Brewers Pound Sox (7/30/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Christian Arroyo was activated from the Injured List and Jeter Downs was sent down to Worcester to make room for him. Not that it matters with how bad the offense has been.

                                                                               OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, its time to sell for the Boston Red Sox. Just two days away before the trade deadline the 2022 Red Sox have completely fallen apart amidst injuries to their entire starting rotation and bullpen overuse because of it. Last year's NL Central Division champions beat the crap out of Nick Pivetta (8-8, 4.47 ERA) and the beleaguered Boston bullpen. Pivetta got rocked for four runs in just 5 innings, 2 of which courtesy of a Hunter Renfroe two run home run. The Brewers then feasted on the bullpen for five more runs although the Sox did rally in the bottom of the seventh. A Willy Adames sac fly in the eighth and a three run rally in the ninth sealed the doom of the Red Sox. The Sox took one step closer to implosion with an embarrassing 9-4 loss to the Brewers at Fenway Park.

                                                           Sign on Chaim Bloom's door

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Christian Yelich doubled to center to start. Yelich took third on a passed ball but Willy Adames struck out swinging. Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez singled in the hole at third to score Yelich to put the Brewers up for good just three batters into the game. Andrew McCutchen doubled to left and Kolten Wong hit a grounder to third. Wong beat the throw out but Tellez was thrown out at home on the play. Wong stole second but Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Brewers up 1-0.

                                                        Of course its Tellez

Eric Lauer got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran walked to start....only to get picked off. Christian Vazquez singled to right and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk, but JD Martinez flied out to center. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Brewers struck again in the top of the second as Luis Urias grounded out to short to start. Omar Narvaez hit a home run all the way to Argentina to increase the lead. Tyrone Taylor walked but Yelich banged into a double play to end the inning with the Brewers up 2-0.

                                                            Home run for Narvaez

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Bobby Dalbec popped up to second to start. Christian Arroyo tripled into the right field corner and Jaylin Davis ripped a base hit to left to score Christian. Kevin Plawecki and Duran both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                                Davis gets one back

Adames popped up to second to start the top of the third before Tellez pounded a ground rule double down the left field line. McCutchen lined out to left but Wong ripped a base hit to left. Renfroe grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Vazquez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Bogaerts drew a walk. Martinez flied out to right and Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning.

Urias lined out to center to start the top of the fourth but Narvaez singled to center. Taylor flied out to left but Yelich singled to center to move Narvaez to third. Yelich swiped second but Adames struck out swinging to end the inning. Dalbec grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Arroyo singled in the hole at short. Davis struck out swinging and Plawecki popped up to second to end the inning.

The Brewers finished off Pivetta in the top of the fifth as Tellez grounded out to third to start. McCutchen walked and stole second but Wong took strike three. Renfroe put the exclamation point on the Jackie Bradley Jr trade with a 2 run bomb all the way to New Orleans to increase the lead. Urias grounded out to third to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 4-1. That was it for Pivetta who allowed 4 runs on 9 hits and 2 walks.

                                                           Pivetta struggles

The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fifth as Duran grounded out to short to start. Vazquez and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the sixth as Narvaez flied out to left to start. Taylor took strike three but Yelich walked. Adames took strike three to end the inning. Trevor Gott came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Martinez lined out to second to start. Verdugo singled in the hole at second but Dalbec took strike three and Arroyo struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Brewers struck in the top of the seventh as Tellez singled to left. McCutchen doubled to left and Wong hit a sac fly to center to score Tellez. Renfroe grounded out to third and Urias popped up to short to end the inning with the Brewers up 5-1.

                                                         Tellez starts the rally

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh with Hoby Milner now on the mound. Davis singled to center before moving to second on the grounder to second by Plawecki. Duran hit a roller to the mound for a single and Vazquez ripped a base hit to left to score Davis. Brad Boxberger came in to pitch to Bogaerts and Xander singled to right to score Duran. Vazquez moved to third and he scored on the Martinez sac fly to right. Verdugo lined out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                     Bogaerts drives in a run

As soon as the Sox got back in the game, the Brewers struck in the top of the eighth with Jake Diekman now on the mound. Caratini pinch hit for Narvaez and was hit with a pitch. Taylor walked and a wild pitch moved both runners over, but Yelich struck out swinging. For whatever reason Sox manager Alex Cora wanted Ryan Brasier to pitch to Adames. Adames hit a sac fly to center to score Caratini and Tellez was intentionally walked. McCutchen forced Tellez at second to end the inning with Milwaukee up 6-4.

                                                           Sac fly for Adames

Devin Williams came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Dalbec grounded out to short to start. Arroyo got a base hit down the third base line but Davis struck out swinging. Franchy Cordero pinch hit for Plawecki and struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Brewers blew it open in the top of the ninth as Wong doubled to left to start. Renfroe struck out swinging but Urias doubled off the Monster to score Wong and chase Brasier. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch and Caratini grounded out to second to move Urias to third. A wild pitch scored Urias and Taylor hit a home run to the moon to ice the game. Yelich struck out swinging to end the inning with the Brewers up 9-4.

                                                             Brewers pour it on

Jandel Gustave came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Duran flied out to center to start. Vazquez walked but Bogaerts flied out to right. Martinez flied out to center to end the game. The Brewers had won it 9-4.

                                                                  Brewers win

Jackass of The Night is Ryan Brasier. He allowed two runs and let an inherited runner to score in one full inning of work.

                                                                  Ryan Jackass

The Good:

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

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Christian Arroyo was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Jaylin Davis was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Franchy Cordero struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Pivetta allowed 4 runs in just 5 innings of work. He allowed 9 hits and 2 walks while striking out four.

Jake Diekman was charged with a run in 1/3 of an inning.

Hiro Sawamura allowed two inherited runners to score and one of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kaleb Ort allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

It was quite the icing on the sundae to have Hunter Renfroe hit his 18th home run of the season when none of the Red Sox outfielders may come close to hitting 18 this season. The trade that brought Jackie Bradley Jr back to Boston looks like a monumental mistake considering how things turned out. The Sox pulling close down 5-4 only for the bullpen to allow 4 runs is a microcosm of the season as the pitching just hasn't been there. Losing 4/5ths of your starting rotation doesn't help either. The Sox are most likely going to be sellers in the next two days so say your goodbyes while you still can. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-52, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox try to avoid a sweep (laughable) tomorrow afternoon against the Brewers when Josh Winckowski (3-5) goes against Aaron Ashby of the Brewers. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Three Run Sixth Puts Sox Past Guardians (7/28/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox signed a familiar face. Danny Santana was brought back to the organization and will play for the Florida Complex Sox to get his wind back. Welcome back Danny.

                                                                           IN

As for the game, for the first five innings it looked like the Red Sox were headed to another loss to the Clevland Guardians. They trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth after a Jose Ramirez home run against Sox starter Kutter Crawford. Xander Bogaerts crushed a three run home run to put the Sox on top. Jake Diekman (5-1, 4.03 ERA) and Garrett Whitlock held the fort and the Sox had come away with the win 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Hayden Panettiere approves of the win

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Steven Kwan lined out to center to start. Amed Rosario and Jose Ramirez also lined out to center to end the inning. McKenzie got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran watched strike three go by to begin. Alex Verdugo grounded out to third but Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. JD Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. 

Josh Naylor doubled to left to open the top of the second but Andres Gimenez popped up the bunt to Crawford. Franmil Reyes grounded out to second to move Naylor to third but Nolan Jones struck out swinging to end the inning. Christian Vazquez popped up to short to begin the bottom of the second before Franchy Cordero struck out swinging. Bobby Dalbec took strike three to end the inning. 

Luke Maile swung at air to start the top of the third and Myles Straw popped up to right. Kwan popped up to short to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Jeter Downs flied out to center. Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. 

The Guardians struck first in the top of the fourth although Rosario grounded out to third to start. Ramirez then hit a home run all the way to Luxembourg to put Cleveland on top. Naylor lined out to left but Gimenez was hit with a pitch. Gimenez stole second but Reyes popped up to second to end the inning with the Guardians up 1-0.

                                                              Home run Ramirez

Verdugo got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Martinez flied out to right and Vazquez lined out to right to end the inning.

Jones lined out to right to start the top of the fifth and Maile flied out to center. Straw lined out to right to end the inning. Cordero took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Dalbec flied out to right. JBJ grounded out to third to end the inning. Cordero took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Dalbec flied out to right. JBJ grounded out to third to end the inning.

Crawford returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Kwan got a base hit to left to start. Rosario lined out to left and Ramirez grounded back to the mound to move Kwan to left. Defying all logic, Sox manager pulled Crawford after just 69 pitches and not letting him at least finish the inning. Jake Diekman came in to get Naylor to ground out to second to end the inning.

                                                         Crawford deserved better

Naturally the Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Downs beat out a roller to third to start. Duran dropped down a bunt that got Downs thrown at second but Verdugo singled to center. Bogaerts then launched his 8th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Martinez lined out to third and Vazquez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                         Bogaerts puts the Sox on top

Diekman returned for the top of the seventh and Gimenez struck out swinging to start. Reyes struck out swinging and Jones grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh as Cordero doubled to center to start. Dalbec got a base hit to left to score Franchy but JBJ grounded into a double play. Downs struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                        Dalbec is all smiles

The Guardians tagged Garrett Whitlock in the top of the eighth as Maile walked to start. Straw singled to right to put runners at the corners and Maile scored on the double play hit by Kwan. Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians down 4-2.

James Karinchak came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran lined out to left to start. Verdugo  grounded out to second but Bogaerts walked. Bogaerts looked to have stolen second but Guardians manager Terry Francona challeged the call. The umps ruled Bogaerts safe and Martinez walked. Bogaerts stole third and Vazquez took strike three to end the inning.

Whitlock returned for the top of the ninth with Yolmer Sanchez in for Franchy Cordero. Ramirez flied out to center to start but Naylor doubled to center. Gimenez grounded out to first and Reyes grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His 3 run bomb put the Sox in front for good.

                                                           X Gon Hero To Ya

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Jeter Downs was 1 for 3.

Kutter Crawford allowed just a run in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed just 3 hits and struck out 2.

Jake Diekman got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in 2 innings of work but earned his 3rd save of the year.

Honorable Mention:

Yolmer Sanchez played second base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a much needed win just days before the trade deadline. The rumors of Christian Vazquez and JD Martinez being dealt are swirling but Bogaerts himself says he's safe. Words don't mean anything but I'd rather they keep those guys and get themselves an ace pitcher. If Cora wants to pull Kutter Crawford after 69 pitches, he better not wonder why the bullpen is toast by September. Still, with all the injuries in the rotation it may not matter. If they sell, they better get a pitcher or two for Martinez, Bogaerts, etc. The win improved the Sox to 50-50, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in row when they welcome in the Milwaukee Brewers to Fenway Park tomorrow night. Brayan Bello (0-2) takes on Brandon Woodruff of Milwaukee. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Guardians Pound Winckowski, Sox (7/26/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a series of roster moves. Connor Seabold was activated from the Injured List and sent down to Worcester, Darwinzon Hernandez was sent down to Worcester and Phillips Valdez was designated for assignment. Hernandez didn't show much promise and Valdez was a nice success story in 2020, but the Sox need to win and he's not helping. In the place of Hernandez, Josh Winckowski was activated from the Covid List to make tonight's start.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, so much for the Sox beating non-AL East teams. Josh Winckowski (3-5, 5.18 ERA) took a beating at the hands of the Cleveland Guardians. He allowed five runs in 3 innings to put the Sox in a hole although the offense rallied for two runs in the bottom of the frame. Then with the bases loaded and Austin Davis on the mound, Yolmer Sanchez threw a crucial grounder away for a two run error to put the game out of reach. Both teams scored another run but the game was settled as Cleveland beat the Red Sox 8-3 at Fenway Park. 

                                                                 Angry Sox Fan

Winckowski got tagged immediately in the top of the first as Steven Kwan lined out to left to start. Amed Rosario grounded out to short but Jose Ramirez walked. Josh Naylor got a base hit to left and Owen Miller got a base hit to center to score Ramirez. Andres Gimenez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Guardians up 1-0.

                                                       Miller drives in a run

Bryan Shaw got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder flied out to left to start. Alex Verdugo lined out to center but Xander Bogaerts doubled to center. JD Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Guardians struck again in the top of the second as Nolan Jones lined out to center to start Austin Hedges hit a home run all the way to Japan to increase the lead. Myles Straw flied out to right but Kwan singled down the first base line. Rosario flied out to left to end the inning with the Guardians up 2-0.

                                                             Home run Hedges

Christian Vazquez walked to begin the bottom of the second before Kevin Plawecki was rung up for strike three. Yolmer Sanchez flied out to center and Bobby Dalbec lined out to left to end the inning.

The Guardians iced the game in the top of the third as Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Naylor doubled to right then moved to third when Miller lined one off Winckowski but Bogaerts threw him out. Gimenez was hit with a pitch and Jones hit a home run all the way back to Cleveland to put the game out of reach. Hedges took strike three to end the inning but the Guardians were up 5-0. That was it for Winckowski who allowed 5 runs in just 3 innings, definitely not good enough.

                                                            Winckowski gets hammered

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Jaylin Davis hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to begin. Refsnyder was hit with a pitch and Verdugo beat out a double play ball. Bogaerts got a base hit to left to score Davis and chase Shaw. Nick Sandlin came in and Martinez was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Vazquez got a base hit to left to score Verdugo and Plawecki hit a fly ball to right. Bogaerts made a mad dash home and was called out on the throw. Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call but the umpires held it up with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                 "I was safe!!!!" - Bogaerts

Things fell apart in the top of the fourth with Austin Davis now on the mound. Straw got a base hit to center but Kwan took strike three. Rosario singled to right and Ramirez walked to load the bases. Naylor hit a double play ball to Sanchez who threw the ball away for an error to score Straw and Rosario. Ramirez and Naylor pulled off a double steal but Gimenez flied out to left to end the inning with the Guardians up 7-2.

                                                       Dammit Sanchez

Kirk McCarty came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Sanchez struck out swinging to start. Dalbec flied out to right but Davis drew a walk. Refsnyder forced Jaylin at second to end the inning.

Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Jones grounded out to short to start. Hedges walked but Straw grounded into a double play to end the inning. Verdugo flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Bogaerts lined out to right. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kwan got a base hit to center to begin the top of the sixth but Rosario struck out swinging. Ramirez reached first on a swinging bunt in front of the plate but Naylor flied out to left. Miller grounded out to second to end the inning. Vazquez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Plawecki lined out to center. Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and Gimenez walked to start. Jones grounded into a double play and Hedges went down hacking to end the inning. Dalbec whiffed to start the bottom of the seventh but Davis grounded out to short. Refsnyder singled to left and Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. 

Tanner Houck got tagged in the top of the eighth as Straw grounded out to third to start. Kwan singled off the glove of Vazquez then promptly stole second. Rosario got a base hit to right to score Kwan and Ramriez grounded out to second to move Amed all the way to third. Naylor struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians up 8-2.

                                                       Kwan scores a run

Eli Morgan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts doubled to left to start. Martinez went down hacking but Vazquez grounded out to first. Bogaerts moved to third on that grounder and scored on the Plawecki double to center. Sanchez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                         Plawecki drives in a run

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Miller struck out swinging to start. Gimenez went down hacking and Jones flied out to left to end the inning. Alex Call came in for Jones to start the bottom of the ninth with Emmanuel Clase on the mound. Dalbec flied out to center, Davis went down hacking and Refsnyder grounded out to second to end the game. The Guardians had won it 8-3.

                                                        Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Yolmer Sanchez. The Sox had just rallied to get back in the game and his two run error sealed the door shut for Cleveland.

                                                       Yolmer Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Jaylin Davis was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Hiro Sawamura tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless inning.

Kaleb Ort pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Josh Winckowski allowed 5 runs in 3 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

Austin Davis allowed 2 runs in an inning.

Tanner Houck allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Kevin Plawecki was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Final Thoughts:

When the eulogy for the season is written come the end of September, the lack of starting pitching depth was the story for this epic collapse. When Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale all got hurt, not a single rookie starter was able to fill in. Connor Seabold, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski totally sucked. You would think ONE of them would have shown some life, but nope. Winckowski getting pounded today and putting the Sox in the hole they couldn't climb out of has been going on since he was called up. His sinker should be a lot better than it is, maybe the lights are too bright for him at this time. Not just the pitching failed, the Sox almost stopped trying after Bogaerts was thrown out at the plate to kill that rally. They only got one more run the rest of the game while the Guardians poured it on. The Sox need to sell at the deadline and build for next year. Eovaldi, Martinez and Bogaerts will fetch a good haul if Sox GM Chaim Bloom can get a deal done. It makes no sense to keep this group for another two months because they have no chance in hell at winning anything the way its currently constructed. The less said of this awful game, the better. The loss drops the Sox to 49-49, 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the wild card. The Sox look to take the rubber game against the Guardians tomorrow night with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound against Cal Quantrill of Cleveland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

McClanahan, Rays Dominate Fading Sox (7/13/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Kevin Plawecki was removed from the Covid List and Connor Wong was optioned back to Worcester. We'll be seeing Wong in September if he doesn't get hurt by then. Least Plawecki is okay....for now.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, say good night to the 2022 Boston Red Sox. Needing big wins over the New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays to keep pace in the AL East and wild card races.....they've fallen flat on their faces instead. This time it was Rays ace Shane McClanahan that did the damage, holding the Trevor Story-less offense to just one measly run in 6 1/3 dominant innings. Josh Winckowski (3-4, 4.38 ERA) tossed a solid game but was tagged for three runs in six innings. Jake Diekman allowed the huge insurance run in the seventh inning as the Sox bats were silenced by the Rays bullpen. The Rays have now taken the first three games of this four game set including this one 4-1 at Tropicana Field.

                                                      Live look at the Red Sox

McClanahan got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Rafael Devers and JD Martinez both grounded out to second to end the inning. Winckowski got the ball in the bottom of the first and Yandy Diaz grounded out to short to start. Ji-Man Choi took strike three and Harold Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Xander Bogaerts popped up to second to start the top of the second before Alex Verdugo struck out swinging. Christian Vazquez grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox haven't hit the ball out of the infield since Verdugo got picked off last night. Isaac Parades grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second and Jonathan Aranda lined out to second. Randy Arozarena walked but Taylor Walls grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Bobby Dalbec finally hit a ball out of the infield but it was right to Josh Lowe to start the top of the third. Jeter Downs struck out swinging and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox haven't had a baserunner since Verdugo got picked off last night. Josh Lowe walked to start the bottom of the third and Francisco Mejia got a base hit to left. Diaz beat out a double play ball and Choi got a base hit to center to score Lowe, putting the Rays up for good. Ramirez iced the game by blooping a single over the head of Downs to score Diaz. Parades lined out to right and Aranda struck out swinging to end the inning but the game was over 2-0.

                                                       Rays take the lead

The Sox boneheaded baserunning continued in the top of the fourth although Refsnyder struck out swinging to start. Devers managed to double to right but was foolishly thrown out at third trying to advance on a wild pitch. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. Arozarena grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fourth but the .167 hitting Walls hit a home run all the way to Sarasota to increase the lead. Lowe lined out to left and Mejia struck out swinging but the Rays led 3-0.

                                                      How did HE hit one out?

Somehow Bogaerts got a base hit off the glove of Diaz to start the top of the fifth and shockingly Verdugo got a base hit to center to move Xander to third. Naturally Christian Vazquez banged into a double play to score Bogaerts and Dalbec struck out on three pitches not even close to end the inning with the Sox hopelessly down 3-1.

                                                               Bogaerts got a hit?

Diaz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Choi grounded out to second. Ramirez lined out to second to end the inning.

The Sox quit in the top of the sixth as Downs lined out to short to start. JBJ grounded out to short and Refsnyder struck out swinging again to end the inning. Parades took strike three to begin the bottom of the sixth and Aranda flied out to center. Arozarena grounded out to second to end the inning and Winckowski's night. Apart from one bad inning he hung in there to toss 6 solid innings and allowed just 3 runs, too bad he had no run support.

                                                            Winckowski deserved better

Devers flied out to left to start the top of the seventh and that was it for McClanahan after 6 1/3 dominating innings. Jason Adam came in and Martinez grounded out to second, but Bogaerts doubled to right. Bogaerts stole third but Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning. Sox manager Alex Cora sent up the white flag by having Jake Diekman pitch the bottom of the seventh although Walls struck out swinging to start. Lowe walked but Mejia flied out to right. Diaz hit a seeing eye single to right and Refsnyder lollygagged the throw to third....and Lowe came all the way around to score on yet another mental error this series. Choi walked but Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Rays up 4-1.

                                                    Lowe scores the backbreaking run

Brett Phillips took over for Ramirez with Ryan Thompson now on the mound for the top of the eighth inning. Vazquez grounded out to short, Dalbec struck out swinging and Downs grounded out to short to end the inning. Phillips Valdez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Parades grounded out to short to start. Aranda lined out to right and Arozarena walked. Walls grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Colin Poche came in to close out the top of the ninth and JBJ grounded out to third to start. Refsnyder got a base hit to third but Devers struck out swinging. Martinez popped up to short to end the game. The Rays had won it 4-1.

                                                            Rays win

Jackass of the Night is JD Martinez. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and his offense was badly needed against McClanahan.

                                                          JD Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a stolen base and a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3.

Phillips Valdez tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Jeter Downs was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.

Jake Diekman allowed a run in the 7th inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Josh Winckowski took the loss but tossed 6 solid innings and allowed just 3 runs.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox needed to make a statement against the AL East and they did...."I surrender!" They've played 10 games against the Rays and New York Yankees and have gone 3-7 so far. The bats were completely silenced by McClanahan and it ruined a good start by Winckowski who's been struggling since his callup. The bottom of the order is a bonifide black hole but the top of the order didn't do much in this one. Its a shame the season turned out the way it did so far because they looked to have found their footing in May and June but injuries decimated the rotation. The season is far from over but in terms of trying to win the AL East, a 15 game deficit with an injured rotation with 73 games left is too much for any team to overcome. Sox GM Chaim Bloom screwed up big time by spending 10 million on James Paxton knowing he probably wasn't going to pitch this season. The loss dropped the Sox to 47-42, 15.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid the sweep tomorrow night when Kutter Crawford takes on Drew Rasmussen. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.

Rays Pound Bello, Sox (7/11/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Kevin Plawecki was placed on the Covid List and Connor Wong was called up from Worcester to replace him. This marks the first time all three players the Sox got in the Mookie Betts trade are on the same roster.

                                                                     OUT

                                                                           IN

As for the game, the Sox simply cannot beat AL East teams. It doesn't help the Sox are trudging out rookie pitchers that can't get it done like Brayan Bello, but the overall fact is the Sox cant get over the hump. The Tampa Bay Rays proved that by knocking out Bello and the Boston bullpen for 14 hits and 10 runs. The Sox bats rallied down 5-1 to tie the game 5-5 but the Rays kept coming. They rallied for 2 runs in the sixth and 3 in the eighth against Jake Diekman and Phillips Valdez. Just another sign the Sox can't compete this year as the Rays stomped them 10-5 at Tropicana Field.

Matt Wisler got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Christian Vazquez popped up to second and JD Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and the Rays wasted no time pounding him. Yandy Diaz was plunked and Ji-Man Choi walked, but somehow Randy Arozarena struck out swinging. Jonathan Aranda got a base hit to right to load the bases and Josh Lowe effortlessly singled to center to score two runs to put the Rays up just 8 batters into the game. Francisco Mejia banged into a double play to end the inning with the score 2-0 Tampa.

                                                     Lowe puts the Rays up

Josh Fleming came in to pitch the top of the second and Xander Bogaerts doubled to right to begin. A wild pitch moved Xander to third and Verdugo hit a grounder to Choi who did nothing with it to score Bogaerts. Bret Phillips made an amazing catch to rob Trevor Story of a double and Franchy Cordero struck out swinging. Rob Refsnyder forced Verdugo at second to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                     Phillips keeps the Rays up for good

Bello got pounded in the top of the second inning as the .111 hitting Luke Raley walked on 6 pitches not even close to start. Taylor Walls lined out to left and Phillips took strike three, but Diaz doubled down the left field line to score Raley. Choi effortlessly got a base hit to left to score Diaz, Arozarena walked and Aranda easily got a base hit to right to score Choi. Somehow Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays up 5-1.

                                                            Rays pour it on

The Sox rallied in the top of the third as Bobby Dalbec somehow drew a walk to start. Dalbec was forced at second by Duran but Vazquez doubled to left and Martinez cleared the bases with a double to left as well. Bogaerts walked to put the tying run on but Verdugo lined out to left and Story struck out swinging to end the rally with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                               JD with a double

Sox manager Alex Cora left Bello in to pitch the bottom of the third and Mejia doubled to right to start. Raley struck out swinging but Walls dropped down a bunt to catch the Sox asleep only for the alert Vazquez to throw him out at first with no advancement. Phillips flied out to left to end the inning. 

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth although Cordero struck out swinging to start. Refsnyder got a base hit to center and moved to second on the grounder to second by Dalbec. Duran got a base hit to left to score Refsnyder but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                      Nice going Duran

Bello trudged out for the bottom of the fourth and Diaz got a base hit to left to start. Choi struck out swinging and Arozarena banged into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Bello who recovered to end his day allowing 5 runs in just 4 innings. Not good enough at all.

                                                          Bello struggles again

The Sox rallied against Luke Bard in the top of the fifth although Vazquez lined out to right to start. Martinez doubled to right and Bogaerts ripped a base hit to right to score JD to tie the game. Verdugo singled to left and both runners pulled off a double steal...but Story grounded out to third. Naturally Cordero earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                                   Tie game!

Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Aranda struck out swinging to start. Lowe struck out swinging but Mejia singled to right. Raley grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Refsnyder tried to start a rally by walking to start the top of the sixth but Dalbec lined out to second. Duran forced Refsnyder at second and got thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning....but wait, Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Duran was safe. Umps ruled Duran was safe but Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning. That's six men left on base to this point. Jake Diekman came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and guess what he did? Hit Walls with a pitch to put the first guy on AGAIN! Phillips would have walked but swung at ball four and lined out to left. Diaz effortlessly pounded a double to left to score Walls to put the Rays up for good. That was it for Diekman as Kaleb Ort came in with Harold Ramirez pinch hitting for Choi. Of course Ramirez ripped a base hit to right to score Diaz to ice the game. Ramirez was thrown out at second trying to steal and Arozarena grounded out to short to end the inning with the game all but over 7-5.

                                                        Rays go up for good

The Sox quit in the top of the seventh as Martinez flied out to right to start. Bogaerts flied out to left and Verdugo lined out to center to end the inning. Phillips Valdez came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Aranda flied out to center to start. Lowe grounded back to the mound and Mejia popped up to short to end the inning.

Yu Chang came in for Aranda with Colin Poche now on to pitch the top of the eighth. Story grounded out to third, Cordero earned the golden sombrero by striking out swinging and Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning. Valdez returned for the bottom of the eighth and got his lunch handed to him. Raley hit a routine grounder to Dalbec who kicked the ball over to first for an error although Walls forced Raley at second. Phillips got a base hit to right to move Walls to third and Diaz hit a sac fly to right to score Walls. Ramirez singled to center, Arozarena singled to right and Chang singled to left to score Ramirez. Lowe flied out to center to end the inning with the Rays up 10-5.

                                                        Rays are all smiles in this one

Mercifully Jason Adam put an end to the torture in the top of the ninth. Dalbec, Duran and Vazquez all struck out swinging to end the game. The Rays had won it 10-5.

                                                           Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Jake Diekman. He allowed the go-ahead runs to score in the sixth inning.

                                                           Jackass Diekman

The Good:

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi, stolen base and a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a stolen base.

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Austin Davis pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Franchy Cordero earned the golden sombrero by going 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts.

Brayan Bello got lit up for 5 runs in just 4 innings. He allowed 7 hits and 3 walks.

Phillips Valdez allowed 3 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

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

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Kaleb Ort allowed an inherited runner to score in 2/3 of an inning. 

Final Thoughts:

Bello clearly isn't ready for the big time yet but the only reason he's here is 4 out of the 5 starters are out with injuries. He was thrown right in the fire and was told to sink or swim....and he sank. Still, even when he was gone the bullpen allowed 5 more runs. The Sox might have been able to come back if the bullpen did their job. Its just a sign of the times that the Sox can't compete with the AL East. They've yet to win a series this year and we're a week out from the all-star break. Things need to change and fast or else they'll be sellers at the deadline. Bogaerts, Devers, Martinez, Eovaldi and Vazquez are free agents at the end of the year and we could be seeing the last of them unless they can start beating teams in their own division. The loss dropped the Sox to 47-40, 14.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Rays when Chris Sale makes his long awaited season debut against Corey Kluber of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.