Jays Massacre Sox (6/13/21)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Brandon Brennan was rewarded for his 3 shutout innings in last night's game by getting designated for assignment. He can either demand or release or report to Worcester. In his place the Sox called up perennial cannon fodder Ryan Weber. Why? Nobody knows.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, GADZOOKS! That was one of the most decisive beatdowns in Fenway Park history. The Toronto Blue Jays laid waste to the bungholes of Martin Perez (4-4, 4.52 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox by setting a record with EIGHT home runs, 20 hits and 18 total runs. The Jays scored in every inning but 2 and multiple runs in 5 of those 7. Ryan Weber was the sacrificial lamb after Perez was lifted as he allowed ELEVEN runs in 5 2/3 innings. Things got so bad that infielders Marwin Gonzalez and Christian Arroyo had to pitch. Ironically Gonzalez threw one of the only scoreless innings the Sox pitchers had. Offensively, as usual, the Sox were held to just 6 hits by Robbie Ray and the Jays pitchers. When the destruction was over, the Sox fell further behind in the AL East race as the Jays won the game 18-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                      "We surrender!"

The massacre began in the top of the first inning as Marcus Semien hit a rocket over the head of Xander Bogaerts to start. Bo Bichette walked on 5 pitches not even close and Hunter Renfroe had to climb the right field wall to rob Vladimir Guerrero Jr of a home run. Teoscar Hernandez responded by hitting a home run all the way to Istanbul, Turkey to put the Jays up for good 5 batters into the game. Randal Grichuk flied out to right but Lourdes Gurriel Jr hit a home run off the Eiffel Tower in Paris, France to increase the lead. Cavan Biggio missed a home run by 3 feet off the right field wall and settled for a double.  Kike Hernandez had to climb the centerfield wall to rob Riley Adams of a home run to end the inning but the game was already over 4-0.

                                                    Let the destruction begin

Ray cruised in the bottom of the first as Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo walked but JD Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning.

Alex Verdugo reached into the stands to rob Jonathan Davis of a home run to start the top of the second but Marcus Semien hit a home run all the way to Moscow, Russia to increase the lead. Bo Bichette damn near missed the right field foul pole by inches and settled for a single. That was it for Perez who got the plug pulled after 1 1/3 innings and 5 runs allowed. Ryan Weber was called up today to take a beating and he came in to get Guerrero Jr to ground out to third. Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Jays up 5-0.

                              "Gimmie that ball...and...AND GET OUTTA HERE!" - Cora

The Sox did get a run back in the bottom of the second when Xander Bogaerts smashed his 12th home run of the year to start. Renfroe popped up to first, Christian Arroyo flied out to right and Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                             Bogaerts hits one out of here

Shockingly Weber held the Jays off the board in the top of the third inning as Grichuk struck out swinging to start. Gurriel Jr singled to left but Biggio beat out a double play ball.....BUT WAIT! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged that the throw beat Biggio and sure enough, call overturned. The Sox were out of the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Kevin Plawecki struck out swinging to start. Danny Santana went down hacking and Hernandez lined out to center to end the inning.

The Jays put out a cigarette on the Sox heads in the top of the fourth although Adams struck out swinging to start. Davis lined one off of Weber for a base hit but Semien grounded out to third. Bichette ripped a base hit to right and Guerrero Jr singled home Davis to increase the lead. Bichette stole third and Hernandez smashed yet another 3 run home run to Istanbul to make this a laughter. Grichuk grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays up 9-1.

                                                         Hernandez does it again

Verdugo took strike three to begin the bottom of the fourth and Martinez struck out swinging. Bogaerts walked but Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning.

Weber took another pounding in the top of the fifth as Gurriel Jr singled to right to start. Biggio walked but Adams struck out swinging. Davis walked to load the bases and Gurriel Jr scored on the sac fly by Semien. Bichette joined the homer parade by hitting a homer all the way to his father's house. Guerrero Jr singled to center but Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 13-1.

                                                         Bichette adds to the lead

The Sox did fight back in the bottom of the fifth as Arroyo singled to left to start. Dalbec struck out swinging but Plawecki singled to left. Santana flied out to right but Hernandez doubled both men home. Verdugo grounded out to third to end the inning but the Sox were down by ten 13-3.

                                                         Hernandez drives in a pair

The Jays were offended the Sox scored in the top of the sixth and Grichuk singled to left to start. Gurriel Jr banged into a double play but Biggio homered all the way to the Montreal Forum to increase the lead. Adams struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 14-3.

                                                       Biggio hits one to Quebec

Martinez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth before Bogaerts struck out swinging. Renfroe walked but Arroyo took strike three to end the inning.

Weber took one final pasting in the top of the seventh inning as Davis struck out swinging to start. Semien flied out to left but Bichette doubled off the Monster, Guerrero Jr finally joined the homer parade with a 2 run shot all the way to Edmonton, Alberta. Hernandez doubled to left but Grichuk struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 16-3. The whole team ran up and hugged Weber as he came off the mound for taking one for the team. He ended up allowing 11 runs but saved the bullpen for tomorrow.

                                              "Aww there there Ryan, its okay" - Plawecki

Joe Panik came in to play second, Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez came in to play first and Trent Thornton came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Dalbec stepped up by belting his eighth home run of the season but Plawecki popped up to first. Santana and Hernandez both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 16-4.

                                                          Dalbec hits one out

Marwin Gonzalez the infielder came in to pitch the top of the eighth and somehow didn't allow a run. Gurriel Jr grounded out to third, Biggio also grounded out to third and Adams flied out to left to end the inning. Verdugo lined out to right to start the bottom of the eighth before Martinez singled to center. Hernandez dropped a pop up from Bogaerts and forced Martinez at second before Gonzalez (hitting in Renfroe's spot) lined out to center to end the inning.

Gonzalez moved to second with another infielder, Christian Arroyo taking the mound for the top of the ninth inning. Davis walked but Panik banged into a double play. Bichette hit a routine grounder to Gonzalez...who booted it for an error. Naturally Tellez hit a 2 run bomb to outer space to wrap up the scoring. Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning with the Jays ahead 18-4.

                                                  "Well this sucks" - Arroyo

Jeremy Beasley finished off the torture in the bottom of the ninth as Arroyo flied out to center to start. Dalbec walked but Plawecki flied out to center. Santana grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Jays had won it 18-4.

                                                                  Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Martin Perez. Yes, Weber and Arroyo allowed 13 runs combined but none of that would have happened if Perez didn't suck, tossing just 1 2/3 innings and allowing 5 runs to take the loss.

                                                             Perez The Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.

The Bad:

Danny Santana was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Ryan Weber allowed 11 runs in 5 1/3 innings, taking one for the team.

The Ugly:

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

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Marwin Gonzalez was 0 for 1 with an error but pitched a clean top of the eighth.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run. He also allowed 2 runs in the ninth inning.

Kevin Plawecki was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

That was a mugging with an audience. The Sox walked into a buzzsaw and it seems that the pitching that had held up for the first two months is starting to run out of gas. Garrett Richards, Nick Pivetta and Martin Perez had carried the team so far and they all looked awful their last few starts. It could only be temporary, after all the Houston Astros and Blue Jays have great offense, but it could be worse than we thought. Tanner Houck is still out with injury so it doesn't look like help is on the way either. The Sox are going to have to hang on until August when Chris Sale comes back and there's no guarantee he'll be the same pitcher he was before. The only silver lining about today was Ryan Weber, Gonzalez and Arroyo saved the bullpen for tomorrow in case the Jays hacked themselves tired. The New York Yankees also lost but the Tampa Bay Rays are beating up the hapless Orioles. The Sox can't afford to fall too far behind the Rays, especially on the hot streak they are on. Hopefully the Sox lick their wounds and come out fighting tomorrow night. The loss dropped the Sox to 39-27, 3 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox look to keep the Jays under ten runs in the series finale. Nathan Eovaldi (7-3, 4.11 ERA) takes on Alek Manoah of the Jays. The game begins tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Crush Braves in Season Finale (9/27/20)

The bad news was the Miami Heat eliminated the Boston Celtics with their Game 6 win in the NBA East Finals, the good news was the Boston Red Sox won their final regular season game. HALLELUJA!!! HALLELUJA! The 2020 Boston Red Sox season is over! One of the worst seasons in franchise history is finally over after 2 agonizing months of torture. After the year began with Alex Cora fired in January, Mookie Betts was traded in February. Chris Sale announced he needed Tommy John just as Covid-19 hit in March. The season was postponed until July and at that point, Eduardo Rodriguez developed a serious heart condition due to Covid and was forced to miss the season. Sox GM Chaim Bloom decided to take a knee on fourth down this season by not putting together a legitimate starting rotation, which led to the Sox falling into the last place for the fourth time in nine years. The season ended on a high note though as the Sox made mincemeat out of the Atlanta Braves in the final game of the season. Nick Pivetta (2-0, 6.89 ERA) once again tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball before departing manager Ron Roenicke pulled him. In what could be Jackie Bradley Jr's final game, he led the offensive charge by going 3 for 6 with a home run. Xander Bogaerts, JD Martinez and Jonathan Arauz all hit home runs as the Sox closed the book on their last place season on a high note, beating the Braves 9-1 at Truist Field.

                                               Season's over, time to party!

Braves starter Bryse Wilson got tagged immediately in the top of the first inning as Jackie Bradley Jr led off his possible final game in Boston with a double to left to start. Rafael Devers singled down the right field line to score Bradley to put the Sox on top. Xander Bogaerts whiffed but JD Martinez moved Devers to second with a grounder. Kevin Plawecki walked but Bobby Dalbec grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                    Devers drives in a run

The Braves fought back against Pivetta in the bottom of the first as Ozzie Albies flied out to left to start. Freddie Freeman grounded out to second but Marcell Ozuna hit a home run to Denmark to tie the game. None other than old friend Pablo Sandoval drew a walk and Adam Duvall singled to center. Nick Markakis grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                        Tie game

Michael Chavis grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Tzu-Wei Lin singled to left. Jonathan Arauz singled Lin to third but Tzu was out at home on a grounder by JBJ. Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the second as Dansby Swanson whiffed to start. Tyler Flowers took strike three and Ender Inciarte popped up to short to end the inning.

Bogaerts singled to short to start the top of the third before moving to second on the Martinez grounder. Plawecki took strike three but Dalbec walked. Chavis grounded out to second to end the inning. The departing JBJ made one final highlight reel catch in the bottom of the third when he robbed Albies of a triple at the centerfield wall too start. Freeman singled to center but JBJ robbed Ozuna of extra bases as well. Sandoval struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                     One last one for the highlight reel

The Sox took command in the top of the fourth with Will Smith now on the mound. Lin lined out to short and Arauz whiffed, but today's star JBJ pounded his 7th home run of the year to put the Sox up for good. Devers whiffed to end the inning but it was 2-1 Sox.

                                                               One last home run

Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Duvall popped up to second to start. Markakis flied out to center and Swanson took strike three to end the inning,

The Sox got another run in the top of the fifth against Darren O'Day. Bogaerts smashed his 11th home run of the season to increase the lead before Martinez flied out to left. Plawecki and Dalbec both went down hacking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                        Bogaerts hits one out

Pivetta returned for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth as Flowers whiffed to start. Inciarte walked and Albies singled off the glove of Arauz, but Freeman lined out to right. Ozuna lined out to second to end the inning. Despite having all winter to rest, Sox manager Ron Roenicke felt that was enough from Pivetta and pulled him after allowing just the home run in 5 innings.

                                                                2 starts, 2 wins for Pivetta

Shane Greene came in for the top of the sixth and Chavis lined out to right to start. Lin grounded out to second but Arauz walked. JBJ flied out to left to end the inning. Cesar Puello took Bogaerts' spot in the batting order but went to right with Lin moving to second base and Arauz to short to start the bottom of the sixth. Darwinzon Hernandez took the mound and somehow walked Sandoval to start. Duvall lined out to left but Markakis singled and everyone moved over on the passed ball by Plawecki. Swanson walked to load the bases but Flowers took strike three and Hernandez blew away Inciarte on a 94 mph fastball to end the inning.

Chris Martin came in to pitch the top of the seventh but after throwing one pitch, he fell to the ground clutching his groin. He had to be carried out on a stretcher and Luke Jackson came in ice cold to replace him. The Sox feasted although Devers grounded out to second to start. Puello singled to right and Martinez smashed his seventh home run of the season to increase the lead. Plawecki walked, Dalbec was plunked and Chavis doubled home Plawecki. Lin grounded out to first but Arauz singled home Dalbec and Chavis to ice the game. JBJ singled to left but Devers grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-1.

                                                              Sox pour it on

Ryan Weber took over for the bottom of the seventh and Albies flied out to right to start. Freeman grounded out to first but Ozuna singled to left. Sandoval grounded into a force to end the inning.

Mark Melancon came in for the top of the eighth and Puello singled to left to start. Martinez took strike three but Plawecki singled to center. Dalbec and Chavis both took strike three to end the inning. Weber got Duvall to hit one up the elevator shaft to begin the bottom of the eighth. Markakis doubled to center but Swanson grounded out to short. Flowers took strike three to end the inning.

Josh Tomlin came on for the top of the ninth and the Sox tagged him. Lin grounded out to first but Arauz struck his only home run of the season to wrap up the scoring. JBJ and Devers whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-1.

                                            1st and only homer for Arauz

Mike Kickham had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth and Inciarte lined out to center to start. Albies whiffed and Adeiny Hechavarria pinch hit for Freeman. Hechavarria grounded out to short to end the game and the season for the Red Sox. The Sox ended 2020 on a high note by winning 9-1.

                                                            One last win in 2020

Hero of the Night is Jackie Bradley Jr. In what could be his last game for the Red Sox, Bradley scored the game's first run, robbed Albies of a triple and his home run in the fourth put the Sox up for good.

                                                   Jackie Bradley Hero

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a home run before leaving.

Cesar Puello was 2 for 2 with a run scored.

Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Jonathan Arauz was 3 for 4 with a walk, 3 total rbis and a home run.

Nick Pivetta earned the win by tossing 5 innings while allowing one run for hits and 2 walks.

Darwinzon Hernandez tossed a scoreless sixth inning.

Ryan Weber tossed two scoreless innings.

Mike Kickham tossed a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 6 but drove in a run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 but walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Michael Chavis was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Tzu-Wei Lin was just 1 for 5.

Final Thoughts:

WE MADE IT!!! After 60 agonizing games and 65 days, the 2020 season is over for the Red Sox. This was as bad as it gets considering the Red Sox didn't have a rotation until the middle of September when Tanner Houck was brought up and Nick Pivetta was activated. In fact, if this was the middle of June and the Sox were 24-36, with the way the offense was gelling and the rotation improving, the Sox may have made a comeback during a full season. As it was, Sox management didn't even try this year. Losing Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez and Colin McHugh to either injury or Covid related issues hurt but Sox GM Chaim Bloom didn't even replace them. The Sox went into the season back in July with only two starters, Nathan Eovaldi and Martin Perez. Those guys would be 4-5 in a real rotation. Meanwhile the Sox sent a production line of bums to pitch this season and that's the real reason they finished last. The offense was as good as anyone but 4 games out of 5 they were down 5-6 runs by the third inning. There were some bright spots this season with Houck being the first. If he can build on this season, he could be their first homegrown ace since Clay Buchholz. Bobby Dalbec replaced Mitch Moreland and hit almost as many home runs as Moreland did. Phillips Valdez was one of the only guys that could get anyone out in the bullpen and the Sox may want to keep him around next year. Alex Verdugo was never going to replace Mookie Betts but in his own way, he became a stud. The Sox have a lot of work to do in the off-season to repair the damage but with all the prospects Bloom orchestrated to acquire plus the additions of Verdugo and Pivetta, rebuilding just got a lot easier. The Sox need to rebuild their bullpen and make a decision on who's in the outfield. If they don't want to bring Jackie Bradley Jr back they better hope this was just an off-year for Andrew Benintendi. Still, unlike last year things are looking up with a re-stocked farm system, a potential new ace and a younger offense that gelled. The Sox finished their season in last place at 24-36 on the season. If MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred doesn't screw with the draft order, the Sox will get the number 4 overall pick since they finished ahead of Pittsburgh, Texas and Detroit. The Sox will most certainly miss out on Kumar Rocker, Jack Leiter and the number one bat in the country....but that doesn't mean they can't draft a stud anyway. Who knows what the world will look like come February when spring training begins but with Alex Cora possibly returning, Tanner Houck & Nick Pivetta shoring up the starting pitching, Chris Sale & Eduardo Rodriguez coming back and Alex Verdugo gelling with Xander Bogaerts, Rafael Devers and Christian Vazquez, things are looking a hell of a lot better for 2021 than they did in 2020. Let us never speak of this disaster ever again.

Braves Walkoff Red Sox (9/25/20)

The good news was the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 5 of their NBA East Finals series but the bad news was the Atlanta Braves beat the Boston Red Sox. In one of the sorriest affairs in Major League history, the Red Sox and Braves tried to hand each other the game over and over again in an unnecessary extra inning affair. Once again the Sox went to the bullpen too early and they allowed 7 runs in 6 innings. Sox starter Chris Mazza held the Braves to just 1 run in 5 innings as the Sox took a 2-1 lead. Naturally the Braves came back to take a 4-2 lead going into the ninth. Somehow the Sox tied it to send it to the tenth inning. The Sox took the lead in the 10th just for the Braves to tie it. The Sox took the lead in the 11th just for Freddie Freeman to smash a 2 run walkoff home run to win it for the Braves. This year can't end fast enough after the 8-7 Braves win at Truist Field.

                                                    Let frown hour begin

Braves starter Kyle Wright got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Sox beat the ball in the dirt. Alex Verdugo grounded out to first, Christian Arroyo grounded out to short and JD Martinez grounded out to short as well to end the inning. Mazza got tagged in the bottom of the first when Ronald Acuna hit the fifth pitch Chris threw for a 495 foot home run to put Atlanta on top. Ozzie Albies lined out to center but Marcell Ozuna doubled to center. Adam Duvall grounded out to short to move Ozuna to third but Dansby Swanson struck out swinging to end the inning with the Braves ahead 1-0.

                                                   That ball is GONE

Wright cruised in the top of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr grounded back to the mound to start. Kevin Plawecki and Bobby Dalbec both whiffed to end the inning. Mazza cruised in the bottom of the first as Austin Riley whiffed to start. Nick Markakis flied out to left and Tyler Flowers struck out swinging to end the inning.

Tzu-Wei Lin flied out to right to start the top of the third before Michael Chavis grounded out to short. Jonathan Arauz struck out swinging to end the inning. Adeiny Hechavarria flied out to right to start the bottom of the third but Acuna was plunked. Acuna swiped second but Albies whiffed. Ozuna walked but Duvall took strike three to end the inning.

Wright cruised in the top of the fourth as Verdugo lined out to left to start. Arroyo flied out to right but Martinez whiffed to end the inning. Swanson lined out to center to begin the bottom of the fourth but Riley singled to left. Markakis popped up to third but Flowers singled to left. Hechavarria flied out to left to end the inning.

JBJ broke up the perfect game by swatting his 6th home run of the season to start the top of the fifth. Plawecki singled to center but was forced at second by Dalbec. Lin flied out to right and Chavis lined back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                    JBJ ties it up

Acuna struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth before Albies popped up to short. Ozuna walked but Duvall flied out to center to end the inning. Mazza had thrown 83 pitches through 5 and allowed just one run, but Sox manager Ron Roenicke felt he was doing too well.

                                                        Mazza goes 5 strong

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Arauz lined out to center to start. Verdugo grounded out to short and Arroyo also grounded out to short to end the inning. Darwinzon Hernandez came in for the bottom of the sixth and Swanson flied out to center to start. Riley walked but Markakis took strike three. Flowers was plunked and Hechavarria flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox took the lead in the top of the seventh although Martinez flied out to right to start. JBJ, Plawecki and Dalbec all walked to load the bases and Rafael Devers pinch hit for Lin. Devers hit an absolute rocket but was robbed of a hit by Riley. JBJ scored the go-ahead run but that could have been a 3 run triple. Darren O'Day came in to pitch and Chavis flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                 Great play by Riley

Ryan Weber came on for the bottom of the seventh and damn near blew the lead. Acuna grounded out to second but Albies was plunked. Ozuna singled to left and Duvall was plunked to load the bases. Somehow Weber struck out Swanson swinging and got Riley grounded out to first to end the inning.

Will Smith came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Arauz took strike three to start. Alex Verdugo whiffed and Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to cough up the lead in the bottom of the eighth as Markakis singled to right to start. Flowers took strike three but Hechavarria doubled to right and Acuna was intentionally walked to load the bases. Albies flied out to left but Ozuna singled up the middle to score Markakis and Hechavarria. Duvall hit a routine grounder to Devers who threw it into the stands to score Acuna with another run. Swanson flied out to center to end the inning as Devers pitched a fit in the dugout after helping the Braves take a 4-2 lead.

                                                   Ozuna gives the Braves the lead

Braves closer Mark Melancon came in for the top of the ninth with Ender Inciarte in for Markakis. Martinez started the rally with a base hit to center but was forced at second by JBJ. Plawecki singled and Dalbec walked to load the bases to bring up Devers. Devers hit a ground ball to third that ate up Hechavarria, causing him to airmail the throw into the dugout. JBJ and Plawecki scored to tie the game. Xander Bogaerts pinch hit for Chavis and he was intentionally walked to load the bases. Naturally Arauz forced Dalbec at home on a grounder to first. Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4. Once again Roenicke pinch hit for the wrong guy and it cost him.

                                                          Devers ties it up

Cesar Puello came in to play left with Matt Barnes on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Riley popped up to second and Ender Inciarte whiffed, but Freddie Freeman pinch hit for Flowers. Freeman walked and Travis d'Arnaud pinch hit for Hechavarria, walking as well. Acuna grounded into a force to end the inning.

Chris Martin came in for the top of the tenth inning with Alex Verdugo starting at second. Arroyo grounded out to third but Martinez was intentionally walked. JBJ whiffed but Plawecki got a base hit to right that scored Verdugo and sent Martinez to third. Dalbec stepped up with a base hit to center to score Martinez to give the Sox the lead. Devers lined out to short to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 6-4.

Jeffrey Springs came on to pitch the bottom of the tenth and naturally he pissed down his leg. Acuna started at second and Albies effortlessly singled him in. Ozuna whiffed and Duvall popped up to short, but a wild pitch moved Albies to second. Verdugo then went OLE! on a fly ball by Swanson to score Albies to tie the game. Riley was intentionally walked and Inciarte lined out to second to end the inning with the game tied again 6-6.

                                                       "I got it, I got it...I don't got it" - AV

Shane Greene came in to pitch the top of the 11th with Devers starting at second. Puello dropped down a bunt to move Devers to third and Arauz walked to put runners at the corners. Verdugo hit a sac fly to score Devers to give the Sox the lead. Arroyo grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 7-6 Sox.

After taking out his pitchers after one inning all damn season, NOW Sox manager Ron Roenicke let Springs throw another inning. Inciarte started at second and Springs threw an 80 mph straight fastball right down the middle that Freeman hit to Jupiter to end the game. The Sox bullpen allowed 7 runs in 6 innings and the Braves had won it 8-7 in 11 innings.

                                                          Braves win

Jackass of the night is Jeffrey Springs. He was tasked to protect leads twice and allowed 4 runs to lose the game.

                                              That's right, scram ya Jackass

The Good:

Jackie Bradley Jr scored 3 runs, walked and hit a home run.

Kevin Plawecki was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts walked as a pinch hitter.

Cesar Puello dropped down a bunt in his only at bat that led to the run scoring.

Chris Mazza tossed 5 innings of 1 run ball allowing just 4 hits and 2 walks.

Darwinzon Hernandez tossed a scoreless 6th inning.

Ryan Weber tossed a scoreless seventh inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 6.

Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 2.

Michael Chavis was 0 for 3.

Ryan Brasier allowed 3 runs in the bottom of the eighth.

The Ugly:

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Final Thoughts:

This season can't end fast enough. The only positive is that if Sox GM Chaim Bloom is good at his job, we'll never have to see Ron Roenicke manage or the bums in the bullpen ever again. There's scrap heap pickups and then there's dumpster diving, the Sox dumpster dived for their pitchers this year. The Sox had the lead THREE times and blew all three of them. Brasier and Springs managed to allow 7 runs between them and any other season, fans would complain. The Sox have two games left and are still locked in to the #3 pick in the draft. As it stands now if Pittsburgh takes Kumar Rocker and Texas takes Jack Leiter, the Sox can choose the top 5 tool bat in the country. That's if they remain in the number 3 position. Chris Mazza surprised everyone by going 5 strong with only 1 run allowed, its a shame the bullpen couldn't hold it. Once again Roenicke pulling him after 83 pitches when he has all winter to rest proves Roenicke is not a manager. Two more games and he's gone, thankfully. The loss drops the Sox to 22-36, last place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to bounce back when they send the rookie Tanner Houck (2-0, 0.00 ERA) up against Atlanta's rookie Tucker Davidson at 7:10 PM at Truist Park.

Pivetta, Sox Defeat Orioles (9/22/20)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Nick Pivetta was activated to start tonight's game against the Baltimore Orioles. The centerpiece of the Brandon Workman trade to the Phillies will make two starts to see what he's got before the end of the season. Robert Stock was sent back to the Alternate Training Site to make room for Pivetta, hopefully never to be seen again.

                                                          OUT

                                                                  IN

As for the game, THIS is what the Sox were supposed to look like this season. For the third straight game the Sox got good starting position and for the second game in a row, the bullpen didn't suck long enough for the Sox to win. Nick Pivetta (1-0, 9.28 ERA) made his Red Sox debut with 5 solid innings, allowing just 1 run to put the Sox in position to win. The Sox jumped on O's starter Keegan Akin for 4 early runs with Bobby Dalbec driving in two of them. Christian Vazquez hit the backbreaking 3 run bomb in the bottom of the sixth to ice the game. The bullpen held on just enough for the Sox to beat the Orioles 8-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Koa approves of the win

Pivetta looked rusty in the top of the first inning although Cedric Mullins took strike three to start. Austin Hays drew a walk but Ryan Mountcastle flied out to center. Renato Nunez walked and DJ Stewart singled home Hays to give Baltimore the lead. Pedro Severino whiffed to end the inning but the Orioles were up 1-0.

                                                     Stewart drives in a run

O's starter Keegan Akin got the ball in the bottom of the first and Alex Verdugo singled to left to start. Rafael Devers whiffed, Xander Bogaerts took strike three and JD Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Pivetta knocked off the rust in the top of the second inning by striking out the side. Hanser Alberto whiffed, Rio Ruiz was frozen for strike three and Ramon Urias went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the second as Christian Vazquez reached on an error by Ruiz to start. Jackie Bradley Jr singled to right and Bobby Dalbec doubled home Vazquez to tie the game. Michael Chavis scored JBJ with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead but Jonathan Arauz struck out swinging. Verdugo grounded into the shift but Stewart threw the ball away allowing Dalbec to score another run. Devers whiffed to end the inning but the errors led to a 3-1 Sox lead.

                                            Dalbec ties it up before the Sox take the lead

Pivetta struck out Stewart looking to start the top of the fourth before Severino flied out to left. Alberto singled off the glove of Devers before Ruiz grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fourth as Arauz singled to right to start and Verdugo singled him to third. Arauz was picked off, Devers whiffed to earn the hat trick and Boagerts lined out to second to end the inning.

Pivetta finished up his outing in the top of the fifth as Urias singled to right to start. Mullins walked but Hays whiffed. Mountcastle banged into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Pivetta who threw 96 pitches but survived 5 innings, allowing just the 1 run to put the Sox in position to win.

                                                         Pivetta pitches in

The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth against Cole Sulser as Martinez doubled to left to start. Vazquez flied out to left but Urias booted a grounder by JBJ to put runners at the corners. JBJ swiped second and Dalbec walked to load the bases. Chavis banged into a double play to end the inning.

Naturally the Orioles jumped all over Marcus Walden in the top of the sixth as Nunez pounded a home run into the Charles River to cut the lead to start. Stewart singled and Chavis dropped a routine pop up by Severino, but Alberto banged into a doubled play. Ruiz doubled home Stewart to cut the lead and Urias singled him to third. That was it for Walden as Ryan Weber came in to strike out Mullins swinging to end the inning with the Orioles down 4-3.

                                                   O's get back in it

The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the sixth with Paul Fry now on the mound. Arauz walked but Verdugo whiffed. A wild pitch moved Arauz to second but Devers whiffed to earn the golden sombrero. Evan Phillips came in to pitch to Bogaerts but he walked. Martinez singled home Arauz and Vazquez crushed his 6th home run of the year to put the game out of reach.Phillips started clutching his hand. He had to leave the game and Thomas Eshelman came in to walk JBJ. Dalbec popped up to second to end the inning but it was 8-3 Sox.

                                                                Vazquez ices it

Darwinzon Hernandez came in for the top of the seventh and Devers booted a routine grounder by Hays for an error to start. Hernandez recovered by blowing away Mountcastle and getting Nunez to pop up to short. Hernandez struck out Stewart swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the seventh as Chavis doubled to left to begin. Arauz singled Chavis to third but Verdugo popped up and Devers banged into a double play to end the inning. Devers had the golden sombrero, an error and hit into a double play, not his night.

                                                      Cue the Benny Hill theme

Domingo Tapia came in for the top of the eighth and struck out Severino swinging to start. Alberto grounded out to short but Ruiz doubled to left. Urias grounded out to third to end the inning. Bogaerts popped up to short to start the bottom of the eighth before Martinez doubled to left. Vazquez lined out to third and JBJ flied out to center to end the inning.

Dylan Covey was brought in to end the top of the ninth but he almost crapped his pants. Mullins and Hays stroked back to back singles before Mullins moved to third on the Mountcastle fly out to right. Nunez whiffed but Stewart walked to load the bases. Matt Barnes came in to get Severino to pop up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-3.

                                                     Sox win it

Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. His 3 run bomb put the game away and matched the Orioles entire offensive output.

                                                   Vazquez the Hero

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5.

JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a walk, a stolen base and a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 3 with 2 rbis, a walk and a run scored.

Michael Chavis was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Jonathan Arauz was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Nick Pivetta got his first win with the Red Sox by tossing 5 innings of 1 run ball.

Ryan Weber struck out the only man he faced.

Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Domingo Tapia pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Dylan Covey got the first 2 outs of the ninth inning.

Matt Barnes got the final out of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 5 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts, an error and he hit into a double play.

Marcus Walden allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.

Final Thoughts:

So THIS is the team the Sox should be if they had everything going right. Even though the Sox won in spite of Devers tonight, the fact that Bogaerts, Martinez, Dalbec, Bradley, Arauz and Verdugo were all big contributors shows that offensively the Sox will be fine next season. Its only a question of if Andrew Benintendi and JD Martinez can have better seasons than this year. Pivetta looked good for the 5 innings he was in and at least he kept them in the game. The "we want to tank" Sox fans can eat dog turds because the Sox have figured out a winning formula. The sad part is the Sox can win 4 of their remaining 5 games with the rotation they currently have. Nathan Eovaldi, Pivetta, Tanner Houck and Martin Perez are all scheduled to pitch one more time and hell...maybe the offense can carry whatever bum they throw out for the fifth game? All in all things are looking up for the Sox has they have a somewhat replenished farm system, possibly the next righthanded ace (Houck) and guys coming back from lost years (Eduardo Rodriguez and Benintendi). The win improved the Sox to 21-34, just 2 games behind the Orioles for fourth place in the AL East. The Sox can move one step closer out of last place by beating the Orioles tomorrow night. Nathan Eovaldi (3-2, 4.25 ERA) takes on Dean Kremer of the Orioles at 7:35 PM at Fenway Park.

Devers, Eovaldi Guide Sox Past Marlins (9/17/20)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of their NBA East Finals series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Miami Marlins. Even though Red Sox fans want the Sox to lose to get Kumar Rocker or Jack Leiter in the draft, the Sox just keep on winning games. Nathan Eovaldi (3-2, 4.25 ERA) tossed 5 shutout innings to put the Sox in position to win. Kevin Plawecki put the Sox on top with a 2 run single and Rafael Devers continued his second half surge with a three run bomb to ice the game. Sox manager Ron Roenicke pulled Eovaldi after just 5 innings and 76 pitches, causing the bullpen to toss another four innings. They allowed 3 runs but Ryan Brasier and Matt Barnes slammed the door on the 5-3 Sox victory over the Marlins at Marlins Park.

                                                      Dona Speir approves of the win

Marlins starter Jose Urena got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Sox looked to rally when Alex Verdugo singled to right to start. Rafael Devers singled to right but Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez both struck out swinging. Kevin Plawecki hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and Corey Dickerson whiffed to start. Starling Marte was hit with a pitch then stole second on the Jesus Aguilar strikeout. Matt Joyce grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr lined back to the mound to start the top of the second before Yairo Munoz grounded out to third. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. Eovaldi cruised in the bottom of the second as Brian Anderson grounded out to third to start. Garrett Cooper grounded out to second and Miguel Rojas flied out to right to end the inning.

Christian Arroyo went down hacking to begin the top of the third before Verdugo grounded out to second. Devers flied out to left to end the inning. Jazz Chisholm grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the third before Chad Wallach went down swinging. Dickerson hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts who threw himself on the ball and swam on it for an error. Marte popped up to first to end the inning.

Bogaerts lined out to short to start the top of the fourth but Martinez drew a walk. Plawecki banged into a double play to end the inning. Aguilar took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Joyce lined out to center. Anderson whiffed to end the inning.

JBJ grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Munoz whiffed. Dalbec whiffed to end the inning and Munoz keeled over in the dugout clutching his back. Yairo had to be hauled out on a gurney, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the local ICU. Tzu-Wei Lin took his place and the Marlins got their first hit when Cooper doubled to left to start the bottom of the fifth. Rojas singled Cooper to third but Eovaldi managed to strike out both Chisholm and Wallach swinging. Dickerson grounded out to short to end the inning. Even though he allowed just two hits on 76 pitches, that was it for Eovaldi. Another game the bullpen would have to throw multiple innings.

                                              Eovaldi goes 5 strong innings

The Sox struck first in the top of the sixth although Arroyo grounded out to short to start. Verdugo singled to right but Devers forced him at second. Bogaerts singled Devers to third and Martinez walked to load the bases. Plawecki singled home Devers and Bogaerts to give the Sox the lead. Richard Bleier came in to pitch and he walked JBJ to reload the bases. Lin whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                Plawecki puts the Sox on top

Phillips Valdez was first out of the bullpen in the bottom of the sixth and Marte singled to left to start. Aguilar struck out swinging but Joyce flied out to left. Anderson grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the seventh against John Quezada although Dalbec struck out swinging to start. Arroyo and Verdugo stroked back to back singles but Devers pulverized his 11th home run of the season to increase the lead. Bogaerts singled to right but Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-0.

                                                   Devers with the rocket

The Marlins rallied in the bottom of the seventh as Cooper singled to left to begin. Rojas walked and that was it for Valdez. Jeffrey Springs came in and Jorge Alfaro pinch hit for Chisholm. Alfaro singled home Cooper and Wallach doubled home Rojas. Somehow Springs got Dickerson to strike out swinging and Ryan Weber was brought in to face Marte. Marte grounded out to third but Alfaro scored to cut the lead. Aguilar took strike three to end the inning but the lead was cut to 5-3.

                                                         Alfaro does it again

Sean Rodriguez took over at second with Nick Neidert now on the mound for the top of the eighth. Plawecki whiffed but JBJ singled to center. Lin struck out swinging and JBJ was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came on for the bottom of the eighth and Joyce singled to right to begin. Anderson lined out to right and Cooper whiffed before Rojas grounded into a force to end the inning.

Dalbec earned the golden sombrero with his fourth strikeout of the game to start the top of the ninth. Arroyo grounded out to second and Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in for the save in the bottom of the ninth and he blew away Rodriguez to start. Wallach lined out to right and Dickerson lined out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.

                                                               Another save for Barnes

Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers. His 3 run bomb turned out to be the difference in the game.

                                                    Our Hero homers

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

JD Martinez walked twice in four plate appearances.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Nathan Eovaldi tossed 5 shutout innings while allowing just 2 hits, striking out 7.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Matt Barnes earned his 8th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Yairo Munoz was 0 for 2 with a strikeout before leaving.

Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Phillips Valdez was charged with 2 runs in an inning of work.

Jeffrey Springs was charged with a run in 1/3 of an inning.

The Ugly:

Kevin Plawecki was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a 2 run single.

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

Ryan Weber allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

If nothing else, its good to see Devers finish strong at the end of this season. He and Martinez couldn't hit the broad side of a barn for July and most of August but its good to see Devers snap out of it. When the offense is clicking, their top four is as good as anyone and should be 5 if you count Christian Vazquez when he plays. Eovaldi doing well is also encouraging but thankfully there's only 9 games left. Ron Roenicke's quick hooks have gotten so many pitchers hurt and who knows how many more will be saved with this only being a 60 game season. A lot of fans want the Sox to tank but they can go live in a tree. Watching them win is a lot more fun. Now the same fans have to make a choice if they want to see the Sox lose because they play none other than the New York Yankees next. Want to root for the Yankees? Didn't think so. The win improved the Sox to 19-32, good for last place in the AL East. Get ready for blood because the Yankees are coming to Fenway Park next. The Sox can prevent the Yankees from winning the AL East with a few victories and they'll get their chance tomorrow night. Martin Perez (3-4, 4.33 ERA) goes for the Sox against Captain TBD at 7:30 PM at Fenway Park.