Sox Win Walk Parade (5/5/16)

The first place Boston Red Sox were scoffed at by New York Yankee fans saying "Da Red Sox haven't beaten anyone good. Da Yankees are still numba one baybee!" Well the Bosox just took a big dump on the AL Central leading Chicago White Sox (as well as the Yankee fans) by taking 2 of 3 in Chicago, including tonight's 7-3 walk-fest at Commiskey Park.

                                                    Pee Wee Herman approves of the win

The Bosox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning. Mr.Mookie Betts looked at strike 3 to begin the game. Dustin Pedroia greeted Johnson with a solo shot to left field to give the Red Sox a 1-0 lead. Xander Bogaerts struck out but David Ortiz lashed a single. Hanley Ramirez walked but Travis Shaw whiffed to end the inning.

                                         "I pledge allegiance to the Laser Show"

The Chisox answered in the bottom of the first against a wild Henry Owens. Adam Eaton led off with a single, moved to second on a wild pitch and swiped third. Jimmy Rollins walked and Jose Abreu banged into a double play, scoring Eaton from third to tie the game 1-1. Todd Frazier walked but Melky Cabrera grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox took the lead back in the top of the second. Brock "Hitman" Holt singled and Ryan Hanigan doubled him home to put the Sox up 2-1. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out but Mr. Mookie Walked. Pedroia singled to load the bases but Bogaerts lined out to second and Ortiz grounded out to end the inning. Owens returned for the bottom of the second and walked Brett Lawrie to open the frame. Asvail Garcia popped up and Hector Sanchez did as well.  Austin Jackson lined out as well to end the inning.

The Sox got some more in the top of the third. Ramirez led off with his 3rd home run of the year and Shaw tripled off the glove of Jackson. Hitman Holt scored Shaw with a sac fly to make it 4-1. Hanigan walked but was erased on the JBJ force. Mr. Mookie flied out to end the inning.

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

Could Owens hold the lead in the bottom of the third? He walked Eaton and Rollins as Heath Hembree began warming. Owens bore down to punch out Abreu but walked Frazier to load the bases. Ramirez nearly misplayed a routine pop up but dove to retire Cabrera. Owens struck out Lawrie to end the inning. Farrell left Owens in to see what he can do under duress and he got out of it. Talk about a close call.

Pedroia opened the top of the fourth with a single to center. Bogaerts popped to first and Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning. Farrell allowed Owens to return for the bottom of the fourth but that was a mistake. Owens promptly gave up a line drive bomb to Garcia to cut the lead 4-2. Sadly it was the only ball hit hard off Owens in his outing, but he was gone after just 3 innings. With the possibility of a rainout tomorrow, having the bullpen finish the final 2/3's of the game may be worth the risk. Heath Hembree came in and retired Sanchez on a fly ball to JBJ that took so long to come down, JBJ was spotted doing his taxes before it came down. Jackson poked one over the head of Pedroia for a base hit but was thrown out at second trying to steal by Hanigan. Eaton hit one in the hole at short to reach on a single and Rollins walked. That's 7 walks so far by Bosox pitching. Abreu lofted a short fly ball and Holt sprinted to run it down to end the inning. The Sox bullpen needed to get 15 more outs in this one.

Ramirez grounded out to begin the top of the fifth. Shaw whiffed and Holt looked at strike three to end the inning. Hembree returned for the home half of the fifth and got hammered. Frazier was retired on a fly ball to Betts. Then Cabrera then reached on a swinging bunt that Hanley Ramirez failed to pick up. Lawrie followed with a single and Garcia singled to load the bases. Sanchez walked to cut the lead 4-3 and that was it for Hembree. Neither he or Owens had it tonight and it was Matt Barnes (2-1, 2.45 ERA) turn to stop the bleeding.

                                                  Farrell says "Not today Heath"

Jackson then lofted a ball to Betts who gunned it home....OUT! Or was he? White Sox manager Robin Ventura challenged whether or not Hanigan illegally blocked the plate. After a long review, the call stood as out and the Sox escaped with the lead.

                                         "Lawrie, yerrrrrrr out!" - Ryan Hanigan

Old friend Matt Albers came in to pitch the top of the sixth and got Hanigan to ground out, but JBJ extended his hitting streak to 11 games with an opposite field home run to extend the lead 5-3. Mr. Mookie singled but Pedroia popped up. Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning. Could Barnes protect the lead? Eaton hit one in the hole but it was gobbled up by Bogaerts who slung it to first for the out. Rollins grounded out and Abreu did as well to end the inning. Good work by Barnes.

Dan Jennings was brought in to face Ortiz in the top of the seventh. Ortiz walked and so did Ramirez to put the pressure on Jennings.....and Shaw let him off the hook by waiving at strike 3. Holt then hit a swinging bunt along the first base line and Jennings fell down trying to make the play, allowing Holt to reach first. Jennings redeemed himself by getting Hanigan to bang into a double play to end the inning. So much for that. It was time for the Orient Express as Junichi Tazawa came in for the bottom of the seventh. He whiffed Frazier but Cabrera singled. Lawrie struck out and Garcia flailed at strike three to end the inning. Good work Taz.

                                                        Tazawa wipes out the White Sox

JBJ worked a walk to begin the top of the eighth. Mr. Mookie walked as well then both runners advanced on the ground out by Pedroia. Bogaerts lashed one to center but it was caught by Jackson, allowing JBJ to score and advance Betts to third. Ortiz then stepped in for his last at bat in Chicago and doubled home both runners to put the game away. White Sox manager Robin Ventura pulled Jennings for Zach Putnam. Ramirez grounded out to end the inning but the Bosox now led 7-3. Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Ross blew away Sanchez and Jackson grounded out. Eaton walked and Rollins fanned to end the inning.

Shaw lined out to open the top of the ninth. Holt grounded out and so did Hanigan to end the inning. Ross returned for the bottom of the ninth. Abreu hit a rocket to the wall but Mr. Mookie ran it down, crashing into the wall for the out. Frazier whiffed and Cabrera grounded out to end the game. The Bosox had won 7-3

                                           Usually its Ortiz and Uehara, this time its Ross

Hero of the night is Matt Barnes. He was brought in to protect a 4-3 lead and did his job.

                                          Hero of the Night: Matt Barnes


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored. Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored. David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a walk. Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored. Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run and an rbi. Ryan Hanigan made the game saving play at the plate plus walked and drove in a run with a single. Jackie Bradley Jr hit a home run to earn a run scored, an rbi plus walked. Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 7th inning. Robbie Ross Jr pitched 2 scoreless innings.


The Bad:

Henry Owens didn't have it again. Once again he walked the ballpark, lasting 3 innings, allowing 2 runs on 2 hits and SIX walks. Heath Hembree got pounded for 5 his and 2 walks, allowing a run in 1 1/3 innings.


The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 but drove in a run. Travis Shaw was 1 for 5 with a run scored.


Final Thoughts:

Many wondered what the Red Sox could do against a good team and they just took 2 of 3 from the AL Central leading White Sox to remain in first place in the AL East at 17-11. The Yankees lost to remain firmly in last place and it doesn't look like they have any hope of escaping. The Sox offense continues to roll and the bullpen had to toss 6 innings last night yet allowed only 1 run. The Sox open a 3 game set with the New York Yankees, if there was ever a time to bury them it would be now. Only problem is, there's a 100% chance of rain. The good news is if that happens, they could push everyone back so they don't have to start Henry Owens on Tuesday.

Buchholz Bounces Back, Sox Win (5/4/16)

The much maligned Clay Buchholz (1-3, 5.71 ERA) was all but out of the Boston Red Sox rotation, he just needed one more stinkeroo before Sox manager John Farrell would pull the plug on him as Eduardo Rodriguez nears his return. Instead Clay gave management one big middle finger as he went out and pitched a gem against the AL leading Chicago White Sox, defeating them 5-2 at Commiskey Park. All without Hanley Ramirez who called in sick.

                                                                    Coop celebrates the victory

Carlos Rodon got the start for Chicago, bumping up a day due to the release of Jon Danks. At first things went Chicago's way. Mr. Mookie Betts lined out but Xander Bogaerts singled. David Ortiz banged into a double play to end the inning. The White Sox wasted no time scoring off the much maligned Buchholz in the bottom of the first. Adam Eaton flied out but Jimmy Rollins singled. Jose Abreu then crushed a 400 foot 2 run blast to give the south siders a 2-0 lead. Todd Frazier whiffed and Melky Cabrera flied out to end the inning. Wonderful start by Buchholz.

                                              "Dat dadgum Abreu!"

The Bosox failed to respond in the top of the second inning. Dustin Pedroia lined out, Chris Young looked at strike three and Travis Shaw flied out. Buchholz ran into more trouble in the bottom of the second. Brett Lawrie walked but Jerry Sands struck out. Dioneer Navarro singled but Austin Jackson grounded into a double play to end the inning. Shockingly Navarro's hit would be Chicago's last.

The Bosox struck back in the top of the third inning. Josh Rutledge grounded out to short but Christian Vazquez reached on an infield single. Jackie Bradley Jr got a base hit and both runners advanced on a wild pitch...only for Mr. Mookie to strike out. Fear not! Bogaerts came through with a single to score Vazquez and cut the lead 2-1. Ortiz flied out to end the inning.

                                         Bogaerts "Hey Mookie, this is how its done"

Buchholz somehow settled down the remainder of the game. Eaton lined out to open the bottom of the third. Rollins grounded out and Buchholz showed some balls by brushing back Abreu with an inside fastball. Shades of Pedro Martinez. Abreu flied out to right, good work by Clay.

Things got a little hairy in the top of the fourth. Pedroia grounded out but Young walked. In retaliation for the brushback, Shaw was drilled. For some reason the umpires didn't bother to warn anyone but the Bosox didn't respond anyway. Rutledge legged out an infield single to load the bases....only for Vazquez to kill the rally by grounding into a double play. Thanks a lot Vaz.

                                                       "God damn Vazquez!!!"

Frazier popped up to start the bottom of the fourth. Cabrera grounded out but Lawrie walked. Sands grounded into a force to end the inning.

The Sox took command in the top of the fifth. JBJ struck out and Mr.Mookie flied out but Bogaerts walked and David Ortiz swatted home run number 509 to give the Sox a 3-2 lead. Pedroia struck out to end the inning. Big Papi does it again.

                                           Number 509, 11 away from Ted Williams

Could Buchholz pitch with the lead? Shockingly, yes. Navarro grounded out, Jackson struck out and Eaton grounded out to end the inning.

Rondon was tiring but the Bosox failed to capitalize in the top of the sixth inning.  Young looked at strike three and Shaw went down swinging. Rutledge walked but Vazquez flied out to end the inning. Buchholz returned for the bottom of the sixth and got Rollins to ground out. Abreu whiffed (see what happens when you brush someone back?) and Frazier flied out to end the inning.

Zach Putnam replaced Rodon in the top of the seventh and JBJ flied out. Mr. Mookie and Bogaerts hit back to back singles to chase Putnam. Zach Duke came on to face Ortiz and Big Papi singled home Mr.Mookie to make it 4-2. Pedroia banged into a double play but the Bosox now had an insurance run. Buchholz came back for one more inning in the bottom of the seventh. Cabrera grounded out but both Lawrie and Sands looked at strike three to end the inning. Buchholz gave up 3 hits and 2 runs in the first 2 innings then allowed just a walk the next 5, outstanding.

                                    Doing his best to stay in the rotation, 7 innings of 2 run ball

The Bosox got some more insurance in the top of the eighth. Young doubled and moved to third on the Shaw ground out. "Razor" Rutledge added to the cause with a single to center to score Young and give the Sox a 5-2 lead. Vazquez grounded out and JBJ hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

                                                      Razor Ramon approves of Razor Rutledge

It was Koji Time in the bottom of the eighth and Uehara got some big help from his defense. Mr. Mookie made a great diving catch to rob Navarro of a hit then ran around in a circle to rob Jackson of a hit as well. Then Young made a mad dash to rob Eaton at the wall to end the inning. Koji needs to buy those two a round later.

                                                Defense picking it up in the eighth.

Dan Jennings came in to pitch the top of the ninth.  Mr. Mookie was so exhausted from the previous half inning that he could only muster a fly out to right. Bogaerts grounded out but Ortiz whiffed to end the inning. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. He blew away Rollins but walked Abreu. Frazier ended the game by grounding into a double play. The Red Sox had defeated the White 5-2.

                                          The Buzzard says "Game over"

Hero of the night is David Ortiz. His 2 run blast put the Sox on top and his later hit added an insurance run.

                                              Hero of the night: David Ortiz

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts continued his hot streak by going 3 for 4 with a walk, run scored and an rbi. Chris Young was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. Josh Rutledge was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run batted in. Clay Buchholz was outstanding. After allowing a first inning 2 run shot by Abreu, he allowed just 1 hit the rest of the way as he tossed 7 innings, walking just 2 while striking out 6. He's now 1-3 on the season, lowering his ERA to 5.71.  Koji Uehara tossed a perfect eighth. Craig Kimbrel earned his 9th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.


The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 with a strikeout. Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a run scored. Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 with a run scored. Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 to extend his hit streak to 10 games.



Final Thoughts:

Well this just threw a monkey wrench into the Sox starting rotation plans. With Eduardo Rodriguez set to return, someone has to go. It looked like Buchholz was on his way out but he just pitched a gem against the American League's best team. Now Sox manager John Farrell has to make a decision on who goes when Rodriguez comes back. Price and Porcello are going nowhere as they're a combined 9-0, which leaves Owens, Buchholz and Wright. If Owens stinks tomorrow, he could be the odd man out. Still, this is what we would call the "good kind of competition" where people are doing their best to keep their jobs. As long as Wright, Owens and Buchholz continue to pitch well, its only good news. The win puts the Sox at 16-11, a half game in front of the Baltimore Orioles, who lost to the New York Yankees tonight. For 24 hours the Red Sox fans can laugh as the Sox are in first and the Yankees in last. Tomorrow night is the finale of the three game set as Henry Owens (0-0, 4.82 ERA) takes on Charlotte Knights call-up Johnson.

Quintana Stymes Sox Again (5/3/16)

Before the game the Sox got two key pieces of news.  Pablo Sandoval's phony injury is apparently serious enough to have season ending surgery on. I guess I have to take back what I said about the injury being fake. As embarrassing as the belt buckle explosion was, this is nothing to laugh at. The good news is the rise of Travis Shaw has offset the loss of Sandoval. Its a shame the Sox wasted so much money on Sandoval when Shaw was waiting in the wings. Garin Cecchini could have hit .245 last year for a lot cheaper than Pablo. So long Panda.

                                                          Season over after 3 games.

The second piece of news is the Sox activated Carson Smith from the disabled list and sent down Marco Hernandez. The play of Josh Rutledge made Hernandez expendable although he's an injury away from returning. If Smith is as dominant as he was for Seattle last year, the Sox have one of the most, if not THE strongest bullpen in the game. If the New York Yankees rotation weren't so dreadful, it would have been interesting to see the deathmatches the two pitching staffs could put on.

                                                                  Out

                                                                     In

 As for the game, Jose Quintana did it again. Quintana had faced the Sox 5 times previously, he did not allow a hit through 5 innings in 3 of them and had allowed just 1 in the fourth. Tonight he allowed just 4 total hits and a run, ruining a great start by Steven Wright to defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-1 at Commiskey Park.

Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to begin the game. Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts both flied out to end the inning.  The White Sox wasted no time scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Adam Eaton singled to lead off the game but was erased on the Jimmy Rollins force.  Jose Abreu put the south-siders on top with a triple to make it 1-0. Wright whiffed Todd Frazier and Melky Cabrera flied out to end the inning.

David Ortiz flied out to begin the top of the second inning. Hanley Ramirez grounded out and Travis Shaw popped up to end the inning.Wright worked some magic in the bottom of the second inning. Brett Lawrie walked but Jerry Sands struck out. Dioneer Navarro bounced into a double play to end the inning.

The Bosox went quietly in the top of the third. Chris Young flied out, Ryan Hanigan grounded out and Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to end the frame. The White Sox struck again in the bottom of the third. Austin Jackson and Eaton worked back to back walks and both advanced on the Rollins ground out. Jose Abreu walked to load the bases and Jackson scored on the ground out by Frazier. Cabrera struck out to end the inning but the Sox were up 2-0.

                                              3 walks makes Darla angry

The Bosox wasted one of their only chances to get back in the game in the top of the fourth. Mr. Mookie grounded out but Pedroia singled. Then Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning. Wright did what he could to keep the Sox in the game in the bottom of the fourth. Lawrie grounded out, Sands struck out and Navarro grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox tried to fight back in the top of the fifth. Ortiz looked at strike 3 and Ramirez put the Bosox on the board with a solo blast to cut the lead 2-1. Shaw and Young grounded out to end the inning but the Bosox were back in the game.

                                        Unlike Sandoval, Ramirez is still contributing.

Wright kept the south-siders in check in the bottom of the fifth. Jackson and Eaton flied out then Rollins grounded out to end the inning.

Could the Bosox strike again in the sixth? Hanigan grounded out but JBJ represented the tying run with a single. Mr. Mookie flied out and Pedroia whiffed to end the inning. So much for that. Wright returned for one more inning and made it count. Abreu and Frazier struck out but Cabrera singled. Lawrie flied out to end the inning. Wright deserved a lot better but he was on the hook despite just giving up 2 runs in 6 innings.

                                               Wright did what he could to keep the Sox in the game

Quintana returned for the top of the seventh and Bogaerts greeted him with a single. Ortiz whiffed, Ramirez lined out and Shaw whiffed to end the inning. Quintana sure has their number, that's for sure. Carson Smith made his Red Sox debut in the bottom of the seventh inning. Sands grounded out, Navarro grounded out and Jackson struck out to end the inning. Good start to the season for Carson.

                                  The other half of the US Express (with Kimbrel) Carson Smith

 Quintana returned for the top of the eighth and the Bosox continued to do nothing. Young flied out, Hanigan struck out and JBJ grounded out to end the inning. Quintana had pitched 8 innings and allowed just one run. Talk about domination. The Chisox put the game away in the bottom of the eighth off Junichi Tazawa. Eaton singled, Rollins walked and Abreu drove in both guys with a double to put the game out of reach. Frazier walked to chase Tazawa. Matt Barnes came in and walked Lawrie to load the bases but punched out pinch hitter Carlos Sanchez. Navarro flied out to end the inning. Way to go Tazawa, turned a manageable inning into a disaster.

                                           "Hey Tazawa! You suck, ya jackass!"

Former Yankees closer David Robertson came on in the top of the ninth for the save.  Mr. Mookie grounded out, Pedroia grounded out and Bogaerts struck out to end the game. The Chisox had won 4-1.

Jackass of the night is Junichi Tazawa. The Sox were down by a single run when Taz puked on himself, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits and 2 walks in 2/3 of an inning.

                                           Junichi Tazawa: Jackass

The Good:

Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 and his solo blast was the only run the Sox would score. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3. For the third time this season, Steven Wright pitched great and took the loss. He went 6 full innings and gave up just 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6.  Carson Smith made his season debut with a scoreless 7th inning. Matt Barnes finished off the top of the ninth.


The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4. David Ortiz was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts. Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with a strikeout. The supposed lefty killing Chris Young was 0 for 3. Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.


The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts were both just 1 for 4



Final Thoughts:

It was fun while it lasted but the loss knocked the Red Sox out of first place with the Baltimore Orioles wiping out the last place New York Yankees to retake the top spot. Quintana has their number so their video scouts have a lot of work to do. Chris Sale is tough enough, but if Quintana has their number then the Sox need to take Chicago very seriously for the rest of the season. The Sox really need Chris Young to step it up because he's giving them nothing so far. They're better off prying Jonny Gomes out of Japan for one last run. As for Wright, he's 2-3 with a 1.67 ERA. He's pitching well enough to stay in the rotation, he just gets no run support. Tomorrow night the Sox dodge a bullet as Carlos Rodon has been pushed up a day with the surprising release of Jon Danks. The White Sox will have to call up someone from Charlotte to pitch game 3. Going for the Red Sox tomorrow? The winless Clay Buchholz. God help us all.

One on one with Danny Bethea (5/2/16)

Me: How were you scouted in high school and what made you go to St. John's instead of the majors right away?

Danny:  I was not scouted in high school at all so I didn't get the chance to get into professional baseball at a young age. St. John's was beneficial to me because it allowed my body to get bigger and stronger, develop my skills, and learn from the best coaching staff in the nation.

 

Me: Were there lots of scouts who wanted you while at St. John's and if so, why did you choose Boston?

Danny:  I did not gain any interest from scouts until my senior season at St. John's University, but there were teams that showed interest during that year. I am very thankful and humble that the Boston Red Sox chose me in the 2013 MLB draft.

 

Me: Who was the scout that signed you to the Red Sox and how did that happen, as in what was discussed?

Danny: The scout that signed me, his name is Ray Fagnant. Ray works the northeast area for the Boston organization and scouted me during my time at St. John's. Ray informed me that the Red Sox were interested and we would have to wait and see what happens during draft day. I still keep in touch with Ray, he is a great guy.

 

Me: What was it like at Gulf Coast and how did you get promoted to Lowell? I don't mean by hitting well I mean how did you find out and what was the process like?

Danny:  Getting promoted in professional baseball is an exciting time for you and your manager. Usually, after the game that is played either that day/night that manager calls you into his office and asks you to sit down. After a short talk, he informs you that you have been promoted and are heading to the next affiliate. That's exactly what happened when I got promoted from the gcl to lowell, it was an exciting time.

 

Me: The past few years you played for Lowell, Greenville and Portland, could you describe how you kept getting promoted and what was involved?

Danny: I was fortunate enough to play on a few different teams last year, it was a great experience. I was able to play with a lot of friends throughout the organization and experience different ballparks and cities.

 

Me: Who are some of your best friends in the organization?

Danny:  Because I've played with different teams last year, I was able to make a good amount of friends. Tim Roberson, Kevin heller, David Chester, Jantzen Witte, Joe Gunkel, Jordan Betts, Jake Romanski, Chandler Shepherd, just to name a few.

 

Me: Do you get a pay raise every time you go up a level?

Danny: The only pay raise happens when you make the jump from A ball to AA ball.

 

Me: What else can you tell me about getting promoted and the atmosphere when you come to a new team?

Danny: Being promoted is an awesome experience and it was always fun to be on a new team. Its great to see friends in the organization that you haven't seen in a while and see the stadium atmosphere.

 

Me: Do you still maintain a relationship with the scout that signed you?

Danny: Yes, I still keep in touch with the scout that signed me. Ray is a first class individual and a great guy.

 

Me: You mentioned you had no idea what will happen this season. Let's say you bat .300 and they send you down to Greenville or Portland. Do you know why they put you in a specific place, like its in your contract or is it where they feel G or P is best for your development?

Danny: I will show up to wherever and do the best that I can, and trust the organization will do the best for me and the success of the team.


Thanks for your time.

Sox Sweep Yankees In Slugfest (5/1/16)

David Price (4-0) will have better days but this was not one of them. The Boston Red Sox had to survive a poor start from Price but they outslugged the New York Yankees 8-7 to take control of first place in the AL East at Fenway Park.

                                                       Leroy Jethro Gibbs approves of the sweep

David Price simply didn't have it but he took the ball to start the top of the first inning. Jacoby Ellsbury doubled to lead off the game and moved to third on the sacrifice bunt by Brett Gardner. Ellsbury broke for home on the gro und ball by Alex Rodriguez and was thrown out by the alert Travis Shaw. Mark Teixeira lined one but it was snared by Xander Bogaerts to end the inning. Nathan Eovaldi took the mound for the Yankees in the bottom of the first and the Sox wasted no time scoring. Mr. Mookie Betts singled and Dustin Pedroia singled him to third. Chase Headley made a boo-boo on the ground ball by Bogaerts by going for the double play instead of coming home to nail Betts. Instead all they got was Pedroia at second as Betts scored to make it 1-0. A wild pitch moved Bogaerts to second but David Ortiz whiffed and Hanley Ramirez popped up to end the inning.

Starling Castro grounded out to open the top of the second inning. Headley atoned for his mental error with a single but Aaron Hicks banged into a double play to end the inning. Shaw whiffed to begin the bottom of the second. Brock Holt walked and advanced to second when Eovaldi sailed a pickoff throw. Holt then got caught in a run-down when Christian Vazquez hit a ball back to Nathan. Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to end the inning.

The Yankees struck in the top of the third inning. Ronald Torreyes singled and Austin Romine sacrifice bunted him to second. The gamble worked as Ellsbury doubled down the line to tie the game. Gardner advanced Ellsbury to third and in stepped A-Rod. Price threw a straight fastball right at the letters and A-Rod crushed it to dead center for a home run to give the Yankees a 3-1 lead. Teixeira grounded out to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting the runs back. Mr. Mookie grounded out but Pedroia singled. Bogaerts singled and Ortiz walked to load the bases. Ramirez singled to score Pedroia and Bogaerts to tie the game. Holt singled home Ortiz but Ramirez was thrown out at third....lovely. Still, the Sox held a 4-3 lead.

Castro singled to lead off the top of the fourth but Headley popped up. Hicks and Torreyes both grounded out to end the inning. It was a nice bounce back inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the fourth. Vazquez grounded out but JBJ singled. Betts forced Bradley at second and Pedroia singled, advancing Betts to third on a bad throw by Hicks. Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning.

The Yankees jumped back in front in the top of the fifth. Romine struck out but Ellsbury was hit with a pitch. Gardner walked and in stepped A-Rod. This time was the pitch was waist high and A-Rod crushed it for a 2 run double to put the Yankees back in front. Teixeira singled to score A-Rod and just like that it was 6-4. Castro grounded out and Headley struck out to end the inning as the boo birds rained down at Fenway. The Sox answered in the bottom of the fifth. Ortiz singled but was erased on the force by Ramirez. Travis Shaw tied the game with a 2 run home run down the right field line just like that. Holt and Vazquez grounded out but the game was tied again.

Price settled down in the top of the sixth. Hicks lined out, Torreyes lined out and Romine struck out in short order. The Sox wasted a huge chance in the bottom of the sixth.  JBJ walked to chase Eovaldi and Ian Nova was brought in. Mr. Mookie and Pedroia flied out but Bogaerts singled. JBJ swiped third but Ortiz popped up to end the inning.

Price came back for the top of the seventh and gave Pedroia plenty of work. Ellsbury popped up then Gardner and A-Rod grounded out to end the inning. Price gave up 6 runs but went 7 full to give the bullpen a needed break. Inspired by Price's effort, the Sox took command in the bottom of the seventh. Ramirez flied out but Shaw singled. Holt forced Shaw at second and Yankees manager Joe Girardi brought in Dellin Betances to face Vazquez. The move backfired as Vazquez absolutely crushed a 2 run homer over the monster to give the Sox a 8-6 lead. JBJ flied out to end the inning.

It was Koji Time in the top of the eighth as Uehara took over for Price. Teixeira struck out but Castro doubled and moved to third on the ground out by Headley. A rare wild pitch from Uehara scored Castro to make it 8-7. Brian McCann pinch hit for Hicks and walked. Carlos Beltran pinch hit for Torreyes and whiffed to end the inning. Didi Gregorious played short, Beltran was in right and McCann caught the bottom of the eighth with closer Andrew Miller pitching.  Mr. Mookie grounded out and Pedroia flied out, but Bogaerts doubled to extend the inning. Ortiz whiffed to end the inning.

It was up to Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel to close it out in the top of the ninth. Kimbrel blew away Gregorious,  got Ellsbury to fly out and fanned Gardner to end it. The Sox had completed the sweep with an 8-7 victory.

Hero of the night is Christian Vazquez. His moon shot in the 7th inning proved to be the game winner.

 

                                                    Hero of the night: Christian Vazquez



The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 5 with a run scored. He's hitting .324 on the season. Xander Bogaerts was also 3 for 5 with a run scored plus an rbi. He's hitting .306 on the season. Travis Shaw was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run. He's hitting .322 on the season. Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored. He's hitting .268 on the season. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base. He's hitting .274 on the season. Craig Kimbrel earned his 8th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.


The Bad:

Koji Uehara gave up a run in the 8th inning.


The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a run scored. He's hitting .263 on the season. David Ortiz was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. He's hitting .317 on the season. Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a run scored but made the hit count with a 2 run single. He's hitting .283 on the season. David Price gave up 6 earned runs on 8 hits and a walk but went 7 full innings to earn the win.


Final Thoughts:

Price continues to struggle but the team picked him up big time. The Yankees are in deep trouble and the Red Sox exploited that. A 3 game sweep was what the doctor ordered with Aroldis Chapman looming on the horizon. Still, the Red Sox bullpen that have been good is about to get better with the return of Carson Smith. The Sox offense continues to produce and they're going to need it going up against the red hot Chicago White Sox on Tuesday. The good news is they miss the 6-0 Chris Sale. The Sox are now 15-10 and in first place in the AL East.

Bawful Report of the Month (April)

The Boston Red Sox are 14-10 heading into the month of May. They've gotten great starting pitching lately to go with their up-tempo offense. In fact, take out one starter in particular and they'd be 14-5. Here is the monthly end performance report.


Matt Barnes has been a mixed bag this month. He has 5 good appearances, 3 bad appearances, 1 ugly appearance and was jackass 1 time.

Mookie Betts has had an up and down month. He has 8 good appearances, 6 bad appearances, 8 ugly appearances and was hero 1 time.

Xander Bogaerts started slow but picked it up lately. He has 8 good appearances, 3 bad appearances and 11 ugly appearances

Jackie Bradley Jr has had a great month. He has 11 good appearances, 5 bad appearances, 5 ugly appearances and was hero 2 times.

Clay Buchholz has been downright putrid. The Sox have lost all 5 of his starts. He has 1 good appearance, 2 bad appearances and was jackass 2 times.

Rusney Castillo only played in one game this season before being sent down to Pawtucket. His 1 appearance was good.

William Cuevas only pitched in one game this season before being sent down to Pawtucket. His 1 appearance was bad.

Roenis Elias only pitched in one game this season before being sent down to Pawtucket. His 1 appearance was bad.

Hanley Ramirez has been the Sox most consistent hitter so far. He has 8 good appearances, 3 bad appearances and 12 ugly appearances.

Ryan Hanigan has been a consistent backup so far. He has 1 good appearance, 6 ugly appearances and was hero 1 time.

Heath Hembree has been in 3 games this season and has 2 good appearances and has been hero 1 time.

Marco Hernandez has been in 2 games this season, 1 good, 1 bad.

Brock Holt has been consistent as well. He has 7 good appearances, 2 bad appearances, 10 ugly appearances and was hero 1 time.

Joe Kelly was dreadful before being placed on the DL. He had 1 bad appearances and 2 ugly ones.

Craig Kimbrel had a few hiccups but has been solid. He has 8 good appearances, 2 bad appearances, was hero 1 time and was jackass 1 time.

Tommy Layne has been rarely used. He has 3 good appearances, 2 bad and 1 ugly.

Pat Light only pitched in one game this season before being sent down to Pawtucket. His 1 appearance was bad.

Noe Ramirez struggled while he was up. He had 3 good appearances, 1 bad and 4 ugly appearances.

David Ortiz has shown no signs of slowing down at age 40. He has 10 good appearances, 4 bad, 6 ugly appearances and 1 hero.

Henry Owens has pitched in two games this season, 1 good appearance and 1 bad.

Dustin Pedroia had a great month of April. He has 10 good appearances, 2 bad, 9 ugly appearances and was hero 2 times.

Rick Porcello has been the best pitcher this month. He has 3 good appearances, 1 ugly and 1 hero.

David Price had some early struggles but has been the ace so far. He has 1 ugly appearance, 1 jackass and was hero 3 times.

Robbie Ross Jr has been good this month. He has 6 good appearances and 2 bad.

Josh Rutledge has had a good month as a utility guy. He has 2 good appearances, 1 bad and 2 ugly.  He also has 3 honorable mentions.

Pablo Sandoval has been an embarrassment this month but was thankfully put on the DL. He had 2 bad appearances and 1 ugly.

Travis Shaw was handed the 3rd basemen job and never looked back. He has 11 good appearances, 2 bad, 10 ugly and 1 hero.

Blake Swihart struggled behind the plate and was demoted. He had 3 good appearances, 2 ugly and was jackass 1 time.

Junichi Tazawa has been deadly this month. He has 10 good appearances and was jackass 1 time.

Koji Uehara has been equally deadly this month. He has 11 good appearances and was jackass 1 time.

Christian Vazquez has been solid since he returned from injury. He has 3 good appearances, 2 bad, 4 ugly and was hero 1 time.

Steven Wright has been arguably better than Porcello. He has 3 good appearances and was hero 1 time.

Chris Young has been the biggest disappointment besides Sandoval. He has 6 good appearances, 8 bad, 1 jackass and 1 honorable mention.


.....and the tallies are in.   The Most Valuable Player (most good) of the month of April is a tie. Jackie Bradley Jr and Koji Uehara both have 11 good appearances in 25 games.

                                            Co-MVP's Jackie Bradley Jr and Koji Uehara

The Least Valuable Player (most bad) was unanimous. Chris Young leads the team with 8 bad appearances to go with a jackass dis-honor.

                                              Least Valuable Player - Chris Young

The Ugliest Player of the month is Xander Bogaerts. He has 11 ugly appearances

                                                Ugliest Player of the Month: Xander Bogaerts


Hero of the month is David Price. He was the primary reason the Sox won 3 times.

                                            Hero of the month: David Price

Jackass of the month is Clay Buchholz. He has stunk in 4 of his 5 starts and the Sox have lost all 5 of them

                                             Jackass of the month: Clay Buchholz

The Honorable Mention of the month goes to Josh Rutledge with 3 appearances.

                                              Honorable Mention of the Month: Josh Rutledge


That concludes the first month. Stay tuned for May.

Sox Wipe Floor With Yankees (4/30/16)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. With the recent success of the starting pitching, Sox brass felt there was enough arms for now. With their weakness being bench strength, the Sox temporarily filled that hole by sending down reliever Pat Light to Pawtucket and bringing back Marco Hernandez.

                                                                       Out

                                                            In

 New York Yankee fans have been laughing at Boston Red Sox fans for finishing in last place the past two seasons, the tables have turned as the Sox thrashed the Yankees 8-0 and sent them into last place. On top of that, the Yankees have officially the worst offense in major league baseball, trailing the hapless Atlanta Braves.

                                                   Ric Flair approves of Rick Porcello

"Slick" Rick Porcello (5-0, 2.76 ERA) got the ball to start the top of the first. Jacoby Ellsbury grounded out to short, Brett Gardner grounded out to first and Carlos Beltran flied out in short order. Michael Pineda took the hill in the bottom of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts flied out and Dustin Pedroia popped up. Xander Bogaerts walked and David Ortiz singled him to third, but Hanley Ramirez was rung up on a questionable pitch to end the inning.

Porcello ran into a bit of a jam in the top of the second. Mark Teixeira struck out and Alex Rodriguez grounded out but Brian McCann singled. Starling Castro singled but Didi Gregorious forced Castro at second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second. Travis Shaw and Brock Holt both flied out to left. Christian Vazquez singled and Jackie Bradley Jr doubled him to third. Mr. Mookie bloop doubled home both runners to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.

                                              Mr. Mookie makes it 2-0 Sox with a bloop

 Could Porcello protect the lead in the top of the third? YES! Chase Headley looked at strike 3, Ellsbury flied out and Gardner grounded out to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the third. Bogaerts grounded out to third but Ortiz walked. Ramirez struck out but Shaw singled Ortiz to third. Holt grounded out to end the inning.

Porcello looked unhittable in the top of the fourth. Beltran and Teixeira both whiffed and A-Rod grounded out to end the inning. Vazquez led off the bottom of the fourth with a ground out. JBJ worked a walk and advanced to second on the Mr. Mookie force. Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.

Porcello ran into trouble in the top of the fifth. McCann singled but Castro banged into a double play. Gregorious walked and Headley singled but Ellsbury grounded out to end the threat. Pineda finally had an easy 5th inning although it would be his last. Bogaerts struck out, Ortiz grounded out and Ramirez flied out. Pineda was done after 5 innings and 106 pitches, shades of the 2013 Sox to knock pitchers out early.

Gardner lined out to the alert JBJ to open the top of the sixth but Beltran singled. Teixeira and A-Rod both flew out to left to end the inning. This was shaping up to be a mirror image of last night, but luckily the Sox put the game out of reach in the bottom of the 6th against Chasen Shreve. Shaw struck out but Holt worked a walk. Vazquez struck out but JBJ stroked a triple into the game, scoring Holt and giving the Sox a 3-0 lead. Kirby Yates replaced Shreve and Mr. Mookie scored JBJ with an infield single that should have been ruled an error on Castro. Mr. Mookie swiped second and Pedroia walked, but Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning. It was 4-0 Red Sox.

                                              Hitman Holt scores to make it 3-0 at the time

All Porcello needed was 3 more outs and the game was in the bag. McCann whiffed to open the top of the seventh, Castro lined out and Gregorious struck out to end the inning. Porcello had tossed 7 shut-out innings, guess he has finally earned the Number 2 Starter role he was supposed to last season. Better late than never. Johnny Barbato took over for the bottom of the seventh and David Ortiz greeted him with career home run number 508 to give the Sox a 5-0 lead. Ortiz needs just 12 more to tie Ted Williams.

                                                  508 home runs for Ortiz

Ramirez walked and Shaw singled him to third. Holt legged out an infield single to score Ramirez but Vazquez struck out. That was it for Barbato as Nick Goody replaced him. JBJ became the first Sox player since 1967 to hit two triples in one game as he tripled home Shaw and Holt. Mr. Mookie and Pedroia both struck out but the Sox now led 8-0. Game, set, match.

                                          JBJ drives home the dagger, 8-0 Sox

Robbie Ross Jr took the hill for the top of the eighth. Marco Hernandez gave Pedroia the rest of the night off at second. He immediately booted a ground ball hit by Headley. Ellsbury struck out and Headley was erased at second on the force by Gardner. Aaron Hicks pinch hit for Beltran and grounded out to end the inning. Dustin Ackley replaced McCann in the batting order but was playing first base, Hicks remained in right and Austin Romine replaced Teixeira in the batting order but was catching.  Bogaerts led off with a single as Chris Young pinch hit for Ortiz....and popped up. Ramirez singled and Josh Rutledge pinch ran for him.  Shaw struck out as Holt singled to load the bases. Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning.

Junichi Tazawa came on to pitch the ninth mostly due to his lack of use recently. Rutledge was at third base as Shaw moved to first. Taz punched out Romine as Ronald Torreyes pinch hit for A-Rod....and grounded out. Ackley grounded out to end the game. The Sox had won 8-0.

Hero of the Night is a tough one but I have to go with Rick Porcello. He shut out the Yankees through seven innings. He allowed just 5 hits and a walk while striking out 6. He improved to 5-0 with a 2.76 ERA.

                                           Hero of the night: Rick Porcello

The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with 3 rbi's. David Ortiz was 2 for 3 with a walk and swatted his 508th career home run. Travis Shaw was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 3 with a walk, 3 rbi's and 2 runs scored. Bradley is actually hitting (.272) better than Betts (.266) and Holt (.250). Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth. Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless ninth.


The Bad:

Chris Young was 0 for 1 after pinch hitting for Ortiz. Marco Hernandez was brought in to play defense and he booted the first ground ball his way in the top of the eighth.


The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4 but worked a walk. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a walk. Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 with a walk and a run scored. Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored twice. Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.


Honorable Mention:

Josh Rutledge pinch ran for Hanley Ramirez and played 3rd base to end the game.


Final Thoughts:

Any time the Yankees are knocked around its a good thing but this was special. The Yankees are in last place and the Sox can help keep them there by sweeping this series. They already took the first two games and David Price (3-0) is waiting in the finale. JBJ has hit a hot streak and it came at a good time with Brock Holt slumping. The key to Porcello's success was he's been throwing his sinker nearly 56% of the time whereas last year he only threw it 25% of the time. When the sinker is working, he can be as dominant as Derek Lowe was in 2002, 2003 and the 2004 post-season. More good news on the horizon is Carson Smith is ready to come back. He pitched a scoreless inning in Portland tonight. The Sox can either activate him tomorrow night against New York or wait till Tuesday to activate him against the Chicago White Sox. The only question is who is the odd man out? Tommy Layne is rarely used so that would be my guess. The Sox concluded the month of April with a 14-10 record, very good considering the poor pitching they had the first couple weeks of the season. In fact, the Sox are 0-5 in Clay Buchholz starts. What does that tell you? Tomorrow night the Sox go for the sweep as Price takes on Nathan Eovaldi at 8:05 PM.