Sox Bash Rangers for 8th Straight Win (7/10/18)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. William Cuevas was sent back to Pawtucket in favor of Jalen "Twin" Beeks coming back up from Pawtucket. With Drew Pomeranz out of service Beeks is pretty much his defacto replacement moving forward.

                                                                  OUT

                                                                IN

As for the game, the red hot Sox have now won 8 in a row after yet another offensive explosion over their latest victims, the visiting Texas Rangers. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez only lasted 3 innings and new arrival Jalen Beeks got hammered, but the rest of the Sox bullpen pitched the shutout as the Sox won their 8th in a row with an 8-4 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park.

                                                       8 in a row...ah ah ah


Velazquez made the Rangers beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the first inning. Shin-Soo Choo grounded out to second to begin before Elvis Andrus grounded out to short. Nomar Mazara grounded out to short to end the inning. Rangers starter Yovani Gallardo got the start in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to right to begin. Andrew Benintendi drew a walk but JD Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Rangers struck first in the top of the second although old friend Adrian Beltre whiffed to start. Rougned Odor put the Rangers on the board with a 447 foot home run. Ronald Guzman doubled but Isiah Kiner grounded out to third. Joey Gallo walked but Delino DeShields Jr flied out to right to end the inning with the Rangers up 1-0.

                                                       That ball was GONE

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the second as Mitch Moreland and Xander Bogaerts both grounded out to first. Brock "The Hitman" Holt looked at strike three to end the inning.

Velazquez returned for one more inning and walked Choo to begin the top of the third. Andrus popped up to third and Mazara erased Choo at second before Beltre struck out swinging to end the inning. 3 innings and 1 run allowed, not bad for a long reliever.

                                               Not great but it'll do

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the third although Rafael Devers lined out to center to begin. Blake Swihart pounded a ground rule double and Jackie Bradley Jr doubled Blake home to tie the game. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Benintendi doubled JBJ home to give the Sox the lead. Martinez singled Benintendi to third and Moreland singled him home. Bogaerts iced the game with a bases clearing triple before Holt grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.

                                                   Bogaerts triples in 2 runs

Jalen "Twin" Beeks took over in the top of the fourth and crapped his pants. Odor was plunked and Guzman singled him to third. Kiner grounded into a double play but Odor scored. Gallo walked and DeShields grounded into a force to end the inning with the Rangers down 5-2.

                                                  Beeks pitching at Fenway

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Devers grounded out to third to start. Swihart flied out to left and JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning.

Beeks got some help from his defense in the top of the fifth inning. Choo looked at strike three to begin but Andrus singled. Mazara jacked one deep to right and Betts jumped over the wall....TO MAKE THE CATCH! He robbed Mazara of a two run homer and Beltre grounded into a force to end the inning. What a play by Betts.

                                              "Not today Mazara!" - Betts

Betts then got a rally started with a double to open the bottom of the fifth before moving to third on the Benintendi ground out. Martinez walked and Moreland scored Betts with a sac fly to increase the lead. Bogaerts grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 6-2 Boston.

                                                 Betts doing it all

Beeks returned for the top of the sixth but Odor singled to start. Guzman lined out to center but Kiner doubled Odor to third to chase Twin. Brandon Workman replaced Beeks and allowed a double by Gallo to cut the lead in half. DeShields Jr flied out to right and Choo grounded out to second but it was 6-4 Sox.

                                                  Gallo doubles in 2 runners

The Sox answered in the bottom of the sixth against Alberto Del Rio's personal announcer Ricardo Rodriguez. Holt singled but Devers banged into a double play. Swihart singled and JBJ doubled him home but was thrown out at third trying to stretch a triple to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-4.

                                                    Great hit, lousy baserunning

Matt Barnes came in for the top of the seventh and found the concept of the Rangers offensive. He blew away Andrus before freezing Mazara for strike three. Beltre was blown away to end the inning. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Mr. Mookie singled and Benintendi doubled him home. Martinez whiffed but Moreland was intentionally walked. Bogaerts flied out to right and that was it for Rodriguez. Alex Claudio came in and Benintendi stole third with Moreland taking second on a bad throw. Holt grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 8-4 Sox.

                                             Fans wanted him in the All-Star Game

Joe Kelly came in for the top of the eighth and Odor flied out to left to begin. Guzman grounded out to short before Kiner grounded out to second to end the inning. Devers walked to open the bottom of the eighth and moved to second on the Swihart ground out. Devers moved to third on the ground out by JBJ before Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked. Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in to finish the game in the top of the ninth. Gallo flied out to right before DeShields Jr whiffed. Choo walked before Andrus grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 8-4.

                                                      Another win


Hero of the Night is Andrew Benintendi. He was 2 for 4 with a stolen base, 2 rbis and a run scored.

                                                     Tonight's Hero


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk, great defensive catch and 2 runs scored.

JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

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

Blake Swihart was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Hector Velazquez got the emergency start and allowed just 1 run in 3 innings.

Matt Barnes got the win with a scoreless 7th inning.

Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Jalen Beeks was lit up for 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a two run triple.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but walked.

Brandon Workman allowed 2 inherited runners to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.




Final Thoughts:

Another win and another great offensive showing. If the Sox can click like this until the All-Star break they will be virtually unbeatable. The only thing that could stop them is bad pitching. With Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello pitching well then they are in good hands but after that, watch out. Velazquez was fine for 3 innings but Beeks almost gave it away. Guess he isn't cut out for ML batters yet. Benintendi is battling to make the All-Star team while Betts and Martinez both gunning for AL MVP that makes for 3 very motivated players and that's bad news for other teams. Let's see if the Sox can finish off their third consecutive sweep. The win improved the Sox to 64-29, 3.5 games ahead of the slumping New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox go for the series sweep against the Rangers with Chris Sale (9-4) on the mound up against the ancient Bartolo Colon. The game starts at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rodriguez, Sox Blank Rangers (7/9/18)

The Boston Red Sox are on fire as they have now won 7 games in a row. Tonight their victims were the visiting Texas Rangers. Eduardo Rodriguez (11-3, 3.62 ERA) set a career high in wins with his 11th of the year, Steve Pearce and JD Martinez blasted home runs and the bullpen preserved the shut-out as the Sox took out the Rangers 5-0 at Fenway Park.

                                                    Hwoarang approves of the win

Rodriguez nibbled to begin the top of the first and struck out Delino DeShields Jr on a full count. Elvis Andrus grounded out to short on a 2-2 count before Nomar Mazara drew a full count walk. Adrian beltre lined out to right on a 2-2 count to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first although Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to left to begin. Andrew Benintendi looked at strike three but JD Martinez singled. Steve Pearce smashed a 2 run bomb to give the Sox the lead before Xander Bogaerts lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                 Pearce gets the party started.

Rodriguez continued to nibble in the top of the second as Rougned Odor took a 2-2 strike three call to start. Jurickson Profar looked at strike three before Isiah Kiner drew a full count wall. Robinson Chirinos grounded out to third on a full count to end the inning. Rangers starter Mike Minor settled down in the bottom of the second inning as Mitch Moreland grounded out to second to begin. Eduardo Nunez popped up to second and Rafael Devers whiffed to end the inning.

Rodriguez finally cruised in the top of the third as Ryan Rua flied out to left to start. DeShields Jr lined out to second and Andrus grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the third as Sandy Leon singled to start. Mr. Mookie popped up to first but Benintendi doubled Leon to third. Martinez flied out to shallow center and Pearce grounded out to short to end the inning.

Rodriguez ran into trouble in the top of the fourth although Mazara took a 2-2 strike three to start. Beltre singled but Odor also took strike three. Profar singled on a full count but Rodriguez got Kiner to fly out to left on a 2-2 count to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts and Moreland lined out to center before Nunez popped up to short to end the inning.

Chrinos hit a routine ground ball to Devers to open the top of the fifth but Devers decided to throw his glove at the ball before doing a senton bomb on it for a bizarre error. Chirinos was erased on the force by Rua before DeShields lined out to short. Andrus flied out to center to end the inning. Devers compounded his error by striking out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth. Leon grounded out to third but Mr. Mookie smacked a ground rule double. Benintendi whiffed to end the inning.

Rodriguez came back for the top of the sixth and got Mazara to ground out to short on the first pitch. Beltre grounded back to the mound but Odor singled. Profar walked and Sox manager Alex "Dr Quick Hook" Cora decided Rodriguez had enough. He pitched arguably one of the worst shutouts in memory by going 2-2 and 3-2 on almost everyone in 5 2/3 innings but no runs were allowed. Heath Hembree punched out Kiner to end the inning just like that.

                                                  Rodriguez allows no runs

The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the sixth as Martinez grounded out to third to begin. Pearce singled to chase Minor before Cory Gearrin came in to punch out Bogaerts. Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning.

Brandon Workman came in for the top of the seventh and ran into trouble when Chirinos tripled to open the frame. Joey Gallo pinch hit for Rua and Workman punched him out. DeShields grounded out to third but Chirinos couldn't move. Workman got out of it by getting Andrus to ground out to second to end the inning. The Sox failed to add insurance in the bottom of the seventh as Nunez grounded out to first to begin. Devers grounded out to second before Leon flied out to right to end the inning.

Joe Kelly came in for the top of the eighth and Mazara greeted him with a single. Kelly blew away Beltre and Odor watched strike three go by. Profar grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox finally iced the game in the bottom of the eighth with Jesse Chavez on the mound. Mr. Mookie and Benintendi singled before Martinez crushed his 28th homer of the season to put the game out of reach. Pearce grounded out to short, Bogaerts whiffed and Moreland flied out to left to end the inning but it was 5-0 Sox.

                                                     Martinez with his league leading blast

Ryan Brasier made his Red Sox debut in the top of the ninth and Kiner lined out to right to start. Chirinos popped up to second and Gallo lined out to short to end the game. The Sox had shut out the Rangers 5-0.

                                                Welcome to Boston, Brasier


Hero of the Night is JD Martinez. He scored the first run and drove in the final 3, outscoring the entire Rangers offense by himself.

                            Martinez (with Nunez and Benintendi) is the Hero



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Steve Pearce was 2 for 4 including a 2 run homer.

Sandy Leon was 1 for 3.

Eduardo Rodriguez got the win with 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball while striking out 5.

Heath Hembree got the final out of the 6th.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 7th.

Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 8th.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 4.

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.



The Ugly:

None.




Final Thoughts:

This was a pretty good win considering the bullpen's struggles lately. Rodriguez didn't look great but zero runs allowed is still zero runs allowed. Nice of Pearce, Benintendi, Betts and Martinez carry the offense considering the other five were a combined 1 for 18. Wins like these can keep a streak going and the Sox look unbeatable right now. It won't last but fans need to enjoy this run while they can. The Sox are actually approaching 2012's season win total and we're not even at the All-Star break yet. Would be unfair to expect them to win 13 in a row heading into it but still fun to think about. The win improved the Sox to 63-29, 2.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez goes for the Sox up against Yovani Gallardo looking to make it 8 in a row. The game begins at 7:11 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Sweep Royals, Streak Reaches Six (7/8/18)

Before the game The Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Christian Vazquez and Brian Johnson were both placed on the disabled list, Johnson with a bad hip and Vazquez with a fractured pinky finger. In their places will be William Cuevas and journeyman minor leaguer Ryan Brasier who had a cup of coffee with the Los Angeles Angels in 2013.

                                                                                  OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, the Sox have swept back to back road series after today's win against the Kansas City Royals. Andrew Benintendi led the offensive charge as they once again scored more than 6 runs. "Slick" Rick Porcello (11-3, 3.58 ERA) pitched 7 strong innings and the Sox swept the Royals out of Kansas City with a 7-4 victory at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                        Dan Freebird approves of the win

Royals starter Heath Fillmyer got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to secon to begin. Andrew Benintendi singled to center and Steve Pearce drew a walk, but Mitch Moreland banged into a double play to end the inning. Porcello was greeted by a Whit Merrifield single to open the bottom of the first but Jackie Bradley Jr made a great diving catch to rob Jorge Bonifacio of extra bases. Mike Moustakas flied out to right and Lucas Duda lined out to a running JBJ to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the second inning when Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers stroked back to back singles, but Eduardo Nunez banged into a double play. Sandy Leon grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Porcello cruised in the bottom of the second as he froze Alex Gordon for strike three to start. Hunter Dozier whiffed and Abraham Almonte grounded out to second to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third although JBJ grounded out to second to begin. Mr. Mookie drew a walk and Benintendi singled him to third. Pearce scored Betts with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead but Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         The Sox strike first

The Royals struck back in the bottom of the third although Adalberto Mondesi whiffed to begin. Drew Butera and Merrifield stroked back to back singles before Bonifacio doubled home both runners. Moustakas popped up to third and Duda whiffed to end the inning but the Royals were up 2-1.

                                               The Royals strike back

The Sox answered in the top of the fourth when Mondesi booted a ground ball by Bogaerts to start. Devers popped up to third but Nunez singled home Bogaerts to tie the game. Leon grounded into a double play to end the inning but it was tied 2-2.

                                   Can you stop hitting into double plays please?

Just as soon as the Sox tied it, the Royals jumped ahead in the bottom of the fourth. Gordon singled and moved to second on the Dozier grounder to second. Almonte whiffed but a wild moved Gordon to third, where he scored on the Mondesi single. Butera flied out to center to end the inning but it was 3-2 Royals.

                                             "We got the lead!"

The Sox fought back in the top of the fifth although JBJ flied out to center to begin. Mr. Mookie and Benintendi stroked back to back singles before Pearce singled to left to load the bases. Moreland drew a walk to tie the game and that was it for Fillmyer. Glen Sparkman came in and Bogaerts scored Benintendi with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 4-3 Sox.

                                       Benintendi keeps the rally going

The Royals looked to answer when Merrifield doubled to start the bottom of the fifth but Bonifacio lined out to right. Moustakas lined out to left and Duda looked at strike three to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Nunez grounded out to short to start. Leon looked at strike three but JBJ walked. Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning. Porcello stayed strong in the bottom of the sixth as Gordon grounded out to short to start. Dozier grounded back to the mound but Almonte walked. Mondesi whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game in the top of the seventh inning as Benintendi doubled to begin. Pearce singled him to third and Moreland singled him home. Bogaerts doubled home Pearce to chase Sparkman. Enny Romero came in and struck out Devers but Nunez singled ome Moreland. Leon hit into yet another double play to end the inning but the Sox were up 7-3.

                                         "Yeah we got this" - Moreland

Porcello came back for one final inning although the Royals threatend when Butera singled and Merrifield doubled to start. Porcello roared back to whff Bonifacio and Moustakas before getting Duda to fly out to center to end the inning. Porcello had gone 7 innings and allowed 3 runs to put the Sox in position for victory.

                                               Slick Rick pitches well

Jason Adam came in to pitch the top of the eighth and JBJ greeted him with a single. Mr. Mookie popped up to second before JBJ swiped second. Benintendi whiffed but Pearce walked. Moreland grounded out to first to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in for the bottom of the eighth and Gordon grounded out to short to begin. Barnes blew away Dozier and Almonte to end the inning.

Wily Peralta came in for the top of the ninth and promptly walked Bogaerts and Devers back to back. The rally ended as Nunez hit into the FIFTH double play of the game before Leon whiffed to end the inning. Tyler Thornburg made a mad dash from the bullpen to the mound for the bottom of the ninth and Mondesi doubled to start. Butera flied out to left but a wild pitch moved Mondesi to third and he scored on the Merrifield single. Thornburg then bolted into the dugout and up the runway leading Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel to come in for the save. Bonifacio singled to bring the tying run to the plate but Kimbrel blew away both Moustakas and Duda to end the game. The Sox had hung on to win 7-4 for their second consecutive road sweep.

                                                           Another win


Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He was 2 for 3 with a walk, drove in 2 runs and scored one.

                                                  Bogaerts the Hero


The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 4 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Steve Pearce was 2 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.

Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Rick Porcello got the win with 7 innings of 3 run ball, striking out 9.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 27th save by getting the final two outs of the ninth.



The Bad:

Sandy Leon was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Tyler Thornburg allowed a run in just 1/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in 2 runs and scored.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but walked.




Final Thoughts:

It wasn't pretty but a win is a win. The Sox fell behind twice and the Sox answered each time to show some balls. Porcello wasn't the sharpest by allowing 9 hits but he went 7 and struck out 9 to earn the win. Tyler Thornburg doesn't look right at all but he hasn't pitched in 2 years so rust is expected. Can they stop hitting into double plays please? The offense has been clicking the last 6 games and they need it to continue if they want to put some distance between them and the New York Yankees. Hard to believe it would be the Sox to go on a run after that disaster in New York but then again, they played the .500 Nationals and sub .500 Royals. The win improved the Sox to 62-29, 2 games in front of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox come home for a three game set against the Texas Rangers. Eduardo Rodriguez (10-3) gets the start against Mike Minor at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Pulverize Royals Late (7/7/18)

It wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox ran their winning streak to five games after tonight's late blowout win over the Kansas City Royals. David Price followed his stinker against the New York Yankees with another stinker against Kansas City, failing to last 5 innings. The Sox rallied from being down 3-0 to explode for 11 runs in the final three innings to take the game 15-4 at Kauffman Stadium. Better late than never.

                                            Luciano Pavarotti approves of the win

The Sox threatened Royals starter Brad Keller in the top of the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts doubled to start. Andrew Benintendi drew a walk but JD Martinez flied out to right. Mitch Moreland flied out to center to advanced Betts to third but Benintendi randomly ran to second base and was thrown out to end the inning. Price took the mound in the bottom of the first inning and whit Merrifield grounded out to third to begin. Jorge Bonifacio walked but Mike Moustakas took strike three. Salvador Perez flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts lined out to short to begin. Brock "The Hitman" Holt singled but Rafael Devers popped up to short. Christian Vazquez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Royals struck first in the bottom of the second inning although Hunter Dozier whiffed to start. Lucas Duda pounded a 3.854,000 foot blast into the Gulf of Mexico to give the Royals the lead. Alcides Escobar grounded out to third before Alex Gordon grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals up 1-0.

                                                    Royals strike first

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr lined out to second to begin. Mr. Mookie singled and stole second before Benintendi walked. Martinez whiffed and Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning. The Royals struck again in the bottom of the third although Adalberto Mondesi struck out to start. Merrifield singled, Bonifacio doubled and Moustakas singled to score Merrifield. Bonifacio took third and scored on the Perez sac fly before Dozier struck out swinging to end the inning with the Royals ahead 3-0.

                                                         All Royals early

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fourth as Bogaerts walked to start but was erased on the Holt force. Devers banged into a double play to end the inning. A pissed off Price blew away Duda to start the bottom of the fourth, but Escobar doubled. Gordon whiffed and Mondesi struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox roared back in the top of the fifth although Vazquez popped up to second and JBJ watched strike three go by to start. Mr. Mookie singled and Benintendi walked again but this time Martinez singled home Mookie with Benintendi going to third. Moreland walked to load the bases and Bogaerts cleared the bases with a double to give the Sox the lead. Bogaerts had moved to third on the throw and that was it for Keller. Tim Hill came in to walk Holt and he swiped second but Devers whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                     Bogaerts puts the Sox on top

Price came back for the bottom of the fifth but lost his command. Merrifield singled but Bonifacio looked at strike three. Price plunked both Moustakas and Perez to load the bases. Price froze Doxier for strike three but Duda was plunked as well to tie the game. That was it for Price who left a trail of hit batsmen on his way out as he failed to finish 5 innings, going 4 2/3 while giving up 4 runs. Heath Hembree came in and got Escobar to fly out to right to end the inning but it was tied 4-4.

                                              Cora "Get out and stay out!"

Jason Adam came in for the top of the sixth and blew the Sox away. Vazquez, JBJ and Mr. Mookie all whiffed in short order. Hembree returned for the bottom of the sixth and Gordon popped up to short to start. Mondesi whiffed but Merrifield walked. Bonifacio hit a routine grounder to Devers who picked the ball up and spiked it like a football before doing the funky chicken. Bonifacio reached first on the bizarre error but Hembree recovered to get Moustakas to fly out to center to end the inning.

The Sox took the lead in the top of the seventh as Benintendi walked for the third time and moved to third on the Martinez double. Enny Romero replaced Adam but Moreland scored Benintendi with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead. Bogaerts was intentionally walked but the slumping Holt flied out to center. Devers walked to load the bases and Vazquez delivered with a single to score Martinez and Bogaerts while moving Devers to third. Vazquez stole second but JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-4.

                                                  Vazquez delivers a single

Matt Barnes came in for Hembree for the bottom of the seventh and Perez whiffed to start. Dozier grounded out to short and Duda whiffed to...oh wait...the strike three ball got away from Vazquez and Duda took first on the wild pitch. Escobar flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the eighth against Kevin McCarthy. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Benintendi said to heck with a walk and blasted a solo home run to increase the lead. Martinez whiffed but Moreland walked. Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 8-4 Sox.

                                                  Benintendi goes yard

All of a sudden Vazquez keeled over clutching his hand and had to be carried on a stretcher into an ambulance headed to the ICU with a finger issue. Sandy Leon took his place behind the plate with Joe Kelly now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Gordon whiffed and Mondesi grounded out to first before Kelly ran off the mound and into the dugout for no apparent reason. Brandon Workman was in the bullpen reading the newspaper and had to come into the game ice cold. Merrifield grounded out to short to end the inning but the game was getting weirder.

The Sox then pulled off an unnecessary rally in the top of the ninth inning against Brandon Maurer. Holt grounded out to first but Devers singled to left. Leon singled Devers to third and JBJ beat out a double play ball to score Devers. Mr. Mookie doubled home JBJ and took third on the throw. Benintendi doubled in Mr. Mookie and Blake Swihart pinch hit for Martinez. Swihart singled home Benintendi to chase Maurer. Drew Butera came in and Moreland singled Swihart to third. Bogaerts walked to load the bases and Holt drew a walk to score Swihart. Devers drew another walk to score Moreland and Leon singled home Bogaerts, reloading the bases. JBJ finally lined out to end the inning but enough was enough, 15-7 Sox.

                                                     A 7 run rally in the ninth

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth with Abraham Almonte pinch hitting for Bonifacio. Almonte popped up to third before Moustakas grounded back to the mound. Perez grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won a rout 15-4.

                                              Another victory



Hero of the Night is a tough one but I'll go with Andrew Benintendi. He was 2 for 2 with 4 walks and 4 runs scored including a solo home run.

                                                        Benny The Hero


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 4 for 6 with a stolen base, 2 runs scored and an rbi.

JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Blake Swihart singled, drove in a run and scored a run.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 3 walks, 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Sandy Leon was 2 for 2 with an rbi.

Heath Hembree tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Joe Kelly got the first two out in the top of the eighth inning.

Brandon Workman got the final out of the eighth inning.

Hector Velazquez pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

David Price got lit up for 4 runs in just 4 2/3 innings although he did strike out 9.



The Ugly:

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but walked twice, stole a base and drove in a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with an error but walked twice, drove in a run and scored.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but stole a base and drove in two runs.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 6 but drove in a run and scored.




Final Thoughts:

As good as the Sox win was, it came at a price. Vazquez fractured his pinky finger and will be out a while so Blake Swihart is going to have to step up to be the backup catcher to Leon. All the offense tonight was good but Price is starting to be a concern. He got knocked around by the Royals and they are certainly not the New York Yankees. He better shake off the beatdown in the Bronx because the Sox need him to pitch like he did the first 3 months of the season. The Yankees are breathing down the Sox necks and they are not going away. At least the bullpen stepped up tonight to toss 4 1/3 shutout innings which has been better than their usual non-production. As well as the offense is clicking like it has been, the Sox are going to be ok. The win propelled the Sox to 61-29, 2 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox go for their second consecutive series sweep as they send "Slick" Rick Porcello (10-3) up against Heath Fillmyer of the Royals. The game begins at 2:10 PM at Kauffman Stadium.

Sox Rout Royals Behind Sale (7/6/18)

The road warrior Boston Red Sox continued their march for redemption after their stinker in New York a week ago. After dispatching the Washington Nationals in three straight games, tonight the Sox went into Kansas City and smacked around the Royals in tonight's game. Led by ace Chris Sale (9-4, 2.36 ERA) shutting down the Royals, the offense picked him up by scoring 10 runs off 15 hits. Mookie Betts, JD Martinez and Xander Bogaerts all went yard as the Sox took the first game of this three game set 10-5 at Kauffman Stadium.

                                                          Millard Fillmore approves of the win

The Sox struck first against Royals starter Jason Hammel when Mr. Mookie Betts took the third pitch of the game and launched it into the left field stands for a leadoff home run. Andrew Benintendi flied out to center but JD Martinez singled. Steve Pearce beat out an infield single before Xander Bogaerts walked to load the bases. Brock "The Hitman" Holt singled to right to score Martinez and Pearce. Eduardo Nunez popped up to second but Sandy Leon singled home Bogaerts for another run. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                                         Betts gets the party started

Sale with a four run lead was unhittable in the bottom of the first as Whit Merrifield popped up to second to start. Rosell Herrera looked at strike three before Mike Moustakas whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox iced the game early in the top of the second although Mr. Mookie flied out to right to start. Benintendi singled and Martinez blasted his 27th homer of the year to ice the game. Pearce doubled and Bogaerts sent the crowd home early with a 2 run bomb to put the game out of reach with Sale on the mound. Holt grounded out to second and Nunez lined out to short but it was 8-0 Sox.

                                                  The Sox pour it on

The Royals did try to fight back in the bottom of the second although Sale blew away Salvador Perez to begin. Jorge Bonifacio hit a fly ball deep to center and JBJ tried to catch the ball in his hat, missing it completely and Jorge took third on the error. Hunter Dozier walked but Lucas Duda whiffed. Alcides Escobar made Jackie pay with a base hit to left to score Bonifacio. Adalberto Mondesi whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-1.

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

Burch Smith replaced Hammel in the top of the third and Leon grounded out to second to begin. JBJ whiffed before Mr. Mookie flied out to right to end the inning. Sale cruised in the bottom of the third by blowing away Merrifield to start. Herrera looked at strike three before Moustakas popped up to third to end the inning.

Benintendi singled to open the top of the fourth before Martinez lined out to right. Pearce popped up to short and Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning. Sale froze Perez for strike three to start the bottom of the fourth but Bonifacio had the unmitigated audacity to single to short. Dozier whiffed and Duda struck out swinging to end the inning.

Holt singled to start the top of the fifth but Nunez banged into a double play. Leon lined out to right to end the inning. Escobar grounded out to second to begin the bottom of the fifth before Mondesi flied out to right. Merrifield doubled but Herrera grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as JBJ whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie lined out to center and Benintendi whiffed to end the inning. Sale came back for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Moustakas popped up to Chris to begin. Perez singled but Bonifacio looked at strike three. Dozier took a full count slider for strike three to end the inning. Sale pitched great, tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 12.

                                                     Sale comes up big

Brian Flynn took over in the top of the seventh and Martinez flied out to center to begin. Pearce and Bogaerts both grounded out to third to end the inning. Tyler Thornburg made his Red Sox debut in the bottom of the seventh and Duda rudely ruined it with a leadoff triple. Escobar flied out to center but Duda scored on the dropped liner by Holt although he threw Mondesi out at first. Merrifield lined out to center to end the inning with the Royals down 8-2, not the best debut for Tyler.

                               Time to find out if the Travis Shaw trade was worth it

Drew Butera took over behind the plate for Perez as the Sox struck again in the top of the eighth. Holt grounded out to second but Nunez doubled. Leon flied out to center but JBJ doubled home Nunez. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-2.

                                                          JBJ delivers

Blake Swihart took over in left with Brandon Workman on the mound in the bottom of the eighth. Herrera singled and Moustakas crushed a 100,000 foot home run to cut into the lead. Butera grounded out to short before Bonifacio hit one up the elevator shaft. Dozier grounded out to short to end the inning with the Royals down 9-4.

                                                  Workman gets smacked around

The Sox struck one last time in the top of the ninth inning as Swihart singled to start. Martinez looked at strike three but Pearce doubled home Blake. Brandon Maurer came in for Flynn and Bogaerts walked. Holt lined out to center but Nunez popped up to Workman to end the inning with the Sox up 10-4.

                                                      Pearce gets an rbi

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth and Duda grounded out to second to start. Escobar grounded out to third but Mondesi singled and took second on defensive indifference. Merrifield singled home Mondesi but Herrera grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-5.

                                                                  Another win


Hero of the Night is Chris Sale. With everyone contributing on offense, Sale dazzled for 6 innings allowing just 1 run while striking out 12.

                                                           The big Hero



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Blake Swihart singled and scored as a pinch hitter.

JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with 2 total runs scored including a 2 run home run.

Steve Pearce was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 total runs scored including a 2 run home run.

Brock Holt was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis.



The Bad:

Tyler Thornburg allowed a run in the 7th inning.

Brandon Workman allowed 2 runs in the 8th inning.

Hector Velazquez allowed a run in the 9th inning.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a home run.

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.




Final Thoughts:

That's four in a row for the Sox after they lost the series to New York and tonight the offense pounded the Royals. Chris Sale was dominant again but the bullpen was a mess, allowing 4 runs in 3 innings. Tyler Thornburg looked rusty as hell but that's expected since he hasn't faced ML competition in a year and a half. Steve Pearce has filled in admirably for Mitch Moreland and the duo of Betts and Martinez are becoming the second coming of Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz. The Sox became the first team to win 60 games and this team is on pace for about 110 wins, a far cry from struggling to get 93 the past two seasons. If the Sox can keep a win streak going they will have some serious momentum going into the all-star break. The win improved the Sox to 60-29, 2 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night David Price looks to rebound from his New York disaster when he meets Brad Keller of the Royals at 7:10 PM at Kauffman Stadium.