Sox Blank Yankees (7/7/24)

Yesterday the New York Yankees snapped the Boston Red Sox' 5 game win streak and the Sox responded by blanking them in tonight's game on ESPN Sunday Night Baseball. Kutter Crawford (5-7, 3.20 ERA) tossed one of the best games of his career holding New York to no runs in 7 strong innings. Offensively the Sox didn't do much against Yankees starter Luis Gil until late in the game. Rafael Devers belted a solo home run in the top of the seventh, Ceddanne Rafaela hit a solo shot in the top of the eighth and Devers did the honors with another home run in the ninth. Justin Slaten and Kenley Jansen slammed the door as the Sox won their 6th out of 7 games including this one 3-0 at Yankee Stadium.

                                                     Ben Crenshaw approves of the win

Gil came in to pitch the top of the first and Jarren Duran popped up to second to start. David Hamilton took strike three and Tyler O'Neill grounded out to third to end the inning. Crawford got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ben Rice grounded out to second to start. Juan Soto popped up to first and Aaron Judge flied out to center to end the inning.

Rafael Devers got a base hit to center to start the top of the second but Connor Wong forced him at second. It looked like Wong stole second but Yankees manager Aaron Boone challenged he was out. Sure enough, the call was overturned and Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. Alex Verdugo flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Anthony Volpe grounded out to third. Austin Wells grounded out to third to end the inning.

Wilyer Abreu took strike three to start the top of the third but Dominic Smith doubled to right. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to center and Duran popped up to second to end the inning. Oswaldo Cabreras flied out to right to start the bottom of the third and Trent Grisham singled to center. DJ LeMahieu grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Hamilton hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the fourth and O'Neill struck out swinging. Devers also struck out swinging to end the inning. Rice struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Soto grounded out to short. Judge took strike three to end the inning.

Wong struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Yoshida grounded out to first. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Verdugo popped up to short to start the bottom of the fifth and Volpe lined out to short. Wells grounded out to first to end the inning.

Smith got  abase hit to right to start the top of the sixth but Rafaela hit one up the elevator shaft. Duran struck out swinging and Hamilton went down hacking to end the inning. Cabrera got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Grisham hit a bullet....right to Hamilton who doubled off Oswaldo at first. LeMahieu doubled but Rice struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                     Kutter was fired up after that one

The Sox got a run in the top of the seventh as O'Neill grounded out to third to start. Who else but Devers clobbered his 20th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Wong flied out to right to chase Gil from the game. Luke Weaver came in and Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Devers jacks one

Soto doubled to right to start the bottom of the seventh but Judge struck out swinging. Verdugo grounded out to second and Volpe lined out to left to end the inning. Crawford was outstanding, shutting out the Yankees for seven innings allowing just 3 hits in the process.

                                                           Great job by Crawford

The Sox got another run in the top of the eighth as Abreu struck out swinging to start. Smith took strike three but Rafaela belted his 11th home run of the year to increase the lead. Duran walked but Hamilton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                             All smiles today

Justin Slaten came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Wells popped up to short to start. Cabrera walked but Grisham struck out swinging. LeMahieu grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth with Michael Tonkin now on the mound. O'Neill struck out swinging but Devers mashed his second home run of the night to ice the game. Wong grounded back to the mound and Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                          Devers does it again

Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth looking for his 438th career save. Rice grounded out to first, Soto lined out to left and Judge struck out swinging in short order to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-0.

                                                                438th save for Kenley

Hero of The Night is Kutter Crawford. He shut out the Yankees for 7 innings and allowed just 3 hits.

                                                               Hero Crawford

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 4 with 2 solo home runs.

Dominic Smith was 2 for 3.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Justin Slaten tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 18th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

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

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

That was a big win by the Sox and caps off a very nice stretch where they've won 6 out 7 to get back to respectability. They're still a mile behind first place but its a good start. The Sox need an ace pitcher at the trade deadline but that seems unlikely. Maybe getting another 2 or 3 starter would help but they definitely need some help in the rotation to get them over the hump. The offense is as good as anyone and the back end of the bullpen is solid, but middle relief and rotation is an issue. Crawford pitched a hell of a game and Tanner Houck is been solid, but its been hope and pray after that. Devers hitting 2 more home runs against the Yankees is icing on the cake. The Sox have a homestand left before the all-star break and going in hot would be nice. The win improved the Sox to 49-41, 8 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night with a six game homestand to end the first half of the season. The Oakland A's with Joey Estes gets the start for them against Brayan Bello (8-5) of Boston. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rafaela, Sox Bash Marlins (7/2/24)

After a successful month of June that saw the Boston Red Sox claw their way back to respectability, the Sox opened the month of July with a salvo on the Miami Marlins. Kutter Crawford (4-7. 3.42 ERA) put together one of his best starts of the season by holding the Marlins to just one run in six strong innings. Offensively the Sox got to Miami starter Valente Bellozo for two runs in the first on a single by Rafael Devers. Ceddanne Rafaela delivered the knockout punch with a three run home run in the fourth inning. The Sox survived Zack Kelly giving up a couple of runs in the bottom of the seventh but the Sox scored 3 more runs to pad the lead. It all added up to a comfortable 8-3 victory over the Marlins at Loan Depot Park.

                                                      Brandi Love approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Bellozo in the top of the first as Jarren Duran flied out to left to start. Tyler O'Neill singled in the hole at short and Wilyer Abreu doubled to center. Rafael Devers smacked a base hit to right off the glove of Jake Burger to score both runners. Connor Wong struck out swinging but Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to left. Enmanuel Valdez took strike three to end the inning with Boston up 2-0.

                                                              Devers drives in a pair

Crawford got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jazz Chisholm Jr flied out to right to start. Bryan De La Cruz struck out swinging and Josh Bell popped up to first to end the inning. 

Dominic Smith struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third. Duran walked and stole second, but O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning. Jesus Sanchez grounded out to first to start the bottom of the second and Jake Burger flied out to left. Xavier Edwards flied out to center to end the inning.

Abreu struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Devers did the same. Wong completed the trifecta by swinging at air to end the inning. Vidal Brujan flied out to left to start the bottom of the third and Emmanuel Rivera struck out swinging. Nick Fortes got a base hit to center but Chisholm took strike three to end the inning.

Yoshida got a base hit to right to start the top of the fourth and Valdez got a base hit to left. Smith popped up to third but Rafaela bashed his ninth home run of the season to increase the lead. Duran flied out to center and O'Neill lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                          He got all of that one

De La Cruz flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Bell struck out swinging. Sanchez grounded out to first to end the inning. 

Abreu took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Devers grounded out to first. Wong lined out to second to end the inning. The Marlins struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Burger hit a home run all the way into the Atlantic Ocean to start. Edwards and Brujan both struck out swinging but Rivera beat out a roller to third. Fortes grounded out to third to end the inning with the Marlins down 5-1.

                                                        Burger gets one back

Declan Cronin came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Valdez flied out to left but Smith hit a ground rule double to center. Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning. Crawford returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Chisholm Jr popped up to third to start. De La Cruz flied out to center and Bell took strike three to end the inning. Crawford held the Marlins to just 3 hits and a run in 6 strong innings.

                                                                    Good job Crawford

Duran grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh but O'Neill got a base hit to center. Abreu flied out to center but Devers got a base hit to left. Wong drilled a base hit in the hole at short to score O'Neill and Yoshida got a base hit to center to score Devers. Valdez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 7-1.

                                                        Yoshida drives in a run

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Sanchez hit a home run all the way to India to start. Burger grounded back to the mound but Edwards singled to center. Brujan did swing and miss for strike three...but the ball got away from Wong allowing Vidal to make it to first. Rivera got a base hit to center to score Edwards but Fortes popped up to Kelly to end the inning with the Marlins down 7-3.

                                                    Longest home run of the season

JT Chargois came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Smith took strike three to start. Rafaela grounded out to third but Duran clobbered his tenth home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. O'Neill walked but Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                      All smiles in this one

Bailey Horn came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Chisholm Jr grounded out to first to start. De La Cruz struck out swinging and Bell grounded out to short to end the inning.

Devers grounded out to first to start the top of the ninth and Wong grounded out to third. Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. Horn came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Sanchez lined out to center to start. Burger got a base hit to center but was forced at second by Edwards. Xavier took second on defensive indifference but Brujan grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                                      Sox win

 

Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His three run home run proved to be the difference maker.

                                                                Sox salute our Hero

The Good:

Tyler O'Neill was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.

Masataka Yoshida was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Kutter Crawford earned the win by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball allowing just 3 hits.

Bailey Horn tossed the final two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Zack Kelly allowed 2 runs in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a stolen base but the one hit was a home run.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Enmanuel Valdez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Dominic Smith was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

Good way to start the month by beating up on a bad team. After the Chicago disaster last month, the Sox definitely need to take care of business against the Marlins. Crawford looked great tonight and that's what the Sox are going to need moving forward. Sox GM Craig Breslow banked on the homegrown starters like Crawford, Brayan Bello and Tanner Houck and if they don't deliver, that's on Craig for not getting an ace after trading Chris Sale. The bats came through in this one and its nice to see the power stroke from Duran and Rafaela. If only Trevor Story was healthy this lineup could bop with anyone. Still, a win is a win even if its against a bad team. The win improved the Sox to 45-40, 9 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three wins in a row and second straight against the Marlins tomorrow night when Brayan Bello (7-5) takes on Trevor Rogers of Miami. The game begins at 6:40 PM at Loan Depot Park.

Game Postponed Until August (6/26/24)

Tonight's Boston Red Sox game has been suspended and postponed as apart of a doubleheader on August 26th. Here's what happened leading up to it.

                                                            So much for this one

Kutter Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Bo Bichette struck out swinging to start. Spencer Horowitz flied out to right and Vladimir Guerrero Jr walked. Justin Turner grounded out to second to end the inning. Yariel Rodriguez got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded back to the mound to start. David Hamilton grounded out to second but Wilyer Abreu walked. Rafael Devers grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

George Springer was rung up for strike three to start the top of the second before Davis Schneider drew a walk. Crawford threw a first pitch strike to Danny Jansen and that's when the came was called. The funny thing is, the game won't be played until two months from now. Who knows what will be in the lineup by then.

Despite the game being postponed, the New York Yankees lost meaning the Sox remain 43-37 but are now 8 games back of first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox are back in action Friday night as the San Diego Padres come to town. Nick Pivetta (4-4, 4.06 ERA) takes on Randy Vasquez of San Diego at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Reds Bash Crawford, Sox (6/21/24)

The Boston Red Sox win streak came to an end at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds and a comedy of errors. Andrew Abbott held the Sox bats to just 2 home runs in 5 2/3 innings and the bullpen allowed just 3 hits the rest of the way. Meanwhile Kutter Crawford (3-7, 3.59 ERA) got plagued by bad defense as he left the game in the seventh trailing 3-2. Cam Booser threw a bunt away for a 2 run error to essentially ice the game. The Sox bats failed to rally against Alexis Diaz in the ninth and the Reds snapped the Sox streak with a 5-2 win at Great American Ballpark.

                                                                  Bad game all around

Abbott got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging but Tyler O'Neill walked. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. The Reds tagged Crawford in the bottom of the first as TJ Friedl flied out to right to start. Elly De La Cruz struck out swinging but Jeimer Candelario hit a home run all the way to France to put the Reds on top. Spencer Steer popped up to short to end the inning with the Reds up 1-0.

                                                               Reds strike first

The Sox answered in the top of the second as Connor Wong blasted his sixth home run of the season to tie the game. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to short, Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging and Enmanuel Valdez went down hacking to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Wong ties it up

The Reds got another one in the bottom of the second as Jake Fraley struck out swinging to start. Jonathan India hit a home run all the way to Deep Space 9 to put the Reds back on top. Santiago Espinal flied out to right but Will Benson walked. Luke Maile walked and Friedl was hit with a pitch the load the bases. De La Cruz took strike three to end the inning with the Reds up 2-1.

                                                              India goes yard

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to start. Duran clobbered his 7th home run of the season to tie the game but Gonzalez struck out swinging. O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                            Duran ties it up

The longballs continued as Candelario hit his second home run of the game to but the Reds back on top in the bottom of the third. Steer flied out to left but Fraley got a base hit to right. India grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Reds up 3-2.

                                                            Candelario does it again

Devers struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Wong popped up to third. Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning. Espinal grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Benson took strike three. Maile struck out swinging to end the inning.

Dalbec flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Valdez got a base hit to left. Rafaela flied out to right but Duran flied out to left to end the inning. Friedl took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth and De La Cruz went down hacking. Candelario lined out to left to end the inning.

Gonzalez got a base hit inside the bag at first to start the top of the sixth but O'Neill struck out swinging. A passed ball moved Gonzalez to second but Devers struck out swinging. Fernando Cruz came in to pitch to Wong and Connor swung at air to end the inning. Steer grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Fraley flied out to center. India also flied out to center to end the inning.

Yoshida grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Dalbec took strike three. Valdez flied out to center to end the inning. The Reds finished off Crawford in the bottom of the seventh as Valdez threw a grounder by Espinal away for an error. Benson flied out to center but Maile doubled to right to chase Kutter. Crawford would be charged with 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings although only 3 were earned. Cam Booser came in and Friedl dropped down a bunt. Booser threw the ball 100 feet over the head of Connor Wong for an error to score Espinal and Maile. Cruz walked and Stuart Fairchild pinch ran for Friedl. Candelario struck out swinging and that was it for Booser. Brad Keller came in and Devers threw a ball hit by Steer away for the third error of the inning. Fraley lined out to left to end the inning with the Reds up 5-2.

                                                        Crawford deserved better

Nick Martinez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Duran got a base hit to center but David Hamilton pinch hit for Gonzalez and flied out to right. O'Neill took strike three to end the inning. India walked to start the bottom of the eighth and Espinal got a base hit to right. O'Neill gunned down India at third but Espinal made it to second on the throw. A wild pitch moved Espinal to third but he was thrown out at home on a grounder to second by Benson. Maile lined out to short to end the inning.

Alexis Diaz came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers flied out to center to start. Wong got a base hit to center and took second on defensive indifference. Yoshida struck out swinging and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Dalbec. Smith grounded out to second to end the game. The Reds had won 5-2.

                                                              Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Cam Booser. His error in the seventh led to the insurance runs scoring to put the game out of reach.

                                                              Nice throw Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 3.

Brad Keller tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 but struck out and made a crucial error in the seventh.

Kutter Crawford was charged with 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss but only 3 were earned. He allowed 5 hits and walked 2.

Final Thoughts:

What a way for the win streak to end. Not that the Sox were doing much offensively but those 3 errors turned a 3-2 game into 5-2 and out of reach. In a one run game they could have played small ball and used their speed to their advantage. Instead, their bad defense cost them this game. Crawford didn't pitch that bad but errors by Valdez and Booser were killer. Its a shame because the Reds aren't that good and the Sox need to win to keep pace with the New York Yankees. The Sox might be playing for the wild card in September if the Sox can't gain ground on them in the meantime. The loss dropped the Sox to 40-36, 10 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Reds when Nick Pivetta gets the start for Boston against Frankie Montas of Cincinnati. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Great American Ballpark.

Red Sox Run Over Yankees (6/16/24)

Nothing like setting some history on Father's Day Sunday. The Boston Red Sox literally ran over the New York Yankees with a team record NINE stolen bases. David Hamilton led the charge with 4, Jarren Duran had 2 and Bobby Dalbec, Dominic Smith and Ceddanne Rafaela all had one. The Sox used their speed to put up 14 hits and 9 runs against Marcus Stroman and New York. On the other side of the ball, Kutter Crawford (3-6, 3.54) tossed 6 solid innings holding the Yankees to just 3 runs. Zack Kelly and Greg Weissert slammed the door the rest of the way and the Sox had beaten the Yankees 9-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                   Bryson DeChambeau approves of the win

The Yankees wasted no time getting to Crawford in the top of the first inning and Anthony Volpe struck out swinging to start. Juan Soto flied out to right and Aaron Judge hit a home run all the way to France to put New York on top. Alex Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning with the Yankees up 1-0.

                                                        That didn't take long

Stroman got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran got a base hit in the hole at short to start. David Hamilton lined out to right but Duran swiped second. Rob Refsyder struck out swinging and Rafael Devers flied out to left to end the inning.

Giancarlo Stanton took strike three to start the top of the second inning before Anthony Rizzo grounded out to third. Gleyber Torres struck out swinging to end the inning. Connor Wong grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Masataka Yoshida took strike three. Enmanuel Valdez walked and Dominic Smith got a base hit to right to move Valdez to third. Smith stole second and Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to center to score both runners. Rafaela took off for second and Yankees catcher Jose Trevino threw the ball away allowing Rafaela to reach third. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                            Rafaela puts the Sox on top

Trevino struck out swinging to start the top of the third before DJ LeMahieu walked. Volpe grounded into a double play to end the inning. Hamilton walked to start the bottom of the third and promptly swiped second base. Refsnyder got a base hit to left to move Hamilton to third and David scored on the Devers double play. Wong flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                            Hamilton scores a run

Soto grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Judge struck out swinging. Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning. Yoshida popped up to third to start the bottom of the fourth before Valdez got a base hit to center. Smith flied out to right and Rafaela singled to center to move Valdez to third. Duran grounded out to first to end the inning.

Stanton struck out swinging to open the top of the fifth before Rizzo grounded out to first. Torres flied out to right to end the inning. Hamilton got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fifth and not only stole second, but third as well. Refsnyder walked and Devers hit a sac fly to center to score Hamilton. Refsnyder was thrown out trying to steal second but Wong walked. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                                  Hamilton does it again

The Yankees got to Crawford in the top of the sixth as Trevino hit a home run all the way to Toronto to start. LeMahieu struck out swinging but Volpe got a base hit to right. Soto grounded out to second to move Volpe all the way to third, and Anthony scored on the wild pitch by Crawford. Judge struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees down 4-3. That was it for Kutter Crawford who tossed 6 solid innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk.

                                                           Good work Crawford

Tommy Kahnle came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Valdez lined out to first to start. Smith struck out swinging and Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Verdugo got a base hit to left to start. Stanton singled to right and Smith threw a grounder by Rizzo away to load the bases with nobody out. Oswaldo Cabrera pinch ran for Rizzo and Zack Kelly was summoned to do the impossible. Somehow Kelly blew away Torres and Trevino before LeMahieu lined out to center to end the inning. What a Houdini by Kelly.

                                                          That's the way, Kelly

The Sox added insurance against Caleb Ferguson in the bottom of the seventh as Duran walked to start. Hamilton lined out to center but Refsnyder singled to center to move Jarren to third. Luke Weaver came in to face Devers and Rafael got a base hot to center to score Duran. Wong tripled to right to clear the bases and Yoshida was plunked. Bobby Dalbec pinch ran for Yoshida and stole second on the Valdez strike out. Smtih grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                         Happy Wong

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Volpe struck out swinging to start. Soto walked but Judge took strike three Verdugo lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth against Ian Hamilton. Rafaela got a base hit to left and moved to third on the Duran single to right. Duran stole second and Hamilton got a base hit to left. Soto gunned it home as Rafaela scored but Duran was called out. Hamilton stole second for the ninth stolen base of the night and Refsnyder walked. Michael Tonkin came in to pitch to Devers and Rafael flied out to left. Wong got a base hit to left to score Hamilton. Dalbec flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 9-3.

                                                          Sox run their way to another run

Stanton flied out to left to start the top of the ninth but Cabrera got a base hit to center. Torres forced Cabrera at second and took second on defensive indifference. Trevino took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-3.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Zack Kelly. He inherited a bases loaded nobody out situation with only a one run lead and he got out of it.

                                                                 Houdini Hero

The Good:

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

David Hamilton was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi, 3 runs scored and 4 stolen bases.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a walk and 3 rbis.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Kutter Crawford tossed 6 innings of 3 run ball allowing 3 hits and a walk while striking out 9

Greg Weissert tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Brennan Bernardino failed to retire all three of the batters he faced.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 1 at the plate but stole a base.

Dominic Smith was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and an error but stole a base and scored a run. 

Final Thoughts:

The Sox might have something here offensively with this run game. They can run other teams into the ground with all the speed they have....if they can get on base. Tonight they were able to do it. Not just the stolen bases but going from first to third on singles and moving along on fly balls. They could be the 1959 go-go Chicago White Sox if that's what it takes to win games with Trevor Story and Triston Casas out. Kudos to Crawford for holding the high powered Yankees to 3 runs and what a Houdini by Zack Kelly. The Sox bullpen has been a strength and all they need is another starter at next month's trade deadline to really compete. As it is, this team could be fun to watch if they keep running like this.....then again they could have just taken advantage of a bad day by a catcher. The win improved the Sox to 37-35, 12 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Toronto for a three game set against the Blue Jays. Nick Pivetta (3-4) takes on Yusei Kikuchi of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Phillies Drop Lifeless Sox (6/11/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Garrett Cooper was designated for assignment and Masataka Yoshida was finally activated off the Injured List. Cooper was only here because Triston Casas and Tyler O'Neill got hurt. Now that Yoshida is healthy, Cooper is expendable.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, you'd think after playing their hearts out against the Chicago White Sox to avoid losing 3 of 4 and an off-day would rejuvenate the Red Sox. WELL YOU'RE WRONG! HA HA HA! The Sox slept walked in tonight's game against Zack Wheeler and the Philadelphia Phillies. Wheeler held the Sox to 3 measly hits and a walk in 7 innings. Meanwhile old pal Kyle Schwarber added to his old team's misery with two home runs off Kutter Crawford (2-6, 3.47 ERA). Crawford himself was charged with 4 runs but the incompetent Red Sox defense contributed to 2 of them being unearned. The bullpen hung tough but the offense gave up as the Phillies took the game 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                          Live look at the Red Sox

The Phillies tagged Crawford immediately in the top of the first as old pal Kyle Schwarber hit the first pitch of the game out of the yard for a home run. Nick Castellanos flied out to right, Bryce Harper lined out to left and Alex Bohm popped up to short to end the inning with the Phillies ahead 1-0.

                                                            That didn't take long

The Sox answered against Wheeler in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran got a base hit to left to start. David Hamilton doubled to center and Rob Refsnyder hit a sac fly to score Duran, moving David to third. Rafael Devers popped up to first and Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1. The Sox would have just two hits the rest of the game.

                                                           Sox tie it up

Bryson Stott singled to right and Refsnyder booted the ball for an error to move Stott to second to start the top of the second. Edmundo Sosa popped up to third, David Dahl struck out swinging and Garrett Stubbs went down hacking to end the inning. Connor Wong singled to center before Dominic Smith flied out to center. It looked like Wong stole second on the Enmanuel Valdez swinging strikeout, but the Phillies challenged the call. Sure enough, replays showed Wong was out to end the inning.

Johan Rojas grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Schwarber struck out swinging. Devers made a hell of a play to rob Castellanos of a hit to end the inning. Rafaela popped up to short to start the bottom of the third before Duran popped up to third. Hamilton lined out to first to end the inning.

Bad defense cost the Sox in the top of the fourth as Harper walked to start. Bohm struck out swinging but Stott doubled to center. Sosa took strike three and Dahl hit a routine grounder to second. Valdez threw to first and Smith dropped the ball for an error to score both runners. Stubbs singled to right to move Dahl to third but Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning with the Phillies up 3-1.

                                                         Phillies score on an error

Refsnyder struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Devers also went down hacking. Yoshida walked but Wong grounded out to second to end the inning.

Schwarber struck again with another home run to begin the top of the fifth. Castellanos struck out swinging and Harper grounded out to first, but Bohm got a base hit to center. Stott flied out to left to enf the inning with Philly up 4-1.

                                                         That's two for Tazawa

Smith grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth before Valdez flied out to left. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning.

Crawford returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Sosa struck out swinging to start. Dahl lined out to left and Stubbs took strike three to end the inning. Kutter was game but was charged with 4 runs in 6 innings although only 2 were earned.

                                                     Crawford deserved better

Duran lined out to second to start the bottom of the sixth before Hamilton watched strike three go by. Refsnyder grounded out to second to end the inning.

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rojas took strike three to start, Schwarber struck out swinging and Castellanos grounded out to third to end the inning. Dahl made a great running catch to rob Devers of a double to start the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida flied out to right. Wong grounded out to short to end the inning.

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Harper got a base hit to right to start. Bohm grounded into a double play and Stott grounded out to first to end the inning. Old pal Matt Strahm came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jamie Westbrook pinch hit for Smith. Westbrook struck out swinging and Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Valdez. Dalbec struck out swinging and Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Sosa walked to start. Dahl flied out to center and Stubbs forced Sosa at second. Stubbs stole second but Rojas grounded out to second to end the inning. Cristian Pache came in to play left with Jose Alvarado in to close out the bottom of the ninth. Duran grounded out to short but Hamilton got a base hit to center. Refsnyder popped up to first and Devers struck out swinging to end the game. The Phillies had won the game 4-1.

                                                               Phillies win

Jackass of the Night is Dominic Smith. He was 0 for 2 at the plate and his error cost the team two crucial runs.

                                                                 Nice error, Jackass

The Good:

David Hamilton was 2 for 4.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Cam Booser pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Chase Anderson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jamie Westbrook struck out as a pinch hitter.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with an error but drove in a run.

Masataka Yoshida was o for 2 with a hit by pitch.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 but was thrown out trying to steal.

Kutter Crawford took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 6 innings, but only 2 of the runs were earned. He allowed 6 hits and a walk while striking out 8.

Final Thoughts:

Watching Kyle Schwarber hit home runs left and right is another reason Chaim Bloom should be fired. He banked on Franchy Cordero and Bobby Dalbec being the answer and not re-signing Schwarber killed them ever since. Having Schwarber in 2022 and especially this season might be the difference in the playoffs and last place. I'd say Matt Strahm had a middle finger game as well but bullpen arms are a lot more common to replace. The bullpen was a strength in this one as they didn't allow a run after Crawford left the game. The offense just didn't have it in this one, give credit to Wheeler for pitching a hell of a game. Just have to tip your cap and come back tomorrow. The loss dropped the Sox to 33-34, 14 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Phillies when Nick Pivetta takes on Cristopher Sanchez of Philadelphia. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Braves Bash Crawford, Sox (6/4/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Wilyer Abreu was placed on the 10 Day Injured List and Tyler Heineman was called up to take his place. Tyler O'Neill should be back tomorrow so Taylor's stay might be brief.

                                                                           OUT

                                                              IN

As for the game, what a disaster for the Red Sox. For five innings the Sox matched the Atlanta Braves blow by blow. The Braves tagged Kutter Crawford (2-5, 3.51 ERA) for three runs but the Sox got three of their own off ace Max Fried. The killing blow came in the sixth when Ozzie Albies struck a three run home run off Crawford to put the game out of reach. Chase Anderson allowed two runs in relief and the Sox bats could do nothing else. The Braves had won the game 8-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                Sam Winchester dislikes Sox losses

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Michael Harris Jr grounded out to first to start the top of the first inning before Austin Riley took strike three. Marcell Ozuna grounded out to third to end the inning. Fried got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging and Connor Wong also went down hacking to end the inning.

The Braves struck first in the top of the second inning as Smith booted a grounder by Matt Olson for an error to start. Ozzie Albies doubled to right and Smith dropped the throw from Jamie Westbrook on an Adam Duvall grounder to score Olson and Albies. Jared Kelenic took strike three and Sean Murphy grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Braves up 2-0.

                                                    "I don't got it" - Smith

Rafael Devers led off the bottom of the second with a fly out to left. Jamie Westbrook lined out to center and Garrett Cooper grounded out to second to end the inning.

Orlando Arcia grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Harris Jr flied out to center. Riley struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Bobby Dalbec took strike three to start. Dominic Smith belted his second home run of the season to cut the lead but Ceddanne Rafaela lined out to center. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                That's one way to make up for the errors

Ozuna walked to start the top of the fourth before Olson grounded back to the mound to move Marcell to second. Albies struck out swinging and Duvall grounded out to third to end the inning. Refsnyder took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Wong drew a walk. Devers got a base hit to left Westbrook reached on catcher's interference, but Cooper struck out swinging. Somehow Dalbec got a base hit to right to score Devers and Wong to put Boston on top. Smith struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

                                                           Dalbec gives Boston the lead

Naturally Crawford coughed up the lead in the top of the fifth as Kelenic doubled to center to start. Murphy singled off the glove of Westbrook to score Kelenic and was forced at second by Arcia. Harris hit into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                              Tie game

Rafaela reached on an error by Riley to start the bottom of the fifth but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Duran flied out to center but Refsnyder singled to center. Wong took strike three to end the inning.

The Braves took command in the top of the sixth inning as Riley walked to start. Ozuna singled off the glove of Devers but Olson popped up to short. Albies then hit a home run all the way to Spain to put Atlanta up for good. Duvall struck out swinging and Kelenic flied out to center to end the inning. That was it for Crawford who got hammered for 6 runs in 6 innings off five hits and 2 walks.

                                                            Yeah that'll do it

Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Westbrook was hit with a pitch. Cooper and Dalbec both struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Murphy grounded out to third to start. Arcia hit a home run all the way to Bombay, India to increase the lead but Harris Jr grounded out to second. Riley lined out to center to end the inning with the Braves up 7-3.

                                                           So much for this game

Smith lined out to center to start the bottom of the seventh before Rafaela went down hacking as well. Duran grounded out to short to end the inning.

Ozuna flied out to center to start the top of the eighth before Olson grounded out to first. Albies grounded out to second to end the inning. Pierce Johnson relieved Fried for the bottom of the eighth and Refsnyder lined out to second to start. Wong was plunked but Devers could only move Connor to second with a grounder to second. Westbrook took strike three to end the inning.

Anderson returned for the top of the ninth and Duvall grounded out to first to start. Kelenic struck out swinging but Murphy got hit with a pitch and had to leave the game. Zack Short came in to run for Murphy and Arcia singled to left. Harris singled to center to score Short and move Arcia to third, but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Braves up 8-3.

                                                        All Braves tonight

Travis d'arnaud took over for Short with Jesse Chavez now on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for Cooper and blooped a single to left. David Hamilton pinch hit for Dalbec and flied out to left before Smith grounded into a double play to end the game. The Braves had won it 8-3.

                                                         Braves win

Jackass of The Night is Kutter Crawford. He got tagged for 6 runs in 6 innings to take the loss. He allowed 5 hits and 2 walks while striking out 5 batters.

                                                        Jackass Crawford

The Good:

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Garrett Cooper was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

David Hamilton was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked, got hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Jamie Westbrook was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but got hit with a pitch.

Dominic Smith was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but did hit a home run.

Chase Anderson allowed 2 runs in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

I know the Braves threw their ace against the Sox but the injuries on the offensive side are rearing their ugly heads big time. Tyler O'Neill, Trevor Story, Triston Casas and Vaughn Grissom all out for a while is not looking good so far. Smith, Cooper, Westbrook and Dalbec aren't going to get it done long term. Crawford got jacked up in this one although had he not served up the meatball to Albies, it might have been a different story. The bottom line is the Sox suffered way too many injuries and they're gonna have to salvage something in the second half of the year once some guys come back, because its going to be a struggle until then with no ace pitchers and bench players in the lineup. The Braves are good but the Sox are down too many guys. The loss dropped the Sox to 30-31 on the season, 12.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Nick Pivetta (3-3) takes on Spencer Schwellenbach of Atlanta. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.