Rays Bash Bello, Sox (7/6/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made the highly anticipated roster move as they designated the struggling Hansel Robles for assignment and called up 23 year old pitching prospect Brayan Bello to make his major league debut in tonight's game. Bello started the year in Portland but blew through not only there but Worcester as well in just over a month. With all the injuries to the Red Sox, why not give the kid a chance?

                                                                     OUT

                                                                    IN

As for the game, the Red Sox are in deep trouble. They have lost their third consecutive series and 6 of their last 9 heading into the big four game showdown with the New York Yankees. Their prized rookie Brayan Bello (0-1, 9.00) ERA was not ready for prime time as the Tampa Bay Rays pounded him for four runs in just four innings. The game would have been a lot worse if it hadn't been for some amazing plays to keep it as close with him on the mound. The horrible Sox offense continued to slump as they were blanked for six innings by Corey Kluber and scored one measly run against the Tampa bullpen. The Sox bullpen once again crapped themselves, allowing three runs of their own to put the game out of reach. The Rays actually had more walks than the Sox had hits as they easily took two of three from the Sox 7-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                        Sad Dangle

Naturally the Rays pounded Bello in his major league debut as Jarren Duran had to climb the wall to rob Josh Lowe of a home run to start the game. Yandy Diaz doubled off the Monster and Wander Franco ripped a base hit to center to score Yandy to put the Rays up for good 3 batters into the game. Ji-Man Choi hit a routine grounder to Trevor Story who not only failed to tag out Franco by Franchy Cordero dropped the throw to first for an error. Somehow Randy Arozarena hit into a double play to end the inning but the game was already over 1-0 Rays.

                                                    Rays end it early

Kluber dominated the bottom of the first as Duran took strike three right down the middle to start. Christian Vazquez grounded out to short and JD Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning.

The beating continued in the top of the second as Xander Bogaerts made a great diving catch to rob Taylor Walls of a sure double to start. Kevin Kiermaier walked on ball four that went to the backstop but somehow Francisco Mejia struck out swinging. Christian Arroyo made a great diving play to rob Vidal Brujan of extra bases to end the inning. The Sox caught a break when Franco booted a routine grounder by Bogaerts to start the bottom of the second but Alex Verdugo popped up to right. Trevor Story took strike three right down the middle but Cordero got a lucky ground rule double down the right field line. Just like last night when the Sox got two men in scoring position, Arroyo hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Rays continued the onslaught in the top of the third as Bello had to make a spectacular play to rob Josh Lowe of a sure double to start. Diaz walked on five pitches not even close but the home plate ump felt sorry for Bello so he rang up Franco for strike three. Naturally Choi got a base hit off the centerfield wall and Arozarena doubled high off the top of the centerfield wall to score both runners to ice the game. Arozarena took third on the play and Walls walked on a pitch not even close to put runners at the corners. Kiermaier effortlessly doubled off the right field wall to score Arozarena and Duran had to make a great diving catch to rob Mejia of a triple to end the inning with the Rays up 4-0. The Rays scored 3 runs with 2 outs with more hits in one inning than the Sox had most of last night's game.

                                                       Rays pour it on

The Sox continued their ineptitude in the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr got a lucky infield single to short to start. Naturally Duran lined out to right but Vazquez got a lucky base hit to center. Once again with two men on, Martinez barely beat out a double play ball and Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox are now third in all of baseball in stranding runners with 4 more already.

Bello's night was finished in the top of the fourth as Verdugo made a great diving catch to rob Brujan of a sure double to start. Lowe effortlessly pounded a double off the Monster and moved to third on the grounder to the mound by Diaz. Somehow Franco grounded out to second to end the inning. That was it for Bello who just like Josh Winckowski, looked absolutely horrible in his ML debut. He got rocked for 4 runs in just 4 innings which really should have been 8 or 9 if it wasn't for some amazing plays by the Sox defense.

                                                Tough spot for Bello to make his debut

Kluber dominated the bottom of the fourth as Verdugo popped up weakly to left to start. Story hit a weak liner to second and Cordero went down hacking as Kluber needed just 8 pitches to get out of the inning.

Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the fifth and froze Choi for strike three to start. Arozarena struck out swinging but Walls drew a walk. Walls was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Kluber continued his dominance in the bottom of the fifth as Arroyo popped up weakly to center on the first pitch. Four pitches later JBJ flied out to center and Duran grounded back to the mound on the first pitch he saw to end the inning. Kluber needed just 6 pitches to get out of the inning, pathetic.

Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Kiermaier grounded out to short to start. Mejia struck out swinging but Brujan walked. The Rays had more walks than the Sox had hits in this one. A wild pitch moved Brujan to second and as soon as the Rays had a runner in scoring position, Lowe effortlessly doubled high off the Monster to score him. Diaz and Franco drew back to back walks to load the bases before Choi walked home Lowe as boos rained down at Fenway. Arozarena bailed out the Sox when he lined what would have been ball 3 to Duran to end the inning with the Rays up 6-0.

                                                            Way to go Sawamura

The Sox quit in the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez grounded out to short to start. Martinez struck out swinging and Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning in short order.

Austin Davis came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Walls struck out swinging to start. Kiermaier took strike three and Mejia grounded out to second to end the inning. Calvin Faucher came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Verdugo grounded out to second to start. Somehow Story doubled to left but could only move to third on the fly out to right by Cordero. As usual with a man on third, Arroyo grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox once again failed to get a hit with a runner in scoring position.

Tyler Danish came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Brujan singled to center to start. Lowe lined out to short but Diaz got a base hit to center. Franco popped up to short and  Choi grounded out to second to end the inning. Shawn Armstrong came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Duran somehow doubled off the Monster but as usual Vazquez could only move Duran to third with a grounder to second. In the most shocking moment of the day, Martinez actually got a base hit to left to score Duran. A wild pitch moved JD to second but Bogaerts swung at ball four and grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 6-1.

                                                       "We won't get shut out, yay" - JD

Danish returned for the top of the ninth and Arozarena hit a home run all the way to Paris, France to get that run right back. Walls grounded out to first and Kiermaier was retired on a squibber in front of the plate but Mejia worked Tampas's NINTH walk of the game on four pitches not even close. Brujan grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Rays up 7-1.

                                                              Home run Arozarena

Matt Wisler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and the Sox went quietly. Verdugo popped up to short, Story popped up to third and Cordero struck out swinging to end the game. The Rays walked more than the Sox got hit and beat them 7-1.

                                                                  Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Brayan Bello. He got hammered for four runs in four innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                               Jackass Bello

The Good:

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3.

Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless fifth inning.

Austin Davis pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4.

Christian Arroyo was 0 for 3.

Hiro Sawamura allowed 2 runs in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Franchy Cordero was just 1 for 4 with an error with 2 strikeouts.

Tyler Danish allowed a run in two innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

Asking a rookie to come up from the minors and pitch in a big game is a tall task and unfortunately Bello wasn't up to the challenge. Getting rocked for 4 runs in 4 innings wasn't what the Sox were looking for. It didn't help the bats got shut down by Corey Kluber. Its become apparent the Sox can't beat AL East teams. Any time they go up against the Rays, New York Yankees or Toronto Blue Jays they somehow forget how to execute at the plate, on the mound, on the bases and in the field. Once again the bullpen failed as they allowed 3 runs to put the game completely out of reach. Not that the bats were doing anything but a closer game might have been a little more interesting. Sox GM Chaim Bloom failed big time with this bullpen construction but the offense is definitely underperforming. Not having Devers for a few days is gonna be FUN with the Yankees coming to town isn't it? The loss drops the Sox to 45-37, tied with the Rays for the first wild card spot. The Sox now welcome the first place, unbeatable Yankees to Fenway for a four game beat down. Josh Winckowski (3-2, 3.12 ERA) gets pulverized by the Yankee bats while Gerrit Cole probably pitches a 3 hit shutout. The carnage begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Rays Bash Pivetta, Sox (7/5/22)

Yesterday I said the Tampa Bay Rays were most likely playoff bound when the season is over and tonight showed exactly why as they defeated the Boston Red Sox. Nick Pivetta (8-6, 3.68 ERA) was tagged for 3 runs in the top of the first but the Sox battled back to tie the game. Then he fell apart in the sixth inning. The Rays rallied for four runs against him and Jake Diekman in relief. Hansel Robles was once again nailed for a run while the Sox could only muster one run against the Rays bullpen. Old friend Jeffrey Springs allowed 3 runs in 4 innings and the Rays pretty much slammed the door after that. The Sox were denied their first series win against an AL East opponent as the Rays took the game 8-4 at Fenway Park.

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and the Rays wasted no time pounding him. Yandy Diaz doubled off the Monster and Harold Ramirez ripped a base hit to left to put runners at the corners. Wander Franco walked to load the bases but Isaac Parades popped up to short. Naturally Kevin Kiermaier hit a bases clearing double to center to put Tampa up big five batters into the game. Randy Arozarena was plunked but Taylor Walls hit a bullet to Trevor Story. Story doubled off Kiermaier to end the inning but the Rays were ahead 3-0.

                                                       Kiermaier clears the bases

Springs got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Rob Refsnyder grounded out to third but JD Martinez doubled to center. Xander Bogaerts helped the cause by launching his 7th home run of the year to cut the lead bit Christian Vazquez lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                              X gon give it to ya

Rene Pinto struck out swinging to start the top of the second before Josh Lowe grounded out to second. Diaz doubled off the Monster again but Ramirez flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck back instantly in the bottom of the second when Story clubbed his 14th home run of the season to tie the game. Franchy Cordero struck out swinging, Christian Arroyo grounded out to short and Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3. 

                                                         Story ties it up

Franco got a base hit to right to start the top of the third but was foolishly doubled off first on a pop up to Story by Parades. Kiermaier grounded out to short to end the inning. Duran walked to start the bottom of the third but Refsnyder popped up to second. Duran swiped second but Martinez went down hacking. Bogaerts walked but Vazquez flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning. 

Arozarena struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth before Walls popped up to third. Pinto struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Story struck out swinging to start. Cordero lined out to second but Arroyo got a base hit to right. Dalbec got a base hit to left but Duran took strike three to end the inning. 

Lowe took strike three to start the top of the fifth before Diaz grounded out to short. Ramirez also grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox squandered their best chance in the bottom of the fifth with Ryan Thompson now on the mound. Refsnyder got a base hit to right before Martinez also doubled to right. As usual Bogaerts grounded out to second, Vazquez popped up to short and Story struck out swinging to end the inning. It was posted that the Red Sox now have the lowest batting average in baseball with men on base and nobody out, pathetic.

As usual the Rays capitalized in the top of the sixth as Franco walked to start. Parades ripped a base hit to right to move Wander to third and Kiermaier did the honors by beating out a double play ball to score the go-ahead run. Arozarena effortlessly doubled to center and Walls scored Kiermaier with a sac fly to left. Pinto then singled off the glove of Bogaerts to ice the game by scoring Arozarena.  That was it for Pivetta who saved his worst start in months for when the injured Sox needed it the most..he got hammered for 7 runs in just 5 2/3 innings. Jake Diekman came in and as usual walked Lowe before Diaz ripped a base hit to left to score Pinto. Ramirez forced Diaz at second to end the inning but the Rays matched the Red Sox entire production for the game in one inning to go up for good 7-3.

                                                        Sox go up in flames

Brooks Raley came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and the Sox completely quit. Cordero and  Arroyo both struck out swinging before Dalbec took a full count strike three right down the middle to end the inning.

Sox manager Alex Cora waived the white flag by bringing in Hansel Robles to pitch the top of the seventh. As usual he walked the first guy in Franco who promptly stole second. Parades ripped a base hit to center to score Franco with another run. Kiermaier walked and Arozarena beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Arozarena was thrown out at second and Walls took strike three to end the inning with the Rays up 8-3.

                                                            Parades adds to the lead

Shawn Armstrong came in for the bottom of the seventh and Duran doubled to left to start. Refsnyder grounded out to short but Martinez beat out a roller to short to put runners at the corners. All Bogaerts could do was score Duran with a sac fly to left and Vazquez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

                                                       Just a sac fly for Bogaerts

Tyler Danish came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pinto singled to right to start. Lowe flied out to left but Diaz walked. Ramirez and Franco struck out swinging to end the inning. Colin Poche came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Story struck out swinging to start. Cordero walked but Arroyo flied out to right. Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning.

Parades flied out to center to start the top of the ninth but Kiermaier grounded out to second. Arozarena struck out swinging to end the inning. Jason Adam came in to close out the top of the ninth and Duran singled to center to start. Refsnyder singled to center but Martinez struck out swinging. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Vazquez was plunked to load the bases. Representing the tying run...Story popped up to short to end the game. The Rays had won it 8-4.

                                                               Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Nick Pivetta. He got smoked for 7 runs in just 5 2/3 innings. He allowed 8 hits and 2 walks to take the loss.

                                                         Jackass Pivetta

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a walk, stolen base and a run scored.

Rob Refsnyder was 2 for 5.

JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a 2 run home run, a walk and 3 total rbis.

Tyler Danish tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Hansel Robles allowed a run in the seventh inning.

The Ugly:

Trevor Story was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Jake Diekman allowed an inherited run to score but none of his own in 1/3 of an inning.

Final Thoughts:

Its been happening all year but the Sox absolutely cannot hit in the clutch. They have the lowest batting average with men on base and tonight showed why. They had a chance to do damage in the seventh and ninth innings and came up empty both times. Meanwhile the Rays had no problem rallying in the sixth inning did they? That's why the Rays are most likely playoff bound and the Sox aren't. This was Boston's chance to win their first series against an AL East team all year and they failed miserably. Pivetta getting rocked, the bats striking out left and right plus another game with the bullpen allows runs all added to the misery. The Sox needed Pivetta to stay strong with Rich Hill and now Michael Wacha out and he got lit up by the Rays. What are the New York Yankees and Toronto Blue Jays going to do to him if he can't beat the Rays? Now the rumor is Rafael Devers may miss a few games as well, just what they needed with a showdown against the Yankees looming right? The less said of this disaster, the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 45-36, 1 game in front of the Rays for the first wild card. The Sox look to win their first AL East series all year tomorrow nightn and the good news is it looks like the Sox are going to call up top pitching prospect Brayan Bello to make his ML debut. Bello takes on Corey Kluber at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Blank Rays, Lose Wacha (7/4/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move as Connor Seabold was sent back to Worcester to give Kutter Crawford another chance. Seabold looked shaky in his last start and the Sox want Crawford for his experience against the AL East gauntlet coming up.

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                                                                      IN

As for the game, the Sox won but lost an important piece of the puzzle when today's July 4th starter

Michael Wacha scratched due to dead arm. Austin Davis got the emergency start but it was Kutter Crawford (2-2, 5.04 ERA) who shined in the end. After Davis tossed two scoreless innings, Crawford shutout the Rays until the eighth inning allowing just 2 hits and a walk while striking out 8. On the other side of the ball, old friend Jalen "Twin" Beeks was the opener but the Sox got to his replacement Josh Fleming for four runs. Trevor Story hit a home run, Rafael Devers knocked in a run, Fleming made an error to allow a run and Franchy Cordero got an rbi too. John Schreiber came in to slam the door after Crawford was done to preserve the victory. The win came at a price and losing Wacha hurts for the next few weeks, but the Sox began their AL East death march with a 4-0 win over the Rays at Fenway Park.

                                                         Happy 4th of July

Davis got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz grounded out to short to start. Wander Franco flied out to right and Ji-Man Choi struck out swinging to end the inning. Beeks got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran popped up to second to start. Rafael Devers popped up to short and JD Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Harold Ramirez flied out to center to start the top of the second but Isaac Parades walked. Josh Lowe flied out to left and Randy Arozarena took strike three to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Christian Vazquez walked to start. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging but Trevor Story got a base hit in the hole at short. Franchy Cordero flied out to right but Christian Arroyo singled to left to load the bases. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kutter Crawford came in to pitch the top of the third and Francisco Mejia struck out swinging to start. Brett Phillips flied out to left but Crawford threw the ball away to allow Diaz to reach second. Franco singled to left to move Diaz to third but Choi struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the bottom of the third against Josh Fleming as Duran grounded out to second to start. Devers grounded back to the mound and Martinez grounded out to first to end the inning.

Ramirez took strike three to start the top of the fourth but Parades walked. Lowe flied out to center and Arozarena forced Parades at second to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the fourth as Vazquez grounded out to second to start. Verdugo grounded out to second but Story smashed his 13th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Cordero struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                              Story gets one

Mejia struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth and Phillips flied out to left. Story dropped a routine pop up by Diaz for a "single" but Yandy was thrown out at second to end the inning.

                                                               Yerrrr out!

The Sox got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Arroyo doubled to left to start. Dalbec was retired in front of a squibber to move Arroyo to third but Duran struck out swinging. Devers beat out a roller to second to score Arroyo to increase the lead. Devers was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                        Devers drives in a run

Franco flied out to right to start the top of the sixth before Choi popped up to short. Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. Martinez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth but Vazquez flied out to right. Verdugo beat out a roller to second and Story flied out to left to end the inning.

Parades took strike three to start the top of the seventh and Lowe popped up to third. Arozarena took strike three to end the inning. Cordero struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh before Arroyo grounded out to short. Somehow Dalbec got a base hit to right and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Duran only to line out to right to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr took over in center to start the top of the eighth and Mejia lined out to right to start. Phillips swung and missed at strike three in the dirt and took first on the pitch to chase Crawford. He had stepped up big by tossing 5 1/3 shutout innings in an emergency relief appearance. John Schreiber came in and Phillips took second on the grounder to first by Diaz. Franco grounded out to second to end the inning.

                                                             Crawford gets it done

The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the eighth as Devers got a base hit to center to start. Martinez ripped a base hit to right and Vazquez singled to left to load the bases with nobody out. Fleming then booted a grounder by Verdugo for an error to score Devers and re-load the bases. Calvin Faucher came in to pitch and Story struck out looking but Cordero ripped a base hit to right to score Martinez. Arroyo banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                        Cordero hits the killshot

Schreiber returned to close out the top of the ninth and Choi struck out swinging to start. Ramirez grounded out to short and Parades flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-0.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of the Night is Kutter Crawford. The rookie stepped up by tossing 5 1/3 shutout innings to blank the Rays for the win.

                                                               Crawford Hero

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3.

Austin Davis tossed 2 scoreless innings.

John Schreiber earned his 3rd save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

The Ugly:

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Franchy Cordero was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.

Honorable Mention:

Jackie Bradley Jr played centerfield in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

Losing Wacha is a huge blow to the Sox who needed him with the AL East gauntlet coming up but the fact they stepped it up tonight showed they had balls for sure. Davis did well in his two innings and then it was Crawford's shining moment until the eighth inning. The Rays are probably playoff bound when all is said and done and for Crawford to shut them down is a good sign. Maybe he can figure it out in Wacha's absence even though its a tall order. Offensively the Sox didn't really do much against Beeks and Fleming but it was enough to win. The Sox are going to need their guys to step it up because shutouts aren't going to be common in the next three weeks. It was good to see Story hit one out and Arroyo to get a couple hits in the absence of Xander Bogaerts so its not entirely a bad day offensively. The Sox need to make a statement here and now and winning the first game gets them off on the right track. The win improved the Sox to 45-35, 1.5 games ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Rays tomorrow night when Nick Pivetta (8-5) takes on old pal Jeffrey Springs of the Rays. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Get Lucky Against Cubs in 11 Innings (7/3/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Phillips Valdez was sent back to Worcester in favor of today's starting pitcher, Connor Seabold. With Rich Hill out with a knee injury, the Sox are gonna need Seabold to step up in his absence whether its fair or not.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, the Red Sox got lucky this time. Connor Seabold lasted just 4 innings while allowing a run thanks to Sox manager Alex Cora overthinking things again, forcing the bullpen to go the rest of the way. Naturally the 2-1 lead disappeared when Patrick Wisdom took Matt Strahm deep to tie the game. After the Sox did nothing after the fourth inning, New York Yankee fans gladhanded each other saying the game was in the bag for Chicago. Too bad they didn't count on the Cubs being just as bad. Trevor Story hit a routine grounder to Rowan Wick in the top of the eleventh who threw the ball away allowing the go-ahead runs to score. Somehow Jake Diekman slammed the door in the bottom of the frame to give the Sox the 4-2 victory over the Cubs in 11 innings at Wrigley Field.

                                                      Talulah approves of the win

Keegan Thompson got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran flied out to left to start. Rafael Devers caught the Cubs asleep with a bunt single to short and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. Alex Verdugo lined out to right and Christian Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Cubs wasted no time getting to Seabold in the bottom of the first as Rafael Ortega doubled to left and Wilson Contreras singled to center to score Rafael just like that. Ian Happ popped up to first, Patrick Wisdom popped up to second and Nico Hoerner flied out to left to end the inning with the Cubs up 1-0.

                                                                     Cubs take the lead

Rob Refsnyder lined out to center to start the top of the second but Franchy Cordero beat out a roller to third. Bobby Dalbec grounded into a double play to end the inning. PJ Higgins struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second but Alfonso Rivas walked. Nelson Velazquez singled in the hole at second to move Rivas to third but Christopher Morel struck out swinging. Ortega flied out to center to end the inning.

Christian Arroyo walked to start the top of the third but Duran flied out to center. Devers beat out a roller to third but Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning. Contreras struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Happ singled to center. Wisdom struck out swinging and Hoerner lined out to center to end the inning.

Somehow the Sox did something in the top of the fourth as Verdugo singled in the hole at third to start. Vazquez beat out a roller to third and both runners moved over on the wild pitch by Thompson. Refsnyder struck out swinging and Cordero hit a routine grounder to Rivas...UNDER HIS GLOVE! Verdugo scored on the play and shockingly Dalbec got a base hit to left to load the bases but Arroyo lined out to right. Somehow Duran walked home Vazquez to put Boston on top but Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                     Dalbec drives in a run

Seabold returned for one final inning in the bottom of the fourth and Higgins ripped a base hit to center to start. Rivas singled to left but Velazquez banged into a double play. Morel walked but Ortega popped up to second to end the inning. Seabold threw 74 pitches but Sox manager Alex Cora felt that was enough as he allowed 1 run on 6 hits and 2 walks in just 4 innings.

                                                                Seabold doesn't last long

Matt Swarmer came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Bogaerts lined out to first to start. Verdugo walked and Vazquez singled to right...but Refsnyder struck out swinging and Cordero grounded out to second to end the inning. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the  bottom of the first and Contreras struck out swinging to start. Happ went down hacking and Wisdom popped up to second to end the inning.

Dalbec struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Arroyo got a base hit to right to chase Swarmer. Brandon Hughes came in to pitch and Duran singled in the hole at short. Once again with two men on Devers struck out swinging and Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning. Hoerner got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the sixth but Higgins hit into a double play. Rivas got a singled to right but Velazquez popped up to Arroyo to end the inning.

Verdugo lined out to first to start the top of the seventh and Scott Effross came in to face Vazquez. Christian flied out to left and Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr took over in right with John Schreiber now on the mound for the bottom of the seventh. Morel took a questionable full count strike three but Ortega was hit with a pitch. Contreras walked but was thrown out at second trying to steal. Old pal Cubs manager David Ross challenged the call but it was a clear out call. Only problem was Bogaerts was cleaned out on the play and had to leave the game with an injury. Trevor Story replaced him and Happ struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox can't afford to lose Bogaerts before their death march through the AL East.

                                                         Bogaerts takes a cleat to the leg

Cordero took strike three to start the top of the eighth before Dalbec took a straight fastball right down the middle for strike three. Arroyo got a base hit to left but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. The lead evaporated in the bottom of the eighth with Matt Strahm on the mound as Wisdom hit a home run all the way to Phoenix, Arizona to tie the game. Higgins struck out swinging and Yan Gomes pinch hit for Rivas. Gomes grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                       Cubs tie it up

Daveid Bote came in for Gomes with Chris Martin now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Devers lined out to first, Story flied out to right and Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning. Tanner Houck came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Velazquez struck out swinging to start. Morel flied out to right but Ortega drew a walk. Contreras grounded out to short to end the inning.

Rowan Wick came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Verdugo starting at second. Vazquez moved Alex to third with a grounder to second and JBJ drew a walk....but Cordero got Verdugo thrown out at home on a grounder to third. Dalbec took a straight fastball right down the middle for strike three to end the inning. Jake Diekman came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth with Contreras now on the mound and he started by plunking Happ. Wisdom and Hoerner both flied out to left and Higgins struck out swinging to end the inning,

The Sox broke through on pure stupidity in the top of the eleventh with Dalbec starting at second base. Arroyo walked to start but Duran struck out swinging. Devers flied out to center and Story hit a tapper in front of the plate...THROWN AWAY BY WICK! Arroyo and Dalbec both scored to put Boston ahead and Verdugo grounded out to first to end the inning with Boston up 4-2.

                                                        Sox take the lead

Diekman returned to close out the bottom of the eleventh with Higgins starting at second base. Bote took strike three but Velazquez walked. Morel took a questionable full count strike three and Narciso Crook pinch hit for Ortega. Crook struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2 in 11 innings.

                                                            Sox win

Hero of the Night is Jake Diekman. He earned the win by not allowing a single run in two straight innings with phantom runners on second.

                                                       Vazquez salutes our Hero

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 2 for 6.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Christian Arroyo was 2 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Connor Seabold tossed 4 innings and allowed just 1 run while striking out 4.

Hiro Sawamura tossed 2 scoreless innings.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Tanner Houck pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Trevor Story was 0 for 2.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Matt Strahm allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked before leaving with injury.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Franchy Cordero was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Honorable Mention:

Jackie Bradley Jr played right field in the final two innings.

Final Thoughts:

If this series was just a tune-up for their upcoming death march through the AL-East from now until July 24th, they failed big time. Dropping two out of three to the Cubs and needing to get lucky just to win the one game is not a good sign moving forward. Getting Chris Sale back healthy would help but losing Rich Hill for a month certainly doesn't. The Sox are going to have to rely on Seabold, Josh Winckowski or Kutter Crawford in Hill's absence. Even when they win it feels like a loss because they didn't deserve it. Strahm giving up the run in the eighth was also disconcerting considering Garrett Whitlock is out and who knows when he's coming back. Still, a win is a win and they all count no matter what happens. The win improved the Sox to 44-35, 1/2 game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the first wild card spot. The Sox begin their AL East gauntlet tomorrow afternoon at home against the Tampa Bay Rays. Michael Wacha goes for the Sox against old friend Jalen "Twin Beeks". The special July 4th matinee begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.

Cubs Bullpen Shuts Down Sox (7/2/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move everyone saw coming. Rich Hill was placed on the Injured List with a sprained knee, joining other injured starters Garrett Whitlock and Nathan Eovaldi. That leaves just Nick Pivetta and Michael Wacha as the only opening day starters left heading into the three week death march through the AL East. The rumor is the Sox are going to start 23 year old rookie Brayan Bello at some point down the line. As it is, Phillips Valdez was called up from Worcester to take Hill's spot. God help us/

                                                                         OUT

                                                               IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster for the Red Sox. Two batters into the game, Chicago Cubs starter Alec Mills left with an injury forcing the 31-46 Cubs bullpen to get the next 26 outs. In one of the most humiliating losses this season, the Cubs bullpen held the incompetent Sox to just 4 hits and a run the rest of the game. The game was over in the second inning when Rafael Devers and Josh Winckowski made back to back errors which led to Chicago taking a 2-0 lead. The Sox rallied in the top of the sixth but all Devers could do was hit into a double play to score a run. After Tanner Houck gave up a run in the bottom of the eighth, the Sox did get the tying runs on in the top of the ninth...but Alex Verdugo lined out to Rafael Ortega to end it. The Sox knocked the starter out 2 batters in and the Chicago bullpen combined to win the game 3-1 at Wrigley Field.

                                The Sox are so bad look what they did to Ratso and Joe

Mills got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging at a pitch over his head to start. Rafael Devers smashed a double to center and Mills suddenly keeled over grabbing his quad. He had to leave the game and Mark Leiter Jr was pressed into emergency action. Naturally the Sox did nothing as JD Martinez struck out swinging and Xander Bogaerts lined out to right to end the inning.

                                                           So much for Mills

Winckowski got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rafael Ortega flied out to center to start. Wilson Contreras grounded out to second and Ian Happ struck out swinging to end the inning.

Alex Verdugo ripped a base hit to right to start the top of the second but Trevor Story struck out swinging. Franchy Cordero forced Verdugo at second then immediately got thrown out trying to steal to end the inning. Things went south real quick in the bottom of the second as Patrick Wisdom hit a routine grounder to Devers who threw the ball into the Cubs bullpen for an error. Nick Hoerner dropped down a bunt and Winckowski threw that ball away too for another error to score Wisdom, putting the Cubs up for good. Hoerner moved to third on the Yan Gomes grounder to first and scored on the sac fly by Narciso Crook to center to ice the game. Alfonso Rivas struck out swinging to end the inning with the game all but over, 2-0 Cubs.

                                                       A comedy of errors

Kevin Plawecki grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging. Duran flied out to left to end the inning. Christopher Morel got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the third before Ortega drew a full count walk. Contreras banged into a double play and Happ took strike three to end the inning.

Devers struck out swinging to begin the top of the fourth before Martinez grounded out to short. Bogaerts lined out to left to end the inning. Wisdom struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the fourth but Hoerner singled past the diving Winckowski. Gomes forced Hoerner at second and Crook struck out swinging to end the inning.

Verdugo grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Story struck out swinging. Cordero walked but Plawecki grounded out to short to end the inning. Cordero bobbled a routine grounder by Rivas for a "single" to start the bottom of the fifth but Morel popped up the bunt to Winckowski. Ortega lined out to right and Contreras forced Rivas at second to end the inning.

The Sox got lucky in the top of the sixth as JBJ somehow got a double to center to start. Duran ripped a base hit to center to put runners at the corners but all Devers could do was hit into a double play to score JBJ. That was it for Leiter who held the Sox to just a single run in emergency relief and Mychal Givens came in to pitch. Martinez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox back in it down 2-1.

                                                   Frustrations are mounting

Winckowski came back for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth as Happ singled off the glove of Cordero to start. Wisdom took strike three, Hoerner flied out to left and Gomes grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Winckowski who'd be working on a shutout if he and Devers could throw the ball accurately to first. As it was he allowed 6 hits and 1 earned run while striking out 6 batters.

                                                 Winckowski had no run support

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Bogaerts lined out to center to start. Verdugo grounded out to second and Story flied out to left to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Crook struck out swinging to start. Rivas grounded out to second and Morel went down hacking to end the inning.

Cordero grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth before Plawecki popped up to first. David Robertson came in for the four out save and JBJ grounded out to short to end the inning. The Cubs put the game away against Tanner Houck in the bottom of the eighth although Ortega struck out swinging to start. Contreras singled to center and Nelson Velazquez ran for him. Velazquez stole second before Happ struck out swinging. A wild pitch moved Velazquez to third and Nelson scored on the Wisdom base hit to left. Wisdom stole second as well but Hoerner struck out swinging to end the inning with Chicago up 3-1.

                                                        Cubs are all smiles tonight

Robertson came back to close out the top of the ninth and Duran tried to start a rally with a double to left. Duran moved to third on defensive indifference but both Devers and Martinez just watched strike three go by. Bogaerts walked to put the tying run on but Verdugo lined out to center to end the game. The Cubs had humiliated the Sox 2-1.

                                                        Cubs win

Jackass of the Night is Tanner Houck. Allowing that third run prevented small ball in the ninth after Duran doubled. 

                                                       Houck The Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4.

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

One of the rare times the losing pitcher is on the Good list but Josh Winckowski was solid. He allowed 2 runs but only 1 was earned in 6 innings of work. He allowed just 6 hits while striking out 6.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4.

Franchy Cordero was 0 for 2 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

This is NOT how the Sox wanted July to start. After doing so well in June to get to 12 games over .500 they've dropped 2 out of 3 to Toronto and the first two games against the lowly Cubs. The Sox have a 3 week march through the AL East starting Monday and they've lost four out of five so far. Today was a comedy of errors between the two field errors, Cordero getting thrown out trying to steal and Devers hitting into a double play when a base hit might have rocked the Cubs enough to give up the lead. Devers was visibly frustrated in the dugout and hopefully he gets mad enough to hit some balls out of Wrigley tomorrow. Winckowski did well apart from throwing the ball away and he's looked damn good since his ML debut disaster. If the Sox get Chris Sale back healthy, the Sox are going to have to make a choice on either Rich Hill in the rotation or keep Winckowski. Its too bad Houck gave up the run because the Sox may have played some small ball in the ninth if it was just a one run game. Oh well, can't win them all. The loss dropped the Sox to 43-35, 1/2 a game back of the Jays for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to salvage the series tomorrow afternoon against the Cubs when rookie Connor Seabold gets the start for Boston against Keegan Thompson of Chicago. The game begins at 2:20 PM eastern time at Wrigley Field.

Sox Lose Game, Hill To Cubs (7/1/22)

Well that was embarrassing. The Boston Red Sox not only lost to the lowly Chicago Cubs but Rich Hill somehow sprained his knee and had to leave the game in the fifth inning. Naturally after he left, the Cubs turned a 5-3 Sox lead into a 6-5 Cubs lead in about eight seconds flat against Hansel Robles (1-3, 5.70 ERA). The Sox broke out to a 4-0 lead on a Jarren Duran home run and a Jackie Bradley Jr bases clearing double but the Cubs got three back against Hill and Tyler Danish in the bottom of the fifth. Duran drove in another run in the top of the fifth but the bullpen fell apart in the bottom of the sixth as Robles and Jake Diekman allowed 3 runs to put Chicago ahead. All in all Sox pitching gave up TEN walks in this one game as they couldn't hit water if they fell out of a boat. It all added up to an embarrassing 6-5 loss to the Cubs at Wrigley Field.

                                        Cubs taking Aerosmith's advice to "Walk" this way

The Sox didn't waste a second scoring off Cubs starter Adrian Sampson in the top of the first inning as Jarren Duran launched the first pitch to dead center for his first home run of the season. Rafael Devers grounded out to first but JD Martinez singled to left. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to right to put runners at the corners but Alex Verdugo grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0. 

                                                        Duran hits the first pitch out

Hill got the ball in the bottom of the first and Christipher Morel took strike three to start. Wilson Contreras struck out swinging but Ian Happ doubled to center. Patrick Wisdom struck out swinging to end the inning. 

The Sox caught a break when Wisdom booted a grounder by Trevor Story for an error to start the top of the second. Franchy Cordero followed with a base hit to left and Christian Vazquez walked to load the bases with nobody out. Jackie Bradley Jr stepped up big with a bases clearing double in the gap in center to put the Sox up big. Duran grounded back to the mound but JBJ moved to third on a grounder to second by Devers. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox now led 4-0.

                                                       Jackie clears the bases

Narciso Crook lined out to center to start the bottom of the second and Yan Gomes grounded back to the mound. PJ Higgins walked on four pitches not even close but Nelson Velazquez forced him at second to end the inning.

Bogaerts lined out to center to start the top of the third before Verdugo grounded out to second. Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Andrelton Simmons grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Morel grounded out to third. Contreras drew a walk but Happ grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Cordero led off the top of the fourth with a base hit to right but Vazquez immediately banged into a double play. JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning. Wisdom flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Crook grounded out to third. Gomes also grounded out to third to end the inning.

Duran grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Devers got a base hit to right. Martinez struck out swinging and Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Cubs struck back in the bottom of the fifth as Higgins walked on 5 pitches not even close and Duran crashed into the Ivy as Velazquez motored around for an rbi triple. Simmons popped up to center but Morel grounded out to short to score Velazquez. Conteras walked on four pitches not even close, Happ ripped a base hit to right and Wisdom was plunked to load the bases. Hill started clutching his knee and had to be helped off the field after being eventually charged with 3 runs in just 4 2/3 innings. Tyler Danish came in and Rafael Ortega pinch hit for Crook, drawing a walk to score Contreras. Alfonso Rivas pinch hit for Gomes and flied out to center to end the inning with the Cubs only down 4-3.

                                                Duran misplays it and the Cubs have life

The Sox responded in the top of the sixth as Verdugo lined out to center to start. Story worked a 9 pitch at-bat before getting a base hit in the hole at second to chase Sampson. Brandon Hughes came in to face Cordero and struck him out swinging. Vazquez got a base hit to center and Sox manager Alex Cora rolled the dice by bringing in Rob Refsnyder to pinch hit for Bradley. Refsnyder walked to load the bases and Duran punched a base hit to center. Story scored easily but Vazquez was gunned down at home to end the inning with the Sox ahead just 5-3.

                                                    You're out you dummy!

Hansel Robles came in to blow the game in the bottom of the sixth although Higgins struck out swinging to start. Velazquez flied out to left but Simmons walked and Morel smashed a two run home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to tie the game. Contreras walked and Happ doubled to center to put the go-ahead run at third. Wisdom walked on four pitches not even close and FINALLY Cora yanked the incompetent Robles with the bases loaded. Jake Diekman came in to pour gas on the fire and Nico Hoerner pinch hit for Ortega. Naturally Diekman uncorked a wild pitch to complete the meltdown, scoring Conteras with the go-ahead run. Hoerner walked to re-load the bases but Rivas took a blown full count strike three to end the inning with the Cubs ahead 6-5.

                                                      Sox blow the game AGAIN

The Sox quit in the top of the seventh as Devers took strike three to start. Scott Effross took over for Hughes and Martinez flied out to center. Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Higgins doubled to right to begin. Velazquez struck out swinging but Simmons drew a walk. Morel banged into a double play to end the inning.

Former Sox prospect Chris Martin came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Verdugo got a base hit to left to put the tying run on. He stayed there as Story struck out swinging and Cordero took strike three. Vazquez was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Contreras took strike three to begin the bottom of the eighth but Cordero booted a routine grounder by Happ for an error. Wisdom went down hacking and Hoerner lined out to first to end the inning.

David Robertson came in to close out the top of the ninth and Refsnyder flied out to right to start. Durran grounded out to first and Devers grounded out to second to end the game. The Cubs had won it 6-5.

                                                          Sox lose the game and Hill

Jackass of the Night is Hansel Robles. He blew the lead in the bottom of the sixth

                                                      Jackass Robles

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total rbis.

Franchy Cordero was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with 3 rbis.

Rob Refsnyder walked in two plate appearances.

Hiro Sawamura tossed 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Rich Hill was charged with 3 runs in 4 2/3 innings before leaving with an injury.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4.

Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored 2 runs.

Tyler Danish allowed an inherited runner to score but got the final out of the fifth inning.

Jake Diekman allowed an inherited runner to score but got the final out of the sixth inning.

Final Thoughts:

Losing to the worthless Cubs is not how you wanted this month to start knowing what is at stake beginning Monday night. Not only that, this was an easily winnable game. Duran misplaying the ball in the fifth inning led to the huge rally and Robles melting down again led to the lead being blown. Once again after they fell behind the bats went completely silent. More importantly Hill suffered a sprained knee and will be out at least a month to recover. That's not good news for the Sox who are already without Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale. It looks like the Sox may have to call up top pitching prospect Brayan Bello sooner rather than later. For those that don't know, he blitzed through Portland and Worcester in short order and he's only 23 years old. He's going to be thrown right in the fire with the Sox having a death march through the AL East coming up. The less said about today's disaster the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 43-34, 1 game behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the first wild card spot. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Cubs when Josh Winckowski (3-1) takes on Alec Mills of Chicago. The game begins at 7:10 PM eastern time at Wrigley Field.