Sox Slug 5 Homers to End Streak (7/9/13)

Yayyyyy they got one, its a miracle! In another game where Red Sox starting pitching was hammered, the Sox bats woke up long enough to take game 2 of the 4 game set at Safeco Field against the Seattle Mariners.

                                                         Happy Sox Fan

The walking wounded list has grown with Alex Wilson being placed on the DL. Jose De La Torre was sent back down to Pawtucket, in their places are the returning Jackie Bradley Jr and Brandon Workman, making his major league debut. Buchholz, Wilson, Morales, Ross, Drew all on the DL with Hanrahan and Miller gone for the season, not good. Jacoby Ellsbury will also be out for the game, just lovely.

                                                                             OUT

                                                                    IN

 The Sox started the game off miserably. Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma was tought, striking out Daniel Nava to begin the game. Shane Victorino grounded out and Dustin Pedroia flied out to end the inning. Allen Webster got the ball to start the game and he went on to vomit up his intestines. Brad Miller popped up to begin the bottom of the first but Nick Franklin singled. Raul Ibanez grounded into a fielder's choice but Kendrys Morales swatted his 12th home run of the year to give the M's a quick 2-0 lead. Kyle Seager grounded out to end the inning. David Ortiz greeted Iwakuma in the top of the second by smashing his 18th home run of the season.

                                            Ortiz keeping the Sox in the game

Mike Napoli grounded out to third but Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jose Iglesias hit back to back singles. Brock Holt's groundout advanced both runners but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to end the inning. The M's tacked it on in the bottom of the 3rd. Justin Smoak singled and Michael Saunders walked. Webster struck out Mike Zunino but Dustin Ackley walked to load the bases. Brad Miller cleared the bases to make it 5-1. At this point most Sox fans were reaching for their remote controls. They just lost 3 in a row and were getting knocked around again. Then the Gods shined on the Sox as Franklin struck out and Ibanez popped up to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the top of the 4th. Victorino stroked a one out single and Pedroia launched a 412 foot bomb to cut the lead 5-3.

Pedroia makes it 5-3 with a blast

                                     
David Ortiz doubled and Mike Napoli joined the homer parade with his 11th round tripper of the season to tie the game. Saltalamacchia hit a ground rule double and Iglesias reached on a strikeout/passed ball that advanced Salty to third. Brock Holt gave the Sox the lead with a sac fly to make it 6-5. Bradley Jr grounded out to end the inning. Webster couldn't hold the lead unfortunately, dropping a turd in the bottom of the 3rd when Morales homered again to tie the game. Seager singled but Smoak lined out. Sox manager John Farrell pulled Webster after 2 1/3 innings and 6 runs allowed in favor of Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves.

                                                John Farrell says "YOU'RE FIIIIIREDDDDDD!"

Michael Saunders tripled home Seager to give the M's the lead back 7-6. Zunino and Ackley grounded out to end the inning. The Sox refused to roll over and die in the top of the 4th. Blake Beavan replaced the ineffective Iwakuma but hit Nava with a pitch. Victorino walked and Pedroia singled home Nava to tie the game 7-7. Unfortunately the runners were stranded when Ortiz flied out then Napoli and Salty both struck out.Strangely Alfredo Aceves was gone and in his place was Craig Breslow for the bottom of the 4th, more on Aceves later. Miller singled but Franklin popped up. Ibanez flied out but Morales continued to be a pain in the ass by singling. Seager flied out to end the inning with the game still tied. The Sox took the lead in the top of the 5th when Jackie Bradley Jr homered with 2 out to make it 8-7. Nava flied out but the Sox had battled back again.

                                                            Touch em all Jackie

Craig Breslow returned for the bottom of the 5th and got a 1-2-3 inning, finally. Pedroia worked a one out walk and Ortiz doubled him over to third off new reliever Danny Farquhar. Once again Napoli and Salty struck out to end the inning. Breslow returned for the bottom of the 6th and got Ackley to ground out but Miller doubled. Manager John Farrell lifted Breslow after 2 1/3 much needed scoreless innings.

                                          Outstanding performance by Breslow kept Sox in game

Andrew Bailey was summoned into the game and got the final 2 outs. Farquhar got the first 2 outs of the top of the 7th before Mariners manager Eric Wedge pulled him for Charlie Furbush. Bradley Jr walked but Nava struck out to end the inning. Back to the mound came Bailey who gave up a one out single to Seager which was erased on an inning ending double play by Smoak. The Sox put the game away in the top of the 8th when Victorino led off with his 4th home run of the year to make it 9-7

                                                    Much needed insurance.

Pedroia lined out but Ortiz singled to chase Furbush. Carter Capps replaced him and poured gas on the fire. Napoli earned the Hat Trick with his 3rd strikeout but Ortiz stole second. For some reason Salty was intentionally walked and Iglesias made them pay by singling home Ortiz and advancing Salty to third to make it 10-7. Holt continued his torrid stretch by singling home Salty, chasing Capps from the game with a score of 11-7. Lucas Luetge came on to strike out Bradley Jr to end the inning but the Sox got their insurance.
They'd need it when Junichi Tazawa came on for the bottom of the 8th. Saunders singled but Zunino flied out. Ackley singled Saunders to third, who scored on the Miller ground out to make it 11-8. Tazawa's velocity was clocked around 91...he's definitely fatigued, not used to a full season workload. He did manage to strike out Franklin to end the inning. Nava stroked a leadoff single in the top of the 9th but 2 batters later Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning.

Unfortunately, the run allowed by Tazawa meant his tag team partner in the Orient Express, Koji Uehara had to pitch the bottom of the 9th in a save situation. Two groundouts and a pop up ended the game in short order with the Sox winning 11-8.

                                        Joker approves of the Sox win


THE GOOD:

Hero of the night is a tough one. Gotta go with Dustin Pedroia, he came up big today by going 2 for 5 with a two run homer, 3 total rbi's, a walk and a run scored.

                                             Hero of the Night

Other good guys include Shane Victorino who was 2 for 5 as well with 2 runs scored, a home run and a walk. David Ortiz was 4 for 5 with an rbi and 3 runs scored, tying Harold Baines' all-time record for hits by a DH. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Jose Iglesias was 2 for 5 with an rbi to keep his average at an amazing .388. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 4 with a walk and a solo home run. Craig Breslow earned the win, improving to 3-2 on the season and getting revenge for the Angels loss by tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Bailey pitched in with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of his own. Koji Uehara earned his 6th save of the season with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th.


THE BAD:

Allen Webster threw up on himself by allowing 7 runs on 6 hits (2 home runs to Morales) and 2 walks. "The Chosen One" has been mostly bad this season, his ERA is a hideous 9.57 and likely going back to Pawtucket after the game. Alfredo Aceves goes here too for taking himself out of the game. Believe it or not, it was learned after the game that Aceves told Farrell after the bottom of the 4th that he simply didn't feel like pitching anymore. He wasn't hurt, he just didn't feel like it...NOW he's most likely gone. He already quit on them once that rainy night against Oakland and he just did it again. Taking yourself out of a game without an injury when the bullpen desperately needs a lift should be grounds for termination. Wake up Cherrington! Junichi Tazawa continued to struggle by giving up another run on 2 hits. The all-star break can't come fast enough for him.


THE UGLY:

Daniel Nava was just 1 for 5 with a hit by pitch but scored a run. Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5 with a Hat Trick but walked and the one hit was a solo home run. Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but knocked in 2 runs.


Final Thoughts:

Finally the streak is over, its a good thing too because Tampa Bay won again. It sucks that Webster puked on himself, Tazawa continues to struggle and Aceves quit on them but otherwise it was a great game. The offense pounded out 5 homers (including another from Napoli which is encouraging) and picked up their pitching big time. The win improved the Sox to 55-37, still 3.5 ahead of Tampa who have won 6 in a row and 10 of their last 11. Something needs to be done in the rotation because it looks like Aceves is gone and Webster can't get it done right now. If Buchholz is still out (which is ridiculous by this point) then who's going to be the number 5 starter? Tomorrow Felix Doubront takes the hill against Aaron Harang.

Sox Bow to King Felix, Streak at 3 (7/8/13)

The downward spiral continued in Seattle at Safeco Field as the Red Sox once again pooped their pants, bowing to the Mariners and their king, Felix Hernandez. It has been the worst case scenario after the Sox dropped the heartbreaker to the Angels as the losing streak has reached 3.

The Sox got the worst case scenario news regarding Andrew Miller before the game. It turns out he needs season ending foot surgery. It sucks because he was starting to become their left-handed power arm out of the bullpen. More crummy news to come out of the extra innings loss, lose Miller for the year and go on a 3 game losing streak.

                                                      Lost for the year with a broken foot

The Sox opened the game when Daniel Nava flied out. Jonny Gomes singled to left but Dustin Pedroia bounced into a double play. Jon Lester took the hill in the bottom of the first and struck out Brad Miller to open the game. Nick Franklin grounded out and Raul Ibanez struck out to end the inning. David Ortiz singled but Mike Napoli struck out. Mike Carp singled as well but Jarrod Saltalamacchia flied out. Jose Iglesias struck out to end the inning. Kendrys Morales doubled to lead off the bottom of the second but Lester got Kyle Seager flied out to center. Old friend Jason Bay flied out and Justin Smoak popped up.

Brock Holt led off the top of the third with a walk and Nava advanced him to second on a ground out. He was stranded when Gomes lined out and Pedroia grounded out to end the inning. Mike Zunino reached on an infield single to open the bottom of the third. Michael Saunders struck out but Miller singled. Lester recovered to strike out Franklin and induce a fly out from Ibanez to end the inning. Ortiz singled to open the top of the 4th but King Felix struck out 2 of the next 3 batters to retire the side.

Lester ran into trouble in the bottom of the 4th. Morales and Seager singled but Bay struck out. Smoak doubled to drive in Morales and Zunino walked to load the bases. Lester walked in Saunders to make it 2-0 but got Miller in an infield fly. Franklin lined out to end the inning. The Sox showed some balls by fighting back in the top of the 5th. Iglesias was hit by a pitch and Holt singled. Nava singled home Iglesias and advanced Holt to third. Gomes alertly swung and missed on a pitch headed for the backstop, taking the strike out but Iglesias scored to tie the game 2-2. Pedroia grounded out but Ortiz walked. Napoli struck out to end the inning.

                        Holt throws his hands up in the air and waves em like he just don't care

After working so hard to tie the game, Lester gave it right back when Ibanez led off the bottom of the 5th with a solo blast. Lester got the next 3 outs but the score was now 3-2 M's. The Sox went in order in the top of the 6th and the M's put the game away in the bottom of the 6th. Smoak and Zunino worked back to back singles to chase Lester. Rookie Alex Wilson came on and got some shoddy defense when Nava threw double by Saunders away, allowing both runners to score. Miller advanced Saunders to third on a groundout but Wilson recovered to strike out Franklin. Ibanez singled home Saunders to make it 6-2. Morales popped up to end the inning. Lester goes 5 innings and gives up 5 runs.....pathetic.

                                                 Nieves says "Thanks a pantload"

Could the Sox respond in the top of the 7th? Holt grounded out, Nava flied out and Gomes popped up to end the inning.....so the answer was no. Seager walked to open the bottom of the 7th but Bay popped up. Seager advanced to second on a wild pitch and Smoak doubled him home to make it 7-2. That was it for Wilson as Jose De La Torre replaced him to pour gas on the fire. Zunino struck out but Saunders doubled home Smoak. Miller singled home Saunders and Franklin doubled in Miller. Ibanez struck out to end the mercy killing. 4 runs allowed by Wilson and De La Torre made it 10-2.

                                            Another solid outing by Wilson

The Sox tried to desperately rally in the top of the 8th against Oliver Perez. Pedroia singled but Brandon Snyder ran for him, time to bring in all the scrubs. Ryan Lavarnway hit for Ortiz and flied out. Napoli doubled in Snyder and Carp advanced Napoli to third with a ground out. Saltalamacchia doubled in Napoli to make it 10-4 but Iglesias popped up to end the inning. The M's weren't done scoring. Snyder moved to third and Holt to second as Morales was hit by a pitch and Seager walked. Bay struck out but Smoak walked.  Zunino scored Morales with a ground out to wrap up the scoring as Saunders struck out. Yoervis Medina had mop up duty in the top of the 9th. Holt grounded out but Nava singled. Gomes struck out but Snyder was hit by a pitch. Lavarnway grounded out to end the stinker 11-4.

THE GOOD:

Daniel Nava was 2 for 5 with an rbi. Brandon Snyder was hit by a pitch and scored a run. David Ortiz was 2 for 2 with a walk. Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.


THE BAD:

Jackass of the Night is once again Jon Lester, a repeat offender. In a game they needed to give the bullpen a rest, Lester went 5 innings and gave up 5 runs, falling to 8-5 with a 4.60 ERA.

                                          Jackass of the Night

Ryan Lavarnway was 0 for 2 after pinch hitting for Ortiz. Alex Wilson continued to struggle by giving up 3 runs on 3 hits and a walk in 1 1/3 innings. Jose De La Torre gave up 3 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks in an inning and 1 2/3.


THE UGLY:

Everyone else. Jonny Gomes was just 1 for 5. Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 before being ran for by Snyder. Mike Napoli was 1 for 4 with a run scored and an rbi.  Mike Carp was just 1 for 4 while Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 1 for 4 with an rbi. Jose Iglesias was 0 for 3 but came around to score a run.


Final Thoughts:

Well, it was fun while it lasted. It looks like the Sox aren't going to recover following the devastating loss to the Angels. They have a bevy of people on the disabled list and they just lost Andrew Miller for the season. What's worse is the bullpen is starting to break down as Alex Wilson is giving up runs in bunches and Junichi Tazawa has lost a lot of zip on his fastball. The Sox fall to 54-37 and 3.5 games in front of a new threat, the Tampa Bay Rays who've won 6 in a row. Nothing much more to say other than Allen Webster goes tomorrow.

No Run Support as Sox Shut Out (7/7/13)

I was afraid of something like this. I hoped the Sox had the mental ability to block out last night's disaster but apparently they couldn't They looked lifeless at bat and they paid for it in a grueling 3-0 defeat at Angels Stadium at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels.

Before the game, the Sox placed Andrew Miller on the 15 day DL and brought up Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves to take his spot. Hopefully Miller just sprained his ankle or something, he's been their dominant lefty this season. Miller joins Morales, Buchholz, Drew and Ross on the DL...this is quickly turning into M*A*S*H* unit.

The Sox threatened Angels starter Jered Weaver right off the bat when Jacoby Ellsbury singled and Daniel Nava singled him to third. That was as good as it got the rest of the game as Dustin Pedroia lined out to third. All David Ortiz had to do was hit a fly ball but instead he struck out. Mike Napoli struck out too to end the inning. Although no one knew it at the time, the Sox had gotten half their hits for the game already.
The Angels locked up the game 2 batters into the bottom of the first when Mike Trout smashed a 1 out home run to give the Angels a 1-0 lead. John Lackey struck out the final 2 batters but the game was over right then and there.

                                                      Early dagger in the heart

Mike Carp struck out to lead off the top of the second but Ryan Lavarnway singled. Brock Holt advanced Ryan to second with a ground out but he was stranded there when Jose Iglesias grounded out. 3 hits in 2 innings....they'd only have 2 more the rest of the game. Alberto Callaspo singled with one out in the bottom of the 2nd but Brad Hawpe struck out. Callaspo took off for second and he was thrown out by Lavarnway.

                                                     "HEY! HEY YOU! Where you goin?"

Weaver began to dominate by getting the side in order in the top of the 3rd. JB Shuck singled and stole second with 2 outs in the bottom of the third but Trout struck out to end the inning. Ortiz grounded out to begin the top of the 4th but Napoli walked. Weaver struck out Carp and Lavarnway to end the inning. Lackey kept pace by striking out Josh Hamilton as he retired the side in the bottom of the 4th.

Holt walked to begin the top of the 5th but Iglesias popped up and Ellsbury banged into a double play. They had chances to tie the game but blew every one of them. Lackey struck out Callaspo and got Brad Hawpe to ground out. All of a sudden Hank Conger transformed into Doug Mirabelli and homered to right field to give the Angels a 2-0 lead. Aybar grounded out but that hurt, a home run to the backup catcher hitting 8th? Ugh.

                                           "Really Lackey?"


Weaver continued to dominate by retiring the side in order in the top of the 6th. Lackey got the first 2 outs of the bottom of the 6th when Pujols singled and Hamilton walked. Both runners caught the Sox napping by pulling off a double steal but Howie Kendrick grounded out to end the inning. Napoli singled to open the top of the 7th but Carp struck out and Lavarnway flied out. Holt singled to put the tying run on and that was it for Weaver, pulled for Dane De La Rosa. Could Jose Iglesias come up big one more time.........nope. Iglesias flied out to end the inning.

                                   Kendrick Perkins asks "What's the matter with you Jose?"

Lackey finished up by pitching a clean bottom of the 7th. He threw 7 innings of 2 run ball, the same as he's been doing the past month but the offense gave him no run support....again.

                                               Another great start ruined by the lack of offense

Scott Downs relieved De La Rosa in the top of the 8th and retired the side. Junichi Tazawa relieved Lackey and crapped himself, allowing a leadoff triple to Aybar who scored on the sac fly by Mike Trumbo. Trout walked and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. In came Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves, fresh up from Pawtucket. Pujols popped up but Hamilton hit a ground rule double. Kendrick grounded out to end the inning. Angels closer Ernesto Frieri came on for the top of the 9th after mowing down the Sox last night. Ortiz grounded out....oh wait, error by Trumbo and Ortiz took second. How did Frieri respond?  Napoli....strike out. Carp.....strikeout. Lavarnway.....strikeout, game over. The past 2 nights, Frieri has 8 strikeouts in 3 innings. Good news the Sox are leaving town and don't have to see him again. The Sox put up a goose egg as the Angels win 3-0. That's right, how many runs did the Sox score tonight Mr. Wormer?

                                                         Enough said


THE GOOD:

Not much here at all. Brock Holt was 1 for 2 with a walk. Mike Napoli was 1 for 3 with a walk. John Lackey tossed 7 innings of 2 run ball, normally that should be good enough for a win. Instead he drops to 6-6 but with a 2.80 ERA. Alfredo Aceves worked out of the 8th inning jam.


THE BAD:

In a game like this, everyone could be jackass of the night. I'll go with Mike Carp for the fact he put up a golden sombrero.

                                                                            Jackass of the Night, 0-4 with 4 strikeouts.

Other heels include Dustin Pedroia, Jose Iglesias and David Ortiz who were a combined 0 for 11. Junichi Tazawa faced 3 batters allowing a triple, a sac fly and a walk before he was pulled.


THE UGLY:

Jacoby Ellsbury, Ryan Lavarnway and Daniel Nava were all 1 for 4.


Final Thoughts:

I was afraid of this. They looked lifeless out there and never seemed into the game. It's a shame they wasted yet another good start from Lackey. There's really not much to say, they couldn't hit. The biggest concern is Tazawa, he's not used to a full year workload and he may be getting tired already. His fastball is down to around 91-92 after hitting 97 earlier in the season. They may need to come up with a reason to DL him pretty soon before his arm falls off. The Sox drop to 54-36, 4.5 games in front of everyone. They should be 5-6 games up right now but now they're in trouble. The team travels to Seattle tomorrow night to play the mariners, Jon Lester is matched up with "King" Felix Hernandez....oh great.

Sox Blow 4 Run Lead With 2 Outs in Ninth (7/6/13)

The Angels were down to their last out. The score was 7 to 3 with 2 outs in the 9th inning, the game was over right? WRONG! In what should have been a routine win for the Sox turned into a 9-7 eleven inning nightmare at Angels Stadium at the hands of the Los Angeles Angels.

                                              
The Sox got some good news before the game. Clayton Mortensen cleared waivers and accepted a demotion to Pawtucket, meaning they didn't lose him after all. Also, the Sox sent down Jonathan Diaz and called up infielder Brock Holt....the OTHER guy they got in the Joel Hanrahan trade.

                                                             OUT

                                                               IN

As for the game itself, the Sox struck first right off the bat. Jacoby Ellsbury opened with a single but Shane Victorino struck out. Dustin Pedroia lined out but David Ortiz reached on an infield single. Ellsbury took off to third which caught Angels catcher Chris Iannetta off guard and he threw the ball into right field, allowing Ellsbury to score the game's first run. Mike Napoli flied out to leave the first man on base...unfortunately it wouldn't be the last. Sox starter Ryan Dempster worked around a 1 out double to Mike Trout to retire the side.

The Sox got another run off starter Jerome Williams in the top of the second when Daniel Nava singled and Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled him over to third. Newcomer Brock Holt then hit a sac fly that scored Nava to make it 2-0. Jose Iglesias popped up and Ellsbury to end the inning. A run came in but another runner was left on. Howie Kendrick greeted Dempster in the bottom of the second with a 414 foot blast to cut the lead 2-1. Mark Trumbo flied out and Dempster threw a bunted ball into centerfield, allowing Aybar to reach second. Chris Iannetta made him play by singling home Aybar to tie the game. Brendan Harris struck out but JB Shuck grounded out to end the inning.

Williams worked a clean top of the 3rd and Mike Trout gave the Angels the lead back with a solo shot off Dempster in the bottom of the 3rd. Dempster got the next 3 outs but the damage was done. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the 4th. Napoli walked and Nava doubled him over to third. Salty doubled home both runners to give the Sox the lead 4-3. Brock Holt did his part by advancing Salty to third on a blown force play. Iglesias singled home Salty to make it 5-3. Garrett Richards relieved Williams as Ellsbury advanced both runners with a ground out. One of the big blows that came back to haunt the Sox was when Victorino struck out. Pedroia walked to load the bases but Ortiz struck out to end the inning.

Dempster worked around a 2 out double by Iannetta to retire the side in the bottom of the 4th. Napoli struck out to open the top of the 5th but Nava singled and Salty walked. Holt advanced the runners with a ground out, but Iglesias grounded out to end the inning. More men left on base. The Sox defense pitched in during the bottom of the 5th.  Shuck doubled to center and was gunned down at third trying to advance by Victorino on a fly out by Trout. Pujols walked but Hamilton grounded out.

Michael Kohn relieved Richards for the top of the 6th. Victorino tripled with one out and Pedroia singled him home to make it 6-3. Ortiz flied out but Napoli walked. Nava popped up to end the inning, 1 run in but 2 more runners left on. Dempster pitched a clean bottom of the 6th, he's been solid tonight. Michael Roth replaced Kohn for the top of the 7th. Salty struck out and Sox manager John Farrell made his first big mistake by pinch hitting Holt for Brandon Snyder. Snyder struck out but Iglesias walked. Ellsbury reached first on catcher's interference (happens a lot with Ellsbury) but Victorino flied out...2 MORE left on base. Iannetta walked to begin the bottom of the 7th but Harris struck out. That was it for Dempster after 6 1/3 solid innings.

                                                Tough luck for Dempster, 6 1/3 solid innings

Andrew Miller replaced Dempster and uncorked a wild pitch to advance Iannetta to second. Tragedy struck when Shuck lined one up the middle and Miller spun awkwardly, injuring his foot trying to get out of the way. He had to be helped off the field as Farrell brought in Andrew Bailey for emergency relief.

                                           More bad news for the Sox

Bailey got Trout to ground into a double play to end the inning but that's a huge loss. Kevin Jepsen relieved Roth in the top of the 8th and Pedroia greeted him with a single. Ortiz flied out but Napoli struck out. Nava then doubled home Pedroia and advanced to third on an error to make it 7-3. Salty was intentionally walked and Snyder flied out to end the inning. Holt could have done that! Bailey worked around a leadoff single to Pujols to retire the side in the bottom of the 8th. Angels closer Ernesto Frieri replaced Jepsen in the top of the 9th and Iglesias flied out. Ellsbury walked and Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Victorino (who hurt himself AGAIN) as Ellsbury swiped second. Gomes struck out and so did Pedroia to end the inning. FOURTEEN men left on base. Still, the Sox led 7-3 and were 3 outs away from going up 6 games on the New York Yankees.

Alex Wilson took the mound for the bottom of the 9th. Gomes took over in left and Nava moved to right. Wilson punched out Aybar but Iannetta singled. Alberto Callaspo flied out meaning the Sox were one out away from victory with a 4 run lead. Shuck singled...no problem right? Wrong....Trout was hit with a pitch to load the bases and Farrell panicked. In came Koji Uehara to pitch to Pujols. Albert singled home Iannetta and Shuck to make it 7-5. Collin Cowgill ran for Pujols and made it to third, Trout scoring on the single by Hamilton. With things crumbling, Uehara then got what he wanted, a ground ball. Snyder fielded the ball and....THREW IT OVER THE HEAD OF PEDROIA INTO RIGHT FIELD!!! What was left of the Angels Stadium fans went wild as Cowgill scored to tie the game. With the winning run at third, Uehara struck out Trumbo to delay the inevitable.

                                     Snyder blows the game and a 6 game lead in one fell swoop

The fourteen men left on base, the error by Dempster to allow the 2nd run to score, Miller getting hurt, Snyder's error...all things contributed to the situation the Sox were in: top of the 10th with the game tied. The Sox were powerless as Frieri struck out the side in short order. Craig Breslow was summoned to pitch the bottom of the 10th. Aybar singled but Iannetta struck out. Salty then gunned down Aybar trying to steal. Callaspo singled but Shuck flied out to end the inning. With Tazawa overworked, THIS is where Bailey would have been used if Miller didn't get hurt. Dane De La Rosa pitched the top of the 11th and retired the side in order.

Breslow returned for the bottom of the 11th. Trout struck out but pinch hitter Brad Hawpe singled. In stepped Josh Hamilton who had been a huge bust to this point for LA. Not tonight.....BANG! A walkoff 2 run home run crushed the hopes of a 6 game lead for the Red Sox. The Angels had prevailed 9-7.

                                             Enough said


THE GOOD:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a walk, a run scored and an rbi. Daniel Nava was 4 for 6 with an rbi and 2 runs scored. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with 2 walks, a run scored and 2 rbi's. Ryan Dempster pitched 6 1/3 solid innings, giving up 3 runs, should have been his 6th win of the year. Andrew Bailey pitched 1 2/3 scoreless innings.


THE BAD:

Lots of choices for jackass of the night but we'll start with the heels. Jonny Gomes pinch hit for Victorino and struck out. Alex Wilson got the first 2 outs of the 9th but left the bases loaded. Koji Uehara allowed all 3 runs to scored including one of his own to tie the game. The reason the tying run came in was due to tonight's jackass winner Brandon Snyder

                                                         Jackass of the Night

Not only did he go 0 for 3 after pinch hitting for Brock Holt, he made the costly error that cost the Sox the game in the bottom of the 9th.



THE UGLY:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 4 with a walk, a steal and a run scored. Shane Victorino was 1 for 5 with a run scored and outfield assist before leaving with injury. David Ortiz was just 1 for 6. Mike Napoli was 0 for 4 but walked twice and scored. Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but both outs were groundouts that advanced runners and drove in a run. Jose Iglesias was 1 for 5 with a walk and rbi. Andrew Miller allowed a single to his only batter faced but left with injury. Craig Breslow gave up the walkoff home run but also pitched a clean bottom of the 10th, wasn't his fault he was in that position.


Final Thoughts:

What more can be said really? They were leading 7-3 with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th and lost. This is the kind of loss that can spiral a team into a losing streak. Hopefully they have better mental makeup than that. The loss drops the Sox to 54-35, 5.5 games in front of the Yankees. Hopefully Miller is ok and hope the Sox can quickly forget a game like this. Tomorrow night John Lackey is matched against Jered Weaver. Hopefully John Farrell learns from his mistake and not take Holt out of a game.

Sox Roll On For 5th Straight (7/5/13)

Let the good times roll. The Sox traveled to the west coast to take on the Los Angeles Angels in Angel Stadium and continued where they left off in Boston. The Sox took advantage of some shoddy fielding to win their 5th game in a row.

                                              Happy Sox fans

The Sox made some news when they placed PU Drew on the 15 day disabled list and called up Jose De La Torre. Drew is on the disabled list for the second time this season, he's only been on the DL twice before in his career. As for the game, Felix Doubront was matched up against CJ Wilson. Jacoby Ellsbury, Shane Victorino and Dustin Pedroia failed to reach in the top of the first. Doubront shook off a one out double by Mike Trout to retire the side in the bottom of the first.

The Sox struck first in the top of the 2nd. Mike Napoli flied out but Jonny Gomes walked. Daniel Nava singled but Brandon Snyder flied out. Jarrod Saltalamacchia lofted a ball to left fielder JB Shuck who misplayed it, allowing both baserunners to score and Salty advanced to second. Salty gets credit for just one rbi. Jose Iglesias walked but Ellsbury grounded out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                             "I got it...I got it....I don't got it"

Howie Kendrick struck out to open the bottom of the 2nd but Josh Hamilton reached on an infield single. Alberto Callaspo flied out but Chris Iannetta walked. Erick Aybar grounded out to end the inning. Pedroia singled with one out in the top of the second but Mike Napoli grounded into a double play to end the inning. The Angels struck back in the bottom of the third. Shuck redeemed his error by tripling and Mike Trout walked. Albert Pujols banged into a double play but Shuck scored to cut the lead 2-1. Mike Trumbo grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the 4th when Gomes reached on an infield single. Nava lined out but Snyder singled. Salty flied out but Iglesias struck out to end the threat. Howie Kendrick greeted Doubront with a 400 foot blast to tie the game in the bottom of the 4th. Doubront got the next 3 outs but the game was tied. Ellsbury singled and stole second after Victorino struck out to open the top of the 5th. Pedroia grounded out and Mike Napoli struck out to end the inning. Felix struck out 2 of the 3 batters he faced in the bottom of the frame.

The Sox tried to threaten again in the top of the 6th when Snyder, Salty and Iglesias all singled with 2 outs to load the bases. Unfortunately Ellsbury hit a shot.....stabbed by Wilson to end the inning. Doubront got the side in order in the bottom of the 6th, not a bad day's work. The Sox struck again in the top of the 7th. Victorino singled but Pedroia and Napoli were retired. Gomes then lofted a lazy ball to Josh Hamilton in right...WHO DROPPED IT! Victorino came around to score and the Sox now led 3-2.

                                              "I don't got it....." Part 2

That was it for Wilson as Angels manager Mike Scioscia lifted him for Dane De La Rosa...who picked Gomes off first. The good news was the Sox had the lead.

Doubront came back for the 7th and got Hamilton to fly out but allowed a double to Callaspo. Iannetta struck out and Sox manager John Farrell pulled Doubront for Craig Breslow. A peculiar decision to pull a lefty for another lefty but Craig got Aybar to fly out to end the inning. Doubront remains in line for the win.

                                            6 2/3 innings, 2 runs. Not bad at all

Nava doubled to lead off the top of the 8th and David Ortiz pinch hit for Snyder.....BANG! A 2 run homer by Ortiz made it 5-2 Sox.

                                        Ortiz blast makes it 5-2.

De La Rosa got the next 3 outs but the damage was done. Jonathan Diaz took over at third and Breslow got Shuck to ground out. Farrell then lifted Breslow for Junichi Tazawa who worked around a Pujols single to retire the side. Michael Kohn took over for the top of the 9th and with two outs....Mike Napoli homered for the first time in a long while to put the game out of reach, 6-2.

                                              Napoli watches his 10th homer of the year sail

Curiously, Farrell sent out Koji Uehara to pitch the 9th inning. It was not a save situation and what if they need him tomorrow? Eh, it didn't really matter as Uehara got the side in order in just 7 pitches to end the game with the Sox winning their 5th straight 6-2.

THE GOOD:

Hero of the night is a tough one with most of the runs coming off errors and home runs with the game already in hand. So that leaves tonight's hero to be Felix Doubront for his 6 2/3 innings of 2 run ball against CJ Wilson, arguably the Angels best pitcher.

                                              Hero of the Night

Doubront improves to 5-3 with a 4.11 ERA. Other good guys include Daniel Nava who was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored. Brandon Snyder was 2 for 3 before he was lifted. David Ortiz pinch hit for Snyder and blasted his 17th home run of the year. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with an rbi. Jose Iglesias was 1 for 3 with a walk. Craig Breslow, Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara all pitched scoreless relief.


THE BAD:

None....a rarity indeed.


THE UGLY:

Jacoby Ellsbury was just 1 for 5 with a stolen base. Shane Victorino was just 1 for 5 with a run scored. Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5. Mike Napoli was 1 for 5 but his one hit was his 10th home run of the season. Jonny Gomes was 1 for 4 with a walk including the fly ball that turned into the go ahead run...but he was also picked off first.


Final Thoughts:

Big win for the rolling Sox. The Angels are one of the worst fielding teams in baseball and tonight showed everyone why. It was nice to see Doubront get back on track and nearly went 7. If the Sox can keep up the momentum, they can cruise right into the all-star break in first place. The win put the Sox at 54-34, 5 1/2 games in front of the Dirty Birds who lost to the Yankees. The Sox had 69 total wins last year and they're already 15 away from matching it, they could get it by the end of the month. Tomorrow night Ryan Dempster looks to keep the streak going against Jerome Williams.

Sox Show Fireworks on 4th of July (7/4/13)

The Sox are cruising due to timely hitting and pitching. On the 4th of July, the Sox showed their own fireworks as they swept away the San Diego Padres to go 8-1 on the homestand, heading off to the west coast in 1st place.

                                                  Happy 4th of July

Sox rookie Allen Webster took the ball in the top of the first. Logan Forsythe lined out but Will Venable walked. Webster struck out Carlos Quintin then escaped the inning when Chase Headley flied out. The Sox quickly pounced on Padres starter Eric Stults in the bottom of the first. Jacoby Ellsbury singled and Shane Victorino doubled him to third. Dustin Pedroia cleared the bases with a double to make it 2-0. David Ortiz grounded Pedroia to third but Mike Napoli killed the rally by smashing a liner to Stults who flipped to third. Double play, rally over, inning over.

                                           Pedroia's double makes it 2-0 Boston

Jesus Guzman singled to begin the top of the 2nd. Old friend Mark Kotsay flied out, Nick Hundley flied out and Alexi Amarista grounded out to end the inning. Jonny Gomes popped up to lead off the bottom of the 2nd. Brandon Snyder stepped to the plate and belted a solo home run to right to make it 3-0. Ryan Lavarnway grounded out and Jose Iglesias flied out to end the inning.

                                            Snyder's first home run at Fenway

The Padres got that run right back in the top of the third. Pedro Ciriaco walked, Logan Forsythe was hit by a pitch and Will Venable singled to load the bases. Carlos Quintin flied out to left which was too shallow to score a run. Chase Headley hit a ball far enough and scored Ciriaco with a sac fly, but the good news was there were 2 outs. Guzman walked to re-load the bases but Kotsay grounded out to end the inning, thanks old pal! Victorino singled with one out in the bottom of the third but nothing else happened.

Webster pitched a clean top of the 4th inning and the Sox struck again in the bottom of the inning. Napoli singled but Gomes and Snyder flied out. Lavarnway singled and Jose Iglesias knocked in Napoli with a ground rule double to make it 4-1. Ellsbury was hit with a pitch to load the bases but Victorino flied out to end the inning.

                                            Iglesias' double makes it 4-1

Once again the Padres got that run right back in the top of the 5th. Forsythe struck out but Venable doubled. Quintin struck out but Headley walked. Guzman singled home Venable but Kotsay killed another rally by flying out. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the 5th. Pedroia singled and Ortiz flied out, chasing Stults from the game. Tyson Ross relieved Stults and Pedroia was nabbed at second trying to steal. Napoli hit a ground rule double and Gomes singled to make it 5-2. Snyder struck out to end the inning.

                                                        Gomes with another rbi, 5-2 Sox

Amarista singled with one out in the top of the 6th and Ciriaco helped the Sox by lining into a double play to end the inning. Webster finishes his day with just 2 runs allowed in 6 innings, good for him.

                                                     Webster gets the job done

The Sox poured it on in the bottom of the 6th. Lavarnway singled and Iglesias bunted his way on. Ellsbury singled to load the bases...but Lavarnway was out at home on the force by Victorino. Pedroia popped up and it looked like they were going to waste a bases loaded nobody out situation..."Not so fast!" said David Ortiz. A single by the DH scored Ellsbury and Iglesias to give the Sox a commanding 7-2 lead. Burch Smith replaced Ross and got Napoli to fly out to end the inning.

                                             Ortiz makes it 7-2 with a single

Andrew Bailey got the ball for the top of the 7th and this time there were no hiccups, striking out 2 of the 3 batters he faced. Burch Smith worked around a ground rule double by Gomes to retire the side in the bottom of the 7th. Alex Wilson took over for Bailey in the top of the 8th as Daniel Nava took over for Victorino in right. Headley struck out but Guzman doubled. Kotsay grounded out but Hundley walked. With 2 men on, Wilson got out of it by getting Amarista to ground out to end the inning. Jacoby Ellsbury led off the bottom of the 8th with....a home run? Yes, it happened! Nava grounded out then Jonathan Diaz hit for Pedroia and flied out. Ortiz doubled but Napoli grounded out to end the inning.

                                                Ellsbury's homer makes it 8-2

Wilson came back for the top of the 9th and got Ciriaco to pop up. For some reason Farrell pulled Wilson for Craig Breslow with a 6 run lead. Forsythe doubled but Craig got the next 2 outs to end the game with the Sox winning 8-2.

THE GOOD:

Hero of the night is a tough one. Everyone pitched in on offense and the pitching was great. Still, with how he's been pitching lately, got to go with Allen Webster. Webster mixed 5 hits with 4 walks but only 2 runs allowed and 4 strikeouts in 6 innings of work. Allen improved to 1-2, earning his first major league win and lowering his ERA to 7.88.

                                           Hero of the night

Other babyfaces include virtually the entire team. Jacoby Ellsbury was 3 for 4 with 3 runs scored, a home run and a hit by pitch. After hitting .250 for the first couple of months, he's now hitting .303. Shane Victorino was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis. David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis. Mike Napoli was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored. Jonny Gomes was 2 for 4 with an rbi, upping his average to .237. Ryan Lavarnway was 2 for 4 and Jose Iglesias was 2 for 4 with an rbi and run scored. Jose is still hitting .411. Andrew Bailey rebounded to pitch a scoreless 7th. Alex Wilson pitched 1 1/3 scoreless while Craig Breslow escaped the top of the 9th without a run allowed.


THE BAD:

Daniel Nava and Jonathan Diaz both failed to reach in their only at-bats.


THE UGLY:

Brandon Snyder was just 1 for 4 but made the one hit count, hitting his first home run of the season.



Final Thoughts:

18 hits by the Boston offense is typical for the 4th of July fireworks. The team appears to be rolling with quality starts all week including Webster's today. The offense is clicking and the defense has been solid with Iglesias patrolling the infield. The team improved to 8-1 on the homestand and have won 4 in a row. The Dirty Birds lost as well so the Sox improve to 53-34, 4.5 games in front. The Dirty Birds play the Yankees the next 3 games so if the Sox can win the next 3 in a row, they'll gain ground on both or at least 1 if there's a sweep. The Sox head for the west coast and us fans eastside now have to deal with the agonizing 10 PM starts. Felix Doubront goes up against Angels ace CJ Wilson tomorrow night in game 1.