Sox Rally Past Rays (10/3/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made their possible final roster moves of the season. Darwinzon Hernandez has been called up from Worcester and the Sox have activated Eric Hosmer who hasn't played since August 23rd. Too late too late but the Sox are hoping to get something out of him the final three games. In their places Josh Winckowski was sent down to Worcester and Rob Refsnyder was placed on the Injured List to end their seasons. Winckowski wasn't ready for prime time this year for sure.

                                                                              OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, the Sox want to end the 2022 season on a high note ant they took a step in the right direction by rallying past the Tampa Bay Rays. Rich Hill tossed 6 solid innings in his final start for the Red Sox allowing 3 runs. Tyler Glasnow was pulled in the fourth inning to get ready for his playoff start and the Sox pounced on Kevin Herget in relief. In the bottom of the sixth Christian Arroyo hit a two run double and Kike Hernandez tied it later in the inning. Rafael Devers hit a sac fly in the bottom of the seventh and the soon to be departing Matt Barnes locked down the top of the ninth. The Sox had beaten the Rays 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                      Allen Webster approves of the win

Hill got the ball in the top of the first inning and Vidal Brujan popped up to second to start. Randy Arozarena grounded out to short but Wander Franco hit a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to put Tampa on top right away. Harold Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                              Rays strike first

Tommy Pham walked to start the bottom of the first and Rafael Devers got a base hit to left. JD Martinez took strike three and Alex Verdugo beat out a double play ball. Christian Arroyo lined out to center to end the inning.

Manny Margot grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Christian Bethancourt walked. Isaac Paredes grounded into a double play to end the inning. Triston Casas flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Kike Hernandez struck out swinging. Abraham Almonte struck out swinging to end the inning.

Francisco Mejia flied out to right to start the top of the third and Jose Siri struck out swinging. Brujan popped up to second to end the inning. Reese McGuire struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Pham lined out to right. Devers got a base hit to center and Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Rays struck again in the top of the fourth as Arozarena grounded to short to start. Franco popped up to third but Devers threw a grounder by Ramirez away for an error. Given new life, Margot blasted a home run all the way to New Hampshire to increase the lead. Bethancourt popped up to second to end the inning with the Rays up 3-0.

                                                          Margot hits one out

Verdugo flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth and Arroyo struck out swinging. Casas struck out swinging but the pitch got away to allow Triston to reach first. That was it for Glasnow and Kevin Herget came in to pitch to Hernandez. Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Parades took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Mejia flied out to center. Siri struck out swinging to end the inning. Almonte flied out to right to start the bottom of the fifth and McGuire grounded out to second. Pham grounded out to third to end the inning.

Brujan struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Arozarena did the same. Franco singled in the hole at second and Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox finally rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Devers doubled to center to start. Martinez struck out swinging but Verdugo got  a base hit to center to move Devers to third. Arroyo doubled to left to score both runners but Casas grounded back to the mound to move Christian to third. Hernandez doubled to center to score Arroyo to tie the game. Almonte struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                            Sox tie it up

John Schreiber came in for the top of the seventh and Margot struck out swinging to start. Bethancourt singled to center but Paredes grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the seventh as McGuire hit a ground rule double down the right field line to start. Pham grounded out to first to move McGuire to third and Reese scored on the sac fly to left by Devers to put Boston on top. Martinez got a base hit to left but Verdugo flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.

                                                          McGuire's mad dash home

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mejia popped up to first to start. Siri struck out swinging and Brujan flied out to right to end the inning. Arroyo grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Casas flied out to right. Hernandez got a base hit to left but Almonte struck out swinging to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in to close out the top of the ninth with Yu Chang in for Almonte. Arozarena grounded out to second to start but Franco tripled to right. Ramirez then hit a grounder to third and Devers caught Franco in a run down for the second out. Ramirez moved to second on the play but Margot grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rafael Devers. His sac fly in the seventh put the Sox up for good and he went 3 for 3 with a run scored.

                                                                    Hero Devers

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Reese McGuire was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Rich Hill tossed 6 solid innings allowing 3 runs off 3 hits and a walk.

John Schreiber got the win with a scoreless seventh inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Matt Barnes earned his seventh save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Abraham Almonte was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 3 but walked.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Yu Chang played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Just two games left in the season and the only thing left to do is say goodbye to everyone. Rumors are swirling Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez, Matt Barnes, Rich Hill, Tommy Pham, Abraham Almonte and Nathan Eovaldi are as good as gone. The season went to hell in a handbasket because Sox GM Chaim Bloom signed Michael Wacha, Hill and James Paxton to replace Eduardo Rodriguez and all three of them got hurt. Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi also got hurt and the Sox couldn't beat the AL East. Today the Sox looked like a team that could have beaten anyone in the AL East with Hill pitching well and the offense rallying late. Its about time they steal one from an opponent after they've been rallying agains them all season. The sad part the runs were driven in by guys expected to be back like Devers, Hernandez and Arroyo. Maybe in the final two games the ones leaving will do something special. The win improved the Sox to 76-84, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox play their second to last game of the season tomorrow night when Nathan Eovaldi (5-3) makes possibly his final start for Boston against old friend Jeffrey Springs of the Rays. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Sweep Hapless Sox (10/2/22)

The good news is the Boston Red Sox don't have to play the Toronto Blue Jays anymore. The bad news was this is after the Jays just completed a three game sweep and won 16 out of 19 games this year, almost all of them by multiple runs.  At least this game wasn't embarrassing, they just got beat. Kevin Gausman allowed 2 runs in 3 innings and said "I'm ready for the playoffs, I'm out." and the Sox still couldn't win. Michael Wacha (11-2, 3.32 ERA) ended his season on a sour note, allowing 5 runs in 4 innings. A two run single off Gausman by Bobby Dalbec gave the Sox the lead but home runs by Teoscar Hernandez and Whit Merrifield tied it. The Jays rallied for three more runs off Wacha and the only other run scored by Boston was a Bobby Dalbec home run. Kaleb Ort allowed a run in the seventh and the Blue Jays put a cigarette out on the 2022 season with a 6-3 victory at the Skydome

                                                                  3 more games

Gausman got the ball in the top of the first and Kike Hernandez flied out to center to start. Triston Casas struck out swinging and Tommy Pham lined out to short to end the inning. Wacha got the ball in the bottom of the first and George Springer popped up to third to start. Bo Bichette grounded out to second and Vladimir Guerrero Jr grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as JD Martinez got a base hit to left to start. Christian Arroyo struck out swinging but Abraham Almonte doubled to center. Yu Chang struck out swinging but Bobby Dalbec got a base hit to center to drive in both runners. Connor Wong grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                             Dalbec driving in a pair

The Jays answered in the bottom of the second as Teoscar Hernandez hit a home run all the way to Quebec to start. Matt Chapman popped up to short before Danny Jansen struck out swinging. Raimel Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays down 2-1.

                                                       Home run Hernandez

Hernandez got a base hit to center to start the top of the third but was forced at center by Casas. Pham struck out swinging and Martinez flied out to left to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Whit Merrifield hit a home run all the way to Newfoundland to start. Old pal Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to third but Springer got a base hit in the hole at short. Bichette grounded into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                             Home run Merrifield

Zach Pop came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Arroyo grounded out to second to start. Almonte grounded back to the mound and Chang grounded out to second to end the inning. The Jays took command in the bottom of the fourth as Guerrero walked to start. Hernandez smashed a home run all the way to Calgary to put the Jays up for good. Chapman took struck three but Jansen doubled to center. Tapia struck out swinging but Merrifield got a base hit to left. Jansen scored and Wong threw the ball away for an error to allow Whit to take third. Bradley Jr grounded out to first to end the inning with the Jays up 5-2. That was it for Wacha as he allowed 5 runs in 4 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

                                                    Hernandez  with another home run

Dalbec struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Wong did the same. Wong struck out swinging and Hernandez lined out to first to end the inning. Eduardo Bazardo came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Springer got a base hit to right to start. It looked like Springer stole second but Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that Springer was out. Sure enough, replays showed he was out. Bichette struck out swinging and Guerrero Jr grounded out to first to end the inning.

Adam Cimber came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Casas lined out to center to start. Pham grounded out to short but Martinez got a base hit to center. Arroyo beat out a roller past the mound but Almonte flied out to left to end the inning. Hernandez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Chapman was hit with a pitch. Jansen flied out to center and Tapia hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Anthony Bass came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Chang grounded out to short to start. Somehow Dalbec crushed his 12th home run of the season to cut the lead. Wong grounded out to short and Hernandez lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.

                                                       Dalbec finally hits one out

Naturally Kaleb Ort came in to allow a run in the bottom of the seventh as Merrifield doubled to right to start. Bradley Jr grounded out to second to move Merrifield to third and Springer hit a grounder to short. Chang fired home but Merrifield beat the throw to increase the lead. Bichette forced Springer at second then stole second himself. Guerrero Jr lined out to center to end the inning with the Jays up 6-3.

                                                           Jays score another run

Yimi Garcia came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Casas appeared to have singled to center on a trap. The Jays challenged but replays showed it was a trap. Naturally Pham banged into a double play anyway and Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning. Franklin German came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Hernandez got a base hit to center to start. Chapman walked but Jansen went down hacking. Tapia swung at air and Merrifield forced Chapman at second to end the inning.

Bradley Zimmer took over for Hernandez with Jordan Romano in to close out the top of the ninth. Arroyo popped up to second but Almonte reached on a throwing error by Guerrero. Chang took strike three but Almonte stole second. Dalbec flied out to center to end the game. The Jays had swept the Sox and won this game 6-3.

                                                                       Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Michael Wacha. He allowed 5 runs in 4 innings to put the game out of reach and take the loss.

                                                           Jackass Wacha

The Good:

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 total rbis.

Eduardo Bazardo tossed two scoreless innings.

Franklin German pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Yu Chang was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with an error and a strikeout.

Kaleb Ort allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Abraham Almonte was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Thank god this season is almost over. That was the last time the Sox have to face Toronto and that was their last road trip of the season. The Red Sox have gotten dominated by New York Yankee teams of the past but losing 16 out of 19 is straight belt to ass. If the Jays had still beaten the Sox 11 games to 8, the Sox would be over .500. One of the worst things about this season was if the Sox had a decent record against AL East teams, they'd be in the playoffs. Add 4 more wins against the Jays, Yankees, Orioles and Rays and right now they'd have 91 wins. Its a shame the way things turned out the way they did but that's on Chaim Bloom. He allowed Schwarber to walk and trade Renfroe for Bradley. Then he went bargain bin shopping for Wacha, James Paxton and Rich Hill and all 3 got hurt. The biggest factor wasn't even Bloom's fault but Chris Sale only pitching in two games this year. As for this one? Wacha had a good season but not even he could stop the Jays onslaught. The Sox need to design their offense and pitching to stop them next season in the off-season....if Bloom is allowed to do that. The loss dropped the Sox to 75-84, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox now come home for their final 3 games of the season against the Tampa Bay Rays. Rich Hill makes his final start for the Red Sox against Tyler Glasnow of Tampa. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Hill, Sox Shut Down Orioles (9/28/22)

With the season just about over its all about small victories and the third straight season of Alex Verdugo playing well, especially since he was traded for Mookie Betts, unfortunately was wasted on a bad pitching team. Verdugo is currently hitting .284 and he was a big reason for tonight's win against the Baltimore Orioles. Rich Hill (8-7, 4.41 ERA) tossed 6 shutout innings while striking out nine batters. Meanwhile Verdugo drove in a run in the bottom of the first against Dean Kremer and Abraham Almonte hit a home run in the bottom of the third. Verdugo then hit a home run in the sixth inning as well. The trio of Ryan Brasier, Kaleb Ort and Matt Barnes slammed the door and the Sox had beaten the Orioles 3-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                         TJ Jackson approves of the win

Hill got the ball in the top of the first and Ryan McKenna singled to right to start. Ryan Mountcastle and Anthony Santander struck out swinging before Jesus Aguilar popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Kremer in the bottom of the first as Tommy Pham struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers hit a ground rule double into the bullpen and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. Alex Verdugo ripped a base hit to center to score Devers and move Bogaerts to third, but JD Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                              Devers scores a run

Austin Hays grounded out to short to start the top of the second and Tyler Nevin popped up to short. Jorge Mateo struck out swinging to end the inning. Triston Casas walked to start the bottom of the second but Kike Hernandez popped up to short. Casas got picked off first and Reese McGuire grounded out to first to end the inning.

Terrin Vavra got a base hit to left to start the top of the third but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Robinson Chirinos  flied out to left but McKenna doubled to left. Mountcastle struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third when Abraham Almonte struck his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Pham struck out swinging, Devers lined out to first and Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                           Home run Almonte

Santander grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth and Aguilar struck out swinging. Hays got a base hit to left and Nevin got a base hit to right, but Mateo flied out to right to end the inning. Verdugo hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the fourth and Martinez grounded out to short. Casas walked but Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning.

Vavra grounded out to second to open the top of the fifth and Chirinos struck out swinging. McKenna walked but Mountcastle struck out looking to end the inning. McGuire popped up to short to open the bottom of the fifth and Almonte popped up to third in foul territory. Pham doubled to right and Devers walked to load the bases, but Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning.

Santander took strike three to start the top of the sixth and Aguilar flied out to center. Hays struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Hill who blanked the O's for 6 innings allowing 6 hits and a walk while striking out 9.

                                                        Hill gets it done

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the sixth as Verdugo blasted his 11th home run of the season to increase the lead. Martinez doubled to to center to chase Kremer. Casas got a base hit to right to move Martinez to third but Hernandez struck out swinging. McGuire dropped down a bunt but Martinez stayed put, Casas getting thrown out at second on the play. Almonte grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                       Home run Verdugo

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Gunnar Henderson pinch hit for Nevin. Henderson grounded out to second to start, Mateo took strike three and Vavra grounded out to second to end the inning. Pham flied out to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Devers grounded out to third. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Christian Arroyo came in for Almonte with Kaleb Ort now pitching the top of the eighth. Chirinos immediately hit a home run all the way to Mongolia and Kyle Stowers pinch hit for McKenna. Kyle grounded out to second and Mountcastle struck out swinging. Santander grounded out to short to end the inning with the O's down 3-1.

                                                          Chirinos goes yard

Verdugo lined out to second to open the bottom of the eighth and Martinez grounded out to short. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in to close out the top of the ninth and Aguilar got a base hit to left. Hays grounded into a double play but Henderson walked. Adley Rutschman pinch hit for Mateo and struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-1.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rich Hill. He tossed 6 shutout innings allowing 6 hits and a walk while striking out nine.

                                                                        Hero Hil

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with 2 total rbis and a home run.

Triston Casas was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Abraham Almonte was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Matt Barnes earned his 6th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 3.

Kaleb Ort allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Arroyo played center in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Seven more games of torture left but at least the Sox are playing a bit better. Rich Hill pitched well tonight and the bullpen held up for the most part. The offense wasn't much but it was just enough to win this one. Its too bad the Sox didn't have a healthy Rich Hill and Michael Wacha all season or else they might have done a heck of a lot better. The story of the season was the rotation decimated by injury and their AL East woes. Not having so many injuries would have helped. With JD Martinez, Xander Bogaerts, Tommy Pham and Matt Barnes headed for free agency, may as well enjoy their final games while you still can. The win improved the Sox to 74-81, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the four game series tomorrow afternoon when Nathan Eovaldi makes his return from the Injured List to start for Boston. Mike Baumann goes for the Orioles tomorrow afternoon at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Yankees Knock Out Sox in 10 Innings (9/13/22)

Just when you thought the Boston Red Sox couldn't get more inept against the AL East, they do. The Red Sox bolted out to a 2-0 lead over the New York Yankees but the Yankees tied it with 2 runs off Boston starter Nick Pivetta. Tied at 3, the Sox surged ahead on a Xander Bogaerts home run in the bottom of the sixth. Just six outs from victory, Garrett Whitlock served up a game tying home run to Aaron Judge in the top of the eighth. In the top of the tenth, Gleyber Torres hit a bases clearing, bases loaded double of Jeurys Familia (2-3, 6.09 ERA) to put the Yankees up for good. The Sox did get two runs back in the bottom of the frame, but Rafael Devers struck out to end the game. The Yankees had beaten the Red Sox 7-6 in 10 innings at Fenway Park.

                                                      Angry Sox fan

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Aaron Judge grounded out to third to start. Giancarlo Stanton struck out swinging and Gleyber Torres grounded out to short to end the inning. Cole got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Tommy Pham struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo flied out to left and Xander Boggaerts flied out to center to end the inning.

Josh Donaldson struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Oswaldo Cabrera walked. Miguel Andujar popped up to right and Sox manager Alex Cora saw that Cabrera left the bag early so they threw to first...out to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Rafael Devers walked to start. Devers stole second but JD Martinez struck out swinging. Christian Arroyo grounded out to second to move Devers to third and Triston Casas launched his second career home run to put the Sox on top. Kike Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox were up 2-0.

                                                      Home run Casas

The Yankees answered in the top of the third as Isiah Kiner-Falefa got a base hit to center to start. Jose Trevino flied out to right but old pal Marwin Gonzalez hit a home run all the way to the Galapagos Islands to tie the game. Judge got a base hit to center but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Stanton struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                        Tie game

The Sox retook the lead in the bottom of the third as Reese McGuire pounded his first home run with the Red Sox to put Boston back on top. Pham took strike three, Verdugo flied out to left and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                        First for Reese

Torres grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Donaldson flied out to right. Cabrera struck out swinging to end the inning. Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth and Martinez flied out to center. Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning.

Andujar grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth and Kiner grounded out to short. Trevino beat out a roller to third but Gonzalez was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Casas walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Hernandez struck out swinging. Casas stole second but McGuire and Pham both struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Yankees tied it in the top of the sixth as Judge hit a home run all the way to Minnesota to start. Stanton got a base hit to right but Torres forced him at second. Donaldson walked and that was it for Pivetta. With the season on the line, Pivetta lasted just 5 1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs. Ryan Brasier came in and Cabrera beat out a double play ball, but Andujar flied out to left to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                    Needed a better effort

The Sox went back on top in the bottom of the sixth although Verdugo lined out to left to start. Bogaerts bashed his 14th home run of the season to give Boston the lead. Devers struck out swinging but Martinez lined a base hit to left. Arroyo flied out to right to end the inning but the Sox were up 4-3.

                                                  X gonna give it to ya

John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Kiner grounded out to third to start. Trevino grounded back to the mound and Gonzalez flied out to center to end the inning. Lucas Luetge came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Casas flied out to right to start. Hernandez struck out swinging but McGuire drilled a base hit to right to chase Luetge. Lou Trivino came in to pitch and Pham was hit with a pitch, but Verdugo lined out to right to end the inning.

Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and right on cue Judge hit a home run all the way to Mongolia to tie the game. Stanton grounded out to short, Torres struck out swinging and Donaldson lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                            Home run 57 for Judge

Jonathan Loaisiga came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts lined out to third to start. Devers and Martinez both flied out to center to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Cabrera struck out swinging to start. Andujar flied out to center and Kiner grounded out to short to end the inning. Clay Holmes came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Arroyo grounded out to third to start. Casas grounded back to the mound and Hernandez lined out to right to end the inning.

Jeurys Familia came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Kiner starting the inning at second base. Aaron Hicks pinch hit for Trevino and grounded into a double play, but Judge was intentionally walked. Stanton walked to load the bases and Estevan Florial pinch ran for Giancarlo. Naturally Torres hit a bases clearing double to center to ice the game. Torres stole third but Donaldson flied out to left to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 7-4.

                                                       Torres with the killshot

Kyle Higashioka took over behind the plate with Hernandez starting the bottom of the tenth at second base. McGuire was hit with a pitch and Connor Wong ran for him. Pham struck out swinging to earn the golden sombrero and Wandy Peralta came in to face Verdugo. Alex singled to center to score Hernandez and move Wong to third but Bogaerts popped up to left. Suddenly Peralta threw a wild pitch that scored Wong and made Verdugo the tying run. Unfortunately Devers struck out swinging to end the game. The Yankees had won it 7-6 in 10 innings.

                                                          Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Jeurys Familia. He served up the bases loaded double to Torres to lose the game.

                                                             Jackass Familia

The Good:

Triston Casas was 1 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and a 2 run home run.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a home run.

Connor Wong scored a run as a pinch runner.

Ryan Brasier got the final two outs of the sixth inning.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 4.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 4 with 4 strikeouts to earn the golden sombrero but was hit with a pitch. 

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Nick Pivetta was yanked after allowing 3 runs in just 5 1/3 innings on 6 hits and 2 walks.

Final Thoughts:

What else can be said about this disappointing season apart from its almost over? The Sox had three leads in the game and blew all three of them. The Sox just absolutely cannot beat the Yankees or the Toronto Blue Jays this season. It doesn't matter who pitches or hits, they just find a way. Even with all the injuries on the Red Sox, they shouldn't have been THIS bad against New York and Toronto all season. Judge lighting it up is par for the course but what was Familia doing pitching the tenth? Cora yanks Pivetta out of there early AGAIN and this is the end result almost every time. Maybe he'll be gone after the season with Chaim Bloom too. All in all we got 20 games left of this torture before its over. The loss dropped the Sox to 69-73, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound against the Yankees tomorrow night when Brayan Bello (1-5) takes on Nestor Cortes of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

O's Edge Sox (9/9/22)

The Boston Red Sox woes with the AL East continued in tonight's game against the Baltimore Orioles. After getting swept by the Tampa Bay Rays, the Sox dropped their fourth straight game against the Orioles by being unable to get a clutch hit. The Sox broke out to a 2-0 lead on a two run Xander Bogaerts home run as Brayan Bello (1-5, 5.79 ERA) tossed 5 shutout innings. Then in the bottom of the sixth, Bello got yanked after loading the bases and Kaleb Ort allowed all 3 runs to score. The Sox had chances in the later innings but couldn't cash in. It all added up to yet another AL East defeat as the O's took the game 3-2 at Camden Yards.

Voth got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Pham grounded out to third to start. Alex Verdugo doubled to right but Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging. Rafael Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Bello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cedric Mullins got a base hit to center to start. Mullins was thrown out trying to steal second and Adley Rutschman grounded out to short. Anthony Santander grounded out to second to end the inning.

Trevor Story took strike three to start the top of the second but JD Martinez singled to right. Triston Casas took strike three but Kike Hernandez forced Martinez at second to end the inning. Ryan Mountcastle flied out to center to start the bottom of the second before Gunnar Henderson struck out swinging. Ramon Urias grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Connor Wong doubled to center to start. Pham struck out swinging but Verdugo lined out to left to move Wong to third. Bogaerts then clobbered his 13th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Devers walked but Story struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                              Home run Bogaerts

Rougned Odor struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third to start. Austin Hays and Kyle Stowers struck out swinging to end the inning.

Martinez walked to start the top of the fourth but Casas flied out to center. Hernandez flied out to center and Wong forced Martinez at second to end the inning. Mullins got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth but was thrown out second trying to stretch a double. Rutschman grounded out to short and Santander struck out swinging to end the inning.

Pham got a base hit to right to start the top of the fifth and that was it for Voth. DL Hall came in to pitch and Verdugo grounded out to first. Bogaerts singled to right but Devers popped up to third in foul territory. Story forced Bogaerts at second to end the inning. Mountcastle popped up to first to start the bottom of the fifth and Henderson walked. Urias walked and Odor popped up to short. Hays struck out swinging to end the inning.

Martinez flied out to right to start the top of the sixth before Casas walked. Jake Reed came in to face Hernandez and Kike grounded into a double play to end the inning. Suddenly Baltimore sprang to life in the bottom of the sixth as Stowers took strike three to start. Mullins singled to left before Rutschman walked. Santander walked and that was it for Bello. He'd be charged with 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings allowing 3 hits and 4 walks. Sox manager Alex Cora poured gas on the fire by bringing in Kaleb Ort. A wild pitch scored Mullins and moved the runners over. Mountcastle walked to re-load the bases and Henderson drilled a base hit to right to score Rutschman and Santander. Urias popped up to first and Odor flied out to left to end the inning with the O's up 3-2.

                                                               Bello deserved better

Wong popped up to first in foul territory to start the top of the seventh and Pham grounded out to third. Cionel Perez came in to pitch to Verdugo and Alex walked. Bogaerts singled to right but Devers popped up to short to end the inning. Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Hays grounded back to the mound to start. Stowers walked but Mullins struck out swinging. Rutschman popped up to third to end the inning.

Bryan Baker to start the top of the eighth and Story flied out to right to start. Martinez got a base hit to center and Rob Refsnyder ran for him. Casas grounded out to first to move Refsnyder to second and Dillon Tate came in to face Hernandez. Tate booted a grounder by Hernandez for an error and Reese McGuire pinch hit for Wong. McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Santander flied out to center to start. Mountcastle flied out to right But Henderson doubled to center. Urias was hit by a pitch and Odor flied out to center to end the inning.

Tate came back to pitch the top of the ninth and Pham grounded out to short to start. Verdugo singled in the hole at second but Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the game. The O's had won it 3-2.

                                                                      O's win

Jackass of the Night is Kaleb Ort. He came in to a 2-0 game and allowed 3 inherited runners to score to put the O's in front.

                                                              Jackass Ort

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5 with a 2 run homer.

JD Martinez was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Zack Kelly pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 4

Reese McGuire struck out as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but walked.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Brayan Bello took the loss but only allowed 3 runs in 5 1/3 innings off 3 hits and 4 walks.

Honorable Mention:

Rob Refsnyder pinch ran for Martinez in the 8th inning.

Final Thoughts:

Once again it doesn't matter which team in the AL East it is, the Sox just cannot compete against them. The Orioles aren't lighting the world on fire but they still can't beat them. The Sox with this offense shouldn't be scoring just 2 runs against a team like that. Its all a sign that this year was an unmitigated disaster. Too many injuries, too inconsistent on offense and an inability to beat the AL East was a recipe for a disaster. The Sox better invest in an ace pitcher in the off-season because what they have isn't going to cut it. The worst part is JD Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi are pretty much as good as gone, they should have been sold at the deadline. Instead, they walk for nothing. The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 67-72, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to get beat again tomorrow afternoon against the Orioles when Michael Wacha (10-1) takes on Jordan Lyles of Baltimore. The game begins at 5:05 PM at Camden Yards.

Bello, Sox Drop Rangers (9/3/22)

Don't look now but the Boston Red Sox have won four games in a row including three straight against the Texas Rangers. Brayan Bello (1-4, 5.91 ERA) was the hero in this one, pitching six shutout innings to earn his first major league win. Offensively Rafael Devers drove in two big runs with Trevor Story driving in another. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock got tagged for 3 runs to make the game a save situation and Matt Barnes loaded the bases in the ninth inning. John Schreiber was able to slam the door to give the Sox a 5-3 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                         Roman Reigns approves of the win

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Marcus Semien struck out swinging to start. Corey Seager flied out to center and Nathaniel Lowe grounded out to short to end the inning. Dennis Santana got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and the Sox wasted no time tagging him. Tommy Pham drew a walk but Alex Verdugo struck out swinging. Xander Bogaerts forced Pham at second but Rafael Devers pounded a double to center to score Xander. JD Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           Devers strikes first

Adolis Garcia flied out to right to start the top of the second before Mark Mathias grounded out to short. Kole Calhoun and Ezequiel Duran stroked back to back base hits but Meibrys Viloria grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Christian Arroyo lined out to second. Reese McGuire drew a walk and stole second base, but Kike Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bubba Thompson got a base hit to center to start the top of the third but Semien forced him at second. Seager flied out to to center and Lowe forced Semien at second to end the inning. Taylor Hearn took over for Santana to pitch the bottom of the third and Pham grounded out to first to start. Verdugo took strike three but Bogaerts smacked a double to center. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning.

Garcia lined out to right to start the top of the fourth but Mathias walked. Calhoun struck out swinging and Duran took strike three to end the inning. Martinez doubled to left to start the bottom of the fourth before moving to third on the Story grounder to short. Arroyo and McGuire both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Viloria grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth before Thompson struck out swinging. Semien flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox teed off on new pitcher Brock Burke in the bottom of the fifth. Hernandez walked but Pham struck out swinging. Verdugo walked and both men moved over on a balk. Bogaerts hit a grounder to short and Seager threw home to nail Hernandez....under the glove of Viloria to allow Kike to score on the error. Devers beat out a double play ball to score Verdugo and Martinez took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                     Devers drives in another run

Bello returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Seager grounded out to first to start. Lowe took strike three and Garcia lined out to third to end the inning. Bello had tossed 6 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and a walk while striking out 5 batters.

                                                       Good work Bello

Kohei Arihara came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Story doubled to center to start. Arroyo dropped down a bunt to move Story to third but McGuire struck out swinging. Hernandez walked but Pham forced him at second to end the inning.

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Mathias flied out to right to start. Calhoun struck out swinging but Duran singled to right. Viloria struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Verdugo grounded out to second to start. Bogaerts and Devers stroked back to back base hits to right but an error by Garcia moved the runners over. Martinez hit a double play ball to third....but Duran booted it for an error that scored Bogaerts. Story ripped a double to right to score Devers but Arroyo lined out to right. McGuire grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.

                                                         Story drives in a run

Suddenly the Rangers rallied in the top of the eighth as Thompson singled to left to start. Semien hit a home run all the way back to Texas to cut the lead. Seager flied out to right but Lowe hit a home run all the way into Bombay, India to inch the Rangers closer. Garcia flied out to right and Mathias took strike three to end the inning with the Rangers down 5-3.

                                                              Lowe jacks one

Brett Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Hernandez grounded out to third to start. Pham lined out to right and Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning.

Matt Barnes came in to close out the top of the ninth and Calhoun got a base hit to center to start. Leody Taveras pinch ran for Calhoun and Duran forced him at second. Jonah Heim pinch hit for Viloria and got a base hit to right. Thompson beat out a roller to third and suddenly the bases were loaded with one out. John Schreiber was called in to put the fire out and Semien struck out swinging. Seager grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brayan Bello. He tossed 6 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and a walk while striking out 5 batters.

                                                          Bello's first Hero

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Kike Hernandez walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.

John Schreiber got his sixth save by getting the final two outs of the ninth.

The Bad:

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Garrett Whitlock allowed 3 runs in 2 innings.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Matt Barnes loaded the bases in the ninth inning but got the first out.

Final Thoughts:

The Sox have won four games in a row and they did it with timely offense. Getting Story and Hernandez back along with the trade for Pham has solidified the offense to at least keep the Sox in the game with their season teetering on the break. Which leads to the pitching. Bello pitched his best game of the season and as unfair as it seems, they're going to need him to get hot in September if they have any hope for October. Nathan Eovaldi, Michael Wacha and Brayan Bello might be able to get them to the dance if they can keep this win streak going. Hopefuly this will be the first of many wins for Bello in his career. The win improved the Sox to 66-68, 7.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the third wild card. The Sox look to make it five wins in a row and a series sweep tomorrow afternoon when Kutter Crawford takes on Dave Dunning of Texas. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.