Tag: red sox

RECAP: Brian Johnson throws complete game shutout in third career start; #RedSox win 6-0.

After his start in Toronto on April 18th, in which he allowed four earned runs in five innings pitched, it didn’t look like Johnson would be back up anytime soon. Well, with the Red Sox looking for one last spot start before David Price is activated, Johnson get another opportunity to prove himself, and that is exactly what he did. Once again, I was at this game and watching Johnson pitch a complete game was quite a treat. Over those nine innings, Johnson scattered five hits and struck out eight, while not walking a single batter. In my opinion, what was most impressive was how Robinson Cano, Nelson Cruz, and Kyle Seager, the 3-5 hitters, did not get a single hit off Johnson, going a combined 0-12 with 5 K’s. I’m not trying to exaggerate, but today’s gem from Johnson may be the best pitching performances I’ve ever seen in person. Also, hats off to Jackie Bradley Jr. and his glove, made two outstanding catches Saturday that had a real impact on the outcome of this game. Here’s the one from the ninth:

http://www.espn.com/video/clip?id=19480095

Credit to Rob Whalen here, I honestly thought that guy wouldn’t make it out of the first inning, but he managed to pitch into the sixth. After leading the bottom half of the first off with a walk, Mookie Betts scored on a Xander Bogaerts single, and X would score on a single from Andrew Benintendi. The last run of the inning would be driven in by Sandy Leon, whose single allowed Benintendi to score from third. The inning could have continued if Hanley Ramirez stopped at third, but he ran through the stop sign and was tagged out at home plate. The Red Sox bats would go silent until the sixth, when Jackie Bradley Jr. launched his fifth home run of the year into the Red Sox bullpen, scoring Mitch Moreland along with him. The scoring wrapped up in the eighth, Mitch Moreland recorded his 26th RBI of the season when he drove Hanley Ramirez in on a single off the Monster.

Six wins in a row, this team is rolling, got to get the sweep tomorrow. The Mariners haven’t even scored a single run in the series, that’s how bad they have been recently. It stinks that Johnson got optioned back down to Pawtucket after the game, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s up sooner rather than later.

27 down, ? to go. 

RECAP: Eduardo Rodriguez pitches six scoreless innings; #RedSox beat Mariners 3-0 for fifth win in a row.

Up to this point in the season, I believe Eduardo Rodriguez can best be described as a solid number three starter out of the Red Sox rotation. He’s not an innings eater, but he is highly capable of limiting opposing teams in terms of hits and runs. Rodriguez gave up exactly one hit in every inning he pitched, except the sixth. He also struck out four while walking three. This performance lowered the 23 year old’s ERA down to a nice looking 2.77 on the year. The Red Sox bullpen didn’t allow any Mariners to cross the plate in a combined three innings of work. Heath Hembree got the seventh, Barnes got the eighth, and Craig Kimbrel recorded his thirteenth save of the season, unfortunately for Kimbrel, he failed to get any strikeouts. Next up for ERod, the Chicago White Sox, in Chicago.

The Red Sox offense managed to leave 19 runners on base Friday night, and they really didn’t have any trouble winning this game. The first run of the game was scored in the second, when Hanley Ramirez scored on a Josh Rutledge ground out. No more runs would score until the sixth, where the Red Sox scored twice without driving in either run. With one out and the bases loaded, Josh Rutledge scored on a wild pitch from M’s starter Yovani Gallardo. Later in the inning, Jackie Bradley Jr. scored on a Mike Zunino passed ball. That would be it in terms of scoring for the Red Sox bats. They had plenty of opportunities to score more runs, but failed to come up big with runners on base.

Like the title says, this team is low-key rolling with five straight wins. I may be too woke, but the Red Sox started this streak the day after Manager John chewed out Drew Pomeranz in front of the cameras, so there’s that.

26 down, ? to go.

RECAP: Pomeranz K’s 11; Bogaerts hits first homer; #RedSox win 6-2 to sweep Rangers.

Just when you thought Drew Pomeranz was on a short leash, he goes and have his best start of the season. There wasn’t a whole lot of optimism going into Thursday’s game, given the weather and the fact that Pomeranz was pitching. The start of the game was actually delayed by about twenty minutes. It looked like the game was going to start at its regular time, but the managers, umpires, and grounds crew got together, which led to the delay. I was interested to see how Pomeranz would respond to the delay, given the fact that he already warmed up. I don’t think he was bothered by it though, as the 28 year old southpaw tied a career high with 11 strikeouts. Pomeranz pretty much breezed through the first four innings, with the only blip coming on a solo home run off the bat of Elvis Andrus in the fourth. After a scoreless fifth, Pomeranz would allow another run in the sixth, and his day would end after he recorded the final out in that inning. Now, I don’t mean to sound like a hardo, but I mentioned Drew Pomeranz in a tweet where I called him out before the game. He’s one of the few players on this team that can piss me off, but I was thoroughly impressed with what I saw from him Thursday night. Anyway, the Red Sox bullpen was responsible for the seventh, eighth, and ninth, and they took care of business. Heath Hembree, Robby Scott, Matt Barnes, and Craig Kimbrel combined to go three hitless innings while striking out 9 batters, including FOUR from Craig Kimbrel in the ninth. Guy’s just on another level, sporting a K/9 that is right around an astounding 17.

The Red Sox offense got off to a fast start once again Thursday, scoring two runs on two RBI singles from Andrew Benintendi and Mitch Moreland. Two more runs were scored in the third, those coming on Xander Bogaerts’ first home run of the season (FINALLY), which also scored Dustin Pedroia. That thing was a bullet that barely got over the top of the monster. Looking for some insurance later in the game, Deven Marrero answered the call, blasting another two-run home run over the monster in the eighth, scoring Jackie Bradley Jr. also. I know he doesn’t hit well at all, but it’s hard not to like the way Marrero plays over at the hot corner. He provides stability defensively, and seems like a harder worker than Pablo Sandoval.

With the way the Rangers had been playing, I did not expect a sweep, but here we are. Mariners come into Fenway this weekend, and they are an offensively challenged game, having recently scored one or fewer runs in five straight games.

25 down, ? to go. 

RECAP: #RedSox rally in seventh leads to 9-4 victory.

Looking for their third win in a row, Chris Sale was matched up against Martin Perez on Wednesday night. I was actually at this game, and it was pretty exciting being there. The hype behind Sale Day is real, and it is fantastic. Also got a Craig Kimbrel bobble head, which they were giving out for free. Anyway, Sale did not have his most dominant start Wednesday, but he was far from bad. The Rangers failed to record a hit through the first four innings, even though they managed to scored in the fourth. After a two run fifth, Sale was able to get through two more scoreless innings. He was able to get the first out in the eighth, and his day would be over after allowing a double. I’m sure Sale convinced Farrell to put him back in for the eighth, because the Red Sox offense was on the field for an extended period of time in the bottom half of the seventh. Farrell handed things off to Joe Kelly in the eighth, and he finished that inning while also pitching a scoreless ninth. I hate to say it, but, I was a little disappointed Sale wasn’t dominating Rangers hitters on Wednesday. It would’ve been nice to see him strikeout 10, but that streak came to an end.

Offensively, the Red Sox were stagnant to start things off, only scoring once in the first six innings. Martin Perez wasn’t even pitching at his best, but he did limit the damage. Luckily for the Red Sox, the Rangers left Perez out there for way too long. After giving up two hits while only recording one out, Perez was relieved for Sam Dyson, who, luckily for the Red Sox, sucks. Dyson gave up four hits and five runs, including the go-ahead run, which was scored on a wild pitch to Dustin Pedroia. When he left the game, Dyson’s ERA had increased all the way up to 11.93. The crazy thing about that seventh inning was that the Red Sox did not hit a home run, which proves how their power is lacking. After scoring once again in the top of the eighth, the game was pretty much in their hands.

It’s funny how when Farrell’s seat gets its hottest, the Red Sox win three in a row, hopefully Drew Pomeranz doesn’t screw it up today, if they even play with this weather.

Also, shoutout to Sam Travis for getting his first two career hits. Welcome to the show.

24 down, ? to go. 

RECAP: #RedSox get outhit 13-12; still win 11-6.

Just when you thought the hot seat would get hotter for John Farrell, the Red Sox have won two games in a row. Rick Porcello took the mound Tuesday, and he was matched up against Andrew Cashner, whose performance this season has been somewhat of a surprise. For those anticipating a pitcher’s duel, they left disappointed. Porcello’s start was mediocre at best, as he managed to get through 6.2 innings despite allowing 11 hits while surrendering 5 runs (4 earned). Cashner did even worse, as he allowed five hits and five earned runs in five innings pitched. The Red Sox bullpen limited the damage in 2.1 innings, the only run for the Rangers coming on a Joey Gallo home run served up by Robby Scott, surprisingly. On Porcello, he has been a solid number two starter for most of the season, but I have yet to see him in that Cy Young form from last season.

The Red Sox offense was in control all night, as they had the lead every inning after the first. The offense was highlighted by Pedroia, Bogaerts, and Benintendi, who combined for seven hits and 5 RBIs. While it is good to see Benintendi getting back on track, it’s hard not to be disappointed with Xander Bogaert’s power. He has yet to hit a home run this season. He’s primarily been a singles hitter, about 27 percent of his hits this season have gone for extra bases, that’s it.

Also, it’d be nice if this team hit more home runs, it’s not gonna happen, but it’d be nice.

23 to go, ? to go. 

#RedSox call up number three prospect 1B Sam Travis from Pawtucket.

On Tuesday afternoon, the Boston Red Sox announced via Twitter that, “The today selected 1B Sam Travis to the active ML roster from Triple-A Pawtucket and optioned RHP Hector Velázquez to Pawtucket.”

Now, does this move really help the Red Sox logistically? No, because Mitch Moreland is the full-time first baseman and Travis should be getting full time at bats in Pawtucket. But, do I hate this move? Not really. With all this John Farrell on the hot seat talk, it makes sense that the Red Sox would do something like this. I wish it was Rafael Devers, since they need help at third, but he’s probably not ready for Major League at bats yet. Anyway, Travis has hit pretty well at every level he’s played at. In 2017, Travis is hitting a solid .286 while maintaining an OPS of .805. The power has never been there for Travis, as he only has 26 career home runs in 278 career minor league games. I’m interested to see how much playing time Travis gets because I doubt Farrell wants to cut into Moreland’s AB’s. I’m fairly certain he won’t be up too long, probably by the end of the home stand.

By the way, if John Farrell’s managing techniques are causing a toxic environment in the clubhouse, he should probably get the boot, just my opinion.

RECAP: Eduardo Rodriguez pitches eight solid innings as #RedSox take final game in Oakland, 12-3.

Looking to avoid the sweep against the lowly Athletics, Eduardo Rodriguez took the mound on Sunday afternoon. With the bullpen needing some rest after going five innings Saturday, the Red Sox needed Rodriguez to go pretty deep into the game, and that’s just what he did. Rodriguez went eight innings strong, only running into trouble in the second and fourth innings, where he gave up all three of his runs. The Venezuelan native also fanned an impressive eight batters. With six straight quality starts, Rodriguez has really solidified himself as a legitimate middle of the rotation starter. What I find interesting is how Rodriguez could have started the season in Pawtucket, if David Price never got hurt. But, since Price did get hurt during spring training, Rodriguez has capitalized on a great opportunity. With Rodriguez going deep into this game, the only other pitcher who saw in-game action was Matt Barnes, who struck out one while getting the Athletics in order, in the ninth, to end the game.

Offensively, the Red Sox did just about everything right. With the lack of power that is present in this lineup, it makes sense that they have become more aggressive on the bases. On Sunday, the Red Sox kicked things off early, scoring twice in the first, highlighted by Mookie Betts going from first to home on a Dustin Pedroia single. The scoring would halt until the fifth, when Christian Vazquez and Mookie Betts would both score in the inning. Two more runs would be tacked on in the sixth, with Mitch Moreland hitting his third home run in as many days, also driving in Hanley Ramirez. The eighth was highlighted by Jackie Bradley Jr.’s hustle double, reaching second on what looked like a routine single, and also scoring later in the inning. To wrap things up, the Red Sox bats poured it on in the ninth. Five runners crossed the plate, highlighted by Hanley Ramirez’s line drive, 2 RBI double, which scored Xander Bogaerts and Andrew Benintendi. Every batter in the lineup, including Deven Marrero surprisingly, recorded at least one hit. It would be nice to see the Red Sox carry any momentum from this win, but with their inconsistency throughout the season, it’s tough to say if that could happen.

22 down, ? to go. 

RECAP: Sale K’s 10; JBJ makes outstanding catch; #RedSox still lose 3-2 in extras.

What a difference in quality of starting pitching between Hector Velazquez on Thursday and Chris Sale on Friday. Sale was matched up against Kendall Graveman, and to nobody’s surprise, Sale put in the better performance. He got things started right away, striking out the first batter he saw, Rajai Davis. After going the first four innings without allowing a run, Sale would run into some trouble over the next two innings. In the fifth, the Athletics managed to get one run across the plate, while reaching base twice. In the sixth, they scored another run, while also recording three hits. Those would be the only runs Sale would surrender in the seven innings he pitched. There was a bit of drama in the seventh, when Sale only had eight strikeouts with one out in the inning already. With his streak of starts with at least 10 K’s on the line, Sale struck out the last two batters he faced, getting to 10 strikeouts and extending his streak up to eight consecutive starts. With the way he pitched Friday night, Sale deserves a win for that performance, even when he’s not at his best, he still gives you solid outings, he deserves more in return for his efforts. Before the game went into extras, Joe Kelly and Craig Kimbrel held things down in terms of giving up any runs. In the ninth, just when it looked like Ryon Healy hit a walk-off home run, Jackie Bradley Jr. made one of the more outstanding home run robbing catches you’ll see.

Absurd, to say the least. Unfortunately, this play really didn’t matter. In the tenth, Mark Canha made sure he got all of one from Heath Hembree, as he put the nail in the coffin with his first career walk off home run, winning the game for the A’s. In the month of May, Hembree has an ERA north of 7, so I don’t have much to say about him.

Offensively, it would be nice if the only runs of the game didn’t come when Mitch Moreland launched a two-run home run to right field in the fourth, which also scored Xander Bogaerts. Kendall Graveman is no scrub, but that A’s bullpen is pretty awful and the Red Sox only managed to scatter four hits against three pitchers, which is disappointing.

Chris Sale obviously makes this team better. Without him, they’re probably under .500. If this the time the Red Sox are going all in to win a World Series, then they need to stop underperforming as much as they have.

21 down, ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ to go. 

RECAP: #RedSox drop opener in Oakland; still need a 5th starter.

Hector Velazquez made his first career Major League start on Thursday, and the expectations probably weren’t that high. Well, Velazquez was pretty awful in his debut. After taking the mound with a two run lead in the first, Velazquez went on to give up three runs in the bottom half, including a solo home run off the bat of Khris Davis. When the Red Sox tied the game in the fourth, Velazquez followed that with giving up another three runs in the bottom half of that inning. The Mexican League veteran finished with a line of 5 IP, 9 H, 6 ER, 2 BB, and 4 K’s. With rumors circulating that the Red Sox have been scouting different players on the White Sox, like Jose Quintana and Todd Frazier, rotation depth may become less of a problem. More on that later. Back to the game, the Red Sox bullpen basically put the game out of reach. Robbie Ross completed the sixth, but not before giving up two runs on two hits. Matt Barnes pitched the seventh and eighth, and he managed to strike out five. With the back-end of this rotation being a question mark, I’d like to see Brian Johnson get another shot. Personally, I’d rather not give up more prospects to acquire Quintana. I’d be fine with Frazier or Moustakas, since they would require less.

Anyway, the Red Sox offense didn’t do much. In the first, they scored twice. The first run coming when Mookie Betts scored from third on a Hanley Ramirez single. The second run came when Dustin Pedroia scored on a Chris Young sac fly. After not scoring in the second and third, the Red Sox scored their final run of the game when Mitch Moreland hit his third home run of the season to left center. With Chris Sale on the mound tonight, the Red Sox will need to capitalize in Oakland.

RECAP: Chris Young and #RedSox bullpen comes through in 13 inning victory.

This team might be on the come up. I know it’s only been two games, but the Red Sox have done it all right over that span. On Tuesday, they had maybe their most complete victory of the season, and on Wednesday, they came all the way back from a 4 run lead. Rick Porcello made the start last night, and he got off to a rough start. In the first, Dexter Fowler led things off with a solo home run. In the second, Porcello’s worst inning, the Cardinals managed to cross the plate three times on four hits. Luckily for the Red Sox, Porcello settled down, pitching four shutout innings while scattering four hits. Like the title says, the Red Sox bullpen was borderline incredible on Wednesday night. Robbie Ross, Matt Barnes, Joe Kelly, Robby Scott, Craig Kimbrel, Heath Hembree, Fernando Abad, and Ben Taylor combined for a final line of 7 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 2 BB, and 6 K’s. This performance by the bullpen was great to see, while also being a key part to this victory. Rick Porcello could have pitched longer, as he only threw 87 pitches through the first six innings, but with his spot in the lineup coming late in the game in the seventh, John Farrell swapped him with Hanley Ramirez, which resulted in nothing.

The Red Sox offense was stagnant the first six innings. The Cardinals starter, Mike Leake, did a great job on Wednesday night. The first runs of the game for the Red Sox did not come until the seventh, when Jackie Bradley hit his second home run over the past two days, driving in himself along with Mitch Moreland. In the eighth, they tacked on two more runs. With Dustin Pedroia on first, Xander Bogaerts tripled to right, scoring Pedroia. Andrew Benintendi would come up next, despite going another game without getting a hit, Benintendi still found a way to contribute, driving in the tying run on a sacrifice fly. Probably time to move Benintendi down in the order, for what it’s worth. The Red Sox would not score again until the thirteenth, when Chris Young singled to left, scoring Mitch Moreland, giving the Red Sox the lead and ultimately the win.

Besides the first two innings, the Red Sox played another solid game to sweep the Cardinals in St. Louis. With Hector Velazquez making his first start for the Red Sox today in Oakland, it will be interesting to see how short his leash is.

21 down, 73 to go.