Porcello, Sox Rout Rangers (9/25/19)

If this was the final appearance of "Slick" Rick Porcello (14-12, 5.52 ERA) in a Boston Red Sox uniform, at least he went out with a quality start. The impending free agent won his 14th game of the season and 73rd in a Sox uniform with 6 innings of 3 run ball against the Texas Rangers. The Sox fell behind 3-0 in the first inning but tied the game with a rally in the top of the second. Christian Vazquez pounded his 23rd home run of the season to give the Sox the lead they wouldn't relinquish. Even though the Sox have nothing to play for, they won the game going away 10-3 at Arlington Park.

                                          Assistant D.A. Casey Novak approves of the win

Kolby Allard got the ball for the Rangers in the top of the first and Andrew Benintendi led off by striking out swinging on a full count. Rafael Devers grounded out to first and Bogaerts lined out to short to end the inning. Porcello got roughed up in the bottom of the first inning as Shin-Soo Choo doubled to right and moved to third on the Elvis Andrus base hit. Willie Calhoun was plunked to load the bases and Rougned Odor pounded a double to right. Choo and Andrus scored easy and Calhoun tried for home. Gorkys Hernandez fired home....YER OUTTA THERE! Odor took third but Calhoun was out at the plate. Danny Santana hit a hard ground out to second but Ronald Guzman singled home Odor. Scott Heineman grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 3-0 Rangers.

                                                      Calhoun is OUT!

The Sox wasted no time getting back in the game as JD Martinez led off the top of the second inning with a base hit to left. Martinez was erased on the Christian Vazquez force and Mitch Moreland singled Christian to third. Gorkys Hernandez drew a walk to load the bases and Jackie Bradley Jr scored JD with a ground out to put the Sox on the board. Chris Owings got a base hit to center, scoring Moreland and Hernandez to tie the game. Benintendi flied out to left to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 3-3.

                                                    Owings gets it done

Porcello was solid in the bottom of the second although Delino DeShields Jr singled to left to begin. Tim Federowicz went down swinging and Choo flied out to center, but DeShields stole second. Andrus was rung up for strike three to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the third although Devers grounded out to first to start. Bogaerts got a base hit to right but Martinez lined out to right. Vazquez then crushed his 23rd home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Hernandez lined out to center to end the inning but the Sox were on top 5-3.

                                                  Vazquez puts the Sox ahead

All of a sudden Vazquez keeled over in the dugout clutching his leg. Christian had to be hauled off on a gurney and rushed to the local ICU as Sandy Leon came in to catch the bottom of the third with Nick Solak pinch hitting for Calhoun. Solak singled to center but Odor whiffed. Santana was plunked but Porcello froze both Guzman and Heineman for strike three to end the inning.

Former Sox manager John Farrell's son Luke came in to pitch the top of the fourth and he walked JBJ to start. Owings took strike three and JBJ was thrown out at second trying to steal. Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning. Porcello cruised in the bottom of the fourth as DeShields Jr popped up to second to start. Federowicz struck out swinging and Choo grounded out to second to end the inning.

Farrell cruised in the top of the fifth as Devers watched strike three go by to start. Bogaerts flied out to right and Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning. Porcello matched Farrell as Andrus popped up to short to start before Solak grounded out to short. Odor was called out on strikes to end the inning.

The Sox got some insurance against new pitcher Brett Martin in the top of the sixth inning. Santana threw a routine grounder by Leon away and Moreland made Danny pay by crushing his 19th home run of the season to add to the lead. Hernandez and JBJ both whiffed but Owings singled to right. Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-3.

                                                     Moreland goes yard

Porcello finished with a flurry in the bottom of the sixth as Santana lined out to second to start. Guzman took strike three and Heineman lined out to left to end the inning. If that was Porcello's last start in a Sox uniform, it was a good one. He had some trouble in the first but tossed zeroes the rest of the way, leaving after 6 innings of 3 run ball.

                                                  One final win for Slick Rick

The Sox got another run in the top of the seventh when Devers greeted new pitcher Jonathan Hernandez with his 32nd home run of the year. Bogaerts whiffed, Martinez grounded out to second and Leon lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.

                                                  Devers with another home run

Trevor Kelley came in for the bottom of the seventh and DeShields Jr grounded out to first to start. Federowicz grounded out to short and Sox manager Alex Cora did some situational practice for next year when he brought in lefty Josh Taylor to face the lefty Choo. Taylor got Choo to ground out to first on the first pitch to end the inning.

Moreland led off the top of the eighth with a base hit to third but Hernandez flied out to left. JBJ and Owings both went down hacking to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came on for the bottom of the eighth and Andrus flied out to right to start. Solak went down swinging but Odor walked and Santana doubled him to third. Guzman grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox had one last rally in the top of the ninth against Ian Gibaut as Benintendi walked to start. Devers doubled him to third and Bogaerts scored Andrew with a sac fly. Martinez got a base hit to right to score Devers to wrap up the scoring. Sam Travis pinch ran for Martinez and Leon drew a walk, but Moreland whiffed to chase Gibaut. Taylor Guerriri got Hernandez to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-3.

Marco Hernandez came in for Bogaerts to play second with Owings moving to short and with Andrew Cashner on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Heineman whiffed, DeShields Jr grounded out to short and Federiwicz whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won their second straight against the Rangers with a 10-3 win.

Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. His two run home run put the Sox up for good

                                                    Hero Vazquez



The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Mitch Moreland was 4 for 5 with a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Chris Owings was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.

Rick Porcello got the win with 6 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed 6 hits while striking out 8.

Trevor Kelley got the only two men he faced out.

Josh Taylor retired the only batter he faced.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Andrew Cashner pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

None



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 2 but walked and scored.

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.



Honorable Mention:

Sam Travis pinch ran for Martinez in the top of the ninth.

Marco Hernandez played second in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Just 4 games left in this dreary season but at least the Sox have some positives to look forward to. Devers & Vazquez really stepped up in not only this game but this season as well and Josh Taylor could be a lefty specialist on next year's team. Porcello could leave in free agency so if this was the end, thanks for the 73 wins, Cy Young award and the ring. The season may be down the drain but at least the Sox offense is still out there fighting. As long as they don't trade Betts and keep relatively healthy, next year's offense is still going to be deadly. As for this game, least they won which is more than what other teams in September can say. The meaningless win improved the Sox to a ho-hum 83-75 record with 4 games left. Tomorrow its another one of those damn bullpen games as Travis Lakins gets the "start" as the Sox look to sweep the Rangers. Mike Minor goes for the Rangers with the game set to be played at 1:05 PM locally at Arlington Park.

Rays Walkoff Sox in 11, Sox Eliminated (9/20/19)

In a season full of disappointments, the Boston Red Sox added another chapter to their dismal season. The Sox have had trouble coming back in the later innings all season. Tonight they trailed 4-2 going into the 9th inning against the playoff bound Tampa Bay Rays. Somehow Mitch Moreland clubbed a game tying home run...only for Willy Adames to hit a walkoff single in the bottom of the 11th to give the game to the Rays. Once again the Sox failed to win a game when trailing but at least they showed some heart for once. Still, the Rays took another step closer to the playoffs as the Sox were officially eliminated with a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.

                                                  Another loss

Rays starter Charlie Morton started his dominance in the top of the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to second to begin. Christian Vazquez whiffed and Rafael Devers took strike three to end the inning. "Slick" Rick Porcello matched Morton in the bottom of the first inning as Joey Wendle lined out to right to start. Austin Meadows popped up to third and Tommy Pham took strike three to start.

Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single to third to start the top of the second before Andrew Benintendi popped up to third. Brock "The Hitman" Holt took strike three before Mitch Moreland grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ji-Man Choi whiffed to start the bottom of the second before Travis d'Arnaud grounded out to third. Kevin Kiermaier missed a home run by inches before grounding to the mound to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Marco Hernandez whiffed. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning. Andrew Benintendi started clutching his hand and had to be loaded onto an ambulance as Gorkys Hernandez replaced him in left to start the bottom of the third. Avisail Garcia and Matt Duffy stroked back to back singles but Adames whiffed. Wendle flied out to left and Meadows whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth as Vazquez grounded out to second to begin. Devers grounded out to second but Bogaerts singled to center. Hernandez walked but Holt whiffed to end the inning. Porcello fanned Pham to start the bottom of the fourth but Choi singled to right. d'Arnaud flied out to center before Kiermaier flied out to left to end the inning.

The duel continued in the top of the fifth as Moreland grounded out to first to start. JBJ whiffed but Hernandez beat out an infield single. Mr. Mookie popped up to third to end the inning. Porcello matched Morton in the bottom of the fifth as Garcia grounded out to short to start. Duffy was rung up for strike three and Adames grounded out to third to end the inning.

Morton cruised in the top of the sixth as Vazquez whiffed to start. Devers flied out to left before Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Porcello was equally tough in the bottom of the sixth as Wendle flied out to center to begin. Meadows grounded out to first and Pham lined out to center to end the inning. Typical 2019 Red Sox, Porcello sucks all year but the one time he tosses a shutout, the Sox don't score.

                                                6 shutout innings for Porcello

The Sox broke the deadlock in the top of the seventh although Gorkys Hernandez whiffed to start. Holt doubled and Moreland pounded his 16th home run of the year to give the Sox the lead. That was it for Morton as Oliver Drake came in to punch out JBJ and get Marco Hernandez to ground out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                   Moreland puts the Sox on top

In a season full of bad decisions, Sox manager Alex Cora made another one when he lifted Porcello after just 87 pitches and throwing a shutout. At first Darwinzon Hernandez coming in looked like a good move when he struck out Choi, but d'Arnaud singled. Jesus Aguilar pinch hit for Kiermaier and walked. Guillermo Heredia ran for Aguilar and Michael Brosseau hit for Garcia. Brosseau walked to load the bases and chase Hernandez. As if Cora hadn't made enough bad moves, Marcus Walden came in to face Nate Lowe pinch hitting for Duffy. Walden induced a double play ball but Lowe beat it out to score d'Arnaud. Adames then lit the paltry crowd up with a ground rule double to tie the game. Porcello threw up his hands and that was it for Walden. Josh Taylor came in and thing he did was uncork a wild pitch to score Lowe with the go-ahead run. Wendle flied out to center to end the inning but every single move Cora made failed and the Rays led 3-2.

                                                 Rays effortlessly come back

Daniel Robertson took over at third with Nick Anderson on the mound in the top of the eighth. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Vazquez walked. Cora was so offended the Sox were trying to come back that he pinch ran Vazquez with Chris Owings. Devers whiffed and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Sandy Leon took over behind the plate with Andrew Cashner now on the mound. The Rays rallied as Meadows walked to start but Pham flied out to left. Choi doubled home Meadows to increase the lead but d'Arnaud flied out to right. Heredia whiffed to end the inning with the Rays up 4-2.

Emilio Pagan came in to close out the ninth where the Sox were 3-the season when trailing. Somehow Gorkys Hernandez tripled but naturally Holt lined out to center. Somehow Moreland then crushed another 2 run home run to tie the game. JBJ whiffed and Marco Hernandez lined out to center but the Sox weren't dead yet, tying the game 2-2.

                                                           TIE GAME!!!

Ryan Brasier came in for the bottom of the ninth and Brosseau whiffed to start. Robertson took strike three but Adames singled. Wendle grounded out to second to end the inning with the game headed to extras.

Chaz Roe came in for the top of the 10th as Mr. Mookie lined out to center to begin. Leon took strike three and Colin Poche came in to get Devers to fly out to center to end the inning. Bobby Poyner had the bottom of the 10th and Meadows flied out to center to begin. Pham and Choi both went down swinging to end the inning.

Diego Castillo came in for the top of the eleventh inning and Bogaerts grounded out to second to start. Gorkys Hernandez whiffed but Holt worked a walk. There would be no third 2 run homer as Moreland whiffed to end the inning. The end came in the bottom of the eleventh with Trevor Kelley on the mound. d'Arnaud flied out to center and Heredia flied out to right, but Brosseau walked. Robertson walked as Johnny Davis ran for Brosseau. Adames ended the game with a base hit to left that scored Davis with the winning run. The Sox were officially eliminated as the Rays won 5-4.

                                                      Bye bye Sox, Rays win


Jackass of the Night is Trevor Kelley. He allowed the walkoff hit to Adames after getting the first two outs of the eleventh.

                                                     Trevor is a Jackass


The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5.

Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mitch Moreland singlehanded kept the Sox in the game with two 2 run home runs, 4 total rbis.

Rick Porcello tossed 6 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits and no walks.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

Bobby Poyner pitched a scoreless 10th inning.



The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon struck out in his only at bat.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 1.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Darwinzon Hernandez was charged with 3 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.

Marcus Walden allowed 2 inherited runners to score in just 1/3 of an inning.

Andrew Cashner allowed a run in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4.

Josh Taylor's wild pitch scored the go-ahead run in the 7th but he retired the only man he faced.



Honorable Mention:

Chris Owings ran for Vazquez.




Final Thoughts:

9 more games and the misery is over. At least the numbers game is over with the Sox officially eliminated. Sad part was if the Sox had any semblance of a rotation or a competent bullpen, they could still be in the race. Cora had a bad game by lifting Porcello too soon and bringing in the wrong relievers. Its too bad things turned out the way they did, but the only thing left to do is look forward to next year. Most of these JV relievers will be gone and although he pitched well tonight, Porcello will be out of here too. Whoever is the GM next year better clean up the pitching or they're going to be perfectly mediocre next year. The loss dropped the Sox to 80-73 and officially out. Tomorrow night the Sox and Rays battle again with Tyler Glasnow against...surprise surprise...the Sox awful bullpen. Travis Lakins is the "starter" at 6:10 PM at Tropicana Field.

Vazquez Slams Phillies, Sox Win 3 in a Row (9/15/19)

As this miserable season comes to a close, at least the Sox are still trying to win some games. Christian Vazquez set career highs in home runs and rbi's this year and his third inning grand slam against the Philadelphia Phillies proved to be the difference against the Sox' equally mediocre counterparts. "Slick" Rick Porcello (13-12, 5.77 ERA) didn't suck for once, the bullpen allowed just 1 run in 4 innings and the Sox made it two in a row in interleague play against the Phillies with a 6-3 win at Citizens Bank Park.

                                                            Bird Person approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time scoring against Phillies starter Jason Vargas when last night's hero Andrew Benintendi led off with a base hit to center. Xander Bogaerts hit a routine grounder back to the mound but Vargas threw the ball away, advancing both runners. Rafael Devers was hit with a pitch to load the bases and JD Martinez scored Benintendi with a sac fly. Mitch Moreland struck out swinging and Christian Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.

                                                   Sox go up by a run

Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and immediately allowed a leadoff single to Cesar Hernandez. Porcello turned back the clock to 2016 to get JT Realmuto to bang into a double play before freezing Harper for strike three to end the inning.

Vargas turned up the heat in the top of the second as Sam Travis whiffed to start. Chris Owings took strike three and Porcello fanned to end the inning. The Phillies fought back in the bottom of the second when Hoskins pounded a 40,000 foot home run to tie the game. Brad Miller grounded back to the mound, Jean Segura lined out to short and Scott Kingery fanned to end the inning with the Phillies tying the game 1-1.

                                                  Tie game

The Sox instantly took the lead in the top of the third as Benintendi was plunked to start. Bogaerts singled to left but Devers took strike three. Martinez walked but Moreland whiffed. Vazquez then crushed a grand slam to left to ice the game early. Travis flied out to right to end the inning but it was 5-1 Sox.

                                                    Vaz drives in 4

Porcello cruised in the bottom of the third as Haseley took strike three to start. Morrison popped up to third and Hernandez took strike three to end the inning.

Nick Vincent came in to pitch the top of the fourth as Owings was rung up for strike three to start. Porcello flied out to right but Benintendi struck out swinging to end the inning. Things got testy in the bottom of the fourth as Realmuto singled to start. Harper was rung up for strike three and he threw his bat down and screamed at the umpire, earning an ejection. Gabe Kapler stormed out of the dugout with a sickle and chased the umpires away, earning an ejection himself. When things calmed down, Hoskins and Miller both lined out to left to end the inning.

                                                   They got the heaaaaaaave ho!

Jose Pirela came in for the top of the fifth for Harper as Bogaerts flied out to center to start. Devers popped up to short and Martinez whiffed to end the inning. Segura grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Kingery walked. Haseley struck out and Phil Gosselin pinch hit for Vincent, getting a base hit to right. Hernandez singled to right to score Kingery but Realmuto grounded out to third to end the inning. Porcello was done after 5 innings and allowing 2 runs, better than his usual as the Sox led 5-2.

                                                  Porcello gets the win

The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth against Mike Morin. Moreland lined to to center but Vazquez belted yet another home run to increase the lead. Travis lined out to left and Owings grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were up 6-2.

                                                    Vazquez hits another out

Marcus Walden came in for the bottom of the sixth and Pirela popped up to short to start. Hoskins walked and moved to second on the Miller grounder. Segura singled home Hoskins to cut the lead in half. Kingery whiffed to end the inning with the Phillies down 6-3.

                                                 Walden allows a run

Maikel Franco came in to play third with Kingery moving to center, Haseley moving to left and Cole Irvin coming in to pitch the top of the seventh. Gorkys Hernandez pinch hit for Walden and lined back to the mound to start. Benintendi grounded out to second and Bogaerts grounded out to the mound to end the inning. Andrew Cashner came in for the bottom of the seventh and walked Haseley to begin. Franco flied out to left but Hernandez whiffed. Realmuto flied out to right to end the inning.

Devers grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth but Martinez walked. Moreland singled to center but Vazquez lined out to left. Travis grounded out to second to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr took Travis spot in center with Matt Barnes now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Pirela whiffed but Hoskins singled. Jay Bruce pinch hit for Irvin and banged into a double play to end the inning.

Jared Hughes had the top of the ninth and Owings grounded out to short to start. Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Barnes and took strike three before Benintendi singled to right. Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning. Brandon Workman came in for the save in the bottom of the ninth and  got Segura to line out to center to begin. Kingery grounded out to short but Haseley walked. Workman blew away Franco to end the game. The Sox had won two in a row with a 6-3 win.

                                                      Workman gets it done


Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. He swatted two home runs including a grand slam while driving in 5 runs.

                                                    Vaz The Hero



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch and 2 runs scored.

JD Martinez was 1 for 1 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Rick Porcello got the win with 5 innings of 2 run ball. He was 0 for 2 at the plate.

Andrew Cashner pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Brandon Workman earned his 14th save with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Sam Travis was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Chris Owings was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Marcus Walden allowed a run in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but was hit with a pitch.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.



Honorable Mention:

Jackie Bradley Jr played center in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Its all about individual accomplishments now with just 13 games left. Brandon Workman's march toward 20 saves, Vazquez trying to hit 25 home runs, Eduardo Rodriguez gunning for 20 wins, etc. With any form of competitive baseball out the window, these are the only things to look forward to at this point. Once again the wins are meaningless but at least they won the game. Porcello is most certainly not coming back so this could possibly be his final win with the Red Sox after 5 seasons. Better to end with a win than a loss. The win improved the Sox to 79-70, too many games out of the Wild Card slot. Tomorrow is another off-day and the Sox are back in action Tuesday night at home against the San Fransisco Giants. Logan Webb goes for the Giants up against Nathan Eovaldi at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park

Sox Lose To Yankees, Dombrowski Fired (9/8/19)

Tonight would have been another ho-hum loss for the Boston Red Sox in a season full of them but Red Sox owner John Henry realized that general manager Dave Dombrowski failed to make his team competitive this season. Henry shocked the nation by firing Dave less than a year after a franchise record for wins before winning the World Series. Dombrowski's legacy has always been torpedoing a farm system for one big victory only to fall flat afterwards. The 97 Marlins and the 2012 Tigers are proof of that. Henry was the owner of the 97 Marlins and saw first hand how Dombrowski blew up the team and decided to can him before he could do the same to the Sox. We wish him well in his future endeavors.

                                                    YOU'REEEEEE FIREDDDDD!!!!

As for the game, holy moly does "Slick" Rick Porcello (12-12, 5.83) suck this season or what? In a season that's reaching 2011 John Lackey levels, Porcello once again laid an egg, getting shelled for 6 runs in just 4 plus innings of work. Unlike Lackey, Porcello places the blame on no one but himself but for someone about to enter free agency, stinking all year is a pretty bad look. The Yankees pounded out 13 hits and 10 runs, Rafael Devers committed 3 errors and it all came crashing down in a 10-5 loss at Fenway Park.

Somehow the Yankees did not score in the top of the first inning as DJ LeMahieu grounded out to short to start. Aaron Judge grounded out to third and Didi Gregorius grounded out to second to end the inning. Masahiro Tanaka was greeted by Mr. Mookie Betts lining a single to center to start the bottom of the first. Rafael Devers whiffed and Xander Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Yankees effortlessly took the lead in the top of the second although Gary Sanchez lined out to third to start. Edwin Encarnacion singled and Gleyber Torres hit a 700 foot home run to give the Yankees the lead. Brett Gardner flied out to center and Luke Voit grounded out to second to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 2-0.

                                                          How unusual, Yankees lead

Naturally the Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as JD Martinez whiffed to start. Andrew Benintendi grounded back to the mound but Brock "The Hitman" Holt singled to left. Mitch Moreland flied out to left to end the inning.

The Yankees pounded Porcello in the top of the third as Mike Tauchman pounded a ground rule double to left to start. LeMahieu singled and Judge singled home Tauchman, sending LeMahieu to third. Gregorous popped up to second but Sanchez scored LeMahieu with a grounder. Encarnacion grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 4-0, game over.

                                                   Yankees score again and again

Somehow the Sox fought back in the bottom of the third inning. Sandy Leon got a lucky single to left and Jackie Bradley Jr bashed his 18th home run of the season to cut the lead. Mr. Mookie flied out to right but Devers singled to center. Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox down 4-2.

                                                JBJ goes yard

The relentless attack continued in the top of the fourth as Torres singled to left to begin. Gardner flied out to right and Voit whiffed, but Tauchman laughed at the Sox as he effortlessly crushed a 12,000 foot home run. LeMahieu grounded out to third to end the inning with the Yankees ahead 6-2. That was it for Porcello who once again stunk the joint out with the season slipping away, allowing 6 runs in just 4 innings.

                                                            Bye bye Porcello

Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the fourth although Martinez lined out to center to start. Benintendi grounded back to the mound but Holt singled past the diving Tauchman. Tauchman hurt himself and had to be replaced by Cameron Maybin as Moreland doubled home Holt. Somehow Leon doubled off the Monster to score Moreland. No magic for JBJ this time as he grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were down 6-4.

                                                 Holt starts the rally

The Yankees took a dump on Ryan Brasier in the top of the fifth inning as Judge easily pounded a 500,000 foot bomb to start. Gregorius hit a routine grounder to third and Devers threw his glove at the ball for an error. Somehow Sanchez whiffed but Encarnacion easily singled to left, advancing Gregorius to third. That was it for Brasier as Trevor Kelley came in to get Torres to ground into a force, but Gregorius scored. One and done for Kelley as Josh Taylor came in to strike out Gardner to end the inning with the Yankees up 8-4.

                                                         The carnage continues

Chad Green came in for the bottom of the fifth and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to start. Devers grounded out to first and Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jhoulys Chacin came in for the top of the sixth and somehow kept the Yankees off the board. Voit lined out to third and Maybin lined out to second, but LeMahieu walked. Judge lined out to third to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the sixth as Martinez flied out to center to start. Benintendi also flied out to center before Holt whiffed to end the inning.

Josh A Smith got his turn in the top of the seventh and Gregorius grounded out to short to start. Sanchez popped up to third and Encarnacion whiffed to end the inning. The Sox had no chance in the bottom of the seventh as Moreland, Leon and JBJ all whiffed in short order.

Torres flied out to center to begin the top of the eighth before Gardner whiffed. Voit singled to right as Tyler Wade pinch ran for him. Maybin singled but LeMahieu grounded out to third to end the inning. Gio Urshela took over at third with LeMahieu moving to first when the Sox had one last gasp in the bottom of the eighth. Mr. Mookie crushed his 27th home run of the year but Devers popped up to third. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound and Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 8-5.

                                                          One last run

As usual, once the Sox scored the Yankees answered in the top of the ninth against Marcus Walden. Judge popped up to third but Gregorius walked. Sanchez hit a routine grounder to Devers who threw himself on the ball like a grenade then got up and threw the ball into the Monster Seats for a double error on the same play. Encarnacion laughed at Devers as he effortlessly singled home Gregorius. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in but Torres doubled home Sanchez to wrap up the scoring. Gardner flied out to right and Urshela grounded out to short to end the inning but Devers cost the Sox 2 runs with horrid defense, trailing 10-5.

                                                       Bad day for Devers

Jonathan Loasiga ended the misery in the bottom of the ninth as Benintendi lined out to second to begin. Holt and Moreland whiffed to end the game. The Yankees almost effortlessly beat the fading Sox 10-5.

                                                    Another nail in the coffin


Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. With the season fading away he got pounded for 6 runs in 4 innings, once again crapping himself.

                                                   Jackass Porcello


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a 2 run home run.

Trevor Kelley retired the only man he faced.

Josh Taylor retired the only man he faced.

Jhoulys Chacin tossed a scoreless inning.

Josh A Smith tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4.

Ryan Brasier gave up 2 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.

Marcus Walden was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 3 errors in the field.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.

Hector Velazquez allowed an inherited runner to score but got the last two outs of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Ding Dong Dumbo is gone. Someone had to pay for the Red Sox falling flat on their face this season and Dombrowski deserved it more than anyone. All season long fans were getting increasingly frustrated with Dombrowski doing absolutely nothing to improve the team as the bullpen blew one game after another in the first half, then he kicked back with his hands behind his head when the trade deadline came. He sealed the Sox fate by not going after anyone other than Andrew Cashner who quickly found out pitching in front of 34,000 rabid fans is a bit different than the 15,000 he was used to in Baltimore. If the excuse is he didn't have the farm system talent to make a deal, that's on him too. He had 3 years to build something but all he did was trade away Ben Cherrington picks while failing to restock the minors. It would be unfair to not give him credit for helping to mold the 2018 Red Sox but it would also be unfair not to place some blame for this season falling apart. Whoever the Sox bring in has a gigantic mess to clean up with JD Martinez headed to free agency and a starting rotation in shambles. As for this game, who gives a damn? Tomorrow the Sox look to tie the series when they send Eduardo Rodriguez (17-5) up against James Paxton at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Twins Hang on, Defeat Sox (9/3/19)

Another frustrating loss in a season full of them for the Boston Red Sox. In a chance to prove they can hang with good teams, once again they fell flat on their face. "Slick" Rick Porcello (12-11, 5.63 ERA) once again was hammered, this time it was the Minnesota Twins who delivered the beating. The Sox fell behind 6-0 before rallying for 5 runs in the final few frames. The Sox had the tying run on in the bottom of the ninth but couldn't bring him in. The Twins had pounded one of the final nails in the Sox coffin with a 6-5 win at Fenway Park.

The Twins wasted no time getting to Porcello in the top of the first inning. Max Kepler was plunked but Jorge Polanco flied out to center. Nelson Cruz walked but Luis Arraez looked at strike three. Miguel Sano singled home Kepler to put the Twins on top. Jake Cave flied out to right to end the inning but the Twins were up 1-0.

                                                     Sano drives in a run

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the first against opener Randy Dobnak as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to first before Rafael Devers whiffed. Xander Bogaerts drew a walk but JD Martinez whiffed to end the inning.

CJ Cron grounded out to third to start the top of the second inning before Jason Castro whiffed. LaMonte Wade drew a walk but Kepler popped up to end the inning. Lewis Thorpe came in to pitch the bottom of the second and Andrew Benintendi hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Mitch Moreland whiffed but a Christian Vazquez fly out to center moved Benintendi to third. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Twins struck again in the top of the third as Polanco singled to right to begin. Cruz whiffed but Arraez doubled Polanco to third. Sano whiffed but Cave tripled into the right field corner to put the Twins up big. Cron popped up to short but it was 3-0 Twins.

                                                         Cave drives in two more

Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed to start the bottom of the third before Mr. Mookie grounded out to second. Devers took strike three to end the inning.

Castro singled to start the top of the fourth but Wade flied out to right. Kepler took strike three before Polanco grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts popped up to second to start. Martinez popped up to first and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning.

Porcello fell apart in the top of the fifth as Cruz smashed a 500,000 foot home run to start the inning. Arraez singled and Sano iced it with a 27,000 foot home run to chase Porcello. In a game the Sox had to win, Porcello lasted just 4 innings and allowed 6 runs, 2016 was a long time ago.

                                            Cora "Yeah you're out Rick, now beat it!"

Josh Taylor came in and got Cave to ground out to short but plunked Cron. Brian Johnson came in and walked Castro. Wade advanced both runners by grounding out to first but Kepler grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                       Sano ices the game

The Sox pulled off a furious rally in the bottom of the fifth as Moreland walked to start. Vazquez singled and a wild pitch moved both runners over. Holt grounded out to short but Moreland scored to put the Sox on the board. JBJ walked to chase Thorpe. Trevor May got Mr. Mookie to fly out to right but Devers annihilated his 29th home run of the year to cut the lead. Bogaerts grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox were back in it 6-4.

                                                    Number 29 for Devers

The Sox bullpen dominated the rest of the way as Marcus Walden came in for the top of the sixth. Polanco whiffed before Cruz grounded out to third. Arraez walked but Sano whiffed to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the sixth as Martinez whiffed to start. Benintendi struck out swinging before Moreland lined out to left to end the inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez came in to strike out the side in the top of the seventh. Cave whiffed to start before Cron looked at strike three. Castro whiffed to end the inning. Tyler Duffey came in for the bottom of the seventh and Vazquez whiffed to start. Holt whiffed but JBJ hit a ground rule double to bring the tying run to the plate. Sam Dyson came in to pitch and a wild pitch moved JBJ to third. Mr. Mookie walked but Devers flied out to left to end the inning.

Andrew Cashner came in for the top of the eighth and Wade grounded out to second to start. Kepler flied out to left as did Polanco to end the inning. Bryron Buxton came in for Wade in the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts flied out to left to begin. Martinez grounded out to short and Taylor Rogers came in to face Benintendi. Andrew made him pay by bashing a solo home run to center to cut the lead. Moreland was plunked and Chris Owings ran for him...only for Vazquez to strike out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 6-5.

                                               Benintendi hits one out

Brandon Workman came in for the top of the ninth and Cruz whiffed to start. Arraez and Sano both whiffed to end the inning. The Sox bullpen was unhittable after Porcello left the game, too bad the offense couldn't complete the comeback in the bottom of the ninth. Holt singled to start and Marco Hernandez ran for him. Gorkys Hernandez pinch hit for JBJ and laid down a perfect bunt to move Hernandez to second. He was stranded as Mr. Mookie grounded back to the mound and Devers whiffed to end the game. The Twins had won it 6-5.

                                                   Dammit


Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. In a game he himself said they needed to win, he got shelled for 6 runs in 4 plus innings. Thanks for nothing.

                                                           Jackass Porcello



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.

Mitch Moreland walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run in 4 plate appearances.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Gorkys Hernandez dropped down a bunt in the bottom of the ninth.

Josh Taylor retired the first batter of the fifth

Brian Johnson got the last two outs of the fifth.

Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless inning.

Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a scoreless inning.

Andrew Cashner pitched a scoreless inning.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless inning.



The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 but drew a walk.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.



Honorable Mention:

Chris Owings pinch ran for Mitch Moreland and played second base.

Marco Hernandez ran for Brock Holt in the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That should do it in terms of fighting for a playoff spot. If they can't beat the Twins at home then they're certainly not beating the New York Yankees who come in right behind him. This series was either going to propel them with momentum or end it. It looks like its going to end because the atrocious rotation is killing them. Then again the offense is one of the worst in baseball in games they trail. Tonight's loss puts them at 3-61 when trailing after 7 innings, that's absolutely pathetic. That's 2012 Red Sox level of quitting. Thankfully there's only 24 games left of this nonsense and then its rebuilding time. The loss dropped the Sox to 74-64 5.5 games behind the Oakland A's for the second wild card. Tomorrow night Eduardo Rodriguez (16-5, 3.97 ERA) continues his march to 20 wins when he takes on Jose Berrios at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Pound Rockies (8/27/19)

It wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox got a good win tonight against the Colorado Rockies. The offense which was dormant for the final game against the San Diego Padres woke up to pound 10 hits and 10 runs against the Rockies pitching. The Sox got three home runs including a 478 foot blast by Jackie Bradley Jr, "Slick" Rick Porcello (12-10, 5.42 ERA) got the win with 5 competent innings then survived a bullpen meltdown to win the game 10-6 at Coors Field.

                                Special Agent Tammy Gregorio approves of the win

The Sox got to Rockies starter Rico Garcia in the top of the first inning although Mr. Mookie Betts whiffed to start. Rafael Devers walked and moved to second on the Xander Bogaerts grounder before he scored on the JD Martinez base hit. Mitch Moreland walked but Brock "The Hitman" Holt flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                  Martinez drives in a run

Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Charlie Blackmon doubled to right to begin. Trevor Story whiffed before Nolan Arenado lined out to right. Daniel Murphy lined out to right to end the inning.

Christian Vazquez lined out to center to start the top of the second inning but JBJ crushed a 478 foot bomb to increase the lead. Porcello himself whiffed but Mr. Mookie walked. Devers flied out to left to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

                                                    That ball is WAY out of here

Porcello cruised in the bottom of the second inning as Ryan McMahon whiffed to start. Ian Desmond popped up to second and Sam Hilliard struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bogaerts walked in the top of the third inning but Martinez banged into a double play. Moreland grounded out to short to end the inning. Tony Wolters flied out to right to begin the bottom of the third before Garcia looked at strike three. Blackmon singled to right before Story whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox poured it on in the top of the fourth as Holt singled to right to begin before Vazquez blasted his 19th home run of the year to increase the lead. JBJ walked but Porcello somehow bunted into a double play. Mr. Mookie lined out to center to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                      Vazquez goes yard

Arenado singled to start the bottom of the fourth but was doubled off on the Murphy liner to first. McMahon hit a ground rule double to right but Desmont flied out to left to end the inning.

Devers grounded out to second to start the top of the fifth but Bogaerts belted his 28th home run of the year to increase the lead. Martinez grounded out to third but Moreland and Holt hit back to back doubles for another run scored. Vazquez grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 6-0 Sox.

                                                Bogaerts with his 28th

Porcello fell apart in the bottom of the fifth although Hilliard grounded out to first to begin. Wolters singled to left before Yonathan Daza pinch hit for Garcia and got a base hit to left. Blackmon singled home Wolters to put the Rockies on the board.  Story beat out a double play ball but Arenado doubled home Daza. Murphy grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 5-2 Sox. That was it for Porcello as he ran out of gas after 5 innings of 2 run ball.

                                                      Porcello goes five

Yency Almonte came in for the top of the sixth and JBJ walked to start. Chris Owings pinch hit for Porcello and naturally banged into a double play. Mr. Mookie flied out to center to end the inning. Darwinzon Hernandez came in for the bottom of the sixth and punched out McMahon to start. Desmond lined out to center but Hilliard walked to begin. Wolters singled to center as Garrett Hampson pinch hit for Almonte. Hernandez punched out Hampson to end the inning.

The Sox effectively ended it in the top of the seventh against Jake McGee. Devers walked and Bogaerts doubled him to third. Martinez singled home Devers for another run before Moreland hit a routine grounder to second. McMahon threw the ball away to score Bogaerts and advance both runners. Holt singled to center but the ball went under Hilliard's glove. Both runners scored and Holt made it to third on the error. Bryan Shaw came in for McGee and Vazquez grounded out to second. JBJ grounded out to third before Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Darwinzon Hernandez. Marco grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-2.

                                                     Holt drives in two runs

Ryan Brasier came in for the bottom of the seventh and Blackmon grounded out to first to start. Story singled but was erased on the Arenado force. Murphy lined out to center to end the inning.

Mr. Mookie whiffed to open the top of the eighth and Devers flied out to center. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. Josh Smith came in to crap himself in the bottom of the eighth. McMahon whiffed but Desmond singled to right. Hilliard croaked his 1st home run of his career to cut the lead. Wolters grounded out to first as Yonder Alonso pinch hit for Shaw. Alonso grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-4.

                                                First home run

Wade Davis came in for the top of the ninth and Martinez whiffed to start. Moreland hit another routine grounder to second and once again McMahon threw the ball away. Holt walked but Vazquez banged into a double play to end the inning. Smith returned for the bottom of the ninth and Blackmon grounded out to second. Story singled to left but Arenado blasted his 34th home run of the season. Sox manager Alex Cora had seen enough of Smith and brought in Josh Taylor to end it. Murphy singled but McMahon took strike three. Desmond grounded into a force to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 10-6.

Hero of the Night is a tough one considering everyone contributed but I'll go with Brock Holt. He was 3 for 4 with a walk and drove in 2 of the runs.

                                                      Hitman Hero


The Good:

Rafael Devers walked twice and scored twice in 5 plate appearances.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 runs scored and a home run.

JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with a 2 runs batted in and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with two walks and smashed a solo home run.

Rick Porcello got the win with 5 innings of 2 run ball.

Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Josh Taylor got the final two outs of the ninth inning.



The Bad:

Chris Owings banged into a double play as a pinch hitter.

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Josh Smith allowed 4 runs in just 1 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.




Final Thoughts:

Its sad to say but every win seems to either come against a bad team or after a huge loss. The Sox really needed to beat Philadelphia and the loss to the Padres considering what was at stake still hurts. Tonight was a good win but the Sox didn't gain ground on anyone. What good is scoring 10 runs one night but not scoring anything the next day like against San Diego. Knowing the Sox, the Rockies will shut them out tomorrow night. Still, there's only 29 games left in the season so there's not much trudging we have to do to make it to the end. The win improved the Sox to 71-62, 6 games back of the Oakland A's for the second wild card. Tomorrow night the Sox wrap up this two game series against the Rockies when they send Eduardo Rodriguez (15-5, 3.92 ERA) to the mound against Peter Lambert at 8:40 PM Eastern time at Coors Field.