning with the Astros up 2-1.

                                                         Like clockwork

Ceddanne Rafaela was hit with a pitch to start the top of the second but Isiah Kiner-Falefa forced him at second with a dropped pop up. Connor Wong doubled to left and Duran grounded out to short to score Kiner. Story struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                Tie game

Brice Matthews lined out to short to star the bottom of the second before old pal Christian Vazquez grounded out to short. Altuve grounded out to second to end the inning.

Yoshida struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Contreras went down hacking. Abreu also swung at air to end the inning. Alvarez singled to left to start the bottom of the third and Paredes was hit with a pitch. Correa grounded into a double play and Walker flied out to right to end the inning.

Durbin grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth but Rafaela struck out swinging. Kiner walked and Wong got a base hit to right, but Duran flied out to center to end the inning. Smith struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the fourth before Meyers went down hacking. Matthews also swung at air to end the inning.

Story flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Yoshida lined out to right. Contreras walked and Abreu got a base hit to center, but Durbin struck out swinging to end the inning. The Astros took command in the bottom of the fifth as Vazquez grounded out to short to start. Altuve singled to right but Alvarez was hit with a pitch. Paredes struck out swinging and Correa hit a home run all the way to Sri Lanka to ice the game. Walker struck out swinging to end the inning with the Astros up 5-2. Crochet was finished as he allowed 5 runs in 5 innings off 6 hits.

                                                       The ace was hardly on his game

AJ Blubaugh came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Kiner struck out swinging and Wong flied out to center to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Smith grounded out to short to start. Meyers grounded out to short and Matthews took strike three to end the inning.

Bryan King came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Duran struck out swinging to start. Story took strike three and Yoshida grounded out to third to end the inning. Danny Coulombe came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and naturally Vazquez hit a home run all the way back to Boston to start. Altuve grounded out to third, Alvarez lined out to center and Paredes flied out to center to end the inning with the Astros up 6-2.

                                                                Of all people

Kai-Wei Teng came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Contreras grounded out to short to start. Somehow Abreu clubbed his 3rd home run of the year to cut the lead but Durbin dropped to 0-18 on the season by watching strike three right down the middle. Rafaela lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 6-3.

                                                       Abreu isn't ready to quit

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Correa grounded out to short to start. Walker grounded out to third but Smith got a base hit to right. Smith took off for second and Wong threw the ball away for an error. Meyers walked to put runners at the corners and Joey Loperfido pinch hit for Matthews. Loperfido walked to load the bases but Vazquez was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Bryan Abreu came in to close out the top of the ninth and Roman Anthony pinch hit for Kiner. Anthony belted his first home run of the season to cut the lead and Marcelo Mayer pinch hit for Wong. Mayer, Duran and Story all struck out swinging to end the game. The Astros had won it 6-4.

                                                              Astros win

Jackass of the Night is Garrett Crochet. Not that the offense was doing much, but allowing 5 runs in 5 innings put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                       Jackass Crochet

The Good:

Willson Contreras was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Roman Anthony hit a home run as a pinch hitter.

Connor Wong was 2 for 3.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning,

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of three strikeouts and an error.

Chad Durbin was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcelo Mayer struck out as a pinch hitter.

Danny Coulombe allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Sox fans are hitting the panic button already after five straight losses. The Sox once again weren't ready to play coming out of the gate and at what point do you hold Alex Cora accountable for that? Speaking of which, apparently Carlos Narvaez got benched for today's game but no one is saying why. For a team starting out horrible its more drama that they can ill-afford. Crochet was mortal today and he himself essentially took a swipe at the offense by saying if he gives up a run, they're screwed. Panicking after 5 games is hardly constructive but NONE of the off-season additions have made a positive impact so far. The two new starters got shelled, Chad Durbin is completely useless at the plate, Kiner and Monasterio are utility players and the bullpen besides Whitlock, Justin Slaten and Aroldis Chapman have under performed. If the Sox don't get right soon, FINALLY the fans might dip on this team. John Henry banked on tourists, casuals and opposing team fans to pack Fenway but even casuals aren't going to want to watch a team THIS bad. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox come home for their first homestand of the season on Friday afternoon. Sonny Gray (0-1, 6.75 ERA) welcomes in the San Diego Padres and Michael King. Opening Day at Fenway begins at 2:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Crochet, Sox Blank Reds on Opening Day (3/26/26)

After Boston Red Sox fans were ready to commit civil war amongst themselves over the fallout of the Rafael Devers situation and Alex Bregman fiasco in the off-season, the 2026 season got off to a rollicking start in Cincinnati against the Reds. Garrett Crochet (1-0, 0.00) proved he's still one of the best in the game as he tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 3 hits and 2 walks. Roman Anthony went 3 for 4 and Marcelo Mayer went 2 for 2 off the bench with offense at a premium. Ceddanne Rafaela knocked in Mayer for the first run in the seventh and a 2 run rally in the ninth with Trevor Story and Jarren Duran joining the fun was all the offense they'd need. The trio of Justin Slaten, Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door as the 2026 season began with a 3-0 win over the Reds at Great American Ballpark.

                                                           Team USA approves of the win

Andrew Abbott got the ball in the top of the first inning and Roman Anthony belted the first pitch he saw to dead center for a base hit. Trevor Story banged into a double play and it looked like Jarren Duran beat out a grounder to second, but Reds manager Terry Francona challenged that he was out. The replays showed Duran was safe and Willson Contreras made his Sox debut by drawing a walk. Caleb Durbin made his debut by grounding out to second to end the inning. Crochet got the ball in the bottom of the first and TJ Friedl grounded out to first to start. Matt McLain flied out to left and Elly De La Cruz grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Wilyer Abreu beat out a roller to first to begin. Isiah Kiner-Falefa made his Sox debut by taking strike three but Carlos Narvaez got a base hit to right. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded into a double play to end the inning. Sal Stewart doubled to center to start the bottom of the second but Eugenio Suarez flied out to right. Spencer Steer walked but Tyler Stephenson flied out to left. Noelvi Marte struck out swinging to end the inning.

Anthony got a base hit to left to start the top of the third before Story lined out to left. Duran popped up to short and Contreras grounded out to short to end the inning. Ke'Bryan Hayes lined out to right to begin the bottom of the third before Friedl lined out to short. McLain struck out swinging to end the inning.

Durbin flied out to right to start the top of the fourth before Abreu grounded out to short. IKF grounded out to third to end the inning. De La Cruz went down hacking to start the bottom of the fourth before Stewart grounded out to third. It looked like Suarez walked but Narvaez challenged that it was a strike and sure enough, the call was overturned for strike three to end the inning.

Narvaez popped up to first to begin the top of the fifth before Rafaela lined a base hit past second baseman McLain. Anthony nearly took Stewart's head off with a line drive single but Story watched strike three go by. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Steer struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Durbin threw himself on a grounder by Stephenson and swam on it for an error. Marte took strike three and Hayes lined out to left to end the inning.

De La Cruz made a diving catch to rob Contreras of a base hit to begin the top of the sixth and Durbin grounded out to second. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Crochet had one last inning in the bottom of the sixth and Friedl grounded out to short to start. McLain walked, De La Cruz singled to center and Stewart got a base hit to right to load the bases. Crochet struck out both Suarez and Steer back to back swinging to end his day. He had tossed 6 innings of shutout ball in his season debut.

                                                             Crochet was locked in

The Sox picked up their ace in the top of the seventh as Pierce Johnson came in to pitch for the Reds. Marcelo Mayer pinch hit for IKF and doubled just past the reach of Steer. Narvaez dropped down a bunt to move Mayer to third and Rafaela knocked in the season's first run with a base hit to center. Sam Moll came in to face Anthony and struck him out swinging before Story forced Rafaela at second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                Sox strike first

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Stephenson walked to start. Will Benson pinch hit for Marte and struck out swinging before Hayes flied out to left. Friedl struck out swinging to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth and Graham Ashcraft came in to pitch to Contreras. Wilson struck out swinging but Durbin walked. Abreu grounded out to second to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and McLain flied out to left to start. De La Cruz struck out swinging but Stewart pounded a ground rule double down the right field line. Suarez struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox got some big insurance in the top of the ninth with Connor Phillips on the mound. Mayer got a base hit to left but Narvaez struck out swinging. Rafaela flied out to left and Anthony was rung up for stri....not so fast! Anthony challenged it was ball four and it was, drawing a walk. Story stepped up with a line drive base hit to left to score Mayer to send Phillips packing. Brock Burke was greeted by Duran with a base hit to right to score Anthony. Contreras hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                       Story drives in the big insurance run

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Steer flied out to left to start. Tyler Stephenson flied out to center and Dane Myers pinch hit for Benson. Myers flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-0.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Garrett Crochet. He dominated in his season debut tossing 6 innings of shutout ball while allowing 3 hits & 2 walks while striking out 8.

                                                                Hero Crochet

The Good:

Roman Anthony was 3 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a stolen base.

Marcelo Mayer was 2 for 2 with 2 runs scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Justin Slaten tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Isiah Kiner-Falefa was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but drove in a big insurance run.

Willson Contreras was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Caleb Durbin was 0 for 3 with an error but drew a walk.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Not much to complain about in this one. The offense was going to struggle to score runs with almost no power but getting clutch hits late is just what the doctor ordered. Roman Anthony and Ceddanne Rafaela picked up where they left off last year and Marcelo Mayer going 2 for 2 off the bench was a big lift. If Cora starting IKF was to send a message to Mayer to step it up, he might be listening. On the other side, once again the trio of Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman were unhittable. If Slaten is healthy this year, this bullpen might be as devastating as last year. I know Cora likes to ease the starters into throwing long early on but that wears out the bullpen. Still, with a better rotation on paper than last year, guys should be able to go 6 innings rather than 4-5 like last year. That's down the road, today it was Game 1 and the Red Sox looked pretty good. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to keep the momentum going on Saturday afternoon when Sonny Gray makes his Red Sox debut against Brady Singer of Cincinnati. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Great American Ballpark.

Crochet, Sox Drop Yankees In Game 1 (9/30/25)

If the Boston Red Sox just won their final game of the season, Sox fans should be proud of the team this year. In their first playoff action in four years, the Sox opened the American League Wild Card Series by knocking off the New York Yankees for the 9th time in their last 10 post-season games. Garrett Crochet was a man possessed in his first post-season start. He held the Yankees to a single run in 7 2/3 innings allowing just 4 hits. The Sox accomplished nothing offensively against Yankees starter Max Fried and an Anthony Volpe home run put the Yankees up 1-0 going into the seventh. Yankees manager Aaron Boone foolishly yanked Fried and Luke Weaver allowed a backbreaking 2 run single to pinch hitter Masataka Yoshida. An Alex Bregman rbi double in the ninth followed by Aroldis Chapman Houdini'ng out of his own jam added up to a 3-1 victory over the Yankees in Game 1 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                 "That's one, Skip" - Crochet

Fried got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder grounded out to short to start. Trevor Story struck out swinging but Alex Bregman got a base hit to right. Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third to end the inning. Crochet got the ball in the bottom of the first and Paul Goldschmidt singled to left to start. Aaron Judge ripped a base hit to left but somehow Cody Bellinger struck out swinging. Giancarlo Stanton banged into a double play to end the inning.

Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to open the top of the second and Nate Eaton grounded out to second. Jarren Duran grounded out to short to end the inning. Ahmed Rosario grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the second before Trent Grisham struck out swinging. Anthony Volpe then hit a home run all the way to Queens to put the Yankees up early. Austin Wells popped up to first to end the inning but it was over already with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                               Yankees strike first

Fried laughed at the Red Sox in the top of the third as Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right to start. Nick Sogard got a base hit to left but Refsnyder flied out to center. Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Jose Caballero struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the third before Goldschmidt went down hacking as well. Judge flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Bregman struck out swinging to start. Gonzalez grounded out to third but Narvaez walked. Eaton slashed a double to right but Duran swung at strike three up in his eyes to end the inning. Bellinger grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth before Stanton struck out swinging. Rosario grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the fifth as Rafaela grounded out to second to start. Sogard flied out to center but Refsnyder walked. Story got a base hit in the hole at short but Bregman grounded out to third to end the inning. Grisham took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Volpe struck out swinging. Wells took strike three to end the inning.

Gonzalez struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth but Narvaez drew a 9 pitch walk. Eaton grounded into a double play to end the inning but Fried was up to 99 pitches. Caballero flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Goldschmidt flied out to left. Judge struck out swinging to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to first to begin the top of the seventh and that was it for Fried who tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings. Luke Weaver came in to face Rafaela and Ceddanne drew an 11 pitch walk. Sogard somehow doubled to right when Judge lollygagged after the base hit and Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Refsnyder. The gamble worked as Yoshida blooped a base hit to center to score both runners to give the Sox the lead. That was it for Weaver as Fernando Cruz came in to face Story. Story struck out swinging but Bregman walked. Nathaniel Lowe pinch hit for Gonzalez and flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                    Yoshida gives the Sox the lead

Sox manager Alex Cora rolled the dice by bringing back Crochet for the bottom of the seventh and Bellinger popped up to short to start. Stanton grounded out to third and Rosario did the same to end the inning on just 6 pitches.

Jazz Chisholm Jr took over for Rosario with Devin Williams now on the mound to start the 8th inning. Narvaez walked and Wilyer Abreu pinch hit for Eaton. Eaton and Duran both popped up to third and Rafaela flied out to left to end the inning. Crochet returned for the bottom of the eighth and Grisham struck out swinging to start. Volpe got a base hit to center but Crochet froze Wells for strike three to end his night. He threw 117 pitches allowing just 1 run on 4 hits while striking out 11. Aroldis Chapman came in for the four out save and Volpe took second on a disengagement violation. Caballero then hit a ball to right and Abreu damn near cleaned out Rafaela running to catch the ball to end the inning.

                                                The War Pig gets the job done

The Sox added some insurance in the top of the ninth as David Bednar came in to pitch. Sogard took strike three and Yoshida grounded out to second, but Story got  abase hit to left. It looked like Story had second base stolen but Boone challenged the call.....safe, call stands. Bregman made the Yankees pay with a double down the left field line to score Story. Tim Hill came in to pitch to Lowe and Nathaniel lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                        Bregman the Yankee killer

Chapman returned for the bottom of the ninth and immediately got in trouble. Goldschmidt, Judge and Bellinger all stroked base hits to load the bases with nobody out. Yankee fans gladhanded each other saying it was in the bag but Stanton struck out swinging. Chisholm popped up to right, failing to score Goldschmidt and Grisham went down hacking to end the game. The Sox had stolen the game 3-1.

                                             Chapman pulls the Houdini to save the game

We have Co-Heroes of the Night. Hero number 1 is Garrett Crochet. He battled for 7 2/3 innings to earn the win. He allowed 4 hits and a run while striking out 11.

                                                Narvaez acknowledges our Hero

Hero number 2 is Masataka Yoshida. He was Boston's best hitter in September and his 2 run single put the Sox up for good in this one.

                                                      Jose Flores with our Hero

The Good:

Trevor Story was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Alex Bregman was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Carlos Narvaez walked 3 times in 4 plate appearances.

Nate Eaton was 1 for 3.

Nick Sogard was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Aroldis Chapman earned the save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Nathaniel Lowe was 0 for 2.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2 but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 but walked and a run scored.

Final Thoughts:

As mentioned earlier, if this was it for the Red Sox this season, kudos to them for a successful season. The Sox did the best they could with what they had this season despite all the injuries. Losing Tanner Houck, Kutter Crawford, Hunter Dobbins, Richard Fitts, Dustin May, Triston Casas, Liam Hendricks, Marcelo Mayer, Roman Anthony and now Lucas Giolito for the season and being one win away from the American League Division Series is a miracle. Alex Cora for the first time all season managed with his eyes instead of the computer by letting Crochet going as far as he could and asking Chapman to get four big outs. Now the Sox have a victory and the rest of the bullpen arms are rested for tomorrow. Its amazing how it was Boone that pulled the starter too early and not Cora. Some Yankee fans said the Sox have the managerial advantage and its hard to argue that. Cora put on a masterclass with his pitchers and pinch hitting Yoshida to knock in the go-ahead runs. Once again the Sox had woes with men on base but they drove in the three big ones that mattered. Just the fact the Sox are one win away from knocking out the Yankees is a miracle, but here we are. Even if they get killed the next two games, Sox fans shouldn't get mad since they pushed it as far as possible with all the injuries they had to endure. Still, they might actually win tomorrow and advance. Alex Cora manages in October flying by the seat of his pants and he's going to have to with only 2 experienced starters remaining. The Sox look to finish off the Yankees tomorrow night when Brayan Bello makes his first ever post-season start against Carlos Rodon of New York. The game begins at 6:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.