A's Crush Masterson, Sox (5/12/15)

It might be time to pull the plug on the Justin Masterson (2-2, 6.37 ERA) experiment as a starting pitcher for the Boston Red Sox. He's been inconsistent with diminished velocity and tonight he got absolutely shelled by the lowly Oakland A's. The A's pounded Justin for 6 runs in just 2 1/3 innings, knocking him out in the bottom of the third. Steven Wright allowed 3 runs in relief while A's starter Drew Pomeranz held the Sox to just two measly runs in 7 innings. Blake Swihart and Mike Napoli drove in Boston's only runs as Oakland pounded out 12 hits and 9 runs to win the game 9-2 at Oakland Coliseum.

                                                      "Hello, Pawtucket? Got any starters?"

Pomeranz got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short to start. Dustin Pedroia got a base hit to left but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. David Ortiz lined out to center to end the inning. The A's pounced on Masterson in the bottom of the first as Coco Crisp grounded out to second to start. Marcus Semien tripled to center and Josh Reddick singled to right to score Marcus. Billy Butler grounded out to short and Stephen Vogt hit a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to ice the game. Max Muncy flied out to right to end the inning with the A's up 3-0.

                                                              A's strike first

Hanley Ramirez led off the top of the second with a grounder to short. Mike Napoli lined out to left and Pablo Sandoval was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to end the inning. The A's struck again in the bottom of the second as Brett Lawrie singled in the hole at short. Sam Fuld grounded out to second to move Lawrie to second and Eric Sogard doubled to right to score Lawrie. Crisp grounded out to first to move Sogard to third and Semien struck out swinging to end the inning with the A's up 4-0.

                                                         Sogard with a double

Shane Victorino flied out to left to start the top of the third before Xander Bogaerts popped up to second. Blake Swihart hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. The A's finished off Masterson in the bottom of the third as Reddick hit a home run all the way to Great Britain to increase the lead. Butler flied out to center but Vogt walked. Sox manager John Farrell tossed a Gatorade jug, screamed and ran out of the dugout to tell Masterson to get out of here. He got bashed for 6 hits, a walk and 6 runs in just 2 1/3 innings. Steven Wright came in and promptly walked Muncy. Lawrie got a base hit to left to load the bases. Fuld popped up to short but Sogard ripped a base hit to center to score Vogt and Muncy. Crisp grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 7-0 Oakland.

                                                          Good for Josh

Mr. Mookie lined out to right to start the top of the fourth before Pedroia lined out to right. Ortiz struck out swinging to end the inning. The A's struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Semien hit a home run all the way to Texas to increase the lead. Reddick took strike three, Butler grounded out to short and Vogt popped up to third to end the inning with the A's up 8-0.

                                                             Home run Semien

Ramirez watched strike three go by to begin the top of the fifth before Napoli lined out to center. Sandoval flied out to center to end the inning. Muncy struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Lawrie grounded back to the mound. Fuld walked but Sogard forced him at second to end the inning.

The Sox fought back in the top of the sixth as Victorino doubled to left. Bogaerts grounded out to short to move Shane to third and Swihart grounded out to second to score Victorino. Betts grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox down 8-1.

Crisp grounded out to second to start the bottom of the sixth and Semien took strike three. Reddick got a base hit to center but Butler grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the seventh as Pedroia beat out a roller to short to start. Ortiz struck out swinging and Ramirez grounded out to first to move Pedroia to third. Napoli got a base hit to right to score Dustin but Sandoval grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 8-2.

                                                            Napoli drives in a run

Brock "The Hitman" Holt came in for Pedroia to start the bottom of the seventh and Vogt struck out swinging to start. Muncy grounded out to first and Lawrie grounded out to short to end the inning.

Fernando Rodriguez Jr came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Victorino flied out to center to start. Bogaerts lined out to center and Swihart struck out swinging to end the inning. The A's wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth with Daniel Nava now in right as Fuld grounded out to short to start. Sogard grounded out to second but Crisp walked. Semien singled to left and Reddick got a base hit to center to score Crisp. Butler grounded out to third to end the inning with the A's up 9-2.

                                                                       Booooooo

Dan Otero came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Mr. Mookie popped up to third to start. Holt grounded out to second and Ortiz struck out swinging to end the game. The A's had won it 9-2.

Jackass of the Night is Justin Masterson. He got lit up for 6 runs in just 2 1/3 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

                                                 Keep the ball in the yard, Jackass

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4.

Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 3.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Blake Swihart was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Steven Wright allowed 3 runs in 5 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Daniel Nava played right field in the bottom of the eighth.

Final Thoughts:

Its one thing to get shut down by Drew Pomeranz, its another thing to get lit up by THAT offense. The A's aren't good this year but they looked like world beaters against Masterson and Wright. Wright took the bullet for the bullpen in this one much like Tim Wakefield would 15-20 years ago. The offense once again fell asleep and now things are getting ridiculous. Besides Ryan Hanigan they have a full, healthy team so why are they constantly getting shut down? Pomeranz is good but he's not supposed to be THIS good. Hopefully things turn around soon because the offense has to be good or else they won't survive this year. The loss dropped the Sox to 15-18, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against Oakland when Wade Miley (1-4) takes on Sonny Gray of the A's. The game begins at 3:30 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.

Sox Rally Falls Short Against Tampa (5/6/15)

Once again the Boston Red Sox invented a new way to lose. The offense was supposed to be a strength this year but its been a liability lately. Justin Masterson (2-1, 5.18 ERA) was rocked for 4 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Meanwhile Alex Colome of the Tampa Bay Rays held the Sox to two runs in 5 innings. The Sox did manage to get a Mookie Betts home run late in the game, but the lack of clutch hitting sealed their fate. Pablo Sandoval failed to drive Dustin Pedroia in to tie the game and with the tying run on, both Pedroia and new Sox addition Luis Jimenez failed to drive it in. It all added up to a 5-3 victory by the Rays over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                             Randy Quaid is angry again

Masterson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kevin Kiermaier walked to start. Kiermaier was thrown out at second trying to steal when his foot came off the bag. Logan Forsythe was hit with a pitch but James Loney grounded into a double play to end the inning. Colome got the ball in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to left to start. Dustin Pedroia grounded back to the mound and Ortiz grounded into the shift...but Forsythe threw the ball away for an error. Mike Napoli grounded out to third to end the inning.

Evan Longoria grounded out to third to start the top of the second inning but David DeJesus ripped a base hit to center. Joey Butler grounded into a double play to end the inning. Pablo Sandoval grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second and Allen Craig struck out swinging. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the third as Asdrubal Cabrera lined out to center to start. Brandon Guyer doubled to left and Rene Rivera struck out swinging. Kiermaier walked and Forsythe got a base hit in the hole at short to score Guyer. Pedroia absolutely robbed Loney of a base hit to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                        Forsythe makes up for the error

The Sox responded in the bottom of the third as Xander Bogaerts doubled to the centerfield wall to start. Blake Swihart doubled almost to the same spot for his first career rbi when Bogaerts scored to tie the game. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to move Swihart to third and Pedroia scored Blake with a sac fly to center. Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                          First career rbi for Swihart

The lead lasted about eight seconds when Longoria hit a home run all the way to Barcelona to tie the game in the top of the fourth. DeJesus doubled to center then moved to third on the Butler grounder to short. Cabrera popped up to second but Guyer walked. Rivera walked to load the bases and Sox pitching coach Juan Nieves strutted and danced to the mound to tell Masterson that the Wells Investigation was on-going. Kiermaier lined out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                      Longoria ties it up

Napoli struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Sandoval lined a base hit to left. A wild pitch moved Sandoval to second and Craig grounded out to short to move Pablo to third. With a chance to break the tie...Holt struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Rays knocked out Masterson in the top of the fifth as Forsythe popped up to Pedroia to start. Loney singled past the diving Pedroia and took second on a wild pitch. Longoria and DeJesus both walked to load the bases with Edward Mujica warming. Farrell left Masterson in one batter too late as Butler blooped a single to right to score both Loney and Longoria. That was it for Masterson who allowed 4 runs off 7 hits and SIX walks in just 4 1/3 innings. Mujica came in and struck out Cabrera swinging to put the fire out. Guyer grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 4-2 Rays.

                                                     Justin couldn't find the plate

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fifth as Bogaerts popped up to third in foul territory to start. Swihart struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie lined out to a running Kiermaier to end the inning.

The Rays threatened in the top of the sixth as Rivera doubled to the centerfield wall to start. Kiermaier looked to have beat out a bunt down the third base line but Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Kiermaier was out. Sure enough, the umpires overturned the call and Kevin was out. Forsythe grounded back to Mujica who threw out Rivera at home for the second out. That was it for Mujica as Tommy Layne was brought in to face Loney. Loney flied out to center to end the inning. Pedroia ripped a base hit to right to start the bottom of the sixth to chase Colome from the game. Xavier Cedeno came in to face Ortiz and David grounded out to short to move Dustin to second. Steve Geltz came in to pitch to Napoli and Mike grounded out to short to move Pedroia to third. Sandoval lined out to center to end the inning.

Longoria walked to start the top of the seventh and Junichi Tazawa was summoned to face pinch hitter Steven Souza Jr. Souza walked but Craig made a great catch to rob Butler of a base hit. Cabrera drilled Guyer in the on-deck circle with a foul ball before popping up to second. Guyer forced Souza at second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the seventh as Craig walked to start. Holt damn near killed Brandon Workman with a liner into the dugout before forcing Craig at second. Bogaerts lined out to right but Holt made it to second after a throwing error on the bases. Swihart struck out swinging to end the inning.

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rivera popped up to short to start. Kiermaier struck out swinging and Forsythe flied out to center to end the inning. Kevin Jepsen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mr. Mookie launched a home run off some girl in the Monster Seats to cut the lead. Pedroia grounded out to short but Ortiz drew a walk. Napoli dropped a base hit to left and Luis Jimenez pinch ran for Ortiz. Sandoval walked to load the bases and Daniel Nava pinch hit for Craig. Nava forced Jimenez at home and

                                                     Betts brings the Sox closer

Alexi Ogando got tagged in the top of the ninth as Loney grounded out to short to start. Longoria hit a home run all the way to Pluto to increase the lead and Souza walked to make the fans groan. Butler forced Souza at second and Cabrera grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 5-3.

                                                          Longoria ices it

Brad Boxberger came in to close out the bottom of the ninth but Bogaerts singled in the hole at second to begin. A wild pitch moved Xander to second but Swihart hit one up the elevator shaft. Mr. Mookie walked to put the tying run on but Pedroia struck out swinging. Jimenez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the game. The Rays had won it 5-3.

                                                           Sox lose

Jackass of The Night is Brock Holt. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including making the rally killing final out in the eighth.

                                                           Brock The Jackass

The Good:

Pablo Sandoval was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Edward Mujica tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Tommy Layne got the final out of the sixth inning.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Luis Jimenez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Daniel Nava was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Justin Masterson took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 4 1/3 innings getting tagged for 7 hits and 6 walks.

Alexi Ogando allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but walked and the one hit was a home run.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was 0 for 3 but walked.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Allen Craig was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Blake Swihart was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The starting pitching has been wretched all season but the offense has been just as bad. Shane Victorino and Christian Vazquez being out sucks but losing Hanley Ramirez isn't good either. Mike Napoli is hitting just .167 and Mookie Betts just .234 despite the home run. There's still plenty of time to turn it around but if the offense doesn't improve, they're going to be in last place when all is said and done. Masterson got rocked again and his velocity is way down from the last time he was on the Red Sox in 2008. If he can't get his velocity back, he's not going to do very well. The bullpen besides Ogando did well but they can't be tossing 4-5 innings a night or else they're going to burn out. The Orient Express can only put out so many fires, they're going to need some help from the rotation. All in all it was a bad loss but it was only one game. The loss dropped the Sox to 13-15, 4 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to bounce back Friday night in Toronto with a set against the Blue Jays. Wade Miley (1-3) takes the hill against Aaron Sanchez of Toronto. The game begins Friday night at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Yankees Rally Past Sox (5/1/15)

Its a new month but the same old Boston Red Sox as the New York Yankees did what they usually do, beat the Sox late in the game. The Yankees jumped out to a 1-0 lead in the first inning against Justin Masterson but he stayed tough after that. The Sox got a sac fly by Mookie Betts against CC Sabathia in the third inning and an Allen Craig home run in the fourth inning to put the Sox ahead. Then the Yankees rallied for a run in the seventh after Ryan Hanigan got hit in the wrist by an errant pitch by Tommy Layne. Alex Rodriguez came off the bench to hit a pinch hit home run off Junichi Tazawa (0-1, 2.31 ERA) in the eighth inning, career shot number 660. The Sox had two men on in the bottom of the eighth but Dellin Betances struck out both Brock "The Hitman" Holt and Xander Bogaerts. Andrew Miller blew the Sox away in the ninth and the Yankees prevailed 3-2 over the Sox at Fenway Park.

                                                       Angry Sox fan

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Masterson in the top of the first inning as Jacoby Ellsbury lined a base hit in front of Allen Craig to start. Brett Gardner flied out to left but Mark Teixeira drew a walk on four pitches not even close. Brian McCann also flied out to Hanley but Carlos Beltran doubled to the Monster to score Teixeira. Chase Headley grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                            Beltran puts NY on top

Sabathia got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to the left field warning track to start. Dustin Pedroia popped up to left and David Ortiz popped up to Gardner to end the inning.

Garrett Jones led off the top of the second inning with a liner to Pedroia to start. Old pal Stephen "PU" Drew struck out swinging and Didi Gregorius grounded out to short to end the inning. Hanley Ramirez led off the bottom of the second with a grounder to short. Mike Napoli grounded out to third but Pablo Sandoval got a base hit off the bottom of the Monster. Craig took strike three to end the inning.

Ellsbury grounded out to short to open the top of the third before TV analyst Michael Kay brought up the record amount of snowfall in Massachusetts earlier this year. Gardner slapped a base hit to left but Teixeira hit into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Xander Bogaerts doubled to the left field wall to start. Ryan Hanigan lined out to the centerfield warning track to move Bogaerts to third, and Xander scored on the sac fly to center by Mr. Mookie. Pedroia walked and Ortiz dropped a base hit to left to move Dustin to third. With a chance to break the game open....Hanley grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Tie game

McCann led off the top of the fourth by grounding out Pedroia but Beltran ripped a base hit to right. Headley doubled into the right field corner but Masterson got a big out when Jones whiffed on a high 89 mph fastball. PU Drew grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox surged ahead in the bottom of the fourth as Napoli went down hacking to start. Sandoval hit one up the elevator shaft but Craig hit a home run into the Monster seats to put Boston on top. Naturally YES showed Bucky Dent's home run out of nowhere as Bogaerts walked. The Yankees caught a break when Hanigan doubled down the left field line and a fan reached out to grab the ball. The ball was ruled dead on a ground rule double that prevented Bogaerts scoring. Mr. Mookie grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                         First home run for Craig

Gregorious grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth but Ellsbury slapped a base hit to center. Gardner popped up to left but Teixeira walked. McCann was plunked to load the bases but Beltran grounded out to second to end the inning. Pedroia beat out a roller to Sabathia to start the bottom of the fifth but Ortiz lined to Headley, doubling Dustin off of first. Ramirez hit a ball under Gregorius' glove for an error and the Yankees caught another break when Napoli hit a ground rule double into the bullpen to keep Hanley at third. Sandoval grounded out to short to end the inning.

Headley lined out to Pedroia to start the top of the sixth before Jones popped up to short. PU Drew lined out to the left field warning track to end the inning. Craig watched strike three go by to start the bottom of the sixth before Bogaerts flied out to the left field warning track. Sabathia won a footrace with Hanigan to retire him on a grounder to first to end the inning.

Gregorius walked to start the top of the seventh and that was it for Masterson. He'd be charged with 2 runs in 6 plus innings of work. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks before Tommy Layne came in to replace him. Ellsbury popped up to short and Gardner struck out swinging, but disaster struck. Somehow Layne's errant pitch managed to hit BOTH Teixeira in the wrist and Hanigan in the hand. Hanigan had to be rushed to Mass General's ICU and Sandy Leon came in to catch for him. Naturally McCann drilled a base hit to left to score Gregorius with the tying run. Beltran popped up to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                              "HABOOOOWOWOWWOWWWWW!!!!" - Hanigan & Teixeira

Esmil Rogers came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Pedroia walked but Ortiz hit into a double play to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Headley grounded out to second to start. Alex Rodriguez pinch hit for Jones and hit his 660th career home run to put the Yankees on top. PU Drew popped up to short but Gregorius lined a base hit to left. A balk moved Didi to second and a wild pitch moved him to third. Ellsbury grounded out to first to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 3-2.

                                                       Move over Mays

Chris Young came in for Beltran with Dellin Betances coming in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Ramirez grounded out to second but Napoli drew a walk. Sandoval slapped a base hit to left and Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Craig. Holt struck out swinging on a nasty splitter and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Gardner walked to start. Teixeira shattered his bat on a grounder to second but Gardner moved up a base. McCann struck out swinging and Young was intentionally walked. Headley flied out to right to end the inning. Old pal Andrew Miller came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Leon popped up to first in foul territory to start. Mr. Mookie struck out swinging and Pedroia lined out to Headley to end the game. The Yankees had won it 3-2.

                                                                   Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Junichi Tazawa. He served up the pinch hit jack to Alex Rodriguez after A-Rod had never hit a pinch hit home run before.

                                                                 Jackass Tazawa

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.

Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ryan Hanigan was 1 for 3 before leaving with injury.

Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 4.

Allen Craig was 1 for 3 with a home run.

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

Justin Masterson was charged with 2 runs in 6 plus innings of work. He allowed 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 2.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4.

Brock Holt struck out as a pinch hitter.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.

Tommy Layne allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Final Thoughts:

This felt like one of those losses from 1999 to 2002 where the Yankees ride out the starter and pounce on the Red Sox bullpen while their own bullpen is lights out. The Sox got 2 runs by the fourth inning and were silenced the rest of the way. Blowing the rally in the eighth inning with Holt striking out was their last big chance. Its a shame because the Sox were essentially one swing from winning this one in the eighth, but it was not to be. Masterson pitched his ass off and Layne couldn't hold the fort. A-Rod hit his 660th home run but it was the first pinch hit home run of his career. Thanks a lot, Tazawa. The Sox haven't been able to gain any momentum at all for one reason or another. Hopefully they can bounce back tomorrow offensively because tonight sucked. The loss dropped the Sox to 12-11, 2 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow afternoon against the Yankees when Wade Miley (1-2) takes on Nathan Eovaldi tomorrow on Fox Saturday Baseball. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

O's Shock Sox in 10th (4/25/15)

Before the game Shane Victorino was placed on the 15 day disabled list and the Boston Red Sox called up Matt Barnes from Pawtucket. Victorino's hamstring was acting up and the Sox didn't want to wait around to see if it would heal, needing the roster spot immediately. Barnes made his ML debut last year and throws fire, maybe he can help in the bullpen.

                                                                     OUT

                                                              IN

As for the game, protesters surrounded Camden Yards as yet another unarmed man was killed by police and the O's responded by overcoming a 10th inning deficit to stun Koji Uehara and the Red Sox. The Sox had fought back to tie the game in the 9th and take the lead in the 10th, but an uncharacteristic meltdown by Uehara led to a 5-4 O's victory at Orioles Park in Camden Yards.

Wei-Yin Chen took the mound in the top of the first inning and Mookie Betts led off by watching strike three go by. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to third and David Ortiz struck out to end the inning. Justin Masterson got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and crapped his pants. Alejando De Aza greeted him with a double over the head of Mr. Mookie. Jimmy Paredes doubled home De Aza and took third on the comebacker by Adam Jones. Chris Davis hit a sac fly to score Paredes and Travis Snider grounded out to short to end the inning but the O's led 2-0.

                                                 Chen loves pitching with a 2-0 lead

The Sox immediately struck back in the top of the second. Hanley Ramirez led off with a four pitch walk and Mike Napoli clocked his first home run of the year off the right field foul pole to tie the game. Pablo Sandoval flied out to left, Allen Craig grounded out to short and Xander Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning but it was now tied 2-2.

                                                  Napoli's homer ties it up

The O's wasted no time getting on base in the bottom of the second as Manny Machado doubled into the gap on the first pitch. Rey Navarro popped up to short as Sox commentator Don Orsillo mistook Buck Showalter for Buck Martinez. Guess he needs to play some Tri-Tri-Triple Play 99. Caleb Joseph advanced Machado to third with a ground-out to short. Everth Cabrera also grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox mustered nothing in the top of the third. Ryan Hanigan led off by popping up to right before Mr. Mookie whiffed on a high fastball. Machado made a diving stab to rob Pedroia of a hit to end the inning. Pedroia got his revenge by jumping to rob De Aza of a hit to begin the bottom of the third inning. Paredes singled to left and advanced to second on a wild pitch by Masterson, but couldn't move on the flare to right by Jones. Davis hit a bullet but Napoli knocked it down and flipped it to Masterson for the out. Snider was rung up for strike three to end the threat and the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth as Ortiz popped up on a full count but Ramirez singled to right. Napoli singled past the diving Machado but Sandoval popped up to right. Craig singled to left but Ramirez foolishly tried for home, getting thrown out by a mile to end the inning.

                                                     Yeah you're out Hanley, now beat it!

Masterson remained tough in the bottom of the fourth. Machado hit a squibber in front of the mound but Masterson threw him out. Justin whiffed Navarro and froze Joseph to end the inning.

The Sox failed to score in the top of the fifth as Bogaerts whiffed to start. Hanigan grounded out to short and Mr. Mookie flied out to deep center to end the inning. The O's struck back in the bottom of the 5th. Cabrera tried to bunt his way on but was thrown out by Justin on the first pitch. De Aza grounded out to second on 3 pitches but Paredes belted a home run just over the fence in right to give the O's the lead. Jones flied out to deep center but the O's now led 3-2.

                                                    O's take the lead

The Sox failed to answer in the top of the sixth as Pedroia grounded out to second, Ortiz hit a 400 foot out to center and Ramirez was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Ramirez had to be restrained by Sox manager John Farrell from attacking the umpire. Masterson returned for the bottom of the sixth and got Davis to ground into the shift to start. Snider grounded out to second but Machado walked. Navarro flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Napoli grounded out to third, Sandoval grounded out to short and Craig lined one to the wall in right for the third out to end the inning. Masterson returned for the bottom of the seventh and got Joseph to ground out to third to start. Cabrera popped up to center but De Aza was hit with a pitch. The pain in the ass Paredes singled up the middle knocked down by Bogaerts. Jones popped up to right to end the inning. Masterson had gone 7 innings and had given up just 3 runs, normally that would be good enough to win.

                                        Masterson did what he could to keep the Sox in it

Chen returned for the top of the eighth and got Bogaerts to ground out to short to start. Hanigan flied out to right and Mr Mookie popped up to shallow center to end the inning. Chen had retired the last 12 men he faced in a row. Matt Barnes made his season debut taking over for Masterson in the bottom of the eighth inning. Davis greeted him with a single up the middle but was erased when Snider beat out a double play ball. David Lough pinch ran for Snider as Machado singled him to third. Barnes whiffed Navarro for a big second out and got Joseph to ground out to third to end the inning on a big throw by Sandoval.

The Sox somehow tied the game in the top of the ninth against closer Zach Britton. Pedroia drew a leadoff walk but Ortiz struck out. Ramirez hit one up the middle that Navarro dove to grab. He tried to backhand the throw to the shortstop but missed wide and everyone was safe. Napoli hit a sure double play ball but it went off the glove of Britton and once again everyone was safe. The breaks went both ways as Sandoval hit a grounder to Machado who stepped on the bag to force Ramirez at third and THREW THE BALL AWAY! Pedroia scored but Napoli was held at third because a fan touched the ball. Had the fan not touched it, Napoli would have scored the go-ahead run. As it was, the game was tied on 3 straight mistakes by Baltimore. Craig swung at air to end the inning but it was tied 3-3.

                                           Machado makes a boo-boo and its a tied game

Barnes returned for the bottom of the ninth and got Cabrera to ground out to second to start. De Aza grounded out to first and Paredes flied out to left to end the inning, on to extras we go.

The Sox looked to have put the game away in the top of the tenth inning when Bogaerts took Brad Brach's first pitch and launched it over the left field fence for a home run. Hanigan singled to right and was sacrificed to second by Mr. Mookie. Pedroia walked but Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning. Still the Sox led 4-3 and were 3 outs away from stealing this one.

                                               Bogaerts briefly gives the Sox the lead

With Koji Uehara on the mound, 9 times out of 10 the game is over. This happened to be the tenth time as Jones poked one into right, Craig dove and missed the catch allowing Jones to reach third with a triple. Davis did his job with a sac fly to score Jones to tie the game. Lough was brought in as a pinch runner for Snider and he ended up ending the game with a monsterous home run to right. What should have been a stolen victory turned into a bitter defeat.

                                                               Ugh


Jackass of the Night is Koji Uehara. Sure Craig should have made the catch but giving up a homerun to Lough is inexcusable.

                                                    Uehara is a Jackass



The Good:

Justin Masterson went 7 innings and gave up just 3 runs while striking out 3.

Matt Barnes tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mike Napoli was 3 for 4 including a 2 run home run.



The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

David Ortiz was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 but somehow was credited with an rbi.

Allen Craig was just 1 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was a solo home run in the tenth.

Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Turnabout is fair play. The Sox had no business being in the game apart from a few lucky breaks in the ninth inning and the O's finally put it away in the tenth. Seriously, apart from two swings by Napoli and Bogaerts the Sox offense was completely shut down by Chen and company. The sad part was Masterson actually pitched well and a producing offense would have won this game going away. With Victorino on the disabled list, offense is going to be hard to come by. Tomorrow afternoon is the rubber game of this three game set with Wade Miley going up against Bud Norris at 1:35 PM in Baltimore.

Sox Pound O's in rain shortened win on Patriot's Day (4/20/15)

The rains came and most people were at the Boston Marathon, but the soaked Boston Red Sox fans that stayed got their money's worth as the Sox won a gritty game over the Baltimore Orioles to even their series at two games apiece. Justin Masterson (2-0, 5.74 ERA) threw way too many pitches but was just good enough to defeat Wei-Yin Chen. The Sox took advantage of shoddy defense to take a big lead on the O's when the rains came. Rather than play 5 hours later, the umpires called the game during the seventh inning stretch. It was cheap but the Sox had won it 7-1 at Fenway Park on Patriots Day.

                                                              Happy fan

Masterson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alejandro De Aza led the game off with a swinging strikeout. Jimmy Paredes grounded out. to second but Adam Jones walked. Chris Davis struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox got to Chen in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts singled to right to begin. Betts made a mad dash for second and made it, then advanced to third when old friend Ryan Lavarnway threw the ball into centerfield. Dustin Pedroia whiffed but David Ortiz put the Sox on the board with a sac fly. Hanley Ramirez grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox had a 1-0 lead.

                                                      Herculean sac fly by Ortiz

The Dirty Birds wasted no time tying the game as Travis Snider tripled to lead off the top of the second inning. Manny Machado lined out to short but Ryan Flaherty doubled in Snider. Lavarnway struck out and Everth Cabrera grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

Mike Napoli popped up to first to begin the bottom of the second inning. Shane Victorino stuck out swinging and Brock "The Hitman" Holt lined out to left to end the inning.

Masterson returned for the top of the third but Hanley Ramirez did not. Allen Craig took over in left field as Hanley left due to "illness". De Aza tried to bunt his way on but he failed as Masterson snuffed it out. Paredes hit a ground rule double to center but Jones flied out to center. Davis walked but Snider grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox broke the game open in the bottom of the third. Xander Bogaerts walked to start and Ryan Hanigan singled to right. Chen threw a perfect double play ball away off the bat of Mr. Mookie, scoring Bogaerts. Pedroia laid down a picture perfect sacrifice bunt to advance the runners. Ortiz popped up to third but Craig walked to load the bases. Napoli walked to drive in the Sox' third run. Victorino lined one off the glove of Machado, scoring Betts and Craig to increase the lead. Holt walked to re-load the bases but Bogaerts popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                    Betts and the Sox tack it on

Masterson returned for the top of the fourth and got Machado to fly out to right to start. Flaherty grounded out to first and Lavarnway struck out swinging to end the inning. Hanigan got plunked in the knee to begin the bottom of the fourth. Betts flied out to center but Pedroia singled to center. Ortiz then banged into a double play to end the inning.

The rain began to fall harder as Masterson whiffed Cabrera to open the top of the fifth. De Aza worked a full count walk and Parades struck out swinging, but De Aza stole second. Jones grounded out to short to end the inning, but Masterson had already thrown 93 pitches. Sox manager John Farrell decided that was enough from Masterson in the pouring rain. Don't want to get your starter hurt in April like Dustin Hermanson way back in 2002. Masterson put the Sox in line for the win with 5 innings of 1 run ball.

                                                 Masterson gets it done


Craig struck out to begin the bottom of the fifth but Napoli walked to chase Chen from the game. Old Sox draft pick Jason Garcia was brought in and Victorino popped it up to the pitcher. Holt grounded out to second to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa replaced Masterson to begin the top of the sixth as the rain intensified. Davis flied out to left and Snider hit one up the elevator shaft. Machado struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth. Bogaerts flied out to center but Hanigan was plunked again on the belt buckle. Mr. Mookie flied out to center but Pedroia doubled home Hanigan thanks to heads up coaching by Brian Butterfield. Ortiz was intentionally walked and Craig singled home Pedroia to wrap up the scoring. Sox analyst Don Orsillo started cracking up for no-reason as Napoli grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                               Safe at home

Tazawa returned for the top of the seventh as most of the crowd had left. Flaherty singled up the middle but Lavaranway flied out to center. Tazawa was pulled for Robbie Ross Jr and Ross made up for yesterday by getting the 3-6-3 double play to end the inning. The umpires FINALLY put the game in a rain delay....Hours later the game was called. The Sox had won it 7-1.

                                                            Sox win!

Hero of the night is tough. The offense was pretty spread out so let's go with the starter. Justin Masterson pitched 5 solid innings, allowing just 1 run to earn the win.

                                               Hero of the Night: Justin Masterson


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3 with a run scored and an rbi

Allen Craig was 1 for 2 with a walk, an rbi and a run scored after taking over from Hanley Ramirez.

Ryan Hanigan was 1 for 1, was hit twice and scored two runs.

Junichi Tazawa pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Robbie Ross Jr got the game ending double play.


The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 1 before leaving the game due to illness.

Shane Victorino was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but he singled, stole second and scored twice.

David Ortiz was 0 for 2 but walked and drove in a run with a sac fly.

Mike Napoli was 0 for 2 but walked twice and drove in a run. Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but walked.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 2 but walked and scored.




Final Thoughts:

Not pretty but a win is a win. The Sox remained in first place by fending off the Dirty Birds although their starting pitching situation continues to be a problem. Masterson only went 5 like Rick Porcello yesterday and this can't continue or else the bullpen's collective arms are gonna fall off. The rain was a blessing in disguise because it saved the bullpen 2 innings of work. The offense was pretty good with Ortiz, Petts and Bogaerts leading the charge. Betts and Bogaerts are going to be deadly for years to come. Hope Hanley Ramirez is okay because the Sox are going to need his bat. The Sox hit the road and head to Tampa Bay for a series with the Rays beginning tomorrow night. Wade Miley (0-1) goes for the Sox against Chris Archer at 7:05 PM at Tropicana Field.

Sox Make Late Comeback, Defeat Nationals (4/14/15)

Before the game the medical report came out that Xander Bogaerts was out with a sore knee and had gotten an MRI. Brandon Workman went to Dr. James Andrews for a second opinion on his elbow, and Rusney Castillo's MRI revealed no structural damage, just inflammation in his right shoulder. He was placed on the disabled list as a precaution Doesn't look good on Workman, if he needs surgery then he joins Christian Vazquez on the KIA list. He also was put on the MAJOR League disabled list retroactive to April 3rd rather than the minor league DL, because if he needs surgery, they'll pay him an extra 300 grand. Least the Boston Red Sox are going to take care of him if they get the worst case scenario.

                                                      Calling Dr. Pierce!

As for the game, it was almost a disaster. The Sox led 5-1 with Stephen Strasburg on the ropes but let him off the hook and the Washington Nationals came back to take a 7-5 lead...only for several defensive miscues to cost them the game. When all was said and done, the Sox took home a sloppy 8-7 win over the Nationals at Fenway Park.

                                              Tiffany approves of the win

Justin Masterson got the ball in the top of the first and Yunel Escobar led the game off with a single to left field. Mr. Mookie made a great running catch to rob Jayson Werth of a hit before Escobar took second on a balk when the ball fell out of Masterson's hand during a pitch. That looked right out the old baseball bloopers tapes. Harper went around on a 3-2 pitch but Ryan Zimmerman walked. Clint Robinson whiffed but Masterson had thrown 27 pitches to get out of the first inning. Mr. Mookie led off the bottom of the first against Stephen Strasburg and grounded out. Dustin Pedroia lashed a single into left and advanced to second on the base hit into the shift by David Ortiz. Hanley Ramirez advanced Pedroia to third on a fly out to right but Pablo Sandoval hit one back to Strasburg to end the inning.

The Nationals struck first in the top of the second. Wilson Ramos grounded out to short but Hanley Ramirez misplayed a ball hit by Ian Desmond that turned into a double. Danny Espinosa walked and the Nationals got creative with a double steal, although Hanigan gunned down Desmond at third. Michael Taylor then singled home Espinosa to give the Nats the lead. Taylor swiped second but Escobar grounded out to end the inning. Not good, Masterson didn't look like he'd last 5 at this rate and was down 1-0.

                                             "Catch the ball Hanley!!"

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Mike Napoli hit one off the wall but he had a load in his pants and couldn't make it to second base. Daniel Nava flied out to right and Ryan Hanigan whiffed but Brock "The Hitman" Holt singled up the middle. Mookie Betts turned on an inside changeup down the line into the corner that scored both runners to give the Sox the lead. Pedroia grounded out to second to end the inning but Mr. Mookie had done it again and the Sox led 2-1.

                                              "Way to go Mookie" - Arnie Beyler

Masterson calmed down in the top of the third. Werth flied out to right on a 3-0 count, Harper struck out swinging and Zimmerman grounded out second to end the inning. Strasburg whiffed Ortiz on a 96 mph fastball to begin the bottom of the third but Ramirez singled to left. Sandoval then got drilled in the foot and hobbled around. Between Bogaerts and Ramirez getting hurt last night, Castillo and Workman already hurt...the Sox are gonna need a M*A*S*H unit. Napoli then hit a perfect double play ball but Sandoval cleaned out Espinosa to break it up. With 1st and 3rd and two out, Nava singled down the right field line that scored Ramirez and sent Sandoval to third. Hanigan pitched in with a single that scored Sandoval and Napoli dashed to third. Holt whiffed but the Sox now had a commanding 4-1 lead.

Could Masterson hold the lead in the top of the 4th? Robinson grounded out to short and Ramos grounded out to first, but Desmond hit one in the hole at short. Espinosa singled to right but Taylor struck out swinging to end the inning. The answer was yes. Mr. Mookie led off the bottom of the 4th with a ground out but Pedroia launched his 3rd home run of the season into the Monster Seats to increase the lead. Ortiz was robbed of a hit by Werth and Ramirez whiffed to end the inning. This was the first time Strasburg has EVER given up back to back 5 run games as the Sox led 5-1.

                                                 Sox pour it on

Masterson crapped his pants in the top of the fifth although Escobar grounded out to third to start. The Nats loaded the bases as Werth was hit with a pitch, Harper blooped a single to left and Zimmerman walked. Robinson singled home Werth and a Ramos groundout scored Harper to cut the lead. Desmond singled home both runners to tie the game. If that wasn't bad enough, Masterson tried to pick off Desmond and threw the ball into the dugout, allowing Desmond to reach second. Masterson then plunked Espinosa and that was it for Masterson. Cruised for 4 innings and fell apart in the 5th, he suffered Dice K Disease.

                                                  "Ohhhhhh Masterson...."

Alexi Ogando was brought in and offered no help, allowing a 2 run triple to Taylor. Escobar struck out swinging to end the inning but what looked to be a laughter turned into a 7-5 deficit.

                               "Here I come to wreck the dayyyyyyyy" - Ogando


The Sox had no answer in the bottom of the 5th. Sandoval grounded out to second to start and Napoli flied out to the centerfield wall. Nava looked at strike three to end the inning.

Sandoval was gone to begin the top of the 6th with a left foot contusion. Hanley Ramirez moved over to third, Nava took Hanley's spot in left and Shane Victorino entered the game in right. Werth struck out looking and Harper was erased on a swinging bunt. Zimmerman popped up to right to end the inning. Strasburg returned for the bottom of the 6th and got Hanigan to fly out to right. Holt singled to chase Stephen and Craig Stammen was brought in to face Mr. Mookie. Betts grounded into a fielder's choice but swiped second. Pedroia walked to chase Stammen and old friend Matt Thornton was brought in to face Ortiz. David grounded into the shift to end the inning.

                                             Hey, I know you!

Not even coaches were safe as Sox base coach Brian Butterfield limped off the field during the top of the seventh inning. He was hauled off on a gurney and rushed to Mass General's ICU. Edward Mujica (1-0, 4.15 ERA) relieved Ogando and got Robinson to ground out to short. Ramos grounded out and Desmond struck out to end the inning. The Sox took advantage of garbage defense by Washington to strike back in the bottom of the seventh. Ramirez hit a routine grounder to Desmond at short who flubbed it for an error. Victorino was plunked and Napoli hit a sac fly that moved Ramirez to third. Allen Craig pinch hit for Nava as Nationals manager Matt Williams countered by relieving Thornton for Blake Treinen. Treinen plunked Craig, Washington's third hit batter of the game, to load the bases. Hanigan then squibbed one to Treinen who not only booted it, but threw wide of first...two errors on the same play allowed Ramirez and Victorino to score the tying runs, while Craig was at third with Hanigan at second. Holt then hit one to Desmond at short who had Craig dead to rights at home...AND THREW TO FIRST INSTEAD! Holt was out but Craig scored the go-ahead run. What was Desmond thinking? The sad part was 3 runs were in without a single base hit. Mr. Mookie grounded out to end the inning, but the Sox had the lead back by hook or crook 8-7.

                                              Your 2015 Washington Nationals

Mujica returned to face Espinosa and struck him out to begin the top of the eighth inning. Sox manager John Farrell then lifted Mujica and it was time for the Orient Express. Junichi Tazawa, who had thrown 25 pitches the day before. got Taylor to pop up to first. Escobar singled and took second on a wild pitch but Taz bore down to strike out Werth to end the inning. Pedroia led off the bottom of the eighth with a single to right but Ortiz grounded into a double play to end that. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The other half of the Orient Express, the returning Koji Uehara, whiffed Harper quickly to open the top of the ninth but Zimmerman hit one onto the Pass Pike....jussttttttt a bit foul. Koji recovered to get Ryan to line out to left then struck out Robinson to put the game away. It was bawful, but the Sox had won it 8-7

                                                  "Ay Papi! Ay Papi!"

Hero of the night is a tough one, most of their runs were scored on defensive miscues but I'll have to go with Koji Uehara. He worked a perfect 9th in his first game back off the DL and his first real high pressure situation since last August.

                                            Koji The Hero


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with a walk and his 3rd home run of the year.

Shane Victorino was hit with a pitch and scored in his only plate appearance.

Daniel Nava was 1 for 3 with an rbi before leaving the game.

Allen Craig pinch hit for Nava and was plunked, then scored.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run scored and an rbi.

Edward Mujica got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Junichi Tazawa closed out the 8th without allowing a run.




The Bad:

Justin Masterson fell apart in the 5th after playing with fire the whole game. He ended up allowing 8 hits, 3 walks, made an error and allowed 7 earned runs. Good grief.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but his one hit was a 2 run single.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 5.

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 2 when he was hit with a pitch and had to leave the game.

Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 5 but scored twice.

Mike Napoli was just 1 for 4 but scored twice.

Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Alexi Ogando allowed two inherited runs to score but pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings himself.





Final Thoughts:

The Nationals are playing some of the worst baseball not seen since the 1962 Mets but Sox fans will take it. They Nationals are too good to be THIS bad so its great to take advantage of it now before they go on their eventual roll. Starting the season by winning their first three series is a good sign for the Sox, unfortunately their rotation is as iffy as everyone thought. Injuries are starting to creep up on them but that's a given in a 162 game season. Getting to Strasburgh for 5 runs was encouraging as the offense looks to be in-sync. If Victorino and Napoli can turn back to 2013 form and Bogaerts can break out this year, this is going to be one deadly offense. The starting pitching is a completely different story but Sox general manager Ben Cherrington has a few months to fix that. The Sox look for the series sweep tomorrow when Wade Miley (0-0) locks up with former 20 game winner Gio Gonzalez in a 1:35 pm matinee at Fenway Park.