Sox Annihilated by Diamondbacks (4/5/19)

Its getting ridiculous at this point at just how bad the Boston Red Sox are right now. After getting humiliated in Seattle and Oakland, tonight the Sox reached a new low by getting pounded by the Arizona Diamondbacks. The Dbacks pounded out 18 hits and 15 runs to hand Rick Porcello (0-2, 13.50 ERA) and the Sox their possibly worst loss of the season. Arizona starter Zack Godley drove in as many runs as he allowed and a meaningless rally in the ninth made the final score a little better but in the end it was a 15-8 massacre at Chase Field.

                                                         Red Sox fans right now

The Sox offense did nothing in the top of the first inning as Andrew Benintendi led off by striking out swinging. Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center before Mitch Moreland flied out to left to end the inning. Porcello took the ball in the bottom of the first and got Jarrod Dyson to ground out to third to begin. Eduardo Escobar whiffed but David Peralta singled. Adam Jones squibbed one in front of the plate and was ruled safe on catcher's interference by Blake Swihart. Christian Walker grounded into a force to end the inning.

JD Martinez led off the top of the second by grounding out to third to start. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right and Rafael Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Porcello stayed tough in the bottom of the second by freezing Ketel Marte to start. Nick Ahmed grounded out to short and Alex Avila looked at strike three to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third inning as Swihart singled to right to begin. Blake moved to second on the Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounder then to third on the Porcello grounder. Benintendi doubled to left to score Swihart and put Boston on top. Mr. Mookie singled Benintendi to third but Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                           "We scored?" - Benintendi

Arizona found the concept of the Red Sox offensive by tying the game in the bottom of the third. The pitcher Godley singled before Dyson beat out an infield single. Escobar walked to load the bases but Porcello got a big double play by Peralta that did tie the game, but put two outs on the board. Jones walked to put runners at the corners but he was thrown out at second trying to steal by Swihart to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

The Sox were done offensively against Godley in the top of the fourth. Martinez grounded out to short, Bogaerts grounded out to third and Devers whiffed to end the inning. The Diamondbacks exploded in the bottom of the fourth although Walker grounded out to second to begin. Marte then blasted a 900 foot bomb to dead center to give Arizona the lead. Ahmed doubled and Avila walked to set up the biggest blunder of the day. Godley hit a flare to center that Holt, Betts and Martinez couldn't get to for a single to score Ahmed. Dyson singled off the glove of Holt to score Avila and send Godley to third. Escobar grounded out to first but Godley scored for another run. Peralta flied out to left to end the inning with the Diamondbacks ahead 4-1. Godley had more hits and as many rbis as the entire Red Sox.

                                                    Nothing going right for Boston

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth inning as Swihart grounded out to short, Holt whiffed and Porcello grounded out to third to end the inning. Porcello got rocked in the bottom of the fifth as Jones crushed a 5,000 foot bomb to increase the lead. Porcello got mad and froze both Walker and Marte but Ahmed singled. Avila doubled Ahmed home and Sox manager Alex Cora had enough of Porcello.  Last year's 17 game winner was batting practice again by giving up 7 runs in just 4 2/3 innings with 3 walks and two home runs. Brian Johnson came in and struck out Godley to end the inning but the game was over 7-1 and Porcello took his frustration out on the water cooler.

                                             Cora "Yeah you're out Rick, now beat it!"

The Sox threatened to score in the top of the sixth although Benintendi whiffed to start before Mr. Mookie walked. A wild pitch moved Betts to third but Moreland whiffed. Martinez and Bogaerts both walked to load the bases and one swing of the bat could have put the Sox back in it. Andrew Chafin came in to pitch and Devers killed the rally by grounding back to the mound to end the inning. The Diamondbacks poured it on in the bottom of the sixth as Dyson and Escobar stroked back to back singles to start. Peralta whiffed but Jones doubled home Dyson. Johnson intentionally walked Walker to get to Marte and Marte pulled a Troy O'Leary by belting a grand slam halfway to New Orleans to put the game out of reach. Ahmed hit a ground rule double and moved to third on the Avila ground out. Ildemaro Vargas pinch hit for Chafin and smashed a 2 run bomb for more pain. Duson grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 14-1. What a disaster.

                                              Johnson can't bear to look

Marte moved to short with Vargas at second with Matt Koch on the mound to begin the top of the seventh. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt as Swihart grounded out to second and Holt grounded out to short. Jackie Bradley Jr pinch hit for Johnson and grounded out to short to end the inning. Tyler Thornburg bolted out of the bullpen and sprinted to the mound for the bottom of the seventh. Escobar lined out to right but Peralta singled. Peralta was erased on the force by Jones and Walker whiffed to end the inning with Thornburg running back to the dugout as fast as he could.

Somehow the Sox offense woke up in the top of the eighth with the game out of reach. Benintendi singled and Mr. Mookie smashed a 2 run homer to dead center to give hope for future games. Moreland grounded out to second and Martinez grounded out to short but Bogaerts singled. Devers singled and Swihart doubled both men home. Had Brian Johnson not crapped his pants, this game would have been a lot closer. Holt grounded out to second to end the inning but it was 14-5 Arizona.

                                                 Betts hits one out

At this point, Sox manager Alex Cora said the hell with it and sent Eduardo Nunez out to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Somehow Nunez got Marte to ground out to second before Koch flied out to center. Naturally Avila homered off the infielder to wrap up the scoring for Arizona. Vargas flied out to center to end the inning but it was 15-5.

                                              Nunez really does play every position

Nunez stepped off the mound and into the batter's box to lead off the top of the ninth with an infield hit to third. He was erased on the force by Benintendi but Mr. Mookie hit a ground rule double. Moreland then launched a 3 run bomb into the left field seats to cut into the lead. Had the bullpen locked down the Diamondbacks after Porcello left, the Sox would have been in the lead. Yoan Lopez replaced Koch and Martinez singled to keep things going....but Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox made the final score better in the final two innings but still got their asses kicked 15-8.

Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He allowed 7 runs and failed to go 5 innings, allowing 3 walks and 2 home runs.

 

                                                 Water cooler Jackass



The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and an rbi

Mookie Betts was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 total runs scored and a 2 run home run.

Blake Swihart was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Tyler Thornburg tossed a scoreless 7th inning.



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Brian Johnson got lit up for 7 runs in just 1 1/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a 3 run home run.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Eduardo Nunez was 1 for 1 at the plate but allowed a run in an inning pitch.




Final Thoughts:

This season sucks. It doesn't matter who they play at this point because they just get stomped. In every game but the 1-0 loss they were behind 3-4 runs by the fifth inning. They're not even competitive at this point. Its good to see the offense wake up even if it was too late and the pressure was off. Just the fact they woke up at all is a silver lining to a horrific start to the season. Porcello and Johnson looked terrible and Alex Cora sandbagging Spring Training cost them big time. If they lose out on the Division by a game or two, you can look at this poor start as to why. The less said of this disaster the better. Tomorrow night the Sox take on the Diamondbacks with Luke Weaver on the mound for Arizona and David Price going for the Sox at 7:10 PM Eastern time at Chase Field.

A's Pound Sloppy Sox, Take Three of Four (4/4/19)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox announced Steve Pearce was activated off the Disabled List and put in the starting lineup for today's game. Sam Travis was sent down to Pawtucket to make room for Pearce on the roster. This is good news for he's their lefty killer and he spells Mitch Moreland.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                   IN

As for the game, yet another epic disaster in what's fast becoming a terrible season. Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 12.38) continued to struggle this season by surrendering 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings of work to the Oakland A's. Last year's wild card winners took it to the Red Sox in this four game set. If it wasn't for a comedy of errors the Sox would have been swept. Today was no different as the A's pounded out 7 runs and 13 hits and the Sox offense dissipated after the third inning as the A's took 3 out of 4 from the Sox in the 7-3 loss at the Oakland Coliseum.

                                                        "Another loss......"

Brett Anderson had a 33 scoreless inning streak at home on the line and Mr. Mookie greeted him with a base hit to right on the first pitch. Andrew Benintendi dropped down a sacrifice bunt but Anderson lollygagged to first so first baseman Mark Canha went to second because Betts was lollygagging himself thinking the out was going to first. Betts was safe at second and runners were on for the returning Steve Pearce.....who whiffed on a pitch in the dirt. JD Martinez singled to right but Mr. Mookie didn't try for home when he would have been safe. The bases were loaded and Xander Bogaerts broke the scoreless streak with a walk to score Betts with the game's first run. Eduardo Nunez hit a measly pop up to first but Brock "The Hitman" Holt walked to score Benintendi with another run. Christian Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.

Rodriguez took the ball in the bottom of the first and Robbie Grossman led off with a pop up to right field to begin. Marcus Semien lined a rocket right to Betts but Stephen Piscotty singled to left. Rodriguez blew away Khris Davis on 3 pitches to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to start the top of the second before Mr. Mookie watched strike three go by. Benintendi flied out to right to end the inning. Rodriguez kept the A's down in the bottom of the second although Chad Pinder singled up the middle to start. Mark Canha popped up to third but Pearce ran over to snare the ball. Pinder was erased on a force by Jurickson Profar before Ramon Laureano grounded back to Rodriguez to end the inning.

Pearce launched a ball off the left field wall to open the top of the third but his hamstring was so bad he got thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Martinez then crushed an opposite field home run to right to increase the lead. Bogaerts drew a walk but Nunez banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.

                                                       Martinez goes yard

The A's exploded in the bottom of the third as Josh Phegley doubled into the left field corner to start before moving to third on the fly ball to right by Grossman. Semien drew a full count walk and Piscotty blasted a 50,000 foot bomb to tie the game. Davis lashed a single to center and Pinder flied out to the right field wall. Betts had to run up the wall to rob Canha of a home run to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                    The A's tie it up

Holt tried to start a rally by poking a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth.Vazquez grounded out to short but Holt moved to second. JBJ flied out to left but Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked. Benintendi beat out an infield single to load the bases....but Pearce whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to end the inning. The A's took command in the bottom of the fourth althoughn Rodriguez somehow froze Profar with an inside fastball to begin. Naturally once Laureano walked, the rattled Rodriguez allowed a single to Phegley and a double by Grossman to sore Ramon to put the A's up for good. Semien popped up to center as Betts and Bradley Jr committed a huge mental error by letting a pop up drop for a ground rule double for two more runs to score. Rodriguez walked Davis and Sox manager Alex Cora had seen enough. The last two runs shouldn't have scored but Rodriguez once again nibbled and got his ass handed to him in just 3 2/3 innings. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez came in and got Pinder to ground into a force at third but it was all over as the A's led 6-3.

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

The Sox rolled over and died in the top of the fifth as Martinez popped up to center to begin. Somehow Bogaerts singled to left but naturally Nunez popped up in foul territory to first. Holt grounded out weakly to first to end the inning. Velazquez returned for the bottom of the fifth as Canha hit a seeing eye single in the hole at short to begin. Profar banged into a double play and Laureano flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Vazquez popped up to center to begin. JBJ somehow singled up the middle to chase Anderson. Lou Trevino came in to pitch to Mr. Mookie and got rung up on a terrible pitch up and in. JBJ swiped second on the strikeout but Benintend took a curveball right down the middle for strike three to end the inning. Sox manager Alex Cora barked at the home plate umpire as the team was clearly frustrated.

The A's iced the game in the bottom of the sixth although Velazquez got Phegley to pop up to first in foul territory to start. Grossman whiffed but Semien singled to right. Piscotty beat out an infield hit and Davis hit a seeing eye single up the middle to score Semien. Everything Oakland hit found a hole while the Sox couldn't hit the ball out of their hands. Pinder popped up to first to end the inning but it was 7-3 A's.

Joakim Soria took over for the top of the seventh and Pearce was rung up for strike three to start. Martinez popped up to left and Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning. Heath Hembree got the call to pitch the bottom of the seventh and got Canha to fly out to left to start. Profar lined out to right before Hembree keeled over. He refused medical attention and naturally Laureano hit yet anothr seeing eye single to left. Laureano swiped second but Phegley whiffed to end the inning.

Pinder took over at second with Matt Chapman taking Profar's spot in the lineup at third base. Liam Hendriks came in to pitch and Blake Swihart pinch hit for Nunez to begin the top of the eighth. Swihart singled to right but Holt flied out to left. Rafael Devers pinch hit for Vazquez only to erase Swihart on a force. JBJ whiffed to end the inning. Hembree returned for the bottom of the eighth and Grossman flied out to left to start. Semien lined out to right but Piscotty walked. Davis whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox had one final kick in the ass in the top of the ninth inning when Mr. Mookie walked to start. Benintendi dropped a base hit in front of Laureano and he gunned down Betts at third by a mile, shades of Bogaerts from Tuesday night. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Pearce only to line out to right. Martinez grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox dropped to 2-6 on the season with their 7-3 loss to Oakland.

Jackass of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. The struggling lefty once again nibbled, backed away and didn't trust his stuff. This led to him allowing 6 runs in just 3 2/3 innings including the backbreaking 3 run home run.

                                                  Nice going Jackass



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with a solo home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Blake Swihart singled as a pinch hitter.

Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Heath Hembree tossed 2 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Steve Pearce was just 1 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with a stolen base.

Hector Velazquez allowed a run in 2 1/3 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Maybe its time to think this team isn't as good as it thinks it is. Not only have the Red Sox trailed in all 8 games they played so far, they needed lucky breaks just to win 2 of them. For all intents and purposes they should be 0-8 on the season. The worst part is they fall behind by multiple runs every game and they're not even competitive. Both Seattle and Oakland would have 3 run leads by the 5th inning and the game was over. They're not pitching or fielding well and Sox manager Alex Cora is getting more mad at the media for sandbagging Spring Training than he is at his own team. It will be a miracle if they're not 10 games out by the end of April at this rate. Not only is Rodriguez pitching like crap but everyone is all over him. Cora, Dennis Eckersley and Dave O'Brien in the TV both, the fans...everyone is fed up with him having no faith in himself. The Sox continue their horrid road trip with the spanking at the hands of the Arizona Diamondbacks. Tomorrow night Rick Porcello (0-1, 13.50) gets pounded as Zack Godley shuts down the Sox offense at 7:05 PM at Chase Field.

Sox Snap Skid Late (4/3/19)

So that's what its like to win huh? After four agonizing losses in a row the Boston Red Sox finally put themselves back in the win column with a victory over the Oakland A's. Trailing 3-0 going into the fifth inning and Nathan Eovaldi just about finished, the Sox scored 6 unanswered runs getting some breaks along the way. The bullpen tossed 4 scoreless innings and the Sox prevailed over the A's at the Oakland Coliseum.

                                                          "We won?"

The Sox continued their ineptitude in the top of the first inning against A's starter Marco Estrada. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to third to begin. Andrew Benintendi grounded back to the mound and Rafael Devers whiffed to end the inning. Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and froze Robbie Grossman for strike three to start. Things got hairy when Mark Chapman got plunked and the rattled Eovaldi walked Stephen Piscotty. Nathan recovered to get Khris Davis to bang into a double play to end the inning.

JD Martinez looked to start a rally with a base hit to left to begin the top of the second but Mitch Moreland popped up to third. Eduardo Nunez lined out to center before Brock "The Hitman" Holt was plunked. Blake Swihart flied out to center to end the inning. The A's struck first in the bottom of the second inning as Kendrys Morales and Jurickson Profar both singled to start. Marcus Semien walked to load the bases but Eovaldi caught a break when Ramon Laureano was rung up for strike three on a pitch that was clearly ball four. Nick Hundley hit a ball so hard it knocked Devers' glove off and Morales scored on the infield hit. Grossman flied out to center and Chapman grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 1-0 A's.

The Sox failed to respond in the top of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to third to begin. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third and Benintendi popped up to second to end the inning. Eovaldi got Piscotty to line out to center to begin the bottom of the third. Davis whiffed before Morales walked. Profar grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox ran it to 22 straight scoreless innings as Devers popped up to third to start. Martinez flied out to left and Moreland popped up to third to end the inning. The A's struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Semien walked and Laureano crushed a 5,000 foot home run to increase the lead. Hundley grounded out to second, Grossman grounded out to first and Chapman grounded out to third to end the inning with the A's up 3-0.

                                                        A's take command

The Sox FINALLY broke through in the top of the fifth inning. Nunez popped up to third and Holt grounded out to short but Swihart smashed his first home run of the year to dead center to break up the shut-out. JBJ whiffed to end the inning but it was 3-1 A's.

                                                         Swihart ends the drought

Eovaldi came back for one final inning in the bottom of the fifth inning as Piscotty grounded out to short to begin. Davis lined out to third before Morales grounded out to first to end the inning. Eovaldi didn't have his best stuff but he wasn't as bad as his last start. He tossed 5 innings and allowed 3 runs, not the best but not the worst either.

Somehow the Sox rallied in the top of the sixth inning as Mr. Mookie walkesd to start the inning. Benintendi whiffed before Devers hit a perfect double play ball to Profar. Profar then THREW IT AWAY to put runners at the corners. Martinez walked to load the bases and chase Estrada from the game. Ryan Butcher came in and Moreland made the A's pay with a double to right to tie the game, scoring Betts and Devers. JB Wendelken came in and got Nunez to ground out to third and Holt to ground out to first to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 3-3.

                                                      Moreland gets it done

Colten Brewer came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and struck out Profar swinging to start. Semien grounded out to second and Laureano struck out....but advanced to first as the ball got away from Swihart. Brewer recovered to get Hundley to ground into a force to end the inning.

Swihart looked to start a rally in the top of the seventh with a base hit to right but JBJ whiffed. Laureano robbed Betts of a hit with a great diving catch before Chapman almost topped him by diving to snare a Benintendi pop up to end the inning. Brewer returned for the bottom of the seventh and Grossman flied out to center to start. Chapman grounded out to short but Piscotty walked to case Brewer. Matt Barnes hadn't pitched in a while so he came in to punch out Davis to end the inning.

Joakim Soria came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Devers flied out to center to start. Martinez looked at strike three and Moreland whiffed to end the inning. The Sox caught a break in the bottom of the eighth inning although Morales whiffed to start. Profar flied out to left but Semien singled. Semien broke for second and Swihart threw to first base instead then danced in a circle for an error to send Marcus to third. Laureano hit a ball deep to short and Holt's throw came in.....SAFE! Not so fast! Alert Red Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call and the replays overturned the call, Laureano was out and we were tied headed to the ninth.

The Sox capitalized on another break to take command in the top of the ninth inning. Fernando Rodney took the mound and Nune greeted him with a single. Nunez took off for second and was thrown out by a mile before Holt whiffed. Swihart and JBJ stroked back to back singles before a wild pitch moved them into scoring position. Mr. Mookie then hit a line drive off the third base bag for a double to score both runners and give the Sox the lead. Benintendi then smacked a triple off the right field wall to score Betts with a big insurance run. Devers flied out to left to end the inning but it was 6-3 Sox.

                                              Betts ices it

Ryan Brasier had the closer's role in the bottom of the ninth but plunked pinch hitter Chad Pinder (for Hundley) to start. Pinder was erased on the Grossman force but Chapman flied out to center. Piscotty grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had broken their four game losing streak with a 6-3 win.

                                                   They won?


Hero of the Night is Mookie Betts. His 2 run double put the Sox on top for good.

                                                   Mr. Hero


The Good:

JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Blake Swihart was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored and a solo home run.

Colten Brewer tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Matt Barnes got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Ryan Brasier got the save with a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 5 but scored a run.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4.

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

Nathan Eovaldi lasted just 5 innings and allowed 3 runs off 4 hits, 4 walks and a home run.




Final Thoughts:

ITS A MIRACLE!!! The Sox finally won a game and it was desperately needed considering their struggles to start the season. As bad as they looked to start the season, there's still a long way to go and after tomorrow the Sox never have to play in Oakland or Seattle again this season. Meanwhile the New York Yankees just lost 2 of 3 at home to the Detroit Tigers after losing 2 of 3 to Baltimore at home as well. If the Yankees aren't 5 games up by the end of April, they're going to be sorry come September. As for Eovaldi, his command still isn't there but it'll come back once all the rust is gone. The bullpen locked it down and it was nice to see some runs scored for once. The Sox wrap up their four game set at a reasonable hour for once. Tomorrow afternoon Eduardo Rodriguez (0-1, 10.38 ERA) goes for the Sox opposite Brett Anderson at 3:30 PM at the Oakland Coliseum.

A's Blank Sox Again (4/2/19)

As bad as the Boston Red Sox looked against the Seattle Mariners on the mound, at least they swung the bats relatively well in those four games. The past two nights the bats have completely disappeared. For the second straight night the Oakland A's blanked the Red Sox, tossing 18 consecutive scoreless innings. Chris Sale (0-2, 8.00 ERA) held the A's offense to one measly run in 6 innings but the bats couldn't generate any offense. When it was over the A's had beaten the Sox 1-0 to drop the Sox at a pathetic 1-5 on the season. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

Mike Fiers got the ball for Oakland in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to center to begin. Andrew Benintendi lined out to first and Rafael Devers grounded out to second to end the inning. Sale got tagged in the bottom of the first inning although Marcus Semien flied out to center to begin. Mark Chapman absolutely destroyed a home run halfway to San Diego to put the A's up for good. Stephen Piscotty whiffed but Khris Davis walked. Kendrys Morales grounded into a force to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.

                                                  Game is over 1 inning in

JD Martinez somehow singled to right to open the top of the second but naturally Xander Bogaerts flied out to right. Mitch Moreland whiffed and Brock "The Hitman" Holt looked at strike three to end the inning. Sale walked Mark Canha to start the bottom of the second but got Jurickson Profar to fly out to left. Canha was erased on the force by Ramon Laureano before Josh Phegley popped up to short to end the inning.

Christian Vazquez grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to second. Mr. Mookie somehow doubled to right but Benintendi grounded out to second to end the inning. Sale got Semien to fly out to right to start the bottom of the third before Chapman popped up to short. Piscotty singled to short but Davis flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox best chance to score a run was in the top of the fourth when Devers opened with a base hit to right. Martinez flied out to center and Bogaerts flied out to right, but Moreland singled Devers to third. With the tying run on third.....Holt grounded out to first to end the inning. Sale cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Morales grounded out to short to start. Canha flied out to center and Profar grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Vazquez grounded out to third to begin before JBJ flied out to center. Mr. Mookie flied out to center to end the inning. Sale got Laureano to ground out to second to begin the bottom of the fifth but Phegley singled. Semien grounded out to third and Chapman grounded out to short to end the inning.

Benintendi singled to open the top of the sixth and swiped second to put the tying run at second. Devers popped up to third and Benintendi moved to third on the grounder by Martinez. With the tying run at third...Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning. Sale returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and got Piscotty to ground out to short to begin. Davis was plunked but Morales lined out to right. Canha grounded into a force to end the inning. Sale was brilliant by tossing 6 innings of 1 run ball while allowing just 3 hits...he just didn't get any run support.

                                                                Sale deserved better

Ryan Butcher replaced Fiers for the top of the seventh and Moreland whiffed to start. Holt whiffed but Vazquez doubled and stole third. With the tying run on third again....JBJ whiffed to end the inning.

                                                       JBJ smashes his bat

Brandon Workman took over for Sale in the bottom of the seventh and whiffed Profar to start. Laureano grounded out to third and Phegley struck out swinging to end the inning.

Lou Trivino was next out of the pen to shut down the Sox in the top of the eighth. Mr. Mookie pathetically swung and missed for strike three before Benintendi and Devers both grounded out weakly to second to end the inning. Ryan Brasier took over for the bottom of the eighth and whiffed Semien to start. Chapman walked but Piscotty banged into a double play to end the inning.

The Sox blew their chance to tie the game in the top of the ninth with Blake Treinen on the mound and Chad Pinder in left field. Martinez whiffed badly on 3 straight fastballs down the middle before somehow Bogaerts doubled into the gap. Bogaerts foolishly tried for third and Laureano's throw beat him by a mile. Somehow Moreland walked and Eduardo Nunez ran for him. Nunez swiped second but Holt whiffed on a pitch in the dirt to end the game. For the second straight game the Sox were shutout by the A's and lost 1-0.

Jackass of the Night is Brock Holt. He was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts including failing twice with men in scoring position.

                                                         Brock "The Jackass" Holt

The Good:

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Eduardo Nunez stole a base as a pinch hitter.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3.

Chris Sale was the hard luck loser but pitched great. He tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball while allowing just 3 hits and striking out a batter.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

The Bad:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 with a stolen base.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

This season sucks already. As if the first four games weren't bad enough, the last two the Sox have scored a combined zero runs. At least the Sox were competitive today from the defensive side of the ball by making no errors and Sale allowing just 3 hits. The only silver lining was the New York Yankees lost to the Detroit Tigers so they've lost 3 of the 5 games they've played at home so far. The Sox aren't in trouble yet but losing 5 of the first 6 games they played is a bad look. Hopefully they'll come around or else we're looking at 2014 all over again. Still, its early and the Yankees aren't pulling away so its not time to panic yet. Winning a game for a change would be nice though. The Sox look to bounce back at the moronic start time of 10:00 Eastern time when Nathan Eovaldi (0-0, 10.80 ERA) looks to break the four game losing streak against Marco Estrada at the Oakland Coliseum.

A's Shut Out Sox (4/1/19)

After the Seattle Mariners dropkicked the Boston Red Sox around for four games, the Sox picked up their ineptitude in Oakland. David Price (0-1, 6.00 ERA) became the latest starter to fail to post a quality start, giving up 3 home runs including the kill shot in the 6th inning. The immortal Aaron Brooks pitched a 2 hit shut-out and the Oakland bullpen finished off the shutout as the Sox dropped to 1-4 on the season with a 4-0 loss at Oakland Coliseum. How many runs did the Sox score Dean Wormer?

The Sox began their awful offensive day when Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center to begin. Andrew Benintendi and Rafael Devers both whiffed to end the inning. Price initially pitched well in the bottom of the first by striking out Marcus Semien to begin. Matt Chapman looked at strike three before Stephen Piscotty flied out to center to end the inning.

The Sox blew a chance to take the lead in the top of the second inning as JD Martinez lined out to center to start. Xander Bogaerts doubled and ran for home on a Mitch Moreland single. Bogaerts was thrown out by a mile to kill the rally. Eduardo Nunez grounded into a force to end the inning.

                                                    Yerrrrr out!

Price's nemesis Khris Davis tagged him with a solo home run to open the bottom of the second. Price recovered to strike out the side. Mark Canha, Chad Pinder and Jurickson Profar all whiffed in short order but the A's led 1-0.

                                                 Davis tags Price again

The one run lead may as well been a hundred as Jackie Bradley Jr started the top of the third with a line out to center. Christian Vazquez flied out to right and Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning. The A's iced the game in the bottom of the third when Ramon Laureano homered to put the A's up for good. Nick Hundley grounded out to short before Semien doubled to left. Chapman flied out to left and Piscotty grounded out to first to end the inning but it was 2-0 A's.

                                                       Another homer allowed

Nothing happened in the top of the fourth as Benintendi lined out to left to begin. Devers looked at strike three and Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning. Price stayed tough as he whiffed Davis to start the bottom of the fourth. Canha walked but was erased on the Pinder force. Profar singled but Laureano whiffed to end the inning.

More ineptitude in the top of the fifth as Bogaerts whiffed to start. Moreland walked but Nunez banged into a double play to end the inning. Price whiffed Hundley to begin the bottom of the fifth before Semien grounded out to first. Chapman flied out to center to end the inning.

JBJ flied out to left to open the top of the sixth before Vazquez whiffed. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning. The A's finished off Price in the bottom of the sixth although Piscotty whiffed to begin. Davis grounded out to second but Canha drew a full count walk. Pinder made Price pay with a 2 run homer to erase all doubt who was going to win. Profar lined out to left to end the inning but it was 4-0 A's. Price had gone 6 innings and struck out 9 but surrendered 3 home runs and 4 earned runs. Ironically it was the best start of the season so far.

                                                   Another starter pounded

Ryan Butcher took over for the top of the seventh inning and Benintendi grounded out to first to start. Devers looked at strike three and Liam Hendriks came in to pitch. Martinez and Bogaerts stroked back to back singles but Moreland popped up to second to end the inning. Tyler Thornburg ran as fast as he could to the mound from the bullpen to start the bottom of the seventh. Laureano whiffed before Hundley popped up to first. Semien flied out to left to end the inning.

Old farmhand JB Wendelken came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Nunez grounded out to short to start, JBJ and Vazquez whiffed to end the inning. Heath Hembree came in to pour gas on the fire in the bottom of the eighth inning. Chapman greeted him with the A's fourth homer of the night to start. Piscotty singled and Davis hit a routine grounder to Devers. Rafael picked the ball up and spiked it like a football before doing the funky chicken for an error. Kendrys Morales pinch hit for Canha and singled home Piscotty. Pinder singled home Davis to wrap up the scoring. Profar popped up to short and Laureano whiffed to end the inning but it was a disaster, 7-0.

                                                     The Sox surrender

Fernando Rodney had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Mr. Mookie whiffed to start. Benintendi flied out to left but Devers walked. Martinez whiffed to end the game. The A's had humiliated the Sox 7-0.

Jackass of the Night is David Price. It wasn't like the Sox were going to score any runs anyway but allowing 4 runs including 3 long balls in just 6 innings was not a recipe for success.

                                       Keep the ball in the yard next time, Jackass



The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3.

Mitch Moreland was 1 for 2 with a walk.

Tyler Thornburg pitched a scoreless 7th inning.




The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 3

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Heath Hembree allowed 3 runs in just an inning of work.




The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with an error and a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

JD Martinez was 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

That's 5 games in a row the Sox didn't just lose but looked completely lost in. At least against Seattle they swung the bats well, this time they didn't and still gave up 7 runs. For those scoring at home the Sox have allowed 41 runs through the first 5 games of the season. If the pitching ever comes around then they'll be fine but gadzooks! They suck right now for sure. The only silver lining is this is the only west coast trip to Seattle and Oakland so better to get that out of the way now than in September. The Sox look to break their skid when Chris Sale (0-1, 21.00 ERA) looks to right himself against Mike Fiers at the ridiculous 10:00 PM Eastern time start at Oakland Coliseum.

Basebawful Report of the Month (3/31/19)

Matt Barnes had 1 Good

Andrew Benintendi had 1 Good and 3 Ugly

Mookie Betts had 1 Good and 3 Ugly

Xander Bogaerts had 1 Good, 2 Ugly and 1 Jackass

Jackie Bradley Jr had 1 Good and 3 Ugly

Ryan Brasier had 1 Good

Colten Brewer had 2 Good

Rafael Devers had 3 Good and 1 Ugly

Nathan Eovaldi had 1 Bad

Heath Hembree had 1 Good and 1 Ugly

Brock Holt had 1 Ugly and 1 Honorable Mention

Brian Johnson had 2 Good and 1 Ugly

JD Martinez had 3 Good and 1 Ugly

Mitch Moreland had 3 Ugly and 1 Hero

Eduardo Nunez had 2 Bad and 2 Ugly

Rick Porcello had 1 Jackass

Eduardo Rodriguez had 1 Bad

Chris Sale had 1 Jackass

Blake Swihart had 2 Good and 1 Bad

Tyler Thornburg had 1 Good and 1 Bad

Sam Travis had 1 Good and 1 Bad

Christian Vazquez had 2 Good and 2 Ugly

Hector Velazquez had 1 Good and 1 Bad

Brandon Workman had 2 Good


The Co-MVP's are JD Martinez and Rafael Devers with 3 Good

The Least Valuable Player is Eduardo Nunez with 2 Bad

The Tri-Ugliest Players of the Month are Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi and Jackie Bradley Jr with 3 apiece

Hero of the Month is Mitch Moreland with 1 Hero

The Tri-Jackasses of the Month are Chris Sale, Xander Bogaerts and Rick Porcello

Mariners Pound Sox, Take Three of Four (3/31/19)

Either the Seattle Mariners are winning 116 games again this season or the Boston Red Sox were caught in a rare perfect storm. For the fourth game in a row the Mariners effortlessly pounded the Red Sox pitching staff with Rick Porcello being the latest victim. The Mariners had 7 runs on the board in 2 2/3 innings before putting 10 total on the board. The Sox tried to fight back with 8 runs of their own but the deficit was just too much to overcome as the Mariners had taken 3 of 4 to start the season with a 10-8 victory at Safeco Field.

Wade LeBlanc got the ball to start the top of the first inning and the Sox tagged him. Mr. Mookie greeted him by grounding out to short to begin before Rafael Devers got a lucky double to left when the left fielder misjudged it. JD Martinez singled up the middle on the first pitch to score Devers with the first run. Xander Bogaerts drew a walk and Ryon Healy threw a double play ball by Sam Travis away to load the bases. Mitch Moreland popped up to left before Eduardo Nunez singled in the hole at third to score Martinez and Bogaerts. Christian Vazquez flied out to center to end the inning but it was 3-0 Sox.

"Slick" Rick Porcello took the mound in the bottom of the first and struck out Mallex Smith to start. Bogaerts lost a pop up by Mitch Haniger in the sun but the alert Martinez caught it in time. Porcello froze Domingo Santana to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr led off the top of the second by grounding out to first. Mr. Mookie hit a 401 foot fly out to the centerfield wall before Devers grounding out to first to end the inning. Jay Bruce started a rally with a double to right to start the bottom of the second before Omar Narvaez poked a single to center to put runners at the corners. Beckham had Porcello on the ropes by running the count full but Porcello froze him with a perfect pitch on the outside corner for strike three. Porcello got Healy to pop up to third before Daniel Vogelbach walked to load the bases. Gordon made Rick pay by stroking a single to score Bruce and Narvaez. Smith grounded out to first but Porcello was at 40 pitches and it was 3-2 Sox.

Martinez tried to start a rally by drawing a walk to open the top of the third but Bogaerts poked a piece of crap pop up to right. Travis hit a routine fly to center but Moreland doubled into the right field corner. Unfortunately Nunez popped up to right on the first pitch to end the inning. The Mariners took advantage of an error by Martinez to rally again. JD dropped a pop up by Haninger and it allowed him to reach second. Santana hit a rocket to the left field wall that Martinez grabbed but Haniger moved to third. Bruce walked on 4 pitches not even close and Narvaez smashed a 3 run bomb to put the Mariners up for good. Beckham drew a full count walk and Healy singled him to third. Porcello walked Vogelbach before Gordon hit a sac fly to score Beckham. Smith singled up the middle to score Healy to chase Porcello. Porcello was just the lastest starter to get his ass handed to him by allowing 9 earned runs in just 2 2/3 innings. Brian Johnson came in and the parade continued as Haniger doubled down the left field line to score Vogelbach and Smith. Santana flied out to center to end the inning but the game was over 9-3.

                                                     Another garbage start

The Sox tried to come back in the top of the fourth as Vazquez drew a walk to start. JBJ whiffed but Mr. Mookie beat out a double play ball. That was big as Devers singled and Martinez crushed a three run homer to inch the Sox closer. Bogaerts singled to center but Travis lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox down 9-6.

                                                            Sox aren't dead yet

The Mariners wasted no time getting the runs back as Bruce hit a home run into the Pacific Ocean to open the bottom of the fourth. Narvaez flied out to center and Beckham grounded out to short but Healy doubled down the left field line. Vogelbach flied out to left to end the inning but now it was over 10-6.

The Sox gave up after that as they went quietly in the top of the fifth. Moreland flied out to left, Nunez grounded out to short and Vazquez lined out to right to end the inning. Johnson almost got tagged in the bottom of the fifth as Gordon flied out to center to begin. Smith flied out to left but Haniger singled and Santana walked. Bruce whiffed on a full count to end the inning.

The Sox struck in the top of the sixth although JBJ grounded out to first to start. That was it for LeBlanc as Nick Rumbelow replaced him. Mr. Mookie greeted him with his first home run of the year to cut into the lead. Devers lined out to center and Martinez lined out to right to end the inning but it was 10-7.

                                                 First dinger of the year for Betts

Brandon Workman came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth inning and got Narvaez to line out to left to start. Beckham looked at strike three but Healy walked. Vogelbach whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox went quietly against Matt Festa in the top of the seventh as Bogaerts looked at strike three to start. Travis grounded out to second and Moreland whiffed to end the inning. Colten Brewer got the call to pitch the bottom of the seventh and crapped his pants. Gordon stuck his bat out, poking a single to center before Devers battled the sun to corral a pop up by Smith in foul territory. Gordon plowed into Nunez on a steal attempt and was safe before moving to third on a passed ball strikeout by Haniger. Santana walked on four pitches not even close to load the bases but Brewer somehow struck out both Bruce and Narvaez to end the inning. Good work Brewer!

The Sox did nothing in the top of the eighth as Nunez popped up to Gordon to start. Vazquez grounded out to third but JBJ doubled into the right field corner. Mr. Mookie walked to chase Festa and Roenis Elias got Devers to pop up to left to end the inning. Ryan Brasier made his season debut in the bottom of the eighth and naturally Beckham singled up the middle to start. Healy lined out to center and Vogelbach whiffed. Gordon whiffed to end the inning.

Cory Gearrin came in to finish off the Sox in the top of the ninth and Martinez got on with a walk. Bogaerts flied out to right and Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Travis. Benintendi and Moreland drew back to back walks to load the bases. That was it for Gearrin as Chasen Bradford was brought in to face Blake Swihart who was pinch hitting for Nunez. Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch ran for Moreland and Swihart drew a full count walk to score Martinez, re-loading the bases. Naturally Vazquez pissed down his leg and whiffed before JBJ grounded out weakly to second to end the game. The Sox rallied in the ninth again but it was too much to overcome in the 10-8 loss.

Jackass of the Night is Rick Porcello. He lasted just 2 2/3 innings and was charged with 9 runs (4 earned). He allowed 6 hits, an uncharacteristic 4 walks and one home run.

                                                   Slick Jackass


The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, 3 total runs scored, 4 total rbis including a 3 run homer.

Andrew Benintendi walked as a pinch hitter.

Blake Swihart walked and drove in a run.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Colton Brewer pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Sam Travis was 0 for 4.



The Ugly:

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but scored two runs, walked and the one hit was a solo home run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 but walked.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5.

Brian Johnson allowed 2 inherited runners to score but only one of his own in 2 1/3 innings.



Honorable Mention:

Brock Holt pinch ran for Moreland in the ninth inning.




Final Thoughts:

What more can be said apart from the Sox weren't ready to start the season. The Mariners hit everything a mile or simply stuck their bats out and the balls dropped in somewhere. This was a four game mugging with an audience. The Mariners scored 34 runs in four games and the Sox needed a miracle rally to win one game. The only bright side is the New York Yankees lost two of three at home against Baltimore, games they need to win. Hopefully the starters got their rust off and can come back this coming week after first game jitters are gone. The Sox look to bounce back in a four game set in Oakland starting tomorrow night. David Price makes his season debut opposite Aaron Brooks at 10:00 PM Eastern time at the Oakland Coliseum.