Game Postponed Until August (6/26/24)

Tonight's Boston Red Sox game has been suspended and postponed as apart of a doubleheader on August 26th. Here's what happened leading up to it.

                                                            So much for this one

Kutter Crawford got the ball in the top of the first inning and Bo Bichette struck out swinging to start. Spencer Horowitz flied out to right and Vladimir Guerrero Jr walked. Justin Turner grounded out to second to end the inning. Yariel Rodriguez got the ball to start the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran grounded back to the mound to start. David Hamilton grounded out to second but Wilyer Abreu walked. Rafael Devers grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

George Springer was rung up for strike three to start the top of the second before Davis Schneider drew a walk. Crawford threw a first pitch strike to Danny Jansen and that's when the came was called. The funny thing is, the game won't be played until two months from now. Who knows what will be in the lineup by then.

Despite the game being postponed, the New York Yankees lost meaning the Sox remain 43-37 but are now 8 games back of first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox are back in action Friday night as the San Diego Padres come to town. Nick Pivetta (4-4, 4.06 ERA) takes on Randy Vasquez of San Diego at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Bello Rocked, Jays Roll (6/25/24)

For two innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox would continue their winning ways against the Toronto Blue Jays. The Sox got a home run by Rafael Devers and another run off Kevin Gausman in the bottom of the second. Then Sox starter Brayan Bello (7-5, 5.55 ERA) totally imploded on the mound in the top of the third. Errors from Wilyer Abreu, Tyler O'Neill and Ceddanne Rafaela didn't help as the Jays scored 7 runs highlighted by a George Springer home run. Josh Winckowski allowed 2 runs in the top of the fourth and all the Sox could muster was 2 more runs in the bottom of the sixth. Bello got rocked and the Sox got rolled as the Jays took this one 9-4 at Fenway Park.

                                                          "Bello......"

Bello got the ball in the top of the first and Bo Bichette struck out swinging to start. Spencer Horwitz was hit by a pitch but Vladimir Guerrero Jr grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gausman got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran flied out to center to start. Enmanuel Valdez lined out to right and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning. 

Justin Turner walked to start the top of the second but George Springer struck out swinging. Addison Barger hit a bullet to Dominic Smith at first who doubled off Turner to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Rafael Devers clobbered his 16th home run of the season to start. Guerrero booted a grounder by Tyler O'Neill for an error and Masataka Yoshida doubled home Tyler to increase the lead. Dominic Smith lined out to right, Reese McGuire grounded out to short and Ceddanne Rafaela grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.

                                                           Devers gets a piece of one

Bello suddenly imploded in the top of the third as Danny Jansen doubled to left to start. Isiah Kiner-Falefa got a base hit down the third base line and Kevin Kiermaier singled off the glove of Enmanuel Valdez. Wilyer Abreu proceeded to throw the ball away for an error to score both Jansen and Kiner. Bichette and Horwitz both walked to load the bases and Guerrero Jr doubled to center to score Kiermaier and Bichette. Turner grounded out to first to score Horwitz and Springer ended the game with a 3 run bomb to chase Bello. For two innings he was solid then allowed 7 runs in 1/3 of an inning, yikes. Greg Weissert came in and got Barger to ground out to third. Jansen flied out to right to end the inning with the Jays up 7-2.

                                                          Bello implodes

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Duran lined out to center to start. Valdez got a base hit to right but Abreu struck out swinging. Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.

Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Kiner took strike three to start. Kiermaier singled in the hole at short but Bichette lined out to right. Horwitz walked and Guerrero Jr doubled to left to score Kiermaier. O'Neill threw the ball away for an error and Horwitz scored as well. Turner flied out to right to end the inning with the Jays up 9-2.

                                                         Jays were all smiles in this one

O'Neill walked to start the bottom of the fourth but Yoshida flied out to left. Smith hit a grounder to first but Guerrero booted it for an error. McGuire flied out to center but O'Neill moved to third. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning.

Springer grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth and Barger took strike three. Jansen took strike three to end the inning. Duran flied out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Valdez struck out swinging. Abreu lined out to right to end the inning.

Rafaela threw a grounder by Kiner away for an error to start the top of the sixth but Kiermaier lined out to center. Bichette struck out swinging and Horwitz popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth as Devers doubled to center to start when a fan reached over and grabbed the ball. O'Neill then launched his 16th home run of the season where a fan couldn't reach and grab it. Yoshida grounded out to short, Smith struck out swinging and McGuire lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox down 9-4.

                                                              O'Neill jacks one

Guerrero Jr struck out swinging to start the top of the seventh and Turner popped up to third. Springer got a base hit to center but Barger struck out swinging to end the inning. Davis Schneider came in for Barger and Brendon Little came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh. Rafaela grounded out to short and Duran struck out swinging, but Valdez walked. Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Abreu and walked....but Devers struck out swinging to end the inning.

Jansen grounded out to short to start the top of the eighth and Kiner did the same. Kiermaier singled off the glove of Winckowski and Bichette grounded out to short to end the inning. Trevor Richards came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and O'Neill struck out swinging to start. Yoshida struck out swinging and Smith flied out to left to end the inning.

Horwitz grounded out to short to start the top of the ninth and Guerrero Jr struck out swinging. Turner got a base hit to right and Springer did the same, but Schneider took strike three to end the inning. Yeoman's effort for Winckowski who saved the bullpen with 6 innings of relief.

                                                                Good effort, good job

Ernie Clement came in for Horwitz with Chad Green in to close out the bottom of the ninth. McGuire grounded out to third and Rafaela grounded out to second. Duran struck out swinging to end the game. The Jays had won the game 9-4.

                                                                    Jays win

Jackass of the Night is Brayan Bello. He got rocked for 7 runs in just 2 1/3 innings to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't climb out of.

                                                         "Get outta here, Jackass"

The Good:

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Romy Gonzlez walked as a pinch hitter.

Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.

Greg Weissert tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.

Josh Winckowski allowed just 2 runs in 6 innings of relief.

The Bad:

Jarren Duran was 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and an error.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 4.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Tyler O'Neill was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored but struck out and committed a crucial error.

Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.

Final Thoughts:

Talk about a giant step backwards. The Sox had all the momentum going with 8 wins in 9 games and Bello just had to crap his pants. Not that offense did much in this one but when you're put in a 7-2 hole in the blink of an eye, not much you can do. Bello's ERA is up to 5.55 and its very obvious he has mental problems. At the first sign of trouble, he crumbles like a graham cracker. That Jansen double opened the floodgates and Bello never recovered. Josh Winckowski didn't even do that bad in relief but even if he pitched a clean slate, they still would have lost. The errors by Abreu and O'Neill didn't help but this one is on Bello. The loss dropped the Sox to 43-37, 8.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow when Kutter Crawford takes on Yariel Rodriguez of Toronto. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Red Sox Walkoff Blue Jays (6/24/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some roster moves. Mercifully Brad Keller and Cam Booser were sent back to Worcester as Isaiah Campbell and Josh Winckowski were brought back in return. Also new papa Connor Wong was placed on the Paternity List and Tyler Heineman was called up to take his place. Congratulations to Connor.

                                                                               OUT

                                                                      IN

As for the game, don't look now but the mediocre Red Sox have won three games in a row including walking off the Toronto Blue Jays tonight. The Sox took a 2-1 lead on Toronto thanks to a two run shot off Toronto starter Chris Bassitt, but Sox starter Tanner Houck got blitzed in the seventh inning. After allowing a game tying single to Kevin Keirmaier, Isaiah Campbell came in only for David Hamilton to throw a ball away and Vladimir Guerrero Jr to hit a home run to put the Jays up 6-2. A furious rally in the eighth culminated in a Romy Gonzalez bases loaded single to tie the game. A Ceddanne Rafaela single, a balk and a Jarren Duran base hit to right was enough to win the game in the bottom of the ninth. The Sox had stunned the Jays 7-6 at Fenway Park.

                                                     The Mayor approves of the win

Tanner Houck got the ball in the top of the first inning and Isiah Kiner-Falefa struck out swinging to start. Spencer Horowitz flied out to left and Vladimir Guerrero Jr grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Chris Bassitt got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran lined out to right to start. David Hamilton grounded out to second and Wilyer Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.

Old friend Justin Turner took strike three to begin the top of the second and George Springer grounded out to third. Addison Barger grounded out to second to end the inning. Rafael Devers grounded out to second to start the bottom of the second and Tyler O'Neill grounded out to third. Masataka Yoshida lined out to center to end the inning.

Davis Schneider lined out to left to start the top of the third and Alejandro Kirk grounded out to short. Kevin Kiermaier struck out swinging to end the inning. Dominic Smith walked to start the bottom of the third but Reese McGuire banged into a double play. Ceddanne Rafaela was hit with a pitch but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning.

The Jays struck first in the top of the fourth as Kiner singled to center to start. Horowitz took strike three but Guerrero Jr singled in the hole at short. Turner ripped a base hit to center to score Kiner to put the Jays on top. Springer grounded into a double play to end the inning but the Jays were up 1-0.

                                                     It had to be Turner didn't it?

The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth as Duran ripped a base hit to center to start. Hamilton popped up to short and Abreu took strike three, but Devers belted his 15th home run of the season to put Boston on top. O'Neill popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.

                                                     Devers puts Boston on top

Duran made a great catch at the centerfield wall to rob Barger of extra bases to lead off the top of the fifth. Schneider grounded out to third and so did Kirk to end the inning. Yoshida got a base hit to right to begin the bottom of the fifth but was forced at second by Smith. McGuire popped up to third and Rafaela forced Smith at second to end the inning.

Kiermaier struck out swinging to open the top of the sixth before Kiner took strike three. Horowitz was hit with a pitch, Guerrero Jr doubled to center and Turner walked to load the bases. Springer flied out to Duran to end the inning. Jarren lined out to short to start the bottom of the sixth before Hamilton lined out to center. Abreu hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.

The Jays struck back in the top of the seventh as McGuire ran into Barger for catcher's interference to start. Schneider took strike three but Kirk moved Barger to second with a grounder to third. Naturally Kiermaier got a base hit to center to score Barger to tie the game. That was it for Houck who once again got no run support, allowing 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings on 5 hits and a walk. Isaiah Campbell made his return to the Sox and Hamilton threw a routine grounder by Kiner away for an error to move Kiermaier to third. Naturally Horowitz lined a base hit to right to score Kiermaier and Guerrero Jr hit a home run all the way to Cuba to increase the lead. Turner took strike three to end the inning with the Sox down 6-2.

                                                       Houck deserved better

Devers got a base hit to center to start the bottom of the seventh but O'Neill flied out to right. Yoshida got a base hit to center but Smith struck out swinging. Enmanuel Valdez pinch hit for McGuire but popped up to third to end the inning.

Tyler Heineman took over behind the plate with Chase Anderson now on the mound to start the top of the eighth. Springer flied out to left to start before Barger struck out swinging. Schneider flied out to left to end the inning. Nate Pearson came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Rafaela popped up to second to start. Duran doubled down the third base line and Hamilton crushed his fifth home run of the year to cut the lead. Abreu struck out swinging but Tim Mayza came in to pitch to Devers and Rafael singled to center. Kiermaier failed to come up with a double by O'Neill and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Yoshida. Refsnyder was intentionally walked to load the bases and Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Smith. Zach Pop came in to pitch to Romy and Gonzalez responded with a base hit to left to score Devers and O'Neill to tie the game. Heineman struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox roared back to tie the game 6-6.

                                                        Gonzalez ties it up

Kenley Jansen came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Kirk got a base hit to center to start. Steward Berroa came in to run for Kirk and Kiermaier struck out swinging. Berroa was thrown out trying to steal and Hamilton made a great play to rob Kiner of a hit to end the inning. Danny Jansen took over behind the plate to start the bottom of the ninth and Horowitz booted a grounder by Rafaela to start. A balk was called to move Ceddanne to second and he scored to win the game on the Duran base hit to right. The Sox had rallied down 6-2 to win the game 7-6.

                                                           Sox win

The Co-Heroes of the Night are Romy Gonzalez for his 2 out 2 run single and Jarren Duran for his walkoff base hit.

                                                           Hero 1

                                                        Hero 2

The Good:

Rafael Devers was 3 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 2 total runs scored.

Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 3.

Rob Refsnyder walked in his only plate appearance.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a run scored and a hit by pitch.

Tanner Houck was charged with 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings but only 2 were earned. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out 7.

Chase Anderson tossed a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Reese McGuire was 0 for 2 with an error.

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Taylor Heineman struck out in his only plate appearance.

Isaiah Campbell allowed a 3 run home run to Guerrero Jr.

The Ugly:

David Hamilton was just 1 for 4 with an error but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Tyler O'Neil was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Sox have finally began to come back to win games. Ever since that loss to the White Sox, Boston has come back again and again in the later innings. Also, ever since that loss they have gone 11-3 and took control of one of the wild card spots. They had every reason to pack it in tonight down 6-2 in the eighth inning with five outs to go. The big home run by Hamilton and the two run single by Gonzalez showed this team has balls after all. Its too bad Isaiah Campbell crapped his pants because everything else went right. Duran took another step toward an All-Star nod while Hamilton continues to fill in for Trevor Story admirably. Yoshida even got a couple of hits so this team is absolutely rolling right now.  The Cleveland Guardians beat the Baltimore Orioles so the Sox picked up a half game on the idle New York Yankees and a full game on Baltimore. All of a sudden the Sox are inching their way back into contention, which is remarkable given how the season was going heading into June. The win improved the Sox to 43-36, 8.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Jays when Brayan Bello (7-4, 4.93 ERA) takes on Kevin Gausman of Toronto. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Bats Bash Reds (6/23/24)

How about those red hot Boston Red Sox? After losing to the Chicago White Sox the Red Sox have won 10 of their last 13 games including today's tilt with the Cincinnati Reds. The Sox employed a bullpen game with Zack Kelly as the opener and held the Reds to four runs combined. Meanwhile the Sox got two big innings which was all they needed. Connor Wong belted a two run home run off Cincy starter Nick Lodolo in the top of the fourth before Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran drove in runs. Two innings later, Duran drove in another run before Rob Refsnyder hit a 2 run shot to ice the game. The Reds got 3 runs off Brad Keller but Chris Martin, Justin Slaten and Kenley Jansen slammed the door to give the Sox a 7-4 victory over the Reds at Great American Ballpark.

                                              The "Bloodline" approve of the win

Lodolo got the ball in the top of the first inning after a 12 minute rain delay and Jarren Duran hit a roller to first that was bobbled, yet he was ruled safe. Reds manager David Bell challenged that Duran was out and replays showed he was. Rob Refsnyder drew a walk and Tyler O'Neill ripped a base hit to center, but Rafael Devers forced Tyler at second to put runners at the corners. Connor Wong forced Devers at second to end the inning. Kelly got the ball in the bottom of the first and TJ Friedl flied out to right to start. Elly De La Cruz struck out swinging on a nasty changeup and Jaimer Candelario grounded out to first to end the inning.

Romy Gonzalez led off the top of the second by grounding out to second to start. Dominic Smith flied out to right and Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. The Reds threatened in the bottom of the second as Spencer Steer got a base hit to left to start. Tyler Stephenson moved Steer to second with a grounder to short but Rafaela ran down a 380 foot line drive by Jonathan India. Will Benson struck out swinging to end the inning.

David Hamilton led off the top of the third by grounding out to second. Duran beat out a grounder in the hole at short but Refsnyder struck out swinging on a great curveball. Duran swiped second but O'Neill grounded out to short to end the inning. Santiago Espinal grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third before Stuart Fairchild took strike three. Sox manager Alex Cora felt Kelly had done enough and yanked him for Brennan Bernardino after just eight outs. Friedl struck out swinging to end the inning.

                                                            Short and sweet

Devers walked to start the top of the fourth and Wong blasted his seventh home run of the season to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. Gonzalez missed a home run by 5 feet off the right field wall and settled for a double. Smith walked on a questionable ball four and Reds manager David Bell stormed out of the dugout completely irate. He started ripping his clothes off and was ejected by home plate umpire Todd Tichenor. Rafaela hit a routine double play ball to short but India threw the relay throw away for an error to score Gonzalez. Rafaela ended up on second but Hamilton struck out swinging. Duran doubled off the centerfield fence to score Cedanne but Refsnyder popped up to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.

                                                         Wong jacks one

Naturally the Reds rallied in the bottom of the fourth as De La Cruz doubled to the left field wall to start. Candelario drilled a base hit to left to score Cruz and that was it for Bernardino. Greg Weissert came in and Steer struck out swinging before Stephenson flied out to center. India doubled down the left field line but Benson flied out to right to end the inning with the Reds down 4-1.

                                                                 Reds get a run back

O'Neill walked to start the top of the fifth but was forced at second by Devers. Devers took second on a wild pitch but Wong grounded out to third. Say goodbye to Lodolo as Buck Farmer came in to face Gonzalez....but wait! Sox manager Alex Cora pinch hit Wilyer Abreu for Gonzalez but he popped up to second to end the inning. Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Espinal flied out to right to start. Fairchild got a base hit to left but Friedl lined out to a running Abreu. De La Cruz struck out swinging to end the inning.

Smith struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Rafaela flied out to center. Hamilton doubled past the diving Candelario to chase Farmer. Brent Suter came in to face Duran and Jarren poked a base hit just past De La Cruz to score Hamilton. Refsnyder then blasted his third home run of the season to ice the game. O'Neill also singled in the hole at short and took second on a wild pitch, but Devers struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-1.

                                                         Another big fly for Refsnyder

The Reds rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Brad Keller came in to pitch. Candelario flied out to left but Steer was hit with a pitch. Stephenson doubled to right but Abreu booted the ball to allow Steer to score. India beat out a roller to Devers to put runners at the corners but Benson struck out swinging. Naturally Espinal ripped a base hit to center to score Stephenson and move India to third. Fairchild poked a base hit to center to score India and move Espinal to third. Friedl flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning with the Reds down 7-4.

                                                                   Reds inch closer

Wong lined out to short to start the top of the seventh before Steer made a hell of a sliding catch to rob Abreu of extra bases. Smith grounded out to first to end the inning. Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and De La Cruz grounded out to first to start. Candelario flied out to center and Steer grounded back to the mound to end the inning.

Rafaela grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth before Hamilton lined out to center. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. Justin Slaten came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Stephenson flied out to center to start. India struck out swinging but Benson was hit on the elbow. Espinal grounded out to third to end the inning. 

Refsnyder struck out swinging to start the top of the ninth before O'Neill also went down hacking. Devers got a base hit to right but Wong took strike three to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Fairchild popped up to third to start. Friedl grounded out to second but De La Cruz got a base hit to right. Elly took second on defensive indifference but Candelario flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-4.

                                                                 Sox win

Hero of The Night is Rob Refsnyder. His two run shot essentially ended the game.

                                                           Rob The Hero

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 3 for 5 with a stolen base, 2 rbis and a run scored.

Tyler O'Neill was 2 for 4 with a walk.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 2 with a run scored.

Zack Kelly tossed 2 2/3 scoreless innings.

Greg Weissert tossed a scoreless inning.

Cam Booser tossed a scoreless inning.

Chris Martin pitched a scoreless seventh inning.

Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.

Kenley Jansen pitched a scoreless ninth inning to earn his 15th save.

The Bad:

Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 2.

Brennan Bernardino allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning despite getting the win.

Brad Keller allowed 3 runs in the sixth inning.

The Ugly:

Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored.

Connor Wong was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a 2 run home run.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

David Hamilton was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Not bad for the Red Sox to go 5-1 on the road trip and 10-3 in their last 13 games. The Reds aren't that good but you have to beat the teams in front of you. To survive a bullpen game against the other team's best pitcher is remarkable. The teamwide attack of Rob Refsnyder, Connor Wong and the start by Kelly showcases how hot the Sox are. If only the Sox had an ace pitcher to put it all together, they'd be right there with the New York Yankees. The Sox are also due to get Triston Casas after the All-Star break which is going to mercifully end the Dominic Smith experience. The only question is can the Sox keep up this momentum? If they can, all of a sudden the trade deadline narrative changes. Rather than sell off Tyler O'Neill, Kenley Jansen and Masataka Yosida, they may just bundle some prospects for an ace pitcher. Still, in the last two years (three really) the Sox faded in June and July so we're going to find out the character of this team very shortly one way or the other. The win improved the Sox to 42-36, 9 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox now travel home for a three game set with the Toronto Blue Jays. Tanner Houck (7-5, 2.14 ERA) takes the mound against Captain TBD of Toronto. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sox Rally Past Reds (6/22/24)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Wilyer Abreu was activated from the Injured List and Bobby Dalbec was sent back to Worcester, hopefully for good. The Sox need Abreu's bat in a big way.

                                                                           OUT

                                                                          IN

As for the game, for seven innings it looked like the Boston Red Sox were headed for another ignominious defeat.  Nick Pivetta got rocked for 3 runs and failed to get out of the fifth inning as the Reds jumped out to a 3-2 lead. Home runs by Spencer Steer and Elly De La Cruz gave the Reds the lead while a home run from Dominic Smith and an rbi from Connor Wong kept the Sox in it. In the top of the eighth, a Rob Refsnyder rbi single and a Rafael Devers sac fly put the Sox on top. Chris Martin and Kenley Jansen slammed the door and the Sox had won their 6th game in 7 tries including this one 4-3 at Great American Ballpark.

                                                        The Jackson 5 approve of the win

Frankie Montas got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran got a base hit to center to start. Wilyer Abreu grounded into a double play and Connor Wong lined out to left to end the inning. Pivetta got tagged in the bottom of the first as TJ Friedl flied out to center to start. Elly De La Cruz struck out swinging but Jeimer Candelario lined a ball off the glove of Pivetta for a single. Spencer Steer made the Sox pay with a home run all the way to Los Angeles to give the Reds the lead. Jake Fraley struck out swinging to end the inning with the Reds ahead 2-0.

                                                              That didn't take long

Rafael Devers grounded out to first to open the top of the second and Enmanuel Valdez grounded out to second. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second to end the inning. Jonathan India flied out to center to start the bottom of the second and Nick Martini struck out swinging. Luke Maile walked and stole second, but Will Benson struck out swinging to end the inning.

De La Cruz made a great play to rob Dominic Smith of a hit to start the top of the third but David Hamilton drew a walk. Hamilton swiped second but Ceddanne Rafaela popped up to third. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning. The Reds struck again in the bottom of the third as Friedl flied out to right to start. De La Cruz hit a home run all the way to Orlando, Florida to increase the lead. Candelario struck out swinging and Steer grounded out to short to end the inning with the Reds up 3-0.

                                                      Cruz goes yard again

Abreu grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth and Wong did the same. Devers got a base hit to center but Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning. Fraley grounded out to first to begin the bottom of the fourth but India got a base hit to right. Martini flied out to center and Maile grounded out to short to end the inning.

The Sox struck back in the top of the fifth although Yoshida popped up to short to start. Smith pounded his third home run of the year to get the Sox on the board but Hamilton grounded out to third. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.

                                                       Smith hits one out

The Reds finished off Pivetta in the bottom of the fifth as Benson flied out to center to start. Friedl got a base hit to right and De La Cruz did the same to move TJ to third. Say goodbye to Pivetta as he was yanked after 4 1/3 innings and 3 runs allowed. Brennan Bernardino was summoned to put out the fire and Friedl was thrown out at home on a grounder to short by Candelario. Cruz was picked off to end the inning.

                                                           Not good enough from Pivetta

The Sox got another one in the top of the sixth although Duran lined out to left to start. Abreu doubled to center and Wong also doubled to center to score Wilyer. Devers popped up to third and Valdez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.

                                                                   Wong helps the cause

Greg Weissert came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Steer grounded out to second to start. Fraley got a base hit to right and India did the same to move Fraley to third. Martini hit a swinging bunt in front of the plate and Wong tagged out Fraley to keep the score the same. Maile took strike three to end the inning.

Sam Moll came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Yoshida flied out to right. Romy Gonzalez pinch hit for Smith and struck out swinging before Tyler O'Neill pinch hit for Hamilton. O'Neill flied out to left to end the inning. Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Stuart Fairchild pinch hit for Benson. Fairchild popped up to short and Friedl popped up to second. De La Cruz singled to left and Sox manager Alex Cora went with Zack Kelly to face Candelario. Jeimer grounded out to first to end the inning.

Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the top of the eighth with Justin Wilson now on the mound. Rafaela hit a routine grounder to third that was thrown away by Candelario for an error. Duran got a base hit to left to put Rafaela at third and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Abreu. Refsnyder got a base hit to right to score Ceddanne to tie the game, moving Duran to third. Lucas Sims was brought in to pitch and Wong struck out swinging, but Devers hit a sac fly to left to score Duran with the go-ahead run. Valdez grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                                              Sox take the lead

Chris Martin came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Steer struck out swinging to start. Fraley got a base hit to left and moved to second on a grounder to first by India. Martini struck out swinging to end the inning.

Buck Farmer came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Yoshida flied out to right to start. Gonzalez grounded out to third but O'Neill doubled to left. Rafaela grounded out to short to end the inning. Kenley Jansen came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Tyler Stephenson pinch hit for Maile. Stephenson flied out to right and Duran lept over the wall to rob Fairchild of a home run. Friedl singled to left but De La Cruz flied out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.

                                                               Had it all the way

Hero of The Night is Rob Refsnyder. He came in ice cold off the bench and ripped the game tying single.

                                                             Hero Refsnyder

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a run scored and a game saving catch.

Wilyer Abreu was 1 for 3 with a run scored.

Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with an rbi.

Dominic Smith was 1 for 2 with an rbi and a run scored.

David Hamilton walked and stole a base.

Tyler O'Neill was 1 for 2 at the plate.

Brennan Bernardino got the final two outs of the fifth inning.

Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless inning.

Cam Booser got the first two outs of the seventh inning.

Zack Kelly got the final out of the seventh inning to earn the win.

Chris Martin tossed a scoreless inning.

Kenley Jansen earned his 14th save with a scoreless ninth inning.

The Bad:

Enmanuel Valdez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4.

Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.

Nick Pivetta was charged with 3 runs in 4 1/3 innings.

The Ugly:

Connor Wong was just 1 for 4 with an rbi.

Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.

Final Thoughts:

Don't look now but the Sox have won six out of seven and this was about as clutch as it gets. 2 months ago the Sox would have fallen behind with Pivetta yanked and the game was over. Now, the bullpen tosses 4 2/3 scoreless inning and the Sox offense turned a 3-0 deficit into a 4-3 win. Playing flawless defense and pitching their way out of trouble helped, but the offense stepping up was huge. Dominic Smith picked a fine time for a home run and kudos to Alex Cora for bringing in Refsnyder at the right moment to get the clutch hit. The bullpen has been the strength this season but just like 2021, you can't rely on it forever. Eventually Pivetta and the starters are going to have to go deep, especially as we head toward the later months. Things worked out this time, but next time might be different. Worse yet, tomorrow is supposed to be a "bullpen game" and they used 6 pitchers to get through this one. Still, as long as the Sox can keep running teams off the field with Hamilton, Rafaela and Duran as 8-9-1, the offense will be just fine. The win improved the Sox to 41-36, 10 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Zack Kelly (2-1, 1.75 ERA) is the "opener" tomorrow as the Sox look to take the series from the Reds against Nick Lodolo of Cincinnati. The game begins at 2:40 PM Eastern time at Great American Ballpark.

Reds Bash Crawford, Sox (6/21/24)

The Boston Red Sox win streak came to an end at the hands of the Cincinnati Reds and a comedy of errors. Andrew Abbott held the Sox bats to just 2 home runs in 5 2/3 innings and the bullpen allowed just 3 hits the rest of the way. Meanwhile Kutter Crawford (3-7, 3.59 ERA) got plagued by bad defense as he left the game in the seventh trailing 3-2. Cam Booser threw a bunt away for a 2 run error to essentially ice the game. The Sox bats failed to rally against Alexis Diaz in the ninth and the Reds snapped the Sox streak with a 5-2 win at Great American Ballpark.

                                                                  Bad game all around

Abbott got the ball in the top of the first inning and Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging but Tyler O'Neill walked. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. The Reds tagged Crawford in the bottom of the first as TJ Friedl flied out to right to start. Elly De La Cruz struck out swinging but Jeimer Candelario hit a home run all the way to France to put the Reds on top. Spencer Steer popped up to short to end the inning with the Reds up 1-0.

                                                               Reds strike first

The Sox answered in the top of the second as Connor Wong blasted his sixth home run of the season to tie the game. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to short, Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging and Enmanuel Valdez went down hacking to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.

                                                             Wong ties it up

The Reds got another one in the bottom of the second as Jake Fraley struck out swinging to start. Jonathan India hit a home run all the way to Deep Space 9 to put the Reds back on top. Santiago Espinal flied out to right but Will Benson walked. Luke Maile walked and Friedl was hit with a pitch the load the bases. De La Cruz took strike three to end the inning with the Reds up 2-1.

                                                              India goes yard

The Sox answered in the top of the third as Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging to start. Duran clobbered his 7th home run of the season to tie the game but Gonzalez struck out swinging. O'Neill struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                            Duran ties it up

The longballs continued as Candelario hit his second home run of the game to but the Reds back on top in the bottom of the third. Steer flied out to left but Fraley got a base hit to right. India grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Reds up 3-2.

                                                            Candelario does it again

Devers struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Wong popped up to third. Yoshida flied out to center to end the inning. Espinal grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Benson took strike three. Maile struck out swinging to end the inning.

Dalbec flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Valdez got a base hit to left. Rafaela flied out to right but Duran flied out to left to end the inning. Friedl took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth and De La Cruz went down hacking. Candelario lined out to left to end the inning.

Gonzalez got a base hit inside the bag at first to start the top of the sixth but O'Neill struck out swinging. A passed ball moved Gonzalez to second but Devers struck out swinging. Fernando Cruz came in to pitch to Wong and Connor swung at air to end the inning. Steer grounded out to short to start the bottom of the sixth and Fraley flied out to center. India also flied out to center to end the inning.

Yoshida grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Dalbec took strike three. Valdez flied out to center to end the inning. The Reds finished off Crawford in the bottom of the seventh as Valdez threw a grounder by Espinal away for an error. Benson flied out to center but Maile doubled to right to chase Kutter. Crawford would be charged with 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings although only 3 were earned. Cam Booser came in and Friedl dropped down a bunt. Booser threw the ball 100 feet over the head of Connor Wong for an error to score Espinal and Maile. Cruz walked and Stuart Fairchild pinch ran for Friedl. Candelario struck out swinging and that was it for Booser. Brad Keller came in and Devers threw a ball hit by Steer away for the third error of the inning. Fraley lined out to left to end the inning with the Reds up 5-2.

                                                        Crawford deserved better

Nick Martinez came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Rafaela grounded out to short to start. Duran got a base hit to center but David Hamilton pinch hit for Gonzalez and flied out to right. O'Neill took strike three to end the inning. India walked to start the bottom of the eighth and Espinal got a base hit to right. O'Neill gunned down India at third but Espinal made it to second on the throw. A wild pitch moved Espinal to third but he was thrown out at home on a grounder to second by Benson. Maile lined out to short to end the inning.

Alexis Diaz came in to close out the top of the ninth and Devers flied out to center to start. Wong got a base hit to center and took second on defensive indifference. Yoshida struck out swinging and Dominic Smith pinch hit for Dalbec. Smith grounded out to second to end the game. The Reds had won 5-2.

                                                              Reds win

Jackass of the Night is Cam Booser. His error in the seventh led to the insurance runs scoring to put the game out of reach.

                                                              Nice throw Jackass

The Good:

Jarren Duran was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Connor Wong was 2 for 4 with a home run.

Romy Gonzalez was 1 for 3.

Brad Keller tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.

The Bad:

David Hamilton was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error.

Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.

Dominic Smith was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.

Ceddanne Rafaela was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.

The Ugly:

Tyler O'Neill was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.

Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 3 but struck out and made a crucial error in the seventh.

Kutter Crawford was charged with 5 runs in 6 1/3 innings to take the loss but only 3 were earned. He allowed 5 hits and walked 2.

Final Thoughts:

What a way for the win streak to end. Not that the Sox were doing much offensively but those 3 errors turned a 3-2 game into 5-2 and out of reach. In a one run game they could have played small ball and used their speed to their advantage. Instead, their bad defense cost them this game. Crawford didn't pitch that bad but errors by Valdez and Booser were killer. Its a shame because the Reds aren't that good and the Sox need to win to keep pace with the New York Yankees. The Sox might be playing for the wild card in September if the Sox can't gain ground on them in the meantime. The loss dropped the Sox to 40-36, 10 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon against the Reds when Nick Pivetta gets the start for Boston against Frankie Montas of Cincinnati. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Great American Ballpark.