Sox Shut Out Rays (4/16/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Alex Bregman was placed on the Paternity List to go see his newborn and infielder Nick Sogard was called up to take his place. With an off-day tomorrow, may as well let Alex go home to see his baby. Congratulations Alex.

                                                                        OUT

                                                                  IN

As for the game, it wasn't pretty but the Boston Red Sox defeated the Tampa Bay Rays in two out of three games including tonight's by the slimmest of margins. Sean Newcomb lasted just 4 2/3 innings for Boston but he didn't allow any runs. The only run scored in the game was a third inning home run just over the wall by David Hamilton. The real star of the game was the Boston bullpen. Greg Weissert (1-1, 2.08 ERA), Garrett Whitlock and Justin Slaten tossed 4 1/3 innings allowing just 1 hit between them to slam the door on the Rays. Slaten got the save and the Sox had beaten the Rays 1-0 at Steinbrenner Field.

                                                    Jack Nicklaus approves of the win

Zack Littell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to first to start. Rafael Devers drew a walk but Trevor Story struck out swinging. Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Newcomb got the ball in the bottom of the first and Yandy Diaz walked to start. Curtis MEad flied out to right but Junior Caminero singled to right. Christopher Morel flied out to center and Jose Caballero struck out swinging to end the inning.

Romy Gonzalez grounded out to short to start the top of the second before Triston Casas flied out to center. Carlos Narvaez grounded out to short to end the inning. Danny Jansen flied out to center to begin the bottom of the second and Coco Montes took strike three. Jake Mangum grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the third as David Hamilton struck his first home run of the season just over the wall in right to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Duran grounded out to short. Devers flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                    Wally head for Hamilton

Walls got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the third but Diaz banged into a double play. Mead flied out to center to end the inning.

Story walked to start the top of the fourth but Abreu popped up to short. Gonzalez pounded a ground rule double to right and Casas was intentionally walked to load the bases. Naturally Narvaez popped up to short and Hamilton grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Caminero grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth but Morel got a base hit to left. Caballero struck out looking and Morel was gunned down at second trying to steal to end the inning.

Rafaela lined out to Walls to start the top of the fifth but Caballero dropped a fly ball by Duran for an error to push Jarren to second. Duran got himself thrown out at third trying to steal and Devers compounded it by getting a base hit to center. Story flied out to center to end the inning. Jansen walked to start the bottom of the fifth but Montes lined out to center. Mangum got a base hit to right but Walls struck out swinging. Once again, Sox manager Alex Cora refused to let a starter finish the fifth inning and yanked Newcomb after just 71 pitches. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks and Greg Weissert came in to face Diaz. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                              Good work by Newcomb

Abreu doubled to start the top of the sixth but Gonzalez struck out swinging. Casas flied out to left and Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Weissert returned for the bottom of the sixth and Jonathan Aranda pinch hit for Mead. Aranda popped up to short, Caminero struck out swinging and Morel took strike three to end the inning.

Garrett Cleavinger came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Hamilton struck out swinging to start. Rafaela grounded out to second and Duran went down hacking to end the inning. Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Caballero struck out swinging to start. Jansen went down hacking and Lowe finished the trifecta by swinging at air to end the inning.

Mason Englert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Devers flied out to center to start. Story grounded out to third and Abreu popped up to third to end the inning. Mangum grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and Walls took strike three. Diaz got a base hit to center but Aranda flied out to left to end the inning.

Eric Orze came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Gonzalez grounded back to the mound to start. Casas grounded out to second and Narvaez lined out to a running Mangum to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Caminero flied out to center to start. Morel went down hacking and Caballero took strike three to end the game. The Sox had won it 1-0.

                                                              Sox win

Hero of the Night is Greg Weissert. He came into a 2 on, 2 out situation and tossed 1 1/3 hitless innings to earn the win.

                                                               Hero Weissert

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk.

David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a home run.

Sean Newcomb tossed 4 2/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.

Garrett Whitlock tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Justin Slaten earned his second save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout and caught stealing.

Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Let's get the bad news out of the way first. The Boston Red Sox offense was once again silenced and if you take away Alex Bregman's game from yesterday, they haven't hit well since two weeks ago against the St. Louis Cardinals. Duran, Casas, Rafaela, Narvaez and Devers have been AWFUL and Connor Wong wasn't doing so hot either until he broke his finger. The Sox are too good to his this bad so maybe they'll turn it around, but with Marcelo Mayer and Roman Anthony chopping at the bit....heads might roll sooner rather than later. The other concerning sign was Cora yanking Newcomb with two out in the fourth. He forced his bullpen to toss 4 1/3 innings after tossing 4 yesterday. Yes they have an off-day tomorrow but remember the Sox bullpen has collapsed four years in a row (2022 was due to extreme circumstances) and another one might be the final nail in the coffin for Cora. The positive sign is Hamilton finally got a piece of one, Newcomb pitched decent while he was in and the bullpen was lights out. With the offense a titanic mess right now, the pitching held up in this one. The Sox have four injured starters so to get a start like that out of Newcomb is almost a miracle. Brayan Bello had his final rehab start tonight in Portland and Liam Hendriks pitched there as well. Fresh troops are on the way so the Sox just have to hold the fort for a few weeks. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox return home for a four game set with the Chicago White Sox. Garrett Crochet (2-1, 1.38 ERA) takes on old buddy Martin Perez of Chicago. The game begins Friday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Bregman, Sox Drop Rays (4/15/25)

Now that's more like it. The Boston Red Sox suffered one of their most ignominious defeats last night where Red Sox Nation was calling for the heads of Alex Cora and hitting coach Pete Fatse. Tonight the Sox responded by unleashing Alex Bregman on the Tampa Bay Rays. Bregman was a perfect 5 for 5 at the plate with two home runs and four rbis by himself. The Sox also got a home run from Jarren Duran and a clutch hit from Ceddanne Rafaela. Walker Buehler (2-1, 5.23 ERA) was solid but not spectacular, tossing 5 innings of 2 run ball to keep the Sox in the game. Zack Kelly damn near blew it in the ninth inning but Aroldis Chapman came in to save the day. The Sox had won it on the back of Bregman with a 7-4 victory over the Rays at Steinbrenner Field.

                                                         Kat Dennings approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Rays starter Ryan Pepiot in the top of the first inning as Jarren Duran popped up to short to start. Rafael Devers doubled to right and took third on a wild pitch. Alex Bregman FINALLY got a hit with a runner in scoring position with a base hit to left to score Devers. Wilyer Abreu flied out to center but Trevor Story got a base hit to center. Kristian Campbell was called out on interference to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                             Bregman gets a big hit

Buehler got the ball in the bottom of the first and Yandy Diaz grounded out to short to start. Brandon Lowe struck out swinging and Junior Caminero grounded out to third to end the inning.

The Sox struck again in the top of the second as Triston Casas flied out to center to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging but Carlos Narvaez got a base hit to left. Duran then belted his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.

                                                            Duran is all smiles

The Rays fought back in the bottom of the second as Jonathan Aranda hit a home run all the way to the Baltic Sea to cut the lead. Christopher Morel took strike three, Kameron Misner flied out to left and Jake Mangum grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays down 3-1.

                                                                Rays strike back

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Bregman launched his third home run of the season to start. Abreu walked and Story got a base hit to center, but Campbell struck out swinging. Casas lined out to right but Rafaela got a clutch hit with a base hit to right to score Abreu, moving Story to third. Rafaela stole second but Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 5-1.

                                                             Bregman goes yard

Taylor Walls grounded out to second to start the bottom of the third before Ben Rortvedt flied out to center. Diaz grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox were relentless in the top of the fourth as Duran walked to start. Duran swiped second and Bregman doubled to left to score him for another rbi. Abreu and Story both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.

                                                             Its Alex's night

The Rays struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Lowe popped up to first to start. Caminero walked, Aranda got a base hit to left and Morel walked to load the bases just like that. Misner hit a sac fly to left to score Caminero but Mangum lined out to center to end the inning with the Rays down 6-2.

                                                                  Rays get a run back

Campbell struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth before Casas grounded out to second. Rafaela grounded out to third to end the inning. Buehler got in trouble in the bottom of the fifth as Walls singled to left to start. Rortvedt walked and both runners moved over on the grounder to third by Diaz. Lowe took strike three and Caminero grounded out to third to end the inning. Once again Sox manager Alex Cora yanked a starter as that was it for Buehler after just 89 pitches. He allowed 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks.

                                                           Buehler gets it done

Narvaez struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Duran lined out to center. Devers grounded out to third to end the inning. Justin Wilson came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Aranda walked to start. Morel struck out swinging and Misner went down hacking but Mangum singled to right. Walls lined out to center to end the inning.

The Sox got another run in the top of the seventh with Hunter Bigge now on the mound. Bregman smashed his second home run of the night to increase the lead before Abreu struck out swinging. Story and Campbell both grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 7-2.

                                                             Another jack for Bregman

Zack Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rortvedt popped up to first to start. Diaz struck out swinging and Lowe went down hacking to end the inning.

Mason Englert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Casas got a base hit to right. Rafaela struck out swinging and Narvaez went down hacking. Duran walked but Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. Caminero struck out swinging to open the bottom of the eighth and Aranda lined out to center. Morel struck out swinging to end the inning.

Manuel Rodriguez came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Bregman got a base hit to center to start. Abreu forced Alex at second and Story forced Wilyer as well. Campbell lined out to right to end the inning and his on base streak at 17 games. Kelly returned to close out the bottom of the ninth but ran out of gas. Misner got a base hit to right to start and Mangum got a double to left. Walls grounded out to first to score Misner and Rortvedt hit one up the elevator shaft. Diaz singled to right to score Mangum and chase Kelly. Aroldis Chapman was summoned to put out the fire and Curtis Mead pinch hit for Lowe. A wild pitch moved Diaz to second but Mead struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 7-4.

                                                               Sox win

Hero of the Night is Alex Bregman. He went 5 for 5 with 2 home runs and 4 total rbis.

                                                           Hero Bregman

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a stolen base, a 2 run homer and 2 total runs scored.

Trevor Story was 2 for 5.

Walker Buehler got the win with 5 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 3

Justin Wilson tossed a scoreless inning.

Aroldis Chapman earned the save by getting the final out of the ninth inning.

The Bad:

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Zack Kelly allowed 2 runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but stole a base and drove in a run.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Maybe last night's loss woke them up because they didn't make any mistakes in this one. Alex Bregman carried the offense but apart from Zack Kelly's ninth inning, this was nearly a flawless game. Still didn't like Cora pulling Buehler after 5 innings but if the bullpen melts in July again, maybe this will be the end of Cora in Boston. Its a shame Campbell came back down to earth but guys like Duran, Bregman and Story are supposed to be the ones contributing and they did. The problem the Sox are facing is what they faced last year, its hard to go on a winning streak when you play so inconsistent. They actually looked competent in tonight's game but who knows what tomorrow will bring. Still, good for Bregman to put the offense on his back and hopefully the rest of the guys will wake up. The Sox look to make it two in a row against Tampa tomorrow night when Sean Newcomb (0-2, 4.97 ERA) takes on Zack Littell of the Rays. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Steinbrenner Field.

Rays Massacre Lifeless Red Sox (4/14/25)

Throughout the season the Boston Red Sox have been stumbling and bumbling, either not hitting well, not fielding well or not pitching well. Tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays the Red Sox did all three of them in one of the most embarrassing losses since the infamous game against Toronto in 2022. Tanner Houck (0-2, 9.16) got absolutely creamed for 12 runs in just 2 1/3 innings. He clearly had nothing but so did the Sox defense. Once again they made mental and physical errors that didn't help their beleaguered pitchers. Worse yet, the Boston bats were once again silenced by Shane Baz and the Tampa pitching. The Sox damn near had many strikeouts as a team (14) as the Rays scored runs (16). The Red Sox got just 6 hits, allowed  16 runs and committed yet another error as they lost a big one 16-1 to Tampa at Steinbrenner Field.

                                                         "TRADE THEM ALLLLLLL!!!"

Baz got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran flied out to to left to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging and Alex Bregman grounded out to third to end the inning. The Rays set the tone early as Yandy Diaz hit the first pitch Houck threw in the bottom of the first into the Atlantic Ocean to put the Rays up for good one pitch into the game. Brandon Lowe lined out to third, Junior Caminero grounded out to short and Jonathan Aranda grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.

                                                       That didn't take long

Wilyer Abreu took strike three to start the second inning before Trevor Story struck out swinging. Triston Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rays absolutely pounded Houck in the bottom of the second as Christopher Morel singled in the hole at second to start. Kameron Minser hit a home run all the way into the Arctic Ocean to ice the game. Taylor Walls walked but old pal Danny Jansen popped up to second. Jake Mangum singled in the hole at short but Diaz took strike three. Lowe got a bae hit to center and Duran inexplicably threw to second base allowing both runners to score. Caminero forced Lowe at second to end the inning with the Rays up 5-0.

                                                         Misner hits one out of here

The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Kristian Campbell belted his third home run of the season to start. David Hamilton flied out to center, Carlos Narvaez popped up to first and Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 5-1.

                                                        Home run Campbell

The Rays finished off Houck in the bottom of the third as Aranda singled to center to start. Morel got a base hit to left and Minser got a base hit in the hole at second to load the bases with nobody out. Walls beat out a double play ball to score Aranda and Bregman booted a grounder by Jansen for an error to score Minser. A wild pitch moved Walls to third and he scored on the base hit to center by Mangum. Jansen moved to third on the play and Mangum promptly stole second. Diaz got a base hit to right to score Jansen and Lowe walked to FINALLY chase Houck. He had absolutely nothing today, allowing 12 runs on 10 hits and 2 walks. Michael Fulmer made his Red Sox debut by allowing a base hit by Caminero to score Mangum. Aranda pounded a ground rule double to center to score Diaz & Lowe and Morel doubled to center to score both Caminero and Aranda. Misner walked but Walls flied out to right. Jansen struck out swinging with Tampa ahead 14-1.

                                                         Houck gets rocked

Devers took strike three to start the top of the fourth before Bregman grounded out to third. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. Mangum walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Diaz grounded into a double play. Lowe lined out to center to end the inning.

Baz turned up the heat in the top of the fifth as Story struck out swinging to start. Casas and Campbell both went down hacking to end the inning. Caminero hit a home run all the way to Argentina to start the bottom of the fifth before Aranda popped up to short. Morel took strike three and Misner popped up to short to end the inning with the Rays up 15-1.

                                                             Rays pour it on

Hamilton took strike three to start the top of the sixth before Narvaez grounded out to short. Duran got a base hit to center but Devers popped up to third to end the inning. Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Walls struck out swinging to start. Jansen got a base hit to left but was forced at second by Mangum. Curtis Mead pinch hit for Diaz and struck out swinging to end the inning.

Coco Montes took over for Morel and Hunter Bigge came in to pitch the top of the seventh. Bregman and Abreu both struck out swinging, but Story got a base hit to center. Casas grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Lowe struck out swinging. Caminero struck out swinging and Aranda took strike three to end the inning.

Eric Orze came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Campbell got a base hit to left to start. Hamilton forced Kristian at second and Narvaez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Brennan Bernarino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Montes grounded out to third to start. Misner clocked his second home run of the game to wrap up the scoring and Walls took strike three. Jansen grounded out to second to end the inning with the Rays up 16-1.

                                                         Misner does it again

Duran flied out to left to start the top of the ninth before Blake Sabol pinch hit for Devers. Sabol got a base hit to right but Bregman took strike three. Abreu got a base hit to right but Story flied out to center to end the game. The Rays had won it 16-1.

                                                                Rays win

Jackass of the Night is Tanner Houck. He got left out to dry by Cora and the defense but he still allowed 12 runs in just 2 1/3 innings off 10 hits and 2 walks.

                                                                  Jackass Houck

The Good:

Blake Sabol got a hit as a pinch hitter.

Kristian Campbell was 2 for 3 with a home run.

Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless inning.

Josh Winckowski pitched a scoreless inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

David Hamilton was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

Christian Narvaez was 0 for 3.

Brennan Bernardino allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.

Michael Fulmer allowed 3 runs in 2 2/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Wilyer Abreu was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Final Thoughts:

That was, without a doubt, the most humiliating loss of the season. They were in most of their games to begin the season but lately they aren't even competitive. The Sox allowed 16 hits and 16 runs while striking out 14 times at the plate. At what point do heads roll for this mediocre start to the season? They've changed some personnel around on the field but they're making the same errors, pitching terribly and not hitting well at all. Houck has looked like garbage since the second half of last season and once some of the injured starters come back, he'll be in the bullpen with Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman instead of Michael Fulmer or Sean Newcomb. Either way a change needs to be made because this clearly isn't working. After the game Alex Cora took the blame for not having his team prepared, but its also the players too. Hopefully they can snap out of it quickly before the AL East starts to slip away. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow night when Walker Buehler takes on Ryan Pepiot of Tampa. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Steinbrenner Field.

Crochet, Red Sox Edge White Sox (4/13/25)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an unsurprising roster move. The Sox placed "Big" Dick Fitts on the Injured List with a strained pectoral muscle and called up right handed pitcher Michael Fulmer to take his place. Now the Sox are down FOUR starters although the word is Brayan Bello needs only one more rehab start before he's back.

                                                                             OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, thank goodness for Garrett Crochet (2-1, 1.38 ERA). The Red Sox ace lived up to his billing by tossing 7 1/3 no-hit innings against his old team the Chicago White Sox. The problem is the Red Sox bats were once again silenced, this time by Shane Smith. Trevor Story was the offensive star of the day, driving in 2 runs in the top of the sixth to put Boston on top and hitting a ninth inning home run for the insurance run. Sox manager Alex Cora yanked Crochet after allowing an 8th inning base hit to Chase Meidroth and Garrett Whitlock damn near coughed up the lead. Still, Whitlock got out of the eighth and Aroldis Chapman nailed down the ninth to give the Sox a much needed 3-1 victory over Chicago at Comiskey Park.

                                                    Rory McIlroy approves of the win

Smith got the ball in the top of the first and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging but Alex Bregman singled to left. Wilyer Abreu lined out to first to end the inning. Crochet got the ball in the bottom of the first and Miguel Vargas struck out swinging to start. Luis Robert Jr struck out swinging and Lenyn Sosa flied out to right to end the inning.

Trevor Story got a base hit to center to open the top of the second but Triston Casas grounded into a double play. Kristian Campbell grounded out to short to end the inning. Andrew Vaughn grounded out to short to start the bottom of the second before Michael A Taylor's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Casas. Chase Meidroth grounded out to first to end the inning.

Carlos Narvaez grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging. Duran got a base hit to right but Devers flied out to center to end the inning. Brooks Baldwin struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Matt Thaiss struck out swinging as well. Jacob Amaya lined out to center to end the inning.

Bregman grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Abreu popped up to third. Story lined out to center to end the inning. Vargas took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth before Robert Jr popped up to first. Sosa lined out to left to end the inning.

Casas walked to begin the top of the fifth before Campbell flied out to right. Narvaez flied out to right and Rafaela flied out to center to end the inning. Vaughn grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Taylor struck out swinging. Meidroth went down hacking to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the sixth as Duran struck out swinging to start. Devers popped up to first but Bregman got a base hit to right. Abreu walked and Story doubled to right to score both runners. Casas lined out to left to end the inning with Boston ahead 2-0.

                                                            Big double for Story

Baldwin walked to break up the perfect game to start the bottom of the sixth but Thaiss popped up to second. Amaya struck out swinging and Vargas went down hacking to end the inning.

Mike Clevinger came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Campbell grounded out to short to start. Narvaez swung and missed for strike three but Thaiss threw the ball away for an error. Rafaela flied out to center to chase Clevinger. Tyler Gilbert picked off Narvaez to end the inning. Robert Jr struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh before Sosa went down hacking. Vaughn grounded out to first to end the inning.

Cam Booser came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Duran struck out swinging to start. Devers struck out swinging and Bregman grounded out to short to end the inning. Taylor popped up to first to start the bottom of the eighth but Meidroth broke up the no-hitter with a base hit to left. Rather than let Crochet finish the inning, here came Sox manager Alex Cora to yank him at the first sign of trouble. Crochet allowed 1 hit and a walk through 7 1/3 innings while striking out 11. Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch and Baldwin singled to center to move Meidroth to third. Thaiss got a base hit to right to score Meidroth and move Baldwin to third. Greg Jones pinch ran for Thaiss and Joshua Palacios pinch hit for Amaya.  Jones stole second but Palacios struck out swinging. Vargas flied out to left to end the inning with the White Sox down 2-1.

                                                          Crochet was outstanding

The BoSox got an insurance run in the top of the ninth against Bryse Wilson. Abreu struck out swinging but Story hit his 3rd home run of the season to increase the lead. Casas got a base hit to center and Campbell also got a base hit to center, but Narvaez flied out to left. Rafaela got a base hit in the hole at short to load the bases but Duran flied out to left to end the inning with the BoSox up 3-1.

                                                         Home run Story

Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Robert Jr struck out swinging to start. Sosa popped up to second but Vaughn got a base hit to center. Nick Maton ran for Vaughn but Taylor struck out swinging to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 3-1.

                                                                   Red Sox win

Hero of the Night is Garrett Crochet. He dominated the White Sox for 7 1/3 innings allowing just 1 run on 1 hit and a walk.

                                                                 Hero Crochet

The Good:

Alex Bregman was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Trevor Story was 3 for 4 with a home run and 3 total rbis.

Triston Casas was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Aroldis Chapman earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout, a caught stealing and got picked off.

The Ugly:

Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.

Kristian Campbell was just 1 for 4.

Garrett Whitlock allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 2/3 of an inning.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.

Final Thoughts:

Good win but once again where are the bats? If it wasn't Story the Red Sox might have lost this one and its only a matter of time before the other teams start to hit. Crochet is the Sox first ace since 2018 when Chris Sale was healthy so the Sox would be wise to keep him healthy, especially with Richard Fitts down. The good news is Brayan Bello is only one rehab start away from returning so the days of relying on Sean Newcomb and Cooper Criswell might be ending soon. Like previously mentioned, the true problem are the bats. They haven't scored more than 3 runs since last Sunday against St. Louis and look totally lost at the plate. They better turn things around soon or else they'll be too far behind the other teams in the AL East. Good for Story to have a good day for once, if only he was more consistent. The Sox now travel to Tampa Bay for a set with the Rays. Tanner Houck goes for the Sox against Shane Baz of Tampa. The first game begins tomorrow night at 7:05 PM at Steinbrenner Field.

White Sox Walkoff Red Sox (4/12/25)

For the second game in a row the Chicago White Sox embarrassed the Boston Red Sox. "Big" Dick Fitts was pitching well through five innings but suffered a pectoral strain and had to leave the game. The BoSox got two runs off a Ceddanne Rafaela triple and a Romy Gonzalez base hit, but the floodgates opened once Fitts left the game. Zack Kelly allowed a 2 run bomb to Luis Robert Jr to tie the game and the anemic Red Sox offense couldn't score off the Chicago bullpen. After Justin Wilson and Justin Slaten kept the Sox in the game, Aroldis Chapman (2-1, 1.50 ERA) allowed a back breaking rbi single by Brooks Baldwin to give the White Sox a 3-2 victory at Comiskey Park.

                                                                   Embarrassing

Old friend Martin Perez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Romy Gonzalez walked to start. Rafael Devers struck out swinging and Alex Bregman grounded into a double play to end the inning. Fitts got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Miguel Vargas grounded out to short to start. Nick Maton struck out swinging and Luis Robert Jr grounded out to third to end the inning.

Rob Refsnyder lined out to third to open the top of the second but Trevor Story got a base hit in the hole at third. Kristian Campbell struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu popped up to second to end the inning. Andrew Vaughn flied out to left to start the bottom of the second and Joshua Palacios walked. Chase Meidroth singled to center and Lenyn Sosa struck out swinging. Omar Narvaez flied out to right to end the inning.

Carlos Narvaez flied out to right to start the top of the third before Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to short. Romy Gonzalez walked again but Devers took strike three to end the inning. Michael A Taylor grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third before Vargas lined out to center. Maton struck out swinging to end the inning.

Bregman watched strike three go by to begin the top of the fourth before Refsnyder grounded out to short. Story got a base hit to left before swiping second base. Campbell walked but Abreu was frozen for strike three to end the inning. Robert Jr lined out to right to begin the bottom of the fourth before Vaughn struck out swinging. Palacios grounded out to second to end the inning.

The BoSox struck first in the top of the fifth as Narvaez got a base hit to left to start. Rafaela tripled into the centerfield gap and Gonzalez got a base hit to left to score Ceddanne. Devers grounded into a double play but Bregman walked to chase Perez. Penn Murfee came in to face Refsnyder and Rob struck out swinging to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 2-0.

                                                           Gonzalez drives in a run

Fitts started clutching his chest to start the bottom of the fifth as Meidroth grounded out to short to start. Sosa struck out swinging but Narvaez singled in the hole at second. Taylor flied out to right to end the inning. Fitts had to leave the game with injury after 5 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and a walk.

                                                              Fitts leaves with injury

Mike Vasil came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Story struck out swinging to start. Campbell flied out to center but Abreu walked. Abreu swiped second but Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning. Zack Kelly came in to pour gas on the fire in the bottom of the sixth as Vargas walked to start. Maton took strike three but Robert Jr hit a home run all the way to the Azores to tie the game. Vaughn took strike three and Palacios grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                                 Tie game

The BoSox blew a rally in the top of the seventh as Rafaela got a base hit to left to start. Rafaela stole second and Gonzalez grounded out to third. Devers was intentionally walked and naturally Bregman flied out to right. Refsnyder struck out swinging to end the inning. Meidroth grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the seventh and Sosa struck out swinging. Justin Wilson came in to pitch to Narvaez and Omar flied out to left to end the inning.

Jordan Leasure came in to pitch the top of the eighth but Story struck out swinging to start. Campbell grounded back to the mound but Abreu singled to center. Narvaez took strike three to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Taylor lined out to right. Vargas lined out to right and Maton grounded out to first to end the inning.

Rafaela grounded out to third to start the top of the ninth and Gonzalez grounded out to third as well. Tyler Gilbert came in to face Devers and Rafael lined out to right to end the inning. Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Robert Jr walked to start. Vaughn struck out swinging but Brooks Baldwin pinch hit for Palacios. Robert stole second and naturally Baldwin got a base hit to left to score Robert with the winning run. The White Sox had walked it off 3-2.

                                                              White Sox win

Jackass of the Night is Aroldis Chapman. He allowed the winning run scored on a pinch hit single to end the game.

                                                          Jackass Chapman

The Good:

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.

Trevor Story was 2 for 4 with a stolen base.

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3 with a walk and a stolen base.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with an rbi, a stolen base and a run scored.

Richard Fitts tossed 5 shutout innings allowing 2 hits and a walk while striking out 5.

Justin Wilson retired the only man he faced.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

The Bad:

Rob Refsnyder was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Zack Kelly served up a 2 run home run in the sixth to tie the game.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Alex Bregman was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Kristian Campbell was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Another trash loss to another trash team and this is getting ridiculous at this point. The offense completely evaporates with men on base and it doesn't matter who is at-bat anymore. Its one thing if it was just one guy they could drop in the order but its the entire team. As soon as they get a guy on second its all over. The fact the Sox are dropping games to Toronto and Chicago is a bad sign considering every game counts in the era of the third wild card. Worse, now Dick Fitts is hurt and the preliminary report is its a pectoral strain. Thankfully its not his elbow but hopefully its not a torn pec that could cost him 3 months at least. The Sox can ill-afford another starter out with three guys out already. The Sox have to do something to shake things up because what they're doing is not working. The BoSox look to avoid the sweep tomorrow afternoon when Garrett Crochet (1-1) takes on his former team led by Shane Smith. The game begins at 2:10 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.

White Sox Annihilate Red Sox (4/11/25)

Just when you thought it couldn't get any more embarrassing for the Boston Red Sox, they sink to a whole new level. After dropping 3 out of 4 to the Toronto Blue Jays (with many considering them to be lucky to win the fourth) the Boston Red Sox came to Chicago and got destroyed by the 2-10 White Sox. Sean Newcomb (0-2, 4.97 ERA) got rocked for 6 runs in just 4 innings while Josh Winckowski and Brennan Bernardino allowed five runs apiece. The story once again were the Sox scoring just 1 run and going 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position. The BoSox also committed FIVE errors as a team throughout the game. The BoSox currently can't pitch, field or hit so the worst team in baseball wallopped them 11-1 at Comiskey Park.

                                                                 Yup

Davis Martin got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to first to start. Rafael Devers popped up to short but Alex Bregman was hit with a pitch. Triston Casas struck out swinging to end the inning. Newcomb got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Miguel Vargas walked to start. Luis Robert Jr grounded out to first to move Vargas to second but Lenyn Sosa took strike three. Andrew Vaughn took strike three to end the inning.

The BoSox blew their first rally in the top of the second as Trevor Story flied out to right to start. Wilyer Abreu and Kristian Campbell stroked back to back base hits but naturally Blake Sabol grounded into a double play to end the inning. The ChiSox struck first in the bottom of the second as Michael A Taylor caught Sabol asleep with a bunt single but Brooks Baldwin struck out swinging. Taylor stole second base and former BoSox prospect Chase Meidroth drew a walk. Omar Narvaez took strike three but Jacob Amaya doubled home both runners to put Chicago up for good. Vargas flied out to center to end the inning with Chicago ahead 2-0.

                                                       Amaya puts Chicago on top

The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the third as Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to start. Duran grounded out to third but Devers walked. Bregman doubled to left and with a chance to tie the game....Casas flied out to center to end the inning. Sabol ran into Robert Jr for interference to start the bottom of the third before then Robert stole second base. Robert moved to third on the grounder to third by Sosa but Vaughn flied out to right. Taylor struck out swinging to end the inning.

Story tried to start a rally with a base hit to center to start the top of the fourth but Abreu struck out swinging. Campbell struck out swinging, but Story took off for second and Narvaez threw the ball away, allowing Trevor to take third. Naturally with a runner in scoring position, Sabol struck out swinging to end the inning. The floodgates opened in the bottom of the fourth as Baldwin flied out to center to start. Meidroth got his first major league hit with a base hit to right and Casas booted a grounder by Narvaez for an error. Amaya took strike three but Vargas doubled home both runners to ice the game. Robert Jr ripped a base hit to center to score Vargas and promptly stole second. Sosa got a base hit to right to score Robert and Vaughn flied out to right to end the inning with the ChiSox up 6-0. That was it for Newcomb who was failed by his defense, but still allowed 6 runs in just 4 innings.

                                                         Newcomb gets rocked

Rafaela flied out to center to start the top of the fifth before Duran also flied out to center. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Taylor got a base hit to center....under the glove of Rafaela for an error to move Taylor to third. Baldwin struck out swinging but Meidroth walked. Narvaez hit sac fly to right to score Taylor and Amaya grounded out to short to end the inning with the ChiSox up 7-0.

                                                                Another rbi for the White Sox

Bregman flied out to left to open the top of the sixth before Casas popped up to first. Story grounded out to second to end the inning. Vargas grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth before Robert did the same. Sosa also grounded out to short to end the inning. At least Story could field the ball. 

The BoSox finally broke through in the top of the seventh as Abreu doubled to right to start. Campbell got a base hit to center to move Abreu to third and chase Martin. Old friend Cam Booser came in and all Sabol could do was hit a sac fly to center to score Abreu. Rafaela was hit with a pitch to move Campbell into scoring position. You know what that means! Duran forced Rafaela at second and Devers walked to load the bases. With a chance to get back in the game....Bregman grounded out to third to end the inning with Boston down 7-1.

                                                         Sac fly for Sabol

Vaughn flied out to left to start the bottom of the seventh but Taylor singled to left. Baldwin hit a double play ball to Winckowski....thrown away for Boston's fourth error of the night. Naturally Baldwin stole second base and Meidroth walked again to load the bases. Narvaez did the honors with a base hit to left to score Taylor and Baldwin. Amaya flied out to center and Vargas forced Meidroth at second to end the inning with the BoSox down 9-1.

                                                      A microcosm of the night

Joshua Palacios came in for Meidroth with Penn Murfee now on the mound to start the top of the eighth. Casas somehow doubled to right but with a runner in scoring position...you know what that means! Story, Abreu and Campbell all struck out swinging to end the inning. Like clockwork. Brennan Bernardino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and once again Sabol ran into Robert Jr for an error to start. Sosa doubled home Robert and Vaughn flied out to right. Taylor struck out swinging but Baldwin got a base hit up the middle to score Sosa. Palacios took strike three to end the inning with the White Sox up 11-1.

                             The late Steve Sabol of NFL Films might be a better catcher at this point

Nick Maton took over for Robert and Brandon Eisert came in to mop up the top of the ninth. Sabol capped off his unimpressive day with a ground out to second before Rafaela swung at air for strike three. Duran also struck out swinging to end the game. The White Sox had won it 11-1.

                                                               White Sox win

Jackass of The Night is Sean Newcomb. He put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of by allowing 6 runs in just 4 innings of work.

                                                               Jackass Newcomb

The Good:

Rafael Devers walked twice in four plate appearances.

Alex Bregman was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch.

Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Kristian Campbell was 2 for 4.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Josh Winckowski allowed 3 runs in 3 innings.

Brennan Bernardino allowed 2 runs in 1 inning.

The Ugly:

Triston Casas was just 1 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.

Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base.

Blake Sabol was 0 for 3 with a strikeout and 2 errors but drove in a run.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.

Final Thoughts:

Not only did the Sox give up 11 runs to a team that can barely score but committing 5 errors is inexcusable. Blake Sabol and Sean Newcomb have no business being on major league rosters but when 3/5 of your rotation is injured and your starting catcher is gone, this is what you got. The real story, no pun intended, is the top 5 hitters going 3 for 18 with 4 strikeouts against a terrible team. Not to mention Jarren Duran, Triston Casas and especially Ceddanne Rafaela look completely lost at the plate. Can't even blame the pitching too much when the Sox can't field the ball. Sox manager Alex Cora should be on the hot seat for not having his team prepared fundamentally year after year but no one in the front office seems to give a damn it seems as long as money is made. The Sox are just going to have to hope nobody gets hot while they can't hit or field and trot out AAA pitchers. Things should turn around but the last few years have given very little indication it will. Hats off to Chase Meidroth for a successful ML debut. At least he didn't throw the ball away like these bums did. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when "Big" Dick Fitts (0-2, 4.50 ERA) looks for his first win of the season against old friend Martin Perez. The game begins at 4:05 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.