Sox Bats Come Alive, Hang On To Beat Jays (4/18/17)

Before the game, Ben Taylor was once again set back to Pawtuket in favor of spot-starter Brian Johnson, who hadn't started a game in 2 years. Eduardo Rodriguez was scheduled to re-join the team tomorrow.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                           IN

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff series to the Chicago Bulls but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays.As for the game. It looks like the Boston bats are over the flu for good as they plastered the Blue Jays pitching staff for 15 hits and 8 runs. They survived a horrible ninth inning to hang on to win 8-7 at Skydome.

                                                       Dani Daniels approves of the win

Xander Bogaerts hit lead-off for the first time ever and singled to right to begin the top of the first. Andrew Benintendi quickly erased Bogaerts by bouncing into a double play. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out quickly to end the inning. Brian Johnson made his season debut and first big league start in two years and Kevin Pillar greeted him with a lead-off double. Johnson recovered to strike out Jose Bautista on an 89 mph fastball right down the middle. Kendrys Morales gave Toronto the lead with a single to score Pillar. Sandoval then bobbled a ground ball hit by Troy Tulowitzky and everyone was safe. Justin Smoak made Pablo pay by smashing a double to the centerfield wall to score Morales. Johnson got some help when Marco Hernandez gunned down Tulowitzky at home on the force by Russell Martin. Steve Pierce struck out to end the inning but Brian had thrown 35 pitches and was trailing 2-0.

The Sox couldn't answer in the top of the second inning. Hanley Ramirez whiffed badly but Mitch Moreland stroked a base hit. Chris Young grounded out but Moreland moved to second. Pablo Sandoval worked a rare walk but Christian Vazquez grounded out to end the inning. Johnson returned for the bottom of the second and struck out Darwinn Barney on a nasty pitch. The Jays threatened when Devon Travis walked on 4 pitches. Pillar doubled down the line and Sox manager John Farrell took no chances by having Bautista intentionally walked. Johnson recovered to strike out Morales and got Tulowitzky to line out to Betts to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Hernandez waived at a pitch in the dirt to begin. Bogaerts lashed a single to right and Benny The Kid singled past the diving Tulowitzky. Mr. Mookie singled up the middle to score Bogaerts but the throw by Pillar tried to nail Benny at third, failing. Betts moved to second on the throw. Ramirez whiffed but the red hot Moreland singled home both runners to give the Sox a 3-2 lead. Young popped up to end the inning but the Sox had the lead.

                                                  Moreland gives the Sox the lead

The lead lasted approximately 5 seconds as Smoak launched Johnsons's first pitch for a solo home run to tie the game. Johnson recovered to strike out Martin and get Pierce to pop up. Barney popped up to end the inning.

The Sox botched a hit and run situation in the top of the fourth inning. Sandoval singled but was thrown out at second when Vazquez swung and missed. Vazquez ended up lining a single up the middle anyway. Hernandez whiffed and Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning. Travis walked to open the bottom of the fourth but Pillar flied out. Bautista flied out and Morales struck out to end the inning.

The Sox staged a furious rally in the top of the fifth inning. Benny The Kid grounded out but Mr. Mookie singled. Ramirez and Moreland stroked back to back doubles to put the Sox up 5-3. Young grounded out to chase Stroman. Aaron "Fruit" Loup came in to pitch to Sandoval and Sandoval slammed home a single to score Moreland. One batter and out for Loup as Dominic Leone replaced him to get Vazquez to ground out to end the inning.

                                                Betts scores during the rally

Johnson returned for the bottom of the fifth inning. Tulowitzky and Smoak grounded out but Martin blasted a solo home run to cut the lead. Pearce flied out to end the inning but Johnson had kept the Sox in it with a 6-4 lead.

                                     Spot starter Johnson pitches well enough to win

The Sox went quietly in the top of the 6th inning. Hernandez grounded out, Bogaerts popped up and Benny The Kid struck out to end the inning. Heath Hembree was first out of the pen in the bottom of the 6th inning. Barney greeted him with a single but Travis flied out. Pillar grounded out but Bautista walked. Morales grounded out to end the inning.

Joe Smith got the call in the top of the seventh inning and Mr. Mookie got the monkey off his back by blasting his first home run of the year to increase the lead 7-4. Ramirez grounded out and both Moreland and Young struck out to end the inning.

                                               1st homer of the year for Mr. Mookie

Hembree returned for the bottom of the seventh inning and Tulowitzky singled. Smoak grounded out and Martin struck out, but Bogaerts booted a ground ball by Pearce to extend the inning. Barney grounded out to end the inning on a great play by Hembree.

                                                  Hembree going above and beyond

Ryan Tepera relieved Smith as the Sox got a huge insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. Sandoval singled and advanced to second on the Vazquez ground out. Hernandez walked but Bogaerts struck out. Benny The Kid lashed a ground rule double to score Sandoval and advance Hernandez to third. That chased Tepera as Danny Barnes relieved him and got Mr. Mookie to pop up to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.

Fernando Abad came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly resting. Travis grounded out but Pillar doubled. Bautista flied out and that was it for Abad. Sox manager John Farrell wasted no time bringing in Matt Barnes to get the final four outs. Morales grounded out to end the inning.

The Sox wouldn't score again in the top of the ninth. Ramirez grounded out and Moreland popped up but Young walked. Sandoval grounded out to end the inning. Barnes returned for the bottom of the 9th and nearly gave it away. Tulowitzky and Smoak grounded out in short order but Martin walked. Martin took second on defensive indifference and scored on the Pearce single. Ezequiel Herrera pinch hit for Barney and belted a 2 run home run to left to cut the lead to 1. Luckily Travis lined out to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 8-7.

Hero of the Night is a tough one. I'll have to go with Mookie Betts. He was 3 for 5 with an rbi and 3 runs scored along with his first home run of the year.

                                                 Hero of the Night: Mookie Betts


The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with a run scored and an rbi.

Mitch Moreland was 3 for 5 with 3 rbi's and a run scored.

Pablo Sandoval was 3 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and an rbi.

Heath Hembree pitched two scoreless innings.

Fernando Abad got the first two outs of the eighth inning.



The Bad:

Matt Barnes nearly gave the game away by giving up 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth despite closing it out in the end.



The Ugly:

Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 5 with a run scored and an rbi.

Chris Young was 0 for 4 with a walk.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Brian Johnson got the win but struggled, lasting just 5 innings and giving up 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks.



Final Thoughts:

That got a little hairy again but that was a pretty good win. Missing Dustin Pedroia and having a Pawtucket call up struggle only to win the game anyway shows balls. It also highlights a complete 180 from last year. When the Sox were down, they rarely came back (sans the 11 game win streak in September) but they're finding ways to come back so far this season. Tomorrow night Rick Porcello gets the start looking to bounce back from his previous stinker as he goes up against Fransisco Liriano at 7:07 PM.

Sox Sweep Rays, Wright Rights Himself (4/17/17)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Eduardo Rodriguez left the team to witness the birth of his first child and was placed on paternity leave. Ben Taylor was called up in his place for today's game and it looks like Brian Johnson will take his spot tomorrow. Congratulations to Eduardo.

                                                                         OUT

                                                                     IN

The bad news was the Boston Bruins lost Game 3 of their first round NHL playoff series in overtime to the Ottawa Senators but the good news was the Boston Red Sox swept the Tampa Bay Rays. Once again the Sox overcame a shaky first inning by Steven Wright to once again edge the Rays. This time Wright got himself on track to toss 6 solid innings and the Sox got some timely hitting and shut down late inning relief to take the game 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                           Happy Fan

Corey Dickerson added to Wright's misery by smashing a flat knuckleball to left to begin the top of the first. Marco Herandez dropped a routine pop up by Kevin Kiermaier and Kevin made him pay by lashing a single to right. Evan Longoria singled down the left field line to load the bases. Brad Miller grounded to the right of the mound and Wright tagged him out, but Dickerson scored and the runners advanced. Steven Souza Jr grounded out to third but Kiermaier scored. Logan Morrison walked. Rickie Weeks Jr struck out to end the inning but Wright tossed over 30 pitches and the Sox were trailing in the first again, 2-0.

                                                  Wright says "Woooof"

The Sox fought back in the bottom of the first. Dustin Pedroia greeted Tampa starter Blake Snell with a single up the middle and Andrew Benintendi lashed a single in the hole at short. Mr. Mookie Betts banged into a double play, but Hanley Ramirez singled to right to score Pedroia. Xander Bogaerts popped up to end the inning but the Sox had cut the deficit in half, 2-1.

                                           Hanley puts the Sox back in it.

Wright somewhat redeemed himself in the top of the second. Derek Norris doubled off the wall but Tim Beckham grounded to short, failing to advance the runner. Norris made a boo-boo when Dickerson flied out to deep right but didn't tag up. Kiermaier flied out to the wall to end the inning. A scoreless inning for Wright but several loud outs. The Sox roared back in the bottom of the second although Snell struck out Mitch Moreland and Chris Young back to back. Sandy Leon singled and the Sox caught a break when Miller dropped a routine ground out off the bat of Hernandez. Pedroia walked to load the bases and Benny The Kid made the Rays pay for the error with a 2 run bloop sngle to center to give the Sox a 3-2 lead. Mr. Mookie singled to center to score Pedroia, advance Benintendi to third and advance to second on the throw home. Ramirez walked to load the bases but Bogaerts looked at strike 3 to end the inning but the Sox were now ahead 4-2.

                                               Benintendi The Kid gives the Sox the lead

Wright ran into more trouble in the top of the third. Longoria grounded out to third but Miller doubled off the Monster and Dickerson singled him to third. Wright caught a break when Morrison popped up to third. Weeks struck out to end the inning. Snell decided to pitch out of the stretch in the bottom of the third and it worked to get Moreland to ground out. Young popped up and Leon grounded out to end the inning.

Wright settled down in the top of the fourth. Norris flied out and Beckham grounded out. Dickerson also grounded out to end the inning. Snell was also locked in by striking out Hernandez in the bottom of the fourth. Pedroia grounded out but Benny The Kid slid into first on a slow roller safely. Mr. Mookie grounded out to end the inning.

Wright came out for the top of the fifth and Kiermaier stroked a leadoff single, but was erased on the Longoria double play. Miller looked at strike three to end the inning and wasn't happy about it. Snell returned for the bottom of the fifth and Ramirez grounded out to start. Bogaerts grounded out and Moreland waived at a pitch in the dirt to end the inning. Snell had thrown 100 pitches so if the Sox wanted anymore runs, they'd have to crack the Tampa bullpen.

Wright returned for the 6th and Souza Jr whiffed to start. Hernandez made a great play to rob Morrison of a hit but Mr. Mookie lost a ball in the sun, allowing Weeks to reach on a double. Norris lined one to Bogaerts to end the inning. Great bounce back effort by Wright to go 6 innings and not allow another run after his rocky first inning.

Young rocketed a single to open the bottom of the sixth off new pitcher Tommy Hunter but was foolishly picked off. Leon flied out and Hernandez whiffed to end the inning.

Wright came back for the top of the seventh inning and Beckham chased him with a leadoff single. Robbie Ross Jr came in and got a routine fly ball but Hernandez, Bogaerts and Young all missed it and it bounced into the stands for a ground rule double. Suddenly the Rays had the tying runs in scoring position. Ross recovered to strike out Kiermaier and Sox manager John Farrell had Longoria intentionally walked to set up the double play with the bases loaded. The move worked initially as Ross whiffed Miller on a full count. Rookie Ben Taylor was brought in to face Souza and Souza singled to score Beckham and cut the lead to a run. Taylor recovered to get Morrison to pop up to end the inning. It was shaky but the Sox still had a 4-3 lead.

                                                         Close call

The Sox mustered nothing in the bottom of the seventh inning against Chase Whitley. Pedroia popped up and Benny The Kid was robbed of a hit in left. Mr. Mookie doubled into the gap but Ramirez grounded out to end the inning.

Heath Hembree got the call in the top of the eighth inning with Joe Kelly, Matt Barnes and Craig Kimbrel all overworked. He blew away Weeks and got Norris to pop up. Beckham looked at strike three to end the inning, doing a little dance in the process. The Sox were just 3 outs away from hanging on. Whitley returned for the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts popped up. Moreland walked but Young popped up. Leon popped up to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel was brought in for the third day in a row to nail down the save. Kimbrel blew away Dickerson and caught Kiermaier looking to start the top of the ninth. Longoria watched strike three to go by to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 4-3 and earn their first 3 game winning streak of the season.

                                             Patriots Day Win, Dance, Repeat

Hero of the Night is Ben Taylor. The rookie just called up today who hadn't pitched in a week was brought into a bases loaded situation with the game on the line and got out of it with the lead.

                                                    Hero of the Night: Ben Taylor


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk and 2 runs scored

Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 4 with the big 2 run single.

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi

Steven Wright got the win by tossing 6 innings of 3 run ball, only 1 of them earned. He struck out 4.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 6th save with a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3 but walked.

Chris Young was just 1 for 4 but walked...before getting picked off.

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 with a run scored

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 3 with an error but scored a run.

Robbie Ross Jr retired only 2 of the four men he faced.



Final Thoughts:

Nothing like a sweep of the Tampa Bay Rays to get the Sox back on track after a shaky first two weeks of the season. Then again, when guys aren't sick, grieving or hurt, they can produce a lot of runs. They're having trouble hitting the long ball but a run is a run. Being 8-5 and last in home runs is better than 5-8 and first in home runs. Betts and Benintendi are swinging the bat better which is key for the Sox to score some runs. Tomorrow night the Sox head to Toronto for a 3 game set with the struggling Blue Jays. Marcus Stroman goes for the Jays and Brian Johnson makes his season debut for the Sox at 7:07 PM.

Sox Edge Rays Late (4/16/17)

The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 1 of their first round playoff series against the Chicago Bulls but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays. For 7 innings it looked as if the Red Sox would find a way to lose against the Rays whether it be due to a bizarre start by Drew Pomeranz or shoddy relief pitching, but this time the Sox pulled together led by Mitch Moreland to defeat the pests 7-5 in Game 2 of this series at Fenway Park

                                                Bonkoski approves of the win,

Drew Pomeranz got the ball and immediately put the Sox in a hole. Steven Souza Jr and Kevin Kiermaier worked back to back walks to begin the top of the first. Drew recovered to strike out Evan Longoria but Brad Miller tripled home both runners on a ball Jackie Bradley Jr would have caught if he wasn't out injured. Christian Vazquez allowed a rare passed ball which scored Miller. Pomeranz froze Rickie Weeks Jr but Corey Dickerson singled to bring out the boo birds already. A wild pitch moved Dickerson to second but Drew recovered to strike out Daniel Robertson to end the inning with the Rays ahead 3-0. Woof.....

The Sox weren't going to go quietly in the bottom of the first against Tampa starter Alex Cobb. Dustin Pedroia grounded out but Andrew Benintendi doubled. Mr. Mookie Betts drove home Benny with a ground rule double and Hanley Ramirez singled him to third. Mitch Moreland began his Herculean day by singling home Betts to cut the deficit to 1 but Xander Bogaerts killed the rally by banging into a double play. Still, it was great the Sox showed some life to trail 3-2.

Pomeranz turned up the power in the top of the second by striking out Jesus Sucre, Tim Beckham and Souza Jr in short order. Ironically he had gotten all 6 outs by way of the K. Pablo Sandoval grounded out to open the bottom of the second and Chris Young flied out. Christian Vazquez singled but Pedroia popped up to end the inning.

Pomeranz began the top of the third with his 7th strikeout, Kiermaier. Longoria grounded out and Miller lined out to end the inning. Benny The Kid lined out but Mr. Mookie singled. Unfortunately Betts was needlessly picked off because he was distracted by a hot woman in the crowd, thanks a lot Mookie. Ramirez grounded out to end the inning.

The Rays struck back in the top of the fourth. Weeks whiffed again but Dickerson crushed a solo shot to dead center. Robertson and Sucre both struck out to give Pomeranz a total of 10 in just 4 innings although he allowed 4 runs.

                                                      Nice going Drew

The Sox roared back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Moreland popped up but Bogaerts double. Sandoval then crushed a two run home run into the Monster Seats to tie the game. Its all or nothing with Sandoval this season. Young and Vazquez stroked back to back singles but Pedroia flied out and Benny The Kid popped up to end the inning but the game was tied 4-4.

                                                    Sandoval ties it up

Just as soon as the Sox got back in it, Pomeranz coughed it up in the top of the fifth inning. The light hitting Beckham blasted one to dead center to give the Rays the lead back. Souza Jr lined out but Kiermaier singled to chase Pomeranz. He lasted just 4 1/3 although he struck out 10 guys.

                                                   A home run to Beckham? Really?

Joe Kelly came on in relief and immediately got an inning ending double play by Longoria. That helped. The Sox couldn't crack Cobb in the bottom of the fifth. Mr. Mookie grounded out but Ramirez singled. Moreland walked but Bogaerts bounced into another double play to end the inning.

Kelly remained tough in the top of the 6th inning. Miller and Weeks grounded out and Dickerson flied out to end the inning. Danny Farquhar relieved Cobb in the bottom of the sixth and cruised. Sandoval and Young both struck out and Vazquez flied out to end the inning.

Kelly returned for the top of the seventh and got Robertson to ground out to start the inning. Sucre grounded out but Beckham singled. Souza grounded out to end the inning. Not a bad effort by Kelly to toss 2 2/3 scoreless innings to keep the Sox in it. The Sox finally took command in the bottom of the seventh inning. Pedroia flied out but Benny The Kid and Mr. Mookie stroked back to back singles. Ramirez worked a walk to chase Farquhar and lefty Xavier Cedeno was brought in to face Moreland. The move backfired as Morleland singled home both Benintendi and Betts to give the Sox a 6-5 lead with 6 outs to go. Unfortunately Ramirez was hurt running the bases and Steve Selsky came in to run for him. Bogaerts and Sandoval lined out to end the inning but the Sox had the lead.

                                                       Moreland does it again.

It was up to Matt Barnes to hold the fort in the top of the eighth. Kiermaier didn't make things easier by getting a base hit and somehow stealing second off Vazquez. Barnes recovered to whiff Longoria and Miller but pinch hitter Logan Morrison walked. Sox manager John Farrell then went for the lefty/lefty matchup, bringing in Robbie Scott to face Dickerson. Scott got him to pop up to end the inning. Great work Robbie. The Sox got some insurance in the bottom of the eighth inning off Austin Pruitt. Young singled and Vazquez doubled him home. Pedroia flied out and Vazquez was thrown out at third trying to advance. That extra run lost loomed large as Benny The Kid doubled. Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked but Selsky struck out to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the game in the top of the ninth. Vazquez made a jumping catch behind home on a pop up by Robertson. Kimbrel locked up the save by blowing away Peterson and Beckham to win the game. The Sox had taken it 7-5

Hero of the Night is Mitch Moreland. He was 2 for 3 with a walk and drove in 3 crucial runs, including the go-ahead runs in the 7th.

                                             Hero of the Night: Mitch Moreland


The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Mookie Betts was 3 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a walk before leaving with a tight hamstring.

Chris Young was 2 for 4 with a run scored

Christian Vazquez was 3 for 4 with a run scored.

Joe Kelly earned the win by tossing 2 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.

Matt Barnes got the first 2 outs of the 8th inning

Robbie Scott got the final out of the 8th inning

Craig Kimbrel earned his 5th save with a scoreless 9th inning



The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 5

Steve Selsky was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter/runner.



The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 double plays but scored a run.

Pablo Sandoval was just 1 for 4 but made the hit count as it was a game-tying 2 run home run

Drew Pomeranz was the definition of ugly. He lasted just 4 1/3 innings and giving up 5 runs, but he struck out 10 guys which is a record for someone who failed to go 5.



Final Thoughts:

Moreland is never going to be David Ortiz but so far he's been as good as anybody. He was pegged as someone tailor made for Fenway and so far he has been. The long balls continue to elude anyone not named Sandoval but Betts and Bogaerts are heating up with singles and doubles. Its disheartening to see Pomeranz struggle especially since he dominated the Baltimore offense last time out. Still a win's a win. Farrell is trying to hold the fort in the bullpen until Tyler Thornburg and Carson Smith returns, and if they're effective when they return, watch out. The Sox play a Patriots Day matinee at 11 AM tomorrow against Tampa with Steven Wright looking to right himself (no pun intended) opposite Ian Snell.

Sale Gets 1st Win, Sox Nip Rays (4/15/17)

The bad news was the Boston Bruins lost Game 2 of their first round NHL playoff series in overtime against the Ottawa Senators but the good news is the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays. The Red Sox offense continued to scuffle but Chris Sale (1-1) was there to save the day against the Rays. The ace blew away the Rays lineup, striking out twelve and allowing just one run in 7 strong innings. The Sox scratched out two runs and the bullpen took care of the rest, giving the Sox a 2-1 victory at Fenway Park.

                                                    Dan Freebird approves of the win

Sale got the ball in the top of the first inning. Steven Souza Jr looked at strike threee Peter Bourjos popped up and Evan Longoria also popped up to end the inning. Jake Odorizzi got the start for Tampa Bay and Dustin Pedroia greeted him with a bloop single to left. Andrew Benintendi lined out to left. Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to center and Hanley Ramirez popped up to end the inning.

Rickie Weeks struck out to begin the top of the second inning. Derek Norris flied out but Mr. Mookie lost a fly ball by Logan Morrison in the sun, allowing Morrison to reach first. Daniel Robertson grounded out to end the inning. The Sox caught a break in the bottom of the second when Jake Odorizzi pulled a groin on the first pitch to Mitch Moreland and had to leave the game. Erasmo Ramirez came in to pitch and Moreland greeted him with a solo home run to give the Sox a 1-0. Poor Odorizzi. Xander Bogaerts flied out to left and Pablo Sandoval flied out to center. Chris Young struck out to end the inning but the Sox had the lead.

                                              Moreland gets a greeting from Sandoval

The Rays pounced on Sale in the top of the third inning. Sale then committed a sin by walking Kevin Kiermaier. Sale did strike out Tim Beckham but Souza Jr singled. Sale struck out Bourjos but Longoria tied the game with a single that scored Kiermaier and advance Souza to third. He walked Weeks to load the bases but Sale bore down to strike out Norris to end the inning, but the Rays had tied it. Sandy Leon lined out to open the bottom of the third. Pedroia whiffed and Benny The Kid grounded out to end the inning.

Morrison grounded into the shift to begin the top of the fourth inning. Robertson worked a walk and Sale snared a line drive by Kiermaier and doubled off Robertson to end the inning. The Sox almost did nothing in the bottom of the fourth inning. Mr. Mookie grounded out and Ramirez flied out but Moreland hit a double to extend the inning. Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning.

Sale turned up the power in the top of the fifth inning to strike out both Beckham and Souza Jr looking. Bourjos whiffed to end the inning. Sandoval was robbed of a double to begin the bottom of the fifth inning. Young legged out an infield single and moved to second on the ground out by Leon. Pedroia grounded out to end the inning. Once again the Sox couldn't generate any offense.

Sale returned for the top of the sixth inning. Longoria whiffed after Rays manager Kevin Cash challenged a fan reaching over to grab a foul ball. Weeks struck out and Norris grounded out to end the inning. Tommy Hunter took over for Ramirez in the bottom of the sixth. Benny The Kid froze on a strike three, Mr. Mookie grounded out and Ramirez did as well to end the inning. Sale just can't catch a break.

Sale returned for the top of the seventh and got Morrison to ground out. He struck out Longoria for his 11th strikeout and froze Kiermaier for his 12th to end the inning. An outstanding start by Sale as he tossed 7 innings of 1 run ball and struck out 12.

                                               Outstanding effort by Sale

Could the Sox get a run in the bottom of the seventh? YES! Moreland and Bogaerts stroked back to back singles...unfortunately that brought up Sandoval. Bogaerts was erased on a force by Sandoval but the Sox now had runners at the corners with just one out. Young walked to load the bases to chase Hunter. Xavier Cedeno was brought in to face Leon. Leon grounded out but it hit softly enough to score Moreland to give the Sox a 2-1 lead. Pedroia as intentionally walked but Benny The Kid grounded out to end the inning. The Sox needed just 6 outs to preserve Sale's win.

                                              "Herculean ground out Sandy!"

Matt Barnes took over for the top of the eighth with Brad Miller pinch hitting for Beckham. Barnes struck him out but walked Souza Jr. Chris Dickerson pinch hit for Bourjos and walked as well. Barnes got out of it by getting Longoria to bang into a double play to end the inning. 3 outs to go. The appropriately named Jumbo Diaz came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Mr. Mookie grounded out, Ramirez lined out to right and Moreland whiffed a triple shy of the cycle to end the inning.

Could Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel save the game for sale in the top of the ninth? He did manage to strike out Weeks. Shane Peterson hit for Norris and looked at strike three. Morrison grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had held on to lock down Chris Sale's first win, 2-1.

Hero of the Night is Chris Sale. The ace got his first win with a 7 inning, 1 run gem where he struck out 12 Rays.

                                                          Hero of the Night: Chris Sale


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mitch Moreland nearly hit for the cycle, going 3 for 4 with a single, double and a home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3.

Chris Young was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 4th save with a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4.

Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4.

Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 but drove in the go-ahead run.



Final Thoughts:

This season has been up and down but Chris Sale has been as great as advertised, he just seems to be snakebit when it comes to run support. Luckily the punchless lineup was able to do just enough to scrape by in this one. Mitch Moreland has done all he can to replace David Ortiz, its too bad he's getting no help from anyone else right now. There will be better days, this lineup is too talented to be silent for too long. It was nice to see Barnes recover on a day he didn't have his best stuff and Kimbrel locked it down with no trouble. The Sox play Game 3 tomorrow at 1:35 PM with Drew Pomeranz (1-0) opposite Alex Cobb.

Porcello Routed, Rays Cruise to Win (4/14/17)

This doesn't look good so far this year. Not only is the Boston Red Sox offense last in the majors in home runs and total production, their Cy Young winning ace has inexplicably transformed into the 2015 version of himself seemingly overnight. Rick Porcello (1-2) got rocked and rolled for the second straight start as the Tampa Bay Rays demolished the Sox 10-5 behind the superb pitching of Chris Archer to take the opening game of this series at Fenway Park.

                                                       Mr. Horse hates Porcelblow

Porcello got the ball in the top of the first and Corey Dickerson popped up to Leon by the Rays dug-out. Kevin Kiermaier grounded out to first but Evan Longoria doubled over the head of Chris Young. Porcello froze Brad Miller for strike three to end the inning. Rays ace Chris Archer took the hill in the bottom of the first and whiffed Dustin Pedroia to start. Andrew Benintendi lined out to left and Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to right to end the inning.

The Rays struck first in the top of the second inning. He struck out Steven Souza Jr but Logan Morrison doubled into the triangle. Derek Norris struck out swinging but recent call-up Shane Peterson blasted a two run home run around the Pesky Pole to give the Rays the lead. Tim Beckham hit one in the hole at short for a base hit. Dickerson popped up but the Rays led 2-0. Archer dominated the bottom of the second as he struck out Hanley Ramirez to start. Mitch Moreland grounded into the shift but Xander Bogaerts poked one into right for the Sox first hit off Archer. Pablo Sandoval flied out to end the inning.

Porcello got hammered in the top of the third inning. Kiermaier grounded out but Longoria walked and Miller blooped a single to center. Souza Jr walked and Morrison crushed a grand slam right around Pesky's Pole to give the Rays a commanding 6-0 lead. Norris whiffed and Peterson lined out to left but this one was over early. Archer wasnt going to give the Sox a chance as he dominated the bottom of the third. Chris Young grounded out, Sandy Leon struck out and Pedroia lined out to end the inning.

Porcello returned for the top of the fourth and Beckham lined out sharply to center. Dickerson grounded out back to Porcello and Kiermaier also grounded out to end the inning. Somehow Benny The Kid walked to start the bottom of the fourth and Mr. Mookie followed with a rare base hit. Things went back to normal as Ramirez struck out and Moreland flied out, moving Benintendi to third. Bogaerts walked to load the bases but Sandoval swung at a pitch that bounced in the dirt before grounding a 3-2 fastball meekly to second base. That was as close as the Sox got the rest of the night.

Porcello came back for the top of the fifth and struck out Longoria to start the inning but Miller jacked one way out of the yard for a solo home run. Souza Jr followed with a homer of his own and mercifully Porcello's night came to an end. Robbie Ross Jr made his season debut by getting Morrison to ground out. Norris popped up to end the inning. The 2015 Porcello is back in full force as he got lit up for 8 runs and 4 home runs. In fact, the Sox offense only has 4 home runs total and Porcello served up 4 tonight alone. Yuck.

                                                     Porcelblow returns

The Sox finally got on the board in the bottom of the fifth inning. Young lined out to left and Leon struck out although Pedroia got a lucky ground rule double. Benny The Kid singled home Pedroia for the Sox' first run. Mr. Mookie doubled into the left field corner but Ramirez killed the rally with a fly-out to center.

                                              Benny The Kid gets the Sox on the board.

Ross Jr returned for the top of the sixth inning to retire Peterson as the Sox announcers got so bored they started focusing on planet Jupiter. Beckham grounded out but Dickerson walked. Kiermaier flied out to end the inning. Archer returned for the bottom of the fifth as Moreland grounded into the shift again. Bogaerts grounded out but Sandoval singled one inning too late to chase Archer. The hefty Jumbo Diaz relieved Archer who had lost 11 straight decisions to the Sox. Young worked a walk but Leon struck out again to end the inning.

Ross returned for the top of the seventh and got pounded. Longoria to struck out but Miller stroked a triple to right field and Souza Jr singled him home. The Sox defense made a boo-boo as Ross Jr failed to cover third base on a grounder by Morrison, allowing Souza Jr to reach third. Ross plunked Norris and Peterson singled home Souza. Beckham struck out but it was now 10-1. Austin Pruitt took over for the bottom of the seventh inning. Pedroia blooped a single that Morrison lost in the lights and Marco Hernandez pinch ran for him as Benny The Kid flied out to right. Mr. Mookie singled and Ramirez singled home Hernandez but was called out trying to stretch. Sox manager John Farrell challenged the play but Ramirez was still out. Moreland grounded out to end the inning with the Sox now down 10-2.

                                                      Yerrrrrrrrrrrrr out!

Fernando Abad took over for the top of the eighth and Dickerson greeted him with a double against the shift. Kiermaier grounded out but advanced Dickerson to third. The runner held as Longoria grounded out to short but Miller walked. Souza Jr grounded out to Abad to end the inning. Peter Bourjos took over in center with Robertson at third as Bogaerts led off the bottom of the eighth with a shot to center for a base hit. Sandoval was robbed of a double by a jumping Dickerson. Young whiffed and Leon flied out to end the inning.

Robbie Scott was given the ball in the top of the ninth inning. Morrison popped up and Norris grounded out to third. Peterson popped up to end the inning. Hernandez singled off Beckham to open the bottom of the ninth. Benny The Kid hit a ground rule double to left and Mr. Mookie singled to left, scoring Hernandez and moving Benintendi to third. Ramirez scored Benintendi with a ground out as Betts moved to second. Leon got plunked and Bogaerts singled home Betts to chase Pruitt with the Sox now down 10-5. If Ross didn't allow the the final two runs, Sandoval would actually end up representing the tying run. Alex Colome came in and got the game ending double play ball...only the ball got away from the first basemen so Sandoval scampered to second, Leon moving to third. Young popped up to end the game. The Rays had won 10-5.

Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He got shelled for 8 runs off four home runs and left a hole too big for the Sox to climb out of.

                                                     Way to go Jackass


The Good:

Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a run scored before being lifted.

Marco Hernandez pinch ran for Pedroia, singled and scored both times he was on base.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a walk.

Mookie Betts was 4 for 5 with a run scored and an rbi.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with a walk and run diven in.

Fernando Abad pitched a scoreless inning

Robbie Scott pitched a scoreless inning.


The Bad:

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 4

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Robbie Ross Jr got lit up for 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings


The Ugly:

Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 5 but drove in 2 runs.

Pablo Sandoval was just 1 for 5.

Chris Young was 0 for 4 but walked.



Final Thoughts:

It would have been unfair to expect Porcello to match his 2016 season but who thought he was going to revert back to his 2015 self? This was bawful as bawful can get and Porcello looked like hot garbage. It was nice to see the offense scratch out some runs which would have been enough to win had Porcello pitched halfway decent, but he didn't. You can't win games getting shelled like that. Hopefully it was just one bad start and he'll come around next game. Tomorrow the Sox look to bounce back tomorrow against the Tampa Bay Rays as Chris Sale looks for his first win opposite Jake Odorizzi.

Sox Late Rally Stuns Pirates (4/13/17)

Before the game, Ben Taylor was optioned to Pawtucket and Robbie Ross Jr was activated from the disabled list. Taylor pitched great in the games he was in so we may see him again sometime this season.

                                                                    OUT

                                                             IN

As for the game, the Sox were on the verge of falling below .500 heading into a series with Tampa Bay but they showed some serious balls to pull off a come from behind win over the Pittsburgh Pirates in a 2 PM makeup game of last week's rain out. The Sox had taken the game 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Koffing approves of the win

Eduardo Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first and promptly crapped his pants. He walked Jordy Mercer but Starling Marte struck out on a check-swing. Andrew McCutchen launched a 2 run home run into the Monster Seats to give the Pirates a quick 2-0 lead. Gregory Polanco smashed a 3-2 fastball down the middle into center for a single. David Freese blooped one for another single but Rodriguez whiffed Josh Harrison. Josh Bell struck out on a full count to end the inning but Rodriguez had thrown over 30 pitches and was trailing 2-0.

                                                    Ever heard of throwing strikes?

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the first against Chad Kuhl. Dustin Pedroia led off by striking out on a pitch in the dirt although Andrew Benintendi singled to right. Mr. Mookie Betts continued to slump by popping up to center. Hanley Ramirez flied out to end the inning.

Rodriguez settled down in the top of the second inning, Phil Gosselin popped up to first, Chris Stewart grounded out to short and Mercer flied out to left to end the inning in short order. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second. Mitch Moreland doubled for the 7th game in a row although Xander Bogaerts flied out to right. Marco Hernandez doubled off the Monster to score Moreland and cut the lead in half. Christian Vazquez grounded out but Marco moved to third. Brock "The Hitman" Holt struck out to end the inning but the score was now 2-1 Pittsburgh.

                                                       "Down by one, let's go!" - MH

Rodriguez once again walked the lead-off man in Marte to open the top of the third. This time he recovered to strike out Marte and the bazooka-armed Vazquez gunned down Marte trying to steal. Rodriguez struck out Polanco to end the inning. The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third. Pedroia grounded out, Benny The Kid struck out and Bogaerts lined out to short to end the inning.

Rodriguez AGAIN walked the lead-off man to open the top of the fourth inning, This time it was Freese although Harrison and Bell both flied out. Gosselin popped up to end the inning. The Sox didn't score in the bottom of the fourth either as Ramirez whiffed to start the inning. Moreland popped up and Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning.

Rodriguez appeared to have walked the lead-off man again only the umpire bailed him out by ringing up Stewart on a bad call to start the top of the fifth. The ump then rang up Mercer as well on a borderline pitch, angering Pirates manager Clint Hurdle. Martie flied out to deep center to end the inning. Rodriguez hadn't allowed a hit after Freese singled in the first. Once again the bats were silent in the bottom of the fifth inning. Hernandez popped up to Harrison, Vazquez looked at strike three and Hitman Holt popped up to end the inning.

Rodriguez returned for the top of the sixth and whiffed McCutchen on a 3-2 pitch. Polanco then doubled off the right field wall and Freese walked to chase Rodriguez. Once again walks killed him as he left trailing 2-1 with Heath Hembree replacing him.

                                                    Better luck next time

Hembree did manage to strike out Harrison but the Pirates pulled off a double steal compounded by a rare Vazquez throwing error to allow Polanco to score. Bell grounded out to end the inning but the damage was done. A 3-1 lead may as well been 300-1 because the Sox offense remained asleep in the bottom of the sixth. Pedroia lined out to right and Benintendi flied out to center although Mr. Mookie lashed a single to left. Ramirez popped up to end the inning.

Hembree returned for the top of the seventh inning and got Gosselin to ground out to start the frame. Stewart doubled off the Monster and Mercer singled him to third to put runners at the corners. Hembree recovered to strike out Marte on a 3-2 pitch and Sox manager John Farrell left him in at 22 pitches to face McCutchen. The move worked as McCutchen flied out to right to end the inning. John Jaso took over at first base as the Sox once again went quietly in the bottom of the seventh inning. Moreland whiffed but Bogaerts lashed a single off the third baseman's glove. That was it for Kuhl as Clint Hurdle pulled him for Felipe Rivero. Hernandez beat out a double play ball even though the shortstop never touched second base. Farrell challenged but the call upheld. Vazquez grounded out to end the inning.

Matt Barnes took over in the top of the eighth inning. Polanco lined out to begin but Freese walked. Harrison popped up and Jaso grounded out to end the inning. The Sox rallied against Daniel Hudson in the bottom of the eighth. Holt grounded out but Pedroia worked a walk. Benintendi blooped a single to center but it was ruled an error to chase Hudson. Juan Nicasio came in to pitch to Mr. Mookie. Betts walked to load the bases. Ramirez then lashed one past Marte in deep center to score both Pedroia and Benintendi easily. Betts was initially called safe at home to give the Sox the lead but the replay showed he was out with Ramirez still at second. Moreland was intentionally walked to get to Bogaerts. Bogaerts made the Pirates pay by lashing a single to right field to score Ramirez with the go-ahead run. Hernandez whiffed on a full count but the Sox had taken the lead with just 3 out to go.

                                                 Ramirez scores the go-ahead run

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came on to pitch the top of the ninth with Chris Young now in left field. The Pirates stormed back as Pinch hitter Adam Frazier singled to center and pinch hitter Fransisco Cervelli damn near put the Pirates back in front with a long drive but it was caught at the wall for a loud, long out. For some stupid reason Frazier tried to steal and Vazquez gunned him down at second for the second out. Mercer grounded out and the Sox had stunned the Pirates 4-3 to win the game.

Hero of the night is Hanley Ramirez. His nearly bases clearing triple tied the game to set the stage for Bogaerts' go ahead hit.

                                                Hero of the Night: Hanley Ramirez


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 and drove in the winning run.

Heath Hembree tossed 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief

Matt Barnes got the win with a scoreless 8th inning

Craig Kimbrel earned his 3rd save with a scoreless 9th inning


The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with a strikeout



The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but scored a run

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run

Eduardo Rodriguez failed to go 6 innings but left trailing 2-1 and ended up allowing just 2 earned runs.


Honorable Mention:

Chris Young played left field in the ninth inning



Final Thoughts:

Better late than never when it comes to winning a game. The Sox looked dead in the water in the first inning when Rodriguez was getting rocked and rolled and again in the 8th when they were down 3-1 but they still pulled off a win. Tremendous pitching by Hembree, Barnes and Kimbrel along with top notch defense by Vazquez aided the late inning hitting to win this one. The long ball continues to elude them but for now any run counts. Rodriguez battled back to nearly finish the 6th inning when it looked like he wouldn't go five and Mitch Moreland looks tailor made for Fenway Park. All in all it was a gutsy win and they needed it big time going into the next series against the division rival Tampa Bay Rays. Tomorrow night its the aces Chris Archer and Rick Porcello set to duel at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.

O's Hammer Sox, Wright Shelled (4/12/17)

The good news was the Boston Bruins defeated the Ottawa Senators in Game 1 of their first round NHL playoff series but the bad news was the Boston Red Sox got nailed by the Baltimore Orioles. Steven Wright was the Boston's second best starter last season until he was hurt pinch running. Wright hasn't been the same since and tonight he was straight up batting practice. The Baltimore bats pounded out 17 hits, knocked out Wright and cruised to a 12-5 win at Fenway Park.

                                                         Sad Sox fans

Wright immediately crapped his pants in the top of the first inning. Seth Smith was hit with a pitch and took second on a wild pitch. Adam Jones struck out but Manny Machado crushed a ground rule double to score Smith. Chris Davis grounded out to move Manny to third and he scored on the Mark Trumbo single. Wellington Castillo singled and Trey Mancini smashed a 3 run bomb  as the boo-birds rained down. Jonathan Schoop followed with a solo blast of his own and Hardy singled. The guy who started the inning, Smith, lined out to end the inning but the O's were up 6-0. Brutal.

                                                  Batting practice

Ubaldo Jimenez got the ball and the Sox couldnt take advantage in the bottom of the first inning. Dustin Pedroia singled but Andrew Benintendi flied out. Mr. Mookie Betts popped up and Hanley Ramirez flied out to end the inning.

Wright returned for the top of the second and was once again shelled. Jones hit a solo blast but Machado grounded out. Davis then launched a home run to give the O's four in just two innings. Finally Sox manager John Farrell pulled the plug and lifted Wright for rookie Ben Taylor. 8 runs allowed by Wright in just 1 13 innings.

                                                "Gimmie that ball....and get outta here!" - JF

Taylor got Trumbo to ground out and he struck out Castillo to end the inning. The Sox failed to answer against Jimenez in the bottom of the second inning. Mitch Moreland struck out but Xander Bogaerts reached on the error by Jimenez, only for Pablo Sandoval to ground into a double play to end the inning.

Mancini continued to be a pain in the ass as he swatted another solo home run to lead-off the top of the third inning, the first run allowed by Taylor this season. Ben recovered to strike out Schoop but Hardy singled. Smith then bounced into a double play to end the inning with the O's up 9-0. The Sox finally got on the board in the bottom of the third inning. Chris Young doubled and Sandy Leon singled him to third. Pedroia lined out but Benny The Kid hit a sac fly to score Young to cut the lead 9-1. Mr. Mookie grounded out to end the inning.

Taylor returned for the top of the fourth and got Jones to ground out. Machado flied out but Davis doubled. Trumbo lined out to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth inning. Ramirez doubled and took third on a passed ball. Moreland grounded out but Bogaerts singled home Ramirez. Sandoval then crushed a 2 run homer to cut the lead 9-4. Suddenly the Sox were crawling back in it. Young singled and took second on a wild pitch but Leon flied out and Pedroia lined out to end the inning.

                                                 Sandoval with the big home run

Taylor came back for the fifth and kept the deficit to 5 runs. Castillo lined out but Mancini walked. Schoop grounded out and Hardy hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. 3 2/3 innings for Taylor with just the one run allowed, not bad for a rookie. The Sox blew a golden chance to get back in the game in the bottom of the fifth. Benny The Kid walked but Mr. Mookie lined out. Ramirez singled and Moreland walked to load the bases. O's manager Buck Showalter pulled the incompetent Jimenez for Mychal Givens. Bogaerts singled home Ramirez to cut the lead 9-5 and somehow bring the tying run to the plate. This time Sandoval whiffed and Young flied out to end the inning. The Sox never threatened again after that.

Fernand Abad made his season debut in the top of the sixth inning. Jones singled but Machado grounded into a double play to end the inning. Givens returned for the bottom of the sixth and cruised. Leon and Pedroia grounded out although Benny The Kid was plunked. Mr. Mookie flied out to end the inning.

Abad returned briefly in the top of the seventh to pitch to Davis, who singled. Sox manger John Farrell brought in Joe Kelly who also crapped his pants. Trumbo singled and Castillo doubled both men home and took third when Mookie Betts threw the ball into the bullpen for an error. Mancini struck out but Schoop singled home Castillo. Hardy banged into a double play but the game was now out of reach 12-5. Seth Smith moved to left as Craig Gentry came in to play right field. Ramirez grounded out and that was it for Givens. Donnie Hart came in and Moreland doubled to left. Bogaerts legged out an infield single but Sandoval popped up. Young whiffed to end the inning.

Kelly returned for the top of the eighth with Marco Hernandez taking over at second for Pedroia. Smith grounded out, Jones flied out to right and Machado flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the eighth. Leon flied out as both Hernandez and Benintendi struck out to end the inning.

Robbie Scott came on to pitch the top of the ninth. Davis grounded out and Trumbo struck out. Castillo singled but Gentry grounded out to end the inning. Ryan Flaherty took over at short and Vidal Nuno came on to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Mr. Mookie popped up but Ramirez walked. Moreland walked but Bogaerts popped up. Sandoval popped up to bring the misery to an end. The O's had won it 12-5.

Jackass of the Night is an easy one. Steven Wright was batting practice, allowing 4 home runs and 8 runs allowed in just 1 1/3 innings.

                                                     Steven Wright: Jackass


The Good:

Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with two walks.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5 with 2 rbi's and a run scored.

Chris Young was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Ben Taylor pitched 3 2/3 innings allowing just one run to keep the Sox in the game.

Robbie Scott pitched a scoreless 9th inning.


The Bad:

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Mookie Betts was 0 for 5 with a throwing error.

Joe Kelly allowed an inherited run to score and 2 of his own to put the game out of reach.


The Ugly:

Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 2 but walked, was hit with a pitch, drove in a run and scored a run.

Pablo Sandoval was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4.

Fernando Abad allowed a run in a full inning of work although it was an inherited run that scored.


Final Thoughts:

Oh that was very bad. Wright couldn't have gotten me out today, that's how bad he was. It was nice to see the offense crank out 5 runs, on a day with good pitching that would have been enough to win. Wright better get his head out of his ass because they need him with David Price out. Sox can't rely on just Porcello and Sale, they need the others to step up. Also Mookie Betts doesn't look good at all to start the year, hopefully its because of the flu bug which also made Morland look like garbage the first couple games of the season. He's too talented to slump for long. Also who would have thought a year ago Ben Taylor and Robbie Scott would be pitching in the big leagues, kudos to them for being reliable so far. Tomorrow the Sox play the makeup game against Pittsburgh with Eduardo Rodriguez getting the start against Chad Kuhl at 2 PM in Fenway Park.