Sox Outslug Rangers, E-Rod Wins 19th (9/24/19)

The Boston Red Sox went to great lengths to ensure that Eduardo Rodriguez (19-6, 3.80 ERA) would win his 19th game of the season to continue his quest on 20 wins for the season. Rodriguez didn't have it today as the Texas Rangers pounded him for 11 hits and 7 runs in a sweltering late September heat wave. Luckily the Sox offense was up to the task as they pounded out 14 hits and 12 runs of their own. Mookie Betts hit his 29th home run, JD Martinez drove in three runs and the back end of the bullpen held the fort as the Sox won their 82nd game of the season with a 12-10 victory over the Rangers at Arlington Park.

                                              Nick Sax & Happy approve of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting on the board in the top of the first inning against Texas starter Edison Volquez. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short but Rafael Devers singled to left. A wild pitch moved Devers to second and he scored on the Xander Bogaerts rbi single to right. A wild pitch moved Bogaerts to second and he scored on the JD Martinez base hit to center. Martinez moved to second on the Mitch Moreland grounder and scored on the Andrew Benintendi infield single to second. Christian Vazquez drew a walk to load the bases and Jackie Bradley Jr doubled home both Martinez and Benintendi. That was it for Volquez as Ariel Jurado came in to get Marco Hernandez to fly out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                           JBJ doubles home a pair

The Rangers got those runs right back in the bottom of the first as Delino DeShields struck out swinging to start. Elvis Andrus doubled to left and moved to third on the Willie Calhoun infield single to first. Nick Solack struck out swinging but Danny Santana walked to load the bases. Rougned Odor walked home Andrus and Scott Heineman singled home both Calhoun and Santana. Jose Trevino singled home Odor to tie the game just like that. Isiah Kiner-Falefa lined out to right to end the inning but the Rangers tied it 4-4.

                                                             Tie game

The Sox took the lead instantly in the top of the second as Mr. Mookie pounded his 29th home run of the season to dead center. Devers flied out to left but Bogaerts singled to center. Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.

                                                             Betts hits one out

The Rangers answered in the bottom of the second as DeShields tripled to begin the frame and scored on the Andrus sac fly. Calhoun took strike three and Solak grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.

The Sox once again took the lead in the top of the third as Moreland doubled to right to begin. Moreland moved to third on the Benintendi grounder before Vazquez grounded out to third. JBJ hit a routine grounder to second but Odor booted it to score Moreland with the go-ahead run. JBJ was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning but it was 6-5 Sox.

All of a sudden Mr. Mookie keeled over in the dugout grabbing his foot and was carried out on a stretcher headed to the local ICU. Gorkys Hernandez took over for him in right as Rodriguez somehow got out of the bottom of the third. Santana grounded out to third, Odor went down hacking and Heineman also whiffed to end the inning.

Marco Hernandez led off the top of the fourth with a swinging bunt single in front of the plate and Gorkys Hernandez followed with a conventional single to right. Devers doubled home Marco and Bogaerts scored Gorkys with a sac fly to give the Sox some cushion. Martinez took strike three and the Rangers started the dreaded pitching changes by bringing in Brett Martin to pitch to Moreland. Moreland grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-5.

                                                Devers doubles in a run

Rodriguez almost didn't make it out of the fourth although Trevino flied out to left to begin. Kiner singled to right but DeShields went down swinging. Andrus singled to left and Calhoun walked to load the bases, but Solak grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Sox seemed to have out the game away in the top of the fifth as Benintendi singled to right to begin before Vazquez walked. JBJ hit a double play ball to first but Santana booted it to load the bases with nobody out. Marco Hernandez took strike three and Shawn Kelley was brought in to pitch to Gorkys Hernandez. Gorkys brought a run home with a sac fly to center and Devers was intentionally walked to load the bases. Kelley threw a pitch to the backstop and Vazquez made a mad dash home.....SAFE! The Rangers challenged the call but it was upheld, the run scored. Bogaerts walked to reload the bases and Martinez hit the killshot with a 2 run single to left. Moreland flied out to right to end the inning but it was 12-5 Sox.

                                               Herculean sac fly by Hernandez

Rodriguez had nothing left for the bottom of the fifth but Sox manager Alex Cora desperately wanted Rodriguez to get win number 19. Santana singled and Odor effortlessly crushed a 50,000 foot home run to inch the Rangers closer. Somehow Rodriguez got Heineman to fly out to right and Trevino to ground out to third, but Kiner and DeShields Jr stroked back to back singles. DeShields was gunned down by the alert Vazquez to end the inning and that was it for Rodriguez. He had nothing today but was put in line for the win by allowing 7 runs in 5 innings.

                                                Not great but it'll do

Jeffrey Springs got the ball for the top of the sixth and Benintendi lined out to center to begin. Vazquez grounded out to third and JBJ whiffed to end the inning. Marcus Walden came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the sixth inning. Andrus and Calhoun stroked back to back singles to start but Solak popped up to second. Andrus scored on the sac fly by Santana before Odor walked. Heineman singled home Calhoun as Eduardo Rodriguez kicked a nearby trash can. Trevino flied out to left to end the inning but it was now 12-9 Sox.

The Sox did nothing in the top of the seventh as Marco Hernandez grounded out to third to start. Gorkys Hernandez flied out to center and Devers whiffed to end the inning. Andrew Cashner came in to vomit up his intestines in the bottom of the seventh as Kiner doubled to start. DeShields Jr was rung up for strike three but Kiner took third on a wild pitch. Andrus scored Kiner with a sac fly but Calhoun whiffed to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 12-10.

Emmanuel Chase pitched the top of the eighth and Bogaerts lined out to center to begin. Martinez whiffed and Moreland grounded out to short to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in for the bottom of the eighth and things looked bleak when Solak & Santana drew back to back walks to start. Luckily Barnes punched out both Odor and Heineman before Trevino lined out to center to end the inning.

Rafael Montero had mop up duty in the top of the ninth and Benintendi flied out to left to start. Vazquez singled to center but was erased on the JBJ force. Marco Hernandez whiffed to end the inning. Sox closer Brandon Workman came in to preserve the lead in the bottom of the ninth and Kiner lined out to right to start. DeShields grounded out to third but Andrus walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Calhoun grounded out to first to end the game. Rodriguez got his 19th win and the Sox took the slugfest 12-10.

Hero of the Night is JD Martinez. He was 2 for 5 with 3 total rbis including what turned out to be the decisive runs driven in, he also scored a run.

                                                 JD The Hero



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 1 for 2 with a solo home run before leaving with injury.

Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 2 with an rbi and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored,

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.

Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Brandon Workman earned his 16th save with a scoreless ninth inning.



The Bad:

Marcus Walden allowed 2 runs in 1 inning of work.

Andrew Cashner allowed a run in an inning of work.




The Ugly:

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 but drove in 2 runs and scored one.

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Eduardo Rodriguez won his 19th game of the season but was pounded for 7 runs in just 5 innings. He allowed 11 hits and 3 walks and just barely made it out of the 5th inning.




Final Thoughts:

That game was UGLLLLLYYYYYY! Rodriguez had nothing and the incompetent Boston bullpen allowed another couple of runs. The good news was the offense stepped up to pick up their teamates. The Sox pounded out 12 runs on 14 hits to sneak by with this one. With the season flushed down the toilet, the only bright spot has been Rodriguez and even he stunk the joint out. Still, he got his 19th win and the next 4 games will be filler to see of Eduardo can become the first 20 game winner the Sox have had since Josh Beckett in 2007. Mookie Betts may be done for the year since there's no point to play the final 5 games. Would be a shame if this was his last game in Boston but at least he hit one out as a parting shot. The meaningless win improved the Sox to an unimpressive 82-75 rexord. Tomorrow the Sox most likely lose to the same Rangers when they send "Slick" Rick Porcello (13-12) up against Kolby Allard at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Park,

Rays Six Run Rally Sinks Sox (9/23/19)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox got some good news for once. Heath Hembree had been activated off the Injured List and would be available for the final 7 games of the season. This year may be a wash but he'll be needed next season for sure

                                                                      IN

As for the game, another unmitigated disaster in a season full of them. The Sox took a 4-0 lead over the Tampa Bay Rays when the Rays promptly scored 6 runs off Sox starter Jhoulys Chacin and the JV bullpen. As been their M.O. all season, as soon as the Sox fell behind they failed to come back. Blake Snell was hittable for the Rays but the bullpen was not as the Rays took 3 out of 4 in this series with a 7-4 win at Tropicana Field.

                                               Morty's reaction to Boston pitching

Snell took the mound in the top of the first inning and Marco Hernandez went down swinging to start. Mr. Mookie Betts drew a walk but Rafael Devers struck out swinging as well. Mr. Mookie swiped second and JD Martinez walked before a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. Sam Travis also went down swinging to end the inning. Chacin initially had a good bottom of the first as he struck out Joey Wendle swinging to begin. Tommy Pham went down hacking but Austin Meadows walked. Travis d'Arnaud flied out to right to end the inning.

The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr singled to center to begin. Gorkys Hernandez flied out to center, JBJ swiped second and Chris Owings walked. Sandy Leon hit one up the elevator shaft but Marco Hernandez pounded a ground rule double to put the Sox on top. That was it for Snell as Chaz Roe came in and got Mr. Mookie to pop up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                              Hernandez puts the Sox on top

Chacin cruised in the bottom of the second as Ji-Man Choi grounded out to first to start. Avisail Garcia grounded out to short and Brandon Lowe grounded out to first to end the inning.

Peter Fairbanks came in for the top of the third and the Sox struck again. Devers flied out to left and Martinez grounded out to short, but Sam Travis keeled over in the dugout and had to be rushed to the local hospital's ICU. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Travis and doubled to center before JBJ doubled Mitch home. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

Chacin blew away Kiermaier to begin the bottom of the third before Adames took strike three. Wendle grounded out to second to end the inning.

Austin Pruitt came in for the top of the fourth and the Sox nailed him too. Owings grounded out to first to start before Leon took strike three. Marco Hernandez walked and Mr. Mookie singled him to third. Devers singled home Hernandez and Martinez singled home Betts. Moreland walked to load the bases but JBJ missed the killshot by grounding out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                     Devers drives in a run

All of a sudden the Rays sprang to life in the bottom of the fourth although Pham whiffed to start. Meadows singled to right and d'Arnaud singled him to third. Choi then crushed a 970,000 foot home run to cut the lead. Garcia grounded out to third but Lowe smashed a 340,000 foot home run to tie the game and chase Chacin. He was nearly perfect for 3 1/3 innings but fell apart in a hurry.

                                                   So much for Chacin

Bobby Poyner came in to pour gas on the fire as Kiermaier was plunked and Adames cracked a 50,000 foot home run to put Tampa up for good. Wendle took strike three to end the inning but 3 Rays homers had given them the lead 6-4.

                                                   The Rays take the lead

As been their M.O. all season, the Sox quit when they fell behind in the top of the fifth inning. Oliver Drake got Gorkys Hernandez and Chris Owings to strike out swinging before Leon grounded out to short to end the inning. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez got the ball in the bottom of the fifth and Pham flied out to right to start. Meadows grounded out to first and d'Arnaud struck out swinging to end the inning.

The Sox quit in the top of the sixth inning as Marco Hernandez grounded out to second to start. Mr. Mookie lined out to center and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. The Rays wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth as Choi doubled to start. Garcia doubled home Choi but was thrown out at third trying to stretch by Mr. Mookie. Lowe whiffed and Kiermaier flied out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 7-4.

                                                     YERRRR OUT!

Daniel Robertson took over for Lowe but was at third with Wendle moving to second and Nick Anderson on the mound for the top of the seventh. Martinez and Moreland both struck out swinging but JBJ dumped a base hit to center. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Heath Hembree materialized out of thin air to pitch for the first time since August 1st in the bottom of the seventh inning. Adames lined out to center to start before Wendle grounded out to second. Pham flied out to right to end the inning. Welcome back Hembree!

                                                       Hembree is back

Diego Castillo came in for the top of the eighth and Owings whiffed to start. Leon flied out to center and Marco Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Brian Johnson came in for the bottom of the eighth and Meadows singled to start. d'Arnaud whiffed and Choi flied out to center before Jesus Aguilar pinch hit for Garcia. Aguilar walked and Guillermo Heredia pinch ran for him. Robertson whiffed to end the inning.

Emilio Pagan came in for the top of the ninth and the Sox rallied. Mr. Mookie and Devers stroked back to back singles to start but Martinez flied out to right. Colin Poche came in to pitch and Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Moreland...just to strike out swinging. Xander Bogaerts pinch hit for JBJ...just to take strike three to end the game. The Rays had won it 7-4.

                                                                 Another loss to the Rays


Jackass of the Night is Bobby Poyner. He allowed the go ahead home run to Adames that the Sox could got recover from.

                                                        Bobby Jackass


The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with an rbi.

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

Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Brian Johnson pitched a scoreless 8th inning.



The Bad:

Sam Travis struck out in his only at bat.

Christian Vazquez struck out as a pinch hitter.

Xander Bogaerts struck out as a pinch hitter.

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 but struck out.

Jhoulys Chacin gave up 4 runs in just 3 2/3 innings.



The Ugly:

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.

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

Chris Owings was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Hector Velazquez allowed a run in 2 innings of work.




Final Thoughts:

Good thing this season is almost over because I can't stand watching this garbage anymore. The Sox keep throwing out scrubs to pitch and they hardly ever come back when trailing. It doesn't matter if its the Tampa Bay Rays or the Perkins Institute for the Blind, every game is the same this month more or less. The only thing left to look forward to is if Eduardo Rodriguez can get to 20 wins or not because this is unbearable at this point. It was nice to see Heath Hembree make his return, if nothing else than one less inning per game for one of the interchangeable scrubs. The loss dropped the Sox to 81-75 with just 6 games left in the season. The Sox now travel to Texas for their final road trip of the season. Eduardo Rodriguez (18-6) continues his march towards 20 wins when he goes up against Edinson Volquez at 8:05 PM Eastern time at Arlington Park.

Eovaldi Wins 1st Start, Beats Rays (9/22/19)

Better late than never for Nathan Eovaldi (2-0, 6.03 ERA). After a season full of disappointments and injuries, Eovaldi won his first start this season...with only 7 games left in the season. Eovaldi tossed 6 innings of 3 run ball to keep the Boston Red Sox in the game against the Tampa Bay Rays. Christian Vazquez hit a 3 run bomb to pace the offense that cranked out 7 total runs. The Sox defeated Ryan Yarbrough and the Rays 7-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                     Scary Terry approves of the win

The Sox wasted no time getting to Yarbrough in the top of the first inning. Jackie Bradley Jr led off by striking out swinging but Rafael Devers dumped a single to center. Xander Bogaerts singled to center and JD Martinez drove home Devers with a base hit to give the Sox the lead. Christian Vazquez stepped up with a 3 run blast, his 22nd home run of the year, to put the Sox up big. Sam Travis got a base hit to center but Gorkys Hernandez popped up to first. Chris Owings singled to left and Juan Centeno was plunked to load the bases. JBJ took strike three to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0

                                                         Vazquez goes deep

The Rays fought right back in the bottom of the first as Joey Wendle walked to start. Austin Meadows singled Wendle to third and Wendle scored on the double play hit by Tommy Pham. Ji-Man Choi whiffed to end the inning with the Rays down 4-1.

                                                  Double play!

The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning as Devers grounded out to second to start. Bogaerts popped up to first and Martinez flied out to center to end the inning. The Rays struck back in the bottom of the second as Brandon- Lowe singled to left to start. Nate Lowe took strike three but Willy Adames singled. Kevin Kiermaier singled home Brandon Lowe to cut the lead. Mike Zunino whiffed and Kiermaier was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.

                                                       YERRRR OUT!

Vazquez singled to center to start the top of the third but Travis flied out to center. Hernandez grounded out to first and Owings grounded out to short to end the inning. The Rays inched closer in the bottom of the third as Wendle bashed a 500,000 foot home run to start. Meadows flied out to center but Pham singled to right. Choi took strike three and Brandon Lowe flied out to center to end the inning with the Rays down 4-3.

                                                      Rays inching closer

The Sox fought back in the top of the fourth although Centeno grounded out to second to begin. JBJ hit a double to center and Kiermaier threw the ball away, allowing Jackie to reach third. Devers walked to chase Yarbrough and Andre Kittredge came in. Bogaerts was plunked to load the bases and Martinez drew a walk to score Jackie. Vazquez struck out swinging and a wild pitch scored Devers. Travis grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox led 6-3.

                                                      JD walks in a run

Nate Lowe singled to center to start the bottom of the fourth but was doubled off first on the line drive to Eovaldi off the bat of Adames. Kiermaier was plunked but Zunino popped up to second to end the inning.

Hernandez grounded out to third to start the top of the fifth before Owings went down hacking. Centeno lined out to center to end the inning. Eovaldi cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Wendle flied out to left to start. Meadows also flied out to left and Pham grounded out to short to end the inning.

Jalen "Twin" Beeks came in for the top of the sixth and JBJ grounded out to short to begin. Devers lined out to left and Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning. Eovaldi had one last inning in him and finished the bottom of the sixth. Choi and Brandon Lowe both whiffed but Nate Lowe walked. Adames grounded into a force to end the inning. Eovaldi pitched his best game of the season with 6 innings of 3 run ball, a far cry from his successes last season.

                                                  Eovaldi with a solid start

Boston rallied off Trevor Richards in the top of the seventh as Martinez got a base hit to right and Vazquez singled him to third. Travis and Hernandez both struck out swinging but Wendle threw a routine grounder by Owings away, allowing Travis to score. Centeno walked to load the bases but JBJ flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.

                                              "Aww man I crapped mah pants!" - Wendle

Sox manager Alex Cora rubbed his hands maniacally because now it meant he could bring in 117 pitchers the rest of the game and Darwinzon Hernandez was first out of the gate in the bottom of the seventh. Kiermaier lined out to second and Zunino grounded out to short, but Wendle walked. Meadows singled and Cora trudged to the mound to bring in Colten Brewer. A wild pitch moved both runners but Pham grounded out to short to end the inning.

Devers whiffed to begin the top of the eighth and Bogaerts grounded out to third. Martinez got a base hit to center but Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning. Matt Barnes came on for the bottom of the eighth and struck out Choi swinging to start. Brandon Lowe walked but Barnes punched out Nate Lowe. Adames lined out to right to end the inning.

Cole Sulser took over for the top of the ninth and Travis whiffed to start. Hernandez also struck out swinging but Owings walked. Centeno flied out to left field to end the inning. Andrew Benintendi took over in left field with Trevor Kelley on the mound for the bottom of the ninth. Kiermaier flied out to center but Brendan McKay pinch hit for Zunino. McKay annihilated a home run all the way to the Red Sea for his first home run of the year. Wendle flied out to center and Cora came out to bring in Brandon Workman for god knows what reason. Meadows grounded out to end the game, the Sox had somehow beaten Tampa Bay 7-4.

                                                   Sox win it


Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. He went 3 for 5 including smashing the big 3 run home run in the first inning to give the Sox the lead they wouldn't give up.

                                                 Vazquez The Hero




The Good:

JD Martinez was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Nathan Eovaldi tosssed 6 innings of 3 run ball to earn the win. He struck out 6 batters.

Darwinzon Hernandez got the first 2 outs of the 7th inning.

Colten Brewer got the final out of the 7th inning.

Brandon Workman got the final out of the game.



The Bad:

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Trevor Kelley allowed a run in just 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored two runs.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but was hit with a pitch and scored a run.

Sam Travis was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Chris Owings was just 1 for 4 but walked.

Juan Centeno was 0 for 3 but walked and was hit with a pitch.



Honorable Mention:

Andrew Benintendi played left field in the bottom of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Good to see Nathan Eovaldi end the season on a high note after being a disappointment all season. Hopefully next season he can stay healthy all season and be the pitcher he was last year. It may be too much to ask, but what the hell. One thing is for sure, the Sox are going to need more bench depth in 2020 because their September call-ups have been atrocious this month. The rise of Christian Vazquez also gives hope for next year if they potentially lose JD Martinez to free agency. Speaking of Martinez, this could be it for him so better enjoy him while you can. The win improved the Sox to 81-74 with just 7 games left in the season. The Sox look to annoy the Rays some more tomorrow night when they send Jhoulys Chacin to the mound against Blake Snell at 7:05 PM at Tropicana Field.

Rays Walkoff in 11...Again (9/21/19)

The Boston Red Sox played Groundhog Day in tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Rays. After making a late comeback just to lose in 11 innings last night, the Sox did the exact same thing tonight against the Rays. The Sox trailed 3-1 going into the eighth inning but but a clutch 2 run bomb by Rafael Devers tied the game. 3 innings later Mitch Moreland put the Sox on top with a home run...only for Josh Smith to serve up a double and a home run to Nate Lowe in short order to give the game to the Rays. The Sox came back just to lose 5-4 in 11 innings to the soon to be wild card champion Rays at Tropicana Field.

                                                Groundhog Day

Tyler Glasnow got the "start" for the Rays and Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to right to start. Rafael Devers took strike three but Xander Bogaerts doubled to center. JD Martinez whiffed to end the inning. Travis Lakins got the "start" for the Sox and Austin Meadows flied out to center to begin. Tommy Pham walked but Ji-Man Choi was rung up for strike three. Travis d'Arnaud grounded out to first to end the inning.

Glasnow turned up the heat in the top of the second as Mitch Moreland flailed away for strike three to start. Brock "The Hitman" Holt watched strike three go by and Christian Vazquez was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Nate Lowe whiffed to start the bottom of the second but Matt Duffy doubled to right and remained there as Joey Wendle beat out an infield single to second. Both runners moved over on the Kevin Kiermaier grounder and Sox manager Alex Cora bounded out of the dugout. In what was going to be another 5 hour game with one pitching change after another, Bobby Poyner was brought in to finish the inning. Willy Adames whiffed to end the inning, here we go again.

                                                      Short and sweet for Lakins

Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to short to begin the top of the third before Marco Hernandez went down swinging. Mr. Mookie singled to left but Devers whiffed to end the inning. Mike Shawaryn took over for the bottom of the third and Meadows singled off the glove of Hernandez to start. Pham whiffed but Choi walked. d'Arnaud singled home Meadows to put the Rays up first. Lowe grounded out to first. Duffy was plunked to chase Shawaryn. Colten Brewer was summoned and naturally Joey Wendle singled to right. Choi scored but d"arnaud was thrown out at home to end the inning with the Rays up 2-0.

                                                                  2-0 Rays

The Sox fought back against Yonny Chirinos in the top of the fourth as Bogaerts crushed his 32nd homer of the season to cut the lead in half. Martinez and Moreland both whiffed and Holt lined out to third to end the inning but the Sox were back in it down 2-1.

                                              Number 32 for Bogaerts

Ryan Weber took over for the bottom of the fourth and and Kiermaier grounded back to the mound to start. Adames took strike three and Meadows lined back to Weber to end the inning.

Andrew Kittredge came in for the top of the fifth and Vazquez whiffed to start. JBJ singled to right but Hernandez whiffed. Mr. Mookie grounded into a force to end the inning. Weber froze Pham for strike three to start the bottom of the fifth before Choi lined out to left. d'Arnaud popped up to first to end the inning.

Peter Fairbanks cruised in the top of the sixth as Devers grounded out to first to start. Bogaerts lined out to left before Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. Weber returned for the bottom of the sixth as Lowe grounded out to second to start. Duffy whiffed but Wendle singled to second. Dr. Quick Hook Alex Cora pulled Weber for Josh Taylor. The alert Taylor picked off Wendle to end the inning.

Colin Poche came in for the top of the seventh and Moreland took strike three to start. Holt lined out to left butVazquez walked. JBJ flied out to center to end the inning. The Rays got to Taylor in the bottom of the seventh although Kiermaier whiffed to start. Adames then blasted a 500,000 foot home run to increase the lead. Meadows single and Dr. Quick Hook pulled Taylor for Ryan Brasier. Meadows was erased on the force by Meadows and Choi flied out to left to end the inning but it was 3-1 Rays.

                                                    Adames goes yard

Guillermo Heredia took over for Pham with Nick Anderson now on the mound for the Sox big rally. Hernandez went down hacking but Mr. Mookie singled. Devers then belted a 2 run home run to tie the game. Bogaerts and Martinez both grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                           A miserable Devers ties it up

Andrew Cashner came in for the bottom of the eighth and d'Arnaud flied out to center to start. Lowe whiffed and Duffy took strike three to end the inning.

Oliver Drake came in for the top of the ninth and Moreland grounded out to first to start. Holt grounded out to short but Vazquez walked. Andrew Benintendi pinch ran for Vazquez but JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning. Sandy Leon took over behind the plate for the bottom of the ninth with Gorkys Hernandez now in left and Matt Barnes now on the mound. Barnes turned up the heat by getting Wendle to go down hacking to start. Kiermaier also whiffed and Adames also swung and missed for strike three to end the inning.

Emilio Pagan came in for the top of the tenth and Marco Hernandez struck out swinging to begin. Mr. Mookie flied out to center and Devers popped up to second to end the inning. Sox closer Brandon Workman came in for the bottom of the tenth and Meadows walked to start. Jesus Aguilar pinch hit for Heredia but whiffed. Choi was rung up for strike three and Meadows was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning.

Somehow the Sox took the lead in the top of the eleventh with Michael Brosseau in left field and Diego Castillo on the mound. Bogaerts grounded out to short to start before Martinez struck out swinging again. Moreland then put the Sox on top with his 18th home run of the season. Gorkys Hernandez grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox led 4-3.

                                                     Moreland steps it up

The good feeling lasted 30 seconds as Josh Smith gave away the game in almost record time in the bottom of the eleventh inning. d'Arnaud doubled to left and Lowe pulverized a game winning, walkoff home run to give the game to the Rays. This season sucks.

                                                         Ugh


Jackass of the Night is Josh Smith. Staked to a one run lead, Smith coughed it up in just two batters to give up the walkoff home run to Lowe.

                                                       Nice going Smith



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a two run home run.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a home run.

Christian Vazquez walked twice in four plate appearances.

Travis Lakins tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.

Bobby Poyner struck out the only man he faced.

Ryan Weber tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Ryan Brasier tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Andrew Cashner tossed a scoreless inning.

Matt Barnes struck out the side in his inning of work.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

JD Martinez was 0 for 5 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 1 at the plate.

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 4 with a golden sombrero of 4 strikeouts.

Mike Shawaryn was charged with 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.

Colten Brewer gave up an rbi single to Joey Wendle.

Josh Taylor was charged with a run in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of three strikeouts but hit a solo home run.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.



Honorable Mention:

Andrew Benintendi ran for Vazquez in the top of the ninth.

Sandy Leon caught the final three innings.




Final Thoughts:

Its bad enough the Sox are almost completely unwatchable due to the bad pitching they have but Alex Cora trudging to the mound 7-8 times a game slows it down considerably. I understand if he's trying to bring in as many pitchers as he can to showcase them for either future teams or to show what they've got, but one pitching change after another slows the game down. The worst part is most of the guys he brings in are scrubs who probably won't be on the team next year because they keep giving up runs. The sad part was the Sox still was in position to win the game but they blew it. Luckily there are only 8 more games of torture remaining. No more Cora bringing in 75 pitchers and losing by 7 runs every game. The loss dropped the Sox to 80-74. The Rays look to sweep the Sox tomorrow afternoon when Ryan Yarbrough shuts down the Sox and Nathan Eovaldi (1-0) takes a beating at 1:05 PM at Tropicana Field.

Rays Walkoff Sox in 11, Sox Eliminated (9/20/19)

In a season full of disappointments, the Boston Red Sox added another chapter to their dismal season. The Sox have had trouble coming back in the later innings all season. Tonight they trailed 4-2 going into the 9th inning against the playoff bound Tampa Bay Rays. Somehow Mitch Moreland clubbed a game tying home run...only for Willy Adames to hit a walkoff single in the bottom of the 11th to give the game to the Rays. Once again the Sox failed to win a game when trailing but at least they showed some heart for once. Still, the Rays took another step closer to the playoffs as the Sox were officially eliminated with a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.

                                                  Another loss

Rays starter Charlie Morton started his dominance in the top of the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to second to begin. Christian Vazquez whiffed and Rafael Devers took strike three to end the inning. "Slick" Rick Porcello matched Morton in the bottom of the first inning as Joey Wendle lined out to right to start. Austin Meadows popped up to third and Tommy Pham took strike three to start.

Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single to third to start the top of the second before Andrew Benintendi popped up to third. Brock "The Hitman" Holt took strike three before Mitch Moreland grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Ji-Man Choi whiffed to start the bottom of the second before Travis d'Arnaud grounded out to third. Kevin Kiermaier missed a home run by inches before grounding to the mound to end the inning.

Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to first to start the top of the third before Marco Hernandez whiffed. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning. Andrew Benintendi started clutching his hand and had to be loaded onto an ambulance as Gorkys Hernandez replaced him in left to start the bottom of the third. Avisail Garcia and Matt Duffy stroked back to back singles but Adames whiffed. Wendle flied out to left and Meadows whiffed to end the inning.

The Sox threatened in the top of the fourth as Vazquez grounded out to second to begin. Devers grounded out to second but Bogaerts singled to center. Hernandez walked but Holt whiffed to end the inning. Porcello fanned Pham to start the bottom of the fourth but Choi singled to right. d'Arnaud flied out to center before Kiermaier flied out to left to end the inning.

The duel continued in the top of the fifth as Moreland grounded out to first to start. JBJ whiffed but Hernandez beat out an infield single. Mr. Mookie popped up to third to end the inning. Porcello matched Morton in the bottom of the fifth as Garcia grounded out to short to start. Duffy was rung up for strike three and Adames grounded out to third to end the inning.

Morton cruised in the top of the sixth as Vazquez whiffed to start. Devers flied out to left before Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Porcello was equally tough in the bottom of the sixth as Wendle flied out to center to begin. Meadows grounded out to first and Pham lined out to center to end the inning. Typical 2019 Red Sox, Porcello sucks all year but the one time he tosses a shutout, the Sox don't score.

                                                6 shutout innings for Porcello

The Sox broke the deadlock in the top of the seventh although Gorkys Hernandez whiffed to start. Holt doubled and Moreland pounded his 16th home run of the year to give the Sox the lead. That was it for Morton as Oliver Drake came in to punch out JBJ and get Marco Hernandez to ground out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                                   Moreland puts the Sox on top

In a season full of bad decisions, Sox manager Alex Cora made another one when he lifted Porcello after just 87 pitches and throwing a shutout. At first Darwinzon Hernandez coming in looked like a good move when he struck out Choi, but d'Arnaud singled. Jesus Aguilar pinch hit for Kiermaier and walked. Guillermo Heredia ran for Aguilar and Michael Brosseau hit for Garcia. Brosseau walked to load the bases and chase Hernandez. As if Cora hadn't made enough bad moves, Marcus Walden came in to face Nate Lowe pinch hitting for Duffy. Walden induced a double play ball but Lowe beat it out to score d'Arnaud. Adames then lit the paltry crowd up with a ground rule double to tie the game. Porcello threw up his hands and that was it for Walden. Josh Taylor came in and thing he did was uncork a wild pitch to score Lowe with the go-ahead run. Wendle flied out to center to end the inning but every single move Cora made failed and the Rays led 3-2.

                                                 Rays effortlessly come back

Daniel Robertson took over at third with Nick Anderson on the mound in the top of the eighth. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Vazquez walked. Cora was so offended the Sox were trying to come back that he pinch ran Vazquez with Chris Owings. Devers whiffed and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning. Sandy Leon took over behind the plate with Andrew Cashner now on the mound. The Rays rallied as Meadows walked to start but Pham flied out to left. Choi doubled home Meadows to increase the lead but d'Arnaud flied out to right. Heredia whiffed to end the inning with the Rays up 4-2.

Emilio Pagan came in to close out the ninth where the Sox were 3-the season when trailing. Somehow Gorkys Hernandez tripled but naturally Holt lined out to center. Somehow Moreland then crushed another 2 run home run to tie the game. JBJ whiffed and Marco Hernandez lined out to center but the Sox weren't dead yet, tying the game 2-2.

                                                           TIE GAME!!!

Ryan Brasier came in for the bottom of the ninth and Brosseau whiffed to start. Robertson took strike three but Adames singled. Wendle grounded out to second to end the inning with the game headed to extras.

Chaz Roe came in for the top of the 10th as Mr. Mookie lined out to center to begin. Leon took strike three and Colin Poche came in to get Devers to fly out to center to end the inning. Bobby Poyner had the bottom of the 10th and Meadows flied out to center to begin. Pham and Choi both went down swinging to end the inning.

Diego Castillo came in for the top of the eleventh inning and Bogaerts grounded out to second to start. Gorkys Hernandez whiffed but Holt worked a walk. There would be no third 2 run homer as Moreland whiffed to end the inning. The end came in the bottom of the eleventh with Trevor Kelley on the mound. d'Arnaud flied out to center and Heredia flied out to right, but Brosseau walked. Robertson walked as Johnny Davis ran for Brosseau. Adames ended the game with a base hit to left that scored Davis with the winning run. The Sox were officially eliminated as the Rays won 5-4.

                                                      Bye bye Sox, Rays win


Jackass of the Night is Trevor Kelley. He allowed the walkoff hit to Adames after getting the first two outs of the eleventh.

                                                     Trevor is a Jackass


The Good:

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5.

Gorkys Hernandez was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Mitch Moreland singlehanded kept the Sox in the game with two 2 run home runs, 4 total rbis.

Rick Porcello tossed 6 shutout innings, allowing just 3 hits and no walks.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 9th inning.

Bobby Poyner pitched a scoreless 10th inning.



The Bad:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.

Sandy Leon struck out in his only at bat.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 1.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.

Darwinzon Hernandez was charged with 3 runs in just 1/3 of an inning.

Marcus Walden allowed 2 inherited runners to score in just 1/3 of an inning.

Andrew Cashner allowed a run in an inning of work.



The Ugly:

Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked.

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Marco Hernandez was just 1 for 4.

Josh Taylor's wild pitch scored the go-ahead run in the 7th but he retired the only man he faced.



Honorable Mention:

Chris Owings ran for Vazquez.




Final Thoughts:

9 more games and the misery is over. At least the numbers game is over with the Sox officially eliminated. Sad part was if the Sox had any semblance of a rotation or a competent bullpen, they could still be in the race. Cora had a bad game by lifting Porcello too soon and bringing in the wrong relievers. Its too bad things turned out the way they did, but the only thing left to do is look forward to next year. Most of these JV relievers will be gone and although he pitched well tonight, Porcello will be out of here too. Whoever is the GM next year better clean up the pitching or they're going to be perfectly mediocre next year. The loss dropped the Sox to 80-73 and officially out. Tomorrow night the Sox and Rays battle again with Tyler Glasnow against...surprise surprise...the Sox awful bullpen. Travis Lakins is the "starter" at 6:10 PM at Tropicana Field.

Sox Survive Giants, Rodriguez wins 18th (9/19/19)

With the dreary season coming to an end, one of the lone bright spots has been the emergence of Eduardo Rodriguez (18-6, 3.57 ERA). After coming over in a trade with Baltimore in 2014, it took 5 years to get to this point but Rodriguez finally showed the ace stuff everyone knew he had but rarely could stay healthy enough to do it. Tonight Rodriguez went six solid innings against the San Francisco Giants, allowing just 1 run. The Sox scored 5 quick runs in the first two innings and survived another bullpen meltdown to squeak out the 5-4 win at Fenway Park.

                                                Pickle Rick approves of the win

As usual the Giants wasted no time taking the lead in the top of the first inning. Mauricio Dubon got the rally started with a base hit to left. Austin Slater took strike three but Kevin Pillar hit a routine grounder to second. Marco Hernandez threw himself on the ball and dryland swam on it for an error to put runners at the corners. Evan Longoria scored Dubon with a sac fly and Buster Posey whiffed to end the inning with the Giants up 1-0.

                                                            1-0 Giants

The Sox struck back immediately in the bottom of the first as Andrew Benintendi led off with a double to right. Christian Vazquez walked and Rafael Devers singled home Benintendi to tie the game. Xander Bogaerts singled home Vazquez to give the Sox the lead but the rally ended as Brock "The Hitman" Holt whiffed. Gorkys Hernandez took strike three and Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

Rodriguez blew away Joey Rickard to start the top of the second inning but Jaylin Davis walked. Cristhian Adames whiffed and Davis was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the second although Chris Owings grounded out to short to start. Marco Hernandez whiffed but Benintendi singled to left.  Vazquez singled to right and Benintendi beat the tag home on a single by Devers to increase the lead, Vazquez moving to third with Rafael moving to second. Bogaerts singled home both runners to increase the lead. Holt flied out to right to end the inning but it was 5-1 Sox. The Sox failed to score the remainder of the game.

                                                  Really?

Aramis Garcia struck out swinging to start the top of the third before Dubon walked. Slater lined out to right and Pillar popped up to second to end the inning. Gorkys Hernandez whiffed to start the bottom of the third before JBJ flied out to center. Owings doubled to center but Marco Hernandez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Rodriguez blew away Longoria to start the top of the fourth before Posey grounded out to third. Rickard singled to short but Davis whiffed to end the inning. Dubon threw a routine grounder away by Benintendi to put Andrew on due to the error to start the bottom of the fourth. Benintendi was erased on the force by Vazquez and Devers flied out to left. Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.

Rodriguez cruised in the top of the fifth inning as Adames grounded out to short to start. Garcia and Dubon both struck out swinging to end the inning. Holt tried to start a rally with a double to begin the bottom of the fifth but Gorkys Hernandez popped up to second. JBJ whiffed but Owings walked. Marco Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning.

Rodriguez kept up the pace in the top of the sixth inning as Slater was frozen for strike three to start. Pillar grounded out to short and Longoria flied out to right to end the inning. That was it for Rodriguez who continued his strong season with 6 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 10.

                                                              Good work E-Rod

The Sox failed to score against Wandy Peralta in the bottom of the sixth inning as Benintendi grounded out to first to start. Vazquez flied out to center and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier cruised in the top of the seventh as Posey whiffed to start. Rickard popped up to second and Davis struck out swinging to end the inning. Sam Coonrod came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Bogaerts flied out to right to begin. Holt grounded out to first and Gorkys Hernandez grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

The Giants rallied against Marcus Walden in the top of the eighth although Adames whiffed to start. Chris Shaw pinch hit for Garcia and grounded out to second but Dubon walked. Mike Yazstremski pinch hit for Slater and lined a base hit to left before Pillar doubled both men home. That was it for Walden as Matt Barnes walked Longoria and Posey singled to third. Stephen Vogt pinch hit for Rickard but struck out swinging to end the inning with the Giants down 5-3.

The Sox blew their chance to ice the game in the bottom of the eighth with Andrew Suarez on the mound. JBJ took strike three and Owings whiffed, but Marco Hernandez reached on an error by Mike Yaz. Benintendi walked and Vazquez beat out an infield single to load the bases, but Devers hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

Brandon Workman came in to blow the save in the top of the ninth inning but he could thank Owings for helping. Brandon Belt pinch hit for Davis and Owings threw the routine grounder into the Monster seats for an error to start. Adames singled to right and Shaw walked as the paltry crowd booed Workman. Brandon Crawford pinch hit for Dubon but somehow Workman punched him out. The fans turned on the Sox and cheered Mike Yaz hoping to see a grand slam...but Workman somehow struck him out. Pillar walked home Belt to bring the tying run to third and the go-ahead run at second. On a full count...Workman struck out Longoria to end the game. Somehow the Sox held on to win 5-4.

                                                       A rare win by the Sox


Hero of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. He earned his 18th win by outdueling Madison Bumgarner. He tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 10.

                                                          E-Rod the Hero


The Good:

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with 3 rbis.

Chris Owings was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Matt Barnes got the final out of the 8th inning.



The Bad:

Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marco Hernandez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Marcus Walden allowed 2 runs in just 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Brock Holt was just 1 for 4.

Brandon Workman allowed a run in the ninth but earned his 15th save of the season.




Final Thoughts:

What a shame that Rodriguez had to have a breakout year in a miserable season like this one. Still, if he's ready to shoulder the workload at least they have one guy they can depend on next year with David Price, Chris Sale and Nathan Eovaldi regressing this season. Once again the Sox offense scored early but turtled late and the bullpen damn near blew another one. Even with Dombrowski gone, the stench of the horrid bullpen is still here with 10 games to play. The win improved the Sox to 80-72, nowhere near anything for a playoff spot. Tomorrow evening the Sox travel to Tampa Bay to play the Rays in which they'll most likely get swept. "Slick" Rick Porcello goes for the Sox up against Charlie Morton at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.