Jays Offense Pound Sox Pitching (4/17/16)

It was learned before the game Dustin Pedroia, Christian Vazquez and Brock Holt would be given the day off. The lack of offense was apparent as the Toronto Blue Jays cruised to a 5-3 victory at Fenway Park. Another Steven Wright (0-2) start was wasted as the offense was asleep thanks to peculiar managerial decisions.

The Jays wasted no time getting to Steven Wright. Michael Saunders grounded out to begin the top of the first and got Josh Donaldson to fly out. The wheels fell off when Jose Bautista launched a home run out of Fenway. 3 straight singles by Edwin Encarnarcion, Troy Tulowitzky and Chris Colabello increased the lead 2-0. Wright struck out Russell Martin to end the inning, but the rout was on. Aaron Sanchez got the ball in the bottom of the second and struck out Mr. Mookie Betts quickly. Xander Bogaerts grounded out but David Ortiz walked. Ramirez grounded out on a bang bang play to first to end the inning.

The Jays picked up where they left off when Kevin Pillar singled to begin the top of the second. Ryan Goins flied out to Chris Young in left. Saunders flied out to center and Bogaerts made a diving catch to rob Donaldson of a hit. Nice job by Wright and the defense to recover. Both Travis Shaw and Chris Young looked at strike three to begin the bottom of the second. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to end the inning.

Wright got some partial revenge by striking out Bautista and Encarnarcion to open the top of the third. JBJ fought the sun but Tulowitzky flied out to end the inning. Ryan Hanigan whiffed on a 3-2 count to begin the bottom of the third. Marco Hernandez made his major league debut coming off his 11 for 19 effort in spring training. Marco was the one they got in the Felix Doubront trade and he walked to extend the inning. Mr. Mookie lined out to left and Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning.

Wright shocked the world by firing a fastball right to the head of Colabello to open the top of the fourth. Chris went down in a heap and Wright immediately dropped to his knees in shock. Luckily, Colabello was alright for now. Martin flied out to center but Pillar singled. Goins struck out and Saunders popped up to end the inning. Good effort by Wright to keep it close. Sanchez continued to dominate in the bottom of the fourth by striking out Ramirez after Ortiz walked. Shaw popped up and Young grounded out. The Sox hadn't even gotten a hit yet.

Wright came back for the 5th and got Donaldson to fly out to left field. Bautista struck out and Encarnarcion lined out to end the inning. Wright had given up 1 hit since the second inning but was up to 90 pitches. Could the Sox generate any offense against Sanchez? JBJ grounded out to begin the bottom of the fifth. Hanigan then lofted a bloop but was snagged in center for the second out. Ironically the first guy to get a hit was the rookie Marco Hernandez, a broken bat liner into left. Hernandez lit up the crowd with a mad dash to second for a stolen base and to third as the throw went into center field. Inspired by his effort, Mr. Mookie singled to center to cut the lead 2-1. Bogaerts grounded out but the Sox now had hope.

                                      Hernandez did all he could to keep the Sox in the game

Could Wright preserve it at 2-1? He struck out Tulowitzky to begin the top of the 6th. Colabello grounded out to second and Pillar flied out to end Wright's day. Once again Wright pitched well, 6 innings of 2 run ball, just had no run support. Ortiz gave one a ride but was caught at the wall in center to begin the bottom of the 6th. Ramirez grounded out and Shaw struck out in short order. Wright was good, but Sanchez was better.

Tommy Layne came on for the top of the 7th and Goins greeted him with a single over the head of Bogaerts. Saunders struck out and that was it for Layne. Sox manager John Farrell wanted Noe Ramirez to pitch to Donaldson over Matt Barnes.. The gamble backfired as Donaldson doubled home Goins for the big insurance run. Bautista struck out but Encarnarcion doubled home Donaldson to extend the lead 4-1. Ramirez struck out Tulowitzky to end the inning but the damage was done. Sanchez came back to strike out Young to begin the bottom of the 7th inning. JBJ flied out but Hanigan walked. Hernandez flied out to end the inning. If it wasn't for Noe blowing it, the game would still be in reach.

Robbie Ross Jr took the mound for the top of the 8th and got Colabello to ground out. Martin stroked a single to right and Pillar followed with a seeing eye single. Goins banged into a double play to end the threat. Drew Storen relieved Sanchez for the bottom of the 8th. Mr. Mookie whiffed badly and Bogaerts grounded out. Ortiz also grounded out to end the inning. The Sox had just two hits in the game.

Saunders and Donaldson had back to back hits off new pitcher Matt Barnes to open the top of the 9th. Bautista doubled home Saunders but Encarnarcion struck out. Tulowitzky struck out but pinch hitter Justin Smoak walked to load the bases. Martin struck out to end the inning but this one was over, 5-1 Jays. Toronto closer took the mound for the bottom of the 9th inning. Ramirez somehow singled and Travis Shaw hit a bullet into the bullpen to cut the deficit 5-3.

                             Too bad the Sox got no relief, the Shaw homer would have ended it

How big were the Barnes and Ramirez runs now? For some reason Chris Young was left in to face the righty Osuna and right on cue Young looked at strike 3. JB followed with a strikeout and Hanigan lined out to third to end the game. The Jays had won 5-3.

Jackass of the Night should be John Farrell but instead its Noe Ramirez. Brought in to get the heart of the order, he allowed the inherited runner to score and one of his own to put the game out of reach. Those runs ended up being the difference in the game.

                                            Noe Ramirez: Jackass


The Good:

Marco Hernandez was the hero by going 1 for 2 with a walk and a stolen base in his ML debut. 2 starts in row Steven Wright took the loss but pitched great, going 6 innings and allowing just 2 runs. Once again he got no run support. Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless 8th inning.


The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts continued to slump by going 0 for 4. Chris Young was 0 for 4 with a hat trick. He is now 1 for 12 with 7 k's on the season. Some pickup. Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Tommy Layne faced 2 batters and one of them came around to score. Matt Barnes worked the 9th and allowed a run on 3 straight hits.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 4 with an rbi. David Ortiz was 0 for 2 with two walks. Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 4 with an rbi. Travis Shaw was 1 for 4 including his first homer of the year, a 2 run shot in the 9th inning. Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 3 with a walk.


Final Thoughts:

It seemed like Farrell treated this game as a throw-away and it cost the Sox big time. Every move he made with the exception of Robbie Ross in the 8th backfired. Ramirez, Barnes and Layne all gave up runs and leaving Chris Young in against right handers cost him in the end. Remember he sent down Rusney Castillo to "get at-bats" when he could have easily started today instead of Young. What's the sense of having Josh Rutledge on the roster if he's not going to play? Still, if he treated the game as a throw-away, resting Pedroia, Holt, Tazawa, Uehara and Kimbrel for tomorrow, it'll look good if Clay Buchholz has another 5 inning stinker and the bullpen is needed. Tomorrow morning at 11 AM the much maligned Buchholz goes up against JA Happ looking to take 3 of 4 from Toronto in this series. Sox fans are sick of Donaldson, Encarnarcion and Bautista already.

Price Shines As Sox Defeat Jays (4/16/16)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 1 of their first round NBA playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. Craig Kimbrel is going to win or save a lot of games for the Boston Red Sox this year, today was one of them. David Price is going to win a lot of games for the Red Sox this year, today was one of them. They (along with Koji Uehara) combined with Xander Bogaerts to defeat the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                 The mayor approves of the win

Price began his day in the top of the first by striking out Kevin Pillar. Josh Donaldson started the rally with a triple into the gap and Jose Bautista doubled him home...but was thrown out at third base by Jackie Bradley Jr trying to stretch into a triple. Or was he? Blue Jays manager John Gibbons wanted a replay and he got one....out! Price blew away Edwin Encarnarcion with a 93 mph fastball but the damage was done. Marco Estrada shut out the Red Sox last week and he began the bottom of the first by striking out Mr. Mookie Betts. Dustin Pedroia flied out right and Xander Bogaerts popped up to left to end the inning.

Troy Tulowitzky started the top of the second and flied out deep to left field at the wall. Chris Colabello grounded out to Hanley Ramirez at first on a full count. Russell Martin popped up to Bradley but Price was up to 31 pitches. David Otiz tried to get something going in the bottom of the second with a leadoff walk. Hanley Ramirez beat out a double play ball. Somehow, Travis Shaw singled. Holt brought things back to normal with a strikeout and Christian Vazquez waved at strike 3 as well.

Darwin Barney flied out to center in the top of the third inning. Ezequiel Carrera grounded out to third and Pillar struck out on pitch 49. It didn't look like Price would last 6 at this rate. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third. Jackie Bradley Jr legged out an infield single. Mr. Mookie popped up but Pedroia somehow singled off Donaldson's glove. Sox analyst Dave O'Brien was just getting done saying Bogaerts hasn't homered yet and right on cue...BANG! 3 run homer into the monster seats.David Ortiz grounded out but Hanley Ramirez nearly hit the Pesky Pole but had to settle for a double. Ramirez made a boo-boo by not sliding into home on the double by Shaw, but he was barely safe and it was 4-1 Boston. Holt grounded out to end the inning. What a rally.

                                             "Woah woah WOAH WOAH!"

                                            Touch em all X-Man

Could Price hold the 3 run lead in the top of the fourth? NO! David struck out Donaldson to open the frame. Bautista hit one off the monster and so did Encarnarcion that scored Jose. Tulowitzky grounded out to third on the first pitch he saw. Colabello popped up to Pedroia to end the inning, but the Jays struck back and it was 4-2 Boston. Vazquez found a hole in the bottom of the fourth with a seeing eye single. JBJ advanced him to second with a ground out to Estrada. Mr.Mookie popped up to center and Pedroia popped up to first to end the inning. Estrada had an ankle injury and was laboring through it.

Price got a scare in the top of the 5th when Martin singled to center 3 feet over his head. Price recovered to strikeout Barney and Carrera lined out to Ramirez. Pillar tried to catch the infield asleep but popped up the bunt and Vazquez chased it down for the third out. Price was up to 78 pitches but had gotten through five innings. Estrada hung tough in the bottom of the 5th, getting Bogaerts to ground out. Ortiz popped up to left and Ramirez flied out to right.

Price survived the heart of the order in the top of the 6th. Donaldson singled but Price somehow struck out Bautista. Even more shocking, Encarnarcion flied out to left. Tulowitzky smashed a 3 foot ground ball that Vazquez gunned to first for the third out. Price had gotten through 6 but had thrown 93 pitches to do it. Shaw popped up to begin the bottom of the 6th. Hitman Holt broke an 0-14 slump with a base hit up the middle. He was erased on the double play hit by Vazquez.

Price attempted to go where no pitcher had gone before this season, the end of the 7th inning. Price whiffed Colabello to open it then struck out Martin amidst a chorus of cheers. Could Price get that final, elusive out? Barney looked at strike 3 to end the inning. Price went 7 innings, striking out 9 and allowing just 2 runs. THAT'S an ace.

                                          7 innings, 2 runs....outstanding

Gavin Floyd replaced Estrada in the bottom of the 7th inning. JBJ grounded out to begin the frame. Mr. Mookie flied out to deep center but Pedroia walked. Bogaerts flied out to end the inning.

It was Koji Time in the top of the 8th. Carrera caught everyone asleep with a bunt base hit. The Sox defense pitched in with HANLEY RAMIREZ being the star when Barney stroked a ground ball to Bogaerts. Xander flipped it to Pedroia but the throw was a little to the left, but Hanley snared it with his foot on the bag for the double play. Koji induced a pop up from Donaldson and the entire infield convened on it, Ramirez taking it for the third out. Brett Cecil, the former 15 game winner and now lefty specialist met David Ortiz to begin the bottom of the 8th. Ortiz won the battle with a base hit. Hanley Ramirez banged into a double play....except Barney never touched second base and Ortiz was safe at second. The "neighborhood" rule is no longer in effect so fielders actually have to touch the bag. The umpires went to the replay and the call was reversed, double play. Apparently Barney's knee grazed the bag. Shaw grounded out to end the inning.

Craig Kimbrel took the mound for the top of the 9th to close the game out. He struck out Jose Bautista on a 3-2 questionable pitch. Edwin Encarnarcion waved at air for strike 3. Troy Tulowitzky then looked at strike 3 to end the game. The Red Sox had won it, 4-2.

 Hero of the Night is easy. David Price was outstanding. He went 7 innings, gave up 2 runs on 6 hits, struck out 9 and walked none.

                                                 Hero of the Night: David Price


The Good

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. 

David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk. 

Travis Shaw was 2 for 4 with an rbi. 

Brock Holt was 1 for 3. 

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3. 

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

Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning. 

Craig Kimbrel struck out the side in the 9th for his 4th save.

The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a go-ahead 3 run blast into the monster seats.

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Final Thoughts:

That's more like it. 5 days after Price and Kimbrel failed on the home opener, they shined today. THIS is what Sox brass saw when they signed Price and traded for Kimbrel. The heart of the order is a killer for Toronto but Sox pitchers have been able to navigate through it by hook or crook. The Sox offense has averaged 4 runs a game through the first 10 games. If they had any semblence of good starting pitching, they'd be 9-1. Steven Wright looks for his second straight quality start when he faces Aaron Sanchez at 1:35 PM tomorrow.

Red Sox Defeat Jays on Jackie Robinson Day (4/15/16)

The Boston Red Sox honored Jackie Robinson by defeating the Toronto Blue Jays 5-3 at Fenway Park in the first game of a four game series behind solid pitching by Rick Porcello (2-0) and solid all around play by the returning Christian Vazquez.

                                                  Peter Jennings approves of the win

Porcello started his day by getting Kevin Pillar to ground out to third. Josh Donaldson grounded out and Jose Bautista check swinged a bunt to Pedroia who fired to first for the out. Good start for Rick. Mr. Mookie Betts gave one a ride but it was snared by Bautista in right. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second. Xander "X-Man" Bogaerts poked a single to right field to extend the inning. David Ortiz missed a home run to dead center by inches, settling for an off the wall double that scored Bogaerts. Hanley Ramirez fooled everyone on a strikeout by launching his bat down the left field line, distracting the Toronto catcher. Ramirez ran down to first and beat out the throw, advancing Ortiz to third. Travis Shaw doubled off the wall that scored Ortiz and Ramirez before being tagged out in the run-down. Shaw was out but the Sox led 3-0 just like that.

                                           Hanley is safe and its 3-0 Boston

Could Porcello protect this lead in the top of the second? Sox analyst Dave O'Brien jinxed him by saying Edwin Encarnarcion hadn't homered yet this season.....and right on cue Edwin launched a bomb into the monster seats. Thanks a lot Dave. Troy Tulowitzky was plunked but Porcello struck out Justin Smoak. Vazquez and Porcello combined to strike out Michael Saunders and gun down Tulowitzky who sneaked too far off first base. Welcome back Vazquez! Brock "Hitman" Holt flied out to center to begin the bottom of the second. Vazquez lit up the crowd with a wall-ball double off the monster. Jays manager John Gibbons came out to challenge whether Vazquez came off the back. The replays showed he was safe and Gibbons couldn't challenge the rest of the game. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out but advanced Vazquez to third. Mr. Mookie was inspired by Vazquez effort and he singled him in to increase the lead 4-1. Pedroia walked but Bogaerts struck out to end the inning. They had Dickey on the ropes in that inning.

Porcello began the top of the third by striking out Ryan Goins. Josh Thole lifted a broken bat pop up to Bradley Jr for the second out. On the 50th pitch of his outing, Porcello got Pillar to line out to Pedroia at second to end the inning. 50 pitches through 3 innings isn't good, he's only on pace for 6. Ortiz flied out to center to open the bottom of the 3rd inning. Ramirez grounded back to Dickey for the second out. Shaw worked a walk but Holt was robbed at the wall of a hit by Pillar to end the inning.

JBJ flagged down a long drive by Donaldson to begin the top of the fourth. Porcello then struck out Bautista on a nasty front-door slider. Encarnarcion then grounded out to Shaw to end the inning on pitch number 66. Vazquez lined out sharply to Smoak to begin the bottom of the fourth. JBJ singled to right and advanced to third when Donaldson tossed a ground ball hit by Mr. Mookie into right field. Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons came out to complain about the slide by Jackie Bradley Jr. The new rule states that the runner has to slide before going into second and Bradley's slide was apparently late. The umpire told Gibbons to beat it because Gibbons lost his challenge earlier and the game resumed. Pedroia then banged into a double play to kill the rally.

                                                          "Dammit Pedroia!"

Porcello came out for the 5th inning and got Tulowitzky grounded out to Shaw. Justin Smoak struck out and Goins broke his bat on a grounder to Pedroia to end the inning. Very impressive inning for Rick who's set down 11 in a row and the only hit allowed was the Encarnarcion bomb. Dickey returned for the bottom of the 5th and was aided by Tulowitzky who nabbed Bogaerts at first on a high chopper. Ortiz worked a full count walk and Hanley Ramirez once again chucked his bat 50 feet down the line. Last year his helmet couldn't stay on, this year he can't hold on to the bat. Ramirez eventually struck out. Shaw walked and that was it for Dickey. Gibbons pulled him in favor of the ambidextrous Pat Venditte. He pitched lefty to face Brock Holt. Holt popped up to end the inning.

Porcello returned for the top of the 6th and quickly got Goins to ground out. Thole struck out but Pillar was hit by a pitch. On Porcello's 89th pitch, Porcello got Donaldson looking on a questionable pitch on the outside corner. Porcello had a chance to go 7, where no Boston starter has gone before this season. Vazquez got the crowd up again with a line drive single off the monster. JBJ tapped a slow roller to Venditte who bobbled it, allowing Jackie to reach base. It was ruled a hit and that was it for Venditte. Gibbons brought in Joe Biagini to face Mr. Mookie. Betts proved un-clutch as he banged into a double play, advancing Vazquez to third. Pedroia then singled off Biagini's leg to score Betts and increase the lead 5-1. Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning.

Porcello attempted to go where no man has gone before, navigating the 7th inning. Right on cue he walked Bautista and gave up a 2 run home run to Edwin Encarnarcion.

                                                  Porcello's achilles heel, Encarnarcion

Tulowitzky struck out and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. Once again he wouldn't allow a starter to go 7 innings. Still, take away the two home runs and Porcello didn't allow a hit to any other Toronto batter. Porcello didn't go quietly either. He was recorded to saying "F*cking Bull*ht" as he was lifted.

                                          6 1/3 innings, 3 runs. Good boys, good men

Tazawa held down the fort by striking out Smoak. Saunders popped up to end the inning. Porcello was pissed, but Tazawa kept the lead intact, 5-3 Boston. Ortiz worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 7th inning. Ramirez and Shaw both struck out. Ortiz gave the crowd a laugh by stealing second base, catching Toronto asleep. Ortiz became just the 4th Sox player after 40 to steal a base which included Rickey Henderson, Ted Williams and Cy Young of all people. Hitman Holt walked but Vazquez flied out to end the inning.

It was Koji Time in the top of the 8th. Goins popped up to third. Russell Martin pinch hit for Thole and struck out. Koji struck out Pillar to end the inning on a blown ball four call. Pillar hopped up and down mad, and he had a point.

                                                       Happy Koji

Martin took over behind the plate as Jesse Chavez was brought in to pitch the last of the 8th. JBJ struck out and Mr.Mookie flied out. Pedroia struck out to end the inning.

Could Kimbrel nail down another save in the top of the 9th. Donaldson popped up to Ramirez. Bautista flied out to Betts for the second out. The pain in the ass Encarnarcion lined a broken bat single to right. Tulowitzky walked to put the tying runs on. Kimbrel said enough was enough and struck out Smoak on a 98 mph pitch to end the game. The Red Sox won 5-3.

Hero of the Night is tough one but I'll go with Christian Vazquez. He did it all, hitting, throwing, catching. The Sox would not have won the game without him.

                                            Hero of the Night: Christian Vazquez


The Good:

 David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi, a run scored and his first stolen base since July 21, 2013. Travis Shaw was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 runs batted in. Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4. Rick Porcello pitched great, going 6 1/3 allowing only 2 hits, a walk and 2 hit batsmen. He struck out 8 and improved to 2-0 on the year. Junichi Tazawa finished up the 7th inning without a blemish. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Craig Kimbrel nailed down his third save of the year with a scoreless 9th inning.


The Bad:

Nobody today.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run. Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run. Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of strikeouts but reached base and scored on one of them. Brock Holt was 0 for 3 but walked.


Final Thoughts:

Well that was more like it. Porcello needed to go a long way and he did, giving up only 2 hits to the pesky Encarnarcion but navigating the Blue Jays lineup well otherwise. The returning Vazquez already improved the defense which shut down the Jays on the bases. The offense continues to score 4-5 runs a game and if they get solid pitching, that's a recipe for success. Tomorrow afternoon David Price looks to go mano e mano with the only guy who's shut down the Sox this year, Marco Estrada at 4:05 PM.

Big Off-Day News (4/14/16)

Well today was a big day in Red Sox baseball even if it was an off-day. Pablo Sandoval was placed on the 15 DL with a "shoulder strain". My ass...it was more damage control than anything. He's hopelessly out of shape and Sox president Dave Dombrowski knows it. He's about as useless as it gets right now so giving him time to get back in shape or to trade him seems like the right thing to do.

Blake Swihart was optioned to Triple A and in his place is the returning Christian Vazquez. Remember, Vazquez was the starting catcher at the end of 2014 and only lost his job due to injury. His cannon arm is healed and Sox pitchers such as Buchholz and Kelly remember his game calling from 2014. Swihart isn't much of a game manager and his defense has been shoddy so far, not to mention he isn't lighting it up at the plate. Swihart did a heck of a job last year down the stretch, but he's going through a sophomore slump that Bogaerts went through in 2014. He's young, so he'll have time to come back.

Also sent down was Rusney Castillo. Dombrowski and Farrell both said he needs at-bats and with Holt, Bradley and Betts contrbuting, those at-bats would be hard to come by. Chris Young is going to be their platoon guy so Castillo is the odd man out. He's yet to live up to his 72 million dollar contract but that can be chalked up to a bevy of Ben Cherrington mistakes. Still, if you're a Gulf Coast Red Sox or Pawtucket Red Sox fan, Castillo helping both win their league titles in 2014 was fun...but not worth 72 million dollars.

In their places are Josh Rutledge, Vazquez and 23 year old Marco Hernandez. Hernandez was picked up in a trade with the Chicago Cubs at the end of the 2014 season. Who knows how long Rutledge and Hernandez will last but Vazquez looks like he's here to stay. Vazquez will nullify half of the Tampa Bay Rays offense by himself. We'll see how this turns out.

                                                                     Out

                                                                       In

Sox Ride Bullpen to Series Salvaging Win (4/13/16)

Once again the Boston Red Sox got a 5 inning start from their starter but this time they were able to slam the door and hold on for a 4-2 series salvaging victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park, 4-2.

                                                 Y2J approves of the win

Joe Kelly (1-0) took the ball to start the game and promptly walked Joey Rickard. Manny Machado flied out and Kelly whiffed Chris Davis. Mark Trumbo grounded out but Kelly was throwing too many pitches. Ubaldo Jimenez (1-1) took the mount in the bottom of the first for the O's.  Mr. Mookie Betts singled and stole second to begin the game. Pedroia walked and Bogaerts nearly banged into a triple play, just barely beating out the throw to first. Bogaerts swiped second as Ortiz walked. Bogaerts swiped third as well, giving the Sox 3 in the inning. Hanley Ramirez grounded out to end the inning.

In the top of the second inning, JJ Hardy found out the hard way not to run on Jackie Bradley Jr, he was gunned down at third stretching a double into a triple.

                                                Yerrrrrrr out

Alvarez walked but Kelly struck out Jonathan Schoop. Caleb Joseph legged out an infield single then Hyun Soo Kim walked to load the bases. Rickard grounded out but Kelly was definitely not long for this game. Travis Shaw and Brock Holt looked at strike 3 to start the bottom of the second inning. Ryan Hanigan singled but Jackie Bradley Jr was robbed of a hit at first to end the inning.

The O's struck first in the top of the third. Manny Machado doubled and Chris Davis blasted yet another home run to give the O's the 2-0 lead. Trumbo popped up to third and Hardy grounded out but Alvarez singled. Schoop struck out to end the inning. Would the Sox go quietly? Not on your life!  Mr. Mookie singled and Pedroia legged out an infield single of his own. Bogaerts doubled them both home to tie the game. Ortiz walked to put Jimenez on the ropes and Ramirez let him off the hook, but not before his bat was heaved halfway down Yawkey Way unintentionally.

                                         The bat went further than the ball



Ramirez lined into a double play when Bogaerts was doubled off second. Shaw grounded out but the Sox had tied the game.

                                                  Bogaerts wasn't going to let the O's win this time


Kelly still had to control the O's offense with the game tied in the top of the fourth. Joseph whiffed but Kim walked. Rickard lined out to right but Machado reached on an infield single. Kelly was on the ropes but he got himself off by getting Davis to ground out to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth inning. Holt walked but Hanigan struck out. Jackie Bradley Jr then gave the Sox the lead with a mad dash around the bases, ending up with an rbi triple. He then scored on the Mr. Mookie ground out to give the Sox a 4-2 lead. Pedroia struck out to end the inning, but the Sox had the lead.

                                       JBJ says "Motorin...what's your price for flight?"

Now it was up to the Sox pitching staff to nail down the win. Trumbo struck out to start the top of the fifth. Hardy grounded out but Alvarez walked. Schoop singled and Sox manager John Farrell was about to yank Kelly when Joe bared down to strike out Joseph on his 116th pitch of the night. It wasn't pretty but Kelly went 5 innings and only allowed 2 runs, leaving with the lead. Not the best start but at least he didn't fall apart like Buchholz yesterday.

                                                 Least he gave the Sox the lead.

The Sox failed to mount anymore offense against Jimenez. Bogaerts popped up to begin the bottom of the 5th inning. Ortiz grounded out and Ramirez looked at strike three.

It was up to the bullpen now and first out of the gate was Matt Barnes. He punched out Kim and got Rickard to fly out. Unfortunately, Machado doubled to right to chase him. Farrell wanted the lefty-lefty matchup and brought in Tommy Layne to face Davis. Turns out the matchup would have to wait as the alert Hanigan gunned down Machado trying to steal third to end the inning.

                                       Hanigan says "Not today young fella!"

Jimenez was gone, replaced by Tyler Wilson. Shaw greeted Wilson in the bottom of the 6th with a single to to center. Holt and Hanigan both popped up then JBJ grounded out. So much for that.

Layne stayed in to face Davis for real this time to start the top of the 7th. Davis flied out and that was that. Farrell lifted him for Junichi Tazawa. Trumbo flied out and Hardy grounded out in short order. Good work Layne and Tazawa. Mr. Mookie led off the bottom of the 7th with a pop up. Pedroia struck out but Bogaerts singled. Ortiz popped up to end the inning.

It was Koji Time in the top of the 8th inning. Alvarez grounded out and Schoop flied out, but Joseph singled. With the tying run at the plate, Kim lined out to end the inning. The Sox offense went with a whimper in the bottom of the 8th. Ramirez struck out and Shaw grounded out. Holt grounded out to end the inning. Its a good thing the bullpen was doing their job, this was a close game.

It was time for Craig Kimbrel to light them up. Could he? Rickard...WHAM! Strike 3 swinging. Machado...BAM! Strike 3 swinging. Davis? THANK YOU MA'AM! Strike 3 swinging, game over.

                                               Red Sox Win 4-2

Hero of the Night could go to a variety of people. I'm going with Craig Kimbrel. He had something to prove after the O's bombed him on the home opener. Striking out the side to earn the save slammed the door on the Dirty Birds.

                                             Hero of the Night: Craig Kimbrel


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with an rbi, run scored and stolen base. Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with 2 rbi's and a stolen base. Ryan Hanigan was 1 for 3 and gunned down Machado trying to steal. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk, run scored, rbi and outfield assist. Tommy Layne got credited with 2/3 of an inning even though he only faced, and retired, Davis. Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara pitched scoreless innings.


The Bad:

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.


The Ugly:

David Ortiz was 0 for 2 but walked twice. Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4 but luckily was not pinch hit for. Brock Holt was 0 for 3 but walked and scored. Joe Kelly got the win but had to throw 116 pitches in just 5 innings to do it. Still, he only allowed the 2 run jack by Davis, giving up 6 other hits and 5 walks. He pitched out of trouble most of the night and struck out 6. Matt Barnes got the first two batters he faced before allowing the double by Machado.



Final Thoughts:

Another short start and more taxing of the bullpen is not good. They got the win but this can't last. The bullpen, as good as it is, can't afford to be pitching in every single game. At least the set-up guys and closer anyway. Still, they got the job done this time which allowed the Sox to win the game and climb back to 4-4 on the season. The Dirty Birds offense is formidable but good pitching would shut them down. If Eduardo Rodiguez comes back and pitches like he did last year, David Price finds himself and either Kelly or Porcello can step up to be the third starter, this team may go places. As it is now, you don't know who to trust on a day to day basis to take the ball. The Sox have an off-day tomorrow and friday night the Toronto Blue Jays are in town. Rick Porcello will be taking on RA Dickey.

Buchholz Pounded Again, O's Cruise (4/12/16)

The much maligned Clay Buchholz (0-1) may want to crawl into a hole after tonight's game. For someone with the reputation of being soft and unreliable, he did nothing to help his cause as another bad start led the way for a 9-5 defeat at the hands of the undefeated Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.

Buchholz was in trouble right from the get-go although Joey Rickard grounded out to third to begin the game. Manny Macado popped up to catcher Blake Swihart but Chris Davis walked. Mark Trumbo singled to put two men on but Clay got Matt Wieters to strike out to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting on the board against Mike Wright. Mr.Mookie Betts led off the bottom of the first and struck out. Dustin Pedroia lashed a single to right but Xander Bogaerts struck out as well. David Ortiz revved up the crowd with a towering home run to right field to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Hanley Ramirez flied out to right but the Sox had a lead to work with.

                                             The lone highlight of the day, 2-0 Sox

Pedro Alvarez worked a walk to open the top of the 6th but Buchholz settled down to get JJ Hardy to fly out to left. Jonathan Schoop flied out to center and Ryan Flaherty struck out to end the inning. Travis Shaw lined out sharply to third to start the bottom of the second. Brock "The Hitman" Holt drew a walk but Swihart lined into a double play when Holt was doubled off first. So much for that.

Rickard struck out to open the top of the third. Machado flied out to left and Davis struck out. A rare clean inning for Buchholz. Jackie Bradley Jr and Mr. Mookie both struck out to start the bottom of the third. Pedroia grounded out to third to end the inning.

The O's struck back in the top of the 4th. Trumbo was hit by a pitch and advanced to second on the running catch by Mr. Mookie. Alvarez popped up and then Hardy hit one of the cheapest homers in history, wrapping a ball just around the pesky pole for a 300 foot 2 run home run. Schoop grounded out but the game was tied.

                                              :"Here we go again..."

Could the Sox rally in the bottom of the 4th? NO! Bogaerts grounded out and Ortiz flied out, but Ramirez singled. Both Shaw and Holt were hit by a pitch to load the bases. With a chance to give the Sox the lead back....Swihart grounded out.

                                                                    "Way to go Blake...."

Buchholz struck out Flaherty to start the top of the 5th. Rickard grounded out and Machado grounded out to third in short order. Nice bounce back inning for Clay. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the 5th.  JBJ singled and Mr. Mookie doubled him home. Pedroia grounded out but advanced Betts to third. Mookie scored on the wild pitch by Wright and it was 4-2 Boston. Bogaerts flied out and Ortiz grounded out to end the inning.

The wheels fell off for Clay in the top of the 6th. Davis singled and Trumbo lofted a pop up on the first base side. Swihart had the play...AND DROPPED IT!

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

Buchholz proceeded to crap himself as Trumbo made the Sox pay when he smashed a game tying two run home run over the monster seats. Wieters walked and Alvarez doubled him to third to chase Buchholz. The mental makeup of Buchholz is appalling. Noe Ramirez was brought in to stop the bleeding. Hardy hit a sac fly to right that scored Wieters with the go-ahead run and send Alvarez to third. Schoop flied out and Flaherty was intentionally walked and promptly stole second. Rickard struck out but the O's now led 5-4. Dylan Bundy replaced Mike Wright for the bottom of the 6th. Ramirez grounded out but Shaw doubled. Holt grounded out but advanced Shaw to third. Could Swihart atone for his error and lack of clutchness earlier? Nope....he grounded out.

The O's struck again in the top of the 7th. Machado singled to chase Ramirez as Robbie Ross Jr entered the game. Davis struck out but Trumno doubled Machado to third. Both runners scored on the single by Machado to give the O's a 7-4 lead. Alvarez beat out a double play ball to put runners on first and third. JJ Hardy then hit yet another one right around the Pesky Pole to ice the game 9-4....that's 5 rbi's for Hardy in this game. Schoop grounded out but the damage was done. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the 7th. JBJ grounded out, Mr. Mookie popped up and Pedroia flied out.

JBJ flashed the leather by gunning down Flaherty at second to open the top of the 8th on a single. Rickard singled but wisely stayed at first.....until Swihart bobbled a pitch which allowed Rickard to reach second. Swihart has been terrible defensively the first 2 weeks of the year. Machado flied out and Rickard reached third on yet another bobbled pitch. David walked but Trumbo flied out. The Sox attempted one last rally in the bottom of the 8th. Rickard moved to right and Adam Jones came in to play center. Bogaerts reached on an infield single and Ortiz doubled him home to cut the deficit 9-5. Ramirez popped up as TJ McFarland was brought in as John Farrell pinch hit Chris Young for Travis Shaw amidst another chorus of boo's. Right on cue Young flied out as the boo's grew louder. Holt grounded out to end the inning. Its one thing if Shaw couldn't hit lefties, but he can, which makes Farrell look like a clown for pinch hitting for him and Young failing.

Tommy Layne finally made his season debut in the top of the 9th as Young stayed in left field and Holt moved to third base. Layne struck out Wieters and Alvarez then got Hardy to ground out. At least he's fresh. Swihart finally got one base with an infield single to start the bottom of the 9th but was erased on the JBJ double play. O's manager Buck Showalter then pissed off the crowd by relieving McFarland with Darren O'Day. Mr. Mookie doubled but Pedroia grounded out to end the game. The O's had prevailed 9-5, dropping the Sox to 3-4 on the season.

Jackass of the Night is a tough one. Buchholz fell apart in the 6th inning but Blake Swihart couldn't catch a cold. Ramirez and Ross provided no relief and Farrell continued to pinch hit Shaw for Young only for Young to do nothing. Still, I gotta go with Swihart. Not only was he a defensive disaster, he came up twice in clutch situations and failed.

                                                  Blake Swihart: Jackass





The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a run batted in. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with a run scored, a 2 run blast and 3 total rbi's. Travis Shaw was plunked and went 1 for 2 before being lifted.


The Bad:

Chris Young pinch hit for Shaw and flied out.  Clay Buchholz took the lost by puking on himself mainly in the 6th inning. The Hardy home run was a fluke but the Trumbo homer was not. Clay pitched just 5 innings, giving up 5 runs on 5 hits and 3 walks despite striking out 5. His ERA is a hideous 10.00. Robbie Ross Jr was smacked around for 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk as John Farrell refuses to use him as a specialist, which Torey Luvello did at the end of last season.


The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 but scored a run. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run. Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4. Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but walked and was hit by a pitch. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 4 but made a great throw and scored a run. Noe Ramirez gave up a run in one total inning but it was more Ross' fault than his own.


Final Thoughts


 The Sox offense once again plated 5 runs but got no pitching help in yet another defeat. This is looking a lot like last year with the pitching being atrocious. If the Sox ever get good starting pitching, this team could be potentially devastating, but for now they're horrible. The bullpen can't save them every time and it certainly didn't in this one. The Sox look to salvage the series as Joe Kelly goes up against Ubaldo Jimenez tomorrow.

Price, Kimbrell Bombed On Home Opener (4/11/16)

We're 6 games into the season and already Boston Red Sox fans are absolutely heated. Every move they made in the off-season has completely backfired and it cost them today's home opener against the Baltimore Orioles, bowing 9-7.

                                          "KIMBRELLLLLLLL!!!!"

Things started innocently enough. The supposed Red Sox ace David Price took the mound in the top of the first and Josh Rickard doubled off the wall. Manny Machado flied out and Chris Davis struck out. Mark Trumbo grounded out but Price had thrown too many pitches. Yovani Gallardo was worse than Price in the bottom of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts, Dustin Pedroia, Xander Bogaerts and David Ortiz hit 4 straight singles to make the game 2-0 out of the gate. Hanley Ramirez scored Bogaerts with a sac fly but Shaw erased Ortiz at second on a force. Shaw swiped second and took third when the catcher's throw went into centerfield. With a chance to give the Sox a commanding lead....Brock Holt grounded out. A 3-0 lead seemed good enough for the Sox ace, right?

Matt Weiters struck out to open the top of the second and JJ Hardy grounded out. Jonathan Schoop struck out and shockingly this would be the only clean inning for Price. Blake Swihart flied out and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to begin the bottom of the second. Mr. Mookie singled but Pedroia flied out to end the inning.

The O's bombed Price in the top of the third. Nolan Reimold struck out but Kris Joseph singled. Rickard walked and Machado was plunked to load the bases. Davis singled in two runs and Trumbo cleared the bases with a monster 3 run home run. Just like that it was 5-2 Baltimore in a blink of an eye. Wieters struck out and Hardy grounded out to end the inning. 5 runs in 3 innings for Price, some ace. Bogaerts grounded out to start the bottom of the third. Trumbo dropped a ball to allow Ramirez to reach but Shaw flied out to end the inning.

Could Price get a clean 4th inning? Schoop walked, so nope. Reimold grounded into a fielder's choice, Joseph struck out and Rickard lined out to end the inning. Still, Price was not destined to last. The Sox fought back in the bottom of the 4th. Holt walked, Swihart singled and Bradley Jr hit a ground rule double to cut the deficit 5-4. Unfortunately all Betts could do was beat out a double play ball to tie the game. A hit would have been nice. Dustin Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning. Still, the game was tied but the Sox could have done more.

Machado singled to center to greet Price in the top of the 5th. A wild pitch advanced Machado to second. Price bared down to strike out Davis and get Trumbo to pop up. Another wild pitch advanced Machado to third but he was stranded when Price struck out Wieters to end his day. 5 innings, 5 runs...not good. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the 5th when Bogaerts grounded out. Ortiz and Ramirez struck out in short order.

Matt Barnes took the mound for the top of the 6th and crapped himself. Hardy and Schoop hit back to back doubles to give the O's the lead back 6-5. Reimold struck out and Holt made a great diving catch, doubling off Schoop to end the inning. Still, the O's had a lead. The Sox erased it in the bottom of the 6th. TJ McFarland took over for Gallardo and Chris Young pinch hit for Shaw....who popped up. Big help, Chris. Holt walked and Swihart singled Brock to third. Bradley Jr then had to beat out a double play ball to tie the game. Once again the Sox missed a chance to take the lead with a clutch single. Mychal Givens replaced McFarland and Bradley Jr swiped second. Betts struck out to end the inning, but the game was tied.

Junichi Tazawa came on for the top of the 7th with Young in left field and Holt moving to third. Rickard struck out but Machado singled and moved to second on the wild pitch by Tazawa. Davis struck out and Trumbo lined out to end the inning. In the bottom of the 7th, Pedroia and Bogaerts struck out to open the frame. Ramirez was intentionally walked and with a chance to put the Sox ahead...Young struck out.

Koji Uehara completed the top of the 8th in about 7 seconds. Wieters and Hardy struck out then Schoop flied out.

                                           "Break's over boys, get back out there!"

The Sox could do nothing against Brad Bach in the bottom of the 8th. Holt grounded out, Swihart flied out and JBJ lined out to end the inning.

Craig Kimbrel (0-1) was brought in for the top of the 9th. Ryan Flaherty struck out but Kimbrel walked Joseph. Rickard struck out but Machado walked. Chris Davis then blasted a towering 3 run bomb over the Monster to give the O's a 3 run cushion. Trumbo struck out but the damage was done. Could the Sox rally in the bottom of the 9th? Mr. Mookie aided the cause with a home run into the Monster seats to cut the lead 9-7. Pedroia singled and advanced to second on the wild pitch. Bogaerts worked a walk to bring up David Ortiz. Could Ortiz hit the walkoff 3 run bomb to send the fans home happy? Hell no! He did the complete opposite, he banged into a double play. Way to be clutch. Ramirez whiffed to end the game. The Sox had lost 9-7, what a waste.

Jackass of the Night is easy, Craig Kimbrel. He served up the 3 run bomb in the 9th inning that cost them the game.

                                                 Jackass of the Day: Craig Kimbrel


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 5 with a home run, 2 rbi's and 2 runs scored. Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Blake Swihart was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Junichi Tazawa and Koji Uehara both pitched clean innings.


The Bad:

Chris Young was 0 for 2 with a strikeout after coming in. Matt Barnes gave up a run in his one inning of work.


The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked, scored a run and drove in a run. David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with an rbi but banged into a critical double play in the 9th. Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 but walked and drove in a run. Travis Shaw was 0 for 2 but stole a base when he got on base. Brock Holt was 0 for 2 but walked twice and scored twice. Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but stole a base and drove in 2 runs. David Price lasted 5 innings, giving up 5 runs in one bad inning. He gave up 5 hits, 2 walks but struck out 8.


Final Thoughts:

Price - bombed
Kimbrel - bombed
Young - 0 for the season
Elias - bombed in AAA
Smith - Hurt


There are your off-season additions folks. Nuff ced