Alex Cora Hired as Manager (10/22/17)

It took just 11 days but less than two weeks after John Farrell was fired as manager of the Boston Red Sox, they have found his replacement. Former Red Sox infielder and current bench coach of the Houston Astros, Alex Cora was named as the new manager of the Sox.

                                                 Welcome back Alex

The decision to hire Cora is based on his ability to coach younger players. John Farrell clearly was not getting through to Mookie Betts, Xander Bogaerts and some of the other guys that completely underperformed in 2017. Cora's ability to keep Carlos Correa, Jose Altuve and the other Astros in check was a huge reason why he was available as a managerial choice.

When Farrell was first hired in 2013, he was inheriting a team of veterans and some holdovers from the 2007 Red Sox, primarily his former pitchers Clay Buchholz and Jon Lester. In the last 4 years all the veterans and holdovers with the one exception of Dustin Pedroia are gone. The Sox inablity to perform in the playoffs cannot entirely be blamed on Farrell, but it sure didn't help that a lot of players regressed in 2017. Not just Betts and Bogaerts but Hanley Ramirez fell apart as well. Going into the season Andrew Benintendi was supposed to be a shoo-in as rookie of the year but Aaron Judge blew him out of the water. The pitching staff performed admirably but offensively the Sox underperformed and it was time for Farrell to go. Someone had to take the fall for back to back no-shows in the playoffs and it made sense to can him.

The Sox will be banking on Cora to right the likes of Betts and Bogaerts but how he handles the pitchers will be his real challenge. As incompetent as he was with pinch hitters and batting lineups, Farrell has proven he can get through to pitchers. Drew Pomeranz was a huge bust up from the moment he was traded here until the moment Farrell gave Pomeranz a huge tongue lashing against Oakland. After that, Drew became one of the best starters in the American League, winning 17 games. Can Cora get through to him to keep up that kind of streak moving forward?

                                                             Cora at the plate

Whether or not the Sox sign some free agents or make some trades is up in the air at this point, but the Sox had to move on from Farrell and with the Sox going with a young core of Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr, Benintendi, Bogaerts, Christian Vazquez and Rafael Devers, they needed someone they could connect with. With the New York Yankees vastly improving, the Sox need to get their heads out of their collective asses from ownership on down if they want to keep their stranglehold on the AL East title.

Cora was apart of the 2007 Red Sox world championship team and the Astros are on their way to becoming champions so Alex does bring some championship pedigree to the table. If nothing else, 2018 should be interesting to see what he can do. After all, he can't be any worse than Bobby Valentine....right?

Dickey, Jays Drop Lester & Sox (4/27/14)

Just when you think the Boston Red Sox are going on a run, they fall completely flat on their face. After taking the first two games against the Toronto Blue Jays, they lay an egg against Jays ace RA Dickey while their own ace Jon Lester (2-4, 3.10 ERA) get pounded. The Sox struck first with a Jackie Bradley Jr rbi single but Brett Lawrie hit a home run to tie it. The Sox couldn't get a run off Dickey while the Jays rallied for a run in the third and two more in the seventh to take a commanding lead. The Jays then got three runs off Andrew Miller and Burke Badenhop in the bottom of the eighth to put the game away. It was a crushing loss for the Red Sox as they dropped the game 7-1 at the Skydome.

Dickey got the ball in the top of the first and Dustin Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Grady Sizemore and Mike Napoli both struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jose Reyes flied out to right to start. Melky Cabrera struck out swinging and Jose Bautista popped up to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as AJ Pierzynski lined out to short to start. Will Middlebrooks popped up to first but Jonny Gomes got a base hit to left. Xander Bogaerts struck a single to center and Jackie Bradley Jr blooped a base hit to left to score Gomes. David Ross forced Bradley at second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Sox strike first

The Jays answered in the bottom of the second as Edwin Encarnacion lined out to a sliding Bradley to start. Brett Lawrie hit a home run all the way to Newfoundland to tie the game. Juan Francisco and Moises Sierra both struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Lawrie ties it

Pedroia struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Sizemore was frozen for strike three. Napoli got a base hit to center but Pierzynski went down hacking to end the inning. The Jays took command in the bottom of the third as Josh Thole drilled a base hit down the third base line to begin. Jonathan Diaz dropped down a bunt to move Thole to second but Reyes struck out swinging. Cabrera doubled to right to score Thole and Bautista flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 2-1.

                                                           Jays take the lead

Middlebrooks popped up to short to start the top of the fourth before Gomes popped up to left. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Encarnacion lined out to center to start. Lawrie struck out swinging and Francisco popped up to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as JBJ grounded out to short to start. Ross popped up to short and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Lester matched Dickey in the bottom of the fifth as Sierra lined out to short to start. Thole grounded out to second and Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sizemore grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth before Napoli popped up to short. Pierzynski grounded out to short to end the inning. Reyes popped up to first to start the bottom of the sixth before Cabrera flied out to left. Bautista struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Middlebrooks got hit with a pitch to start. Gomes popped up to first but Bogaerts doubled to left to chase Dickey. Steve Delabar came in to face JBJ and Bradley popped up to third. Ross flied out to center to end the inning. Lester fell apart in the bottom of the seventh as Encarnacion doubled to left to start. Lawrie also doubled down the left field line to score Edwin to ice the game. Francisco flied out to center to move Lawrie to third and Brett scored on the grounder to Lester by Sierra. Thole took strike three to end the inning but the game was over 4-1. Lester allowed four runs in 7 innings off five hits.

                                                       Lester wasn't good enough

Colby Rasmus took over for Sierra in the top of the eighth and Pedroia got a base hit to right to start. Sizemore flied out to right, Napoli lined out to center and Pierzynski grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Andrew Miller crapped his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Diaz grounded out to second to start. Reyes singled in the hole at second but Ross dropped a pop up by Cabrera for an error. That proved costly as Melky got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners. Bautista grounded a ball up the middle that Bogaerts couldn't corral for a "single" to score Reyes. Sox manager John Farrell kicked the air as he stormed out of the dugout to take the ball from Miller. Burke Badenhop came in and immediately allowed a double to center to Encarnacion to clear the bases. Lawrie took strike three.

                                                                  Jays finish it off

Esmil Rogers came in to close out the top of the ninth as Middlebrooks struck out swinging to start. Gomes took strike three and Bogaerts went down hacking to end the game. The Jays had won it 7-1.

                                                          Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Jon Lester. He got rocked for four runs in 7 innings off 5 hits while striking out 7.

                                                             Jackass Lester

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ross was 0 for 3 with an error.

Andrew Miller allowed 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Burke Badenhop allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

The story of the Red Sox this season is just when you think they're about to go on a nice long win streak, they fall flat on their face. Their offense accomplished nothing today against RA Dickey while the Jays offense systematically got to Lester little by little. Then after they got to Lester, they got three runs off Badenhop and Miller. The Sox just can't seem to build momentum no matter what's in front of them. Grady Sizemore looks like he can't hit anymore while Gomes, Bradley and Ross all looked terrible at the plate. I know Shane Victorino and David Ortiz didn't play ahead of the off-day tomorrow but they should have gotten more than one measly run. Hopefully they can bounce back in the next one. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox come home for a three game set with the Tampa Bay Rays. John Lackey (3-2) takes on old pal Erik Bedard of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Bash Lester, Sox (4/22/14)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Detroit Red Wings in Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox lost to the New York Yankees. Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox are in trouble. They've played 21 games this season and have trailed in almost every single one of them. This time it was the New York Yankees and their new ace Masahiro Tanaka that added to Boston's misery. Tanaka mastered the Sox, allowing just 2 runs in 7 1/3 innings to keep the Yankees ahead. Meanwhile the Yankees blasted Sox ace Jon Lester for eight runs, knocking him out in the fifth inning. The only runs the Sox scored off Tanaka were solo home runs by David Ortiz and Mike Napoli but it wasn't nearly enough. Carlos Beltran hit a home run off Edward Mujica for the exclamation point as the Yankees crushed the Sox 9-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                        "THEY BEAT LESTER!!!!"

Lester got mauled in the top of the first inning as old pal Jacoby Ellsbury hit a ball off the top of the wall that a fan reached out and grabbed it for interference. The umpires ruled it a triple and Derek Jeter did the honors with a base hit to center to score him, putting the Yankees up for good two batters into the game. AJ Pierzynski managed to muff a ball and throw it away to advance Jeter all the way to third and Carlos Beltran ripped a base hit to center to score Jeter. Alfonso Soriano and Mark Teixeira both struck out swinging but Brian McCann walked. Yangervis Solarte flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees up 2-0.

                                                               Beltran drives in a run

Tanaka got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ellsbury made a great diving catch to rob Grady Sizemore of a hit. Dustin Pedroia doubled to the left field wall but David Ortiz struck out swinging. Mike Napoli also went down hacking to end the inning.

Ichiro Suzuki got a base hit to center to start the top of the second and Brian Roberts got a seeing eye single past the diving Xander Bogaerts. Ellsbury flied out to left but Jeter walked to load the bases. Beltran grounded into a double play to end the inning. Jonny Gomes popped up to third to begin the bottom of the second and Pierzynski struck out swinging. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.

The Yankees struck again in the top of the third as Soriano doubled to center to start. Teixeira blooped a double down the right field line to score Soriano and McCann doubled off the scoreboard to score Teixeira. Solarte struck out swinging but Ichiro walked. Sizemore failed to catch a liner by Roberts for a single to load the bases but Ellsbury grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-0.

                                                     Yankees pour it on

Brock Holt grounded out to first to start the bottom of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr got a base hit to center. Sizemore grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Jeter was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the top of the fourth before Beltran struck out swinging. Soriano struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia grounded out to second to start. Ortiz smashed his fourth home run of the season before Napoli belted his fifth home run of the year for back to back jacks. Gomes popped up to left but Pierzynski doubled high off the Monster. Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                              Back to back jacks

The Yankees finished off Lester in the top of the fifth as Teixeira walked to start. McCann got a base hit to left off the Monster but Solarte struck out swinging. Ichiro went down hacking and Roberts hit a liner off the glove of Napoli for an error to score Teixeira. Ellsbury doubled to left to score both McCann and Roberts. Sox manager John Farrell had enough of Lester and yanked him after just 4 2/3 innings allowing 8 runs on 11 hits and 4 walks. Chris Capuano came in and Jeter immediately greeted him with a base hit to center to score Ellsbury. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees up 8-2.

                                                        Lester gets pounded

Holt grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and JBJ grounded out to first. Sizemore flied out to right to end the inning.

Soriano popped up to center to start the top of the sixth and Teixeira hit a bullet to Bogaerts. McCann was retired on a swinging bunt to end the inning. Pedroia flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Ortiz grounded out to short. Napoli doubled to center but Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning.

Solarte struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh but Ichiro doubled to left. Roberts flied out to center and Ellsbury grounded out to second to end the inning. Pierzynski struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh before Bogarts grounded out to third. Holt lined a base hit up the middle but JBJ's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Solarte to end the inning.

Edward Mujica came in to get tagged in the top of the eighth as Jeter grounded back to the mound to start. Beltran then hit a home run all the way to the Azores to increase the lead. Soriano grounded out to short and Teixeira struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees up 9-2.

                                                       Beltran goes yard

Brett Gardner took over in left to start the bottom of the eighth and Sizemore struck out swinging to start. Dellin Betances came in to pitch to Pedroia and caught him looking for strike three. Ortiz also watched strike three go by to end the inning.

Jonathan Herrera took over Pedroia with Junichi Tazawa in to pitch the top of the ninth. McCann singled off the Monster but Solarte flied out to center. McCann moved to second on the grounder to second by Ichiro. Roberts lined out to first to end the inning.

Dean Anna came in for Jeter to start the bottom of the ninth and Napoli grounded out to third to start. Gomes doubled off the Monster but Pierzynski grounded out to first to move Gomes to third. Bogaerts crushed a double off the Monster to score Gomes but Holt grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Yankees had won it 9-3.

                                                         Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Jon Lester. He got rocked for 8 runs in just 4 2/3 innings allowing 11 hits and 4 walks.

                                                          Lester The Jackass

The Good:

Mike Napoli was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.

Chris Capuano tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Grady Sizemore was 0 for 4.

Edward Mujica allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but hit a home run.

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

AJ Pierzynski was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Xander Bogarts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Jonathan Herrera played second base in the final inning.

Final Thoughts:

Great, now the Sox can't even beat the Yankees. The Yankees aren't exactly lighting the world on fire to start the season but they've handled the Red Sox so far this year. This was arguably Lester's worst game of the season while Tanaka blinded the Sox apart from two solo home runs back to back. Once again the offense was almost non existent and they can't possibly be this bad without Jacoby Ellsbury and Shane Victorino. Jackie Bradley Jr and Grady Sizemore went 1-7 combined in this one and so far the production just hasn't been there. Then again no one is really hitting to begin with. Lester was due for a stinker but this isn't an isolated incident where the bats just aren't working. The world series hangover is real, folks. Tomorrow might be interesting because Michael Pineda is pitching and he was shown after last week's game to have pine tar on his hand. We'll see if he tries any shenanigans tomorrow with people looking for it this time. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow against the Yankees when John Lackey (2-2) gets the start against Pineda. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Edge White Sox Late (4/17/14)

For seven innings both Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox and Jon Lester of the Boston Red Sox put on a master class of a pitcher's duel. The only blemish on Sale was a Xander Bogaerts home run while Lester allowed an rbi single to Adam Eaton. Lester made it through eight innings but Ronald Belisario was in for a surprise in the top of the ninth. David Ross doubled home Mike Napoli to put Boston on top and Jonathan Herrera scored Grady Sizemore with a squeeze bunt for the insurance run. The returning Koji Uehara slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth as the Red Sox took two out of three from the White Sox 3-1 at Comiskey Park.

                                                      Sax approves of the win

Sale got the ball in the top of the first and Dustin Pedroia led off by grounding out to third. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging and David Ortiz was robbed of a home run at the wall by Adam Eaton to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first Eaton grounded back to the mound to start. Marcus Semien grounded out to short and Dayan Viciedo popped up to first to end the inning.

Mike Napoli led off the top of the second by striking out swinging and Jonny Gomes grounded out to third. David Ross drew a walk but Daniel Nava forced him at second to end the inning. Adam Dunn popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Paul Konerko took strike three. Alexei Ramirez lined out to Bogaerts to end the inning.

Ryan Roberts struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr went down hacking and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Lester turned up the heat in the bottom of the third as Alejandro De Aza watched strike three go by to begin. Tyler Flowers struck out swinging and Leury Garcia was frozen for strike three to end the inning,

Bogaerts was plunked to begin the top of the fourth but Ortiz took strike three. Napoli flied out to center and Bogaerts tagged up on the play. Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning. Eaton popped up to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Viciedo struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ross and Nava struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Roberts popped up to left to end the inning. Dunn flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Konerko hit one up the elevator shaft. Ramirez took strike three to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the sixth as JBJ took strike three to start. Pedroia lined out to short but Bogaerts smashed his first home run of the season to put Boston on top. Ortiz flied out to center to end the inning with the BoSox up 1-0.

                                                      First of the season for Bogaerts

The ChiSox answered in the bottom of the sixth against Lester as De Aza grounded out to first to start. Flowers broke up the perfect game with a base hit past the diving Bogaerts and Garcia pounded a ground rule double over the head of Nava. Eaton hit a grounder to second and beat out the throw to first to score Flowers. Semien took strike three and Viciedo flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                         Tie goes to the runner

Napoli walked to start the top of the seventh but Gomes flied out to left. Ross walked but Nava flied out to right. Roberts struck out swinging to end Sale's day of dominance. Dunn got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the seventh but Konerko flied out to right. Ramirez lined out to right and De Aza hit a rocket into the right field corner. Dunn tried to score from first but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

                                                        You're outta there!

Ronald Belisario came in to pitch the top of the eighth and JBJ walked to start. Pedroia banged into a double play and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Flowers got a base hit to center. Garcia dropped down a bunt to move Flowers to second but Eaton took strike three. Semien lined a base hit off the glove of Lester but Viciedo struck out swinging to end the inning. Lester was outstanding, allowing 1 run in 8 innings off 7 hits while striking out nine.

                                                            Good work Lester

The BoSox broke through in the top of the ninth as Ortiz was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start. Napoli beat out a roller to third and Mike Carp pinch hit for Gomes. Carp got a base hit to left and Ross doubled to right to score Napoli. Nava was intentionally walked and Scott Downs was brought in to face Roberts. Sox manager John Farrell countered by pinch running Grady Sizemore for Carp and pinch hitting Jonathan Herrera for Roberts. Herera caught everyone asleep with a suicide squeeze bunt to score Sizemore with the insurance run. JBJ hit a bullet to short and Ross was doubled off third to end the inning with Boston up 3-1.

                                                    Sizemore scores the insurance run

Koji Uehara came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Dunn struck out swinging to start. Konerko popped up to first but Ramirez got a base hit to left. Jose Abreu pinch hit for De Aza and grounded out to third to end the game. Boston had won it 3-1.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Jon Lester. He tossed 8 innings of 1 run ball while allowing 7 hits and striking out 9 batters.

                                                         Hero Lester

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a home run and a hit by pitch.

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Carp got a base hit as a pinch hitter.

Grady Sizemore scored a run as a pinch runner.

David Ross was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Jonathan Herrera drove in a run with a base hit.

Koji Uehara earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jonny Gomes was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Daniel Nava was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and threw out a baserunner.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was as close as you'll get to a 2013 win as you can get. Lester matched zeroes with Chris Sale then took the lead late in the game. This had Game 5 of the World Series last year vibes with Ross delivering the rbi double late in the game then Uehara slamming the door. The Sox have been struggling this year but this was a damn good win even if Pedroia and Ortiz did absolutely nothing. Ryan Roberts continues to do nothing and the rumor is the Sox are thinking of signing Stephen Drew back. They're better off putting Bogaerts at short and rolling the dice with a new third baseman if Will Middlebrooks is hurt long term. All in all it was a good win and that's two big ones in a row. The Sox now return home to face the Baltimore Orioles for a four game set. Tomorrow night John Lackey (2-1) goes one on one with Chris Tillman of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sizemore, Lester Drop Yankees (4/11/14)

When the Boston Red Sox lost Jacoby Ellsbury in free agency, they rolled the dice by trying to resurrect Grady Sizemore after he hadn't played in the big leagues since 2011. The gamble has worked so far as Grady was the difference in tonight's game against the New York Yankees. Trailing 1-0 against Yankees ace CC Sabathia in the sixth inning, Jonny Gomes tied the game with a home run and Sizemore smashed a three run home run to give the Sox the lead. Jon Lester (1-2, 2.57 ERA) was game as he tossed 6 2/3 strong innings. The duo of Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica was enough to close the door as the Sox defeated the Yankees 4-2 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                    Shanice Jordan approves of the win

Sabathia got the ball in the top of the first and Jonny Gomes took strike three to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to first but David Ortiz walked. Mike Napoli took strike three to end the inning. Lester got the ball in the bottom of the first and Derek Jeter grounded out to second to start. Jacoby Ellsbury lined out to center and Carlos Beltran popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.

Grady Sizemore began the top of the second by going down hacking before Xander Bogaerts also struck out swinging. Ryan Roberts lined out to left to end the inning. The Yankees struck first in the bottom of the second when Alfonso Soriano hit a home run all the way to Saudi Arabia to put the Yankees on top. Francisco Cervelli grounded out to third, Yangervis Solarte struck out swinging and Ichiro Suzuki grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                        The funky Alfonso

David Ross tried to start a rally with a double to left to start the top of the third and moved to third on the Jackie Bradley Jr grounder to short. Gomes popped up to first in foul territory and Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning. Brian Roberts popped up a bunt back to Ross to start the bottom of the third and Kelly Johnson flied out to right. Jeter hit a squibber single in front of the plate and Ellsbury walked, but Jeter was forced at third by Beltran to end the inning.

Ortiz grounded out to third to start the top of the fourth before Napoli lined out to first. Sizemore grounded out to first to end the inning. Lester froze Soriano for strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Cervelli grounded out to second. Solarte also took strike three to end the inning.

Bogaerts walked to start the top of the fifth before moving to second on the grounder to short by Roberts. Ross and JBJ both struck out swinging to end the inning. Ichiro beat out a roller to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Roberts hit into a double play. Johnson struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox roared to life in the top of the sixth as Gomes led off with his first home run of the season to tie the game. Pedroia struck out swinging but Ortiz beat out a roller to third. Napoli ripped a base hit to center and Sizemore belted his second home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Bogaerts and Roberts both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                     Sizemore puts Boston on top

Jeter flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Ellsbury singled to right. Jacoby stole second but Beltran took strike three in the process. Soriano grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ross grounded out to short to start the top of the seventh before JBJ grounded out to third. Gomes singled to center but Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the seventh as Cervelli took strike three to start. Solarte grounded out to short but Ichiro singled to right. Roberts walked and Johnson dumped a base hit to right to score Ichiro. That was it for Lester who lasted 6 2/3 innings allowing just two runs on 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six. Junichi Tazawa came in to face Jeter and Derek flied out to right to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-2.

                                                  Lester stays strong

Cesar Cabral came in to pitch to Ortiz in the top of the eighth and ended up walking him. Adam Warren came in to face Napoli and Mike flied out to center. Sizemore got a base hit to right but Bogaerts flied out to center. Mike Carp pinch hit for Roberts and struck out swinging to end the inning. Tazawa returned for the bottom of the eighth and Ellsbury was retired on a squibber in front of the plate. Beltran struck out swinging but Soriano singled to right. Brian McCann pinch hit for Cervelli and struck out swinging to end the inning.

Dellin Betances came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Ross took strike three to start. JBJ watched strike three go by and Gomes struck out swinging to end the inning. Edward Mujica came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Solarte grounded out to first to start. Ichiro flied out to center and Brett Gardner pinch hit for Roberts. Gardner struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                         Sox win

Hero of The Night is Grady Sizemore. His 3 run home run put the Sox up for good.

                                                            Hero Sizemore

The Good:

Jonny Gomes was 2 for 5 with a home run.

David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Jon Lester got the win by tossing 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out six batters.

Junichi Tazawa tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Edward Mujica got his first save of the season with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ryan Roberts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Mike Carp struck out as a pinch hitter.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

David Ross was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Honorable Mention:

Jonathan Herrera played third in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have been sputtering to start the season but that was a good win against the Yankees. Sabathia didn't give an inch but the Sox held on to get four runs off him. Sizemore has big shoes to fill with Ellsbury on the Yankees and today he was the hero of this one. Lester also pitched well but credit to Junichi Tazawa and Edward Mujica for slamming the door after Lester was gone. The Sox offense is faltering a bit but Sizemore stepped up big time. Hopefully this could be the start of something good moving forward. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow afternoon when John Lackey (2-0) goes for the Sox against Hiroki Kuroda of New York. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Brewers Sweep, Shutout Sox (4/6/14)

Before the game it was announced Will Middlebrooks was placed on the Disabled List with a calf strain and the Boston Red Sox called up Brock Holt to replace him. Holt was the other guy in the trade with Joel Hanrahan currently recovering from Tommy John surgery. He's supposed to be a third basemen but not the power hitter Middlebrooks is.

                                                             OUT

                                                                      IN


As for the game, what an epic failure. Not only did the Red Sox get swept by the Milwaukee Brewers at home, they laid an egg and got shut-out as well. Yovani Gallardo outpitched Jon Lester to hand the Sox a 4-0 loss at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Lester took the mound in the top of the first inning and Carlos Gomez popped up to center to start. Rickie Weeks grounded out to short but Ryan Braun singled off the glove of shortstop Xander Bogaerts. Aramis Ramirez flied out to left to end the inning. Yovani Gallardo began his dominance in the bottom of the first inning when Daniel Nava grounded out to a diving Mark Reynolds at third. Dustin Pedroia hit a little roller up the middle that would have been a single but Weeks through the ball away, allowing Dustin to reach second. David Ortiz lined out to center and Mike Napoli watched strike three go by to end the inning.

The Brewers struck first in the top of the second when Jonathan Lucroy led off with a double off the Monster. Khris Davis caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single that put runners at the corners and Mark Reynolds singled to right. Nava picked the ball up and spiked it like a football before doing a dance as both Lucroy and Davis scored to give the Brewers a 2-0 lead. Reynolds stood at second but remained as Lyle Overbay flied out to the left field warning track. Nava crashed into the right field wall, reaching into the stands to catch a ball hit byJeff Bianchi and Carlos Gomez flied out to center to end the inning with the Brewers up 2-0

The Sox looked to rally when Bogaerts led off the bottom of the second with a single to center. Jonny Gomes watched strike three go by but Jonathan Herrera singled to center. Jackie Bradley Jr hit a hot shot to second that flummoxed Weeks. He threw to first on a bang bang play....OUT! But wait! Sox manager John Farrell used the new challenge system to challenge the call, but JBJ was still ruled out. Both runners moved into scoring position but David Ross grounded out to short to end the inning. Very frustrating not to get the call at first.

                                                    Ross is distraught that Jackie is out

Lester recovered to pitch a clean top of the third inning. Herrera made a great play to throw out Weeks at first before Lester whiffed Braun. Ramirez was rung up on a check swing in the dirt to end the inning. Gallardo robbed Nava of a line drive up the middle by snaring it at the last second to open the bottom of the third. Pedroia grounded out to short but Ortiz singled to center. Napoli grounded out to short to end the inning.

Lester stayed tough in the top of the fourth inning, getting Lucroy to fly out to right to begin. Davis whiffed and Herrera robbed Reynolds of a line drive hit to end the inning. The Sox mustered nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Davis made a great catch to rob Gomes of a hit and Herrera grounded out to second to end the inning.

Lester was red hot in the top of the fifth inning as Overbay hit a broken bat grounder back to the mound to begin. Bianchi whiffed and Gomez grounded out to short to end the inning. That's 12 in a row retired by Lester after the single/error.

                      "Can someone score a run FOR THE LOVE OF GODD!!!"

Unfortunately the Sox would not score in the bottom of the fifth. JBJ grounded out to first and Ross grounded out to third, but somehow Nava doubled into the right field corner. Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning.

Lester continued his hot streak in the top of the sixth inning. Weeks whiffed to begin before Braun flied out to right. Ramirez also flied out to right to end the inning, that's 15 in a row retired by Lester. The Sox continued to struggle in the bottom of the sixth as Ortiz grounded out to first to begin. Napoli was rung up on a 3-2 pitch for strike three and Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning.

The Brewers struck again in the top of the seventh inning. Lucroy grounded out to third but Davis doubled to the centerfield wall when Pedroia missed the tag. Reynolds walked but Overbay whiffed. Bianchi singled in the hole and Davis beat Gomes' throw to increase the lead. Reynolds swiped third but Gomez was retired by Herrera on a bunt attempt to end the inning with the Brewers ahead 3-0.

                                                         Angry Lester

The lead remained intact after the bottom of the seventh. Gomes and Herrera both flied out to center but JBJ doubled off the Monster. Ross beat out an infield single to put runners at the corners and that was it for Gallardo. Zach Duke came in and....Nava flied out to center to end the inning.

With 101 pitches on his arm, Lester returned for the top of the eighth inning. Weeks lined out to left but Braun singled to chase Lester. He pitched reasonably well but Nava's error and the incompetence at the plate didn't help at all.

                                            Not today Jon, not today

Edward Mujica came in and also got no help from his defense. Braun took off for second and Ross decided to throw the ball to FIRST base instead. Napoli was not ready for the throw and Braun ended up on third. Sure enough, Ramirez singled to score Braun and close the book on Lester. He tossed 7 1/3 innings and was charged with 4 runs, not the best but Nava and Ross didn't help with their errors. Lucroy worked a walk but Davis popped up to short right. Mujica froze Reynolds on the outside corner for strike three but it was now 4-0 Milwaukee.

Tyler Thornburg came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Scooter Gennett now playing second base. Pedroia flied out to right and Ortiz grounded back to the mound, but Napoli beat out a chopper to second base. Bogaerts was rung up on a check swing to end the inning.

Andrew Miller came on to pitch the top of the ninth and snared a line drive by Overbay to start the inning. Bianchi singled to left but Bogaerts made a good jumping catch to rob Gomez of a hit. Gennett whiffed to end the inning. Thornburg came back to close out the game in the bottom of the ninth. Gomes somehow singled off the Monster but Herrera whiffed. JBJ whiffed and AJ Pierzynski pinch hit for Ross.....and grounded out to first to end the game. The Brewers had swept the Red Sox out of Fenway Park with a dominating 4-0 win.

Jackass of the Night is Daniel Nava. His error allowed the go-ahead runs to score and his failure at the plate inhibited the team's chances to win.

                                                  Jackass of the Night: Nava



The Good:

David Ross was 1 for 3.

Edward Mujica got the final two outs in the eighth inning.

Andrew Miller pitched a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

AJ Pierzynski was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jonathan Herrera was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jon Lester took the loss by giving up 4 runs (2 earned) in 7 1/3 innings.




Final Thoughts:

Gadzooks that was bad! Getting swept at home is embarrassing enough but being shutout in the finale is even worse. The Sox are suffering from a serious World Series hangover but that's to be expected. They better shake it off soon because they can't afford to fall behind the Detroit Tigers or the Tampa Bay Rays too far. The Sox are back in action tomorrow as John Lackey (1-0) looks to stop the losing streak against the visiting Texas Rangers. Tanner Scheppers goes for the Rangers at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox can't get clutch hit on Opening Day (3/31/14)

Opening Day started on an ominous note for the Boston Red Sox when Shane Victorino was placed on the 15 day DL before the season started with a bad hamstring. Jackie Bradley Jr was called up to replace him which is good news for Jackie. He lost the spring training battle to Grady Sizemore but gets a roster spot anyway.

                                                                OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, the Sox didn't start out the 2014 season a high note. The Sox offense that wore out starting pitching last year, went 0-10 with runners in scoring position and leaving 12 total men on base. Jon Lester (0-1, 2.57 ERA) pitched great in defeat but was let down by his offense against the Baltimore Orioles. Chris Tillman and a host of Baltimore relievers held the Sox to just 1 run as the Orioles won their home opener 2-1 at Camden Yards.

Daniel Nava opened the 2014 season by grounding out to Tillman but took 7 pitches to do it. Dustin Pedroia got the first hit of the season on a line drive to right field. Tillman recovered to whiff both David Ortiz and Mike Napoli to end the top of the first. Jon Lester was greeted by Nick Markakis in the bottom of the first who grounded out to third. JJ Hardy got the O's first hit of the season with a single to left field but Lester recovered to get Adam Jones to pop up to short. Lester struck out last year's home run champion Chris Davis swinging to end the inning.

Mike Carp led off the top of the second inning with a base hit over the head of the second basemen. Spring training hero Grady Sizemore hadn't played a game since September 2011 and greeted Tillman with a base hit to right. Xander Bogaerts hit a shot that was caught at the warning track by Nelson Cruz. Former White Sox villain AJ Pierzynski jacked one to deep center but Jones ran it down, allowing Carp to reach third. Will Middlebrooks then literally looked at 3 pitches and sat down to end the inning. So much for that rally. Nelson Cruz walked to begin the bottom of the second and Matt Wieters singled him to third. Delmon Young banged into a double play but Cruz came home to give the O's a 1-0 lead. Ryan Flaherty grounded out but the damage was done.

Nava led off the top of the third with another ground-out to Tillman. Pedroia then grounded out softly to Davis. The Sox tried to rally when Ortiz singled into the shift and Napoli doubled him to third. Unfortunately, Carp whiffed to end the inning but the silver lining was Tillman was up to 61 pitches. Jonathan Schoop led off the bottom of the third with a single to left but Lester got Markakis to pop up to short. Hardy then banged into a double play to end the inning.

Sizemore got the Sox on the board in the top of the fourth with a home run off the top of the right field scoreboard to tie the game. Bogaerts popped up to right but Pierzynski got his first hit of the season with a bloop single to center. Middlebrooks popped up to right on a 2-0 count and Nava flied out to left but the game was tied 1-1 and Tillman had already thrown 79 pitches.

                                           Welcome to Boston Grady Sizemore

The O's got ANOTHER leadoff baserunner, this time on a single by Jones to begin the bottom of the fourth. Lester got Davis to hit a ground ball to short but he beat out the double play. Cruz popped up to second and Wieters struck out looking to end the inning.

In the top of the 5th, Pedroia hit a 400 foot out to center field and also took 12 pitches to do it. Ortiz then hit one to the track in left center but it was ran down. Napoli bucked the tread of long outs by walking. Carp grounded out to third but Tillman was finished for the day after 104 pitches in just 5 innings. Young led off the bottom of the 5th with a ground out to Middlebrooks. Flaherty flied out to left and Schoop struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lefty Zach Britton took over for Tillman in the top of the 6th. Sizemore grounded out to short but Bogaerts got his first hit of the season on a double to right field. Pierzynski grounded out to third but Bogaerts moved to third base. With the go-ahead run 90 feet away, Middlebrooks grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                            James' reaction to Middlebrooks' inning ender

Lester was unaffected by the lack of clutch hitting as he struck out Markakis looking to begin the bottom of the 6th. Hardy grounded out to Middlebrooks but Jones singled to center to keep the inning alive. Lester whiffed Davis to end the inning. That 5 strikeouts for Lester in 6 innings who looked sharp so far.

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the seventh inning. Nava grounded out to third, Pedroia was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate and Ortiz grounded out to first to end the inning.. Cruz then put the O's on top with a solo shot off Lester to start the bottom of the seventh, shades of the 2011 Sox opener. Lester recovered to punch out Wieters, Young and Flaherty to finish his day with a flourish. On any other day, 7 innings, 2 runs and 8 strikeouts would be a gem. Today he leaves trailing 2-1 going to the 8th.

                                                  Cruz puts Baltimore on top

Evan Meek replaced Britton for the top of the 8th. Napoli worked a lead-off walk and Carp advanced him to second on a ground out....and he would have been have safe at first when Davis AND Meek bobbled the ball but he ran with a load in his pants. Jackie Bradley Jr made his season debut by pinch running for Napoli at second. Sizemore struck out swinging but Bogaerts walked. Baltimore O's manager Buck Showalter pulled Meek for Brian Matusz. With the tying run at second, Pierzynski hit it back to the mound to end the inning. Sox are now 0-8 with runners in scoring position....BAWFUL! Carp moved to first base, Nava moved to left field and Bradley Jr in right as Junichi Tazawa replaced Lester for the bottom of the 8th as Schoop grounded out to short to start. Markakis grounded out to second and Hardy struck out swinging to end the inning. If the Sox were to make a comeback, it would have to be against new closer Tommy Hunter.

Middlebrooks homered off Hunter twice in spring training but got drilled to begin the 9th. That's one way to get the leadoff man on. Nava then won jackass award by popping up to third, capping off his 0 for 5 afternoon. Pedroia did his job by singling to left to put the tying run at second. Ortiz flied out to left without advancing either runner. With the game on the line, Jackie Bradley Jr looked at strike 3 to end it. The Orioles had held on to win Opening Day 2-1.

                                                               Dammit


Jackass of the Night is an easy one. Daniel Nava was 0 for 5, leaving baserunners on in the 4th and the 9th with the game on the line.

                                                    Opening day Jackass: Daniel Nava


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5

Mike Napoli was 1 for 2 with 2 walks

Grady Sizemore was 2 for 4 including a solo home run

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the Good list but Jon Lester was the hard luck loser. He tossed 7 innings of 2 run ball while striking out 8. Usually that's enough to win.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless eighth inning.



The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to end the ballgame.



The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 5.

Mike Carp was just 1 for 4.

AJ Pierzsynski was just 1 for 4.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 3 but was drilled in the 9th.





Final Thoughts:

Not the best way to start the season. One of the problems that plagued the Sox in spring training was lack of hitting. Scoring just 1 run on Opening Day after chasing the starter after 5 innings doesn't help. They wasted a great pitching performance by Lester who looked sharp. Not having Jacoby Ellsbury is going to suck if Daniel Nava and Grady Sizemore can't replace him adequately. Its only one game so no sense squawking about it for too long. After an off-day, the Sox are back in action Wednesday night in Baltimore. John Lackey makes his season debut against Ubaldo Jimenez at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Tigers Shutout Sox in Game 1 (10/12/13)

When you think of the feared Detroit Tigers pitching you may think Justin Verlander, Max Scherzer and Doug Fister. Well the Boston Red Sox totally underestimated their former prospect Annibal Sanchez. Sanchez was dominant and the Sox were no-hit for 8 innings. A rally in the ninth fell short and the Detroit Tigers took Game 1 of the 2013 ALCS by a score of 1-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Jon Lester got the start for Boston and began the top of the first inning by whiffing Austin Jackson. Torii Hunter was rung up on a check swing in the dirt but the hobbled Miguel Cabrera got a base hit to left that should have been a double when Daniel Nava misplayed it. Prince Fielder slashed a rocket to center for a base hit but old pal Victor Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox had one of their only rallies in bottom of the first inning, Sanchez started by freezing Jacoby Ellsbury for strike three. Shane Victorino struck out but the ball got away from catcher Alex Avila, allowing Shane to reach first. Victorino swiped second and Dustin Pedroia walked. An unhappy David Ortiz was rung up on a full count, check swing in the dirt for strike three. Sanchez blew away Mike Napoli on a full count for his fourth strikeout of the inning, tying Orval Overall in 1908 for a post-season record, to end the inning.

                                          "Out??? No way!" - Ortiz

Lester began the top of the second inning with Jhonny Peralta grounding out to third. Omar Infante whiffed and Avila watched strike three go by to end the inning. Sanchez matched Lester in the bottom of the second inning when Nava whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to begin. Stephen "PU" Drew somehow drew a walk but Will Middlebrooks flied out to left. David Ross also walked but Ellsbury grounded out to a charging Jose Iglesias to end the inning with Sanchez already up to 51 pitches.

                                                Orval Overall digs Annibal Sanchez

Iglesias himself led off the top of the third inning with a pop up to right. Jackson poked a base hit to left but was erased on the Hunter double play to end the inning. An unhappy Victorino was rung up on a borderline changeup on the inside corner to begin the bottom of the third. Pedroia lined out to center and Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning.

Lester cruised in the top of the fourth, starting by getting Cabrera to ground out to second to start. Fielder also grounded out to second on a full count and Martinez lined out to right to end the inning. Sanchez continued to dominate in the bottom of the fourth, beginning by getting Napoli on yet another check swing called third strike. Nava also took a called third strike before Drew whiffed to end the inning. That's 9 strikeouts and no hits allowed for Sanchez.

Lester was almost tagged in the top of the fifth inning when Peralta led off with a double to the centerfield wall. Infante grounded to first but Napoli fired it to second where Drew caught Peralta going back to second for the out. Avila singled to right but Victorino booted the ball, allowing Infante to advance to third. Iglesias grounded to third but Middlebrooks fired home and Infante was out by a mile. Jackson flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox keeping it tied. Middlebrooks grounded out to second on the first pitch of the bottom of the fifth before Ross popped up to second. Ellsbury was rung up on a questionable foul tip into the mitt call by home plate umpire Joe West to end the inning. That's 5 innings, 10 strikeouts and no hits allowed for Sanchez.

The Tigers struck first in the top of the sixth although Hunter grounded out to third to start. Cabrera walked and Fielder was hit to put the pressure on. Martinez beat out a double play ball and Peralta blooped a single to center to score the hobbled Cabrera to give the Tigers the lead. Infante grounded out to third to end the inning but Lester had thrown 102 pitches and the Tigers had a 1-0 lead.

                                                       Peralta puts the Tigers on top

The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the sixth but Victorino unsuccessfully tried to catch Fielder sleeping at first with a bunt attempt. Pedroia found a way to draw a walk and advance to second on a passed ball but Ortiz whiffed badly. Napoli and Nava drew back to back walks to load the bases but Drew whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning. Sanchez had struck out 12 and didn't allow a hit through 6 innings.

                                                    Who saw this coming in 2005?

Lester returned for the top of the seventh inning and got Avila to line out to Drew to begin. Iglesias was hit on his little baby toe and that was it for Lester. He did the best he could, allowing just 1 run through 6 1/3 innings but the offense let him down.

                                                      Lester deserved better

Junichi Tazawa relieved Lester and he got Jackson to ground out to third although Iglesias moved to second. Hunter flied out to the right field warning track to end the inning. Al Albuquerque replaced Sanchez for the bottom of the seventh with Mike Carp pinch hitting for Middlebrooks. Carp hit a broken bat grounder to Iglesias before Jarrod Saltalamacchia pinch hit for Ross only to watch strike three go by. Ellsbury worked to count to 3-1 then took a very questionable strike two call at the knees that had Victorino in the on-deck circle ready to riot. Jacoby whiffed to end the inning as the boo-birds rained down, causing Sox manager John Farrell to ask Joe West for an explanation.

                                           "That was baloney and you know it Joe!" - JF

Xander Bogaerts came in to play third with Salty taking over behind the plate as Craig Breslow took the mound for the top of the eighth. Cabrera flied out to right but Fielder walked. Martinez flied out to left and the pain in the ass Peralta doubled down the left field line for a ground rule double amidst "Who's your dealer?" chants from irate adult Sox fans. Sox manager John Farrell went to the mound to ask Breslow if he wanted to walk Infante or pitch to him and Breslow said to walk him to load the bases. Sure enough Infante walked to get to Avila as Ramon Santiago pinch ran for Peralta. The gamble worked as Breslow got Avila to fly out to center to end the inning. Don Kelly took over in left as Jose Veras came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Victorino whiffed on a damn good curve by Veras before Pedroia was rung up by West much to Dustin's chagrin. Tigers manager Jim Leyland wanted lefty Drew Smyly to pitch to Ortiz and Drew got Ortiz to fly out to center to end the inning. The Sox were held hitless through 8 innings but were one swing of the bat away from tying it.

Koji Uehara took over in the top of the ninth and Iglesias golfed a base hit to center to begin. Uehara recovered to whiff Jackson on a high fastball but Hunter doubled down the left field line. Kelly whiffed for a huge out and Drew made a wonderful over the shoulder grab to rob Fielder of a hit to end the inning.

                                                  One last chance for the Sox

Joaquin Benoit came on to finish the no-hitter in the bottom of the ninth and Napoli left the bat on his shoulder for strike three to begin. Nava woke up the crowd and broke up the no-hitter with a bloop single to center. Quintin Berry pinch ran for Nava but Drew flied out to right. Berry swiped second to put the tying run at second but the 20 year old rookie Bogaerts popped up to short to end the game. The Sox were 1 hit, struck out 17 times and lost 1-0.

Jackass of the Night is David Ortiz. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and left 3 men on base. One swing of the bat could have impacted the game but he failed to deliver every single time.

                                                      Game 1 Jackass: Ortiz

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia walked twice in four plate appearances.

Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 with a walk.

David Ross walked once in two plate appearances.

Quintin Berry stole a base a pinch runner.

One of the rare times the losing pitcher ends up on the good list but Jon Lester was the hard luck loser giving up just the 1 run in 6 1/3 innings. Lester gave up 6 hits and struck out 4.

Junichi Tazawa got out of the 7th inning.

Craig Breslow pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Jacoby Ellsbury was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts.

Shane Victorino was 0 for 4 with an error and a hat trick of three strikeouts.

Will Middlebrooks was 0 for 2.

Mike Carp was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 0 for 1 at the plate.



The Ugly:

Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of three strikeouts but walked.

Stephen Drew was 0 for 3 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox are in deep trouble. Not that Sanchez was a pushover, his performance tonight is proof of that, but the Sox needed to win this game with arguably the two best starters in the American League going in Game's 2 and 3. Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander are looming and the Sox will have to counter with the still injured Clay Buchholz and unpredictable John Lackey. It doesn't look good for the Sox unless they somehow find a way to score some offense against a group of starters that can match their own. The only Detroit weakness is their bullpen but good luck getting to it. Tomorrow night the Sox hope to rebound when Clay Buchholz takes on Max Scherzer at 8 PM in Game 2 at Fenway Park.