Sox Rally Past Rays (10/3/22)

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

                                                                              OUT

                                                                          IN

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

                                                      Allen Webster approves of the win

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

                                                              Rays strike first

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

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

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

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

                                                          Margot hits one out

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

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

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

                                                            Sox tie it up

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

                                                          McGuire's mad dash home

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

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

                                                                 Sox win

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

                                                                    Hero Devers

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Reese McGuire was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

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

John Schreiber got the win with a scoreless seventh inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Triston Casas was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

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

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 3 but walked.

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

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

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

Honorable Mention:

Yu Chang played short in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

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

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

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

                                                         TJ Jackson approves of the win

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

                                                              Devers scores a run

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

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

                                                           Home run Almonte

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

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

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

                                                        Hill gets it done

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

                                                       Home run Verdugo

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

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

                                                          Chirinos goes yard

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

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

                                                                Sox win

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

                                                                        Hero Hil

The Good:

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

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

Triston Casas was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Abraham Almonte was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

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

The Bad:

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 3.

Kaleb Ort allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4.

Honorable Mention:

Christian Arroyo played center in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

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

Yankees Late Rally Sink Sox (9/23/22)

One thing is for sure when it comes time to turn the page to 2023, next year's Boston Red Sox team better be able to beat the AL East. It was very evident that they couldn't in 2022. It didn't matter the circumstances, other teams in the division all found ways to win against them. Tonight was no different as the Red Sox once again were dispatched late by the New York Yankees. The Sox did score first when Tommy Pham took Gerrit Cole deep in the top of the first but the Yankees scored four runs against Rich Hill to take a commanding lead. Suddenly Alex Verdugo hit a 3 run bomb off Cole to tie the game in the sixth. In the bottom of the eighth, Jose Trevino hit a two out rbi single off Matt Strahm to put the Yankees up for good. The Sox did manage to put two runners on in the ninth but Abraham Almonte and Reese McGuire failed to bring in a run and the Yankees had beaten the Red Sox 5-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                       "We lost to the Yankees again??"

The Sox wasted no time getting to Cole to start the top of the first inning as Enrique Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging but Tommy Pham belted his 17th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Alex Verdugo doubled to right but JD Martinez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Pham goes yard

Hill got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Aaron Judge struck out swinging to start. Giancarlo Stanton flied out to right and Gleyber Torres grounded out to third to end the inning.

Triston Casas struck out swinging to open the top of the second and Rob Refsnyder grounded out to first. Reese McGuire popped up to center to end the inning. Josh Donaldson flied out to right to begin the bottom of the second but Oswaldo Cabrera singled to right. Jose Trevino flied out to left and Isiah Kiner-Falefa struck out swinging to end the inning.

Yu Chang grounded out to short to start the top of the third but Hernandez singled to center. Devers struck out swinging and Hernandez was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Yankees tied it in the bottom of the third as Marwin Gonzalez struck out swinging to start. Aaron Hicks hit a home run all the way to Neptune to tie the game. Judge flied out to left and Stanton popped up to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                           Hicks goes yard

Pham lined out to left to start the top of the fourth and Verdugo took strike three. Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning. Torres walked to begin the bottom of the fourth but was immediately picked off. Donaldson singled to center and Refsnyder booted the ball for an error. Cabrera and Trevino both flied out to center to end the inning.

Casas walked to begin the top of the fifth but Refsnyder lined out to short. McGuire grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Yankees took command in the bottom of the fifth as Kiner singled to center to start. Gonzalez walked and Hicks got a base hit to left to score Kiner. Judge struck out swinging and Stanton flied out to right to move Gonzalez to third. Torres got a base hit to left and Pham threw the ball away to allow Gonzalez & Hicks to score. Donaldson grounded out to short to end the inning with the Yankees up 4-1. That was it for Hill who allowed 4 runs off 6 hits and 2 walks.

                                                           Not good enough

Suddenly the Sox answered in the top of the sixth as Chang struck out swinging to start. Hernandez doubled to right and Devers walked, but Pham struck out swinging. Verdugo then launched his 10th home run of the season to tie the game. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.

                                                                Verdugo ties it up

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Cabrera flied out to center to start. Trevino struck out swinging and Kiner popped up to short to end the inning.

Ron Marinaccio came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Casas walked. Refsnyder and McGuire both struck out swinging before Chang grounded out to second to end the inning. Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Gonzalez popped up to third to start. Hicks took strike three but Judge got a base hit to left. Stanton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jonathan Loaisiga came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Hernandez grounded out to third to start. Devers and Pham both grounded out to first to end the inning. Matt Strahm came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Torres struck out looking to start. Donaldson grounded out to short but Harrison Bader pinch hit for Cabrera. Bader walked and Strahm threw the pickoff throw away to move Bader to third. Trevino ripped a base hit to center to score Bader to put the Yankees up for good. Kiner walked and Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 5-4.

                                                           Yankees take the lead

Verdugo struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth but Martinez singled inside the third base bag. Bobby Dalbec ran for Martinez and Casas singled to right. Abraham Almonte pinch hit for Refsnyder with Connor Wong pinch running for Casas. Almonte took strike three and McGuire grounded out to first to end the game. The Yankees had won it 5-4.

                                                                   Yankees win

Jackass of The Night is Matt Strahm. He allowed the go-ahead run in the bottom of the eighth partly due to his own error.

                                                             Thanks a lot, Jackass

The Good:

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a 3 run home run.

Triston Casas was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Zack Kelly pitched a scoreless inning.

Kaleb Ort pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with an error and a strikeout.

Abraham Almonte struck out as a pinch hitter.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

You Chang was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rich Hill allowed 4 runs in 5 innings off 6 hits and 2 walks.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Tommy Pham was just 1 for 4 with 2 errors but the one hit was a home run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Honorable Mention:

Connor Wong ran for Triston Casas in the ninth.

Bobby Dalbec pinch ran for JD Martinez in the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

Now that the Red Sox are just about mathematically eliminated, the Sox have to look to next year to right the ship. Chaim Bloom went cheap by going after Michael Wacha, James Paxton and Rich Hill and paid for it. When Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale went down, the season was over right then and there. They got absolutely murdered by the AL East in June and July and never really could beat the teams after August either. The Yankees just won back to back games in the late innings and it has to be in the minds of the players themselves. Just when they think they can win, everything goes wrong. Matt Strahm has been solid all year and now this happens. Alex Cora pinch hitting Abraham Almonte in the ninth was inexcusable but that's more to do with his limitations than anything. He deserves to be fired for blowing last year's ALCS but the starting rotation was decimated this year, I doubt they'll fire him for something out of his control. One thing is for sure, Bloom & the Red Sox need to spend actual money this off-season. The rumors are that Eovaldi, Bogaerts and Martinez are gonners and if that's true, why bother watching next year? Rolling out a broken down Chris Sale, Nick Pivetta, Kutter Crawford, etc doesn't exactly inspire confidence. The less said, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 72-78, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to salvage this series tomorrow afternoon when Nick Pivetta gets the ball for the Sox against Domingo German of New York. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.

Royals Blank Sox (9/17/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a bizarre roster move. Kevin Plawecki was designated for assignment with just 18 games left in the season. He was a serviceable backup for 3 seasons and it looks like they're gonna go with a tandem of Reese McGuire and Connor Wong. Still, you won't let him finish the season? In his place the Sox called up relief pitcher Franklin German. The Sox got German from the Yankees along with Adam Ottavino before last season and hopefully he can be better than Jeurys Familia.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, the Red Sox looked totally lifeless against the worthless Kansas City Royals. With the season on the line, Rich Hill (7-7, 4.61 ERA) laid an egg by getting knocked out in the fifth inning after allowing 4 runs. Meanwhile Brady Singer held the supposedly high power offense to no runs and 5 hits in 6 innings. Rookie Frankin German made his ML debut by getting shelled for 4 runs without getting an out. Tyler Danish gave up a run as well for good measure. The Sox were blanked by the Royals 9-0 at Fenway Park. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Hill got the ball in the top of the first inning and MJ Melendez grounded back to the mound to start. Bobby Witt Jr took strike three but Salvador Perez got a base hit to left. Vinnie Pasquantino flied out to center to end the inning. Singer got the ball in the bottom of the first as Tommy Pham took strike three to start. Rafael Devers flied out to left and JD Martinez was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Michael Taylor grounded out to third to begin the top of the second before Edward Olivares lined out to left. Michael Massey struck out swinging to end the inning. Witt Jr booted a grounder by Alex Verdugo for an error to start the bottom of the second but was immediately picked off. Christian Arroyo got a base hit to left but Triston Casas grounded into a double play to end the inning.

The Royals struck first in the top of the third as Hunter Dozier grounded out to second to start. Nate Eaton singled in the hole at short and promptly stole second. Melendez got a base hit to right to score Eaton then took second on a grounder to short by Witt Jr. Perez ripped a base hit to center to score Melendez to ice the game. Pasquantino struck out swinging to end the inning with the Royals up 2-0.

                                                                Perez drives in a run

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the third as Kike Hernandez singled to left to start. Yu Chang walked and Connor Wong singled in the hole at short to load the bases with nobody out. Naturally Pham hit one up the elevator shaft, Devers took strike three and Martinez popped up to first to end the inning. Couldn't even get the ball out of the infield.

Taylor grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Olivares singled to center. Olivares took second on a balk but Massey flied out to right to move Olivares to third. Dozier struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Royals finished off Hill in the top of the fifth as Eaton flied out to left to start. Melendez got a base hit to right and stole second. Witt Jr singled in the hole at short to score Melendez but Perez flied out to left. Pasquantino dumped a base hit to right....booted for Verdugo for an error to score Witt Jr. That was it for Hill who got croaked for 4 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Ryan Brasier came in and struck Taylor out swinging to end the inning with the Royals up 4-0.

                                                           Hill didn't have it today

Hernandez singled in the hole at short to start the bottom of the fifth but Chang lined out to short. Wong struck out swinging but Pham flied out to left to end the inning.

Franklin German pissed down his leg in his major league debut to start the top of the sixth. Olivares walked, Massey singled to right and Dozier walked to load the bases with nobody out. Eaton singled to center to score Olivares and chase German. Eduard Bazardo poured gas on the fire as Melendez grounded beat out a double play ball to score Massey and Witt Jr got a base hit to right to score Dozier. Perez hit one up the elevator shaft and Pasquantino singled to right to score Melendez. Taylor grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals up 8-0.

                                                 "Thanks a lot Bazardo" - German

Devers got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the sixth but Martinez flied out to left. Verdugo struck out swinging and Arroyo grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Olivares doubled to right to start the top of the seventh but Massey lined out to first. Dozier grounded out to short and Eaton flied out to center to end the inning. Brad Keller came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Casas grounded out to short to start. Hernandez popped up to second and Chang struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tyler Danish came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Melendez doubled to left to start. Witt Jr grounded out to short and Perez did the same. Pasquantino got a base hit to right to score Melendez to wrap up the scoring. Taylor popped up to center to end the inning with the Royals up 9-0.

                                                     Another rbi for Pasquantino

Carlos Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Wong grounded out to third to start. Pham grounded out to second and Devers lined out to center to end the inning.

Danish returned for the top of the ninth and Olivares popped up to second to start. Massey struck out swinging and Dozier grounded out to third to end the inning. Anthony Misiewicz came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Martinez flied out to right to start. Verdugo grounded out to second but Arroyo got a base hit to left. Casas flied out to left to end the game. The Royals shut out the Red Sox 9-0.

                                                "GADZOOKS this game sucked!" - Arroyo

Jackass of the Night is Rich Hill. He allowed 4 runs in 4 2/3 innings to put the Sox in a position to fail.

                                                                 Nice game Jackass

The Good:

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 4.

Kike Hernandez was 2 for 3.

Connor Wong was 1 for 3.

Ryan Brasier got the only batter he faced.

The Bad:

Tommy Pham was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout and an error.

Triston Casas was 0 for 4.

Franklin German was charged with 4 runs without getting an out.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Yu Chang was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Eduard Bazardo allowed 4 inherited runners to score but none of his own in 2 innings.

Tyler Danish allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

With the season all but over it looks like the Sox have given up. Yes Xander Bogaerts didn't play but where was the power from Devers and Martinez? Where was the contact from Pham and Verdugo? It was a totally lifeless performance. Rich Hill didn't have it but the bullpen didn't either. Frank German got lit up and Eduard Bazardo didn't help by allowing all those runners to score. It was an all around failure from the whole team on both sides of the ball. If Chaim Bloom isn't fired after this disaster, what will it take? 2 last place finishes in 3 years is inexcusable, especially with the rumors the Sox aren't signing any of their free agents back. To think they came within two games of the world series to THIS is disgusting. The less said of this game and this season, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 70-75, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to salvage the series tomorrow afternoon when Nick Pivetta (9-11) takes on Kris Bubic of Kansas City. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Blank O's (9/11/22)

Before the game the Worcester Red Sox released Hirokazu Sawamura thus ending his tumultuous tenure with the Boston Red Sox. He was apart of The A-Team that kept the Sox in first place from April to July of 2021 but injuries and overuse killed the momentum. Sawamura was never the same, getting demoted after putting up a 3.76 ERA (which wasn't really that bad) and choosing to go home rather than finish the season in Worcester. So long Hiro The Hero.

                                                                  Bye bye Sawamura

As for the game, it took until the 142nd game of the season but the Red Sox finally won a series against an AL East team. The Sox BARELY beat the Baltimore Orioles but a win is win whether its by one run or ten. Rich Hill (7-6, 4.56 ERA) held the O's scoreless through five innings while a first inning sac fly by Xander Bogaerts proved to be the only run of the game. The much maligned Red Sox bullpen managed to toss four shutout innings, the last of which was a save by Matt Barnes to put the game away. The Sox had beaten the Orioles 1-0 at Camden Yards.

                                                     Trashcan Carla approves of the win

Kyle Bradish got the ball to start the top of the first and Tommy Pham got a base hit to right. Pham stole second and moved to third on a Alex Verdugo grounder to second. Xander Bogaerts hit a sac fly to center to score Pham and Rafael Devers grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                        Bogaerts drives in the only run

Rich Hill got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Ryan McKenna struck out swinging to start. Anthony Santander took strike three and Ryan Mountcastle flied out to left to end the inning.

Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the top of the second inning and JD Martinez grounded out to third. Triston Casas flied out to left to end the inning. Ramon Urias grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second before Jesus Aguilar popped up to short. Austin Hays singled to right but Jorge Mateo forced him at second to end the inning.

Kike Hernandez walked to start the top of the third and Connor Wong dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Pham popped up to first and Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning. Rougned Odor struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Robinson Chirinos also went down hacking. McKenna walked and Santander got a base hit to center, but Mountcastle flied out to left to end the inning.

Bogaerts walked to start the top of the fourth but Devers grounded into a double play. Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Urias lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Aguilar struck out swinging. Hays walked and Mateo flied out to right to end the inning.

Martinez reached first on catcher's interference to start the top of the fifth but Casas grounded into a double play. Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Hill returned for one last inning in the bottom of the fifth and Odor was hit with a pitch to start. Chirinos walked but McKenna popped up a bunt to third. Santander and Mountcastle struck out swinging to end the inning. Hill lasted just 5 innings but didn't allow a run on 2 hits and 3 walks.

                                                       Not great but it'll do

Wong struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Pham popped up to second. Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. John Schreiber came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Urias grounded back to the mound to start. Gunnar Henderson pinch hit for Aguilar and struck out swinging, but Hays singled down the third base line. Mateo forced Hays at second to end the inning.

Bogaerts lined out to center to start the top of the seventh before Devers got a base hit to left. Story grounded into a double play to end the inning. Christian Arroyo took over for Story with Matt Strahm now on the mound for the bottom of the seventh. Odor was hit with a pitch to start before moving to second on a balk. Chirinos struck out swinging before McKenna grounded out to third. Odor stole third but Santander struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bryan Baker came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Martinez flied out to right to start. Casas struck out swinging but Hernandez walked. Wong took strike three to end the inning. Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mountcastle struck out swinging to start. Urias struck out swinging but Henderson walked. It looked like Hays forced Henderson at second but Brandon Hyde the Orioles manager challenged that Henderson was safe. The call was upheld and the inning was over.

Dillon Tate took over on the mound with Terrin Vavra in for McKenna and Cedric Mullins in for Odor to start the top of the ninth. Pham took strike three but Verdugo and Bogaerts stroked back to back base hits to chase Tate. Cionel Perez came in and Devers struck out swinging, but Arroyo walked to load the bases. Martinez flied out to left to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Mateo struck out swinging to begin. Mullins struck out swinging and Adley Rutschman pinch hit for Chirinos. Rutschman lined out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 1-0.

                                                                  Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rich Hill. His 5 shutout innings were enough to help the Sox take the eventual victory. He allowed 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7

                                                             Hero Hill

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.

Christian Arroyo walked as a pinch hitter.

Kike Hernandez walked twice in three plate appearances.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless sixth inning.

Matt Strahm pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

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

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Connor Wong was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base and scored a run.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

How pathetic is it that the Red Sox took until there were just 22 games left in the season to win their first series of the year against an AL East team? Even if they were just halfway competent against them, they'd be in a playoff spot. As it is, they're just about mathematically eliminated. Still, a win is a win. Hill stayed tough for 5 innings but the bullpen held on in this one. All the injuries to the rotation sapped the bullpen this year but they put in a yeoman's effort in this one. Bogaerts got the only run of the game which is also sad considering the Sox offense is supposed to be elite. With Nathan Eovaldi, Bogaerts and Martinez on their way out, them lighting it up would look good in free agency. Too bad Bogaerts and Martinez aren't exactly doing that. Just another lost season and another nail in the coffin of the Chaim Bloom regime. The win improved the Sox to 69-72, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to start a winning streak with a two game set with the New York Yankees at home beginning on Tuesday night. Nick Pivetta takes on Gerrit Cole at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rays Crush Hill, Sox (9/6/22)

When the gravestone for the 2022 Boston Red Sox is finally cemented in a week or so, let it be known the primary cause of death was the AL East. The Sox absolutely could not beat any team in the AL East. The Tampa Bay Rays made it two in a row against the Sox to take the series by bashing around Rich Hill (6-6, 4.79 ERA) for 5 runs in just 4 innings. Randy Arozarena hit a 3 run first inning home run but rookie Triston Casas answered with his first career homer in the top of the second. The Rays got two more runs off hill and two more home runs off Eduard Bazardo. Francisco Mejia provided the final run for the Rays as they knocked out the Red Sox 8-4 at Tropicana Field.

                                                 Sox fans realizing they can't beat the AL East

JT Chargois got the ball in the top of the first inning and Tommy Pham struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo flied out to center and Xander Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning. The Rays pounced on Hill in the bottom of the first as Yandy Diaz doubled to right to start. Old pal Manny Margot beat out a roller to second and Randy Arozarena hit a three run home run to end the game just like that. Harold Ramirez walked but Isaac Parades struck out swinging. Francisco Mejia lined out to right and Christian Bethancourt grounded out to third to end the inning.

                                                            Rays jump ahead early

The Sox fought back in the top of the second as Rafael Devers popped up to third to start. Trevor Story lined out to left but Christian Arroyo singled to right. Triston Casas belted his first career home run to cut the lead, but Kike Hernandez flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                  First of the year for Casas

Yu Chang singled to left to start the bottom of the second before Jose Siri flied out to center. Yandy Diaz grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Garrett Cleavinger came in to pitch the top of the third and Reese McGuire singled to left to start. Pham forced Reese at second and Verdugo flied out to left. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rays struck again in the bottom of the third as Margo dropped down a bunt to catch the Sox asleep to start. Arozarena doubled to left and Ramirez dropped a base hit to left. Both runners scored but Ramirez was thrown out at second. Paredes grounded out to third but Mejia beat out a roller to first. Bethancourt beat out a roller to third but Chang struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays up 5-2.

                                                      Rays pour it on

Devers flied out to center to open the top of the fourth but Story walked. Arroyo and Casas both struck out swinging to end the inning. Siri took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Diaz flied out to right. Margot grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Hill who allowed 5 runs in just 4 innings.

                                                           Hill wasn't good enough

Calvin Faucher came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Hernandez lined out to center. McGuire grounded out to third and Pham struck out swinging to end the inning. Eduard Bazardo came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Arozarena flied out to center to start. Ramirez struck out swinging and Parades took strike three to end the inning.

Brooks Raley came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Verdugo got a base hit to center to start. Bogaerts grounded into a double play and Devers grounded out to third to end the inning. The Rays poured it on in the bottom of the sixth as Mejia grounded out to second to start. Bethancourt hit a home run all the way to Santo Domingo and then Chang hit a home run off the roof of the dome. Siri flied out to right but Diaz was hit with a pitch. Diaz took second on a wild pitch and Margot struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays up 7-2.

                                                              Rays are all smiles

Story took strike three to start the top of the seventh before Arroyo lined out to right. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. Tyler Danish came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh with Rob Refsnyder taking over for Bogaerts. Arozarena doubled to center to start before Ramirez grounded out to short. A wild pitch moved Arozarena to third but Paredes struck out swinging. Mejia doubled to center to score Arozarena but Bethancourt grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 8-2.

                                                              Rays get another run

The Sox had one last gasp against old pal Jalen "Twin" Beeks in the top of the eighth. Hernandez flied out to center to begin but McGuire walked. Pham then blasted a home run to cut the lead in half. Verdugo singled past the pitcher but Refsnyder forced him at second. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

                                                            Home run Pham

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Chang walked to start. Siri struck out swinging and Diaz grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Jason Adam came in to close out the top of the ninth and Story went down hacking to start. Arroyo popped up to left and Casas struck out swinging to end the game. The Rays had won it 8-4.

                                                                  Rays win

Jackass of The Night is Rich Hill. He allowed 5 early runs to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                             Jackass Hill

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4.

Reese McGuire was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Ryan Brasier tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 1.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Kike Hernandez was 0 for 3.

Eduard Bazardo allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.

Tyler Danish allowed a run in an inning of work.

The Ugly:

Tommy Pham was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but hit a 2 run home run.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but hit a 2 run home run.

Final Thoughts:

All it took was two games against the Tampa Bay Rays to send the Sox back to reality and pretty much out of the playoffs. When push came to shove against the AL East, the Sox just couldn't get it done. The sad part was they have a winning record against any other division but just couldn't beat Tampa, Toronto, New York or Baltimore. Hill got hammered in this game but so did the bullpen. The Sox bats were silenced by a bullpen game by Tampa and that's pretty embarrassing. The Sox need their offense to stay hot but its too little, too late. Sox GM Craig Breslow bargain bin shopping for starting pitchers didn't work but can't predict the entire rotation getting hurt. The bad news is the rumors are getting louder of Nathan Eovaldi, JD Martinez and Bogaerts are as good as gone in free agency. Hopefully they can keep them, but its doubtful. The loss dropped the Sox to 67-70, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to salvage the season tomorrow night when Nick Pivetta takes on old pal Jeffrey Springs of Tampa. The game begins at 6:30 PM at Tropicana Field.