Sox Bash Royals (5/10/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Romy Gonzalez was placed on the Injured List with a bad quad injury and Nick Sogard was called up to take his place. Gonzalez was doing the best he could before the injury, hopefully this won't be for too long.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, one day after the Red Sox were held scoreless through 10 innings the Sox made sure that would not happen again. Boston broke a 1-1 tie in the top of the fifth with a three run rally off Cole Ragans then tacked it on thereafter. Trevor Story hit a 3 run bomb in the top of the seventh and Carlos Narvaez struck a two run shot in the eighth. Rafael Devers got the final rbi while the Sox didn't have to worry about the other side of the ball. Ace Garrett Crochet (4-2, 1.93 ERA) dominated the Royals tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball to hold them in check. Liam Hendriks and Brennan Bernardino locked the game up and the Sox had avenged their loss the night before with a 10-1 victory at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                     John Cena approves of the win

Ragans got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers got a base hit to center but Alex Bregman took strike three. Kristian Campbell also watched strike three go by to end the inning. Crochet got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jonathan India grounded out to third to start. Bobby Witt Jr doubled to left and Salvador Perez got a base hit to center to move Witt to third. Mark Canha and Maikel Garcia both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Wilyer Abreu walked. Nick Sogard flied out to center but Abreu was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Vinnie Pasquantino took strike three to start the bottom of the second but Hunter Renfroe got a base hit to center. Freddy Fermin flied out to center and Drew Waters struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Carlos Narvaez grounded out to first to start. Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to third but Duran got a base hit to center. Devers doubled to left to score Duran but Bregman popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           Devers puts the Sox ahead

The Royals answered in the bottom of the third as India struck out swinging to start. Witt Jr got a base hit to left, stole second and took third on a balk. Perez struck out swinging but Canha singled off the Glove of Campbell to score Witt. Canha was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the game tied 1-1. 

                                                              Canha ties it up

Campbell struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Story did the same. Abreu lined out to center to end the inning. Garcia grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Pasquantino grounded out to second. Renfroe popped up to first to end the inning. 

The Sox rallied in the top of the fifth as Nick Sogard grounded out to short to start. Narvaez walked, Rafaela doubled to left and Duran singled to left to score Carlos. Devers got a base hit to center to score Rafaela and Bregman beat out a roller to short to score Duran. Campbell took strike three and Story struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.

                                                          Bregman extends the lead

Fermin took strike three to begin the bottom of the fifth but Story booted a grounder by Waters for an error. India flied out to center and Witt Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Taylor Clarke came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Abreu popped up to short to start. Sogard grounded out to second but Narvaez got a base hit to left. Rafaela forced Narvaez at second to end the inning. Perez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Canha lined out to center. Garcia also lined out to center to end the inning. 

Angel Zerpa came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Duran grounded out to third to start. Devers walked and Bregman got a base hit to left before both runners advanced on a grounder to Zerpa by Campbell. Story blasted his 6th home run of the season to ice the game and Abreu grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                               Story ices it

Crochet returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as Pasquantino got a base hit to right to start. Renfroe hit a grounder to first that was thrown away by Sogard for an error but Fermin lined out to short. Waters hit a grounder to Bregman who tagged out Pasquantino but India walked to load the bases. Witt Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Crochet who dominated the Royals allowing 1 run off 7 hits and a walk through 7 innings. 

                                                      Great performance by Crochet

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth as Sogard got a base hit inside the bag at third. Narvaez clobbered his 4th home run of the season to increase the lead. Chris Stratton came in to pitch to Rafaela and Ceddanne tripled to left. Duran struck out swinging but Devers got a base hit to center to score Rafaela. Bregman flied out to right and Campbell popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-1.

                                                            Home run Narvaez 

Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Perez flied out to right to start. Canha lined out to second but Garcia got a base hit to left. Pasquantino got a base hit to right but Renfroe took strike three to end the inning. 

Cavan Biggio came in for Witt Jr to start the top of the ninth. Story and Abreu both struck out swinging but Sogard walked. Narvaez got a base hit to center but Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Fermin flied out to right to start. Waters struck out swinging and India grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-1.

                                                                     Sox win

Hero of The Night is Garrett Crochet. He allowed one run off seven hits and a walk while striking out nine batters through 7 innings.

                                                        Garrett Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 4 for 4 with a walk, 3 rbis and a run scored.

Alex Bregman was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Liam Hendriks pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 5 with the golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Nick Sogard was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The down note was reportedly Sox owner John Henry came to talk to Rafael Devers to convince him to play first base the rest of the season. Apparently Devers told him to scram. Devers went 4 for 4 tonight so its not like he's not producing. Leave him where he is and go get Dominic Smith, or bring up someone from AAA. Penny pinching to piss off Devers doesn't seem productive. It overshadows a great win today and another fantastic pitching performance by Crochet. The Sox haven't had that kind of guy since Chris Sale in 2018. Sale was nowhere near that level from 2019-23 so Crochet is a breath of fresh air. The offense produced tonight and hopefully that trend continues moving forward. The Sox have been hee-hawing around .500 most of the season, now would be a good time to go on a run. Unlike the previous few seasons, they're not woefully behind already because other teams went on runs. The win improved the Sox to 21-20, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Royals tomorrow afternoon when Lucas Giolito (0-1) takes on Seth Lugo of Kansas City. The game begins at 2:10 PM at Kauffman Stadium.

Sox Blank Rangers (5/8/25)

The bad news was Boston Red Sox starter Brayan Bello didn't have it tonight. He allowed 4 hits and 5 walks before getting knocked out in the fifth inning. The good news was he didn't allow a run before that and the Boston bullpen kept it that way. Meanwhile the Sox bats got to Texas Rangers starter Jack Leiter for four runs before knocking him out in the sixth inning. The Sox used some small ball to take a 2-0 lead in the second and Rafael Devers added a run in the fifth. Carlos Narvaez added another run in the sixth and Rafael Devers clobbered a home run in the seventh to wrap up the scoring. Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Liam Hendriks closed the door and the Sox had won this one 5-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Justin Rose approves of the win

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Josh Smith grounded out to second to start. Wyatt Langford singled to center and Joc Pederson walked, but Adolis Garcia beat out a double play ball. Marcus Semien struck out swinging to end the inning. Leiter got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran was hit with a pitch to start. Rafael Devers walked but Alex Bregman flied out to left. Kristian Campbell flied out to right and Wilyer Abreu flied out to left to end the inning. 

Evan Carter popped up to third to start the top of the second but Josh Jung walked. Dustin Harris grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Trevor Story got a base hit to left to start. Abraham Toro flied out to right but Story took second on a balk. Carlos Narvaez and Ceddanne Rafaela drew back to back walks to load the bases and a wild pitch scored Story, moving the runners over. Duran grounded out to second to score Narvaez but Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0. 

                                                              Sox take the lead

Tucker Barnhart singled to right to start the top of the third and Smith got a base hit to left. Langford grounded into a 5-4 double play then promptly stole second. Pederson and Garcia drew back to back walks to load the bases but Semien popped up to second to end the inning. Bregman struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Campbell grounded out to second. Abreu flied out to right to end the inning. 

Carter grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Jung flied out to center. Harris grounded out to second to end the inning. Story lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Toro grounded out to second. Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Rangers finished off Bello in the top of the fifth as Barnhart singled to right to start. Smith lined out to center but Langford forced Barnhart at second. Langford stole second and Pederson walked to chase Bello. Once again Alex Cora was managing the game like it was the World Series and yanked Bello after 4 2/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and 5 walks. Justin Slaten came in and Garcia grounded out to second to end the inning. 

                                                     Couldn't keep the walks down

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Rafaela doubled to center to start. Duran grounded out to second to move Ceddanne to third and Devers ripped a base hit to center to score Rafaela. Devers stole second but Bregman grounded out to third. Campbell took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                        Devers drives in a run

Semien flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and Carter hit one up the elevator shaft. Jung grounded out to short to end the inning. Abreu flied out to center to begin the bottom of the sixth and Story walked. Jacob Latz came in to pitch and Story stole second. Toro took strike three but Narvaez singled to center to score Story. Rafaela singled off the glove of Smith but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                              Narvaez brings one in

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Harris struck out swinging to start. Barnhart got a base hit to right and Smith walked, but Langford struck out swinging. A wild pitch moved the runners over but Pederson flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the seventh as Devers belted his sixth home run of the season to start. Bregman flied out to center, Campbell flied out to left and Abreu popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                            Another blast by Devers

Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Garcia flied out to center to start. Semien popped up to short and Carter popped up to third to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth and Toro popped up to second. Narvaez took strike three to end the inning.

Henriks returned to close out the top of the ninth and Jung flied out to center to start. Harris popped up to third but Barnhart was hit with a pitch. Smith flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-0.

                                                             Hendriks locks it down

Hero of The Night is Rafael Devers. He was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis and a home run

                                                           Hero Devers

The Good:

Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with a walk, a stolen base and 2 run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Brayan Bello tossed 4 2/3 innings of shutout ball allowing 4 hits and 5 walks.

Justin Slaten got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Liam Hendriks pitched two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Alex Bregman was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

You would think Alex Cora would have learned his lesson to not pull starters early in April and May so much since he burnt the bullpen completely out in 2021 and 2023 but he still trudges on. Bello clearly didn't have his best stuff but it would have been nice to at least TRY to let him work out of it. Managing every game like its Game 7 of the World Series gets annoying and I'd rather risk a win in early May if it means Bello learns how to work out of trouble in the fifth inning. Apart from that, nothing else really went wrong apart from some guys going 0 fer....but that's every game. Still the bullpen had to throw the final 4 1/3 innings but at least they didn't allow a run this time. Offensively Devers carried the load and fans upset with him refusing to play first base can stick it in their hat. What are they going to do, trade him? Not with that contract. Besides, he's hitting well and that's what he's meant to do. This was a good team win and as been mentioned before, unlike the previous 3 years no one's ran away with the division early this time. The Sox are still in the thick of things despite their record. The win improved the Sox to 19-19, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to Kansas City for a three game set with the Royals beginning tomorrow night. Hunter Dobbins goes for the Sox against Michael Lorenzen of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:40 PM eastern time at Kauffman Stadium.

Twins Rally Past Sox (5/4/25)

Well that game didn't end so well for the Boston Red Sox. Sometimes manager Alex Cora managing every game like its Game 7 of the World Series backfires and this is one of those times. Ace Garrett Crochet and the Boston bats built a 3-1 lead after 5 innings. Rather then send Crochet out for the 6th at just 89 pitches, Cora went to the bullpen and paid for it. Garrett Whitlock was asked to pitch 2 innings and he ran out of gas allowing 2 runs to score in the seventh. Justin Slaten (0-3, 6.57 ERA) then allowed 2 in the eighth to give Minnesota the lead. Wilyer Abreu hit a home run in the eighth and the Sox got the tying run on base in the ninth but the Twins held on to win 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Bad managing makes Jerry sad

Crochet got the ball in the top of the first inning and Byron Buxton hit the first pitch of the game all the way to Mongolia for a home run just like that. Ryan Jeffers grounded out to short and Ty France struck out swinging, but Carlos Correa singled off the glove of David Hamilton. Jonah Bride struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.

                                                                That didnt take long

Chris Paddack got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Trevor Larnach made a running catch at the wall on a Jarren Duran liner. Rafael Devers walked but Alex Bregman struck out swinging. Kristian Campbell lined out to right to end the inning.

Brooks Lee flied out to right to start the top of the second and Harrison Bader struck out swinging. Romy Gonzalez booted a grounder by Larnach but Trevor was then thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Wilyer Abreu singled to left to start. Gonzalez atone for his error with a base hit to right and Hamilton dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. The gamble worked as Carlos Narvaez got a base hit to left to score both Abreu & Gonzalez to put the Sox ahead. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to left but Duran popped up to short. Devers flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1. 

                                                              Sox take the lead

Christian Vazquez struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Buxton did the same. Jeffers got a base hit to center but France lined out to second to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the third as Bregman walked to start. Campbell lined out to a running Buxton but Abreu singled to center to move Bregman to third. Gonzalez hit a sac fly to center to score Bregman but Hamilton flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1. 

                                                    Another rbi for Gonzalez

Correa grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth inning and Bride struck out swinging. Lee singled to left but Bader grounded out to short to end the inning. Narvaez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Rafaela flied out to right. Duran hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Larnach walked to start the top of the fifth amd Vazquez did the same. Buxton lined out to left, Jeffers flied out to center and France forced Larnach at third to end the inning. Foolishly Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Crochet at just 89 pitches and forced the bullpen to pitch the rest of the game. Crochet allowed 1 run in 5 innings off 4 hits and 2 walks.

                                                  Crochet should have gone longer

Devers popped up to first to start the bottom of the fifth and Bregman grounded out to short. Campbell flied out to right to end the inning. 

Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Correa flied out to right to start. Bride and Lee both struck out swinging to end the inning. Brock Stewart came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Abreu flied out to right to start. Gonzalez was hit with a pitch and stolen second while Hamilton struck out looking. Narvaez flied out to left to end the inning. 

The Twins fought back in the top of the seventh as Bader walked to start. Larnach popped up to short but Vazquez singled to center. Buxton grounded out to short to move the runners over and they both scored on the base hit to left by Jeffers. France struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                            Jeffers ties it

Louis Varland came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Duran grounded out to second and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Justin Slaten came in to crap his pants in the top of the eighth as Correa got a base hit to left to start. Kody Clemens pinch hit for Bride and lined out to second. Lee flied out to center but Bader doubled to center to score Correa. Larnach got a base hit to right to score Correa and DaShawn Keirsey Jr ran for Trevor. Vazquez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins up 5-3.

                                                            Twins take the lead

The Sox did fight back in the bottom of the eighth with Griffin Jax now on the mound. Bregman grounded out to short and Campbell did the same, but Abreu smashed his 7th home run of the year to cut the lead. Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                      Abreu hasn't quit yet

Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Buxton lined out to center to start. Jeffers flied out to center and France struck out swinging to end the inning. Jhoan Duran came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hamilton grounded out to second to start. Abraham Toro pinch hit for Narvaez to make his Red Sox debut and grounded out to first. Rafaela beat out a roller to third but Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Twins had won it 5-4.

                                                                  Twins win

Jackass of The Night is Justin Slaten. He gave up the 2 runs in the eighth inning to lose the game.

                                                             Jackass Slaten

The Good:

Wilyer Abreu was 3 for 4 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch, stolen base, rbi and a run scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4.

Garrett Crochet tossed 5 strong innings allowing just 1 run off 4 hits and 2 walks.

Liam Hendriks pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Abraham Toro was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 4.

David Hamilton was 0 for 3 with a strikeout. 

Garrett Whitlock allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

There comes a time when you realize a manager needs to go and this might be it for Alex Cora. How many times are the Sox going to come out flat as a pancake to begin the season and how many times is he going to yank a starter early only for the bullpen to blow it? Slaten & Whitlock are normally reliable but why was Whitlock asked to go 2 innings? Throw the analytics out the window and use your head. The season is young but this is the 4th year in a row the Sox are .500 are below by this point in the season or at least feels like it. If thst wasn't bad enough, the Boston front office apparently asked Rafael Devers to play first base rather than do what they did last year and get Garrett Cooper. Devers reportedly refused and the fanbase is divided. Half of them are smart enough to realize you dont put a 9 year vet out of position with no warning like that and the other half are screaming "grab a mitt and help da teammm". Either way this season sucks already and May just started. The loss dropped the Sox to 18-18, 2 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East.  After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Tuesday night at home against the Texas Rangers. Lucas Giolito gets the start against old pal Nathan Eovaldi of Texas at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park. 

Sox Pound Guardians, Duran Gets Mad (4/27/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox sent Cooper Criswell back to Worcester. He wasn't needed in yesterday's double-header but may be needed down the road.

                                                                    OUT

It was good news all around for the city of Boston as the Boston Celtics defeated the Orlando Magic in Game 4 of their first round NBA playoff series and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Cleveland Guardians marred by an incident in today's game. The Sox pulverized the Guardians with a 15 hit attack but in the seventh inning, things got chippy. With almost nobody there, it was easy for Duran to hear a Guardians fan make fun of Jarren's suicide attempt. Guardian fans, Red Sox fans and Duran himself didn't take too kindly to that and the fan was ejected while Duran had to be restrained from going after him. The incident overshadowed a big game where Rafael Devers, Rob Refsnyder and Ceddanne Rafaela all hit home runs. Duran picked up four hits and Kristian Campbell had two hits and three walks. On the other side, Brayan Bello (2-0, 3.27 ERA) had another strong start, allowing 3 runs in 6 solid innings. Garrett Whitlock, Sean Newcomb and Liam Hendriks slammed the door without a problem for the final innings. The Sox had taken two out of three in Cleveland with a 13-3 pounding of the Guardians at Progressive Field.

            Jayson Tatum approves of the win 

Guardians starter Logan Allen took the mound in the top of the first and Duran got a base hit to left to start. Rafael Devers grounded out to third to move Duran to second and Alex Bregman lined out to center. Trevor Story grounded out to third to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Steven Kwan doubled to right to start. Angel Martinez dropped down a bunt to move Kwan to third and Jose Ramirez hit a grounder to first. Romy Gonzalez gunned down Kwan at home but Nolan Jones walked. Carlos Santana took strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Rob Refsnyder smacked his second home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Gonzalez popped up to second but Kristian Campbell walked. Carlos Narvaez got a base hit to right to move Campbell to third and Ceddanne Rafaela hit a fly ball to center. Martinez threw the ball away for an error to score Campbell and move Narvaez to second. Duran got a base hit in the hole at short to put runners at the corners but Devers forced Jarren at second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                  Rob gets the wally head

Bo Naylor doubled to start the bottom of the second but was thrown out trying to steal third. Daniel Schneemann struck out swinging but Wil Wilson got a base hit down the third base line. Brayan Rocchio lined out to first to end the inning.

Bregman struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Story went down hacking. Refsnyder got a base hit to left but Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning. Kwan lined out to center to start the bottom of the third before Martinez struck out swinging. Ramirez lined out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the the fourth as Campbell doubled to left to start. Narvaez grounded out to first to move Campbell to third and Kristian scored on the sac fly to center by Rafaela. Duran got a base hit to left but was thrown out trying to steal second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                       Campbell scores a run

Jones grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth before Santana drew a walk. Naylor was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to move Santana to second and Schneemann grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox broke it open in the top of the fifth as Devers got a base hit to right to start. Bregman singled in the hole at second and Story walked to load the bases. Refsnyder hit a sac fly to center to score Devers and move Bregman to third. Gonzalez walked to re-load the bases and chase Allen. Paul Sewald came in and Campbell got a base hit to center to score Bregman and Story. Gonzalez moved to third on the play and Campbell took off for second. Gonzalez successfully stole home and Schneemann's throw got away allowing Campbell to take third. Narvaez struck out swinging and Rafaela hit a ground rule double into the stands to score Campbell. Duran popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox up 8-0.

                                                        Another steal of home

Jakob Junis came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Devers greeted him with his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. Bregman grounded out to third, Story lined back to Junis and Refsnyder grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 9-0.

                                                             Devers hits one out

Suddenly the Guardians rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Martinez walked to start. Ramirez got a base hit to center and Jones hit a home run all the way to Lake Michigan to cut the lead. Santana flied out to right and Naylor flied out to right as well, nut Schneemann singled to center. Wilson struck out swinging to end the inning. Bello finished his day by allowing 3 runs off 6 hits and 3 walks in 6 innings, leaving the game up 9-3.

                                                       Bello gets the job done

The Sox struck again with Joey Cantillo now on the mound. Wilson threw a grounder by Gonzalez away for an error and Romy took second on a wild pitch. Campbell walked and Narvaez beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. A wild pitch moved Carlos to second and Rafaela blasted his second home run of the year to put the game out of reach. Duran flied out to center and Devers took strike three but the score was now 12-3 Boston.

                                                      Rafaela finally hits one out

Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh but things went sideways when a fan started heckling Duran. Duran had to be restained from going after the guy and the dude was thrown out of the building. Rocchio flied out to left to start and Kwan grounded out to second, but Martinez got a base hit off the glove of Whitlock. Ramirez popped up to third to end the inning.

                                             "There's the sonovabitch, get him!" - Duran

Jhonkensy Noel took over for Kwan to start the top of the eighth and Bregman grounded out to short to start. Story and Refsnyder both struck out swinging to end the inning. Sean Newcomb came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jones took strike three. Santana got a base hit to left but Naylor went down hacking. Schneemann struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the ninth with catcher Austin Hedges in to pitch. Gonzalez grounded out to short but Campbell walked. Narvaez got a base hit to right but Rafaela lined out to center. Duran doubled to center to score Campbell but Devers took strike three to end the inning with Boston up 13-3.

                                                    Duran doubles in a run

Liam Hendriks came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Wilson walked to start. Rocchio took strike three, Noel struck out swinging and Martinez flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 13-3.

                                                        Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rob Refsnyder. His second inning home run set the tone and his rbi in the fifth was the deciding run.

                                                        Hero Refsnyder

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 4 for 6 with an rbi.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 6 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Kristian Campbell was 2 for 2 with 3 walks, 2 rbis, a stolen base and 4 runs scored.

Carlos Narvaez was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a 3 run home run and 5 total rbis.

Brayan Bello got the win with 6 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Sean Newcomb pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Liam Hendriks pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

The Ugly:

Alex Bregman was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 4 but walked, stole a base and scored two runs.

Final Thoughts:

Nice to see Duran go on a hot streak but too bad one of the Guardian fans had to be an idiot. Hopefully this drives Duran into a hitting frenzy instead of the opposite. Still, the Sox picked him up big time by thrashing the Guardians in this one. Rafaela had 5 rbis and Campbell seems to be the front runner for AL Rookie of The Year so far. Even Devers got another home run so it looks like he's coming out of the funk he was in. When the offense is locked in, they're tough to beat. On the other side of the ball Bello looked good again. He didn't dominate but he didn't stink either, which in his new role as a third starter is all you can ask for. Newcomb out of the bullpen is worth a try since Zack Kelly and Josh Winckowski faltered so may as well keep bringing him out until he falters. With Lucas Giolito and Richard Fitts on the mend, the Sox are going to have to make some tough decisions on who stays or who goes. People are playing for jobs and hopefully this drives the team to a nice winning streak. Some more good news on the injury front, Connor Wong began his rehab down in Worcester so he should be back in a week or so. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox are back in action Tuesday night in Toronto against the Blue Jays. Garrett Crochet (2-2, 1.95 ERA) gets the start against Captain TBD of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.

Mariners Beat Wild Crochet, Sox (4/24/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Josh Winckowski was sent down to Worcester and Luis Guerrero was called up to take his place. Guerrero impressed last September and he can't be any worse than who they're trotting out now....right?

                                                                           OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster in a season full of them so far. Supposed Sox ace Garrett Crochet (2-2, 1.95 ERA) looked anything but as he got rocked by the Seattle Mariners. Crochet walked FIVE batters and allowed 5 hits, throwing over 100 pitches just to get through five innings. The Mariners took a 4-1 lead over the Sox but the bullpen responded. Greg Weissert, Liam Hendriks and Luis Guerrero tossed four shutout innings to keep Boston into it. Alex Bregman drove in a run and Carlos Navarez hit a home run to bring the Sox close, but they couldn't get it done. It all added up to a 4-3 Mariners win over the Sox at Fenway Park.

Crochet got tagged in the top of the first inning when Dylan Moore got a base hit to left to start. Moore took second on a balk but Julio Rodriguez struck out swinging. Cal Raleigh struck out swinging but Randy Arozarena walked. Mitch Garver effortlessly doubled to center to score both runners, putting Seattle up for good just five batters into the game. Donovan Solano grounded out to short to end the inning with the game already over 2-0 Mariners.

                                                                Garver puts the M's up

Woo got the ball in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran grounded out to short to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging but Alex Bregman launched his fifth home run of the season to cut the lead. Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 2-1.

                                                           Home run Bregman

The Mariners pounced on Crochet in the top of the second as Ben Williamson singled to left to start. Leo Rivas walked but JP Crawford singled to right to load the bases. Moore hit a sac fly to center to score Williamson and Rodriguez grounded out to second to score Rivas to ice the game. Raleigh grounded out to third to end the inning with the Mariners up 4-1.

                                                            Moore drives in a run

Trevor Story grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Triston Casas was hot with a pitch. Kristian Campbell struck out swinging and David Hamilton flied out to center to end the inning. 

Arozarena struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Garver grounded out to third. Solano also grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the third as Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to start. Duran doubled to left but Devers lined out to left. Bregman singled to left to score Duran and Abreu popped up to third to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                            Bregman drives in another

Williamson struck out swinging to begin the top of the fourth but Rivas got a base hit to right. Crawford was frozen for strike three but Rivas swiped second. Moore walked but Rodriguez struck out swinging to end the inning. Story watched strike three go by to start the bottom of the fourth and Casas flied out to right. Campbell struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Raleigh struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Arozarena and Garver drew back to back walks. Solano struck out swinging but Arozarena stole third base. Williamson struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Crochet who struggled to last 5 innings allowing 4 runs off 5 hits and 5 walks. 

                                                     Not good enough out of Crochet

Hamilton popped up to third to start the bottom of the fifth and Narvaez struck out swinging. Duran popped up to short to end the inning. 

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Rivas grounded out to first to start. Crawford got a base hit to center and Miles Mastrobuoni pinch hit for Moore. Miles struck out swinging but Rodriguez beat out a roller to third. Raleigh struck out swinging to end the inning. Devers popped up to third to start the bottom of the sixth but Bregman walked. Abreu was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate and Story lined out to first to end the inning.

Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Arozarens walked to start. Garver grounded into a double play but Solano and Williamson worked back to back walks. Rivas singled to center to load the bases but Crawford struck out swinging to end the inning. Collin Snider came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Casas grounded back to the mound to start. Campbell struck out swinging and Hamilton grounded out to first to end the inning.

Luis Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mastrobuoni flied out to right to start. Rodriguez grounded out to third and Raleigh flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the eighth with Gabe Speier now on the mound. Narvaez launched his second home run of the year to cut the lead but Duran grounded out to second. Devers struck out swinging and Trent Thornton came in to pitch to Bregman. Alex popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-3.

                                                                Sox aren't dead yet

Arozarena popped up to third to start the top of the ninth before Garver struck out swinging. Jorge Polanco pinch hit for Solano and got a base hit to right. Williamson flied out to right to end the inning. Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez took over for Polanco with Andres Munoz in to close out the bottom of the ninth. Abreu flied out to center and Story struck out swinging, but Casas walked to put the tying run on. Romy Gonzalez ran for Casas but Campbell earned the golden sombrero by striking out swinging to end the game. The Mariners had won it 4-3.

                                                              Mariners win

Jackass of the Night is Kristian Campbell. He went 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts, including with the game on the line in the ninth.

                                                       Make contact, Jackass!

The Good:

Alex Bregman was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a home run.

Carlos Narvaez was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless inning.

Liam Hendriks pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Luis Guerrero pitched two scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

David Hamilton was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

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

Triston Casas was 0 for 2 but walked.

Honorable Mention:

Romy Gonzalez ran for Casas in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Another frustrating loss and patience is wearing thin on the Red Sox offense. For a team that's designed to score runs, they've done anything but the first 27 games of the season. Duran, Casas, Devers, Narvaez and Rafaela are all hitting .250 or lower and that's going to work if you want consistent success. Not only that, Abreu and Campbell cooled off so now you're stuck with Alex Bregman and not much else. It showed today big time as the Sox had more strikeouts than hits and walks. Speaking of walks, Crochet walked a season high 5 guys tonight and the Mariners as a team had 8 walks. He's supposed to be the ace of the team yet he gets rocked and rolled by the mediocre Mariners? Once again, the inconsistent offense and inconsistent starting pitching is just another sign this team is headed for another 81-81 season or worse. The only bright spot was two shutout innings by Luis Guerrero. Hopefully he can continue to get guys out at the major league level. The Sox now hit the road and the first stop is a three game set in Cleveland against the Guardians. Tomorrow night its Tanner Houck (0-2, 7.66 ERA) against Blake Lively of Cleveland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Progressive Field.