Dodgers Stun Sox on Freeman's Slam (7/19/24)

Well that sucked. For 7 innings the Boston Red Sox held the powerhouse Los Angeles Dodhers in check as Nick Pivetta tossed 6 shutout innings and All-Star Game MVP Jarren Duran hit a home run. It all fell apart in the eighth inning as Brennan Bernardino allowed a grand slam to Freddie Freeman to blow the game. Gavin Stone and the Dodgers bullpen held the Sox to one measly run as LA laughed at the Sox 4-1 at Dodgers Stadium.

                                                                   This game sucked

Stone got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran doubled to center to start. David Hamilton lined out to first, Tyler O'Neill lined out to second and Rafael Devers lined out to right to end the inning. Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first and Shohei Ohtani struck out swinging to begin. Will Smith got a base hit to center but Freddie Freeman went down hacking. Teoscar Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning. 

Masataka Yoshida flied out to right to start the top of the second before Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging. Dominic Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. Andy Pages was called out on strikes to start the bottom of the second and Miguel Rojas grounded out to first. Gavin Lux struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to right to start the top of the third but looked to have been thrown out at second trying to steal when Reese McGuire struck out swinging. Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that he was safe and the call was overturned. Duran grounded out to second to move Rafaela to third but Hamilton grounded out to second to end the inning. Miguel Vargas walked to start the bottom of the third but Chris Taylor popped up to first. A wild pitch moved Vargas to second but Ohtani struck out swinging. Smith grounded out to second to end the inning. 

O'Neill singled in the hole at short to begin the top of the fourth and Devers singled off the glove of Stone. Yoshida flied out to center to move O'Neill to third, but Abreu struck out swinging. Smith grounded out to short to kill the rally and end the inning. Freeman flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Hernandez doubled to left. Page struck out swinging and Rojas flied out to right to end the inning. 

The Sox struck first in the top of the fifth as Rafaela lined out to second to start. McGuire grounded out to first but Duran crushed his 11th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Hamilton popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0. 

                                                      All-Star Game MVP does it again

Lux flied out to left to start the bottom of the fifth before Vargas popped up to Rafaela. Taylor lined out to second to end the inning.

O'Neill singled off the glove of Taylor to start the top of the sixth to chase Stone. Anthony Banda came in to pitch and Devers struck out swinging. Yoshida struck out swinging and Abreu lined out to short to end the inning. Ohtani struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the sixth before Smith went down hacking. Freeman lined out to left to end the inning. Despite just throwing 90 pitches, that was it for Pivetta after 6 shutout innings. He allowed just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 8 batters.

                                                            Good work Pivetta

Alex Vesia came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Smith doubled to left to start. Rafaela took strike three and Connor Wong pinch hit for McGuire and struck out swinging before Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Hernandez flied out to center to start. Pages walked but Rojas popped up to short. Lux struck out swinging to end the inning.

Ryan Yarbrough came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Hamilton....only to fly out to left. O'Neill once again singled in the hole at short but got doubled off first on a bloop to left by Devers to end the inning. The Dodgers struck back in the bottom of the eighth as Vargas walked to start. Taylor was rung up for strike three and that was it for Kelly. Brennan Bernardino came in to face Ohtani and naturally Shohei pounded a ground rule double to left. Smith was intentionally walked to load the bases and Freeman laughed as he effortlessly hit a grand slam to put the game away. Greg Weissert came in to pitch to Hernandez and Teoscar flied out to right. Pages lined out to third to end the inning with the Dodgers up 4-1.

                                           Horrible relief pitching

James Outman came in for Vargas with Daniel Hudson in to close out the top of the ninth. Somehow Yoshida got a base hit to center to start but Abreu struck out swinging. Smith banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had blown the game to the Dodgers 4-1.

                                                                 Dodgers win

Jackass of The Night is Brennan Bernardino. He gave up the grand slam to Freeman to lose the game.

                                                          There goes the game, Jackass 

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Tyler O'Neill was 3 for 4.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a stolen base.

Nick Pivetta tossed 6 shutout innings allowing 2 hits and a walk while striking out 8.

Greg Weissert got the final two outs of the eighth inning.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 3.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Zack Kelly was charged with a run in 1 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Dominic Smith was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Not the best way to come out of the all-star break but the Sox have a big problem. With Justin Slaten and Chris Martin rumored to both be out for the season, the Sox back end looks pretty bad in the later innings. Sad part was this was the first blown save loss after the 7th inning since April 16th, they'd been dominant for 3 months. The offense ran into a hot pitcher but now it's rumored Triston Casas won't be back until mid-August at the earliest. They STILL don't have a true fifth starter so it's all bad Ness with the trade deadline looming. The loss dropped the Sox to 53-43, 5.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against LA when Brayan Bello  (10-5, 5.32 ERA) tales on Justin Wrobleski of the Dodgers. The game begins at 7:15 at Dodgers Stadium.

A's Blast Pivetta, Sox (7/10/24)

One of the problems with this year's Boston Red Sox team is they don't have the starting rotation to match other franchises. The Sox have had a good month but couldn't really close the gap between them and the Baltimore Orioles due to games like this. Needing a big win, instead, Nick Pivetta (4-7, 4.09 ERA) didn't have it against the Oakland A's. The A's put the game away early in the top of the third as Shea Langeliers drew a bases loaded walk followed by a 2 run double by Lawrence Butler. Meanwhile JP Sears allowed a Rob Refsnyder homer in the bottom of the sixth as the only blemish on his day, shutting down the Boston bats. Pivetta allowed 4 runs total and the A's got another one off Josh Winckowski to win the game 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                          "Dammit Pivetta"

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and JJ Bleday flied out to left to start. Miguel Andujar grounded out to third and Brent Rooker flied out to left to end the inning. Sears got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran got a base hit to right to start. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging but Duran swiped second. Tyler O'Neill walked but Devers struck out swinging. Connor Wong walked to load the bases but Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third to end the inning.

Shea Langeliers grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Lawrence Butler singled off the glove of Devers. Zack Gelof popped up to second but Butler swiped second base. Tyler Nevin struck out swinging to end the inning. Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second and Jamie Westbrook grounded out to second. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Brett Harris flied out to left to begin the top of the third but Max Schuemann singled off the glove of Ceddanne Rafaela. Bleday struck out swinging but Andujar got a base hit to left. Both runners pulled off a double steal and Rooker walked to load the bases. Langeliers walked to score Schuemann and Butler doubled to left to score both Andujar and Rooker. Gelof struck out swinging to end the inning with the A's up 3-0.

                                                              Butler is all fired up

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Duran grounded out to second to start. Refsnyder grounded out to third and O'Neill flied out to center to end the inning. 

Nevin struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Harris did the same. Schuemann struck out swinging to end the inning. Devers flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong struck out swinging. Gonzalez went down hacking to end the inning.

Bleday took strike three to begin the top of the fifth and Andujar also watched strike three go by. Rooker went down hacking to end the inning. Yoshida grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the fifth but Harris booted a grounder by Westbrook. Rafaela doubled to center but Westbrook was thrown out at home. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.

Langeliers struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and Butler lined out to third. Gelof grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the sixth as Refsnyder struck his fourth home run of the season to start. O'Neill struck out swinging and Devers popped up to second, but Wong got a base hit to right. That was it for Sears as Austin Adams came in to face Gonzalez. Romy struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                           Refsnyder goes yard

The A's finished off Pivetta in the top of the seventh as Nevin flied out to center to start. Harris flied out to right but Schuemann singled to center. Bleday doubled to center to chase Pivetta. Nick allowed 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 10. Josh Winckowski came in and Andujar was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to end the inning with the A's up 4-1.

                                                           Pivetta wasn't good enough

TJ McFarland came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to first to start. Westbrook grounded out to short but Rafaela got a base hit to right. Duran got a base hit to center to chase McFarland. Lucas Erceg was brought in to face Refsnyder but Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Wilyer Abreu to pinch hit. A wild pitch moved the runners over and Abreu walked to load the bases. O'Neill beat out a roller to third to score Rafaela and put the tying run at second. Devers forced O'Neill at second to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                              Sox with a rally

Naturally the A's fought back in the top of the eighth as Rooker hit a ground rule double down the right field line to start. Langeliers singled to right to move Rooker to third and Butler walked to load the bases. Gelof took strike three but Nevin hit a sac fly to right to score Rooker. Harris grounded out to third to end the inning with the A's up 5-2.

                                                             A's get another run

Wong was retired on a tapper in front of the plate to start the bottom of the eighth and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Gonzalez. Smith flied out to left and Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Schuemann flied out to right to start the top of the ninth and Bleday lined out to center. Andujar grounded out to first to end the inning. Mason Miller came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hamilton took strike three to start. Rafaela grounded out to third but Duran got a base hit to center. Duran took second on defensive indifference but Abreu struck out swinging to end the game. The A's had won it 5-2.

                                                           A's win

Jackass of The Night is Rafael Devers. He was 0 for 4 with a strikeout including leaving the bases loaded in the seventh down by 2.

                                                               Jackass Devers

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with a stolen base.

Rob Refsnyder was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Wilyer Abreu walked in two plate appearances.

Tyler O'Neill was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

The Bad:

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jamie Westbrook was 0 for 3.

David Hamilton struck out as a pinch hitter.

Nick Pivetta took the loss by allowing 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks.

The Ugly:

Josh Winckowski allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings.

Final Thoughts:

That game was one of the more frustrating ones of the season for a variety of reasons. Westbrook getting thrown out at home, Devers failing to come through with the bases loaded and Winckowski allowing that final run. Not that the Sox were going to touch Mason Miller in the ninth but a little bit more production prior to that and this could have been a different game. Still, tonight was a big reason why the Sox have trouble keeping momentum because other teams can throw out ace pitchers while the Sox have the Kutter Crawfords and Nick Pivettas of the world. Sox GM Craig Breslow screwed up not signing or trading for an ace this past off-season and its coming back to bite them now. This is a game you needed to have especially with the all-star break and trade deadline looming. Breslow knows this team needs a starter and if you have to part with the Goldust Trio (Roman Anthony, Kyle Teel and Marcelo Mayer) then it might be the right option. It also doesn't help that Triston Casas is out which forces them to play the likes of Jamie Westbrook as well. Hopefully things work themselves out and this was a temporary hiccup. The loss dropped the Sox to 50-42, 7 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back in the rubber game of the series tomorrow night against the A's when Tanner Houck (7-6) takes on Luis Medina of Oakland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Outlast Marlins in 12 Innings (7/4/24)

Its never easy for the Boston Red Sox but they got to enjoy their fourth of July this season after a hard fought 12 inning victory over the Miami Marlins. Nick Pivetta had one of his best starts of the season tossing 7 shutout innings allowing only a hit and 2 walks while striking out 10. The problem is the Sox could only get 2 runs off Kyle Tyler of Miami. Then in the bottom of the eighth Justin Slaten coughed up the lead to tie the game. Plunged into extra innings, Tyler O'Neill and Enmanuel Valdez drove in runs in the top of the 11th but Zack Kelly served up a 2 run gopher ball to Jesus Sanchez to tie the game. In the 12th, David Hamilton and O'Neill drove in runs to put Boston ahead again. Greg Weissert gave up a sac fly to Jonah Bride but Josh Bell flied out to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-5 in 12 innings at Loan Depot Park.

                                                             Sox fans by the end

Tyler got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran flied out to center to start. David Hamilton walked and Tyler O'Neill singled to right. Both runners pulled off a double steal and Rafael Devers grounded out to first to score Hamilton. Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0. 

                                                             Devers starts the party

Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jazz Chisholm Jr flied out to left to start. Bryan De La Cruz and Josh Bell both struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Masataka Yoshida struck out swinging to start the top of the second and Reese McGuire grounded out to short. Dominic Smith got a base hit to right but Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning. Jesus Sanchez grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Jake Burger struck out swinging. Xavier Edwards took strike three to end the inning. 

Duran grounded back to the mound to start the top of the third and Hamilton grounded out to second. O'Neill grounded out to short to end the inning. Rafaela made a great jumping catch to rob Vidal Brujan of a hit and Enmanuel Rivera struck out swinging. Ali Sanchez lined out to third to end the inning.

Devers walked to start the top of the fourth and Abreu forced him at second. Abreu was thrown out at second trying to steal and Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning. Chisholm Jr walked to star the bottom of the fourth and De La Cruz struck out swinging. Chisholm was thrown out at second trying to steal but Bell walked. Sanchez struck out swinging to end the inning.

McGuire popped up to short to start the top of the fifth and Smith flied out to center. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Burger struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Edwards flied out to center. Brujan grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the sixth as Duran popped up to short to start. Hamilton got a base hit to center and O'Neill walked. AJ Puk came in to pitch and the duo pulled off another double steal. Once again Devers grounded out to first to score Hamilton with another run. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                       Tip your cap to the runners

Rivera flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth and Sanchez flied out to center. Chisholm Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

Yoshida grounded out to first to start the top of the seventh and McGuire struck out swinging. Smith flied out to left to end the inning. Pivetta came back for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh as De La Cruz flied out to right to start. Bell grounded out to first but Sanchez tripled to center to break up the no-hitter. Burger struck out swinging to end the inning and that was it for Pivetta. He was outstanding, allowing just a hit and 2 walks while striking out 10 batters in 7 innings.

                                                     He was 7 outs from the no-hitter

Anthony Bender came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela took strike three to start. Duran got a base hit to center and Brujan threw a ball away after Hamilton grounded out to first. O'Neill took strike three to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the eighth as Edwards grounded out to first to start. Brujan walked and Nick Gordon pinch hit for Rivera. Gordon walked and Jonah Bride pinch hit for Sanchez. A wild pitch moved Brujan to third but Bride struck out swinging. Brennan Bernardino came in to face Chisholm and the move backfired as Chisholm got a base hit to right to score Brujan. De La Cruz singled to center to score Gordon and it was a good thing the Sox weren't at Fenway or else the whole city of Boston would be booing Alex Cora and the Sox bullpen for blowing Pivetta's gem. Bell grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                              Marlins tie it up

Nick Fortes took over for Gordon with Tanner Scott now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Devers struck out swinging an Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Abreu. Refsnyder struck out swinging and Yoshida did the same to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Sanchez doubled to right to start. Burger struck out swinging and Edwards got a base hit to center. Sanchez motored around third and Duran came up firing.....OUT! But wait! The Marlins challenged that McGuire interfed with Sanchez but the umpires upheld the call. Brujan was intentionally walked but Fortes flied out to left to end the inning.

Andrew Nardi came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Masataka Yoshida at second base and Andrew Nardi on the mound. Micro managing Cora instead pinch hit Connor Wong for McGuire and Enmanuel Valdez running for Yoshida. Wong struck out swinging and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Smith. Gonzalez flied out to right and Rafaela was intentionally walked. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth and Fortes started the inning at second base. Bride grounded out to first to move Fortes to third and Chisholm was intentionally walked. Chisholm stole second but De La Cruz struck out swinging. Bell also went down hacking to end the inning.

Calvin Faucher came in to pitch the top of the 11th with Duran at second base. Hamilton grounded out to first and O'Neill hit a roller to short. Edwards threw the ball away allowing Duran to score and O'Neill to advance to second. Devers was intentionally walked but Refsnyder was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Valdez got a base hit to right to score O'Neill and reload the bases. Wong struck out swinging and Gonzalez forced Valdez at second to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                              Valdez drives in a run

Kelly returned to close out the bottom of the 11th with Bell at second base but Sanchez immediately hit a home run all the way to Tampa Bay to tie the game. Burger struck out swinging, Edwards grounded out to first and Brujan did the same to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                         Sanchez ties it up

Old friend Matt Andriese came in to pitch the top of the 12th with Romy Gonzalez starting at second. Rafaela got a base hit to left to move Romy to third and Ceddanne stole second. Duran struck out looking but Hamilton grounded out to third to score Gonzalez. O'Neill doubled to center to score Rafaela to seemingly ice the game. Devers was intentionally walked and Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 6-4.

                                                         Hamilton puts the Sox ahead

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the 12th and Brujan started at second. Fortes singled off the glove of Gonzalez to move Brujan to third and Vidal scored on the Bride sac fly to center. Chisholm Jr flied out to center but De La Cruz singled to center. Bell flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had survived 6-5 in 12 innings.

                                                                    Sox win

Hero of The Night is Tyler O'Neill. He drove in 2 runs including the final run that decided the game.

                                                             Hero O'Neill

The Good:

Rafael Devers walked 3 times in 6 plate appearances with 2 rbis.

Enmanuel Valdez singled and drove in a run in his only at-bat.

Dominic Smith was 1 for 3.

Nick Pivetta tossed 7 shutout innings allowing a hit and 2 walks with 10 strikeouts.

Kenley Jansen tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Rob Refsynder was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Justin Slaten was charged with 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Brennan Bernardino allowed 2 inherited runners to score in 1/3 of an inning.

Zack Kelly allowed 2 runs in 2 innings of work.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 6 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

David Hamilton was just 1 for 5 but walked, stole two bases, drove in a run and scored 2 runs.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 2 but scored a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, stole a base and scored a run.

Greg Weissert got the save by allowing an unearned run in the bottom of the 12th.

Final Thoughts:

Happy fourth of July everyone. The Sox had a bash today knocking off the Miami Marlins for their fourth consecutive win. Ever since they dropped those two games to Chicago back in June the Sox have gone on a little bit of a run. They probably have no chance to catch the Baltimore Orioles or New York Yankees but a nice hot streak leading to the all-star break could have them in a playoff spot of some sort. Gotta feel for Pivetta who was literally unhittable for 6 2/3 innings just to end up with a no-decision. Kudos to the Sox for fighting back again and again to take the game though. Can't say they didn't want in and normally Sox manager Alex Cora managing every game like its Game 7 of the World Series gets annoying, but when you're fighting for your playoff lives in July you have to pull out all the stops. Things worked out this time thanks to some clutch hitting but Justin Slaten needs to cut down on the blown saves. Still, a win is a win and this one was important in the era of the third wild card. The win improved the Sox to 47-40, 8 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel to New York for a three game deathmatch with the Yankees. Tanner Houck goes for the Yankees against Nester Cortes of New York. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Nine Run Padres Surge Beats Sox (6/28/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Tyler Heineman and Isaiah Campbell were optioned down to Worcester while Connor Wong was removed from the Paterinity List. The Sox also called up 26 year old relief pitcher Bailey Horn from Worcester to make his ML debut. Congrats to Horn.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                   IN

The good news was the Boston Red Sox limited the amount of runs they gave up to only one inning. The bad news was they gave up NINE of them. The Sox had a 1-0 lead over the San Diego Padres courtesy of proud papa Connor Wong's rbi, then Nick Pivetta (4-6, 4.39 ERA) imploded in the top of the fifth inning. Kyle Higashioka put the Padres ahead with a 2 run bomb and the Padres got another run before the plug was pulled on Pivetta. Greg Weissert poured gas on the fire by allowing all three inherited runners to score before giving up a 3 run bomb of his own to Jackson Merrill. The Sox could only muster 1 run off the Padres bullpen as they went down in flames 9-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                    "Nine run inning....oh brother"

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Luis Arraez lined out to right to start. Jurickson Profar grounded out to first and Jake Cronenworth struck out swinging to end the inning. Randy Vasquez got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran got a base hit to right to start. David Hamilton flied out to right and Bryce Johnson made a great running catch to rob Wilyer Abreu of a base hit. Rafael Devers lined out to left to end the inning.

Manny Machado struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Donovan Solano singled to center. Jackson Merrill flied out to right and Ha-Seong King forced Solano at second to end the inning. Tyler O'Neill popped up to third to start the bottom of the second but Masataka Yoshida doubled to right. Connor Wong grounded out to first to move Yoshida to third but Dominic Smith popped up to second to end the inning.

Kyle Higashioka popped up to third to start the top of the third but Johnson took strike three. Arraez singled to center but Profar popped up to short to end the inning. Ceddanne Rafaela flied out to right to open the bottom of the htird and Duran flied out to center. Hamilton also flied out to center to end the inning.

Cronenworth struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Machado got a base hit to center. Solano forced Machado at second and Merrill grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Abreu hit a roller to third. Machado threw the ball away for an error to allow Abreu to reach second. Devers walked but O'Neill struck out swinging. Yoshida flied out to center but Wong got a base hit to right to score Abreu. Smith lined back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                          Wong drives in a run

Things imploded in the top of the fifth as Kim got a base hit to center to start. Higashioka hit a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to put the Padres up for good and Johnson pounded a ground rule double down the right field line. Arraez got a base hit to center to move Johnson to third and a wild pitch moved Luis to second. Profar walked to load the bases and that was it for Pivetta. He got hit with Dice K disease in the fifth inning and he'd be charged with 5 runs in 4 innings. Greg Weissert came in to pour gas on the fire as Cronenworth got a base hit to left to score Johnson and Arraez. Machado beat out a grounder to third to re-load the bases and Solano got a base hit to center to score Profar and Cronenworth. Merrill then hit a 3 run home run all the way to Ecuador to ice the game. Kim struck out swinging but Higashioka walked as boos rained down. Johnson flied out to left and Arraez popped up to third to end the nightmare inning with the Padres up 9-1.

                                                         That got out of hand quickly

Rafaela got a base hit off the body of Velasquez to start the bottom of the fifth and unfortunately, Randy had to leave the game. Wandy Peralta came in and Duran forced Rafaela at second. Hamilton forced Duran at second and Abreu lined out to second to end the inning.

Chase Anderson came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Profar got a base hit to right to start. Cronenworth popped up to second and Machado grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Sox got a run back when Devers pounded his 17th home run of the season to start. Stephen Kolek replaced Peralta and O'Neill grounded out to second. Yoshida was plunked but Wong struck out swinging. Smith lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 9-2.

                                                             Devers goes yard

Solano walked to start the top of the seventh and Merrill popped up to short. Kim struck out swinging and Higashioka grounded out to second to end the inning. Rafaela got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the seventh and Duran flied out to left. Hamilton struck out swinging and Abreu forced Rafaela at second to end the inning.

Johnson flied out to left to start the top of the eighth and Arraez grounded out to second. Profar walked and Tyler Wade pinch ran for him. Cronenworth flied out to right to end the inning. Old friend Austin Davis came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Devers. Gonzalez popped up to first and O'Neill struck out swinging. Yoshida walked but Wong popped up to second to end the inning.

Machado flied out to center to start the top of the ninth and David Peralta pinch hit for Solano. Peralta struck out swinging and Merrill grounded out to first to end the inning. Yeoman's effort by Anderson to toss 4 scoreless innings. Yuki Matsui came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Smith flied out to right to start. Rafaela doubled to left but Duran struck out swinging. Hamilton also struck out swinging to end the game. The Padres won the game 9-2.

                                                                 Padres win

Jackass of the Night is Greg Weissert. He came in a 2-1 game and left after allowing 3 inherited runners to score and four of his own.

                                                         Watch it go, Jackass

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 2 with a walk and a home run.

Masataka Yoshida was 1 for 2 with a walk and a hit by pitch.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 3 for 4.

Chase Anderson tossed 4 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

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

Dominic Smith was 0 for 4.

Nick Pivetta was tagged with 5 runs in just 4 innings off 7 hits and a walk to take the loss.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Bad loss for the Sox and it was one of the worst cases of Dice K Disease all season. Pivetta was cruising through four and not only did he lose it, but Weissert poured gas on the fire allowing three inherited runners to score and four of his own. The Sox bats did nothing against Vasquez and the Padres bullpen but allowing 9 runs in one inning is usually a confidence killer. The Sox were rolling on the road but now they've lost 3 out of 4 games at home. That's not the way to get back into the race and they need to turn it around quick with the all-star break approaching. The further the New York Yankees push them back, the less likely a playoff run is realistic. The loss drops the Sox to 43-39, 9 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to snap their three game losing streak tomorrow afternoon against the Padres when Tanner Houck (7-5) takes on Michael King of San Diego. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past Reds (6/22/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Wilyer Abreu was activated from the Injured List and Bobby Dalbec was sent back to Worcester, hopefully for good. The Sox need Abreu's bat in a big way.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, for seven innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed for another ignominious defeat.  Nick Pivetta got rocked for 3 runs and failed to get out of the fifth inning as the Reds jumped out to a 3-2 lead. Home runs by Spencer Steer and Elly De La Cruz gave the Reds the lead while a home run from Dominic Smith and an rbi from Connor Wong kept the Sox in it. In the top of the eighth, a Rob Refsnyder rbi single and a Rafael Devers sac fly put the Sox on top. Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen slammed the door and the Sox had won their 6th game in 7 tries including this one 4-3 at Great American Ballpark.

                                                        The Jackson 5 approve of the win

Frankie Montas got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran got a base hit to center to start. Wilyer Abreu grounded into a double play and Connor Wong lined out to left to end the inning. Pivetta got tagged in the bottom of the first as TJ Friedl flied out to center to start. Elly De La Cruz struck out swinging but Jeimer Candelario lined a ball off the glove of Pivetta for a single. Spencer Steer made the Sox pay with a home run all the way to Los Angeles to give the Reds the lead. Jake Fraley struck out swinging to end the inning with the Reds ahead 2-0.

                                                              That didn't take long

Rafael Devers grounded out to first to open the top of the second and Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to second. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning. Jonathan India flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Nick Martini struck out swinging. Luke Maile walked and stole second, but Will Benson struck out swinging to end the inning.

De La Cruz made a great play to rob Dominic Smith of a hit to start the top of the third but David Hamilton drew a walk. Hamilton swiped second but Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to third. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. The Reds struck again in the bottom of the third as Friedl flied out to right to start. De La Cruz hit a home run all the way to Orlando, Florida to increase the lead. Candelario struck out swinging and Steer grounded out to short to end the inning with the Reds up 3-0.

                                                      Cruz goes yard again

Abreu grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Wong did the same. Devers got a base hit to center but Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning. Fraley grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the fourth but India got a base hit to right. Martini flied out to center and Maile grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth although Yoshida popped up to short to start. Smith pounded his third home run of the year to get the Sox on the board but Hamilton grounded out to third. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                       Smith hits one out

The Reds finished off Pivetta in the bottom of the fifth as Benson flied out to center to start. Friedl got a base hit to right and De La Cruz did the same to move TJ to third. Say goodbye to Pivetta as he was yanked after 4 1/3 innings and 3 runs allowed. Brennan Bernardino was summoned to put out the fire and Friedl was thrown out at home on a grounder to short by Candelario. Cruz was picked off to end the inning.

                                                           Not good enough from Pivetta

The Sox got another one in the top of the sixth although Duran lined out to left to start. Abreu doubled to center and Wong also doubled to center to score Wilyer. Devers popped up to third and Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                                   Wong helps the cause

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Steer grounded out to second to start. Fraley got a base hit to right and India did the same to move Fraley to third. Martini hit a swinging bunt in front of the plate and Wong tagged out Fraley to keep the score the same. Maile took strike three to end the inning.

Sam Moll came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Yoshida flied out to right. Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Smith and struck out swinging before Tyler O'Neill pinch hit for Hamilton. O'Neill flied out to left to end the inning. Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Stuart Fairchild pinch hit for Benson. Fairchild popped up to short and Friedl popped up to second. De La Cruz singled to left and Sox manager Alex Cora went with Zack Kelly to face Candelario. Jeimer grounded out to first to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the top of the eighth with Justin Wilson now on the mound. Rafaela hit a routine grounder to third that was thrown away by Candelario for an error. Duran got a base hit to left to put Rafaela at third and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Abreu. Refsnyder got a base hit to right to score Ceddanne to tie the game, moving Duran to third. Lucas Sims was brought in to pitch and Wong struck out swinging, but Devers hit a sac fly to left to score Duran with the go-ahead run. Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                              Sox take the lead

Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Steer struck out swinging to start. Fraley got a base hit to left and moved to second on a grounder to first by India. Martini struck out swinging to end the inning.

Buck Farmer came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Yoshida flied out to right to start. Gonzalez grounded out to third but O'Neill doubled to left. Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Tyler Stephenson pinch hit for Maile. Stephenson flied out to right and Duran lept over the wall to rob Fairchild of a home run. Friedl singled to left but De La Cruz flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

                                                               Had it all the way

Hero of The Night is Rob Refsnyder. He came in ice cold off the bench and ripped the game tying single.

                                                             Hero Refsnyder

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a game saving catch.

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Dominic Smith was 1 for 2 with an rbi and a run scored.

David Hamilton walked and stole a base.

Tyler O'Neill was 1 for 2 at the plate.

Brennan Bernardino got the final two outs of the fifth inning.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless inning.

Cam Booser got the first two outs of the seventh inning.

Zack Kelly got the final out of the seventh inning to earn the win.

Chris Martin tossed a scoreless inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 14th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Nick Pivetta was charged with 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Sox have won six out of seven and this was about as clutch as it gets. 2 months ago the Sox would have fallen behind with Pivetta yanked and the game was over. Now, the bullpen tosses 4 2/3 scoreless inning and the Sox offense turned a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 win. Playing flawless defense and pitching their way out of trouble helped, but the offense stepping up was huge. Dominic Smith picked a fine time for a home run and kudos to Alex Cora for bringing in Refsnyder at the right moment to get the clutch hit. The bullpen has been the strength this season but just like 2021, you can't rely on it forever. Eventually Pivetta and the starters are going to have to go deep, especially as we head toward the later months. Things worked out this time, but next time might be different. Worse yet, tomorrow is supposed to be a "bullpen game" and they used 6 pitchers to get through this one. Still, as long as the Sox can keep running teams off the field with Hamilton, Rafaela and Duran as 8-9-1, the offense will be just fine. The win improved the Sox to 41-36, 10 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Zack Kelly (2-1, 1.75 ERA) is the "opener" tomorrow as the Sox look to take the series from the Reds against Nick Lodolo of Cincinnati. The game begins at 2:40 PM Eastern time at Great American Ballpark.

O'Neill Powers Sox Past Blue Jays (6/17/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Romy Gonzalez was activated from the Injured List and Jamie Westbrook was sent back to Worcester to make room for him. Rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic move for sure.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                   IN

It was a great night for Boston sports as the Boston Celtics won their 18th NBA Championship with their Game 5 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, winning the NBA Finals. Also, the Red Sox smashed the Toronto Blue Jays. Tyler O'Neill hit two home runs to pace the offense that pounded out 11 hits and 7 runs. Nick Pivetta (4-4, 3.88 ERA) tossed 7 gutty innings allowing just 3 runs to earn the win. Things got hairy in the ninth inning when the Jays put two runners on against Brad Keller, but Kenley Jansen got the final out to win the game 7-3 at the Skydome.

                                                       The Boston Celtics approve of the win

Yusei Kikuchi got the ball in the top of the first and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rob Refsnyder struck out swinging but Tyler O'Neill mashed his 13th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Rafael Devers then clobbered his 14th home run of the season to go back to back. Connor Wong flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                      Back to back jacks

Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first and Davis Schneider popped up to short to start. Danny Jansen flied out to left but Vladimir Guerrero Jr singled to center. Daulton Varsho struck out swinging to end the inning.

Romy Gonzalez flied out to right to start the top of the second and Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. David Hamilton also struck out swinging to end the inning. Justin Turner walked to start the bottom of the second and George Springer got a base hit to center to moved Justin to third. Isiah Kiner-Falefa hit a sac fly to center to score Turner to cut the lead and Ernie Vlement singled to left. Kevin Kiermaier struck out swinging and Clement was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Jays down 2-1.

                                                          Jays get a run back

Ceddanne Rafaela joined the homer parade with his 8th of the season to start the top of the third. Duran flied out to left and Refsnyder struck out looking, but O'Neill clobbered his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                      O'Neill goes yard again

Schneider grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third and Jansen struck out swinging. Guerrero Jr lined out to right to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the fourth as Wong got a base hit to left to start. Gonzalez got a base hit to left and Dalbec got a base hit to center. Kiermaier bobbled the ball and Wong scored another run. Hamilton struck out swinging, Rafaela struck out swinging and Gonzalez was thrown out at home after Dalbec got picked off first to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                       Another rbi for Dalbec

Enmanuel Valdez came in for Hamilton to start the bottom of the fourth and Varsho flied out to center to start. Turner doubled to left but Springer hit one up the elevator shaft. Kiner singled off the glove of Devers to put runners at the corners but Clement flied out to center to end the inning.

Trevor Richards came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Duran flied out to left to start. Refsnyder took strike three and O'Neill grounded out to third to end the inning. Kiermaier flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Schneider struck out swinging. Jansen got a base hit to center but Guerrero Jr flied out to right to end the inning.

Devers flied out to right to start the top of the sixth and Wong grounded out to second. Gonzalez walked but Dalbec forced him at second to end the inning. The Jays got a run back in the bottom of the sixth although Varsho hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Who else but Turner hit a home run all the way to Ottawa to cut the lead. Springer grounded out to third and Kiner lined out to short to end the inning with the Jays down 5-2.

                                                               Had to be him....great

The Sox answered in the top of the seventh with Tim Mayza now on the mound. Valdez grounded out to first but Rafaela got a base hit to right. Duran got a base hit to left and Refsnyder doubled to right to score Rafaela. O'Neill was intentionally walked and Devers hit a sac fly to center to score Duran. Wong took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 7-2.

                                                          Good work Refsnyder

Pivetta returned for one final inning in the bottom of the seventh and Clement got a base hit to left to start. Kiermaier grounded into a double play but Schneider hit a home run all the way to Montreal to cut the lead. Jansen lined out to left to end the inning with the Jays down 7-3. That was it for Pivetta who battled for 7 innings and allowing 3 runs on 9 hits and a walk.

                                                         Pivetta gets the job done

Brandon Eisert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Gonzalez singled to left to start. Dalbec flied out to right but Valdez walked. Gonzalez looked to have stolen third but the Blue Jays challenged he was out, turns out he was. Rafaela walked but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Brad Keller came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Guerrero Jr lined out to right to start. Varsho popped up to short and Turner lined out to left to end the inning.

Refsnyder walked to start the top of the ninth but O'Neill grounded into a double play. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Springer flied out to left to start the bottom of the ninth and Kiner flied out to right. Suddenly Clement got a base hit to center and Kiermaier walked. Sox manager Alex Cora panicked and brought in Kenley Jansen to save the day. Both runners advanced on defensive indifference and Schneider popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of The Night is Tyler O'Neill. His two home runs powered the offense in this one.

                                                                Tyler O'Hero

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 2 for 3 with a walk.

Enmanuel Valdez walked in two plate appearances.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Nick Pivetta got the win by tossing 7 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 9 hits and a walk while striking out 4.

Brad Keller tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Kenley Jansen earned his 12th save by getting the final out in the ninth inning.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but hit a home run and drove in two total runs.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Don't know what Cora was thinking to bring in Jansen at the end other then micromanaging every game like its Game 7 of the world series. Even if Schneider hit a home run the Sox still had the lead. Otherwise it was a good game all around with O'Neill hitting a couple of rockets, Devers hitting a rocket and other guys getting on base. Five guys only had one hit the whole game but either scored a run or knocked in one. That's definitely timely hitting for sure. Kudos to Pivetta for tossing 7 strong innings to give the bullpen a rest, if only Jansen could have had the night off but that's on Cora. The Sox suddenly caught fire winning 6 of 8 since that Chicago disaster on June 8th. Hopefully they can keep the momentum going on this road trip. The win improved the Sox to 38-35, 11.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to win their fourth game in a row and second against the Toronto Blue Jays tomorrow night. Tanner Houck gets the start for the Sox against Chris Bassitt of Toronto. The game begins at 7:05 PM at the Skydome.