Three Run Sixth Puts Sox Past Guardians (7/28/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox signed a familiar face. Danny Santana was brought back to the organization and will play for the Florida Complex Sox to get his wind back. Welcome back Danny.

                                                                           IN

As for the game, for the first five innings it looked like the Red Sox were headed to another loss to the Clevland Guardians. They trailed 1-0 going into the bottom of the sixth after a Jose Ramirez home run against Sox starter Kutter Crawford. Xander Bogaerts crushed a three run home run to put the Sox on top. Jake Diekman (5-1, 4.03 ERA) and Garrett Whitlock held the fort and the Sox had come away with the win 4-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                  Hayden Panettiere approves of the win

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Steven Kwan lined out to center to start. Amed Rosario and Jose Ramirez also lined out to center to end the inning. McKenzie got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran watched strike three go by to begin. Alex Verdugo grounded out to third but Xander Bogaerts drew a walk. JD Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. 

Josh Naylor doubled to left to open the top of the second but Andres Gimenez popped up the bunt to Crawford. Franmil Reyes grounded out to second to move Naylor to third but Nolan Jones struck out swinging to end the inning. Christian Vazquez popped up to short to begin the bottom of the second before Franchy Cordero struck out swinging. Bobby Dalbec took strike three to end the inning. 

Luke Maile swung at air to start the top of the third and Myles Straw popped up to right. Kwan popped up to short to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third and Jeter Downs flied out to center. Duran grounded out to first to end the inning. 

The Guardians struck first in the top of the fourth although Rosario grounded out to third to start. Ramirez then hit a home run all the way to Luxembourg to put Cleveland on top. Naylor lined out to left but Gimenez was hit with a pitch. Gimenez stole second but Reyes popped up to second to end the inning with the Guardians up 1-0.

                                                              Home run Ramirez

Verdugo got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Martinez flied out to right and Vazquez lined out to right to end the inning.

Jones lined out to right to start the top of the fifth and Maile flied out to center. Straw lined out to right to end the inning. Cordero took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Dalbec flied out to right. JBJ grounded out to third to end the inning. Cordero took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Dalbec flied out to right. JBJ grounded out to third to end the inning.

Crawford returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Kwan got a base hit to left to start. Rosario lined out to left and Ramirez grounded back to the mound to move Kwan to left. Defying all logic, Sox manager pulled Crawford after just 69 pitches and not letting him at least finish the inning. Jake Diekman came in to get Naylor to ground out to second to end the inning.

                                                         Crawford deserved better

Naturally the Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Downs beat out a roller to third to start. Duran dropped down a bunt that got Downs thrown at second but Verdugo singled to center. Bogaerts then launched his 8th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Martinez lined out to third and Vazquez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                         Bogaerts puts the Sox on top

Diekman returned for the top of the seventh and Gimenez struck out swinging to start. Reyes struck out swinging and Jones grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the seventh as Cordero doubled to center to start. Dalbec got a base hit to left to score Franchy but JBJ grounded into a double play. Downs struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.

                                                        Dalbec is all smiles

The Guardians tagged Garrett Whitlock in the top of the eighth as Maile walked to start. Straw singled to right to put runners at the corners and Maile scored on the double play hit by Kwan. Rosario struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians down 4-2.

James Karinchak came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Duran lined out to left to start. Verdugo  grounded out to second but Bogaerts walked. Bogaerts looked to have stolen second but Guardians manager Terry Francona challeged the call. The umps ruled Bogaerts safe and Martinez walked. Bogaerts stole third and Vazquez took strike three to end the inning.

Whitlock returned for the top of the ninth with Yolmer Sanchez in for Franchy Cordero. Ramirez flied out to center to start but Naylor doubled to center. Gimenez grounded out to first and Reyes grounded back to the mound to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-2.

                                                             Sox win

Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His 3 run bomb put the Sox in front for good.

                                                           X Gon Hero To Ya

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Jeter Downs was 1 for 3.

Kutter Crawford allowed just a run in 5 2/3 innings. He allowed just 3 hits and struck out 2.

Jake Diekman got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 but walked.

Garrett Whitlock allowed a run in 2 innings of work but earned his 3rd save of the year.

Honorable Mention:

Yolmer Sanchez played second base in the top of the ninth.

Final Thoughts:

That was a much needed win just days before the trade deadline. The rumors of Christian Vazquez and JD Martinez being dealt are swirling but Bogaerts himself says he's safe. Words don't mean anything but I'd rather they keep those guys and get themselves an ace pitcher. If Cora wants to pull Kutter Crawford after 69 pitches, he better not wonder why the bullpen is toast by September. Still, with all the injuries in the rotation it may not matter. If they sell, they better get a pitcher or two for Martinez, Bogaerts, etc. The win improved the Sox to 50-50, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in row when they welcome in the Milwaukee Brewers to Fenway Park tomorrow night. Brayan Bello (0-2) takes on Brandon Woodruff of Milwaukee. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Guardians Rally Past Sox (7/27/22)

Murphy's Law continued for the Boston Red Sox season as they invented a new way to lose tonight against the Cleveland Guardians. The Guardians broke out to a 5-2 lead going into the bottom of the fourth off Nathan Eovaldi but the Sox rallied to pull within one run. Bobby Dalbec smashed a two run home run in the sixth to put the Sox on top but Myles Straw tied the game against John Schreiber in the eighth and Josh Naylor tagged Tanner Houck (5-4, 3.30 ERA) for a home run in the ninth. Emmanuel Chase slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox fell further into the abyss with a 7-6 loss to the Guardians at Fenway Park.

                                                      "A HOME RUN TO NAYLOR??"

Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first and Steven Kwan grounded out to first to start. Amed Rosario singled in the hole at short but Jose Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. Josh Naylor forced Rosario at second to end the inning. Quantrill got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo flied out to center and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning. 

The Guardians took advance of Boston's incompetence in the top of the second as Franmil Reyes hit a ground rule double down the right field line to start. Owen Miller got a base hit to center to put runners at the corners and Nolan Jones hit a double play ball to Franchy Cordero. Not only did he boot it for an error, he threw the ball away as well to score Reyes and move Jones to second. Miller scored on the grounder to third by Austin Hedges and Myles Straw doubled to center to score Jones. Kwan popped up to second and Rosario lined out to center to end the inning but the Guardians led 3-0.

                                                   "Aye carumba" - Cordero

The Sox did rally in the bottom of the second as JD Martinez popped up to first to start. Christian Vazquez grounded out to second but Cordero walked. Bobby Dalbec mashed his 9th home run of the season to cut the lead and Jackie Bradley Jr got a base hit to right. JBJ got picked off to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                         Home run Dalbec

Ramirez grounded out to second to start the top of the third and Naylor grounded out to second. Reyes beat out a roller to third but Miller was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning. Yolmer Sanchez led off the bottom of the third by watching strike three go by. Duran also took strike three but Verdugo beat out a roller to third. Bogaerts grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Guardians rallied in the top of the fourth as Jones doubled to center to begin. Hedges caught the Sox completely asleep with a bunt single to put runners at the corners but Straw struck out swinging. Kwan doubled to right to score Jones and Rosario got a base hit to left to score Hedges. Ramirez popped up to first and Naylor grounded out to second to end the inning with the Guardians ahead 5-2.

                                                           Kwan drives in a run

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez flied out to right to start. Vazquez got a base hit to right and Cordero doubled off the Monster....and off the glove of Kwan for an error. Kwan threw to Rosario and he airmailed a throw home for another error to score Vazauez, putting Cordero at third. Dalbec hit a sac fly to right to score Cordero but JBJ struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.

                                                            Sac fly for Dalbec

Reyes grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Miller also grounded out to third. Jones doubled to right but Hedges lined out to left to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fifth as Sanchez lined out to second to start. Duran grounded back to the mound but Verdugo got a base hit to left. Bogaerts walked and both runners moved over on a wild pitch, but Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Eovaldi came back for one final inning in the top of the sixth as Straw grounded out to short to start. Kwan flied out to left and Rosario grounded out to second to end the inning. Eovaldi didn't have his best stuff as he allowed 4 runs in just 6 innings off nine hits.

                                                   Eovaldi could have been better

The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez got a base hit to right to start. Cordero forced Christian at second but Dalbec smashed his second home run of the night to put the Sox on top. Guardians manager Terry Francona yanked Quantrill and replaced him with Sam Hentges. JBJ flied out to left and Sanchez grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.

                                                               Dalbec does it again

John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Naylor grounded out to second but Reyes walked. Miller struck out swinging to end the inning. Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Duran to start the bottom of the seventh and grounded out to short. Verdugo grounded out to short and Enyel De Los Santos came in to face Bogaerts. Xander doubled just past short but Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.

Things fell apart in the top of the eighth as Jones hit a roller to Cordero who did a frog splash on the ball for an error, moving Jones to third. Andres Gimenez pinch hit for Hedges and flied out to right, but Straw doubled to right to score Jones with the tying run. Kwan lined out to left and Rosario grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 6-6.

                                                                Tie game

Enyel De Los Santos came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Luke Malle now behind the plate. Vazquez grounded back to the mound before Cordero lined out to center. Dalbec took strike three to end the inning.

Tanner Houck came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Ramirez grounded out to third to start. Naylor then hit a home run all the way to Greenland to put the Guardians on top. Reyes grounded out to short and Miller grounded out to second to end the inning with the Guardians up 7-6.

                                                             Naylor puts Cleveland on top

Emmanuel Clase came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and JBJ struck out swinging to start. Sanchez flied out to center and Refsnyder also lined out to center to end the game. The Guardians had won the game 7-6.

                                                              Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Tanner Houck. He served up the go-ahead jack to Naylor to lose the game.

                                                       Good work, Jackass

The Good:

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 3 with 2 home runs and 5 total rbis

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 2.

JD Martinez was 0 for 4.

Yolmer Sanchez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Franchy Cordero was 1 for 3 with a walk and 3 runs scored but committed 3 errors.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Nathan Eovaldi went 6 innings but allowed 5 runs, only 4 earned. He allowed 9 hits and struck out 1.

John Schreiber allowed a run in 2 innings of work.

Final Thoughts:

As the season continues to circle the drain just days away from the trade deadline, the Sox may seriously start thinking about blowing up the team. Christian Vazquez, JD Martinez, Xander Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi are all free agents and the Sox could get a king's ransom for some of them. The injuries to the starters this year were too much to overcome so pulling the chute might be the best option for them. Still, there's time to turn things around with two months left, but it doesn't look good as of now. Schreiber hasn't been hit hard all year but NOW he gives up a run? Its all adding up this year and none of it has been any good. The loss dropped the Sox under .500 at 49-50, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to rebound tomorrow night against the Guardians when Kutter Crawford takes the hill against Triston McKenzie. The game begins at 7:10 at Fenway Park.

Guardians Pound Winckowski, Sox (7/26/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a series of roster moves. Connor Seabold was activated from the Injured List and sent down to Worcester, Darwinzon Hernandez was sent down to Worcester and Phillips Valdez was designated for assignment. Hernandez didn't show much promise and Valdez was a nice success story in 2020, but the Sox need to win and he's not helping. In the place of Hernandez, Josh Winckowski was activated from the Covid List to make tonight's start.

                                                                          OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, so much for the Sox beating non-AL East teams. Josh Winckowski (3-5, 5.18 ERA) took a beating at the hands of the Cleveland Guardians. He allowed five runs in 3 innings to put the Sox in a hole although the offense rallied for two runs in the bottom of the frame. Then with the bases loaded and Austin Davis on the mound, Yolmer Sanchez threw a crucial grounder away for a two run error to put the game out of reach. Both teams scored another run but the game was settled as Cleveland beat the Red Sox 8-3 at Fenway Park. 

                                                                 Angry Sox Fan

Winckowski got tagged immediately in the top of the first as Steven Kwan lined out to left to start. Amed Rosario grounded out to short but Jose Ramirez walked. Josh Naylor got a base hit to left and Owen Miller got a base hit to center to score Ramirez. Andres Gimenez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Guardians up 1-0.

                                                       Miller drives in a run

Bryan Shaw got the ball in the bottom of the first and Rob Refsnyder flied out to left to start. Alex Verdugo lined out to center but Xander Bogaerts doubled to center. JD Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Guardians struck again in the top of the second as Nolan Jones lined out to center to start Austin Hedges hit a home run all the way to Japan to increase the lead. Myles Straw flied out to right but Kwan singled down the first base line. Rosario flied out to left to end the inning with the Guardians up 2-0.

                                                             Home run Hedges

Christian Vazquez walked to begin the bottom of the second before Kevin Plawecki was rung up for strike three. Yolmer Sanchez flied out to center and Bobby Dalbec lined out to left to end the inning.

The Guardians iced the game in the top of the third as Ramirez grounded out to first to start. Naylor doubled to right then moved to third when Miller lined one off Winckowski but Bogaerts threw him out. Gimenez was hit with a pitch and Jones hit a home run all the way back to Cleveland to put the game out of reach. Hedges took strike three to end the inning but the Guardians were up 5-0. That was it for Winckowski who allowed 5 runs in just 3 innings, definitely not good enough.

                                                            Winckowski gets hammered

Suddenly the Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Jaylin Davis hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to begin. Refsnyder was hit with a pitch and Verdugo beat out a double play ball. Bogaerts got a base hit to left to score Davis and chase Shaw. Nick Sandlin came in and Martinez was hit with a pitch to load the bases. Vazquez got a base hit to left to score Verdugo and Plawecki hit a fly ball to right. Bogaerts made a mad dash home and was called out on the throw. Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call but the umpires held it up with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                 "I was safe!!!!" - Bogaerts

Things fell apart in the top of the fourth with Austin Davis now on the mound. Straw got a base hit to center but Kwan took strike three. Rosario singled to right and Ramirez walked to load the bases. Naylor hit a double play ball to Sanchez who threw the ball away for an error to score Straw and Rosario. Ramirez and Naylor pulled off a double steal but Gimenez flied out to left to end the inning with the Guardians up 7-2.

                                                       Dammit Sanchez

Kirk McCarty came in to pitch the bottom of the fourth and Sanchez struck out swinging to start. Dalbec flied out to right but Davis drew a walk. Refsnyder forced Jaylin at second to end the inning.

Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Jones grounded out to short to start. Hedges walked but Straw grounded into a double play to end the inning. Verdugo flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth before Bogaerts lined out to right. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Kwan got a base hit to center to begin the top of the sixth but Rosario struck out swinging. Ramirez reached first on a swinging bunt in front of the plate but Naylor flied out to left. Miller grounded out to second to end the inning. Vazquez struck out swinging to start the bottom of the sixth and Plawecki lined out to center. Sanchez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and Gimenez walked to start. Jones grounded into a double play and Hedges went down hacking to end the inning. Dalbec whiffed to start the bottom of the seventh but Davis grounded out to short. Refsnyder singled to left and Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. 

Tanner Houck got tagged in the top of the eighth as Straw grounded out to third to start. Kwan singled off the glove of Vazquez then promptly stole second. Rosario got a base hit to right to score Kwan and Ramriez grounded out to second to move Amed all the way to third. Naylor struck out swinging to end the inning with the Guardians up 8-2.

                                                       Kwan scores a run

Eli Morgan came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts doubled to left to start. Martinez went down hacking but Vazquez grounded out to first. Bogaerts moved to third on that grounder and scored on the Plawecki double to center. Sanchez flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                         Plawecki drives in a run

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Miller struck out swinging to start. Gimenez went down hacking and Jones flied out to left to end the inning. Alex Call came in for Jones to start the bottom of the ninth with Emmanuel Clase on the mound. Dalbec flied out to center, Davis went down hacking and Refsnyder grounded out to second to end the game. The Guardians had won it 8-3.

                                                        Guardians win

Jackass of The Night is Yolmer Sanchez. The Sox had just rallied to get back in the game and his two run error sealed the door shut for Cleveland.

                                                       Yolmer Jackass

The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.

Jaylin Davis was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Hiro Sawamura tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless inning.

Kaleb Ort pitched a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Josh Winckowski allowed 5 runs in 3 innings off 6 hits and a walk.

Austin Davis allowed 2 runs in an inning.

Tanner Houck allowed a run in the eighth inning.

The Ugly:

Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch.

Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 but scored a run.

JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Kevin Plawecki was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Final Thoughts:

When the eulogy for the season is written come the end of September, the lack of starting pitching depth was the story for this epic collapse. When Michael Wacha, Rich Hill, Nathan Eovaldi and Chris Sale all got hurt, not a single rookie starter was able to fill in. Connor Seabold, Brayan Bello, Kutter Crawford and Josh Winckowski totally sucked. You would think ONE of them would have shown some life, but nope. Winckowski getting pounded today and putting the Sox in the hole they couldn't climb out of has been going on since he was called up. His sinker should be a lot better than it is, maybe the lights are too bright for him at this time. Not just the pitching failed, the Sox almost stopped trying after Bogaerts was thrown out at the plate to kill that rally. They only got one more run the rest of the game while the Guardians poured it on. The Sox need to sell at the deadline and build for next year. Eovaldi, Martinez and Bogaerts will fetch a good haul if Sox GM Chaim Bloom can get a deal done. It makes no sense to keep this group for another two months because they have no chance in hell at winning anything the way its currently constructed. The less said of this awful game, the better. The loss drops the Sox to 49-49, 5.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for the wild card. The Sox look to take the rubber game against the Guardians tomorrow night with Nathan Eovaldi on the mound against Cal Quantrill of Cleveland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Top Guardians (7/25/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. The Sox sent a sack full of cash to the Milwaukee Brewers for backup outfielder Abraham Almonte. The former major leaguer was with the Nashville Sounds in AAA before being bought. There might be guys going at the trade deadline next week so this may be a pre-emptive move once some deals are made.

                                                                         IN

As for the game, thank God the Sox are playing someone other than the AL East. The Sox bats were mostly silent against the Cleveland Guardians but their bats were even worse against Nick Pivetta and the Boston bullpen. Yolmer Sanchez drove in Jackie Bradley Jr to put the Sox up first in the third inning but Jose Ramirez tied it with a base hit in the fifth. Alex Verdugo and Christian Vazquez drove in runs in the bottom of the sixth to make a winner out of John Schreiber (3-1, 1.50 ERA). Garrett Whitlock slammed the door in the final two innings as the Sox snapped their losing streak with a 3-1 win at Fenway Park. 

                                                           Tori Black approves of the win

Pivetta got the ball in the top of the first inning and Steven Kwan popped up to third to start. Amed Rosario flied out to right and Jose Ramirez grounded out to short to end the inning. Zach Plesac got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start. Rob Refsnyder lined out to first and Alex Verdugo lined out to center to end the inning. 

Josh Naylor grounded out to short to start the top of the second but Franmil Reyes got a base hit to left. Andres Gimenez got a base hit to left but Nolan Jones went down hacking. Austin Hedges also struck out swinging to end the inning. Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Christian Vazquez grounded out to short. Franchy Cordero walked and Bobby Dalbec forced him at second to end the inning.

Myles Shaw singled to left to start the top of the third before Kwan flied out to right. It looked like Rosario grounded into a double play but Guardians manager Terry Francona challenged that Rosario was safe. The call was overturned and Amed was ruled safe but Ramirez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr doubled to center to begin. Yolmer Sanchez got a base hit to left to score Bradley but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. The rains came and delayed the game but when action resumed, Duran popped up to second. Refsnyder grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                         Sanchez drives in the run in the rain

Naylor walked to start the top of the fourth but Reyes struck out swinging. Gimenez walked and both runners moved over on the Jones grounder to first. Hedges grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ramirez booted a grounder by Verdugo to start the bottom of the fourth before Bogaerts flied out to right. A wild pitch moved Verdugo to second but Vazquez grounded out to third. Cordero walked but Dalbec took strike three to end the inning.

The Guardians struck back in the top of the fifth as Straw got a base hit to center to start. Kwan also got a base hit to left but Rosario grounded into a double play. Ramirez beat out a roller down the third base line to score Straw to tie the game. Naylor grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1. 

JBJ grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fifth before Sanchez grounded out to second. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Reyes struck out swinging to begin the top of the sixth and Gimenez went down hacking as well. Jones walked and Hedges singled to left to chase Pivetta from the game. Pivetta tossed 5 2/3 innings of 1 run ball allowing 7 hots and 3 walks. John Schreiber came in and got Straw to force Hedges to end the inning.

                                                                Pivetta did well

The Sox took command in the bottom of the sixth as Refsnyder walked to start. Verdugo hot a rocket off the Monster and Kwan fell down trying to field it, allowing Refsnyder to score. Plesac left the game and Trevor Stephan came in to pitch to Bogaerts. Xander lined a base hit to right and Vazquez singled to center to score Verdugo. Cordero and Dalbec struck out swinging and Sam Hentges came in to face Bradley. JBJ flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.

                                                       Verdugo drives in a run

Schreiber returned for the top of the seventh and Kwan grounded out to short to start. Rosario struck out swinging but Ramirez singled to right. Naylor struck out swinging to end the inning. Sanchez grounded out to third to start the bottom of the seventh but Duran singled in the hole at short. James Karinchak came in to pitch to Refsnyder and Rob struck out swinging. Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning. 

Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Reyes swung at air to start. Both Gimenez and Jones grounded out to short to end the inning. Bogaerts watched strike three go by to start the bottom of the eighth and Vazquez also left the bat on his shoulder for strike three. Cordero whiffed to end the inning.

The Lock returned to close out the top of the ninth and Owen Miller pinch hit for Hedges. Miller took strike three and Straw lined out to right. Kwan popped up to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-1.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Alex Verdugo. He drive in the go-ahead run uh the sixth inning.

                                                                  Alex Hero

The Good:

Franchy Cordero walked twice in four plate appearances. 

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

Yolmer Sanchez was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Nick Pivetta tossed 5 2/3 innings of 1 run ball. He allowed 7 hits and 3 walks while striking out 6.

John Schreiber got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

Garrett Whitlock got the save with 2 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run

Final Thoughts:

Now that the Toronto Blue Jays left town, maybe the Sox can win a few games. They can't beat the AL East but they can beat anyone else apparently. This was a gutty win as the offense once again did almost nothing but the pitching held up big time. Pivetta, Schreiber and Whitlock got the job done and if Chris Sale didn't get hurt, Sox fans would be feeling better about their chances in the second half. The Sox are better off selling at the deadline next week and rumors are they just might. They still could add a few pieces but if they can't beat the AL East, what's the point? Still, gotta win the games they got now and tonight they did just that. The win improved the Sox to 49-48, 17 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East and 4.5 games behind the Blue Jays for the wild card. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Guardians tomorrow night when Josh Winckowski (3-4) takes on Bryan Shaw of Cleveland. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Sweep Sox Out Of Fenway (7/24/22)

So much for this year's Boston Red Sox. One year after the Sox went from last place to Game 6 of the American League Championship Series, the Boston Red Sox have fallen flat on their face against the AL East in 2022. The Toronto Blue Jays finished off an embarrassing sweep of the Sox with yet another beat down. Rookie starter Brayan Bello (0-2, 10.50 ERA) got tagged for five first inning runs while the Sox defense committed three errors in the field. The Sox did rally to score a few runs but Hiro Sawamura allowed three runs in the top of the fifth to put the game away. The Sox did get two runs back but it wasn't enough as the Blue Jays swept the Sox 8-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                             Sox can't beat the AL East

Bello got ramrodded in the top of the first as George Springer singled in the hole at short. Vladimir Guerrero Jr doubled down the third base line but Lourdes Gurriel Jr lined out to second. Bo Bichette walked to load the bases but Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging. Cavan Biggio got a base hit to left but Cordero booted the ball for an error to score Springer and Guerrero. Biggio stole second but Matt Champan walked. Raimel Tapia tripled into the right field corner to clear the bases and ice the game instantly. Danny Jansen took strike three to end the inning with the Jays up 5-0.

                                                            Tapia is all smiles

Ross Stripling got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran doubled to right to begin. Christian Vazquez popped up to third and Alex Verdugo singled to left. Xander Bogaerts singled in the hole at short to score Duran, cutting the lead. Franchy Cordero grounded out to second but the runners moved over, only for Bobby Dalbec to take strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                       Bogaerts drives in a run

Springer got a base hit to right to start the top of the second and then took off for second. Vazquez threw the ball away and Springer took third on the error. Guerrero Jr grounded out to short before Gurriel Jr was retired on a swinging bunt in front of the plate. Bichette flied out to center to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second but Yolmer Sanchez walked. Jeter Downs grounded out to short to move Sanchez to second but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning.

Hernandez grounded out to second to start the top of the third before Biggio grounded out to first. Chapman doubled down the left field line and Tapia beat out an infield single to third. Jansen forced Chapman at third to end the inning. Vazquez popped up to second to start the bottom of the third before Verdugo grounded out to second. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning.

Springer grounded out to first to start the top of the fourth but Guerrero Jr singled to center. Gurriel Jr singled to left but Bichette grounded into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Bello who got rocked for 5 runs in just 4 innings of work.

                                                           Not good enough from Bello

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Cordero got a base hit to left to begin. Dalbec popped up to first and JBJ flied out to left but Franchy stole second. Sanchez got a base hit to center to score Cordero. Sanchez was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox down 5-2.

                                                         Sanchez cuts the lead'

Hiro Sawamura came in to vomit up his intestines in the top of the fifth as Hernandez walked to start. Biggio lined out to right but Chapman doubled to left. Tapia got a base hit to left to score Hernandez and Jansen ate up Downs on a grounder to score Chapman. Downs then made another error on a grounder by Springer to load the bases. Guerrero Jr then beat out a roller to first to score Tapia. Gurriel Jr grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Jays ahead 8-2.

                                                        Jays pour it on

Trevor Richards came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Downs flied out to right to start. Duran hit a triple to the centerfield triangle but Vazquez struck out swinging. Verdugo got a base hit to center to score Duran but Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 8-3.

                                                         Verdugo drives in a run

Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Bichette struck out swinging to start. Hernandez doubled to center but Biggio flied out to right. Chapman struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Cordero grounded out to short to start. Dalbec struck out swinging but JBJ clocked his third home run of the season to cut the lead in half. Sanchez walked and David Phelps came in to face Downs. Downs took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 8-4.

                                                               JBJ with a home run

Austin Davis came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Tapia lined out to third to start. Jansen took strike three and Springer lined out to short to end the inning. Duran walked to start the bottom of the seventh but Vazquez flied out to right. Tim Mayza came in to face Verdugo and Alex banged into a double play to end the inning.

Kaleb Ort came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Guerrero Jr got a base hit to right to start. Gurriel Jr popped up to third and Bichette took strike three, but Hernandez singled to center. Biggio walked to load the bases but Chapman hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Bradley Zimmer came in for Hernandez with Santiago Espinal in for Biggio and Yimi Garcia now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Bogaerts grounded out to third, Cordero flied out to right and Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Tapia struck out swinging to start. Jansen grounded out to third and Springer flied out to center to end the inning. Adam Cimber came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and JBJ singled to center to start. Sanchez and Downs struck out swinging but JBJ moved to second on defensive indifference. Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Jays had swept the Sox 8-4.

                                                                 Jays win
 

Jackass of The Night is Brayan Bello. He got rocked for 5 first inning runs to end the game early.

                                                                Jackass Bello

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with an rbi.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Yolmer Sanchez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Garrett Whitlock tossed a scoreless inning.

Austin Davis pitched a scoreless inning.

Kaleb Ort pitched a scoreless inning.

Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Jeter Downs was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Hiro Sawamura allowed 3 runs in the 5th inning.

The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Franchy Cordero was just 1 for 4 with an error but stole a base and scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

The Red Sox limped into the All-Star game after being embarrassed by the New York Yankees and they're limping out of the break after getting embarrassed by the Blue Jays. This was utter domination as they allowed 40 runs in three games and scored just 10 themselves. The Jays have a good offense but this was out of this world. What do you even say at this point? They can't beat the AL East and it just so happens to be the division they play more than anyone. They're better off blowing it all up a week from now and playing for next year. They can get top pitching or hitting prospects for Bogaerts, Martinez and Eovaldi so why not? They got Marcello Mayer, Nick Yorke, Bryan Mata and Niko Kavadas coming in a year or two so why not get something for the stars before they walk for nothing? It all goes back to the Mookie Betts trade because Verdugo is good but nowhere near Betts while Wong and Downs have been a huge let down. Also Andrew Benintendi or Franchy Cordero and Josh Winckowski also looks like a failure as well. There's still over sixty games left in the season but it can't end fast enough. Hopefully the end is near for this group a week from now. The Sox now welcome in the Cleveland Guardians in for a three game set. Tomorrow night Nick Pivetta gets the start against Zach Plesac of the Guardians. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Manoah, Jays Shut Down Sox (7/23/22)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Rafael Devers was placed on the Injured List with a bad hamstring and Jaylin Davis was called up from Worcester to take his place. The Sox are going to need Devers in August so may as well rest him now.

                                                                               OUT

                                                                       IN

As for the game, the Red Sox seem to invent new ways to lose this season. The good news was after allowing 28 runs last night, they only allowed a meager four. The bad news was Alek Manoah and the Toronto Blue Jays held them to just one. The Sox struck first in the second inning on a Bobby Dalbec home run but a third inning rally off Kutter Crawford (2-3, 4.50 ERA) where the Jays scored 3 runs was enough. Teoscar Hernandez tagged Ryan Brasier in the ninth and the Sox had just 7 total hits as a team to lose the game 4-1 at Fenway Park.

                                                                 Sox fans have had it

Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and George Springer grounded out to second to start. Vladimir Guerrero Jr flied out to right and Alejandro Kirk lined out to second to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally against Manoah in the bottom of the first as Jarren Duran took strike three to start. Christian Vazquez popped up to third but Alex Verdugo got a base hit to left. Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to center but Franchy Cordero popped up to third to end the inning.

Bo Bichette walked to start the top of the second but Teoscar Hernandez grounded into a double play. Lourdes Gurriel Jr flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Bobby Dalbec clocked his eighth home run of the year to start before Jackie Bradley Jr singled to right. Yolmer Sanchez grounded out to second to move JBJ to second and Bradley took third on a wild pitch. Jeter Downs struck out swinging and Duran flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                                  Dalbec goes yard

Naturally the Jays rallied in the top of the third as Matt Chapman singled to left and Santiago Espinal ripped a base hit to right that scored Chapman all the way from first. Cavan Biggio doubled to center and Springer got a base hit to center to score Espinal. Guerrero Jr lined out to center but Kirk hit a sac fly to right to score Biggio. Bichette struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays up 3-1.

                                                               Jays take the lead.

Vazquez singled to left to start the bottom of the third but Verdugo grounded into a double play. Springer made a jumping catch at the wall to rob Bogaerts of a double to end the inning.

Hernandez flied out to left to start the top of the fourth before Gurriel Jr grounded out to third. Chapman struck out swinging to end the inning. Cordero grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth but Dalbec beat out a roller to the mound. JBJ forced Dalbec at second but Sanchez took strike three to end the inning.

Espinal struck out swinging to begin the top of the fifth and Biggio lined out to right. Springer flied out to center to end the inning. Downs struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fifth before Duran popped up to third. Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning.

Guerrero Jr singled to right to start the top of the sixth but Kirk banged into a double play. Bichette took strike three to end the inning. That was it for Crawford who tossed six solid innings but allowed 3 runs on 5 hits and a walk.

                                                              Crawford deserved better

Verdugo got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Bogaerts struck out swinging. Cordero and Dalbec both watched strike three go by to end the inning.

John Schreiber came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hernandez took strike three to start. Gurriel Jr walked but Chapman struck out swinging. Gurriel Jr was picked off to end the inning. Yimi Garcia came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and JBJ popped up to third to start. Sanchez walked but both Downs and Duran took strike three to end the inning as the boo's rained down at Fenway.

Tanner Houck came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Espinal grounded out to third to start. Biggio grounded out to first but Springer walked. Guerrero Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. Adam Cimber came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Vazquez walked to start. Verdugo flied out to center but Bogaerts was hit with a pitch to bring the tying run to the plate. Instead, Cordero struck out swinging and Jordan Romano came in to face Dalbec. Bobby flied out to center to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in to take a beating in the top of the ninth as Kirk singled to center to start. Bradley Zimmer came in to run for Kirk and promptly stole second. Bichette grounded out to second to move Zimmer to third and Hernandez doubled to left to score him. Gurriel Jr grounded out to short but Chapman walked. Chapman stole second but Espinal struck out swinging to end the inning with the Jays ahead 4-1.

                                                        Sox can't do anything right

Danny Jansen came in for Hernandez to start the bottom of the ninth and JBJ grounded out to third. Sanchez grounded out to first and Kevin Plawecki pinch hit for Downs. Plawecki struck out swinging to end the game. The Jays had won it 4-1.

                                                          Jays win

Jackass of The Night is Franchy Cordero. He was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts including striking out with two men on.

                                                       Make contact, Jackass

The Good:

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4.

Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4 with a home run.

John Schreiber pitched a scoreless seventh.

Tanner Houck pitched a scoreless eighth.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jeter Downs was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Kevin Plawecki struck out as a pinch hitter.

Ryan Brasier allowed a run in the ninth inning.

The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.

Yolmer Sanchez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Kutter Crawford took the loss by allowing 3 runs in 6 innings. He allowed 5 hits and 1 walk while striking out four.

Final Thoughts:

How? How the Red Sox THIS bad against the AL East? Not just the Blue Jays but everyone? This reminds me of the Red Sox getting destroyed by the National League back in 2002 when they got swept by the Atlanta Braves, Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks. But that was just 9 games. The Sox are now 12-28 vs the AL East and haven't won a series yet. If the Sox were a mediocre 19-21 they'd be in a playoff position. The Sox have the talent to win games but for some reason their bats just evaporate against Toronto. How do you get clowned by Alek Manoah? We're about a week and change away from the trade deadline and it might be time to sell. The starting rotation getting hurt at the end of June pretty much sank the season. JD Martinez, Bogaerts and Nathan Eovaldi are impending free agents and Sox GM Chaim Bloom might want to get something for them before they walk. They could get top rated prospects to help the rebuild if they choose to do that. Unless the rotation magically gets healthy and the Sox start beating AL East teams, standing pat would be detrimental not just this year but next year as well. Until then, here's another loss in a season full of them. The loss dropped the Sox to 48-47, 16.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello (0-1) takes on Ross Stripling of Toronto. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.