Rays Bash Pivetta, Sox (7/5/22)

Yesterday I said the Tampa Bay Rays were most likely playoff bound when the season is over and tonight showed exactly why as they defeated the Boston Red Sox. Nick Pivetta (8-6, 3.68 ERA) was tagged for 3 runs in the top of the first but the Sox battled back to tie the game. Then he fell apart in the sixth inning. The Rays rallied for four runs against him and Jake Diekman in relief. Hansel Robles was once again nailed for a run while the Sox could only muster one run against the Rays bullpen. Old friend Jeffrey Springs allowed 3 runs in 4 innings and the Rays pretty much slammed the door after that. The Sox were denied their first series win against an AL East opponent as the Rays took the game 8-4 at Fenway Park.

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Rays wasted no time pounding him. Yandy Diaz doubled off the Monster and Harold Ramirez ripped a base hit to left to put runners at the corners. Wander Franco walked to load the bases but Isaac Parades popped up to short. Naturally Kevin Kiermaier hit a bases clearing double to center to put Tampa up big five batters into the game. Randy Arozarena was plunked but Taylor Walls hit a bullet to Trevor Story. Story doubled off Kiermaier to end the inning but the Rays were ahead 3-0.

                                                       Kiermaier clears the bases

Springs got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Rob Refsnyder grounded out to third but JD Martinez doubled to center. Xander Bogaerts helped the cause by launching his 7th home run of the year to cut the lead bit Christian Vazquez lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                              X gon give it to ya

Rene Pinto struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Josh Lowe grounded out to second. Diaz doubled off the Monster again but Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck back instantly in the bottom of the second when Story clubbed his 14th home run of the season to tie the game. Franchy Cordero struck out swinging, Christian Arroyo grounded out to short and Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3. 

                                                         Story ties it up

Franco got a base hit to right to start the top of the third but was foolishly doubled off first on a pop up to Story by Parades. Kiermaier grounded out to short to end the inning. Duran walked to start the bottom of the third but Refsnyder popped up to second. Duran swiped second but Martinez went down hacking. Bogaerts walked but Vazquez flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning. 

Arozarena struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Walls popped up to third. Pinto struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Story struck out swinging to start. Cordero lined out to second but Arroyo got a base hit to right. Dalbec got a base hit to left but Duran took strike three to end the inning. 

Lowe took strike three to start the top of the fifth before Diaz grounded out to short. Ramirez also grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox squandered their best chance in the bottom of the fifth with Ryan Thompson now on the mound. Refsnyder got a base hit to right before Martinez also doubled to right. As usual Bogaerts grounded out to second, Vazquez popped up to short and Story struck out swinging to end the inning. It was posted that the Red Sox now have the lowest batting average in baseball with men on base and nobody out, pathetic.

As usual the Rays capitalized in the top of the sixth as Franco walked to start. Parades ripped a base hit to right to move Wander to third and Kiermaier did the honors by beating out a double play ball to score the go-ahead run. Arozarena effortlessly doubled to center and Walls scored Kiermaier with a sac fly to left. Pinto then singled off the glove of Bogaerts to ice the game by scoring Arozarena.  That was it for Pivetta who saved his worst start in months for when the injured Sox needed it the most..he got hammered for 7 runs in just 5 2/3 innings. Jake Diekman came in and as usual walked Lowe before Diaz ripped a base hit to left to score Pinto. Ramirez forced Diaz at second to end the inning but the Rays matched the Red Sox entire production for the game in one inning to go up for good 7-3.

                                                        Sox go up in flames

Brooks Raley came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Sox completely quit. Cordero and  Arroyo both struck out swinging before Dalbec took a full count strike three right down the middle to end the inning.

Sox manager Alex Cora waived the white flag by bringing in Hansel Robles to pitch the top of the seventh. As usual he walked the first guy in Franco who promptly stole second. Parades ripped a base hit to center to score Franco with another run. Kiermaier walked and Arozarena beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Arozarena was thrown out at second and Walls took strike three to end the inning with the Rays up 8-3.

                                                            Parades adds to the lead

Shawn Armstrong came in for the bottom of the seventh and Duran doubled to left to start. Refsnyder grounded out to short but Martinez beat out a roller to short to put runners at the corners. All Bogaerts could do was score Duran with a sac fly to left and Vazquez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

                                                       Just a sac fly for Bogaerts

Tyler Danish came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pinto singled to right to start. Lowe flied out to left but Diaz walked. Ramirez and Franco struck out swinging to end the inning. Colin Poche came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Story struck out swinging to start. Cordero walked but Arroyo flied out to right. Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning.

Parades flied out to center to start the top of the ninth but Kiermaier grounded out to second. Arozarena struck out swinging to end the inning. Jason Adam came in to close out the top of the ninth and Duran singled to center to start. Refsnyder singled to center but Martinez struck out swinging. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Vazquez was plunked to load the bases. Representing the tying run...Story popped up to short to end the game. The Rays had won it 8-4.

                                                               Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Nick Pivetta. He got smoked for 7 runs in just 5 2/3 innings. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks to take the loss.

                                                         Jackass Pivetta

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5.

JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a 2 run home run, a walk and 3 total rbis.

Tyler Danish tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Hansel Robles allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Jake Diekman allowed an inherited run to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

Its been happening all year but the Sox absolutely cannot hit in the clutch. They have the lowest batting average with men on base and tonight showed why. They had a chance to do damage in the seventh and ninth innings and came up empty both times. Meanwhile the Rays had no problem rallying in the sixth inning did they? That's why the Rays are most likely playoff bound and the Sox aren't. This was Boston's chance to win their first series against an AL East team all year and they failed miserably. Pivetta getting rocked, the bats striking out left and right plus another game with the bullpen allows runs all added to the misery. The Sox needed Pivetta to stay strong with Rich Hill and now Michael Wacha out and he got lit up by the Rays. What are the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays going to do to him if he can't beat the Rays? Now the rumor is Rafael Devers may miss a few games as well, just what they needed with a showdown against the Yankees looming right? The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 45-36, 1 game in front of the Rays for the first wild card. The Sox look to win their first AL East series all year tomorrow nightn and the good news is it looks like the Sox are going to call up top pitching prospect Brayan Bello to make his ML debut. Bello takes on Corey Kluber at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Lose Game, Hill To Cubs (7/1/22)

Well that was embarrassing. The Boston Red Sox not only lost to the lowly Chicago Cubs but Rich Hill somehow sprained his knee and had to leave the game in the fifth inning. Naturally after he left, the Cubs turned a 5-3 Sox lead into a 6-5 Cubs lead in about eight seconds flat against Hansel Robles (1-3, 5.70 ERA). The Sox broke out to a 4-0 lead on a Jarren Duran home run and a Jackie Bradley Jr bases clearing double but the Cubs got three back against Hill and Tyler Danish in the bottom of the fifth. Duran drove in another run in the top of the fifth but the bullpen fell apart in the bottom of the sixth as Robles and Jake Diekman allowed 3 runs to put Chicago ahead. All in all Sox pitching gave up TEN walks in this one game as they couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat. It all added up to an embarrassing 6-5 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

                                        Cubs taking Aerosmith's advice to "Walk" this way

The Sox didn't waste a second scoring off Cubs starter Adrian Sampson in the top of the first inning as Jarren Duran launched the first pitch to dead center for his first home run of the season. Rafael Devers grounded out to first but JD Martinez singled to left. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners but Alex Verdugo grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0. 

                                                        Duran hits the first pitch out

Hill got the ball in the bottom of the first and Christipher Morel took strike three to start. Wilson Contreras struck out swinging but Ian Happ doubled to center. Patrick Wisdom struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox caught a break when Wisdom booted a grounder by Trevor Story for an error to start the top of the second. Franchy Cordero followed with a base hit to left and Christian Vazquez walked to load the bases with nobody out. Jackie Bradley Jr stepped up big with a bases clearing double in the gap in center to put the Sox up big. Duran grounded back to the mound but JBJ moved to third on a grounder to second by Devers. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox now led 4-0.

                                                       Jackie clears the bases

Narciso Crook lined out to center to start the bottom of the second and Yan Gomes grounded back to the mound. PJ Higgins walked on four pitches not even close but Nelson Velazquez forced him at second to end the inning.

Bogaerts lined out to center to start the top of the third before Verdugo grounded out to second. Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Andrelton Simmons grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Morel grounded out to third. Contreras drew a walk but Happ grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Cordero led off the top of the fourth with a base hit to right but Vazquez immediately banged into a double play. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning. Wisdom flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Crook grounded out to third. Gomes also grounded out to third to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Devers got a base hit to right. Martinez struck out swinging and Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Cubs struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Higgins walked on 5 pitches not even close and Duran crashed into the Ivy as Velazquez motored around for an rbi triple. Simmons popped up to center but Morel grounded out to short to score Velazquez. Conteras walked on four pitches not even close, Happ ripped a base hit to right and Wisdom was plunked to load the bases. Hill started clutching his knee and had to be helped off the field after being eventually charged with 3 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Danish came in and Rafael Ortega pinch hit for Crook, drawing a walk to score Contreras. Alfonso Rivas pinch hit for Gomes and flied out to center to end the inning with the Cubs only down 4-3.

                                                Duran misplays it and the Cubs have life

The Sox responded in the top of the sixth as Verdugo lined out to center to start. Story worked a 9 pitch at-bat before getting a base hit in the hole at second to chase Sampson. Brandon Hughes came in to face Cordero and struck him out swinging. Vazquez got a base hit to center and Sox manager Alex Cora rolled the dice by bringing in Rob Refsnyder to pinch hit for Bradley. Refsnyder walked to load the bases and Duran punched a base hit to center. Story scored easily but Vazquez was gunned down at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead just 5-3.

                                                    You're out you dummy!

Hansel Robles came in to blow the game in the bottom of the sixth although Higgins struck out swinging to start. Velazquez flied out to left but Simmons walked and Morel smashed a two run home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to tie the game. Contreras walked and Happ doubled to center to put the go-ahead run at third. Wisdom walked on four pitches not even close and FINALLY Cora yanked the incompetent Robles with the bases loaded. Jake Diekman came in to pour gas on the fire and Nico Hoerner pinch hit for Ortega. Naturally Diekman uncorked a wild pitch to complete the meltdown, scoring Conteras with the go-ahead run. Hoerner walked to re-load the bases but Rivas took a blown full count strike three to end the inning with the Cubs ahead 6-5.

                                                      Sox blow the game AGAIN

The Sox quit in the top of the seventh as Devers took strike three to start. Scott Effross took over for Hughes and Martinez flied out to center. Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Higgins doubled to right to begin. Velazquez struck out swinging but Simmons drew a walk. Morel banged into a double play to end the inning.

Former Sox prospect Chris Martin came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Verdugo got a base hit to left to put the tying run on. He stayed there as Story struck out swinging and Cordero took strike three. Vazquez was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Contreras took strike three to begin the bottom of the eighth but Cordero booted a routine grounder by Happ for an error. Wisdom went down hacking and Hoerner lined out to first to end the inning.

David Robertson came in to close out the top of the ninth and Refsnyder flied out to right to start. Durran grounded out to first and Devers grounded out to second to end the game. The Cubs had won it 6-5.

                                                          Sox lose the game and Hill

Jackass of the Night is Hansel Robles. He blew the lead in the bottom of the sixth

                                                      Jackass Robles

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total rbis.

Franchy Cordero was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with 3 rbis.

Rob Refsnyder walked in two plate appearances.

Hiro Sawamura tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Rich Hill was charged with 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings before leaving with an injury.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored 2 runs.

Tyler Danish allowed an inherited runner to score but got the final out of the fifth inning.

Jake Diekman allowed an inherited runner to score but got the final out of the sixth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Losing to the worthless Cubs is not how you wanted this month to start knowing what is at stake beginning Monday night. Not only that, this was an easily winnable game. Duran misplaying the ball in the fifth inning led to the huge rally and Robles melting down again led to the lead being blown. Once again after they fell behind the bats went completely silent. More importantly Hill suffered a sprained knee and will be out at least a month to recover. That's not good news for the Sox who are already without Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale. It looks like the Sox may have to call up top pitching prospect Brayan Bello sooner rather than later. For those that don't know, he blitzed through Portland and Worcester in short order and he's only 23 years old. He's going to be thrown right in the fire with the Sox having a death march through the AL East coming up. The less said about today's disaster the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 43-34, 1 game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Cubs when Josh Winckowski (3-1) takes on Alec Mills of Chicago. The game begins at 7:10 PM eastern time at Wrigley Field.

Jays Bash Seabold, Sox (6/27/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made roster moves. Tanner Houck and Jarren Duran was placed on the Restricted List for the upcoming series in Toronto. Former 2019 gold glove second baseman Yolmer Sanchez and top pitching prospect Connor Seabold was promoted from Worcester for this series. Not having their budding leadoff hitter and closer isn't a good start for an important series against the Blue Jays. In minor moves, the Worcester Red Sox released pitcher Thomas Pannone and first baseman Roberto Ramos. Like I said here two months ago, Pannone was a journeyman minor leaguer just taking a roster spot until they could find someone better. The rise of Brayan Bello made Pannone expendable so he was sent packing. Ramos actually had one moment in the sun, hitting a walkoff home run on May 19th for the WooSox. Apart from that he was hitting .158 and with Triston Casas expected to be healthy soon, it was bye bye to Ramos too.

                                                                     OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, Seabold (0-1, 13.50 ERA) should have stayed in Worcester. The rookie making only his second big league start got hammered by one of the best offenses in the league. He made the Jays swing and miss a lot but when they didn't miss, it was a disaster. Vladimir Guerrero Jr, George Springer and Matt Chapman all hit long balls and the Jays pounded Seabold for 9 hits and 7 runs, chasing him in the fifth inning. Meanwhile Kevin Gausman continued his mastery over the Sox by tossing 7 shutout innings while allowing just 4 hits. The Sox bullpen admirably held the Jays to just one hit in 3 1/3 innings and the bats rallied for a few runs in the ninth but it wasn't enough. The Jays opened the salvo in this three game set with a convincing 7-2 win over the Sox at the Skydome.

                                                 Live look at the Sox offense tonight

Gausman got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers flied out to left and JD Martinez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Seabold made his season debut in the bottom of the first and the Jays wasted no time getting to him. George Springer walked and Bo Bichette doubled to left to score George to put the Jays up for good two batters into the first. Vladimir Guerrero Jr struck out swinging and Alejandro Kirk forced Bichette at third on a grounder to short before Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                        Jays take the lead

Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to open the top of the second and Alex Verdugo flied out to center. Trevor Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Lourdes Gurriel Jr took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Matt Chapman flied out to right. Santiago Espinal grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to start the top of the third and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging. Bobby Dalbec got a base hit to left before he swiped second. Refsnyder walked but Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. The Jays shelled Seabold in the bottom of the third although Cavan Biggio grounded out to short to start. Springer hit a home run all the way to Vancouver, Bichette got a base hit to center and Guerrero Jr hit a home run into the Baltic Sea to ice the game. Kirk was hit with a pitch, Hernandez ripped a base hit to left but Gurriel Jr struck out swinging. Chapman struck out swinging to end the inning but the Jays had virtually ended it 4-0.

                                                          This one's over

The Sox failed to respond against Gausman in the top of the fourth as Martinez went down hacking to start. Bogaerts took strike three but Verdugo got a base hit to center. Story struck out swinging again to end the inning. Espinal struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Biggio doubled to right. Springer grounded out to third and Bichette struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Vazquez struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before JBJ flied out to right. Dalbec hit a rocket but right to Chapman to end the inning. Guerrero Jr flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth but naturally Kirk doubled to right. Hernandez singled Kirk to third and Alejandro scored when Gurriel Jr beat out a double play ball. Chapman pounded a home run all the way to the moon to FINALLY chase Seabold. The kid was thrown right in the fire against one of the best offenses in the league and he wilted, allowing 7 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Danish came in and to get Espinal to pop up to second to end the inning with the Jays up 7-0.

                                                   Seabold gets shelled

Gausman continued his masterpiece in the top of the sixth as Refsnyder grounded out to short to start. Devers got a lucky double off the second base bag but Martinez flied out to center. Somehow Bogaerts walked but Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Biggio was hit to start. Springer forced Biggio at second before Bichette flied out to right. Guerrero Jr took strike three to end the inning. 

Story earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to start the top of the seventh but Vazquez got a lucky single to left. Christian moved to second on the grounder to second by JBJ but Dalbec struck out swinging. Guasman continued to dominate the Sox with 7 shutout innings. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh inning and Kirk grounded out to third to start. Hernandez struck out swinging to but Gurriel Jr singled to left. Chapman forced Gurriel at second to end the inning.

Bradley Zimmer came in for Hernandez with David Phelps now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Refsnyder flied out to center, Devers flied out to left and Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. Not a single Sox batter apart from Devers reached second bass tonight. Hansel Robles came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Espinal took strike three to start. Biggio struck out swinging and Springer popped up to first to end the inning. 

Shaun Anderson came in to pitch the top of the ninth inning and Bogaerts got a base hit to center to start. Verdugo singled to right to move Xander to third and Story hit a sac fly to right to score Bogaerts. Vazquez got a base hit to right to move Verdugo to third but JBJ popped up to short. Vazquez took second on defense indifference and Dalbec lined one off of Anderson to score Verdugo. Refsnyder flied out to center to end the game with the Jays winning it 7-2.

                                                               Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Connor Seabold. He got shelled in his second ML start, allowing 7 runs off 3 home runs in just 4 2/3 innings.

                                                    Not ready for prime time, Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a stolen base.

Tyler Danish got the final out of the fifth inning.

Austin Davis pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Hiro Sawamura pitched a scoreless seventh inning. 

Hansel Robles pitched a scoreless eighth inning. 

The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

If there was ever a "throw away" game it was this one. Seabold had no business being thrown into the fire against an offense like that but the real story was the Sox inability to hit Gausman. They had a similar problem back in 2016 but this is 2022. The Sox better figure him out quick or Jays manager Charlie Montoya is going to rig his rotation to have Kevin face them every time like when the Jays lined up Roy Halladay in 2003. The offense was a whole bag of nothing but there were two bright spots. The bullpen held the foot and none of the important relievers were forced to pitch and Bobby Dalbec had a good game. Verdugo, Vazquez and Dalbec have picked it up lately and the Sox are going to need them with Bogaerts dealing with a shoulder injury and Martinez cooling off. Still, it was only one game and the Sox have two more against Toronto to take. The Sox have a big stretch coming up on July 4th but they can make a statement now by taking the next two games if they can. Seabold definitely needs to work on his command in Worcester because at times he looked unhittable but they pounded every mistake he made. The loss dropped the Sox to 42-32, a half game ahead of the Jays for the first wild card. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night when Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.34 ERA) takes on Ross Stripling of Toronto. The game begins at 7:07 PM at the Skydome.

Sox Sweep Sloppy Guardians (6/26/22)

The Cleveland Guardians may be the team of the future in the American League but the youngest team in the league made too many mistakes against the Boston Red Sox. The Sox have now won seven straight games including this one on the back of bad defense, timely hitting and good pitching. Rich Hill (3-4, 4.09 ERA) held the young Guardians to just 1 run in 6 innings of work. Meanwhile the Guardians dropped catchable balls, threw balls away and bumbled around to give the Sox a 3-0 lead. Trevor Story drove in two big runs in the sixth inning but the Guardians rallied for a run against Ryan Brasier and another off Hansel Robles. The Sox broke it open late with 15 total hits and 11 walks as Tanner Houck closed it out in the bottom of the ninth. The Sox had won their seventh straight game and swept the Guardians out of Cleveland with a 8-3 victory at Progressive Field

                                                             Cornholio approves of the win

Civale got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran worked a four pitch walk to start. Duran was promptly thrown out trying to steal second and Rafael Devers lined out to center. JD Martinez ripped a base hit up the middle and Xander Bogaerts was plunked, but Alex Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Hill got the ball in the bottom of the first and Owen Miller walked to start. Amed Rosario hit into a double play and Jose Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the second as Trevor Story singled off the second base bag to start. Franchy Cordero walked but Christian Vazquez grounded into a double play. Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to the left field warning track to end the inning. Franmil Reyes doubled to the left field wall to start the bottom of the second but Oscar Gonzalez grounded out to short. Andres Giminez walked on four pitches not even close and Reyes moved to third on the force at second by Ernie Clement. Luke Maile lined out to left to end the inning.

Duran beat out a roller to second to start the top of the third and Devers ripped a base hit to center. Martinez hit a double play ball to third but Giminez threw the ball to first away for an error to score Duran. Bogaerts lined out to left but Verdugo got a base hit to left. Story forced Alex at second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0. 

                                                               Duran scores a run

The Guardians wasted a chance of their own as Myles Straw doubled to center to start the bottom of the third. Miller walked on four pitches not even close but Rosario hit a bullet to Devers who doubled Straw off second. Ramirez got a base hit up the middle but Reyes struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Cordero hustled out a double off the glove of Miller to start the top of the fourth and Gonzalez misplayed a double by Vazquez to score Franchy. JBJ struck out swinging but Gonzalez misplayed another double by Duran. Devers was intentionally walked to load the bases and Martinez hit a double play ball to short, but Miller dropped the throw to first to score Vazquez with another run. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0 on just plain bad defense.

                                                            Guardians play hot potato

Gonzalez took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth but Gimenez caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single. Clement banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox blew another rally in the top of the fifth with Anthony Gose now on the mound. Verdugo walked to start but Story flied out to right. Cordero took strike three but Vazquez drew a walk. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning. Maile flied out to center to begin the bottom of the fifth before Straw lined out to left. Miller struck out swinging to end the inning.

Sam Hentges came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Duran grounded back to the mound to start. Devers grounded out to short but Martinez walked to start. Bogaerts walked and Verdugo got a base hit to center to load the bases. Story stepped up with a base hit to center to score Martinez and Bogaerts to ice the game. Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Cordero and forced Story at second to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                  Story drives in a pair

The Guardians finally got to Hill in the bottom of the sixth as Rosario walked to start. Ramirez doubled to left but Reyes struck out swinging. Gonzalez grounded out to third but Rosario scored to put the Guardians on the board. Gimenez flied out to center to end the inning with the Guardians down 5-1. That was it for Hill who battled to toss 6 solid inning and hold the Guardians to just 1 run.

                                                       Hill gets the job done

The Sox got another run in the top of the seventh with Tanner Tully now on the mound. Vazquez doubled to right to start before moving to third on the JBJ flying out to center. Duran grounded out to short but Devers ripped a base hit to center to score Vazquez. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                             Devers drives in a run

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh but Devers threw a grounder by Clement into the centerfield bleachers for an error to start. Maile grounded out to short to move Clement to third but Straw hit a bullet to Dalbec. Miller singled to right to score Clement to cut the lead. Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians down 6-2.

                                                      Miller drives in a run

Verdugo walked to start the top of the eighth but Story popped up to first. Dalbec banged into a double play to end the inning. The Guardians tagged Hansel Robles in the bottom of the eighth as Ramirez doubled to right to start. Reyes grounded out to third and Gonzalez lined out to first, but Gimenez singled to right to score Ramirez to cut the lead in half. Clement struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians down 6-3.

                                                           Guardians inch closer

The Sox broke it open in the top of the ninth as Vazquez grounded out to third to start. JBJ walked but Duran lined out to left. Devers got a base hit to right and Martinez scored JBJ with a double to left. Bogaerts was intentionally walked to load the bases but a wild pitch scored Devers with another run. Verdugo walked to re-load the bases but Story popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                   Martinez drives in a run.

Since he won't be pitching in Toronto, Tanner Houck came in to close out the bottom of the ninth. Maile grounded out to second to start and Straw struck out swinging. Miller lined out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of the Night is a tough one with the entire offense producing so I'll go with Rich Hill. He held the young guns of Cleveland to just one run in 6 solid innings.

                                                            Hero Hill

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 3 with 3 walks.

Trevor Story was 2 for 6 with 2 rbis and a stolen base.

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Tanner Houck tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Hansel Robles allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked twice and scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Ryan Brasier allowed an unearned run in the bottom of the seventh inning.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox are rolling heading into Toronto after winning seven games in a row and 5 out of 6 against the Central leading teams. The Sox offense had 15 hits and 11 walks in the game and when they're firing on all cylinders, they are almost unstoppable. If Story were to ever get back over .250 with the way Bogaerts, Vazquez, Martinez and Devers are hitting, who could beat them? This was also one of Hill's gutsiest games of the season as he didn't look good at all in the early innings but still battled to give the Sox six solid innings. Apart from the usual Devers wild throw and Robles, there wasn't much to complain about in this one. That's where the good news ends as the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays both won their games today so the Sox only gained ground on the Toronto Blue Jays. Now the Sox have to go to Toronto without Duran and Houck who are both unvaccinated. The Sox can survive three games without Duran but not having their closer is going to be a problem against one of the better offenses in the American League. Not only that, because Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Whitlock are still out, the Sox are going to turn to 26 year old starter Connor Seabold to make his season debut tomorrow night. Former 2019 gold glover Yolmer Sanchez will also be called up from Worcester to take Duran's spot. As for this game, the Sox made a statement that they were for real and hopefully they can keep the momentum going in Toronto. The win improved the Sox to 42-31, 1.5 games ahead of the Rays for the first wild card. The Sox now travel to Toronto without Duran and Houck for a three game set with the Blue Jays. Connor Seabold will make his season debut against Kevin Gausman of the Jays. The game begins at 7:07 PM at the Skydome.

Cardinals Crush Crawford, Sox (6/18/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a trade, sending a bag of cash to the Philadelphia Phillies for 28 year old struggling relief pitcher James Norwood. Norwood has a hideous 8.31 ERA this season and a career ERA over 5 so this is going to be one of those "I bet we can fix him" projects. This is what the Sox did with Yacksel Rios last year and he had his career best season.

                                                                           In

As for the game, what an unmitigated disaster. After the St. Louis Cardinals rallied for four runs in the ninth inning of last night's game, they picked up right where they left off. The Cards pounded the Red Sox for 14 hits and 11 runs to show why they're leading the NL Central division. Kutter Crawford (1-2, 6.41 ERA) got hammered for 4 runs in just 4 innings although the Sox trailed just 4-2 going into the sixth inning. The Cards pounced on the ineffective Hiro Sawamura and Hansel Robles for six runs to put the game away. The Cards got a run in the ninth off Austin Davis to wrap up their offense while Dakota Hudson held the Sox to just 2 runs in 5 innings. Boston had just 5 hits in the game as the Cards dominated the Sox 11-2 at Fenway Park.

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Edman flied out to center to start. Brendan Donovan struck out swinging but Paul Goldschmidt singled to left. Nolan Arenado then hit a home run to Greece to put the Cardinals up for good four batters into the game. Nolan Gorman grounded out to first to end the inning with the Cardinals up 2-0.

                                                  Arenado hits one out

Hudson got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Rafael Devers grounded back to the mound and JD Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. 

Tyler O'Neill got a base hit to right to start the top of the second and Dylan Carlson doubled into the right field corner to score Tyler to ice the game. Harrison Bader popped up to Bobby Dalbec in foul territory but Andrew Knizner popped up to Devers. Edman grounded out to short to end the inning with the Cardinals up 3-0. 

                                                          Carlson drives in a run

Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to left to start the bottom of the second but Trevor Story struck out swinging on a pitch not even close. Franchy Cordero drew a walk and Dalbec blooped a single to center to score Bogaerts plus move Franchy to third. Jackie Bradley Jr banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1. 

                                                      Dalbec drives in a run

Donovan took strike three to start the top of the third before Goldschmidt popped up to Devers. Arenado struck out swinging to end the inning. Kevin Plawecki drew a walk to start the bottom of the third but was forced at second by Duran. Devers flied out to center and Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Gorman led off the top of the fourth with a home run into the Charles River to increase the lead. O'Neill grounded out to third before Carlson grounded out to second. Cordero dropped a "double" by Bader but Knizner grounded out to short to end the inning with the Cardinals up 4-1. That was it for Crawford who got hit hard, allowing 4 runs in 4 innings.

                                                         Crawford doesn't do well

Bogaerts took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth but Story blooped a base hit to right. Cordero hit a double play ball to first but Goldschmidt hit Story in the back on the throw. Dalbec and Bradley walked to load the bases then Plawecki walked to score Story. Duran grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                          Plawecki walks in a run

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Edman grounded out to second to start. Donovan walked bit Goldschmidt struck out swinging. Arenado flied out to center to end the inning. Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Martinez grounded out to short. Bogaerts singled off the glove of Donovan but Story forced him at second to end the inning. 

The Cardinals struck again in the top of the sixth against Hansel Robles although Gorman struck out swinging to start. O'Neill hit a home run all the way to San Jose and Carlson walked. Bader beat out a roller to third and Knizner walked to load the bases. Hiro Sawamura came in and Edman ripped a base hit to center to score Carlson followed by Bader. Donovan hit a routine grounder to first and Dalbec booted it for an error to reload the bases. Goldschmidt made Dalbec pay with another 2 run single to center and Arenado got a base hit to right to score Donovan. Gorman flied out to center to move Goldschmidt to third and O'Neill walked to reload the bases again. Carlson took strike three to end the inning but the Cards rallied for six runs to put the game out of reach and lead 10-2.

                                                         Well this sucks

Zack Thompson came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Cordero flied out to center to start. Dalbec grounded out to third and JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Austin Davis came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and Bader flied out to left to start. Knizner walked but Edman grounded into a double play to end the inning. Plawecki took strike three to start the bottom of the seventh before Duran also watched strike three go by. Devers grounded out to first to end the inning.

Donovan went down hacking to start the top of the eighth before Goldschmidt flied out to center. Arenado walked and Albert Pujols pinch hit for Gorman. Pujols struck out swinging to end the inning. Martinez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts struck out swinging. Story grounded out to second to end the inning.

Davis got tagged in the top of the ninth as O'Neill got a base hit to left to start. Carlson struck out swinging but Bader got a base hit to right. Knizner hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to score O'Neill but Edman took strike three. Donovan flied out to left to end the inning with the Cards up 11-2.

                                                      Another run for the Cardinals.

Ivan Herrera took over behind the plate, Edmundo Sosa took over at third and TJ McFarland came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Rob Refnsyder pinch hit for Cordero and got a base hit to left before moving to second on the grounder to short by Dalbec. JBJ grounded out to short to move Rob to third but Plawecki flied out to left to end the game. The Cards had won it 11-2.

                                                       Cards win

Jackass of the Night is Hiro Sawamura. He turned a 5-2 game into 10-2 by allowing all three inherited runners to score and two of his own.

                                                     Nice going Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder singled as a pinch hitter.

Kevin Plawecki walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4.

Kutter Crawford allowed 4 runs in 4 innings of work to take the loss. 

Anthony Robles was charged with 4 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

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

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 2 but walked.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi but struck out and made a big error.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Austin Davis allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Some days just aren't yours and this was one of them for the Red Sox. This was their first ass kicking in almost 3 weeks as they got dominated on both sides of the ball. Crawford, Sawamura and Robles got their brains beat in and the offense only had 5 hits against a team they should have competed better against. Hell, not that they were going to score much anyway but if Sawamura and Dalbec were better in the sixth inning they might have had a chance. The good news is the Kutter Crawford experiment is pretty much over as the Sox may turn to Josh Winckowski and a now healthy Connor Seabold as long as Nathan Eovaldi and Garrett Whitlock are out. Rumors are Chris Sale is just about ready to start his rehab so hopefully we've seen the last of Crawford as a starter. This was only JD Martinez second game where he did absolutely nothing so that shows you just how well he's played this year. The less said about this game, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 35-31, good for fourth place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon when they take on the Cardinals in the rubber game of the series. Nick Pivetta (6-5) gets the start for Boston against Andre Pallante of St. Louis. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.