Orioles Pound Sox at Fenway (9/28/19)

One thing is for sure, the 2020 Boston Red Sox better ditch this god awful "opener" idea. The reason the Tampa Bay Rays made it effective is because they're stacked with enough arms in their bullpen to get the job done. The Sox don't have those kind of arms and tonight's loss proved that. The lowly O's pounced on the "opener" Jhoulys Chacin for 4 early runs and another 4 runs off of complete bust Andrew Cashner. As been the Sox M.O. all season, as soon as they fell behind, they did not come back. The Sox led 3-2 after the first but the O's took the lead in the third inning. The Sox only scored 1 run the rest of the game and dropped the second to last game of the season 9-4 at Fenway Park.

                                   
The O's wasted no time getting to Chacin in the top of the first when Jonathan Villar lined the first pitch of the game into right for a double and DJ Stewart smashed a 400,000 foot home run 3 pitches later to give the O's the lead. Trey Mancini whiffed but Rio Ruiz singled to center. Renato Nunez popped up to second but Chris Davis walked. Steve Wilkerson flied out to right to end the inning but it was 2-0 Orioles.

                                                  The rout is on again

Somehow the Sox rallied against John Means in the bottom of the first inning. Jackie Bradley Jr singled to right but Rafael Devers popped up to third. Xander Bogaerts crushed his 33rd home run of the season to tie the game and JD Martinez clobbered his 36th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Sam Travis flied out to center and Brock "The Hitman" Holt struck out swinging to end the inning but it was 3-2 Sox.

                                                   JD gives the Sox the lead

Chacin failed to hold the lead in the top of the second inning as Austin Wynns struck out swinging to start. Richie Martin pulverized a 79,000 foot home run to tie the game. Villar took strike three and Stewart hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3.

                                                   Tie game

The Sox failed to take the lead in the bottom of the second as Gorkys Hernandez flied out to center to start. Chris Owings whiffed and Sandy Leon went down hacking to end the inning.

The O's took the lead for good in the top of the third inning although Mancini grounded out to first to start. Ruiz popped up to first but Nunez put the O's on top with a 7,000,000 foot home run halfway to Maine to chase Chacin. The "opener" got lit up for 4 runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Bobby Poyner walked Davis when he was brought in but Wilkerson flied out to left to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-3.

         

                                                               Booooooooo!

As usual when the Sox fell behind, they stayed behind int he bottom of the third inning. JBJ whiffed to start before Devers flied out to left. Bogaerts walked but Martinez took strike three to end the inning.

Heath Hembree got the ball in the top of the fourth inning and Wynns struck out swinging to start. Martin grounded back to the mound and Villar popped up to first to end the inning. Nothing happened in the bottom of the fourth as Travis grounded out to third to start. Holt lined out to short but Hernandez walked. Owings grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in for the top of the fifth and Stewart walked to start. Mancini whiffed but Stewart was erased on the force by Ruiz. Nunez whiffed to end the inning. The Sox tried to rally in the bottom of the fifth although Leon grounded out to third to start. JBJ lined out to third but Devers and Bogaerts stroked back to back singles. With a chance to tie the game...Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.

Andrew Cashner came in to take one final beating this season in the top of the sixth inning. Davis greeted him with a double to left and Wilkerson sacrificed him to third. Wynns singled Davis home and Martin doubled Wynns home. Villar singled home Martin and swiped second base. Villar went to third on the grounder by Stewart and Mancini singled him home to chase the incompetent Cashner. Cashner ends his Sox career as one of the biggest busts in trade history, allowing 4 runs to put the game out of reach. Colten Brewer came in and got Ruiz to ground back to the mound to end the inning but it was 8-3 Orioles.

                                             Travis running around like a pinball machine

The Sox managed a feeble rally against Shawn Armstong in the bottom of the sixth inning as Travis walked to start. Holt flied out to left but Hernandez singled to center. Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Owings and struck out swinging but Leon beat out a dribbler to short to score Travis. How big were those Cashner runs now? Tanner Scott came in to pitch to JBJ and got him to ground into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

Brewer returned for the top of the seventh and Nunez whiffed to start. Davis grounded out to third but Wilkerson singled to center. Wilkerson stole second and Wynns whiffed to end the inning. Devers grounded out to short to begin the bottom of the seventh but O's manager Bruce Hyde HAD to make a pitching change, bringing in Branden Kline for absolutely no reason. Bogaerts singled to short, Martinez walked and Travis reached on a fielder's choice to load the bases. Representing the tying run....Holt banged into a double play to end the inning. Its been that kind of year.

Josh A Smith came in for the top of the eighth and Martin lined out to center to start. Villar walked but was erased on the Stewart force. Stewart was gunned down trying to steal by the alert Leon to end the inning. Austin Hays took over for Stewart in center with Wilkerson moving to right for the bottom of the eighth. Gorkys Hernandez walked to start and Bruce Hyde just had to make ANOTHER pitching change, bringing in Richard Bleier. Marco Hernandez singled to left but was erased on the Leon force. Naturally JBJ hit into a double play to end the inning.

Smith returned for the top of the ninth and Mancini greeted him with a 15,000 foot home run into the Charles River. Ruiz lined out to center, Nunez went down swinging and Davis took strike three to end the inning with the Orioles ahead 9-4.

                                                    One last kick in the pants

Thankfully the game ended in the bottom of the ninth as Devers flied out to right to start. Just to piss off the remaining fans, Bruce Hyde trudged to the mound and absolutely had to bring in Dillon Tate with a 5 run lead with 1 out in the ninth. Bogaerts grounded out to short and Martinez took strike three to end the game. The O's had won the game 9-4.

                                          Another easy win for Baltimore


Jackass of the Night is Andrew Cashner. He turned a 4-3 game into 8-3 in the blink of an eye to put it out of reach.

                                               One final Jackass for Cashner



The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and a home run.

Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.

Marco Hernandez was 1 for 2.

Bobby Poyner got the final out of the third inning.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless fourth inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Colten Brewer tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Chris Owings was 0 for 2 with a strikeout/

Jhoulys Chacin allowed 4 runs in just 2 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and hit a home run.

Sam Travis was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but knocked in a run.

Josh A Smith allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Thank god this miserable season is almost over. September has been absolutely dreadful to watch with no starting rotation, constant pitching changes and lack of clutch hitting. Today was a microcosm of the season with the "opener" failing miserably and their only trade acquisition falling flat on his face. The supposedly good offense once again did not come back when trailing and it all adds up to failure. Thankfully this nightmare is almost over and we never have to see most of these people again. There's no way Smith, Chacin or Cashner are coming back or the Juan Cetenos and Gorkys Hernandez of the world either. The loss dropped the Sox to 83-78 with one game left in the season. The only reason to tune into tomorrow's finale against the Orioles is Eduardo Rodriguez (19-6, 3.80 ERA) quest for 20 wins on the season. Standing in E-Rod's way is old Sox farmhand Chandler Shepherd. The game begins at 3:05 PM at Fenway Park.

O's Down Lifeless Red Sox (9/27/19)

The Boston Red Sox can't wait for the season to be over and it showed in tonight's ho-hum loss to the Baltimore Orioles. The Sox offense scratched out just 6 total hits and 1 run while the O's got 3 against Nathan Eovaldi (2-1, 5.99 ERA). The Sox were shut down by the immortal Asher Wojciechowski who tossed 6 shutout innings. Thank goodness there are only 2 games left in the season because the Sox dropped this borderline unwatchable game 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                               Barnaby hates lifeless offenses

Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jonathan Villar flied out to center to start. Austin Hays took strike three but Trey Mancini walked. Dwight Smith Jr flied out to left to end the inning. Mr. Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the first by lining out to center to begin. Rafael Devers whiffed but Xander Bogaerts doubled to left. Mitch Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning.

Renato Nunez flied out to right to open the top of the second before Rio Ruiz lined out to second. Hanser Alberto hit a routine fly ball to right but Gorkys Hernandez tried to catch the ball in his hat and it dropped for an error. DJ Stewart walked but Chance Sisco grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox bungled a rally in the bottom of the second although Brock "The Hitman" Holt singled to right to start. Both Sam Travis and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging but Gorkys Hernandez atoned for his error by drawing a walk. Naturally Juan Centeno whiffed to end the inning.

The O's struck first in the top of the third inning although Villar flied out to left to start. Hays doubled to right but Mancini walked. A passed ball moved the runners overs but Smith Jr went down hacking. Nunez then pounded his 30th home run of the year into the Monster Seats to ice the game. Ruiz grounded out to second to end the inning but it was now 3-0 Orioles.

                                                        Nunez ends it early

As usual when the Sox fell behind, they did not come back. Mr. Mookie singled to center to start the bottom of the third but was doubled off first when Devers hit a bullet to Alberto. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning.

Eovaldi recovered in the top of the fourth inning as Alberto lined out to third to start. Stewart walked but Sisco struck out swinging. Villar grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew another rally in the bottom of the fourth as Moreland grounded out to short to start. Holt flied out to right but Travis was hit with a pitch. JBJ doubled to right and Travis tried to motor around home. Mancini threw home and Travis was out by a mile to end the inning.

                                                     YERRRRR OUTTA THERE!

Eovaldi came back for one last inning in the top of the fifth and Hays singled to right to begin. Mancini banged into a double play and Smith Jr grounded out to second to end the inning. Eovaldi made one mistake to Nunez but it was a big one as he left after 5 innings of 3 run ball in his final start of the season.

                                               See you next year Eovaldi

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Hernandez whiffed to start. Centeno grounded out to first and Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning.

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in for the top of the sixth and Nunez grounded out to second to start. Ruiz grounded out to short but Alberto singled to right. Stewart doubled to center and Sisco walked to load the bases. Somehow Velazquez got Villar to pop up to second to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth inning as Devers flied out to center, Bogaerts lined out to right and Moreland whiffed to end the inning. Wojciechowski was 3-8 going into this game and the Sox made him look like Jim Palmer as he tossed 6 shutout innings.

Colten Brewer came in for the top of the seventh inning and Hays took strike three to start. Mancini walked but Smith Jr went down hacking. Nunez grounded out to short to end the inning. Steve Wilkerson came in for Smith but went to right with Stewart going to left and Tanner Scott on the mound for the bottom of the seventh. Holt lined out to center to start before Travis whiffed. JBJ took strike three to end the inning.

Andrew Cashner came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ruiz grounded out to first to start. Alberto also grounded out to first but Stewart walked. Sisco walked but Villar flied out to left to end the inning. Mychal Givens put on a clinic in the bottom of the eighth as he blew away Hernandez, Centeno and Betts swinging in short order.

Marcus Walden came in to throw up on himself in the top of the ninth. Hays walked and stole second although Mancini went down swinging. Wilkerson grounded out to third but Nunez singled home Hays to increase the lead. Ruiz lined out to third to end the inning but Nunez had outscored the Red Sox all by himself with the O's leading 4-0.

                                                Nunez with another rbi

The Sox suddenly had a too little too late rally against Richard Bleier in the bottom of the ninth. Devers doubled to left and Bogaerts singled him home. Unfortunately Bogaerts was picked off and Moreland whiffed again. Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Holt which made no sense at all and naturally Vazquez grounded out to short to end the game. The O's had won it 4-1.

Jackass of the Night is Mitch Moreland. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts including a key one in the ninth inning down 3 runs.

                                                         Nice strikeout Jackass



The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.

Hector Velazquez pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Colten Brewer pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Andrew Cashner pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Christian Vazquez grounded out as a pinch hitter.

Juan Centeno was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcus Walden allowed a run in the top of the ninth



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Sam Travis was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts and was thrown out at the plate, but was hit with a pitch.

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 2 with an error and 2 strikeouts, but walked.

Nathan Eovaldi took the loss by allowing a 3 run home run in 5 innings pitched.




Final Thoughts:

Just 2 games left in this miserable season and they can't come fast enough. The Sox managed to make Asher Wojciechowski look like Mike Cuellar and Renato Nunez look like Frank Robinson. Nothing went right this year and things don't look good for next year as well. JD Martinez is a free agent and the rumor is Mookie Betts is leaving in free agency after 2020 so the Sox may trade him before then. We may be seeing a lot of these guys for the final time in the next few games. In some cases that's a good thing but in others, it will be sad to see them go. As for this disaster, the good news is its over and only 2 more defeats are left. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox lose to John Means of the Orioles. Jhoulys Chacin takes the loss for the Sox at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Rangers Attack Boston Bullpen, Avert Sweep (9/26/19)

The fact David Price and Chris Sale are out for the season is the reason why today's game between the Boston Red Sox and the Texas Rangers was a "bullpen game" for Boston. It turned into one of the most boring, frustrating and excruciating losses to sit through this season. Rangers starter Mike Minor needed some chicanery to pad his strikeout totals for the season but the Rangers offense teeing off on the Sox bullpen was the real story. The Rangers got just 7 hits but made them count with a 5th inning grand slam being the exclamation point. When the dust settled the Rangers had averted a sweep with a 7-4 victory at Arlington Park.

Mike Minor got the start for Texas in the top of the first inning and Marco Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second and JD Martinez whiffed to end the inning. Travis Lakins got the "start" for Boston and Shin-Soo Choo walked to start. Choo moved to second on the Elvis Andrus grounder and Willie Calhoun hit a routine grounder to Sam Travis. Travis dove on the ball and wrestled it for an error but luckily Danny Santana grounded into a double play to end the inning.

Travis grounded out to third to open the top of the second inning before Brock "The Hitman" Holt popped up to first. Gorkys Hernandez flied out to left to end the inning. Lakins struck out Rougned Odor swinging to begin the bottom of the second before Nick Solak grounded out to short. Ronald Guzman flied out to right to end the inning. Lakins did his job by pitching 2 perfect innings of this dreary game.

                                                           Lakins finishes strong

Minor turned up the heat in the top of the third by blowing away Jackie Bradley Jr to start. Both Sandy Leon and Chris Owings were called out on strikes to end the inning. Brian Johnson was first out of the pen for the Sox in the bottom of the third and Jose Trevino lined out to left to start. Isiah Kiner-Falefa grounded out to third but Choo walked. Andrus lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth when Marco Hernandez caught the Rangers asleep with a bunt single to start. Benintendi whiffed but Martinez singled Hernandez to third. Travis made up for his earlier error with a base hit to score Hernandez with the game's first run. Holt beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners and Gorkys Hernandez doubled home Martinez. JBJ singled home Holt but the rally ended when Leon grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                               Nice going Leon

The Rangers answered right back in the bottom of the fourth when Calhoun walked to start. Calhoun was erased on the force by Santana but Danny swiped second. Odor whiffed but Solak doubled home Santana. Guzman walked and Sox manager Alex Cora started the musical chairs in the bullpen by bringing in Trevor Kelley. Kelley struck out Trevino to end the inning but the Rangers were down 3-1.

                                             Nice going Johnson

Owings led off the top of the fifth by drawing a walk but got himself thrown out at second trying to steal. Marco Hernandez whiffed and Sox manager Alex Cora said to hell with this game and sat Andrew Benintendi in favor of Juan Centeno. Centeno grounded out to short to end the inning. Centeno took over behind the plate with Leon moving to first and Travis going to right with Mike Shawaryn now on the mound for the bottom of the fifth. Kiner started the rally with a single but Choo froze for strike three. Kiner swiped second and Andrus singled him to third. Andrus swiped second and Calhoun walked to load the bases. Santana then mashed a 500,000 foot grand slam to put the Rangers on top. Odor flied out to center but Solak singled to chase the incompetent Shawaryn. Colten Brewer came in as Solak swiped second on the incompetent Centeno but Guzman grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Rangers up 5-3.

                                               Great bullpen help.....

Martinez tried to start a rally in the top of the sixth with a base hit to center but Travis ended it by grounding into a double play. Holt singled to left but Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning. Ryan Weber got the ball in the bottom of the sixth and Trevino whiffed to start. Kiner grounded out to first but Choo walked. Andrus grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox showed some life in the top of the seventh when JBJ clubbed his 21st home run of the season to cut the lead. Leon hit one up the elevator shaft but Owings of all people tied the game with his third home run of the season. Marco Hernandez grounded out to first but Centeno singled to left to keep the rally going. Martinez walked and somehow the Sox pulled off a double steal with the two slowest guys on the team. Naturally Travis whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 5-5.

                                              Owings ties it up

The Rangers immediately retook the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Weber served up a 8,000,000 foot home run into the Gulf of Mexico to Calhoun to start. Santana struck out swinging but Odor smashed a 5,000 foot home run for the big insurance run. Solak lined out to right and Sox manager Alex Cora decided to piss everyone off with an unnecessary pitching change, bringing in Bobby Poyner to pitch to Guzman. Poyner got Guzman to fly out to left to end the inning but it was 7-5 Rangers.

                                                    Odor ices it

The Sox went quietly in the top of the eighth as Holt grounded out to first to start. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to short and JBJ popped up to short to end the inning. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in for the bottom of the eighth and Trevino grounded out to short to start. Kiner grounded out to third and Choo flied out to center to end the inning.

The Rangers pulled off some chicanery to get Minor his 200th strikeout of the season in the top of the ninth. Leon flied out to left and Owings popped up to first only for Guzman to drop it on purpose. Naturally Owings whiffed and the sparse crowd went wild for Minor's 200th strikeout. Even worse, rather than let Minor finish the game, Rangers manager Chris Woodward lifted him after 8 2/3 innings for Jose Leclerc. Leclerc punched out Marco Hernandez to end the game and give the Rangers the 7-5 win.

                                              Yeah yeah yeah....whoopie


Jackass of the Night is Ryan Weber. He served up not one, but two home runs after the Sox had fought to tie the game in the seventh.

                                                          Jackass Weber



The Good:

Juan Centeno was 1 for 2 at the plate and stole a base.

JD Martinez was 2 for 3 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with 2 total rbis including a solo home run.

Chris Owings was 1 for 3 with a walk including a solo home run.

Travis Lakins tossed two scoreless innings.

Colten Brewer retired the only man he faced.

Trevor Kelley struck out the only guy he faced.

Bobby Poyner retired the only man he faced.

Hector Velazquez pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mike Shawaryn gave up a grand slam in the bottom of the 5th inning.



The Ugly:

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Sam Travis was just 1 for 4 with an error but drove in a run.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Gorkys Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Brian Johnson allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.




Final Thoughts:

Thank God there's only 3 games left in this awful season. The real death of the Sox were the lack of starting pitching depth. That fell squarely on former Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski who's only acquisition was Andrew Cashner who's been a titanic bust as both starter and reliever. These bullpen games are hard enough to sit through once per week, twice is just simply torture. The constant pitching changes slow the game to a crawl and since the games are meaningless to begin with, there's really no point in watching anymore. The next two games are about as useful as pants on a pig with the only drama left is if Eduardo Rodriguez can win 20 games in the season finale. Old time MLB writers are squawking about Guzman dropping the ball on purpose so Minor could pad his stats....are they forgetting Don Baylor dropping a pop up so Roger Clemens could strike out 20 in 1986? Eh, who cares?  The loss drops the Sox to an unimpressive 83-76 on the season. Tomorrow night the Sox begin their final homestand of the season when they welcome to the terrible Baltimore Orioles to Fenway. Asher Wojciechowski goes for the Orioles against Nathan Eovaldi (2-0) at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rays Six Run Rally Sinks Sox (9/23/19)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox got some good news for once. Heath Hembree had been activated off the Injured List and would be available for the final 7 games of the season. This year may be a wash but he'll be needed next season for sure

                                                                      IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster in a season full of them. The Sox took a 4-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays when the Rays promptly scored 6 runs off Sox starter Jhoulys Chacin and the JV bullpen. As been their M.O. all season, as soon as the Sox fell behind they failed to come back. Blake Snell was hittable for the Rays but the bullpen was not as the Rays took 3 out of 4 in this series with a 7-4 win at Tropicana Field.

                                               Morty's reaction to Boston pitching

Snell took the mound in the top of the first inning and Marco Hernandez went down swinging to start. Mr. Mookie Betts drew a walk but Rafael Devers struck out swinging as well. Mr. Mookie swiped second and JD Martinez walked before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Sam Travis also went down swinging to end the inning. Chacin initially had a good bottom of the first as he struck out Joey Wendle swinging to begin. Tommy Pham went down hacking but Austin Meadows walked. Travis d'Arnaud flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr singled to center to begin. Gorkys Hernandez flied out to center, JBJ swiped second and Chris Owings walked. Sandy Leon hit one up the elevator shaft but Marco Hernandez pounded a ground rule double to put the Sox on top. That was it for Snell as Chaz Roe came in and got Mr. Mookie to pop up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                              Hernandez puts the Sox on top

Chacin cruised in the bottom of the second as Ji-Man Choi grounded out to first to start. Avisail Garcia grounded out to short and Brandon Lowe grounded out to first to end the inning.

Peter Fairbanks came in for the top of the third and the Sox struck again. Devers flied out to left and Martinez grounded out to short, but Sam Travis keeled over in the dugout and had to be rushed to the local hospital's ICU. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Travis and doubled to center before JBJ doubled Mitch home. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

Chacin blew away Kiermaier to begin the bottom of the third before Adames took strike three. Wendle grounded out to second to end the inning.

Austin Pruitt came in for the top of the fourth and the Sox nailed him too. Owings grounded out to first to start before Leon took strike three. Marco Hernandez walked and Mr. Mookie singled him to third. Devers singled home Hernandez and Martinez singled home Betts. Moreland walked to load the bases but JBJ missed the killshot by grounding out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                     Devers drives in a run

All of a sudden the Rays sprang to life in the bottom of the fourth although Pham whiffed to start. Meadows singled to right and d'Arnaud singled him to third. Choi then crushed a 970,000 foot home run to cut the lead. Garcia grounded out to third but Lowe smashed a 340,000 foot home run to tie the game and chase Chacin. He was nearly perfect for 3 1/3 innings but fell apart in a hurry.

                                                   So much for Chacin

Bobby Poyner came in to pour gas on the fire as Kiermaier was plunked and Adames cracked a 50,000 foot home run to put Tampa up for good. Wendle took strike three to end the inning but 3 Rays homers had given them the lead 6-4.

                                                   The Rays take the lead

As been their M.O. all season, the Sox quit when they fell behind in the top of the fifth inning. Oliver Drake got Gorkys Hernandez and Chris Owings to strike out swinging before Leon grounded out to short to end the inning. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez got the ball in the bottom of the fifth and Pham flied out to right to start. Meadows grounded out to first and d'Arnaud struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox quit in the top of the sixth inning as Marco Hernandez grounded out to second to start. Mr. Mookie lined out to center and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. The Rays wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Choi doubled to start. Garcia doubled home Choi but was thrown out at third trying to stretch by Mr. Mookie. Lowe whiffed and Kiermaier flied out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 7-4.

                                                     YERRRR OUT!

Daniel Robertson took over for Lowe but was at third with Wendle moving to second and Nick Anderson on the mound for the top of the seventh. Martinez and Moreland both struck out swinging but JBJ dumped a base hit to center. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Heath Hembree materialized out of thin air to pitch for the first time since August 1st in the bottom of the seventh inning. Adames lined out to center to start before Wendle grounded out to second. Pham flied out to right to end the inning. Welcome back Hembree!

                                                       Hembree is back

Diego Castillo came in for the top of the eighth and Owings whiffed to start. Leon flied out to center and Marco Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Brian Johnson came in for the bottom of the eighth and Meadows singled to start. d'Arnaud whiffed and Choi flied out to center before Jesus Aguilar pinch hit for Garcia. Aguilar walked and Guillermo Heredia pinch ran for him. Robertson whiffed to end the inning.

Emilio Pagan came in for the top of the ninth and the Sox rallied. Mr. Mookie and Devers stroked back to back singles to start but Martinez flied out to right. Colin Poche came in to pitch and Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Moreland...just to strike out swinging. Xander Bogaerts pinch hit for JBJ...just to take strike three to end the game. The Rays had won it 7-4.

                                                                 Another loss to the Rays


Jackass of the Night is Bobby Poyner. He allowed the go ahead home run to Adames that the Sox could got recover from.

                                                        Bobby Jackass


The Good:

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

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Brian Johnson pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Sam Travis struck out in his only at bat.

Christian Vazquez struck out as a pinch hitter.

Xander Bogaerts struck out as a pinch hitter.

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 but struck out.

Jhoulys Chacin gave up 4 runs in just 3 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

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

Chris Owings was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Hector Velazquez allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Good thing this season is almost over because I can't stand watching this garbage anymore. The Sox keep throwing out scrubs to pitch and they hardly ever come back when trailing. It doesn't matter if its the Tampa Bay Rays or the Perkins Institute for the Blind, every game is the same this month more or less. The only thing left to look forward to is if Eduardo Rodriguez can get to 20 wins or not because this is unbearable at this point. It was nice to see Heath Hembree make his return, if nothing else than one less inning per game for one of the interchangeable scrubs. The loss dropped the Sox to 81-75 with just 6 games left in the season. The Sox now travel to Texas for their final road trip of the season. Eduardo Rodriguez (18-6) continues his march towards 20 wins when he goes up against Edinson Volquez at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Park.

Eovaldi Wins 1st Start, Beats Rays (9/22/19)

Better late than never for Nathan Eovaldi (2-0, 6.03 ERA). After a season full of disappointments and injuries, Eovaldi won his first start this season...with only 7 games left in the season. Eovaldi tossed 6 innings of 3 run ball to keep the Boston Red Sox in the game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Christian Vazquez hit a 3 run bomb to pace the offense that cranked out 7 total runs. The Sox defeated Ryan Yarbrough and the Rays 7-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Scary Terry approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Yarbrough in the top of the first inning. Jackie Bradley Jr led off by striking out swinging but Rafael Devers dumped a single to center. Xander Bogaerts singled to center and JD Martinez drove home Devers with a base hit to give the Sox the lead. Christian Vazquez stepped up with a 3 run blast, his 22nd home run of the year, to put the Sox up big. Sam Travis got a base hit to center but Gorkys Hernandez popped up to first. Chris Owings singled to left and Juan Centeno was plunked to load the bases. JBJ took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0

                                                         Vazquez goes deep

The Rays fought right back in the bottom of the first as Joey Wendle walked to start. Austin Meadows singled Wendle to third and Wendle scored on the double play hit by Tommy Pham. Ji-Man Choi whiffed to end the inning with the Rays down 4-1.

                                                  Double play!

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning as Devers grounded out to second to start. Bogaerts popped up to first and Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. The Rays struck back in the bottom of the second as Brandon- Lowe singled to left to start. Nate Lowe took strike three but Willy Adames singled. Kevin Kiermaier singled home Brandon Lowe to cut the lead. Mike Zunino whiffed and Kiermaier was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                       YERRRR OUT!

Vazquez singled to center to start the top of the third but Travis flied out to center. Hernandez grounded out to first and Owings grounded out to short to end the inning. The Rays inched closer in the bottom of the third as Wendle bashed a 500,000 foot home run to start. Meadows flied out to center but Pham singled to right. Choi took strike three and Brandon Lowe flied out to center to end the inning with the Rays down 4-3.

                                                      Rays inching closer

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth although Centeno grounded out to second to begin. JBJ hit a double to center and Kiermaier threw the ball away, allowing Jackie to reach third. Devers walked to chase Yarbrough and Andre Kittredge came in. Bogaerts was plunked to load the bases and Martinez drew a walk to score Jackie. Vazquez struck out swinging and a wild pitch scored Devers. Travis grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox led 6-3.

                                                      JD walks in a run

Nate Lowe singled to center to start the bottom of the fourth but was doubled off first on the line drive to Eovaldi off the bat of Adames. Kiermaier was plunked but Zunino popped up to second to end the inning.

Hernandez grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Owings went down hacking. Centeno lined out to center to end the inning. Eovaldi cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Wendle flied out to left to start. Meadows also flied out to left and Pham grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jalen "Twin" Beeks came in for the top of the sixth and JBJ grounded out to short to begin. Devers lined out to left and Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning. Eovaldi had one last inning in him and finished the bottom of the sixth. Choi and Brandon Lowe both whiffed but Nate Lowe walked. Adames grounded into a force to end the inning. Eovaldi pitched his best game of the season with 6 innings of 3 run ball, a far cry from his successes last season.

                                                  Eovaldi with a solid start

Boston rallied off Trevor Richards in the top of the seventh as Martinez got a base hit to right and Vazquez singled him to third. Travis and Hernandez both struck out swinging but Wendle threw a routine grounder by Owings away, allowing Travis to score. Centeno walked to load the bases but JBJ flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                              "Aww man I crapped mah pants!" - Wendle

Sox manager Alex Cora rubbed his hands maniacally because now it meant he could bring in 117 pitchers the rest of the game and Darwinzon Hernandez was first out of the gate in the bottom of the seventh. Kiermaier lined out to second and Zunino grounded out to short, but Wendle walked. Meadows singled and Cora trudged to the mound to bring in Colten Brewer. A wild pitch moved both runners but Pham grounded out to short to end the inning.

Devers whiffed to begin the top of the eighth and Bogaerts grounded out to third. Martinez got a base hit to center but Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning. Matt Barnes came on for the bottom of the eighth and struck out Choi swinging to start. Brandon Lowe walked but Barnes punched out Nate Lowe. Adames lined out to right to end the inning.

Cole Sulser took over for the top of the ninth and Travis whiffed to start. Hernandez also struck out swinging but Owings walked. Centeno flied out to left field to end the inning. Andrew Benintendi took over in left field with Trevor Kelley on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Kiermaier flied out to center but Brendan McKay pinch hit for Zunino. McKay annihilated a home run all the way to the Red Sea for his first home run of the year. Wendle flied out to center and Cora came out to bring in Brandon Workman for god knows what reason. Meadows grounded out to end the game, the Sox had somehow beaten Tampa Bay 7-4.

                                                   Sox win it


Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. He went 3 for 5 including smashing the big 3 run home run in the first inning to give the Sox the lead they wouldn't give up.

                                                 Vazquez The Hero




The Good:

JD Martinez was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Nathan Eovaldi tosssed 6 innings of 3 run ball to earn the win. He struck out 6 batters.

Darwinzon Hernandez got the first 2 outs of the 7th inning.

Colten Brewer got the final out of the 7th inning.

Brandon Workman got the final out of the game.



The Bad:

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Trevor Kelley allowed a run in just 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored two runs.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Sam Travis was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Chris Owings was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Juan Centeno was 0 for 3 but walked and was hit with a pitch.



Honorable Mention:

Andrew Benintendi played left field in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Good to see Nathan Eovaldi end the season on a high note after being a disappointment all season. Hopefully next season he can stay healthy all season and be the pitcher he was last year. It may be too much to ask, but what the hell. One thing is for sure, the Sox are going to need more bench depth in 2020 because their September call-ups have been atrocious this month. The rise of Christian Vazquez also gives hope for next year if they potentially lose JD Martinez to free agency. Speaking of Martinez, this could be it for him so better enjoy him while you can. The win improved the Sox to 81-74 with just 7 games left in the season. The Sox look to annoy the Rays some more tomorrow night when they send Jhoulys Chacin to the mound against Blake Snell at 7:05 PM at Tropicana Field.

Giants Top Sox in 15 (9/17/19)

What started with a pretty cool tribute to Giants outfielder Mike Yastrzemski, grandson of Carl, ended in yet another agonizing, boring loss in a season full of them. This time it was the San Francisco Giants that managed to suck less than the Boston Red Sox. The Giants broke out to a 5-1 lead after 4 only for the Sox to miraculously tie it in the bottom of the sixth. The score remained deadlocked until the 13th where the Giants scored but somehow the Sox answered. The Giants scored again in the 15th and this time the Sox didn't come back. Thankfully the season is almost over as the Giants dropped the Sox 7-6 in 15 innings at Fenway Park.

                                                        Generation to generation

36 years after Carl Yastrzemski played his final game at Fenway Park, his grandson Mike began the top of the first inning by striking out swinging. The Giants instantly took the lead when Brandon Belt crushed a 60,000 foot home run to put the Giants on top. Evan Longoria whiffed but Stephen Vogt grounded out to short to end the inning with the Giants up 1-0.

                                                          Giants up early

Giants starter Logan Webb cruised in the bottom of the first inning as Andrew Benintendi lined out to center to start. Xander Bogaerts whiffed and Rafael Devers grounded out to short to end the inning.

Eovaldi blew away Kevin Pillar to start the top of the second but Brandon Crawford singled to center. Chris Shaw whiffed but Austin Slater singled to right. Former Sox prospect Mauricio Dubon grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox tied it in the bottom of the second although JD Martinez whiffed to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt, Mitch Moreland and Christian Vazquez all walked to load the bases. Jackie Bradley Jr  tied the game with a base hit to left to score Holt and reload the bases. The rally ended as Marco Hernandez grounded to third and Longoria threw home to nail Moreland at home with a force before Benitnendi lined out to left to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                    JBJ ties it up

The Giants took the lead in the top of the third as Mike Yaz walked to start. Belt took strike three but Longoria walked. Vogt doubled home Yaz and Pillar scored Longoria with a grounder. Crawford singled home Vogt to ice the game. Shaw grounded out to second to end the inning but the Giants had took the lead 4-1.

                                                          Yaz scores the go-ahead run

The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the third as Bogaerts grounded out to second to begin. Devers whiffed and Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Giants struck again in the top of the fifth although Slater lined out to right to start. Dubon popped up to second but Mike Yaz lit the crowd up with a home run to increase the lead. Belt walked and Longoria singled but Vogt struck out to end the night for Eovaldi. Another stinker from Nathan as he lasted just 4 innings and allowed 5 runs to put the Sox in a 5-1 hole.

                                                    Poor effort from Eovaldi

The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the fourth as Holt grounded out to second to start. Moreland grounded out to short and Vazquez also grounded to short to end the inning.

Colten Brewer took over for the top of the fifth and Pillar grounded out to second to start. Crawford whiffed before Shaw struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox began their comeback in the botom of the fifth as JBJ clubbed his 19th home run of the season. Hernandez grounded back to the mound and Benintendi lined out to first, but Bogaerts walked. Devers grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                  Home run JBJ

Bobby Poyner pitched the top of the sixth inning and Slater grounded out to third to start. Dubon flied out to center and Mike Yaz grounded out to first to end the inning. In the bottom of the sixth, Martinez suddenly keeled over in the dugout clutching his groin. He was carried out on a stretcher and was hauled off to Mass General's ICU. Sam Travis pinch hit for him and hit a shot into the right field corner. Travis motored around for the triple but was hit in the head with the throw, knocking him goofy. He was hauled off in a gurney and rushed to Brigham & Women's ICU.  That was it for Webb as Andrew Suarez came in to pitch with Hernandez running for Travis. Holt whiffed but Moreland doubled home Hernandez. Vazquez pounded a ground rule double to score Moreland and stole third on the JBJ strikeout. Vazquez scored on a passed ball to tie the game. Marco Hernandez singled to center but Benintendi lined out to left to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

                                                   Poor Travis

Ryan Brasier came in for the top of the seventh and Belt took strike three to start. Longoria whiffed and Vogt flied out to right to end the inning. Tyler Rogers came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Bogaerts singled to start. Devers singled to center and Gorkys Hernandez dropped down a bunt to move the runners over. Old pal Fernando Abad came in and punched out Holt before Moreland grounded out to short to end the inning.

Pillar whiffed to start the top of the eighth and Josh Taylor came in to face Crawford. Taylor got Crawford to ground out and Donovan Solano hit for Shaw, drawing a walk. Slater whiffed to end the inning. Jandel Gustave came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Vazquez worked a walk to start. Sox manager Alex Cora made the idiotic decision to have Chris Owings run for Vazquez and Owings was quickly erased on the force by JBJ. Bradley was erased on the force by Marco Hernandez and Benintendi grounded out to first to end the inning.

Sandy Leon came in to catch the top of the ninth with Brandon Workman now on the mound. Dubon singled but Mike Yaz took strike three. Dubon got picked off by the alert Workman and Belt took strike three to end the inning. Sam Coonrod came in for the bottom of the ninth but Bogaerts popped up to first to start. Devers grounded out to second but Gorkys Hernandez singled and took second on a wild pitch. Holt was intentionally walked as Will Smith came in. Moreland was retired on a squibber to end the inning, on to extras we go.

Matt Barnes came in for the top of the tenth and walked Longoria to start. Vogt flied out to right and Longoria was erased on the Pillar force. Crawford walked but Solano grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox looked to have ended it when Leon led off with a base hit but JBJ flied out to center. Marco Hernandez whiffed as did Benintendi to end the inning.

Marcus Walden came in for the top of the eleventh and Slater took strike three to start. Dubon grounded out to second and Mike Yaz struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the eleventh against Shaun Anderson as Bogaerts whiffed to start. Devers struck out swinging and Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Andrew Cashner came in for the top of the 12th and Belt flied out to center to begin. Longoria singled but Vogt banged into a double play. The Sox looked to win the game when Holt walked to start the bottom of the 12th but Moreland grounded into a double play. Leon whiffed to end the inning.

The Giants finally broke the deadlock in the top of the 13th as Pillar singled to start. Crawford lashed one off the Monster that scored Pillar easily but Crawford was thrown out trying to stretch a triple. Solano singled but Slater struck out swinging. Dubon flied out to right to end the inning but the Giants led 6-5.

                                                      Giants take the lead

Sam Selman came in for the bottom of the 13th and thinks looked bleak when JBJ whiffed to start. Somehow the Sox rallied as Marco Hernandez singled to left and Benintendi walked to chase Selman. Burch Smith came in and Bogaerts singled to right to load the bases. Wandy Peralta came in and punched out Devers and Kyle Barraclough was brought in to pitch to Gorkys Hernandez. Sox manager Alex Cora sent in Juan Centeno to pinch hit for Hernandez and somehow Juan walked to score Marco Hernandez with the tying run. With the winning run 90 feet away...Holt grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.

                                                            Good work Centeno

Brian Johnson came in for the top of the 14th and Mike Yaz grooved a ground rule double into the bleachers to start. Belt flied out to left and Longoria was intentionally walked. Vogt whiffed to chase Johnson. Trevor Kelley came in and Pillar grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Dereck Rodriguez came in for the bottom of the fourteenth and Moreland flied out to center to begin. Leon singled but JBJ took strike three. Marco Hernandez flied out to left to end the inning.

The Giants finally went up for good in the top of the fifteenth inning as Crawford whiffed to start. Solano hit a ground rule double and Alex Dickerson pinch hit for Slater. A wild pitch moved Solano to third and Dickerson scored Solano with a sac fly. Dubon hit a routine grounder to short and Bogaerts was so angry he fired the ball at Dickerson in the Giants dugout for an error. Mike Yaz popped up to third to end the inning with the Giants ahead 7-6.

                                                Sac fly by Dickerson

Mike Gerber took over in right for the bottom of the 15th and Benintendi grounded out to third to start. Bogaerts walked and Devers singled to put the tying run at second but Centeno lined out to center. Holt lined out to second to end the game. After all that, the Giants had won 7-6 in 15.

                                                  Mike Yaz is 1-0 at Fenway



Jackass of the Night is Brock Holt. He had a chance to win the game in the 13th and to tie it in the 15th and failed both times.

                                                  Hitman Jackass



The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 6 with 2 walks.

Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Juan Centeno walked and drove in a run.

Sam Travis tripled as a pinch hitter before leaving with injury.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 3.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 7 with 2 total rbis, a home run and a run scored.

Marco Hernandez was 2 for 7 with a run scored.

Colten Brewer pitched a clean 5th inning.

Bobby Poyner pitched a clean 6th inning.

Ryan Brasier tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

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

Brandon Workman pitched a clean 9th inning.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 10th inning.

Marcus Walden pitched a scoreless 11th inning.

Brian Johnson got the first two outs of the 14th inning.



The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Nathan Eovaldi lasted just 4 innings and allowed 5 runs.

Trevor Kelley took the loss by giving up the go-ahead run in the 15th.



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 7 but walked.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 8 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 6 but walked, drove in a run and scored.

Andrew Cashner allowed a run in 2 innings of work.



Honorable Mention:

Chris Owings pinch ran for Vazquez.




Final Thoughts:

At least that game was interesting even if it did go 15 innings and the Sox lost as usual. It was good to see Mike Yastrzemski get a nice ovation as he's having a heck of a year for the Giants. Apart from that, only 12 more games of torture to go. The Giants and Sox set a dubious record with 24 pitchers used combined. Major League Baseball is thinking of adopting a 3 batter minimum rule and at this point, who wouldn't be in favor of it? Nobody comes to see the managers waddle to the mound to take the ball after damn near every batter it seems. The lone bright spots of this game were the bottom of the bench getting it done like Travis, Centeno and some of the bullpen arms. The loss dropped the Sox to 79-71, nowhere near Wild Card contention.  The Sox are back in action against the Giants tomorrow night with Jeff Samardzija going for San Fran opposite Jhoulys Chacin of the Sox at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.