Off-Day News: Goodbye Workman & Hembree (8/24/20)

Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to mourn the loss of two popular Boston Red Sox pitchers. Heath Hembree and Brandon Workman were traded on Friday evening and they will be sorely missed.

Brandon Workman was a 2nd round pick by the Sox in the 2010 MLB Draft and was the Sox' Minor League Pitcher of the year in 2012. He made his major league debut in 2013 and was an integral part of the Red Sox post-season run after the season ending injury to Andrew Miller. He did not allow an earned run in the playoffs and pitched a scoreless eighth inning in the decisive Game 6 of the World Series.

                                                  Game 6

From then on, his career went to pieces. Inserted into the starting rotation in 2014, he plummeted to a 1-10 record including getting suspended for throwing at Evan Longoria. After being put on the Disabled List in April of 2015, he had Tommy John surgery and missed the entirety of the season and posted a hideous 7.65 ERA in rehab starts in 2016. After 3 lost seasons, Workman returned to the bullpen in 2017 and once again was an integral part of the 2018 World Series run. In 2019 he was one of and arguably the best closer in baseball going 10-1 with a 1.88 ERA. From 1-10 in 2014 to 10-1 in 2019, what a comeback. Due to the Sox ineptitude in 2020, he hasn't been in too many closing situations which is why he became the perfect trade bait. For someone that rose from the ashes to become one of the better relievers in the game is a good legacy.

                                                                   Bye Brandon

Heath Hembree was picked up at the July 31, 2014 trade deadline when Sox general manager Ben Cherrington blew up the "bearded brothers" that did in 2014 what was expected in 2013. Jake Peavy was traded to the San Francisco Giants in exchange for their top two pitching prospects Eduardo Escobar and Heath Hembree.

                                    Good to know three of the guys on the right were useful

Escobar flamed out but Hembree went on to become a key part of the Sox bullpen from 2015 until his trade on Friday. Hembree was never the flamethrowing closer San Francisco thought he would be but he still was the modern day Mike Timlin for you old timers out there. His departure is already showing as the Sox relief pitchers have allowed runs past the 6 innings in the two losses following the trades. Like Cinderella once said, don't know whatcha got till its gone.

                                                                      Bye Heath

So as we end the eulogy, let's take a moment to remember the Red Sox career of two bullpen stalwarts. One a member of two World Series teams and the other a vital cog in the 2018 World Series run. Thanks for the memories.

                                             From the World Series to the Phillies

As for tomorrow night's game, Kyle Hart (0-1, 11.12 ERA) gets his ass handed to him by the Toronto Blue Jays. The Jays haven't named a starter yet but it won't matter as the carnage begins Tuesday night at 6:30 PM at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, NY.

Philly Hands Sox 9th Straight Loss (8/18/20)

Just when you thought it couldn't get any worse for the Boston Red Sox, the Philadelphia Phillies were the next to beat their brains in. The Sox actually took a 4-2 lead over the Phillies heading into the sixth inning....and the wheels fell off. Sox starter Zack Godley lasted 4 innings but only allowed a single run. The Sox bullpen managed to allow TWELVE runs in the next 5 innings. Phillips Valdez, Heath Hembree, Josh Taylor, Colten Brewer and Marcus Walden couldn't stop a nosebleed as the Phillies pounded out 16 hits and 13 runs to hand the Sox their 9th straight loss 13-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                   2020 Red Sox Motto

Godley got the ball in the top of the first inning and Andrew McCutchen took strike three to start. Rhys Hoskins was plunked but Bryce Harper grounded out to first and JT Realmuto grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Phillies starter Zach Eflin in the bottom of the first inning. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging but Rafael Devers singled to left. JD Martinez grounded out to third but Xander Bogaerts singled home Devers to give the Sox the lead. Mitch Moreland went down hacking to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 1-0.

                                                Bogaerts drive in a run

Didi Gregorius flied out to left to begin the top of the second but Alec Bohm singled to center. A wild pitch moved Bohm to second but Godley struck out both Jay Bruce and Scott Kingery swinging to end the inning. Kevin Pillar walked to start the bottom of the second but Michael Chavis went down swinging. Tzu-Wei Lin whiffed and Kevin Plawecki took strike three to end the inning.

Godley struck out Roman Quinn swinging to begin the top of the third but McCutchen singled to center. Hoskins flied out to right and Harper flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox somehow rallied for a big inning in the bottom of the third as Verdugo doubled to left to start. Devers doubled Alex home and Martinez doubled Rafael home to increase the lead. Bogaerts went down hacking but Moreland walked. Naturally Martinez was doubled off second on a bullet to Bohm hit by Pillar to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                    Martinez gets an rbi

The Phillies finally got to Godley in the top of the fourth although Realmuto popped up to third to start. Gregorius doubled to right and Bohm walked before Bruce singled home Gregorius. Kingery grounded back to the mound and Quinn flied out to left to end the inning with the Phillies down 3-1. That was it for Godley who was pretty serviceable for four innings.

                                                     Godley goes four                     

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Chavis and Lin whiffed to start. Plawecki flied out to center to end the inning.

Phillips Valdez took over for the top of the fifth and the Phillies tagged him. McCutchen grounded out to short but Hoskins hit a home run all the way to Good Harbor Beach to cut the lead. Harper grounded out to second and Realmuto struck out swinging to end the inning with the Phillies down 3-2.

                                                 Hoskins hits one out

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Verdugo walked to chase Eflin. Blake Parker came in and Devers singled Verdugo to third. Jonathan Arauz pinch hit for Martinez to give him the day off but he popped up to short. Bogaerts scored Verdugo with a sac fly to increase the lead. Moreland was intentionally walked but Pillar took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                  Devers helps the Sox out

The wheels fell off in the top of the sixth when Josh Taylor was brought in only to hit Gregorius with a pitch. Bohm flied out to center and Bruce took strike three which means at this point the Sox were one out away from getting out of the inning with the lead. The opposite happened as Phil Gosselin pinch hit for Kingery and doubled home Gregorius and Quinn singled home Gosselin to tie the game. Heath Hembree took over for Taylor and Quinn swiped second before McCutchen singled Quinn to give the Phillies the lead. McCutchen stole second base and Hoskins walked. Naturally Harper hit a 2-2 fastball right down the middle all the way to Uranus to ice the game. Realmuto doubled and Gregorius singled in Realmuto to increase the lead and chase the incompetent Hembree. Colten Brewer came in and Bohm singled for the 8th man to reach since the second out was recorded. Bruce whiffed to end the inning but the Phillies went from down 4-2 to up 9-4.

                                                Kiss it goodbye

The Sox rolled over and died in the bottom of the sixth as Chavis whiffed again, Lin lined out to third and Plawecki whiffed to end the inning.

Brewer came back for the top of the seventh and Gosselin effortlessly hit a home run all the way to the Mississippi River to increase the lead. Quinn whiffed, McCutchen grounded out to first and Hoskins took strike three to end the inning with the Phillies ahead 10-4.

                                                     Gosselin hits one out

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the seventh with Jose Alvarez now on the mound. Verdugo whiffed to start before Devers popped up to third. Arauz walked and Bogaerts singled before Moreland got a base hit to score Arauz and send Bogaerts to third. Tommy Hunter came in and Pillar popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox down 10-5.

Marcus Walden came in to take a beating in the top of the eighth as Harper singled to left to begin. Harper stole second but Realmuto lined out to left. Gregorius lined out to right and once again the Sox couldn't get a third out. Bohm walked and Bruce pounded a 870,000 foot home run to wrap up the scoring. Gosselin grounded out to short to end the inning with the Phillies ahead 13-5. The Phillies literally scored 11 runs in just 3 innings.

                                                 This sucks

Chavis earned the golden sombrero with another swinging strikeout to open the bottom of the eighth before Lin flied out to left. Deolis Guerra came in to pitch and Plawecki greeted him with a base hit to short. Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the ninth with Jose Peraza giving Bogaerts the night off. Quinn lined out to center before Andrew Knapp pinch hit for McCutchen, getting a base hit to right. Neil Walker pinch hit for Hoskins and lined out to left and Kyle Garlick pinch hit for Harper. Garlick reached on an error by Chavis and Realmuto whiffed to end the inning. The Sox didn't go quietly in the bottom of the ninth although Devers grounded out to second to begin. Arauz whiffed but Peraza walked. Moreland doubled home Peraza and Pillar singled Mitch to third. Chavis earned the ignominious Platinum Toilet with his fifth strikeout to end the game. The Phillies had won it 13-6.

                                               0 for 5 with 5 K's for Chavis


Jackass of the night is Heath Hembree. Not only did he allow the inherited runners to score, but he allowed 4 of his own without getting a single out.

                                            "Get outta here ya Jackass" - Roenicke


The Good:

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

JD Martinez was 1 for 2 with an rbi before leaving.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Jose Peraza walked and scored a run in his only at-bat.

Mitch Moreland was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs batted in.

Zack Godley allowed just 1 run in 4 innings of work.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.



The Bad:

Michael Chavis was 0 for 5 with 5 strikeouts and an error.

Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Phillips Valdez allowed a run in an inning of work.

Josh Taylor took the loss by allowing 3 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Colten Brewer allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.

Marcus Walden allowed 3 runs in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.

Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 2 but walked and scored a run.

Kevin Pillar was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Kevin Plawecki was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.




Final Thoughts:

Just when you think it can't get any worse for the Red Sox, it does. The Sox led 4-2 with 12 outs left to get and ended up allowing ELEVEN runs in the next three innings. Legendary manager Casey Stengel once said "I've been in this game a hundred years, but I've seen new ways to lose I never knew existed before." The 2020 Red Sox are quickly reaching 1962 Mets level but the only saving grace is its only a 60 game season. There's only 36 more games of torture remaining rather than 138. The Sox may trade the entire team at this point since there's really nothing to play for. The loss dropped the Sox to 6-18, last place in the American League. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox will drop their tenth straight game when they send Kyle Hart to the mound to take a beating against Jake Arrieta at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Pound Sox Again (8/15/20)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Carolina Hurricanes in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series, the bad news was the New York Yankees smacked around the Boston Red Sox. The 2020 Red Sox are reaching ineptitude not seen in 90 years. As the season spirals down the drain this team is fast becoming this generation's 1932 Red Sox, considered the worst in team history. While the 2020 team isn't as despised off the field like the 1989 and 2012 teams, their incompetence on it can't be overlooked. The New York Yankees once again hung double digits on the pathetic Red Sox pitching staff. Nathan Eovaldi (1-2, 5.93 ERA) is clearly not an ace after the Yankees smacked him around for 8 runs in less than 6 innings. Matt Barnes took a beating as well and when the dust settled, the Yankees had dominated the Sox again 11-5 at Yankee Stadium.

                                            Sox fans have had enough

Yankees starter James Paxton laughed as Kevin Pillar flied out to center to start the top of the first. Rafael Devers and JD Martinez got lucky hits but naturally Xander Bogaerts lined out to right and Christian Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning. The Yankees wasted no time getting to Eovaldi in the bottom of the first as DJ LeMahieu grounded out to first to start. Luke Voit singled to center but Mike Ford struck out swinging. Gio Urshela put the Yankees up when he smashed a 700,000 foot home run. Gleyber Torres grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                   Yankees take the lead

Paxton yawned as Alex Verdugo grounded out weakly to second to start. Michael Chavis whiffed badly and Jackie Bradley Jr hit a weak liner to Paxton to end the inning. Somehow Mike Tauchman flied out to left to start the bottom of the second before Gary Sanchez popped up to first. Clint Frazier walked but Brett Gardner flied out to left to end the inning.

Somehow the Sox took the lead in the top of the third as Jose Peraza walked to start. Pillar flied out to right but Devers doubled to left. Martinez singled off the glove of Urshela to score Peraza and Devers but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. That lost run was big as Bogaerts crushed his 4th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Vazquez lined out to short to end the inning but the Sox now led 3-2.

                                                    Bogaerts hits one out

Eovaldi cruised in the bottom of the third as LeMahieu grounded out to third to start. Voit took strike three and Ford lined out to right to end the inning.

Verdugo grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth before Chavis flied out to right. JBJ singled to short but Peraza flied out to center to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Urshela flied out to right to start. Torres singled to center but was erased on the Tauchman force. Sanchez then hit a ball completely out of Earth's atmosphere to give the Yankees the lead. Frazier doubled and took third on a wild pitch before Gardner walked. LeMahieu grounded into a force to end the inning but the Yankees were ahead 4-3.

                                                Yankees take the lead

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Pillar whiffed to start. Devers grounded out to short and Martinez lined out to center to end the inning. The Yankees beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as Voit grounded out to third to start. Ford grounded out to second and Urshela grounded out to first to end the inning.

Tyler Wade took over for LeMahieu with Jonathan Loaisiga now on the mound to begin the top of the sixth. Bogaerts flied out to left before Vazquez whiffed. Verdugo singled to center but Chavis grounded out to third to end the inning. The Yankees iced the game in the bottom of the sixth as Torres singled to left to start. Tauchman doubled but Sanchez whiffed. Frazier laughed as he effortlessly launched a 3 run home run to effectively end the game. Gardner doubled to left and that was it for Eovaldi. He'd been fine his first couple of starts but the Yankees feasted on him for 8 runs in 5 1/3 innings. Heath Hembree was brought in and Gardner stole second before scoring on the Wade double. Voit took strike three and Ford flied out to center to end the inning but the Yankees were up 8-3.

                                                There goes the "ace"

Luis Avilan came in for the top of the seventh and JBJ singled to center to start. Peraza flied out to center and Pillar forced JBJ at second. Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to take a beating in the bottom of the seventh as Urshela took advantage of a passed ball on strike three to reach first. Torres flied out to left but Tauchman walked and Sanchez was plunked to load the bases. Frazier singled to left but Verdugo booted the ball allowing Urshela and Tauchman to score. Gardner scored Sanchez with a sac fly to wrap up the scoring for the Yankees. Wade whiffed to end the inning but the Yankees were up 11-3.

                                                   Frazier is unstoppable

Erik Kratz took over behind the plate with Luis Cessa now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Martinez whiffed before Bogaerts grounded out to third. Vazquez whiffed to end the inning. Phillips Valdez came in for the bottom of the eighth and Voit took strike three to start. Ford whiffed and Thairo Estrada pinch hit for Urshela only to line out to third to end the inning.

Naturally with the game out of reach, the Sox rallied in the top of the ninth. Verdugo crushed his 5th home run of the season before Chavis got a base hit to left. JBJ flied out to left and Chavez was forced at second by Peraza. Pillar tripled home Peraza but Devers grounded out to short to end the game. The Yankees had won it 11-5.

                                                          Another loss for the Sox


Jackass of the Night is Nathan Eovaldi. The supposed "ace" of the Sox got pounded for 8 runs in just 5 1/3 innings.

                                                         Eovaldi the Jackass



The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4.

Phillips Valdez pitched a scoreless eighth inning.



The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Matt Barnes allowed 3 runs in just 1 inning.



The Ugly:

Kevin Pillar was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a home run.

Michael Chavis was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jose Peraza was 0 for 3 but scored 2 runs and drove in one.

Heath Hembree allowed an inherited runner to score in 2/3 of an inning.




Final Thoughts:

Good lord can this season end yet? Its bad enough to watch the Sox lose night in and night out but its another thing to not even be competitive. Every game is almost exactly the same and at what point can something be done about it? If John Henry gave a strict gag order not to spend money, you would think Chaim Bloom could at least pick up SOMEONE who can go 6 innings. Doesn't matter if they allow 4 runs like an Aaron Sanchez, SOMEBODY has to be out there that can eat innings. The Sox are trying to get by on 2 starters and 3 openers and it clearly isn't working. The Sox got their brains beat in for the 6th straight day, second by the Yankees. Its a good thing there are no fans in the stands because Sox fans would either not show up or boo the living daylights out of what they are seeing. The loss dropped the Sox to 6-15, dead last in the AL East. Tomorrow night Chris Mazza gets the start for the Sox against JA Happ at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Verdugo, Sox Down Jays (8/7/20)

Alex Verdugo is never going to be able to replace Mookie Betts quite like Carl Yastrzemski was never able to exactly replace Ted Williams. For one night Verdugo played like Betts has he clocked two opposite field home runs and took a home run away from the Toronto Blue Jays in the 9th inning. Ryan Weber got knocked around again and was out in the 4th inning. The schizophrenic Boston bullpen tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball to keep the Sox in the game. Timely pitching and timely hitting guided the Sox to a 5-3 victory over the Jays.

                                                 Phoenixperson approves of the win

The Jays wasted no time getting to Weber in the top of the first inning. Cavan Biggio hit the 5th pitch of the game into the Merrimack River to put the Jays up one batter into the game. Bo Bichette hit a routine grounder to Rafael Devers who threw himself on the ball, wrestled with it and heaved it into the Monster Seats for not one but two errors on the same play. Xander Bogaerts threw out Bichette at third on a grounder by Lourdes Gurriel Jr and Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez flied out to center. Vladimir Guerrero Jr grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.

                                                    That didn't take long

The Sox took advantage of a wild Tanner Roark in the bottom of the first inning. Andrew Benintendi and Devers drew back to back walks but JD Martinez lined out to left. Bogaerts walked to load the bases and Mitch Moreland walked to score Benintendi to tie the game. Foolishly Christian Vazquez swung at a pitch and banged into a double play to end the inning, but the Sox tied it on four walks 1-1.

                                            Benintendi scores a run

Randal Grichuk walked to start the top of the second but old friend Travis Shaw struck out as Vazquez gunned down Grichuk at second trying to steal. Teoscar Hernandez doubled to left but Danny Jansen whiffed to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the second as Alex Verdugo pounded his second home run of the season to put the Red Sox on top. Jackie Bradley Jr walked but Jose Peraza flied out to left. JBJ moved to second on the grounder by Benintendi but Devers whiffed to end the inning. Roark had only thrown 14 of his 42 pitches for strikes yet the Sox have 2 strikeouts and only lead 2-1.

                                                "That's One!" - Verdugo

Naturally the Jays fought back in the top of the third as Biggio singled to left to begin. Bichette effortlessly pounded a double over the third base bag into left to tie the game but somehow Gurriel Jr struck out swinging. Tellez flied out to center which moved Bichette to third and Guerrero Jr walked. Grichuk grounded into a force to end the inning with the games tied 2-2.

                                                     Biggio scores a run

The Sox broke the tie quickly in the bottom of the third although Martinez popped up to second to begin. Bogaerts got a base hit to center and Moreland crushed his 4th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Vazquez lined out to left and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.

                                                   Moreland puts the Sox on top

Weber retutned for the top of the fourth but was quickly chased when Shaw singled to left. Sox manager Ron Roenicke decided to cut his losses and pull Weber after allowing 2 runs in 3+ innings.  Heath Hembree (2-0, 1.42 ERA) came in and got Hernandez to pop up to second and Jansen to ground into a double play to end the inning.

                                                     Weber stinks again

Ryan Borucki replaced Roark for the bottom of the fourth and JBJ grounded out to short to start. Peraza walked but the slumping Benintendi and Devers both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Colten Brewer cruised in the top of the fifth as Biggio grounded out to second to start. Bichette lined out to center and Gurriel Jr grounded out to third to end the inning. Jacob Waguespack came on for the bottom of the fifth and Martinez whiffed to start. Bogaerts walked but Moreland flied out to center. Bogaerts swiped second but Vazquez went down hacking to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in for the top of the sixth and naturally walked Tellez to start. Guerrero Jr pounded a double to right to score Tellez but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple. Grichuk got a base hit to left but Shaw banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                      YERRRR OUT!

The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the sixth as Verdugo walked to start. JBJ forced Verdugo at second but Peraza singled to center. AJ Cole came in to pitch and Benintendi whiffed right on cue. Devers popped up to third to end the inning.

Austin Brice came in for the top of the seventh and Hernandez grounded out to short to start. Jansen flied out to center but Biggio walked. Bichette popped up to second to end the inning. Martinez took strike three to start the bottom of the seventh but Bogaerts walked. Moreland flied out to right but Vazquez whiffed to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in for the top of the eighth and Gurriel Jr grounded out to first to start. Tellez walked and Anthony Alford pinch ran for him. Alford stole second and Guerrero Jr walked. Billy McKinney pinch ran for Guerrero and Alford swiped third as well. Barnes got a big play when Grichuk banged into a double play to end the inning. Brandon Drury took over at third for McKinney with Shaw moving to first and Rafael Dolls on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Verdugo greeted the new pitcher with his second opposite field homer of the night. JBJ took strike three but Peraza doubled. The gruesome twosome failed again as Benintendi took strike three and Devers whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                             "That's two!" - Verdugo

Brandon Workman came on to close out the top of the ninth but needed some help from his defense. Shaw blasted a pitch deep out to right BUT VERDUGO CAUGHT IT OVER THE WALL! Alex stole a home run from Shaw but Hernandez singled to left. Workman recovered to get Jansen to line out to a running Verdugo and Biggio to pop up to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                           Great win



Hero of the Night is Alex Verdugo. His two home runs paced the offense and he robbed a home run in the ninth to preserve the win.

                                                          Verdugo the Hero



The Good:

Xander Bogaerts got a hit, walked three times, stole a base and scored a run.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a walk, 3 total rbis and a home run.

Jose Peraza was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless inning.

Colten Brewer pitched a scoreless inning.

Austin Brice pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Brandon Workman earned his 3rd save with a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Ryan Weber allowed 2 runs in just 3 innings, he doesn't have good enough stuff to get people out/

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in the sixth inning.



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts, made two errors on the same play but walked.

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




Final Thoughts:

Verdugo is not Mookie Betts but he played like it tonight. The Sox survived another terrible Ryan Weber start and tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball. Apart from Brasier, the bullpen held up including Austin Brice who's pitched well after his first couple of outings. If the Sox just had ONE proven starter after Eovaldi, you could make a case for the Sox sneaking into October on the back of their offense and bullpen. As it is with Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez out for the season, forget about it. Still, Verdugo had a breakout and hopefully Devers and Benintendi can bust out of their slumps as well. The win improved the Sox to an unimpressive 5-8, 4 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it two in a row against the Jays when Zack Godley (0-1, 6.14 ERA) goes up against Chase Anderson at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Judge, Yankees Sweep Sox (8/2/20)

Xander Bogaerts was recently quoted saying its hard to win when you have to score 8-10 runs a game. He was right as the Boston Red Sox were effortlessly swept out of New York by the high powered Yankees. Aaron Judge couldn't miss as the Yankees pounded the Sox for 9 hits and 9 runs. He hit a 3 run homer in the second and a 2 run homer in the 8th to guide the Yankees to victory. The Sox pounded Yankees starter James Paxton for 5 runs and scored 2 runs off the bullpen, but Matt Barnes (0-1, 9.00 ERA) gave up 3 runs in the eighth to seal Boston's fate. The Sox can't outpitch or outhit the Yankees as they were swept out of New York 9-7 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                   "Damn Barnes"

Shockingly the Sox struck first in the top of the first against Paxton. Kevin Pillar lined out to left to start before Rafael Devers whiffed badly. JD Martinez doubled over the head of Aaron Hicks in center and moved to third on a wild pitch. Xander Bogaerts then pounded a home run just over the wall in right to put the Sox on top. Christian Vazquez grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 2-0.

                                                    X gonna homer on ya

Naturally Brice almost gave the lead right back in the bottom of the first although he somehow struck out DJ LeMahieu swinging to start. Aaron Judge hit a routine pop up to Jose Peraza who tried to catch the ball in his hat and it dropped for an error. Somehow Brice punched out Gleyber Torres on a 94 mph fastball but Giancarlo Stanton walked. Aaron Hicks walked to load the bases but somehow Brice punched out Luke Voit on a full count to end the inning.

Michael Chavis whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to start the top of the second but Kevin Plawecki lined a base hit up the middle. Plawecki moved to second on the Jackie Bradley Jr grounder and Peraza popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. The Yankees lit up Matt Hall in the bottom of the second although Gary Sanchez was frozen for strike three to start. Gio Urshela singled to left but Devers made a hell of a play on a ground ball by Miguel Andujar to force Gio at second. LeMahieu walked and ESPN broadcasters had an on-air orgasm when Judge effortlessly hit a 700,000 bomb to put the Yankees up. Torres grounded out to second to end the inning but the Yankees now led 3-2.

                                                     Dammit

The Sox fought back in the top of the third when Pillar caught Hicks asleep in center with a ground rule double to start. Devers lined a base hit to right to score Pillar to tie the game just like that. Martinez whiffed badly but Bogaets hit a base hit to right...under the glove of Andujar. Devers came around to score and Bogaerts made it to third on the error. Vazquez then singled home Bogaerts with a base hit to right to increase the lead. Chavis was rung up on a questionable pitch for strike three and Plawecki flied out to deep right to end the inning but the Sox were back on top 5-3.

                                                       Sox take the lead

Hall came back to piss himself in the bottom of the third as Stanton walked to start. Hicks flied out to the centerfield wall and Voit was caught looking at strike three on the outside corner. Sanchez easily doubled over the head of Pillar to score Stanton to cut the lead. Urshela doubled home Sanchez to tie the game before Andujar flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 5-5. Hall pissed away two 2 run leads and allowed 5 runs, pathetic.

                                                         Yankees tie it up

Somebody named Michael King shut down the Sox in the top of the fourth as JBJ took strike three to start. Peraza flied out to center and Pillar grounded out to second to end the inning. Heath Hembree took the mound in the bottom of the fourth and LeMahieu popped up to right in foul territory. Judge beat out an infield single to third after a great throw by Devers....but wait! Sox manager Ron Roenicke challenged the call and shockingly the umpires got the call right, Judge was out. Torres popped up to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth although Devers and Martinez whiffed to start. Bogaerts then pounded his second homer of the night to left to give the Sox the lead. Vazquez grounded into the shift to end the inning but it was 6-5 Sox.

                                                        Bogaerts is on fire

Hembree returned for the bottom of the fifth and the Yankees struck again. Stanton grounded out to short to start. Hicks popped up to center but Voit effortlessly pounded a home run completely out of Yankee Stadium to tie the game. Sanchez took strike three to end the inning but it was tied 6-6.

                                                         Sox can't pitch at all

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Chavis grounded out to short to start. Plawecki took strike three and JBJ grounded into the shift to end the inning. Marcus Walden came in for the bottom of the sixth as Urshela easily singled to left to start. Andujar banged into a double play but LeMahieu slapped a single to right. A wild pitch moved LeMahieu to second before Judge walked. Torres flied out to right to end the inning.

Mike Tauchman replaced Andujar in the top of the seventh as Boston took the lead back. Peraza flied out to right before Judge made a shoestring catch on a Pillar line drive. Devers then hit a 450 foot bomb to right not even Judge could catch to give the Sox the lead back. Adam Ottavino replaced King and Martinez flied out to the left field wall to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.

                                                        Kiss it goodbye

Alex Verdugo replaced Martinez in the batting order but was playing left with Pillar moving to right to begin the bottom of the seventh. Peraza made a great stab to rob Judge of a base hit before Walden froze Hicks for strike three. Voit flied out to left to end the inning. Somehow the Sox were 6 outs away from winning this one.

Bogaerts tried to start a rally in the top of the eighth with a double to the left field fence but Vazquez did the one thing he couldn't do, ground out to short. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Chavis and struck out swinging. Plawecki took a full count walk but JBJ extended his slump to 0-17 with another strikeout swinging to end the inning. Matt Barnes came on for the bottom of the eighth and couldn't hold the lead. Sanchez popped up to center to start. Urshela was rung up on a check swing in the dirt for strike three before Tauchman walked. Tauchman swiped second and scored on the LeMahieu base hit past Peraza. Judge ended matters with his second bomb of the game as ESPN openly gushed over it. Torres flied out to left to end the inning but the Yankees led 9-7.

                                                     "Damn it!" - Peraza

The Sox were deflated by the Judge homer and Zack Britton finished them off in the top of the ninth with Tyler Wade now playing second, moving LeMahieu to first. Peraza grounded out to third, Pillar whiffed and Devers grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox simply cannot beat the Yankees in any stage of the game and the Yanks proved it by winning 9-7 to finish off the sweep.

                                                   Yankees sweep....damn


Jackass of the Night is Matt Barnes. He was brought in with a one run lead and gave up 3 runs to take the loss.

                                                Barnes the Jackass



The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis, 2 runs scored and a solo home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 4 for 4 with 3 rbis, 3 runs scored and 2 home runs.

Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Austin Brice pitched a scoreless first inning.

Marcus Walden tossed two scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Michael Chavis was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Mitch Moreland struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jose Peraza was 0 for 4 with an error.

Matt Hall allowed 5 runs in 2 innings.



The Ugly:

Kevin Pillar was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Heath Hembree allowed a run in 2 innings of work.



Honorable Mention:

Alex Verdugo played left field in the bottom of the eighth.




Final Thoughts:

At least the Sox were competitive tonight. Unlike the previous two games, they showed some life at the plate. Now if they had a major league pitching staff, maybe they'd win a few more games. As it is, they're stuck with their horrendous pitching staff. Matt Hall has no business being in the majors and Barnes completely blew it. Hembree was pitching well but Voit got ahold of a fastball, it happens. Barnes has been throwing nothing but curveballs for a week now. That's not going to cut it when guys like Judge are sitting on it. Again, at least the Sox were in the game. Xander Bogaerts said after the game the Sox actually had fun in this one. Hopefully the "fun" can carry over to their next series because the Sox are 3-7 and in trouble. The Baltimore Orioles are a better team than they are right now. The sad part is the Sox are not going to get any better with Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez out for the season. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night in Tampa against the Rays. Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 2.45 ERA) goes for the Sox against Charlie Morton at an unusual 6:40 PM start time at Tropicana Field.

Perez, Sox Defeat Mets (7/30/20)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox HAVE WON TWO IN A ROW!!! Martin Perez (1-1, 5.06 ERA) pitched well in his sophomore effort, going nearly 6 innings and allowing just two runs. Christian Vazquez strongarmed the Sox offense with 2 home runs and 3 total rbis. The good members of the Boston bullpen combined to toss 3 1/3 scoreless innings to nail down the win. The Sox head to the Bronx on a high note after their 4-2 win at Citi Field.

                                               Randy Quaid is happy....for now

Steven Matz got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jose Peraza flied out to left to start. Kevin Pillar flied out to right but JD Martinez singled to third and took second on a throwing error by Jeff McNeil. Xander Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Somehow Perez didn't puke on himself in the bottom of the first as Amed Rosario grounded out to short to start. Pete Alonso also grounded out to short but McNeil singled to second. JD Davis whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second when Christian Vazquez clobbered his 3rd home run of the season to center to start. Alex Verdugo singled to first but Michael Chavis whiffed. Verdugo then got picked off second as Andrew Benintendi drew a walk. Jonathan Arauz lined out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                 Vazquez puts the Sox on top

Michael Conforto walked to start the bottom of the second but Yoenis Cespedes took strike three. Conforto was thrown out stealing by the alert Vazquez before Brian Dozier took strike three to end the inning.

Peraza singled to left to start the top of the third but Pillar flied out to left. Peraza took second on the grounder by Martinez but was thrown out trying to steal third to end the inning. Perez finally fell apart in the bottom of the third as Wilson Ramos walked to start. Brandon Nimmo was plunked before Rosario beat out a double play ball. Alonso walked to load the bases and McNeil effortlessly singled to left to score Bimmo and Rosario to give the Mets the lead. Davis flied out to center and Conforto whiffed to end the inning but the Mets were up 2-1.

                                                                McNeil puts the Sox on top

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth when Bogaerts got a lucky hit down the third base line to start. Vazquez continued his hot streak with a 2 run blast to almost the same spot as before to give the Sox the lead back. Verdugo whiffed but Chavis got his first hit of the season to right. Benintendi flied out to center and Arauz grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                             One man wrecking crew

Cespedes hit a routine grounder to Peraza who spun in a circle and heaved the ball directly out of Citi Field for an error to start the bottom of the fourth. Dozier banged into a double play and Ramos whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox failed to score in the top of the fifth as Peraza popped up to first to start. Pillar walked but Martinez lined out to second. Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning. Somehow Perez cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Nimmo grounded out to first to start. Rosario and Alonso both flied out to right to end the inning.

Nothing happened in the top of the sixth as Vazquez whiffed to start. Verdugo singled to left to chase Matz. Drew Smith came in and Chavis whiffed again. Benintendi grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Perez got McNeil to line out to right to start the bottom of the sixth. Davis walked but Conforto lined out to left. For some ungodly reason Sox manager Ron Roenicke felt Perez couldn't get one more batter. Still, Perez looked a hell of a lot better than his season debut. He tossed 5 2/3 innings of 2 run ball to put himself in line for the win. Heath Hembree came in to strike out Cespedes swinging to end the inning.

                                         "Hey, umpire! I told you I don't suck!" - Perez

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh inning as Arauz lined out to center to start. Peraza whiffed and Pillar grounded out to second to end the inning. Hembree got in trouble in the bottom of the seventh as pinch hitter Robinson Cano singled to right to start. Andres Giminez pinch ran for Cano and swiped second but Ramos grounded out to short. Nimmo whiffed and Rosario grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jeurys Familia shut down the Sox in the top of the eighth as Martinez whiffed to start. Bogaerts flied out to right and Vazquez whiffed to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to give everybody a heart attack in the bottom of the eighth inning. Alonso was plunked to start before McNeil lined out to left. Davis singled Alonso to third and Ryan Cordell pinch ran for JD. Barnes stepped up by blowing away Conforto but Cordell swiped second and Cespedes walked to load the bases. Somehow Barnes got Gimenez to ground out to first to end the inning after throwing 37 pitches.

The Sox got some much needed insurance in the top of the ninth against the wild Edwin Diaz. Verdugo walked and Chavis hit a cue shot into right field to start. Benintendi walked and Rafael Devers pinch hit for Arauz. Devers swung and missed at a pitch up in his eyes for strike three but Peraza was hit twice in the same at bat to score Verdugo. Paul Sewald came in and got Pillar swinging and Martinez to fly out to center to end the inning, but the Sox were ahead 4-2.

                                          "Owowowowowowwwwwww!!!" - Peraza

Brandon Workman came in to nail down the save in the bottom of the ninth working his third game in a row. Ramos grounded out to third but Nimmo singled to bring the tying run to the plate. Workman struck out Rosario and Alonso swinging to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 4-2.

                                                  "Had em all the way!" - Workman


Hero of the Night is easy. Christian Vazquez carried the offense with 2 home runs, 3 total rbis and throwing out a runner trying to steal

                                                Our Hero Vazquez


The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Michael Chavis was 2 for 4.

Andrew Benintendi walked twice in four plate appearances.

Martin Perez got his first win of the season with 5 2/3 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 5.

Heath Hembree tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Brandon Workman earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 3.

Rafael Devers struck out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Jose Peraza was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but was hit with a pitch to drive in a run.

Kevin Pillar was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drew a walk.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.




Final Thoughts:

That's more like it Martin Perez. The Sox offense is still having trouble scoring but the trio of Hembree, Workman and Barnes plus Christian Vazquez is trying to strong arm the Sox out of their early funk. If the Sox had ONE more proven starter whether its Rick Porcello or somebody off the scrap heap like Martin Perez, they'd actually be somewhat competitive until Eduardo Rodriguez returns. With guys testing positive for Covid left and right, this could be a season of last man standing. Tonight was a good, much needed win because it showed the Sox could come back and win the close ones. The good news ends right there because the New York Yankees are on the horizon. Not only are they going to be at home, the Sox will be throwing out their bottom three "starters". But wait there's MORE! Hembree, Barnes and Workman are taxed and will probably be unavailable for tomorrow night's game. If there ever was a strategic loss, tomorrow night could be it. As for this game, good win! The win improved the Sox to 3-4. The Sox now pack their bags and head about 200 yards to face the Yankees. Ryan Weber (0-1, 14.73 ERA) goes for the Sox against Jordan Montgomery at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium....god help us.