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Red Sox Lineup vs Indians 5/25/13

2013-05-25T20:49:42+00:00

Ellsbury CF
Gomes LF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava RF
Ross C
Iglesias SS
Ciriaco 3B

Lester SP

Sox Bats Beat Old Friend Justin Masterson

2013-05-25T16:17:15+00:00

The Red Sox wanted to rebound from the beating they took from the Indians the night before and they hoped to do it with Lackey on the mound. Lackey was coming off his best start in a Sox uniform all season long and he would have to face old friend Justin Masterson.

Lackey would do just what the team needed from him. He is really starting to look like that pitcher that would sometimes makes us scared to face when he was with the Angels. He had control and was able to dominate the Indians lineup. Lackey also got some help from the offense. In the bottom of the 2nd inning, Mike Carp came to the plate and knocked a 3 run HR to put the Sox on top. In the bottom of the 3rd, the Sox would give one of those runs back, but it would be an unearned run for Lackey. Reynolds ended up scoring on an errant throw from Salty to third base. It wasn't a great throw and it was to Iglesias who has never played third bases in the majors before, so it had fail written all over it.

The game would stay 3-1 for a while and Lackey just kept pitching. In the 6th the Sox would add one more run when the Sox had the bases loaded and Napoli hit into what looked like an inning ending double play, but he evaded the tag at first, so a run scored. Sox 4-1. Lackey finished off the 7th inning and he was done for the night. Lackey's line was 109 pitches, 7 IP, 2 H, 1 R, 0 ER, 3 BB, 8 Ks and a heck of a lot of ground ball outs. This version of John Lackey can stick around for a long long while.

The Indians went from former Sox Masterson to former Sox Rich Hill in the bottom of the 7th. The Sox bats had just as much success against him. Ellsbury hit a 2 run RBI single to score Salty and Gomes. Sox 6-1. Then it went from former Sox Hill to former Sox Matt Albers. The Sox offense got to him too. Albers gave up an RBI single to Pedey that scored Iggy and Ells. Sox 8-1. The current Sox relievers got the job done. Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning and then went into the dugout for a high five fest. The 9th was pitched by Alfredo Aceves who was just called up from Pawtucket. Aceves pitched himself a scoreless 9th inning and the game was in the books.

The rain was constant all night, but by the end the water was very dirty!

Red Sox 8 Indians 1 BOXSCORE

WP: Lackey (3-4) LP: Masterson (7-3)

All Those Red Sox Roster Moves

2013-05-25T02:46:15+00:00

The Red Sox made a heckle of roster moves today, so here is a quick review:

David Ross (C) was activated from the 7 Day Concussion DL. The corresponding move was that Ryan Lavarnway (C) was sent down to AAA.

Shane Victorino (RF) and Will Middlebrooks (3B) were both placed on the DL. Victorino was placed on the DL retroactive to Tuesday with a hamstring issue. Middlebrooks was placed on the DL with back spasms. The corresponding moves were to recall Jose Iglesias (SS/3B) and Alfredo Aceves (RHP). Iglesias is making his major league debut tonight at third base and Aceves is here to protect the bullpen which was used quite a bit last night.

Al East Standings 5/24/13

2013-05-25T02:34:36+00:00

It's been another week since our last check in on the AL East standings, so here they are:

Last week the Sox fell to 3rd in the AL East standings after losing 9 of their last 11 games. What would one week's time bring? The Sox moved up to 2nd place and are only one game back from the Yanks who are still leading the division. The Sox swept the Twins and then lost a series to the White Sox. All in all the week was pretty much a mixed bag.

This upcoming week the Sox finish out the series with the Indians, weather permitting. Tito's Tribe already took the first game of the series, but the Sox have 3 games left. The Indians are leading the AL Central and could end up being trouble for the Sox. The Sox then host the Phillies for two games and then head to Philly for 2 games. The Phillies have been struggling this season, so let's hope the Sox can take advantage. This will be the first time that Papelbon will return to Fenway since signing with the Phils.

The Sox just placed Middlebrooks and Victorino on the DL, so the rest of the lineup is gonna have to make up for their production. With Papi and Napoli in the lineup it should still have some pop, but they could use some protection with some hot bats around them. Pedroia has been absolutely killing the ball. I know Pedey has won Rookie of the Year and MVP, but I'd make the case that he is actually having his best year to date. Ellsbury has continued to slump in the leadoff role with a good game here or there at the plate. Stephen Drew has been getting it done at the plate in the month of May after starting the season in an epic slump. Salty not only has had some good at bats lately, but he also gave us a glimmer of hope by throwing two runners out the other day.

In terms of pitching, Lester had his first real bad outing. It was bound to come sooner or later. All in all, he's still been one of the most consistent arms this season. Buchholz got a win and now is 7-0. Lackey had undoubtedly his best outing of the season even if it was cut short by rain. Felix Doubront took a huge step forward and was much more efficient on the mound. Dempster is for sure not the bright spot of the rotation. He has struggled in his last two outing, last night only making it 3 innings. As for the bullpen, they have Bailey back as the closer and still have some dominant arms to get through the late innings.

Where will we be this time next week? I imagine it might be in about the same spot. I am hoping that the Yanks and Rays beat up on each other a little bit and that the Sox can make the best of the schedule heading their way. After this week, the Sox schedule gets a little gnarly, so I am hoping they take any opportunity while they can.

Red Sox Lineup vs Indians 5/24/13

2013-05-25T00:46:13+00:00

Ellsbury CF
Nava RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Saltalamacchia C
Carp LF
Drew SS
Iglesias 3B

John Lackey SP

Clay Buchholz's Big Win

2013-05-24T22:10:01+00:00

Clay Buchholz' victory Wednesday night ranks with the most important for the Sox this season. His strong 7-inning effort was the difference between a 6-3 road trip and a 5-4 mark that would have ended with a sweep in Chicago. One of the reasons the team has been fun to watch is that they are winning largely on the strength of their pitching staff.

The Sox have begun to hit in the clutch again. Last week's base-clearing double by Will Middlebrooks to beat Tampa Bay was an example of the squad's never-say-it's-over attitude which was so absent in 2012. Though their team average through Wednesday was .262, they had logged 98 doubles, 10 triples and 50 homers. If Jacoby Ellsbury starts hitting consistently and stealing bases again, it will be a huge boost at the top of the order. Yet the feeling remains that their bats alone will not get the Sox into the postseason.

As of now the team's rotation seems to be slowly rounding into shape. Buchholz and Jon Lester are a combined 13-1 with a 2.40 ERA. John Lackey has pitched surprisingly well despite a 2-4 mark. His attitude appears to have done a 180. Even erratic Felix Doubront has shown signs of life in his last two starts.Only Ryan Dempster is on a downer right now, and may be replaced in the rotation by Franklin Morales when he returns. With Andrew Bailey back, the bullpen appears strong again.

The stopper's role on any staff is very important. It is no surprise that the team's recent five-game winning streak began with a fine effort by Lester. It also helped, of course, that Stephen Drew hit a grand slam to spark an 8-run inning. But Sox teams have had many big innings in the past and still gone down to defeat. For the Townies to continue to win, every member of the starting staff should be able to do what Buchholz did Wednesday. If that happens, the Sox should stay in contention despite a tough stretch of games ahead.

Tito's Tribe Pummels the Sox in His Fenway Return

2013-05-24T15:03:07+00:00

The Sox had a successful road trip and headed home to face their own friend and manager Terry Francona. The Sox had Dempster on the mound and the Indians had McAllister. The Sox gave Tito a nice welcome home gift and gave him a no doubter win as he returned to Fenway Park.

Ryan Dempster threw 127 pitches in his last outing, so many people were watching what kind of outing he would have this time around. This time Dempster would end up throwing 85 pitches and only last 3 innings. It's an understatement that it wasn't his best outing. Dempster gave up his first run in the 2nd inning when he gave up an RBI double to Stubbs. Sox 0-1. Dempster would give up 3 more runs in the 3rd inning with a 2 RBI single to Reynolds and a ground out RBI to Mike Aviles. Sox 0-4.

The Sox bats gave us a glimmer of hope in the bottom of the 3rd. Papi hit a monster of a HR to bring the Sox to 3-4. The game would have been tied if Ellsbury wasn't throw out at the plate when he tried to score in the previous at bat. Dempster was done for the night and unfortunately it did not get any better when Mortensen took the mound. Morty gave up an RBI single to Cabrera in the 4th and followed that up with giving up an RBI single to Aviles in the 5th. Sox 3-6. Mortensen found trouble again in the 6th and was out of the game and Alex Wilson was in. It went from bad to worse at this point. The Indians broke this game wide open during this inning. Wilson gave up an RBI single to Reynolds, a 2 run RBI double to Gomes, a two run RBI triple to Stubbs and an RBI single to Bourn. Ah, good times. Sox 3-12. There would be no great comeback from the Sox, but at least they did have a few innings of scoreless pitching to finish off the game. Breslow pitched a scoreless 7th, Tazawa a scoreless 8th and then Miller pitched a scoreless 9th.

Red Sox 3 Indians 12 BOXSCORE

WP: McAllister (4-3) Dempster (2-5)

Red Sox Lineup vs. Indians 5/23/13

2013-05-23T23:26:49+00:00

Here is tonight's lineup vs. the Indians:

Ellsbury CF
Nava RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Saltalamacchia C
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Carp LF

Dempster SP

Game time is at 7:10pm EST.

P.S. Welcome Back Tito!

Red Finally Beats White In Series Finale!

2013-05-23T14:54:14+00:00

The Red Sox had dropped the first two games of the series with the White Sox and with Clay Buchholz on the mound, they needed him to bring the team to a win before they headed back home. Clay didn't have his best stuff all night long, but even so he was able to limit any damage and have his team in line for a win. Clay was helped through his outing by Salty throwing out not one, but two runners trying to steal second.

The bats gave Buchholz a lead before he even took the mound. With two runners on, Papi hit a blooping single to score both Gomes and Pedey. Red Sox 2-0. The Red Sox were looking for more, but Santiago got out of the inning without any more damage. Buchholz didn't look great when he took the mound and he had a habit of almost always letting the leadoff batter on base, but he also tended to not let them score. Buch allowed a run to score in the 3rd when he gave up an RBI groundout to Rios. Red Sox 2-1. The Red Sox bats weren't able to pad Clay's lead while he was on the mound, but that was enough for him. Buch pitched 7 strong innings and his line for the night was 113 pitches, 7 IP, 5 H, 1 R, 3 BB and 4 Ks. It wasn't his best outing, but it sure was good enough.

The Red Sox bats got back to work in the 8th. Santiago was making a spot start for Sale who was out with injury and he was only on 3 days rest, however the bats wouldn't be able to do much damage until he was out of the game. Santiago did exactly what the White Sox needed him to. In the 8th, the Red Sox had the bases loaded and only one out. Middlebrooks hit a sac fly and then Napoli scored on a passed ball to have the Red Sox leading 4-1. Uehara pitched his usual 1-2-3 8th inning and then went in for one of his usual epic high five sessions in the dugout. In the 9th the Red Sox added on when Nava hit a 2 run RBI single. Red Sox 6-1. Andrew Bailey made his first appearance since coming off the DL and while it wasn't a save situation, it was nice to see him get some work. Bailey didn't have a clean inning as he gave up a HR to Paul Konerko, but that would be all the damage.

Sox win 6-2 and head home to face their old friend Terry Francona.

Red Sox 6 White Sox 2 BOXSCORE

WP: Buchholz (7-0) LP: Santiago (1-3)

Red Sox Lineup vs White Sox 5/22/13

2013-05-23T00:02:00+00:00

Here is tonight's lineup vs. the White Sox:

Ellsbury CF
Gomes LF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava RF
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Saltalamacchia C

Buchholz SP

Game time is at 8:10pm EST.

Red Sox Almost Get No Hit in Loss to White Sox

2013-05-22T14:51:43+00:00

The White Sox and Red Sox were facing off again and the Red Sox really needed a good performance from Felix Doubront. Doubront pitched well, but the other side just pitched better. White Sox's Quintana took a no hitter into the 7th inning and the Sox bats weren't able to give Doubront any run support.

Felix was putting up zeroes right along with Quintana until he hit the 5th inning. Doubront gave up a single to Viciedo and then a HR to Keppinger. The Red Sox were down 0-2, however it was a huge step forward for Doubront. He was using all of his pitches and getting through the innings with efficiency. He looked like that guy who earned his spot in the starting rotation last year. The Red Sox bats had opportunities to get those runs back for Doubront, but tonight just wasn't their night.

Quintana lost his no bid effort in the 7th when Big Papi hit a broken bat single. Quintana then gave up two more singles to have the bases loaded and no outs. It looked like the perfect opportunity for the Red Sox, but Quintana would leave the game and Crain would come into the game and get two strikeouts to end the inning. Doubront was done after 6 inning and only 85 pitches.

Alex Wilson came on and pitched a scoreless 7th and then the Sox actually cracked the scoreboard in the top of the 8th. Pedey got an RBI when he reached via error and Salty scored. Red Sox 1-2. Papi was at the plate with runners at the corners and one out. Papi did the one thing that we didn't want and ground into a double play to end the inning. Unfortunately, the White Sox would get that single run right back in the bottom of the 8th. Wilson gave up a single and then an RBI double to Rios to have the White Sox leading 3-1. Andrew Miller came out and got the final out of the inning as it started to rain hard. White Sox closer Addison Reed pitched a 1-2-3 9th inning in the pouring rain and that would be it for the Red Sox.

The water unfortunately was very very clean.

Red Sox 1 White Sox 3 BOXSCORE

WP: Quintana (3-1) LP: Doubront (3-2) SV: Reed (16)

Quote of the Day

2013-05-22T00:41:35+00:00

If (Farrell) called me right now, I'd say, 'Hell, yeah, I'd play him. Take him. He's ready,' but the arm and all that stuff needs to be taken care of right now. That's the tease. You want to pop him out of here and bring him up there, but what do you do if after five days his arm is sore?

-Gary DiSarcina on bringing up Jackie Bradley Jr.

Red Sox Lineup vs. White Sox 5/21/13

2013-05-22T00:05:10+00:00

Here is tonight's lineup vs. the White Sox:

Ellsbury CF
Gomes LF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava RF
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Saltalamacchia C

Doubront SP

Game time is at 8:10pm EST.

White Beats Red As Lester Struggles

2013-05-21T14:51:00+00:00

Jon Lester has been spectacular this season, however last night would just not be his night. Lester was sporting his biggest ERA against the White Sox and last night would not help that statistic any. The Sox bats rallied late, but came up short and lost their first game in the last 6 days.

Lester just didn't have it last night. Lester gave up 3 runs in the 1st when he gave up a single, a walk and then a HR to Adam Dunn. Red 0-3. Lester gave up 2 more runs in the 2nd inning when he gave up back to back RBI doubles to De Aza and Ramirez. Red 0-5. In the 3rd the Red Sox got 2 runs back when Salty smacked a 2 run HR. Red 2-5. Lester would give up his 6th and final run in the 5th inning when he gave up an RBI single to Viciedo. Red 2-6. The kicker for all of these runs Lester gave up last night is that each and every one of them was with two outs.

Lester pitched 6 innings and then gave the ball to the bullpen. Morty pitched the 7th and Breslow pitched the 8th. The bullpen continued to be consistent and would give up no more runs. The Sox grabbed two more runs in the 7th when Papi and Napoli both walked and then Middlebrooks brought them home with an RBI double. Red 4-6. In the 9th, Middlebrooks almost tied up the game with a ball that was about 3 feet short of being a homerun.

The Sox won 5 straight, but they wouldn't push it to 6. Let's get back after a new win streak tomorrow.

Red Sox 4 White Sox 6 BOXSCORE

WP: Axelrod (2-3) LP: Lester (6-1)

Red Sox Lineup vs. White Sox 5/20/13

2013-05-21T00:20:35+00:00

Here is tonight's lineup vs. the White Sox:

Ellsbury CF
Victorino RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava LF
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Saltalamacchia C

Lester SP

Game time is at 8:10pm EST.

Sox Win Even After a 3 Hour Wait

2013-05-20T05:27:30+00:00

John Lackey took the mound and had one of his best outings in a Sox uniform. Unfortunately it would be cut short due to a rain delay, but he'd still pitch long and well enough to get himself and the team a nice win.

Lackey pitched 4 perfect innings before giving up his first hit. At that point, the offense had already given Lackey a 3-0 lead. Middlebrooks hit a solo HR in the 2nd inning, Pedey reached on what should have been a DP ball and a run scored in the 3rd and then Napoli hit an RBI single in the 5th. Lackey gave up a leadoff double as his first hit to Plouffe in the 5th inning. Lackey got a ground ball that should have been an inning ending double play, but Ciriaco air mailed the throw to 1st base and actually hit Parmalee with the ball. Plouffe scored on the play, but the run was unearned for Lackey. Sox 3-1. Lackey kept rolling right up until the 7th inning when the earth opened up and it began pouring.

The tarp was called and we were in a rain delay. The delay is one of the longest that I can ever remember. The delay lasted exactly 3 hours and then the tarp was off and we were playing baseball again. There were only a couple hundred fans who waited out the delay, so it was a strange sight at Target Field. Andrew Miller took the mound in the 7th and had himself a nice 1-2-3 inning. In the 8th, Koji Uehara took the mound and almost gave us all a heart attack. Uehara gave up a double, a walk and a single to have the bases loaded. With 2 outs, Joe Mauer came to the plate and we were all collectively holding out breath. Uehara ended up getting Mauer to strikeout and got out of the inning. Phew. In the top of the 9th, Pedey gave the team some breathing room when he hit a 2 run HR that bounced off Willingham's glove and hopped out of the park. Sox 5-1. Tazawa came in for the 9th and gave up two singles before getting the next 3 batters in order.

The Sox swept the Twins and as of right now are only a half game back from the Yankees who are leading the AL East.

Red Sox 5 Twins 1 BOXSCORE

WP: Lackey (2-4) LP: Hernandez (2-1)

Red Sox Lineup vs Twins 5/19/13

2013-05-19T20:23:57+00:00

Victorino CF
Gomes LF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava RF
Middlebrooks 3B
Saltalamacchia C
Ciriaco SS

Lackey SP

Papi HRs Twice Against Old Team

2013-05-19T15:40:20+00:00

The Red Sox have won their last 3 games and were sending Ryan Dempster to the mound in hopes of making it 4 straight. The Sox would blast their way to a win, but Dempster wouldn't be able to make it out of the 5th inning. The score makes it seem like it was a blowout, but those middle innings were pretty tense as the Twins were rallying back.

The Sox bats got going early in the top of the first when Papi hit a 3 run HR. Dempster struggled out of the gate as he allowed a baserunner in every inning he pitched. In the 2nd, he gave up an RBI single to Florimon. Sox 3-1. The Sox were able to get that run right back in the 3rd when Papi hit an RBI single to score Gomes. Sox 4-1. In the bottom of the 4th Dempster allowed another run to score when he gave up an RBI single to Morneau. Sox 4-2. In the top of the 5th the Sox would get to scoring again. Pedey hit an RBI double, Nava hit a sac fly and then a Lavarnway RBI single. Sox 7-2.

The Sox seemed like they had the game in control, but Dempster just didn't seem like he had it and it would continue into the 5th. Dempster gave up a groundout RBI to Plouffe and an RBI single to Florimon. Sox 7-4. Farrell came out to talk to Dempster, but decided to leave him in the game. That decision would prove to be poor. Dempster gave up an RBI single to Carroll and he was out of the game. Sox 7-5. Clayton Mortensen was in the game and got the two outs needed to get out of the inning unscathed.

Mortensen would start the 6th, but with one out and two runners on base, he was pulled and Craig Breslow was in the game. Breslow issued a walk and the bases were loaded. Breslow got Hicks to pop out to 2nd base and Pedey made a great throw to home and Lavarnway blocked the plate and took quite a collision with Doumit to end the inning. In the top of the 7th, Papi reminded his old team how much they should miss him when he hit his 2nd homerun of the night. Sox 9-5. Then Daniel Nava hit a 2 run HR of his own to have the Sox leading 11-2. Suddenly this game didn't seem so tight anymore. Breslow pitched a scoreless 7th and then Lavarnway added on one more run in the top of the 8th when he hit a sac fly. Sox 12-5. Alex Wilson came in and pitched two scoreless innings to end the game.

This was a great game. It started with a blast, got way too close for comfort and then the bats blasted away again to put the game to bed.

Red Sox 12 Twins 5 BOXSCORE

WP: Breslow (1-0) LP: Diamond (3-4)

Red Sox Lineup vs Twins 5/18/13

2013-05-19T01:23:30+00:00

Ellsbury CF
Gomes LF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava RF
Middlebrooks 3B
Lavarnway C
Ciriaco SS

Dempster SP

Sox Beat Twinkies In Extras!

2013-05-18T15:04:22+00:00

The Sox came off winning a series against the Rays and were hoping to avenge the Twins taking 3 out of 4 from them at Fenway a week or so ago. The Sox had Clay Buchholz on the mound who has been their best pitcher this year, so they had a good shot. In the end, Buchholz would get a no decision and the game would be won in extra innings.

In the first inning, the Sox hopped on the scoreboard with a single run when Papi hit an RBI single to score Nava. Sox 1-0. Buchholz continued to pitch well in his outing last night. Buch only gave up 2 runs over 7 innings pitched. The only real mistake he made was giving up a 2 run HR in the 3rd to Florimon. Sox 1-2. The Sox would end up tying the game in the bottom of the 7th when Ellsbury hit an RBI single to score Jonny Gomes. The Sox had a chance to take the lead in that inning, but were unable to get it done. After 7 innings Clay was done for the night and his pitching line was 110 pitches, 7 IP, 4 H, 2 R, 3 BB and 9 Ks. He'd be in line for a no decision no matter how this game plays out.

Andrew Miller was out for the Red Sox and pitched the 8th and most of the 9th. During his 1.2 innings of work, Miller didn't allow any baserunners and got 3 strikeouts. I often get frustrated with Miller's inconsistency, but tonight I was happy as could be that we saw dominant, in control Andrew Miller. Miller was out of the game and Alex Wilson took the mound. Wilson got the out to end the 9th and we were on to extras. In the top of the 10th, the Sox batters got to work. Pedey hit a single, Papi walked and then Middlebrooks hit a sac bunt to move them both into scoring position. The Twins intentionally walked Drew and then Gomes came to the plate with the bases loaded and only one out. Gomes hit a sac fly to center field and Pedey was home. Sox 3-2. Uehara came out in the bottom of the 10th and was in line for his first save situation in a Sox uniform. Uehara got a fly out and then 2 strikeouts to end the game and notch the win for the Sox. Uehara then went on to high five everyone he could win.

It was another nice win from the Sox. This team is showing some real grit in the last few days.

Red Sox 3 Twins 2 F/10 BOXSCORE

WP: Wilson (1-0) LP: Roenicke (1-1) SV: Uehara (1)

Al East Standings 5/17/13

2013-05-18T04:51:12+00:00

It's been another week, so let's check in on the AL East standings:

For the first time this season the Sox fell out of first place. That tends to happen when you lose games that should be able to win. The Sox lost 2 out of 3 to the Jays and then just barely won 2 out of 3 from the Rays. It could have been worse, it surely could have been better. The Sox were helped out by having Baltimore and NY lose some games as well. The Sox aren't the stinging team they were out of the gate going 20-8, but they also aren't the slumping team we saw go 2-9. I think the truth is somewhere in the middle.

The next week for the Sox consists of road series with the Twins and White Sox and then heading home to face old friend Terry Francona and his Cleveland Indians. I'd say that the Sox should be able to do some damage here, but since we lost 3 out of 4 at home to the Twins, you never know. I'm gonna say this all season, I think the Sox season will live and die by their pitching. Lester and Buchholz have been everything we've wanted them to be and more. The jury is still out on Lackey, Dempster and Doubront. As for the bullpen, we have the strength of members like Uehara and Tazawa. The Sox have had bad luck with closers with Hanrahan and Bailey both being on the DL. Hanrahan is done for the season having just had Tommy John and tendon surgery, but things all look like Bailey will be back by the end of the weekend.

So, it'll be interesting to see where the Sox stand 7 days from now.

Red Sox Lineup vs. Twins 5/17/13

2013-05-18T02:57:19+00:00

Here is tonight's lineup vs. the Twins:

Ellsbury CF
Nava RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Gomes LF
Carp 1B
Saltalamacchia C

Buchholz SP

Game time is at 8:10pm EST.

Middlebrooks Doubles the Sox to a Win!

2013-05-17T15:02:56+00:00

The Sox were coming off a big win and hoped to take this game and the series. Felix Doubront was up against one of the Rays young, successful arms of Alex Cobb. Felix pitched better than his last start, but he still had efficiency issues and didn't get out of the 6th inning. However, the Sox would get a hit late and take the game in the bottom of the 8th.

Felix Doubront took the mound for the Sox after being shelved in the bullpen for the last week when Webster was called up for a spot start. Doubront had to throw almost 30 pitches to get through the 1st inning, but he was able to get through it unscathed. Dubi seemed to be squeezed something fierce by homeplate ump Joe West. In the 2nd, Doubront gave up a solo HR to Roberts to give the Rays a 1-0 lead. In the 4th inning Papi tied the game up with an RBI single to score Victorino. Sox 1-1. Doubront kept trucking through until the 6th inning when he issued a walk to Loney and was pulled from the game. Doubront still had issues with being efficient, but it was definitely a step forward. His pitching line for the night was 5+ IP, 104 pitches, 3 H, 2 R, 6 BB and 7 Ks.

Clayton Mortensen came out in relief of Doubront, however he would not have himself his best outing. Mortensen walked two batters to have the bases loaded. Then Morty gave up an RBI single to Jennings to give the Rays the lead 2-1. Mortensen was done and Andrew Miller was in the game. Miller gave up an RBI single to Luke Scott and the Sox were trailing 3-1. Miller got the 2 outs we needed, but the damage had been done. Craig Breslow pitched a scoreless 7th inning and then Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 8th inning. The Sox bats took to the top of the 9th hoping to get something done against Rays closer Fernando Rodney. Rodney was pretty wild during the inning and ended up walking the bases loaded. Rodney got Napoli and Drew to strikeout and had Will Middlebrooks down to his last strike. However, Will Middlebrooks hit a breaking ball to the outfield for a double and cleared the bases. The Sox were now leading 4-3. Since Uehara was not available, Tazawa would take the mound in the 9th and pitch a scoreless 9th to grab the victory for the Sox.

The water is so very dirty. The Sox haven't won a series in a while and it has been a much missed sight.

Red Sox 4 Rays 3 BOXSCORE

WP: Tazawa (3-2) LP: Rodney (1-2)

Red Sox Lineup vs the Rays 5/16/13

2013-05-16T23:56:13+00:00

Ellsbury CF
Victorino RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Nava LF
Drew SS
Middlebrooks 3B
Saltalamacchia C

Doubront SP

Who Are the Real Sox?

2013-05-16T21:43:53+00:00

Was the Sox 20-8 start a mirage? I'm beginning to think so. Their April surge was based on fine pitching, excellent fielding, and timely hitting. All seem to have disappeared in May. The only effective starters have been Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz, and though they both have been excellent, the rest of the staff is suffering. A season-ending injury to Joel Hanrahan and the disabling of Andrew Bailey have hurt the bullpen. The defense has become porous, the latest a misplay of a popup by Mike Napoli on Tuesday, helping Tampa Bay to five runs, wiping out a 3-0 deficit. Timely hitting has become decidedly untimely. In Saturday's 3-2 loss to Toronto, the Sox were 0-for-11 with runners in scoring position, ruining a fine effort by Buchholz.

The defense is probably only going through a slump. but the lack of big bats is beginning to become apparent. After an excellent start, David Ortiz has tailed off and there is talk of more injury problems. Jacoby Ellsbury has slumped and stopped stealing bases. The 6-7-8 hitters on Tuesday were batting .182, .200 and .232 respectively. Will Middlebrooks, after a good start, is averaging on the Mendoza line. In short, the timeliness of their early hitting may have masked the fact that their attack is not very strong, despite Wednesday's 9-2 victory.

The 3-4-5 hurlers, who were promising early, have begun to fade. Ryan Dempster was bombed in his last start. Felix Doubront's ERA stands at 6.40. John Lackey is working hard, but can't be expected to fill a stopper role.

Before the season began, the Sox were generally pegged for fourth or fifth in a strong division. That may still happen. Baltimore and New Yord have surged, the Rays recently won 6 in a row, and even the Jays are beginning to come around. If the Sox fall to .500 or below, there will be some hand-wringing. But we must remember that this is a transitional year, with many new faces. There are some good players in the minors, but most are at least a year away.

If the losing continues, it is the job of John Farrell and the coaches to avoid the finger-pointing that characterized the team in late 2011 and all of 2012. I'd like to see a winning club, but more importantly a team that I feel proud to root for. We'll see.

Stephen Drew Hits A Grand Slam in Win Over Rays

2013-05-16T15:05:52+00:00

The Red Sox were in need of a win something fierce having lost the last 9 of 11 games. They hoped having their ace, Jon Lester, on the mound would be able to get it done. Lester pitched well, the Sox bats got to David Price and then he left the game with an arm injury. John Farrell talked during his pregame interview that he had faith that the lineup was just as good as the team that started 20-8 and the offense proved his point smashing away for 9 runs during the game.

Lester didn't pitch a one hit complete game, but he did pitch well enough to win. However, it was the offense that was the shining star last night. The game was tied 0-0 in the 3rd inning when the Sox bats decided to put on a show. David Price walked Drew, gave up a single to Ells and then Pedey hit an RBI single to score Drew. Sox 1-0. Papi hit an RBI single to bring home Ells and the Sox were leading 2-0. At this point the Rays trainers came out and Price would leave the game with an injury to his pitching arm. They ended up saying it was a tricep injury and I hate to see anyone injured, so I wish him a speedy recovery.

Wright came in to relieve Price and the Sox bats continued to add to the scoreboard. Napoli hit an RBI double and then Gomes hit an RBI single. Sox 4-0. Stephen Drew came to the plate as the Sox had batted around in the inning. The bases were loaded with 2 outs and Stephen Drew hit himself a nice Grand Slam. Drew has surely been the guy we thought we were getting at the plate in the last few weeks and this grand slam just highlighted that. Sox 8-0. When Lester came out after his long wait, he ended up giving up 2 runs in the bottom of the 3rd. Lester gave up an RBI triple to Jennings and then a groundout RBI to Zobrist. Sox 8-2. However that would be all that Lester would give up and he would coast through 7 innings. Lester line for the night was 107 pitches, 7 IP, 8 H, 2 R, 0 BB and 5Ks.

In the top of the 8th, the Sox added another run on the scoreboard when Will Middlebrooks hit his 7th HR of the season. Sox 9-2. Uehara came out and pitched a scoreless 8th inning, even though he made it harder than it needed to be. Uehara gave up a single and a walk, but got the outs he needed to get out of the inning unscathed. Jose De La Torre took the mound for the 9th and had himself a nice 1-2-3 inning with 2 Ks.

Ahh, the water was dirty last night and it was much needed.

Red Sox 9 Rays 2 BOXSCORE

WP: Lester (6-0) LP: Price (1-4)

Red Sox Lineup vs Rays 5/15/13

2013-05-15T23:33:16+00:00

Ellsbury CF
Victorino RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Gomes LF
Middlebrooks 3B
Saltalamacchia C
Drew SS

Lester SP

Sox Begin Road Trip with a Loss

2013-05-15T14:55:58+00:00

The Sox hoped to snap the skid they are in when they headed out on the road. The first team they were to face was the Tampa Bay Rays who have won their last 5 games. John Lackey was taking the mound for the Sox and Matt Moore was toeing the rubber for the Rays. Lackey got a lead early, but he wasn't able to hold onto it and the Sox fell in the first game to the Rays.

Before Lackey even had a chance to take the mound, the Sox gave him a 3 run lead. Ells got hit by pitch to get on base, Pedey hit a double and then Papi brought them all home when he smacked a 3 run HR. Sox 3-0. Lackey started off well and seemed to be rolling through the first couple of innings. In the 3rd, Lackey loaded the bases, but wiggled out of the jam. In the 4th he wouldn't be as lucky. Lackey ended up giving up 5 runs in the inning. Once runners got on base, Lackey just became much less efficient. The Rays scored their first run with an RBI double from Luke Scott. Then Molina hit an RBI single to tie the game 3-3. It looked like Lackey was gonna get out of the inning with the game tied when Joyce hit what looked like a infield pop up. However because of the quirks of the Trop, neither Pedey or Napoli could see the ball and it fell in fair. Two runs scored and the Sox went from winning to losing in the span of an inning. Sox 3-5.

After giving up the HR to Papi, Matt Moore setlled in well. The Sox weren't able to get anything going against him. Moore pitched 6 strong innings and then handed it over to the bullpen. Lackey wouldn't make it out of the 5th inning. Lackey wasn't able to get the job done, however the Sox bullpen was able to limit the damage to just those 5 runs. The relievers who pitched in the game were Miller, Mortensen, Breslow and Wilson. Unfortunately, the Sox bats were never able to get those 2 runs back once Moore was out of the game.

Red Sox 3 Rays 5 BOXSCORE

WP: Moore (7-0) LP: Lackey (1-4) SV: Rodney (7)

Red Sox Lineup vs Rays 5/14/13

2013-05-14T23:30:20+00:00

Ellsbury CF
Victorino RF
Pedroia 2B
Ortiz DH
Napoli 1B
Gomes LF
Middlebrooks 3B
Drew SS
Lavarnway C

John Lackey SP

Sox 88 - Steve Ellsworth Today

2013-05-14T22:39:34+00:00

One of the casualties of the Sox May slide was rookie starter Steve Ellsworth. The righthander was sent to Pawtucket on the 20th with a 1-5 record despite some good performances.

Now 53 and in the insurance business in California, Ellsworth has good memories of his time in Boston, despite his short stay. "Almost everyone on the team had come through the system and had things in common," he recalls. "We had all played ball in the same places-it was less intimidating than you'd think." Steve, who at 6'8" was one of the tallest men in the majors, had first signed with the Sox in 1981. He pitched his first major league game at age 27 after a long trip through the minors. Ellsworth had been a big story in spring training since his father Dick had pitched for the Sox in 1968 and 69.

Asked whether being the son of a major leaguer helped him, Steve wasn't sure: "Probably being around the ballpark since age 11 on made it kind of a way of life,' he remembers. His return to to the minors was disappointing but not a total shock. "I had two or three good games, "he says, "and it would have been nice to have more luck." He adds that teammate Dwight Evans told him in spring training "it's really hard to get here, but it's even harder to stay." Ellsworth also states that the team, including stars like Evans, Roger Clemens, Wade Boggs and Jim Rice "had some quality people...it was an honor to have played with them." Steve's career faded a year later when a shoulder problem required surgery.

A trip to the West Coast did little to alleviate the Townies' slump. They were embarrassed in a pair of games by the sixth-place Mariners, losing 14-3 and 14-1 on successive nights. Oil Can Boyd and Mike Smithson, Ellsworth's replacement in the rotation, were the main recipients of Seattle's pounding. Afterward, Boyd's ERA had jumped to 5.58, Smithson' was at 9.75, and reliever John Tratutwein stood at 11.70.

Despite reassurances by John McNamara that the team was "in pretty good shape', the fans and writers weren't buying it. A piece by ever-critical Dan Shaughnessy pointed out 12 reasons for the squad's 8-13 May record. They included another knock at the slumping Rice and the hope that Trautwein would soon be back in Pawtucket. Despite a win by Clemens over Mark Langston in the third Seattle game, Johnny Mac was on shaky ground.