Rays Rally Past Sox Late in Game 2 (6/3/23)

Well that sucked. The Boston Red Sox were beaten in Game 2 of today's doubleheader against the Tampa Bay Rays off a late rally in the ninth inning. Kutter Crawford lasted just 3 innings and the Rays rallied for a run against Ryan Sherriff and two off Kenley Jansen (1-3, 3.86 ERA). Meanwhile Tyler Glasnow held the Sox to just 1 run in 5 1/3 innings and the Sox got a run against Colin Poche in the seventh. In the top of the ninth, Harold Ramirez hit a two run double to put the Rays on top. The Sox did get two men on in the bottom of the ninth but Jose Siri somehow caught a bloop by Jarren Duran to end the game. The Rays had taken Game 2 by a score of 4-2 at Fenway Park.

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz grounded out to short to start. Brandon Lowe struck out swinging and Harold Ramirez popped up to short to end the inning. Glasnow got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo grounded out to first to start. Rafael Devers walked but Masataka Yoshida lined out to center. Jarren Duran took strike three to end the inning.

Randy Arozarena got a base hit to left to start the top of the second but Josh Lowe struck out swinging. Arozarena stole second but Isaac Parades lined out to right. Taylor Walls struck out swinging to end the inning. Raimel Tapia struck out swinging to open the bottom of the second but Triston Casas doubled to center. Pablo Reyes struck out swinging and Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the third as Manny Margot doubled to left to start. Francisco Mejia grounded out to second and Diaz grounded out to short to score Margot. Brandon Lowe flied out to left to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0. That was it for Crawford who was yanked after just 3 innings and a run allowed.

                                                        Three and out for Crawford

Connor Wong flied out to center to start the bottom of the third and Verdugo grounded out to first. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning.

Justin Garza came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Ramirez lined out to right to start. Arozarena struck out swinging and Josh Lowe lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox tied it in the bottom of the fourth as Yoshida doubled to left to start. Duran grounded out to second to move Masataka to third but Tapia struck out swinging but Casas tripled to left to score Yoshida. Reyes grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                      Casas ties it up

Parades walked to start the top of the fifth and Walls did the same. Margot struck out swinging and that was it for Garza. Ryan Sherriff came in and Mejia got a base hit to left to load the bases. Diaz forced Parades at home and Brandon Lowe struck out swinging to end the inning. Valdez got a base hit inside the bag at first to start the bottom of the fifth but Wong struck out swinging. Verdugo grounded out to first to move Valdez to second and Devers walked. Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Rays took command in the top of the sixth as Ramirez doubled to right to start. Ramirez stole third but Arozarena popped up to third. Jose Siri pinch hit for Josh Lowe and doubled to left to score Ramirez. Parades was hit with a pitch and Siri promptly stole third. Walls walked to load the bases but Margot popped up to second. Mejia flied out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 2-1.

                                                            Rays take the lead

Duran struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the sixth but Tapia drew a walk to chase Glasnow. Robert "Louis" Stephenson came in to pitch and Tapia took off for second. The throw went wide and Tapia made it to third on the error. Casas struck out swinging and Reyes flied out to center to end the inning.

Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Diaz lined out to right to start. Lowe struck out swinging but Ramirez singled in the hole at second. Arozarena took strike three to end the inning. Colin Poche came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh with Enrique Hernandez pinch hitting for Valdez. Hernandez struck out swinging but Wong drew a walk. Verdugo struck out swinging but somehow Lowe dropped a routine pop up by Devers to allow Hernandez to score all the way from first to tie the game. Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                   "I don't got it" - Lowe

Siri struck out swinging to start the top of the eighth but Parades beat a roller to the mound. Walls took strike three and Margot grounded out to third to end the inning. Calvin Faucher came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran struck out swinging to start. Tapia grounded back to the mound but Casas walked. Reyes singled to right but Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Mejia singled to right to start. Diaz singled to left and Lowe flied out to right to move both runners over. Ramirez doubled to right to score both runners to ice the game. Arozarena walked but Siri struck out swinging. Parades hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Rays up 4-2.

                                                       Ramirez drives in the dagger

Jason Adam came in to close out the bottom of the ninth with Reese McGuire pinch hitting for Wong. McGuire grounded out to third and Verdugo grounded out to first. Devers was plunked and took second on defensive indifference. Yoshida walked and Rob Refsnyder pinch ran for him. Duran looked to have blooped a base hit but somehow Siri made a great diving catch to end the game. The Rays had won it 4-2.

                                                Even Adam can't believe the Rays won

Jackass of the Night is Kenley Jansen. He took the loss by allowing 2 runs in the top of the ninth.

                                                            Hide your face, Jackass

The Good:

Rafael Devers walked twice and was hit with a pitch.

Triston Casas was 2 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 2.

Justin Garza tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Brennan Bernardino tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Enrique Hernandez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Sherriff allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Raimel Tapia was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Pablo Reyes was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Kutter Crawford allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Honorable Mention:

Rob Refsnyder ran for Yoshida in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

It was a stupid idea to make Jansen pitch in both games and he had nothing left for game 2. Still, if Crawford wasn't yanked after 3 innings maybe this game turns out different. Alex Cora has made a lot of bad decisions the last couple of years and the bloom might be coming off the rose. The Sox had a chance to win this one but Cora managing like it was Game 7 of the World Series cost them big time. Still, scoring only two runs against this team is inexcusable in itself. Glasnow is good but putting up a goose egg against the bullpen apart from a missed catch error doesn't look good moving forward. The Rays just keep pulling away and this season might be over sooner rather than later, unlike last year that dragged all the way to September. The loss dropped the Sox to 30-28, 10 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Tanner Houck (3-4) takes on Taj Bradley of Tampa. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Falls Short Against Reds (5/30/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Corey Kluber was placed on the Paternity List and Ryan Sherriff was recalled from Worcester to take his place. Congratulations to Corey.

                                                                          OUT

                                                              IN

As for the game, that was a sucker punch to the gonads. For 7 innings it was all Cincinnati Reds as they took advantage of a hasty Alex Cora decision to score 8 runs. Brayan Bello (3-3, 3.89 ERA) had allowed just 1 run through four innings but the bullpen completely imploded. Thanks to a Jose Barrero grand slam, the Reds scored 7 runs off Justin Garza and Joely Rodriguez. The Sox rallied for 3 runs in the bottom of the seventh but Spencer Steer got a run off Ryan Sherriff. Suddenly the Sox sprang to life scoring 5 runs to put the tying run at third base against Alexis Diaz. Triston Casas struck out to end the rally and the game. The Reds had won the game 9-8 at Fenway Park.

                                                     ''Casas.......''

Bello got the ball in the top of the first inning and TJ Friedl grounded out to short to start. Matt McLain singled to right to right and moved to second on a Jonathan India grounder back to the mound. Jake Fraley walked and Tyler Stephenson walked to load the bases. Spencer Steer forced Tyler at second to end the inning. Blake Lively got the ball in the bottom of the first and Raimel Tapia grounded out to second to start. Rafael Devers flied out to center and Justin Turner flied out to right to end the inning.

The Reds struck first in the top of the second as Kevin Newman took strike three to start. Will Benson singled to center and Stuart Fairchild singled to right to move Benson to third. Friedl beat out a double play ball to score Benson to give Cincinnati the lead. McClain took strike three to end the inning with the Reds up 1-0.

                                                               Safe...but not by much

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Masataka Yoshida walked to start. Jarren Duran doubled to center but Triston Casas grounded out to second. Kike Hernandez walked to load the bases but Enmanuel Valdez struck out swinging and Reese McGuire lined out to short to end the inning.

India grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Fraley grounded out to second. Hernandez threw a ball by Stephenson away for an error and Steer got a base hit to right to move Tyler to third. Newman lined out to a running Yoshida to end the inning. Tapia flied out to left to start the bottom of the third before Devers flied out to center. Turner grounded out to third to end the inning.

Benson tripled to left to start the top of the fourth but Fairchild grounded out to short. Friedl struck out swinging and McLain whiffed as well to end the inning. That was it for Bello who tossed 4 innings allowing just 1 run, but took 97 pitches to do it.

                                                    Short and sweet for Bello

Jose Barrero came in for Friedl to start the bottom of the fourth as Yoshida grounded out to second to start. Duran and Casas both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Justin Garza came in to pitch the top of the fifth and India singled to left to start. Fraley doubled to center to score India just like that. Stephenson struck out swinging and Steer grounded out to short to move Fraley to third. Newman grounded out to second to end the inning with the Reds up 2-0.

                                                               Reds score another

The Sox blew it again in the bottom of the fifth as Hernandez got a base hit to center to start. Valdez and McGuire both struck out swinging, but Tapia doubled to center. Hernandez tried to score from first but was thrown out at home to end the inning.

The Reds got another run in the top of the sixth as Benson got a base hit to right to start. A wild pitch moved Benson to second and Fairchild struck out swinging. Barrero walked and McLain hit a grounder to Hernandez who turned and spiked the ball like a football, doing a backflip for an error that scored Benson. Indian popped up to first and that was it for Garza. Joely Rodriguez struck Fraley out swinging to end the inning with the Reds up 3-0.

                                                          Bad throw by Hernandez

Devers struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Turner grounded out to third. Yoshida got a base hit to center and that was it for Lively. Alex Young got Duran to line out to right to end the inning.

The Reds looked to have put the game away in the top of the seventh as Stephenson walked to start. Steer got a base hit to left and Newman walked to load the bases. Benson forced Stephenson at home but Fairchild walked to score Steer. Barrero then pounded a grand slam into the Charles River to increase the lead. That was it for Rodriguez as Ryan Sherriff came in to get McLain to line out to third. India struck out swinging to end the inning with the Reds up 8-0.

                                                              That should do it

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the seventh against Fernando Cruz on the mound. Casas grounded out to first before Hernandez struck out swinging. Valdez got a base hit in the hole at third and McGuire doubled to center to score Enmanuel. Tapia then tripled into the right field corner to score McGuire and Devers drilled a base hit to right to score Raimel. Turner flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                          Devers drives in a run

Naturally the bullpen couldn't hold it down in the top of the eighth as Fraley grounded back to the mound to start. Stephenson tripled into the centerfield triangle and scored on the Steer sac fly to left. Newman grounded out to first to end the inning with the Reds up 9-3.

                                                            Reds score again

Buck Farmer came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Yoshida got a base hit to center to start. Duran grounded out to second to move Masataka to second but Yoshida got doubled off on the bullet to right by Casas to end the inning.

Benson popped up to short to start the top of the ninth and Fairchild struck out swinging. Barrero singled to left and McLain flied out to center to end the inning. Eduardo Salazar came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hernandez lined out to right to start. The Sox rallied when Valdez walked, McGuire doubled him to third and Tapia got a base hit to right to score Enmanuel. Devers got a base hit to center to score McGuire and send Tapia to third and Turner got a base hit to right to score Raimel. Alexis Diaz came in to pitch and Yoshida doubled to center to score Devers, representing the tying run. Pablo Reyes ran for Yoshida and Duran grounded out to short to score Turner, sending Reyes to third. Unfortunately Casas struck out swinging to end the game. The Reds had won 9-8.

                                                             Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Joely Rodriguez. He allowed 5 runs including a grand slam to put the game out of reach.

                                                        Jackass Rodriguez

The Good:

Raimel Tapia was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 3 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.

Reese McGuire was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Justin Garza allowed 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

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

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk but struck out and committed an error.

Brayan Bello took the loss but allowed just 1 run in 4 innings.

Ryan Sherriff allowed a run in 2 2/3 innings.

Honorable Mention:

Pablo Reyes pinch ran for Yoshida in the bottom of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

This game was a microcosm of the season with the bullpen failing to keep the game close and the Sox being unable to land the knockout punch. The Sox damn near erased a 9-3 deficit but fell one base short. It shouldn't have gotten to that point if Bello didn't nibble for 4 innings to drive up his pitch count. It also would help if Justin Garza and Joely Rodriguez didn't vomit up their intestines. It also didn't help THAT is who the Sox have to rely on because Chaim Bloom neglected the bullpen in the off-season. After running The A-Team into the ground in 2021, the bullpen imploded at the end of 2022. Kenley Jansen and John Schreiber can't save them every day. Just another reason why Bloom shouldn't be here. Kudos to the offense for damn near pulling off the upset without Alex Verdugo and Trevor Story, just was just too big a hole to dig out of. The loss dropped the Sox to 28-26, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound night against the Reds when James Paxton takes on Luke Weaver of Cincinnati. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Edge Diamondbacks (5/27/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Garrett Whitlock was activated from the Injured List to make tonight's start against the Arizona Diamondbacks while Brennan Bernardino was optioned back to Worcester. I don't know why they keep Whitlock as a starter, he's much better off in the bullpen.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                             IN

It was a great day all around in the world of sports. The Uso Brothers defeated Roman Reigns and Solo Sikoa at WWE Money In The Bank, the Boston Celtics stunned the Miami Heat in Game 6 of the NBA Eastern Conference Finals and the Boston Red Sox knocked off the Arizona Diamondbacks. Garrett Whitlock (2-2, 5.14 ERA) came off the injured list to toss 5 gutty innings, surrendering just one run. The Sox bats didn't do much against Zach Davies and the Arizona bullpen but it was good enough. Ketel Marte homered off Whitlock in the bottom of the first but rbis from Kike Hernandez and Reese McGuire proved to be just enough. The trio of Kutter Crawford, Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen held the fort and the Sox had beaten Arizona 2-1 at Chase Field.

                                                          The Celtics approve of the win

Davies got the ball in the top of the first inning and Raimel Tapia struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo walked but Justin Turner flied out to right. Masataka Yoshida singled in the hole at second but Verdugo was foolishly picked off to end the inning. Whitlock got the ball in the bottom of the first and te Diamondbacks struck first. Pavin Smith lined out to left to start but Ketel Marte hit a home run all the way to Tucson to put Arizona on top. Corbin Carroll grounded out to first but Christian Walker singled off the glove of Turner. Lourdes Gurriel Jr lined out to first to end the inning with Arizona up 1-0.

                                                       Arizona strikes first

Jarren Duran singled to right to start the top of the second inning but Triston Casas flied out to right. Kike Hernandez struck out swinging and Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning. Josh Rojas grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second before Gabriel Moreno grounded out to third. Jake McCarthy grounded out to first to end the inning.

Reese McGuire grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Tapia grounded out to second. Verdugo walked and Turner flied out to right to end the inning. Geraldo Pedromo took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Smith struck out swinging. Marte flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth as Yoshida got a base hit down the line at third to begin. Duran struck out swinging but Casas got a base hit to center. Hernandez got a base hit to left to score Yoshida and chase Davies. Pablo Reyes pinch hit for Valdez and Kyle Nelson came in to face him. Reyes walked and McGuire dropped down a safety squeeze bunt to score Casas. Tapia struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                              Hernandez ties it up

Carroll flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Walker flied out to center. Gurriel Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tommy Henry came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Verdugo flied out to right to start. Turner grounded out to short and Yoshida flied out to left to end the inning. Whitlock returned for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth and Rojas grounded out to second to start. Moreno struck out swinging but McCarthy doubled to left. Perdomo grounded out to second to end the inning. Whitlock returned to allowed 3 hits and a run while striking out 4 batters.

                                                             Good work Whitlock

Duran caught the Dbacks asleep with a bunt that Henry threw away for an error to start the top of the sixth. Casas flied out to right and Austin Adams came in to pitch to Hernandez. Enrique struck out swinging and a wild pitch moved Duran to third. Reyes grounded out to short to end the inning. Kutter Crawford came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Smith grounded out to first to start. Marte and Carroll both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Scott McGough came in to pitch the top of the seventh and McGuire took strike three to start. Tapia lined out to right and Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning. Walker lined out to first to start the bottom of the seventh before Gurriel Jr popped up to short. Rojas struck out swinging to end the inning.

Turner struck out swinging to open the top of the eighth but Yoshida drew a walk. Duran and Casas both struck out swinging to end the inning. It looked like Moreno grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the eighth but Arizona manager Torey Lovullo challenged that he was safe. The umpires upheld the call and Crawford apparently jammed his ankle. Chris Martin came in to pitch and McCarthy grounded out to second. Pedromo flied out to right to end the inning.

Miguel Castro came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hernandez grounded out to third to start. Reyes lined out to left and McGuire grounded out to second to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Smith flied out to left to start. Marte flied out to center and Carroll struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it2-1.

                                                                   Sox win

Hero of The Night is Garrett Whitlock. He got the win with 5 gutty innings coming off the Injured List allowing just 1 run off 3 hits.

                                                            The Lock is The Hero

The Good:

Alex Verdugo walked twice in four plate appearances.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4.

Kutter Crawford tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings.

Chris Martin got the final 2 outs of the eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 11th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Raimel Tapia was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Justin Turner was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Pablo Reyes was 0 for 2 but walked.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Not having Trevor Story and Rafael Devers sucks but the pitching held up in this one. Garrett Whitlock tossed a gutty game but now Kutter Crawford might be hurt again. Hopefully he just jammed his ankle instead of spraining it. The real problem, as mentioned earlier, is the offense. They have a team of utility players right now and are too far behind in the standings to wait around for Devers and Story to come back. The Sox should be thinking about trading some prospects for another bat. The Tampa Bay Rays are red hot right now and Boston has to strike soon or it'll be another lost season. Not having a cavalcade of injuries in June and July would help too. Still, this was a good win against a tough team and hopefully the pitching continues to hold up. The win improved the Sox to 28-24, 9 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to take the series against Arizona tomorrow afternoon when Tanner Houck (3-3) takes on Merrill Kelly of the Diamondbacks. The game begins at 4:10 PM Eastern time at Chase Field.

Sale, Casas Wrangle The Diamondbacks (5/26/23)

The good news was the Boston Red Sox finally won a road game against a good team. Chris Sale (5-2, 4.72 ERA) tossed 5 strong innings while holding the Arizona Diamondbacks to just one run. The real star of this one was Triston Casas who had three big hits and an rbi. A Kike Hernandez two run shot iced the game in the top of the fourth. Josh Winckowski and Brennan Bernardino shut the door in relief and the Sox had beaten Arizona 7-2 at Chase Field.

                                                        Tiffany Stratton approves of the win

Brandon Pfaadt got the ball in the top of the first inning and Raimel Tapia grounded out to second to start. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging but Justin Turner doubled to left. Masataka Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning. Sale got the ball in the bottom of the first and Ketel Marte flied out to right to start. Emmanuel Rivera struck out swinging and Lourdes Gurriel Jr flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Rob Refsnyder got a base hit down the third base line to start. Triston Casas smacked a double to right to score Rob but Kike Hernandez struck out swinging. Enmanuel Valdez struck out swinging but Connor Wong hit a ground rule double down the left field line to score Casas. Tapia got a base hit to right to score Wong but Verdugo forced him at second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                          Tapia makes it 3-0

Christian Walker popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Evan Longoria lined out to third. Corbin Carroll singled to center but Nick Ahmed grounded out to short to end the inning.

Turner lined out to center to start the top of the third before Yoshida took strike three. Refsnyder flied out to right to end the inning. Jake McCarthy took strike three to start the bottom of the third before Jose Herrera got a base hit to right. Marte grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Casas got a base hit to right and Hernandez blasted his fourth home run of the season to ice the game. Valdez grounded out to first and Wong hit one up the elevator shaft, but Tapia got a base hit to right to chase Pfaadt. Luis Frias came in to allow Verdugo to get a base hit to center to move Tapia to third, but Turner struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 5-0.

                                                          Home run Hernandez

The Diamondbacks struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Rivera singled to right to start. Gurriel Jr tripled into the centerfield gap to score Rivera but Walker popped up to first. Longoria took strike three and Caroll grounded out to second to end the inning. Good work by Sale to strand Gurriel at third with nobody out and the Sox up 5-1.

                                                         Diamondbacks get a run back

Yoshida struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Refsnyder walked. Casas took strike three but Refsnyder stole second. Hernandez walked but Valdez lined out to center to end the inning. Sale returned for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth as Ahmed flied out to left to start. McCarthy walked and stole second but Herrera grounded out to short. A wild pitch moved McCarthy to third and Marte popped up to third to end the inning. That was it for Sale who threw just 73 pitches and allowed 4 hits, a run and a walk while striking out 3.

                                                              Short but sweet for Sale

The Sox got another run in the top of the sixth as Wong struck out swinging to start. Tapia grounded out to second but Verdugo doubled to right. Turner got a base hit to center to score Alex and Yoshida struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-1.

                                                              The cover of GQ

With a 5 run lead, Sox manager Alex Cora didn't want to stretch Sale so Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the top of the sixth. Rivera grounded out to short to start and Gurriel Jr struck out swinging. Walker popped up to third to end the inning.

Kevin Ginkel came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Refsnyder struck out swinging to start. Casas popped up to third and Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning. Pavin Smith pinch hit for Longoria and grounded out to short to start the bottom of the seventh. Carroll popped up to third and Geraldo Perdomo pinch hit for Ahmed. Perdomo flied out to left to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the eighth as Valdez struck out swinging to start. Wong doubled off the glove of Carroll but Tapia grounded out to short. Verdugo singled to left to score Wong but Turner grounded out to third to end the inning with Boston ahead 7-1.

                                                          Happy Sox bench

The Diamondbacks fought back in the bottom of the eighth as McCarthy grounded out to second to start. Herrera and Marte stroked back to back base hits and Rivera singled off the glove of Hernandez to score Herrera. Gurriel Jr forced Rivera at second and Walker flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                                 Arizona gets a run back

Jose Ruiz came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Yoshida grounded out to third to start. Refsnyder lined out to second but Casas doubled to center. Hernandez walked and Valdez flied out to center to end the inning. Brennan Bernardino came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Smith took strike three to start. Carroll popped up to second but Perdomo walked. Perdomo took second and third on defensive indifference and Gabriel Moreno pinch hit for McCarthy. Moreno popped up to Casas to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 7-2.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Triston Casas. His  double in the second started the rally that propelled the Sox to victory.

                                                                 Casas Hero

The Good:

Raimel Tapia was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with an rbi.

Justin Turner was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a 2 run home run.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Chris Sale got the win with 5 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 4 hits and a walk while striking out three.

Brennan Bernardino pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Josh Winckowski allowed a run in 3 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

I understand trying to handle Sale with kid gloves after his injury issues but you gotta let him off the leash soon. You don't want to burn out the bullpen early like they did in 2021 but still, a good win is a good win. Casas, Hernandez and Tapia were the stars of this one but the problem is two of them aren't the guys to carry a team. Still, with Trevor Story out and Rafael Devers getting the night off, scoring 7 runs without them is nothing to sneeze at. Winckowski ate up 3 innings so the bullpen should be ready to go tomorrow if needed. All in all the Sox needed to snap their four game losing streak against a good team and they did. The win improved the Sox to 27-24, 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Arizona tomorrow night when Garrett Whitlock (1-2) takes on Zach Davies of Arizona. The game begins at 7:15 PM Eastern time at Chase Field.

Angels Sweep Sox, Paxton Pounded (5/24/23)

The Boston Red Sox crashed down to earth big time as they dropped their fourth game in a row and third in a row to the Los Angeles Angels. James Paxton (1-1, 5.14 ERA) got shelled for 5 runs in just 3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of. The Sox got a run back off Ty Anderson on a Kike Hernandez doubled in the top of the fourth, but Mike Trout hit a two run bomb off Nick Pivetta in the bottom of the frame to ice it. The Sox bats scratched out two runs late in the game but it wasn't enough as the Angels completed the sweep 7-3 at Angel Stadium.

                                                           "Damn Paxton"

Anderson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Rob Refsnyder lined out to short to start. Justin Turner walked but Masataka Yoshida grounded into a double play to end the inning. Paxton got the ball in the bottom of the first and Taylor Ward flied out to right. Mike Trout and Shohei Ohtani both struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rafael Devers singled to center to open the top of the second but Kike Hernandez flied out to center. Pablo Reyes got a base hit to left but Devers was thrown out at third after Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. The Angels iced the game early in the bottom of the second as old friend Hunter Renfroe walked to start. Brandon Drury doubled down the left field line and Gio Urshela hit a sac fly to center to score Renfroe to put the Angels up for good just two innings into the game. Luis Rengifo struck out swinging but Chad Wallach walked. Zach Neto hit a home run all the way to Cuba to ice the game and Ward grounded out to third to end the inning with the Angels up 4-0.

                                                         Angels pour it on early

Raimel Tapia grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Duran took strike three. Refsnyder flied out to center to end the inning. The Angels struck again in the bottom of the third as Trout took strike three to start. Ohtani then hit a home run all the way to China to increase the lead. Remfroe lined out to right but Drury singled to right. Urshela walked but Rengifo took strike three to end the inning with the Angels up 5-0.

                                                        Home run Ohtani

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth although Turner flied out to center to start. Yoshida doubled to center but Devers flied out to left. Hernandez doubled to left to score Yoshida but Reyes grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                           Sox get one back

That was it for Paxton who allowed 5 runs in 3 innings and Nick Pivetta came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth. Wallach struck out swinging to start but Neto singled to center. Ward flied out to center but Trout clobbered a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to increase the lead. Ohtani popped up to short to end the inning with the Angels up 7-1.

                                                                Trout jacks one

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Wong flied out to left to start. Tapia walked but Duran took strike three. Refsnyder got a base hit to left but Turner grounded out to third to end the inning. Renfroe grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Drury popped up to second. Urshela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Yoshida grounded out to second to begin the top of the sixth before Devers lined out to short. Hernandez flied out to right to end the inning. Rengifo struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Wallach flied out to right. Neto hit a ground rule double down the left field line but Ward flied out to right to end the inning.

Reyes Moronta came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Reyes popped up to first. Wong somehow belted his fifth home run of the year to cut the lead and Tapia singled to right. Duran grounded out to second to move Tapia to second and Refsnyder walked. Both runners moved over on a wild pitch and Turner walked to load the bases. Chris Devenski came in to face Yoshida and Masa grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 7-2.

                                                        Wong hits one out

Justin Garza came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Trout grounded out to short to start. Ohtani grounded out to short and Renfroe flied out to left to end the inning.

Jared Walsh came in for Rengifo to start the top of the eighth and Devers grounded out to first to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and Reyes popped up to first to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Drury grounded out to third to start. Urshela popped up to second but Walsh walked. Wallach popped up to first to end the inning.

Aaron Loup came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Wong walked to start. Tapia grounded out to short to move Wong to second and Duran grounded out to second to move Connor to third. Refsnyder got a base hit to center to score Wong but Turner lined out to center to end the game. The Angels had won it 7-3.

                                                        Angels win

Jackass of the Night is James Paxton. He put the Sox in a early hole by allowing 5 runs in 3 innings to take the loss.

                                                              Jackass Paxton

The Good:

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a walk, home run and 2 runs scored.

Raimel Tapia was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Justin Garza pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Nick Pivetta allowed 2 runs in 3 innings.

The Ugly:

Justin Turner was 0 for 3 but walked twice.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Pablo Reyes was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

The best way to describe the Red Sox is they are treading water and making no progress. They nosedived off a cliff in 2022 and never really recovered. So far this season they've been outclassed by just about every team they've played and the Angels are no exception. Paxton didn't pitch well but the fact that Chaim Bloom banked on Trevor Story to replace Xander Bogaerts might cost him his job sooner rather than later. The offense just hasn't been there and it doesn't look like it will improve either. A whole season of meh might be in store. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-24, 9.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox continue their road trip by traveling to Arizona for a three game set with the Diamondbacks. This Friday night Chris Sale (4-2) takes on Brandon Pfaadt of the Diamondbacks at 9:40 PM Eastern time at Chase Field.

Angels Edge Sox Late (5/22/23)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The struggling Richard Bleier was sent down to Worcester and lefty Brennan Bernardino was called up. This is like re-arranging the deck chairs on the Titanic but something had to be done.

                                                                            OUT

                                                                    IN

As for the game, great pitcher's duel....too bad the Red Sox didn't win. Jaime Barria of the Los Angeles Angels and Tanner Houck of the Boston Red Sox locked into a duel for five innings with the only run scored on a Luis Rengifo rbi grounder. Masataka Yoshida tied it up in the sixth inning with an rbi single off Aaron Loup but the tide turned in the eighth inning. Mickey Moniak hit a back breaking home run off Kutter Crawford (1-2, 3.58 ERA) to put the Angels on top. The Sox did not have a base runner after Yoshida's single as the Angels bullpen locked it down to hand the Sox a 3-1 loss at Anaheim Stadium.

                                                          Jan's message to Kutter Crawford

Barria got the ball in the top of the first inning and Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to first and Justin Turner struck out swinging to end the inning. Houck got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mickey Moniak grounded out to first to start. Mike Trout struck out swinging but Shohei Ohtani walked. Old friend Hunter Renfroe lined out to third to end the inning.

Rafael Devers got a base hit to right to start the top of the second but Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Triston Casas popped up to third and Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning. The Angels struck first in the bottom of the second as Jared Walsh flied out to right to start. Brandon Drury walked but Matt Thaiss got a base hit to right to move Brandon to third. Luis Rengifo grounded out to first to score Drury. Zach Neto was hit with a pitch and Moniak got a base hit to right to load the bases, but Trout struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 1-0.

                                                         Rengifo drives in a run

Pablo Reyes popped up to second to start the top of the third before Connor Wong popped up to third. Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning. Ohtani struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Renfroe took strike three. Walsh went down hacking to end the inning. 

Yoshida got a base hit to left to start the top of the fourth inning but Turner swung at air for strike three. Devers flied out to center and Duran went down hacking to end the inning. Drury singled in the hole at short to begin the bottom of the fourth but Thaiss grounded into a double play. Rengifo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. 

Casas struck out swinging to begin the top of the fifth before Valdez lined out to first. Reyes lined out to center to end the inning. Neto grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fifth before Moniak struck out swinging. Trout grounded out to second to end the inning. 

The Sox fought back against Aaron Loup now on the mound for the top of the sixth. Wong doubled to left to start and moved to third on a grounder to short by Verdugo. Yoshida got a base hit to right to score Wong with the tying run. Chris Devenski came in to pitch to Turner and Justin banged into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                         Yoshida drives in a run

Houck returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and Ohtani struck out swinging to start. Renfroe grounded back to the mound and Walsh took strike three to end the inning. Houck allowed just 1 run in 6 innings off 3 hits and 2 walks.

                                                       Houck deserved better

Devers' bunt attempt was snuffed out by Devenski to begin the top of the seventh and Duran grounded out to third. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. Kutter Crawford came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Drury doubled to left to start. Thaiss struck out swinging, Rengifo hit one up the elevator shaft and Zeto grounded out to short to end the inning.

Chase Silseth came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Valdez struck out swinging to start. Raimel Tapia pinch hit for Reyes and grounded out to third. Wong struck out swinging to end the inning. The Angels struck in the bottom of the eighth with Kike Hernandez taking over at short. Moniak hit a home run all the way to Cuba to put the Angels up for good. Trout walked but Ohtani lined out to right. Renfroe and Walsh both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Angels up 2-1.

                                                                    Moniak ices it

Gio Urshela came in for Rengifo to start the top of the ninth and Verdugo grounded out to second to begin. Yoshida flied out to left and Turner grounded out to third to end the game. The Angels had won it 2-1.

                                                                   Angels win

Jackass of the Night is Kutter Crawford. He served up the meatball to Moniak that cost the Sox the game.

                                                              Jackass Crawford

The Good:

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Tanner Houck tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 3 hits and 2 walks while striking out 8.

The Bad:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Justin Turner was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Pablo Reyes was 0 for 2.

Raimel Tapia was 0 for 1 at the plate.

The Ugly:

None

Honorable Mention:

Kike Hernandez played short in the ninth inning.

Final Thoughts:

That was a tough loss to swallow considering Houck pitched very well but when your offense is borderline useless, that's the breaks. The Sox had just 4 hits in the game and was held in check by everyone but Aaron Loup. Because of their inability to remain patient at the plate, they had just four baserunners in the game and that's not going to get the job done. Devers is hitting just .254 and Casas is hitting .176, that's why they're not scoring as many runs when two guys you depend on aren't hitting well. The less said of this game, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 26-22, 8.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night against the Angels when Brayan Bello (3-1) gets the start against Griffin Canning of the Angels. The game begins at 9:30 PM Eastern time at Anaheim Stadium.