Sox Drop Mariners in 11 (8/4/16)

Before the game, the Boston Red Sox waived goodbye to Michael Martinez as he was claimed off waivers by the Cleveland Indians. We'll always have July 22nd right?

                                                             Bye bye Martinez

As for the game, better late than never for the Boston Red Sox. Once again the vaunted offense was shut completely down, this time by Ariel Miranda and the Seattle bullpen....for the most part. Miranda held the Sox to just 2 runs in 6 innings courtesy of a Travis Shaw home run and Mookie Betts rbi double. Sad part was Drew Pomeranz pitched his best game for Boston so far by holding Seattle to 2 runs in 6 innings himself. The battle of the bullpens lasted all the way into the 11th inning. Brock "The Hitman" Holt got the big rbi hit to drive in Shaw against Cody Martin. In the bottom of the frame, Brad Ziegler had the tying run at third but struck out Seth Smith to end the game. The Sox had prevailed 3-2 in 11 innings at Safeco Field.

                                                       Janet Jackson approves of the win

Miranda got the ball in the top of the first for his ML debut and Mr. Mookie Betts led off by hitting one up the elevator shaft. Xander Bogaerts got a seeing eye single into left and David Ortiz dumped a base hit to left as well. Dustin Pedroia walked to load the bases but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging. Aaron Hill flied out to right to end the inning. Pomeranz got the ball in the bottom of the first and Guillermo Heredia walked to start. Franklin Gutierrez struck out swinging and Robinson Cano took strike three. Nelson Cruz grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Travis Shaw smoked his 13th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Ryan Hanigan and Bryce Brentz both watched strike three go by and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Sox take the lead

Dae-ho Lee lined out to second to start the bottom of the second but Kyle Seager walked. Mike Zunino struck out swinging and Leonys Martin grounded out to second to end the inning. 

Bogaerts got a base hit to left to start the top of the third but Ortiz grounded into a double play. Pedroia flied out to left to end the inning. Shawn O'Malley caught Pedroia asleep with a bunt single to start the bottom of the third and Heredia forced him at second. Heredia was thrown out at second trying to steal and Gutierrez struck out swinging to end the inning.

JBJ grounded out to second to start the top of the fourth but Hill got a base hit to right. Shaw took strike three and Hanigan flied out to center to end the inning. Cano flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth but Cruz and Lee drew back to back walks. Seager flied out to center but Zunino walked to load the bases. Martin grounded out to first to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Brentz doubled to right to start. Mr. Mookie also doubled to right to score Brentz. Bogaerts lined out to the left field wall and Ortiz lined out to center. Pedroia flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                             Mr. Mookie drives in a run

The lead lasted 8 seconds in the bottom of the fifth as O'Malley pulverized a home run into the Pacific Ocean to start. Heredia dropped down a bunt to catch Pedroia asleep and moved to second on a grounder to third by Heredia. Cano grounded out to second to move Heredia to third and Cruz was intentionally walked. The slumping Lee broke a 3 for 36 skid with a base hit to center to score Heredia. Seager grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       O'Malley hits one way out of here

JBJ got a base hit to right to start the top of the sixth but Hill flied out to right. Shaw hit a bullet...right to Lee who doubled off Bradley to end the inning. Zunino was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate to start the bottom of the sixth before Martin struck out swinging. O'Malley struck out swinging to end the inning. That was it for Pomeranz who allowed just 2 runs in 6 innings of work off 4 hits and 6 walks.

                                                            Better outing from Drew

Drew Storen came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hanigan lined out to short to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Brentz and grounded out to first. Mr. Mookie singled in the hole at short but Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Heredia grounded out to second to start. Gutierrez walked but Cano grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Vidal Nuno came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ortiz popped up to second to start. Pedroia blooped a base hit to center but JBJ struck out swinging. Tom Wilhelmson came in to face Hill and Aaron walked. Shaw grounded out to short to end the inning. Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Cruz struck out swinging to start. Lee struck out swinging but Seager got a base hit to left. Zunino struck out swinging to end the inning.

Sandy Leon pinch hit for the 0 for 20 Hanigan to start the top of the ninth and grounded out to second. Holt walked but Mr. Mookie banged into a double play to end the inning. Fernando Abad came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Leon just barely got Martin at first on a swinging bunt in front of the plate. O'Malley got a base hit to center and Gutierrez walked to put the winning run at second. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to face Cano with Nori Aoki running for Gutierrez. Cano grounded out to second to end the inning.

Blake Parker came in to pitch the top of the tenth and Bogaerts flied out to right to start. Ortiz grounded out to first but Pedroia singled to center. JBJ walked but Hill grounded out to third to end the inning. Cruz struck out swinging to start the bottom of the tenth and Adam Lind pinch hit for Lee. Lind struck out swinging and Seager went down hacking to end the inning.

The Sox broke through in the top of the 11th with Cody Martin now on the mound. Shaw drilled a base hit to left and Leon dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Holt hit a chopper up the middle for a base hit off the glove of O'Malley to score Shaw to put Boston ahead. Mr. Mookie struck out swinging and Holt was caught in a rundown to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.

                                                        Shaw scores the go-ahead run

Brad Ziegler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Zunino walked to start. Luis Sardenas ran for Zunino and Martin dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move Luis to second. O'Malley grounded out to first to move Sardenas to third and Seth Smith pinch hit for Heredia. Smith struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2 in 11 innings.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of The Night is Brock Holt. His rbi single in the 11th put the Sox up for good

                                                       Brock "The Hero" Holt

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 6 with an rbi.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5.

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Travis Shaw was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 runs scored.

Bryce Brentz was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Drew Pomeranz tossed 6 innings of 2 runs scored. He allowed 4 hits and 6 walks.

Robbie Ross Jr tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Fernando Abad tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Craig Kimbrel got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Brad Ziegler earned his 21st save with a scoreless 11th inning.

The Bad:

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 1.

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 5.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a walk.

Final Thoughts:

Big, big win by the Sox considering their offensive woes lately and being on the road in extra innings. Pomeranz pitched his best game with the Sox and the bullpen was lights out. With a quartet of Tazawa, Koji Uehara, Kimbrel and Ziegler....this team could be very tough to beat if the starters can go 6 innings at a time. The Sox are going to need all hands on deck because they have a good a shot as anyone to make the playoffs as they're only 2 games out of first place in a very competitive AL East. The Baltimore Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays are in their sights and two good months of baseball, especially against an AL East gauntlet in September, could get them over the hump. The win improved the Sox to 59-48, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now have to travel to Los Angeles for a three game deathmatch with the Dodgers. Steven Wright (12-5) takes on Scott Kazmir of LA. The game begins tomorrow night at 10:10 PM eastern time at Dodger Stadium.

Sox Ninth Inning Rally Stuns Angels (7/31/16)

For eight innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed to another miserable loss with no offense. Tyler Skaggs and the Angels bullpen had held the Sox scoreless while the Angels put up 3 runs in 5 innings against Boston starter Steven Wright. Clay Buchholz (4-9, 5.79 ERA) manage to hold the Angels scoreless and the Sox went into the ninth down 3-0. All of a sudden Mookie Betts drove in a run and Dustin Pedroia clobbered a 3 run home run to put the Sox ahead. Xander Bogaerts hit a home run of his own and suddenly the Sox had a two run lead. The tying run came to the plate in the bottom of the ninth but Brad Ziegler slammed the door and the Sox stole one, 5-3 at Angel Stadium.

                                                                      Happy fans

Skaggs got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts walked to start. Dustin Pedroia swung at strike three in the dirt and Xander Bogaerts took strike three and David Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning. Wright got the ball in the bottom of the first and Yunel Escobar doubled to left to start. Kole Calhoun walked and Mike Trout got a base hit to left. Escobar tried for home and Ryan Hanigan missed the tag....but Escobar never touched home. The alert Wright picked up the ball and tagged Escobar out. Albert Pujols singled to right to load the bases and Andrelton Simmons struck out swinging but the ball got away. Hanigan made a mad dash to retrieve the ball and throw out Calhoun at home to end the inning. The Angels got 3 hits and a walk and ended up with nothing.

                                                   "You're out you dummy!" - Wright

Hanley Ramirez beat out a roller to second to start the top of the second before taking second on a passed ball. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short, Aaron Hill took strike three and Ryan Hanigan grounded out to second to end the inning. Jefry Marte singled to left to start the bottom of the second then Ji-Man Choi singled in the hole at short. Carlos Perez took strike three before Johnny Giavotella flied out to right. Escobar took strike three to end the inning.

Bryce Brentz walked to start the top of the third but Mr. Mookie struck out swinging. Pedroia struck out swinging and Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning. Calhoun struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Trout grounded back to the mound. Pujols popped up to first to end the inning.

Ortiz grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth and Ramirez grounded out to second. JBJ dumped a base hit to right but Hill flied out to left to end the inning. Simmons singled to center to start the bottom of the fourth but Marte hit one up the elevator shaft. Choi took strike three and Perez flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fifth as Hanigan grounded out to short to start. Brentz and Betts both got singles but Pedroia took strike three that was a little high. Sox manager John Farrell sprinted out of the dugout with a sickle and took a swing at home plate umpire Gabe Morales. Farrell was escorted out of the park by armed security. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                  "YOU SUCK MORALES!" - Farrell

Wright fell apart in the bottom of the fifth as Giavotella flied out to left to start. Escobar got a base hit to center and Calhoun blooped a base hit to center to move Yunel to third. Trout singled off the glove of a jumping Bogaerts to score Escobar and move Calhoun to third. Pujols grounded out to second to score Calhoun and Simmons walked. Marte drilled a base hit to center to score Trout to seemingly ice the game. Choi was hit with a pitch but home plate umpire Gabe Morales refused to send him to first because he made no attempt to get out of the way. Choi popped up to Bogaerts to end the inning with the Rangels up 3-0. That was it for Wright who allowed 3 runs in just 5 innings off 10 hits and 2 walks.

                                                           Not Wright's best stuff

Ortiz struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth and that was the day for Skaggs. Deolis Guerra came in to face Ramirez and Hanley popped up to first. JBJ reached on an error by Marte but Hill flied out to right to end the inning. Clay Buchholz came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Perez hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Giavotella lined out to second and Escobar flied out to right to end the inning.

Hanigan took strike three to start the top of the seventh and Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Brentz. Holt doubled into the left field corner but Betts struck out swinging. Angels manager Mike Scoscia brought in JC Ramirez to face Pedroia and Dustin grounded out to second to end the inning. Calhoun struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Trout drew a walk. Pujols flied out to center but Buchholz threw a pickoff throw away to allow Mike to reach third. Simmons flied out to right to end the inning.

                                                          Nice throw Claydro

Bogaerts grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth with Shane Robinson in for Marte. Ortiz struck out swinging and Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning. Robinson grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Choi lined out to center. Perez popped up to Pedroia to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the top of the ninth with Gregorio Petit in for Giavotella and Huston Street now on the mound. JBJ walked and Hill got a base hit to center, but Hanigan struck out swinging. Holt struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie was down to his last strike....when Betts singled to right to score JBJ. Out of nowhere Pedroia jacked a 3 run home run to dead center to put the Sox on top. Not to be outdone, Bogaerts clobbered his 14th home run of the season to increase the lead. Jose Alvarez came in to pitch to Ortiz and David flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.

                                                              Happy Sox

Brad Ziegler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Petit grounded out to second to start. Escobar ate up Ziegler on a comebacker but Brad recovered to get Calhoun to bang into a double play to end the game. The Sox had stole the game 5-3.

                                                                  What a victory

Hero of The Night is Dustin Pedroia. His 3 run home run in the top of the ninth won the game for the Sox.

                                                              Hero Pedroia

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Bryce Brentz was 1 for 1 with a walk.

Brock Holt was 1 for 2.

Clay Buchholz got the win with 3 scoreless innings.

Brad Ziegler earned his 20th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

David Ortiz was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Steven Wright was tagged for 3 runs in just 5 innings on TEN hits and 2 walks.

Final Thoughts:

That was the biggest win of the season so far. The Baltimore Orioles snapped their losing streak and the Sox was one strike away from losing 3-0 with their manager ejected. All of a sudden Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts turned the game from 3-0 down to up 5-3. The Sox had one of the best offenses in baseball and they proved it today. On the other side of the ball, Wright faltered but Buchholz was there to pick up the pieces. On top of that, Ziegler locked it down after getting drilled on a comebacker. The Sox can't afford to lose Brad with Craig Kimbrell still out. That was definitely a gutty win and the Sox needed it badly on this road trip. The Sox may make a move at the trade deadline tomorrow, they might now. If they do, it'll be interesting to see who they get and who they give up. Until then, hopefully this win can give them some momentum. The win improved the Sox to 57-46, 1.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now continue their west coast trip by flying to Seattle for a four game set with the Mariners beginning tomorrow night. Eduardo Rodriguez goes for the Sox against James Paxton of Seattle. The game begins at 10:10 PM Eastern time at Safeco Field.

Porcello, Sox Drop Angels (7/29/16)

Just when things started to take a turn for the worse in the Boston Red Sox, leave it to the stopper "Slick" Rick Porcello (14-2, 3.47 ERA) to set things right again. Stopping a four game losing streak, Porcello tossed a complete game 5 hitter allowing just two runs to the Los Angeles Angels. Trailing 2-0, the Sox batted around former San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum for three runs to take the lead. An rbi from Mookie Betts and home runs by Jackie Bradley Jr and Xander Bogaerts provided the insurance runs. Porcello went the distance, David Ortiz knocked in a run and the Sox had beaten the Angels 6-2 at Angel Stadium.

                                                     Dustin Johnson approves of the win

Lincecum got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts led off with a four pitch walk. Dustin Pedroia also drew a 4 pitch walk but Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging. David Ortiz flied out to left to move Betts to third but Hanley Ramirez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Yunel Escobar lined out to second to start. Kole Calhoun struck out swinging and Mike Trout flied out to right to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr took strike three to start the top of the second and Aaron Hill flied out to center. Ryan Hanigan flied out to left to end the inning. The Angels struck first in the bottom of the second as Albert Pujols ripped a base hit to center. Daniel Nava doubled past Bradley in center and Andrelton Simmons grounded out to short to score Pujols. Jiman Choi grounded out to second but Carlos Perez got a base hit up the middle to score Nava. Gregorio Petit grounded out to second to end the inning with the Angels up 2-0.

                                                         Angels take the lead

The Sox wasted no time tying the game in the top of the third as Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to first to start. Mr. Mookie walked before promptly stealing second. Pedroia walked but Betts was thrown out trying to steal third. Bogaerts doubled to center to score Pedroia and Ortiz lined a base hit to left to score Bogaerts to tie the game. Ramirez walked but JBJ flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       Ortiz ties it up

Escobar struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Calhoun grounded out to short. Trout lined out to third to end the inning.

The Sox took the lead in the top of the fourth as Hill got a base hit to center to start. Hanigan walked and Holt singled to right to load the bases. Betts hit a sac fly to center to score Hill but Pedroia grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

                                                           Sox take the lead

Pujols singled to left to start the bottom of the left but Nava lined out to center. Simmons grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Bogaerts lined out to right to start the top of the fifth before Ortiz popped up to short. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Choi took strike three to begin the bottom of the fifth before Perez grounded out to short and Petit grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox chased Lincecum in the top of the sixth when JBJ belted his 17th home run of the season to increase the lead. Jhoulys Chacin came in to pitch and Hill grounded back to the mound. Hanigan took strike three and Holt grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                      Home run Bradley

Escobar flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth before Calhoun got a base hit to center. Trout flied out to center and Pujols lined out to a running Betts to end the inning. 

The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the seventh as Betts flied out to right to start. Pedroia singled to center and Bogaerts blasted his 13th home run of the season to increase the lead. Ortiz and Ramirez both watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox up 6-2.

                                                          Bogaerts launches one

Nava flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh before Simmons grounded out to short. Choi flied out to left to end the inning.

JBJ grounded out to first to start the top of the eighth before Hill took strike three. Hanigan hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Perez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the eighth before Petit grounded out to third. Escobar flied out to right to end the inning.

Holt grounded out to second to start the top of the ninth before Mr. Mookie flied out to center. Pedroia walked and took second on a wild pitch, but Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning. Porcello came back to finish the job in the bottom of the ninth as Calhoun grounded out to second to start. Trout popped up to center and Pujols grounded out to third to end the game. Porcello had thrown a complete game 5 hitter as the Sox won 6-2.

                                                                Sox win

Hero of the Night is Rick Porcello. He tossed a complete game allowing 5 hits and 2 runs while striking out 3.

                                                     Great work by the Hero

The Good:

Mookie Betts walked twice, stole a base and drove in a run.

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a home run, 3 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Aaron Hill was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4.

Final Thoughts:

Porcello's march to the AL Cy Young award continued with stopping the losing streak by going the distance. He was outstanding in this one and saved the bullpen for better days. The offense picked up finally by scoring 6 runs and the Sox are capable of doing that more often. Its all about the pitching, if the Sox get good pitching, they're usually going to win. The Sox still have a chance to take the AL East with the trade deadline approaching but it looks like the only moves they're going to make were Brad Ziegler and Drew Pomeranz. Still, that should be enough to get them over the hump when Craig Kimbrel comes back. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the Sox can close out July with some momentum. The win improved the Sox to 56-45, 1.5 games behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Angels when Drew Pomeranz goes one on one with Hector Santiago of Los Angeles. The game begins at 9:05 PM Eastern time at Angel Stadium.

Red Sox Hold Off Twins (7/24/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Heath Hembree was optioned back to Pawtucket after last night's disaster class and Joe Kelly was called up to replace him. Kelly can't be any worse.....right?

                                                                        OUT

                                                                   IN

As for the game, the Boston Red Sox are having way too much trouble containing the Minnesota Twins. After the Twins feasted on Sox pitching for 18 hits and 11 runs last night, they responded with 9 hits and 7 runs in this one. "Slick" Rick Porcello (13-2, 3.57 ERA) took a step back in his march to the AL Cy Young Award as he was plastered for 5 runs in 6 2/3 innings although only 4 were earned. Matt Barnes was also smacked charged fpr two runs as well. The key to this one was the offense remained red hot. The Sox beat up Twins starter Tommy Milone for 8 runs although only 4 of theirs were earned as well. The key was in the bottom of the fifth with the Sox nursing a 5-3 lead, Travis Shaw belted a three run home run to give Boston some cushion. The Twins would score four runs off Barnes (Junichi Tazawa allowed them) and Porcello but Brad Ziegler saved the day in the ninth inning. The Sox had held on to win 8-7 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Sheik Tugboat approves of the win

Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Eduardo Nunez struck out swinging to start. Joe Mauer singled off the Monster and damn near got tagged out at first. Miguel Sano popped up to Jackie Bradley Jr and Brian Dozier popped up to first to end the inning. Millone got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Brock ''The Hitman" Holt struck out swinging to start. Dustin Pedroia popped up to center and Xander Bogaerts poked a base hit to right to start. Hanley Ramirez popped up to first to end the inning.

The Twins struck first in the top of the second as Bogaerts booted a grounder by Max Kepler for an error to start. Kennys Vargas walked and Eddie Rosario beat out a double play ball. Jackie Bradley Jr couldn't make a sliding catch on a Juan Centeno line drive for a two run double. A passed ball moved  Centeno to third. Byron Buxton struck out swinging and Nunez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 2-0.

                                                       ''I don't got it'' - JBJ

JBJ got a base hit to center to start the top of the second and Aaron Hill lined out to center. Travis Shaw flied out to center and Bryce Brentz popped up to left to end the inning.

Mauer grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Sano struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third as Ryan Hanigan took strike three to start. Holt grounded out to second but Pedroia got a base hit down the left field line. Bogaerts lined a base hit off the glove of Sano and Ramirez crushed his 13th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                          Home run Ramirez

The Twins answered in the top of the fourth as Holt failed to come up with a line drive by Kepler for a triple. Vargas grounded out to second to score Kepler and Rosario struck out swinging. Centeno took strike three to end the inning with the Twins down 3-1.

                                                                 Twins get a run back

Hill grounded out to third to begin the bottom of the fourth and Shaw flied out to left. Brentz got a base hit to center but Hanigan flied out to right to end the inning.

Porcello snuffed out Buxton's bunt attempt to start the top of the fifth and Nunez grounded back to the mound. Mauer grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth as Holt took strike three to start. Pedroia then launched his 10th home run of the season to increase the lead. Bogaerts got a base hit to center but was thrown out trying to steal.....but wait! Sox manager John Farrell challenged Bogaerts was safe and replays showed he was. Ramirez singled in the hole at short to put runners at the corners but JBJ struck out swinging. Hill hit a routine grounder to Sano who went OLE for an error to score Bogaerts. Shaw then clobbered his 12th home run of the season to chase Milone. Trevor May came in and Brentz grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 8-3.

                                                            Shaw jacks one

Porcello cruised in the top of the sixth as Sano grounded out to short to start. Dozier struck out swinging and Kepler grounded out to second to end the inning. Hanigan grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth but Holt walked. It looked like Holt stole second but Twins manager Paul Molitor challenged that he was out. Sure enough, replays overturned the call. Pedroia took strike three to end the inning.

The Twins struck back in the top of the seventh as Vargas doubled off the centerfield garage to start. Rosario grounded out to third but Holt lost a Centeno ball in the sun for a "double", although Vargas stayed at third. Buxton got a base hit to left to score both runners and Nunez struck out swinging. That was it for Porcello who was charged with 5 runs in 6 2/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits and a walk. Matt Barnes came in and Mauer grounded out to short to end the inning with the Twins down 8-5.

                                    "I sez I'm fine" - Porcello  "I sez yer out!" - Farrell

Bogaerts popped up to second to start the bottom of the seventh before Ramirez struck out swinging. JBJ grounded out to first to end the inning.

Things got hairy in the top of the eighth as Sano got a base hit to center to start. Dozier singled to left and Kepler walked to load the bases with nobody out. Junichi Tazawa came in and Vargas hit a sac fly to the left field warning track to score Sano. Rosario struck out swinging but Centeno singled in the hole at first to score Dozier. Buxton struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins down 8-7.

                                                              Twins inch closer

Taylor Rogers came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hill flied out to right to start. Shaw struck out swinging and Brentz grounded out to short to end the inning.

Brad Ziegler came in to close out the top of the ninth and Nunez struck out swinging to start. Mauer grounded out to second and Sano struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 8-7.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Travis Shaw. His 3 run home run was the deciding factor in the game.

                                                              Travis Hero

The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a 3 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Brad Ziegler earned his 19th save with a scoreless ninth.

The Bad:

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Matt Barnes was charged with 2 runs in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

Bryce Brentz was just 1 for 4.

Rick Porcello earned the win but got tagged for 5 runs (4 earned) in 6 2/3 innings of work. He allowed 6 hits and a walk while striking out 8.

Junichi Tazawa allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in an inning of work.

Final Thoughts:

Good bounce back win for the Sox but the pitching once again leaves a lot to be desired. The offense is carrying the Sox as the starters and bullpen haven't been good enough in this series. Brad Ziegler saved the day but Tazawa and Barnes kept giving up hits. Porcello's Cy Young march took a hit with 4 earned runs on his record but he still got the win. Thank goodness for the offense as Shaw, Ramirez and Pedroia all hit big home runs to help the cause. The Baltimore Orioles knocked around Corey Kluber and the Cleveland Indians today so the Sox needed the win to keep pace. There's still a long way to go in the season but every win counts in the era of the second wild card. Hopefully Koji Uehara and Craig Kimbrell can come back and turn the bullpen into a weapon again. Until then, they're going to have to outslug other teams and pray David Price doesn't suck moving forward. The win improved the Sox to 55-41, 1.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome in the Detroit Tigers for a three game set beginning tomorrow night. Drew Pomeranz (8-7, 2.83 ERA) takes on Justin Verlander of Detroit at Fenway Park.

Sox Crush Minnesota Twins (7/21/16)

Normally when the Boston Red Sox score 10 runs or more in a game, they can't hit the broad side of a barn the next one. Not the case tonight as the red hot Boston bats feasted on the hapless Minnesota Twins. Jackie Bradley Jr, Mookie Betts and David Ortiz all went yard as the team as a whole pounded out 17 hits and 13 runs. On the other side of the ball, Steven Wright (12-5, 2.67 ERA) took another step toward the AL Cy Young Award by tossing 8 brilliant innings allowing just two runs. Clay Buchholz mopped up in the ninth inning as the Sox blasted Tyler Duffey and the Minnesota bullpen 13-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Curie approves of the win

Wright got the ball in the top of the first and Eduardo Nunez led off by lining out to left. Joe Mauer struck out swinging and Miguel Sano flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time scoring in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts took Duffey deep on the very first pitch to set the tone. Dustin Pedroia singled in the hole at second. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right and David Ortiz also got a base hit to right to score Pedroia. Hanley Ramirez grounded into a double play to score Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                         Ortiz drives in a run

Brian Dozier grounded out to short to start the top of the second before Max Kepler grounded out to second. Kennys Vargas took strike three to end the inning. Travis Shaw got a base hit to right to open the bottom of the second but Ryan Hanigan grounded into a double play. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out to second to end the inning.

Robbie Grossman led off the top of the third with a fly out to center and Kurt Suzuki grounded out to short. Eddie Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox chased Duffey in the bottom of the third as Mr. Mookie crushed a ball off the Monster for a long "single". Pedroia got a base hit to center to move Mookie to third and Bogaerts lined a ball to the outfield. Rosario completely whiffed the catch and Nunez muffed the relay throw for a double and an error to score both Betts and Pedroia. Ortiz grounded out to second but Ramirez walked. JBJ doubled to right to score Bogaerts and chase Duffey. Michael Tonkin came in and Shaw took strike three. Hanigan also watched strike three go by to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0/

                                                             Good job Bradley

Nunez flied out to right to start the top of the fourth before Mauer grounded back to the mound. Sano lined out to center to end the inning. Holt struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Mr. Mookie grounded out to third but Pedroia got a base hit to right. Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Twins fought back in the top of the fifth as Dozier flied out to center. Kepler broke up the perfect game with a looping base hit to left. Vargas hit a ground rule double into the left field stands and Kepler scored on the grounder to second by Grossman. Then a ball got away from  Hanigan and Vargas made a mad dash home. Hanigan threw to Wright and the umpire called out.....then noticed Wright dropped the ball and ruled safe instead. Suzuki grounded out to third to end the inning with the Twins down 6-2.

                                                             You idiot!

The Sox got one of the runs back in the bottom of the fifth as Ortiz flied out to left to start. Ramirez struck out swinging but JBJ clobbered his 15th home run of the season to increase the lead. Buddy Boshers came in to face Shaw and Travis popped up to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.

                                                           Home run for JBJ

Rosario struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Nunez flied out to left. Mauer struck out swinging to end the inning. Hanigan struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth before Holt went down hacking. Mr. Mookie grounded out to second to end the inning.

Sano struck out swinging to open the top of the seventh and Dozier did the same. Kepler singled to center and Vargas walked, but Grossman struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the seventh as Pedroia doubled off the Monster to start. Bogaerts beat out an infield roller to third and Ortiz got a base hit to right to score Pedroia. Trevor May came in to pitch and Ramirez promptly struck out swinging. JBJ forced Ortiz at second but Bogaerts scored another run. Shaw popped up to Dozier to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.

 

                                                              Bogaerts scores a run

Michael Martinez came in for Bogaerts to start the top of the eighth and Suzuki lined out to right to start. Rosario doubled off the Monster but Nunez struck out swinging. Mauer grounded back to Wright to end the inning. Wright was brilliant, tossing 8 innings of 2 runs ball allowing 2 runs off 4 hits and a walk.

                                                        Great work by Wright

The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the eighth as Hanigan grounded out to short to start. Holt walked and Mr. Mookie doubled off the Monster to score Brock. Pedroia doubled down the left field line to score Betts and Bryce Brentz pinch ran for him. Ortiz belted his 24th home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. Aaron Hill pinch hit for Ramirez and flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 13-2.

                                                           Another home run for Big Papi

Clay Buchholz came in to close out the top of the ninth and Danny Santana pinch hit for Sano. Santana flied out to right and Eduardo Escobar pinch hit for Dozier. Escobar hit a ground rule double into the right field stands and moved to third on the Kepler fly ball to right. Vargas flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won the game 13-2.

                                                          Sox win

Hero of The Night is Steven Wright. He tossed 8 brilliant innings allowing just 2 runs off 4 hits and a walk, while striking out nine.

                                                       Steven Hero

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 5 with a home run, 2 total rbis and 2 total runs scored.

Dustin Pedroia was 5 for 5 with an rbi and 3 runs scored.

Bryce Brentz scored a run as a pinch runner.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and 3 runs scored.

David Ortiz was 3 for 4 with a home run and 4 total rbis.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a home run and 3 total rbis.

Clay Buchholz pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Michael Martinez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Aaron Hill was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Boston Red Sox offense is for real but if Steven Wright can keep pace with Rick Porcello, they might be a juggernaut heading to the playoffs come October. David Price has been underwhelming but still better than average but Porcello and Wright have been dominant. That's a 1-2-3 punch that can go places in the end. There's not much more you can say about the offense other than its one of the best in baseball. Ortiz is having a career year, Betts, Shaw, Bogaerts and Bradley really injected youth into the team and Ramirez is having a career resurgence. The first six batters in the lineup are hitting .283 or better and that's tough to beat. If the pitching can hold up for 69 more games, they'll be playing October ball for sure. The win improved the Sox to 54-39, 0.5 games ahead of the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Twins tomorrow evening when Eduardo Rodriguez takes on Kyle Gibson of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Beat Yankees Out of Break (7/15/16)

During the all-star break the Boston Red Sox made a bevy of roster moves. Noe Ramirez was optioned down to Pawtucket and Eduardo Rodriguez was activated from the Disabled List to take his place. Junichi Tazawa was placed on the Disabled List with a bad shoulder and William Cuevas was called up to take his place. Finally, the Sox traded 18 year old pitcher Anderson Espinoza to the San Diego Padres for starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz. The big lefty was 8-7 with a 2.47 ERA in 17 starts for the Padres. If he can pitch that well with the Sox already boasting David Price, Steven Wright and Rick Porcello, the Sox just became one of the favorites to win the AL East.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                         IN

As for the game, the Red Sox came out of the all-star break swinging. The Sox won their fifth game in a row by coming to New York and beating the Yankees. Steven Wright (11-5, 2.78) continued his march toward 20 wins and the AL Cy Young award by tossing 6 solid innings, allowing 3 runs to keep the Sox in reach. Meanwhile the Sox played home run derby with Michael "Pine Tar" Pineda. Ryan Hanigan and Travis Shaw went yard but it was Xander Bogaerts two run jack that proved to be the difference. The vaunted Sox bullpen stepped up as Brad Ziegler, Robbie Ross Jr and Koji Uehara slammed the door on the Yankees. It all added up to a 5-3 win over the Yankees in Yankee Stadium.

                                                          Reena Sky approves of the win

Pineda got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts was robbed of a base hit by Mark Teixeira to start. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Wright got the ball in the bottom of the first as Brett Gardner flied out to left to start. Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to left and Carlos Beltran struck out swinging to end the inning.

David Ortiz struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second. Jackie Bradley Jr also grounded out to second to end the inning. Brian McCann popped up to first to start the bottom of the second before Teixeira lined out to left. Alex Rodriguez grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as Travis Shaw struck out swinging to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt was rung up for strike three but Ryan Hanigan hit his first home run in almost a year to put the Sox on top. Mr. Mookie beat out a roller to third but Pedroia grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Home Run Hanigan

Didi Gregorius struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Mr. Mookie made a great catch on a Starlin Castro fly ball. Chase Headley grounded out to first to end the inning.

Bogaerts lined out to to third to start the top of the fourth before Ortiz lined out to right. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Gardner was retired on a nubber in front of the plate to start the bottom of the fourth before Ellsbury took strike three. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as JBJ walked to start. Shaw then smashed his 10th home run of the season to increase the lead. Holt struck out swinging, Hanigan grounded out to short and Mr. Mookie lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                             Bradley congratulates Shaw

McCann struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Teixeira popped up to short. A-Rod got the Yankees first hit of the game with a nubber in front of the plate. Gregorius popped up to short to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the sixth as Pedroia got a base hit to left to start. Bogaerts belted his 11th home run of the season to chase Pineda from the game. Chasen Shreve came in and Ortiz got a base hit to the centerfield fence. Ramirez forced Ortiz at second but JBJ lined out to left. Shaw and Holt worked back to back walks to load the bases, chasing Shreve from the game. Nick Goody came in to face Hanigan and Ryan flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                            Bogaerts goes yard

The Yankees finally got to Wright in the bottom of the sixth as Castro looped a base hit to center to start. Headley was hit with a pitch but Gardner flied out to center. Ellsbury walked to load the bases and Beltran ripped a base hit down the line to score Castro and Headley. Ellsbury moved to third on the hit and he scored on the force at second by McCann. Teixeira popped up to short to end the inning with the Sox still up 5-3. That was it for Wright who tossed six solid innings allowing 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk.

                                                            Good work Wright

Mr. Mookie lined out to left to start the top of the seventh but Pedroia drew a walk. Bogaerts struck out swinging and that was it for Goody. Nathan Eovaldi was brought in to face Ortiz and David grounded out to first to end the inning. Brad Ziegler came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and A-Rod grounded out to first to start. Gregorius grounded out to second and Castro popped up to second to end the inning.

Ramirez got a base hit down the third base line to start the top of the eighth but JBJ hit a bullet to Gregorius. Shaw lined out to third but Holt roped a base hit to left. Sox analyst Dave O'Brien brought up how Boston prospect Michael Kopech hit 105 on the gun down in Salem and Jerry Remy said that would have scared him in his playing days. Hanigan struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                    "105? I don't want to see that. I'll take the day off" - Remy

Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Headley singled past the diving Bogaerts to start. Gardner flied out to center and Ellsbury was rung up on a check swing strike three. Beltran flied out to right to end the inning.

Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to start. Pedroia struck out swinging and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Koji Uehara came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and McCann struck out swinging to start. Teixeira flied out to center and A-Rod popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                           Sox win

Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His two run home run proved to be the runs needed to win the game.

                                                       X Gon Hero For Ya

The Good:

Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Steven Wright got the win allowing 3 runs in 6 innings off 3 hits and a walk.

Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Koji Uehara earned his 5th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

None

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.

Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.

Final Thoughts:

Everything is clicking right now for the Red Sox. The starters are pitching well, the trade for Ziegler shored up the bullpen and the offense has been hitting the ball out of sight. Once Craig Kimbrel comes back healthy this bullpen will be devastating down the stretch. As long as the Sox don't suffer any more catastrophic injuries this just might be the team to beat going forward. Uehara as a closer is like old times again and the Sox shorten the game with Ziegler out there. With the Baltimore Orioles and the Toronto Blue Jays all within jockeying position of the Red Sox, this is going to be a hell of a stretch run. The win improved the Sox to 50-38, 2 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees tomorrow when Eduardo Rodriguez (1-3, 8.59 ERA) looks to get back on track against CC Sabathia of the Yankees. The game begins at 4:05 PM at Yankee Stadium.