Brayan Bello-One Of The Few Reasons To Watch The Sox These Days-Signed A Six-Year Extension

 

    It is hard to fathom how irrelevant the Red Sox have become both across MLB but even in their own home region. Last-place finishes the past two years and three out of the last four campaigns (but who is counting?) will do that to you, even in one of the few great baseball markets left in America. With that said, there is rarely anything to write about this mostly anonymous club. Following their 2018 World Series championship-arguably the greatest team in franchise history-Boston has taken a complete nosedive as their owners have clearly tuned out while the rest of the AL East teams load up year after year. Tell me who they are better than: the Yankees, Orioles, Rays and Blue Jays are all better run and most importantly, they have far superior rosters as well. 

    I made a personal rule a few seasons ago: I will not pay for Red Sox tickets until the ownership group (hi John Henry!) proves that they care once again about more than using Fenway Park as their own personal ATM. Sure, I will take a free ticket a few times a season and have a good time on a nice summer night but other than that, who can possibly devote that much energy to this team that is destined to go nowhere anytime soon? Mercifully, there was a welcome bit of good news yesterday as reports came out that Boston's promising young right-handed pitcher Brayan Bello had agreed to a six-year contract extension worth $55 million with a seventh-year club option for $21 million. 

    In parts of two Major League seasons, Bello has only made 39 career starts and it is not like his numbers will blow you away: 14-19 with 4.37 ERA in 214.1 IP with 187 strikeouts, 72 walks, a 1.46 WHIP and .283 opponents' batting average. Under former GM Chaim Bloom, the Red Sox were trying (quite unsuccessfully I might add) to be the Tampa Bay Rays. This reminds me of a Rays style deal since it is primarily based on potential instead of production thus far. If you have seen Bello pitch, you do not have to be new Red Sox GM (and former MLB reliever) Craig Breslow to recognize his special talent in terms of outstanding stuff. His size won't blow you away (generously listed at 6-foot-1 and 195 pounds) and he will be 25 years old (in Domincan years so he might be 35) on May 17. Still, Boston has so rarely been able to draft and develop starting pitchers-think about the Patriots and wide receivers-that when they finally might have a real one like this, it is a cause for much celebration. 

    With (somewhat) notable free agent signing Lucas Giolito likely headed for yet another Tommy John surgery, the scary part is that Bello might have to be their de facto ace/No. 1 starter from the start of the regular season on March 28 when they kick things off in Seattle. In a perfect world, Bello would only have to be like a third or fourth starter on a good team and not need to feel the pressure right away of being a bad team's stopper from day one. However, maybe part of the thinking for his deal is that it will take some of that stress away from him. Very few guys throw 200+ innings anymore in MLB-somewhere your grandfather rolls over in his grave-so it is notable that Bello logged 157 innings last season across 28 starts. You can bet that even checked out Red Sox manager Alex Cora will be extra cautious with Bello since Boston's rotation is undoubtedly their biggest weakness/question mark heading into this ill-fated season. 

Jon Lester and Clay Buchholz (remember them?) are the most recent quality starting pitchers that the Red Sox drafted and developed through their minor league system, so yeah it has been a minute. Regardless of how Bello performs in 2024, it is unlikely to make that much of a difference in term's of his crappy team's win-loss record. He could be great and an All-Star but that will probably only matter in the bigger picture of all things Red Sox. They are essentially acting like a small market club in the way that most of what they can sell to the fanbase is hope for a brighter future ahead because the present promises to remain rather ugly.

What Rivalry? The Red Sox Traded Alex Verdugo To The Yankees For Three Meh Pitching Prospects

 

    That Mookie Betts trade to the Dodgers continues to haunt the Red Sox as tonight they gave up the one decent part of that deal-outfielder Alex Verdugo-to the Yankees (of all teams!) for three right-handed pitchers that nobody outside of true baseball nerds has ever heard of before now. After four up and down seasons with Boston, Verdugo was moved no doubt because manager Alex Cora and the Red Sox front office were sick of all his unnecessary drama. He was benched not once but twice last season and for a guy that is 27 years old and has been in MLB for seven seasons but never reached a single All-Star Game, you have to cut your losses at some point. Granted, this is only the eighth ever trade between Boston and New York in the Divisional Era (since 1969) so that tells you that the Sox do not think much of Verdugo at this point. 

As always with prospects, I won't sit here and pretend like I know anything about Richard Fitts (NY's #12 prospect according to MLB Pipeline), Greg Weissert or Nicholas Judice. Weissert is 28 and the only one of the three to appear in an MLB game so far: he had a 4.60 ERA over 29 appearances for the Yankees between 2022 and 2023. Fitts who is 23 years old went 18-13 with a 3.57 ERA in 49 career minor league starts over the past two seasons. Judice is only 22 and he was just drafted this past season in the eighth round of the MLB Draft so needless to say, he has not made his MLB debut yet. The way I look at it, these guys are all scratch tickets meaning that there is no way that the Red Sox will hit on all three of them. If they are lucky, two turn out to be serviceable major league arms or one will be really good. 

    Verdugo had the makings of a guy that could have been a star here (well at least when people still cared about baseball and the Red Sox) but he never made that next step beyond just a good player. He is a decent hitter (.264/.324/.745 last season) but he does not possess much power (13 HRs and 54 RBIs in 140 games). He is a good defender-a Gold Glove finalist in left field in 2023-that is versatile enough to play all three outfield positions well. Finally, he has a fiery personality and unique style-two distinct elements which are quite lacking in most MLB players these days. 

    Will Verdugo finally grow up and take the next step in his career with the no fun allowed Yankees? Probably not but it would be so Red Sox for them to bungle this trade with him becoming a better and more consistent player while these three pitchers are never heard from again. The scary part is that Verdugo was one of Boston's top MLB players and the last thing they need is more of a talent drain. Hopefully this is just the start (but I doubt it) for the Red Sox when it comes to making some real moves this winter. Like the Patriots, they have so many issues to address before they can even be considered any type of contender next season and beyond. Good luck, Craig Breslow!

With Nothing Left To Play For In '23, Red Sox Get A Jump On The Offseason By Firing Chaim Bloom

 

    On the precipice of possibly their third last-place finish in the past four seasons and with playoff baseball only a memory, the Red Sox (74-72) had no other choice this afternoon than to fire chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom. Other than 2021's improbable run to the ALCS (where they fell to Houston in six games), Bloom has done his best to steer this once proud franchise straight into the ground. Of course, this mess was never all his fault since principal owner John Henry, chairman Tom Werner and president Sam Kennedy need to show much more dedication to putting a winning product on the baseball diamond instead of focusing most of their time and efforts (and hefty bank accounts) on other sports ventures. Still, what a disappointment and fraud that Bloom turned out to be: he worked in Tampa Bay for 15 years but never in a huge role so it should not have been a surprise that he was not built for this lofty position.

    We were told that Bloom was one of if not the best nerd in MLB and that could not be further from the truth. Sure, he went to Yale but all he seems to care about is building a farm system while results with the major league team were secondary and not all that important. Ironically, Boston's minor league teams are not in much better shape than they were before Bloom. Did he ever realize that the Red Sox are in one of the biggest markets (and few places that still cares about baseball) and not in Tampa where nobody pays attention or cares so you can be an anonymous robot lurking in the shadows and basically playing fantasy baseball with your dweeby buddies? Baseball America rankings mean nothing in the real world but don't tell that to Bloom and his pals.

    No matter who is the next nerd to replace Bloom-and get over it, MLB is riddled with dorks in powerful spots-Boston will never get back to being a perennial power without the owners buying in once again. It is empty talk at press conferences when people like Kennedy go on about how winning the World Series is important, the fans deserve this or that, blah blah blah. Sports fans in New England are not stupid and all you needed to see this week were Red Sox-Yankees (73-73) tickets going for $1 as the former best rivalry in baseball is relegated to a complete afterthought. Did I mention that the stands have been mostly empty this week for these games? Nevermind that Monday and Wednesday's contests were both rained out so there were doubleheaders on Tuesday and today but could you have ever imagined that it would come to this? 

    Looking around MLB, it is quite possible to win at the Major League level and also produce top talent that can both help you win said games while simultaneously helping to acquire the needed pieces to win a World Series title. Just ask the Dodgers (88-57), Braves (96-50) and Astros (83-64) who have been able to do both things at the same time, what a concept! There is no salary cap in MLB so it is imperative that the Red Sox owners remember that and use their financial advantages to get back on top. Ben Cherington, Dave Dombrowski and Bloom all basically got the same amount of time before they were fired from the Red Sox. 

    Regardless of who gets this very important job next, the bottom line is that Boston has to have a clear and focused plan starting from the top. Too often in recent years, they appear reactionary instead of trusting their decision makers and most importantly, backing them up with blank checks. Finally, Boston manager Alex Cora won his death match with Bloom and he might actually be the rare guy who survives a regime change. Typically, a new GM or chief baseball officer will handpick their own manager so we will have to wait and see if Cora makes it much longer than his buddy Chaim. 

Trade Season Starts For The Red Sox As Enrique Hernandez Gets Flipped Back To The Dodgers

 

    There is a week left before the MLB Trade Deadline (August 1) so it was about time that Red Sox chief baseball officer (the nerdiest title of all-time) Chaim Bloom logged off his computer for a minute and made an actual baseball trade. This afternoon's move was not a blockbuster by any means but at least it was something as Boston (53-47 overall) sent utilityman Kike Hernandez back to where he came from-the Dodgers (57-42)-for a pair of minor league pitchers (Justin Hagenman and Nick Robertson) and $2.5 million cash considerations. Hernandez played six seasons in LA before playing 2.5 seasons here in Boston. This reunion had been rumored since last week and with infielder Pablo Reyes activated yesterday plus shortstop Trevor Story expected to make his season debut shortly, Hernandez was the odd man out. 

    Besides a crazy heater during the 2021 postseason, Kike's Red Sox stay was pretty forgettable. He began this season as Boston's starting shortstop but that was a complete disaster as he made 14 errors and eventually lost the job in mid-June. He is a good defensive outfielder but there was not really a place for him there in this current Red Sox roster and his offense had also gone off of a cliff (.222/.279/.320) with six home runs and 31 RBIs. Red Sox manager and fellow Puerto Rican Alex Cora is a big fan of Hernandez but I am sure that Kike will be happy to return to LA where he still owns a home. 

    It is doubtful that he will get a ton of playing time with the loaded Dodgers who are still one of the top teams in baseball but that is where he won a World Series title in 2020 and there are still a bunch of teammates from that time that he is probably close to. Now we wait to see if Bloom will invest further in this up-and-down team with more substantial moves or if he stays with his usual middling trades like this. I certainly do not believe in this group who entered tonight's series opener vs. Atlanta (64-34 overall) 2.5 games behind Toronto (56-45 overall) for the third and final AL Wild Card. However, the third AL Wild Card winner will likely face the AL Central winner which figures to be the Twins (54-48 overall) or Guardians (49-51 overall)-two similarly mediocre teams to the Red Sox. 

    The bottom line is that this is a huge MLB Trade Deadline and regular season for Bloom who is in his fourth season here. If the Red Sox do not make the playoffs, he should be fired. Enough of running a big market team like they are the Rays (61-42 overall). The last time I checked, Tampa Bay has never won a World Series title so who cares that they can win a bunch of meaningless regular season games on a tiny budget. Boston should be in the mix for Shohei Ohtani and every other star player that is available via trade this next week or in free agency over the winter. If the past is any indication though, Bloom is too infatuated with his own prospects-many of whom will never amount to anything, that is just a fact in baseball-to make any notable transactions. Boston is one of the few good baseball markets left in the U.S. but with so little star power on the Red Sox, it has been very hard to get into the club for most of Bloom's tenure except for the (lucky?) 2021 campaign. We all deserve a better product on the field than this and a better baseball decisionmaker than him.

With Bogaerts Gone To San Diego, What Is Even The Point Of Rooting For The Red Sox Anymore?

 

    What started out as a decent day for the Red Sox after they finally made a few moves in free agency-signing All-Star closer Kenley Jansen to a two-year, $32 million contract and Japanese outfielder Masataka Yoshida to a five-year, $90 million contact-ended in the worst possible way with the late breaking news that franchise shortstop Xander Bogaerts had signed an 11-year deal worth $280 million with the Padres. The fact that the heart and soul of their club is now gone just a few years after they traded away another cornerstone-Mookie Betts-for pennies on the dollar, makes you wonder what exactly Chaim Bloom does for the Red Sox besides transforming them into the Boston Rays? Additionally with Boston's only other star Rafael Devers entering free agency after the 2023 season is there any doubt that he will eventually be moved for a bunch of middling prospects? 

    Very few players in any professional sports these days get to only play for one team but Bogaerts (and Betts for that matter) should have been in that rarified class. He was a two-time World Series champion, an All-Star, a leader on and off the field and a steady professional that always remained accountable even while Bloom and Red Sox ownership continually let him down as they recently stumbled to their fifth (!!!) last-place finish in the past 11 seasons. The last time that I checked, there is no salary cap in MLB (which is preposterous) but that is why big market teams like the Red Sox, Yankees (who just re-signed Aaron Judge to a nine-year deal worth a whopping $360 million dollar contract on Tuesday), Dodgers, Cubs and Phillies should inherently have a huge advantage over the small market teams like Tampa, the Pirates, the Brewers, the A's, etc.

    Bloom was supposedly brought in to firm up Boston's terrible farm system and yet they have produced very few high end prospects since he has been here. Furthermore, what is the point of drafting and developing your own players when like Betts and Bogaerts, they ultimately will be traded away or even worse, leave because you were not even in the same area code in terms of what type of legitimate offer you would give to your homegrown superstar? Listen, we all have the same gripes about the Red Sox and Fenway Park experience these days: the tickets are way too expensive, the product on the field stinks and the ballpark is a pain to get to let alone sit comfortably in on a hot summer night. 

    Fenway is such a tourist trap that it seems immune to not cranking out money no matter how bad the Red Sox might be. Still, that seems to be the only hope to make owner John Henry and his other negligent bozo billionaires to pay attention: stop going to the games, stop buying merchandise and stop watching the games on TV (well that has already happened but that's another story for another day). I have said for years that I love baseball but the sport makes it really hard on fans what with their way too long regular season, tedious games and terrible marketing of the overall product. Likewise, I have no idea how the Red Sox think that treating their team like the Rays is going to make anyone that actually cares about it want to pay any attention ever again. There will always be tough decisions to make in sports but the Red Sox have become completely tonedeaf to what really matters; building a consistent winner with likable players like Bogaerts and Betts should not be that difficult when you have endless resources in every way possible. It is one thing to get pantsed by the Dodgers in a lopsided trade but now they are getting pushed aside by the likes of the Padres. What a joke, thanks for everything Xander-you deserved way better than this pathetic exit from Boston.  

After Almost Two Seasons Of Buffoonery, The Red Sox Finally Got A Real First Baseman-Eric Hosmer

 

    Today the 2022 MLB Trade Deadline came and went with the Red Sox (53-52 overall) thankfully making one final important move: they acquired first baseman Eric Hosmer (a four-time Gold Glover!), two minor leaguers and cash considerations from the Padres (60-46 overall) for minor league LHP Jay Groome. The back story is that Hosmer was supposed to be involved with the blockbuster Juan Soto trade from the Nationals (36-69 overall) but he used his no-trade clause to reject a move to DC. This allowed Boston's chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom to swoop in and obtain the 32-year-old Hosmer with San Diego footing the rest of his contract. It was a move that would make Patriots head coach Bill Belichick proud in the way that Bloom was able to get a quality player and still make someone else pay for him.

    Boston's lack of a true first baseman had become a complete embarrassment these last few years. No more being forced to watch Franchy Cordero or Bobby Dalbec stumbling around trying to play a position that neither could handle at all. Hosmer was an All-Star in 2016 and he helped win the 2015 World Series with the Royals. The Padres had also picked up first baseman Josh Bell (who reportedly had been a Red Sox trade target) in the Soto deal so this left Hosmer as the odd man out for what is now one of the best teams in baseball. You cannot blame him for rejecting a move to Washington since the Nationals are going to be rebuilding for years to come. It's not like the Red Sox are exactly World Series contenders at the moment but at least he goes to a market and team that matters so if he plays well, he can set himself up for one last nice contract in MLB before he retires.

    Going back to his days with Kansas City, Hosmer (the No. 3 overall pick in the 2008 MLB Draft) had long been rumored to be coveted by Boston. On a personal note, he is married to former NESN sideline reporter and host Kacie McDonnell who is currently pregnant with their first child. In 90 games this season with the Padres, Hosmer was hitting .272/.336/.391 with eight HRs and 40 RBIs. He has a reputation as a leader and a good clubhouse guy which Boston certainly needs more of both of those things these days. He won't be a Hall of Famer but he has put together a notable career in MLB, hitting a career-high 25 homers in both 2015 and 2016 with a career-best 104 RBIs in his All-Star season (when he was also the All-Star Game MVP). He even won the Silver Slugger for the American League first basemen in 2017 and for his career, his batting splits are .277/.336/.429. The Christian Vazquez trade to Houston (67-38 overall) doesn't make a ton of sense although the former Red Sox catcher admitted that he'd be open to returning here this winter in free agency but at least Boston drastically improved its biggest weakness-first base-with the addition of a fine pro like Hosmer.

On The Eve Of The MLB Trade Deadline, The Red Sox Flipped Christian Vazquez To The Astros

 

    With the Red Sox (52-52 overall, 26-25 road) firmly going nowhere this season, they finally started to make some notable moves with the MLB Trade Deadline now less than 24 hours away (Tuesday night at 6 pm EST). Ironically, they opened a three-game series tonight in Houston (67-37 overall, 33-16 home) and actually beat the Astros 3-2 but the move that the Red Sox made right before the game was particularly memorable since it involved catcher Christian Vazquez going to Houston. The homegrown catcher who is having a career-year offensively, was dealt for a pair of minor leaguers: infielder Enmanuel Valdez and outfielder Wilyer Abreu. I will not pretend to know anything about either of those guys but apparently, they are both supposed to be pretty good (at the Triple A and Double A levels respectively). 

    He nearly made his first All-Star team this season as the 31-year-old Vazquez is batting .282/.327/.432 with eight home runs and 42 RBIs. Heading into free agency this winter, he was an obvious asset to use since catcher is one of Houston's only weaknesses as they seek another World Series title. It's a good move personally for him since he will get to go for his second championship and cash in after he helped Boston win the 2018 World Series. The scary part for the Red Sox is that they have absolutely no other decent catcher at the Major League level (haha Kevin Plawecki is the definition of a terrible backup catcher at best in MLB) or in chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom's beloved farm system. The role of catcher has become pretty irrelevant at least offensively as evidenced by the fact that Vazquez is one of the better hitting catchers in the game these days. He was known much more for his defensive prowess when he made his Red Sox debut in 2014 but as the years have gone on, his bat has gotten way better (in 2019 he topped out with 23 HRs and 72 RBIs). 

    In the other two much less important moves of the day, Boston acquired outfielder Tommy Pham from the Reds for a player to be named later or cash considerations. Also, they traded their crappy lefty reliever Jake Diekman to the White Sox for a backup catcher who stinks named Reece McGuire. Rumors have swirled for weeks with Boston's season going down the drain that starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (who pitched really well tonight) and designated hitter J.D. Martinez are the other biggest names that could be moved before the deadline now that (thankfully) third baseman Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts are both said to be off the table. The addition of a third Wild Card team in the playoffs makes some people want to believe that the Red Sox are still in it since they are only three games out of that last spot but if you've watched this team at all in 2022, there is a reason (or rather many) that they are in last place in the AL East.

    Nobody needs a better deadline than Bloom since the shine has quickly come off of him in what has all the makings of a lost season. From what we can tell (since we rarely see that robot or hear from him), he still thinks that he works for the Tampa Bay Rays and operates on a shoestring budget with a media and fan base that is non-existent and therefore does not care. Baseball in general and the Red Sox certainly are not what they used to be in terms of relevance both nationally and locally but this is one of the few markets where it does still matter. With their basically unlimited payroll, Boston should never be this average (if you're being nice) or fatally flawed. It is wonderful that he has built their minor league clubs up (apparently) but so far, many of his top prospects have performed like far from gamechangers when they have finally reached the Red Sox. The Dodgers have also proven lately that you can be a World Series contender every year while still fielding a great farm system as well. Losing Vazquez stings and he is another guy (much like Kyle Schwarber with the Phillies and Hunter Renfroe with the Brewers this season) who will immediately do well on another better team than Boston. The clock is ticking on Bloom, he has to turn things around soon or else they will need to go in another direction ASAP before things get damaged any further.

The Red Sox Finally Spent Some Money Once Again & Signed A Legit Free Agent In Trevor Story

 

    Between the Patriots and Red Sox, it had been a very frustrating few weeks for fans as neither club had done much of anything to improve their team in free agency or via trades while many other teams loaded up and spent tons of money to improve their rosters. Thankfully that all changed today-at least for the Sox-as they reportedly signed shortstop Trevor Story to a six-year, $140 million deal. In terms of both length and the amount of money, it's by far the most that chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom has given out since he came to Boston. It would also be the team's most years and money since they signed David Price. It always comes back to the Rays doesn't it whenever you mention Bloom? For a guy that I'm pretty sure should be reminded every day that he works for a big market club in the Red Sox and not the penny-pinching Rays, this was a welcome change from his usual habits of signing nobodies, injured and/or washed up guys because that best fits some goofy analytic models on his computer. 

    The obvious question with Story's signing is what happens with Xander Bogaerts? Both players have been exclusively shortstops in MLB so obviously one of them will have to try a new position (second base) starting now. It sounds like the newcomer will be the one to move over to his left in the infield which sounds scary except Story has been a Gold Glove finalist so unlike say Kyle Schwarber last season who had never played first base (and frankly shouldn't be allowed to play any position in the field), this transition figures to be much smoother. Boston's lineup was already pretty strong but the addition of a two-time All-Star and two-time slugger in the prime of his career (he's 29 years old) means that it will be even deeper and more powerful. 

    The only other major issue in my mind with this move is seeing how Story does outside of the Little League park that is known as Coors Field since he has only ever played for the Rockies in MLB. As you would expect, his numbers at home were much better than on the road: 95 HRs, 279 RBIs, .303 BA, .369 OBP & .603 SLG vs. 63 HRs, 171 RBIs, .241 BA, .310 OBP & .442 SLG. Then again, Fenway Park has always been known as a hitter's park as well particularly for right-handed guys with some pop in their bat. With that said, he should continue to be a star here because he's played on mostly crappy teams in Colorado (he's only appeared in five career playoff games) and for the Sox, he won't need to carry nearly as much of the load on a daily basis.

    Story has good size (6-foot-2, 213 pounds) and surprising speed with 100 career stolen bases. In six major league seasons, he has put together what I would count as two excellent campaigns-his All-Star years in 2018 and 2019. In 2018, he hit .291/.348/.567 (tied career-high) with a career-best 37 HRs, 108 RBIs and 27 stolen bases (career-high) in 157 games. He played in 12 fewer games the following season but still managed to record some stellar statistics: .294 (career-high)/.363 (career-high)/.554 with 35 HRs, 85 RBIs and 23 stolen bases. 

    With Boston coming off a playoff run to the ALCS last fall and not to mention his huge paychecks, much will be expected of Story from day one. We won't know how he will be in a tough market like this until he goes through the inevitable prolonged slump. Let's hope that he is not similar to Price in that way in terms of a fragile ego and that he can power through any struggles that he might have getting acclimated to a new league, team and city. Overall, today was a great day for the Red Sox and easily the best that they have made us felt since last season ended. With Opening Day coming up soon on April 7, Bloom's next task has to be to find some more starting pitching, that appears to be their biggest hole at this juncture.

The Astros Blanked The Red Sox 5-0 To Reach The World Series For The Third Time In Five Years

 

    The improbable 2021 postseason ride for the Red Sox ended abruptly tonight at Minute Maid Park as the Astros shut them out 5-0 in Game 6 of the ALCS. Houston advances to their third World Series in five years so it's safe to say that the better team ultimately won. It was quite a turnaround after the Sox led the ALCS 2-1 with their offense seemingly firing on all cylanders. Since then, they were blown out 9-2 in Game 4 after giving up seven runs in the ninth inning and they were embarrassed 9-1 in Game 5. Are you sensing a pattern here? Boston's bats went completely silent one last time as they could only manage two total hits and two walks against rookie Luis Garcia (5.2 IP, 1 hit, 7 Ks, 1 BB) and four Astros relievers. Houston will face either the Braves or the Dodgers in the World Series starting on Tuesday night, Atlanta currently leads the NLCS 3-2 with Game 6 tomorrow night (8:08, TBS). 

    With Boston sports fans high expectations, any season that doesn't end in a championship is always a disappointment but if we take a step back, you have to remember where these Red Sox were coming from after last year's nightmare Covid-19 season. They overachieved and it is pretty remarkable that they got this far with all their obvious issues and shortcomings. Let's hope this run inspires Boston's chief robot nerd Chaim Bloom to invest some money in starting pitching, relievers and even a few veteran utility players. This group can no longer sneak up on anyone and likewise, their expectations for next season will be way higher so the Red Sox will have to find more talent because the gap between them and the Astros was sizable as the three straight losses to close the series proved. 

    There were signs right away that this wouldn't be Boston's night as center fielder Kike Hernandez (who was incredible in the playoffs) dropped a long fly ball by DH and ALCS MVP Yordan Alvarez (4-for-4, 2 runs, 2B, 3B, RBI) in the first inning that scored Houston third baseman Alex Bregman. Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi (4.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 Ks, 1 BB) pitched well enough in a very tough spot but his teammates completely let him down. Hernandez barely missed another home run by mere inches in the sixth inning as his triple hit just below the yellow line on the left center field wall. Unfortunately, there were already two outs so the next batter-third baseman Rafael Devers-popped up to strand Kike at third base with Boston's best scoring chance of the evening.

    Alvarez scored on a double play ball in the bottom of the sixth inning for a 2-0 Houston lead and the Astros officially sealed it in the eighth inning when right fielder Kyle Tucker hit a three-run bomb to left field off Boston reliever Adam Ottavino that plated Alvarez and shortstop Carlos Correa. It was such a crazy season for the Red Sox in terms of some awesome highs and many terrible lows. However, I think the lasting memory from this year's club is that they helped bring (some) people back to the team. Particularly in October, they were wildly entertaining and hopefully this season will serve as a springboard for future campaigns and more titles. The Patriots (2-4) are not winning a Super Bowl anytime soon, the Celtics (0-2) appear to be regressing and the Bruins (2-1) are good but they will fold in the playoffs as usual so believe it or not, I think the Sox are the closest Boston team to a title (unless you count the Revs but who really does?). Baseball will never be what it once was in terms of popularity both here and in other markets but at its core, Boston is still a baseball city when the Red Sox are at least competitive. 

The Red Sox Took A 2-1 Series Lead After A 12-3 Demolition Of The Astros In Game 3 Of The ALCS

 

    So it turns out even in the weird time of openers and starting pitchers being less coveted than ever in MLB that they actually do still matter more than the analytics nerds want you to believe. Just ask the Astros who currently are in full scramble mode without hardly any legitimate starters left to turn to in the ALCS. The result is that the Red Sox destroyed them 12-3 tonight in Game 3 at Fenway Park. For those keeping track, Boston has outscored Houston 21-8 in Games 2 and 3 to take a 2-1 series lead with the next two games also at Fenway the following two nights. 

    This one was over fast since the Sox scored six runs in the second inning keyed by first baseman Kyle Schwarber's grand slam (the MLB record third of the playoffs for the Sox and his first HR of this round) that came on a 3-0 pitcher from Astros starter Jose Urquidy who had last appeared on Oct. 3 vs. Oakland-the regular season finale. Boston tacked on three more runs in the third inning and cruised from there as their starter Eduardo Rodriguez (6 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 7 Ks, 0 BBs) was superb except for a harmless three-run bomb allowed to Houston's promising young right fielder Kyle Tucker in the fourth inning when his team trailed 9-0. 

    The first two runs for the Red Sox came on an RBI single by catcher Christian Vazquez that plated left fielder Alex Verdugo then DH J.D. Martinez came around to score on a ground out. Vazquez added another RBI single in the third that scored right fielder Hunter Renfroe then second baseman Christian Arroyo hit a line drive that just cleared the Green Monster for a two-run homer (his 1st of the series). No matter what scrub reliever that Astros manager Dusty Baker used (and he inserted five of them after Urquidy was done in the second inning), it hardly mattered as Boston scored more runs off of four of them. 

    Martinez crushed a two-run homer (his second of the series) of his own that went over the Monster in the sixth inning which scored third baseman Rafael Devers. Raffy put the final exclamation on an evening full of fireworks with an opposite field shot over the Monster in the eighth inning-also his second home run of the series. That vaunted Houston offense never really showed up in Game 3 as a trio of Red Sox relievers-Hansel Robles, Martin Perez and Hirokazu Sawamura-each pitched scoreless frames on 12 pitches or less. You can't overstate how important E-Rod's performance was in terms of saving the bullpen for other games.   

    I don't believe it's hyperbole to say that Game 4 tomorrow night (8:08, FS1) is basically a must-win for the Astros. Their pitching is in shambles therefore I can't see them reeling off three consecutive wins against Boston's on fire offense. Nick Pivetta gets his first start of the postseason for the Red Sox against the ghost of Zack Greinke who like Urquidy before tonight's beating hasn't appeared yet in the playoffs. Haha what could possibly go wrong there? Improbably, the Sox are only two wins away from the World Series and if they take care of business at Fenway these next few games, they won't even have to return to Houston.

Red Sox Earn The Split In Houston With A 9-5 Victory In Game 2 Behind A Pair Of Grand Slams

 

    Coming into the ALCS, we were all fearful of Houston's lethal offense and for good reason: they are deep and loaded with playoff experience. At the same time, we also have to recognize that Boston's lineup is just as dangerous as illustarted by today's 9-5 win by the Red Sox in Game 2 at Minute Maid Park. With that important victory, the series heads to Boston tied 1-1 with the next three games at Fenway Park. The final score is a bit misleading since Boston was up 8-0 in the second inning after a grand slams by DH J.D. Martinez and third baseman Rafael Devers (the first time in MLB history that a team hit two grand slams in the same playoff game) in consecutive frames. Boston's center fielder Kike Hernandez continued to be the hottest hitter on the planet as he crushed his fifth home run of the postseason (tying a Red Sox record for most HRs in an entire postseason) and Nathan Eovaldi (5.1 IP, 3 ER, 5 hits, 3 Ks, 1 BB) gave the Sox another solid outing.

    Houston's rookie starting pitcher Leury Garcia was no match for Eovaldi as he only lasted 1+ inning before he was pulled with a fake injury (right knee discomfort). Former Rays great Jake Odorizzi followed Garcia and he also got knocked around as he allowed four earned runs and seven hits in four innings. Martinez's grand slam went to the opposite field as it scored first baseman Kyle Schwarber, Devers and Verdugo. Devers' grand slam in the next inning landed in a similar spot down the right field line and it plated catcher Kevin Plawecki, second baseman Christian Arroyo and Hernandez. Both of those memorable blasts were the first home runs of the series for Martinez and Devers while Hernandez already has three in the first two games against the Astros following his solo shot to left field in the fourth inning. 

    Houston got on the board in the fourth with an RBI double from right fielder Kyle Tucker that scored DH Yordan Alvarez. First baseman Yuli Gurriel followed with a two-run single that brought in shortstop Carlos Correa and Tucker. Red Sox manager Alex Cora's bullpen was good at first as Northeastern's Adam Ottavino got the last two outs in the sixth inning before the superb Garrett Whitlock pitched two scoreless innings with a pair of strikeouts. Lefty scrub Darwinzon Hernandez came on in the ninth inning with a 9-3 advantage but it was not nearly enough as he gave up solo home runs to Gurriel and pinch hitter Jason Castro. This forced Cora to bring in Ryan Brasier who retired Astros second baseman Jose Altuve on a deep fly ball to center field to end it. Whew. 

    I'm not saying it's going to happen since I believe that Houston is a better team than Tampa Bay but the Rays did win Game 1 of the ALDS before losing Game 2 at home and coming to Boston where they lost Games 3 and 4 to get eliminated from the playoffs. With three games in three days at Fenway starting on Monday night (8:08, FS1), the Sox have a wonderful opportunity to take control of this series and put themselves in a great position to reach yet another World Series. Including the Wild Card game vs. the Yankees, Boston is 3-0 at home this postseason and it should be an awesome atmosphere for these pivotal ALCS contests against a budding rival.

The Second Walk-Off Win In Two Nights Sends The Red Sox To The ALCS & Ends Tampa's Season

 

    What did I tell you? Anything can happen in the MLB playoffs, especially in a shorter series format. In the 2021 regular season, there was no question that the 100 win Rays were a far superior team to the Red Sox. However, get those same clubs in the pressure cooker of the ALDS and suddenly, all of Tampa's flaws (no starting pitching, shaky lineup, too many young guys, a robot manager, etc) is exposed for all of the world to see. Boston no-showed in Game 1 getting shut out 5-0 but they never looked back after that. They destroyed Tampa 14-6 in Game 2, won Game 3 by a score of 6-4 in 13 innings on Christian Vazquez's two-run homer last night and this evening at Fenway Park, they finished the job with a 6-5 victory at Fenway thanks to the hottest hitter in baseball center fielder Kike Hernandez's walk-off sacrifice fly that scored pinch runner Danny Santana.

    Nobody can question the Rays' method, to a point. Using analytics and an excellent farm system, they routinely outperform expectations and prove that you can get it done with a low budget. Tonight, I'm not sure if their nerds had fallen asleep when they were putting together their pre-game spread sheets for Tampa Bay's manager Kevin Cash but the fact that they even pitched to Kike with first base open (runners on 2nd and 3rd) and one out was puzzling to say the least. Bigger picture, using pitchers as openers and changing their roles from game to game doesn't work in the biggest contests against the toughest opponents. The Rays reached the World Series in 2008 (losing in 5 games vs. the Phillies) and last season vs. the Dodgers (losing in 6 games) so until they actually win a championship, you can't convince me that analytics are everything in baseball. You still have to use your eyes, brain and natural instincts in conjunctions with the endless numbers. 

    The Red Sox built an early 5-0 lead thanks to batting around and scoring five runs in the third inning. With the Rays on the ropes, it looked like it might be a blowout in favor of the home team. However, credit to Tampa as they methodically chipped away against Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez (5 IP, 2 ER, 3 hits, 6 Ks, 0 BBs) along with relievers Tanner Houck and Ryan Brasier. The Rays scored once in the fifth inning, twice in the sixth inning and twice in the eighth inning to tie things up at five. 

    Boston's star third baseman Rafael Devers (3-for-4) had the biggest swing of the game as he lofted a three-run shot (scoring Vazquez and first baseman Kyle Schwarber) to center field for a 3-0 advantage on his second home run of the playoffs. Left fielder Alex Verdugo added an RBI double that plated shortstop Xander Bogaerts and DH J.D. Martinez knocked in Dugie with an RBI single. Tampa's rally started innocently enough with an RBI groundout in the fifth. Their best player shortstop Wander Franco (who is just 20 years old!) blasted a two-run bomb (that scored center fielder Kevin Kiermaier as well) to almost the same exact spot as Devers, his second homer of the playoffs cut it to 5-3 in the sixth. Brasier melted down in the eighth as he allowed the two runs without recording an out. Kiermaier (2 runs) roped an RBI double that scored catcher Mike Zunino and right fielder Randy Arozarena (2 hits) knotted things at five with an RBI single that scored Kiermaier. 

    The two Red Sox relievers that excelled in Game 4 were lefty Josh Taylor who worked a 1-2-3 seventh inning with a strikeout on 10 pitches and Garrett Whitlock (1-0) who pitched a scoreless eighth and ninth inning that only required 15 total pitches. The other AL series has Houston leading Chicago 2-1 after today's game in Chitown was rained out. Whoever wins that series will have home-field advantage vs. the Red Sox and the ALCS is set to start on Friday night. Boston is the last AL East team alive in the playoffs after they held off the Blue Jays for a Wild Card spot, eliminated the Yankees in said Wild Card Game and now they sent the Rays packing as well. It might seem improbable but by reaching MLB's version of the Final Four, the Red Sox have turned this season into an unexpected success with a real chance to reach another World Series. I expect the Astros to beat the White Sox and if that happens, Boston will have their hands full since I believe that Houston has been their worst matchup for years. Regardless, we have quickly been reminded how fun October baseball can be and now we have at least four more games of it to savor. 

Christian Vazquez's Epic Walk-Off HR In The 13th Inning Puts The Sox One Win Away From The ALCS

 

    After getting blanked by the Rays 5-0 in Game 1 of the ALDS on Thursday night, the Red Sox responded with a resounding 14-6 victory on Friday in Game 2 at Tropicana Field but they topped that today by surviving a 13-inning marathon (fitttingly a day before the first Boston Marathon to ever be held in October) and winning 6-4 on a walk-off two-run homer (the first of the playoffs) by catcher Christian Vazquez. Suddenly, they have a 2-1 series lead (remember it is only a best-of-five series) with a chance to eliminate Tampa tomorrow night (7:07, FS1). Vazquez is the obvious hero for the Sox but their starting pitcher Nathan Eovaldi (5 IP, 2 ER, 3 hits, 8 Ks, 1 BB) was good and Nick Pivetta (1-0) was brilliant with four scoreless innings of relief (with 7 strikeouts) to get the win.   

    Boston outhit Tampa Bay 15-10 with center fielder Kike Hernandez (3-for-6, HR, 2 RBIs), first baseman Kyle Schwarber (3-for-5, HR, 2 runs) and second baseman Christian Arroyo (3-for-5, 2B, run) all having huge performances at the plate. Other than Vazquez's bomb (only the 8th time in MLB history that a catcher has hit a walk-off HR in extra innings), the play that will be remembered for eternity from Game 3 was a bizarre ground-rule double that turned out to be an enormous break for the home team. With pinch hitter Yandy Diaz on first base after a one-out single, center fielder Kevin Kiermaier roped a two-out double to right field that bounced off the wall, then ricocheted off right fielder Hunter Renfroe and over the wall. Diaz would have easily scored the go-ahead run but according to the MLB rule, it was a ground-rule double which meant that Diaz did not score and Kiermaier could not advance to third base. Instead, Pivetta struck out catcher Mike Zunino (0-for-6 with 4 strikeouts) to end the top of the 13th inning. 

    Renfroe walked with one out in the bottom of the 13th inning against Tampa Bay's reliever Luis Patino (0-1). That set the stage for the most memorable hit of Vazquez's Red Sox/MLB career as he hit a fly ball that just got over the Green Monster and into the front row of seats up there. Each club had a two-run lead earlier in the game: left fielder Austin Meadows hit a two-run blast (his 1st of the playoffs) to right in the first inning that scored Rays phenom Wander Franco for a 2-0 advantage. Boston chipped away with a lead-off shot by Schwarber (his first of the postseason) in the first inning then Kike's RBI single in the third inning plated Arroyo with the tying run. Third baseman Rafael Devers (did you know that his arm/wrist doesn't feel well?) followed with another run-scoring single that scored Schwarber and gave the Sox a 3-2 lead-their first of Game 3. 

    Hernandez set a franchise record with a hit in seven consecutive plate appearances and he put an exclamation point on that with a solo home run (his 2nd of the series) to left in the fifth inning. Tampa's two-run deficit only lasted until the eighth inning when Franco hit a solo homer (his 1st of the playoffs) to left and outfielder Randy Arozarena tied it on an RBI double that scored pinch runner Manuel Margot. Starting extra innings with a runner on second base is only a regular season thing hence why this contest took over five ours to complete. Red Sox manager Alex Cora had to mix and match with five other relievers before he left Pivetta (who originally was supposed to start Game 4) in there for good. By using an opener-Drew Rasmussen who lasted two innings-Rays manager Kevin Cash was forced to put in seven (!) other relievers before Patino fell apart in his second inning of work.

    As you can imagine, the Red Sox no doubt want to end this if possible on Monday. They want no part of a winner-take-all Game 5 on Wednesday back at the Trop. Furthermore, there is plenty of pressure on Tampa as well since they reached the World Series last year and rolled to an AL East title thanks to 100 regular season victories. Eduardo Rodriguez could not get out of the second inning in Game 1 vs. Tampa but he will receive a major chance to redeem himself in Game 4 because he will start for Boston. Besides Pivetta, all the other Red Sox pitchers that came out of the bullpen tonight threw less than 20 pitches meaning I think they would be available if needed tomorrow night. The most effective were Ryan Brasier (who pitched a scoreless inning with 1 strikeout) and Garrett Whitlock who nailed down the last four outs (3 strikeouts) to send the tight matchup to extra innings. Thanks to Chicago's 12-6 pasting of Houston this evening, no teams will be swept in the ALDS or NLDS this season. All four series will be in action tomorrow so it should be a great day (and night) for baseball.

Sox Live To See Another Day While The Yanks Are Done After Losing 6-2 In The AL Wild Card Game

 

    Last night was the first time that the Red Sox had ever appeared in the winner-take-all AL Wild Card game and it didn't disappoint as they dispatched the Yankees 6-2 at Fenway Park. With the win, the Red Sox advance to the best-of-five ALDS vs. another AL East foe-Tampa Bay-starting tomorrow night (8:07, FS1). Boston's starter Nathan Eovaldi (5.1 IP, 1 ER, 4 hits, 8 Ks, 0 BBs) easily outdueled New York's ace Gerrit Cole (2+ IP, 3 ER, 4 hits, 3 Ks, 2 BBs). The Yankees' bullpen was supposed to be one of their biggest advantages but it didn't matter since Cole put them in such a hole, haha apparently that's what $324 million buys you these days in MLB.   

Neither offense did much: Boston had seven hits while New York managed only six. The difference was that the Red Sox made their hits really count. Sox shortstop Xander Bogaerts hit a two-run bomb to straight away center field in the first and DH Kyle Schwarber cranked a solo blast to right field in the third inning. Left fielder Alex Verdugo was also a star for the home team with an RBI double in the sixth and a two-run single in the seventh inning. All that New York's top heavy lineup could provide was a solo shot by first baseman Anthony Rizzo that cut it to 3-1 in the sixth inning while DH Giancarlo Stanton (3-for-4) hit a meaningless solo shot in the ninth inning when the Yanks were trailing 6-1.  

    Ironically for a team that was so shaky defensively all season, the play of the game came from a sweet relay throw from Boston's center fielder Kike Hernandez to Bogaerts to catcher Kevin Plawecki. Stanton just missed a homer (the ball hit a few feet under the lip of the Green Monster) and New York's bozo third base coach Phil Nevin sent right fielder Aaron Judge home with one out. That stupid decision did not turn out well for the visitors as Kike quickly threw the ball to Bogaerts who pegged a perfect strike to Plawecki who got the tag down on a sliding Judge. It was an awesome sequence that saved Red Sox reliever Ryan Brasier who escaped the inning by having left fielder Joey Gallo pop out. 

    Boston rookie Tanner Houck pitched a dominant seventh inning with two strikeouts in a clean frame and Hansel Robles followed with a 1-2-3 eighth inning including a strikeout. The other prized Red Sox rookie pitcher Garrett Whitlock allowed that Stanton homer in the ninth but that was it. By surviving the Wild Card game, I believe Boston is playing with house money from here on out. Tampa won the division and 100 games this season, which following their World Series appearance last year proves that they are not a fluke. They are the best team in the American League and one of the top clubs in baseball so they will be favored but anything can happen in the playoffs, particularly in a short series. Game 2 is on Friday night (7:02, FS1) at the Trop while Game 3 is on Sunday afternoon (4:07, MLB Network) back here. If necessary,  Game 4 would be on Marathon Monday in Boston while a do-or-die Game 5 would be on Wednesday in Tampa Bay. Get excited everybody, the Red Sox are in the mix for the World Series this October!

On The Last Day Of The Regular Season, Sox Clinch A Spot In The AL Wild Card Game Vs. NYY

 

    In a season full of crazy highs and lows, it was only fitting that it came down to the final game of the regular season for the Red Sox (92-70 overall, 43-38 away) to ultimately determine their playoff fate. If they had lost to the lowly Nationals (65-97 overall, 35-46 home), they would have been forced to play a tiebreaker game #163 against the Blue Jays (91-71) on Monday. Thankfully, it did not have to come down to that scary scenario as Boston rallied for a thrilling 7-5 victory at Nationals Park to both sweep Washington and set up a doozy of an AL Wild Card game on Tuesday night (8:08, ESPN) at Fenway Park vs. the Yankees (92-70). It will be the first time that the Red Sox have ever played in the Wild Card game so who better to face than their biggest rival? In a sport that is always desperate for attention and ratings, MLB couldn't have asked for a sexier matchup than that.

    Star third baseman Rafael Devers (4-for-5 w/2 HRs, 4 RBIs & 3 runs) was incredible for the visitors while Chris Sale only went 2.1 IP (recording all of his outs via strikeouts) but six relievers helped the Sox get to the finish line. In fact, if you throw out Garrett Richards (3 ER in 1 IP), the other five guys (Hirokazu Sawamura, Martin Perez, Garrett Whitlock, Eduardo Rodriguez and Nick Pivetta) combined for 5.2 scoreless innings and only one hit allowed with five strikeouts. Boston did not make it easy on themselves as they trailed 2-0 in the fourth inning before Devers crushed a solo home run to center (his 37th of the season). The Nats added three more runs in the fifth inning including a two-run double by catcher Alex Avila in his final MLB game that made it 5-1 in favor of the home team. 

    The Sox eventually decided to get to work in the sixth inning as they cut it to 5-2 on an infield single by catcher Christian Vazquez that scored pinch hitter Jose Iglesias (playing in his last game of the season since he was acquired after Sept. 1). Boston tied it with three runs in the seventh on an RBI single by Devers that plated first baseman and former Nationals great Kyle Schwarber and a clutch two-run double by left fielder Alex Verdugo (3-for-5). Raffy saved his last heroics of the day for the ninth inning as he smashed a two-run bomb to left center that scored Schwarber once again. Needless to say, that was a huge swing (sorry for the lame baseball pun) for the Sox who went from having to play a must-win game tomorrow against the very dangerous Jays to hosting a must-win in two days vs. the Yankees.  

    Red Sox manager Alex Cora had to be creative in the last few innings with his bullpen: Whitlock pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning with two strikeouts, Rodriguez (13-8) added a scoreless eighth inning with a strikeout to earn the win and Pivetta closed it out with a 1-2-3 ninth inning with a strikeout for his first save of the season/as a member of the Red Sox. New York also would have faced Toronto if they had lost this afternoon but they beat Tampa Bay (100-62) 1-0 on a walk-off single by their star right fielder Aaron Judge. This will be the fourth time that the Yanks have appeared in the winner-take-all Wild Card game and they are 2-1 previously in them. With Nathan Eovaldi (11-9, 3.75 ERA) opposing Yankees ace Gerrit Cole (16-8), it has all the makings of a classic new chapter to one of the great rivalries in sports. The winners will advance to the ALDS vs. the Rays, what an amazing season for the AL East (minus the 52-110 Orioles!). 

Thank You Hunter Renfroe For Not Letting The Red Sox Get Swept By The Rays Yet Again In 2021

 

There is a reason that I haven't written about the Red Sox in weeks: between an absurd Covid-19 outbreak and a mostly pathetic stretch of performances, they gave me absolutely no motivation to even mention them. Tonight at least was different though as Boston (80-62 overall, 44-29 home) held off Tampa Bay (88-52 overall, 43-26 away) 2-1 at Fenway Park. The victory allowed the Sox to avoid the three-game sweep at the hands of the Rays (who finished 11-8 against them in the regular season) while also inching past the floundering Yankees (78-61) for the top AL Wild Card spot. As you can guess from the final score, Boston got some brilliant pitching from starter Nathan Eovaldi (7 IP, 3 hits, 0 ER, 8 Ks, 2 BBs) and Hansel Robles of all people had a scoreless ninth inning with two strikeouts to record his 12th save of the season. 

    With that said, there is no question who the main star of this game was for the Red Sox: it had to be right fielder Hunter Renfroe. He hit a go-ahead two-run homer (his 27th of the season) in the eighth inning that also plated pinch hitter Kyle Schwarber and had not one but two outfield assists (he leads MLB with 16 of them this season). The second one could not have been more dramatic either since he threw out Tampa third baseman Joey Wendle at third base trying to stretch a double into a triple. It was a killer mistake by Wendle because it was the final out of the game, ouch babe! Haha what a way to lose granted the Rays have plenty of cushion with the second best record in MLB.

    After Rays starter Shane McLanahan pitched five scoreless innings, Tampa Bay finally struck first in the eighth inning as designated hitter Nelson Cruz knocked in second baseman Brandon Lowe (2 hits, run, walk, stolen base) with an RBI double to temporarily put Tampa Bay ahead 1-0. The Red Sox took control in the bottom of the eighth inning as Renfroe crushed a two-run blast (his 27th of the season) off reliver JT Chargois (5-1) and entirely over the green monster. With closer Matt Barnes out for a long time with Covid-19, it's been a complete mess for the Sox when it comes to the ninth inning and having a lead this season. After Josh Taylor and Garrett Richards (7-7) combined to survive the eighth inning and only trail by a run, Robles was who got the call for the save opporunity with other options either out for the moment or way overworked (Garrett Whitlock and Adam Ottavino say hello).    

    Boston is nine games behind Tampa Bay but we have known for a long time that the AL East was all but clinched by the Rays. The AL Wild Card is the best race in baseball with Boston a half game ahead of the Yankees, 1.5 games in front of Toronto (who has won their last seven games in a row), 2.5 games ahead of the Mariners (76-64) and three games ahead of Oakland (75-64). After an off day on Thursday, the Red Sox begin a brutal six-game road trip against the White Sox (80-59) for three games followed by three games at Seatlle. Boston is only three games above .500 (36-33) on the road this season so that is in jeopardy of falling below .500 if this trip goes sideways. There is no question that the White Sox are one of the best teams in baseball while the Mariners are currently one of the hottest so each club promises to be a handful for the Red Sox to deal with at the moment.

Boston Snapped Season-High Five-Game Losing Streak With A Much-Needed 4-1 Win In Detroit

 

    Since they failed to do much (besides obtaining an injured Kyle Schwarber) at the trade deadline last Friday, it had been a rough few days for your Red Sox (64-45 overall, 31-23 away). They got swept by the Rays (65-44 overall) last weekend, they dropped to second-place in the AL East behind Tampa and they were generally falling apart as they lost a season-high five games in a row. Thankfully, that all changed-at least for a night-as Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6; 5 IP, 0 ER, 2 hits, 10 Ks, 4 BBs) pitched five shutout innings this evening and Boston bounced back from last night's 4-2 loss to the Tigers (52-58 overall, 31-25 home) with a 4-1 victory tonight at Comerica Park. The starting pitching for the Sox has predictably crumbled lately so it was a boost to get a good outing for a change coupled with three home runs from the similarly struggling Boston bats. 

    Detroit has been playing much better lately but come on, this is a rebuilding club with future Hall of Famer slugger Miguel Cabrera and a bunch of guys that only the most hardcore baseball fans (raises hand) has ever heard of. One of the Tigers' top young pitching prospects Casey Mize (6-6) got the start and like E-Rod, he only lasted five innings but he gave up four earned runs on seven hits with three strikeouts and a walk. The Red Sox never trailed as DH J.D. Martinez hit a solo homer to right field in the second inning-his 21st of the season. Boston got the rest of its offense in the fifth inning as ace leadoff hitter and second baseman Kike Hernandez crushed a two-run bomb to left field-his 15th of the season-and that was followed by an opposite field (to left) homer by rookie center fielder Jarren Duran (his 2nd of the season).

    Stop me if you've heard this before but Rodriguez threw way too many pitches in five innings (99) so he gave way to Hirokzu Sawamura in the sixth who worked around a single and a walk to strike out two and get a scoreless frame. The Tigers only managed five hits in the entire game and they struck out a combined 18 times so their lone highlight was a solo homer by former Orioles great and second baseman Jonathan Schoop to left field (his 18th of the season) in the seventh inning off Josh Taylor. Boston's superb set-up man and closer combo were back in business as Northeastern's Adam Ottavino recorded the last out in the seventh and a scoreless eighth inning with two strikeouts while UConn's Matt Barnes recorded a 1-2-3 ninth inning on 11 pitches with two strikeouts for his 24th save of the season. We all got a scare before yesterday's contest as Barnes tested positive for Covid-19 (despite supposedly being fully vaccinated) but it all turned out to be a false positive and he came off the Covid-19 IL this afternoon after just one day on it. 

    As I'm sure you already know by now, tomorrow afternoon's (1:10, NESN) series finale is also the final meeting of the 2021 regular season between the Red Sox and Tigers. Boston is 3-2 against Detroit so that outcome will decide if the Sox take the season series 4-2 or it ends in a lame 3-3 tie. Sox lefty Martin Perez (7-7) will oppose Tigers lefty Tarik Skubal (6-10) in a game that despite being a getaway day for the Sox may take awhile since both of those guys stink. Boston has plenty of motivation since they only trail Tampa Bay by one game while the Red Sox will head out for an important four-game trip to Toronto (56-49) this weekend, marking the first time they've been to Canada since the 2019 season. It is a short flight from Detroit to Toronto but a win on Thursday would certainly make for an even more enjoyable ride North of the border.

With Hours To Go Until The Trade Deadline, Sox Finally Did Something: Trading For Kyle Schwarber

 

    I don't know about you but I will admit that I was getting pretty antsy tonight since tomorrow's MLB Trade Deadline (4 pm ET) was quickly approaching and the Red Sox (63-41 overall) still hadn't made a single deal while many other playoff and World Series contenders like them were quite busy. Thankfully that all changed late this evening as Red Sox chief baseball nerd Chaim Bloom woke up from his slumber and actually did something productive: he flipped some 20-year-old pitcher named Aldo Ramirez (ranked the club's #19 prospect by MLB Pipeline) to the Nationals for left fielder Kyle Schwarber. You might remember him as a key part of the 2016 World Series champion Cubs and he was also the hottest player in baseball earlier this season before he strained his right hamstring on July 2. To make room on the 40-man roster, Boston designated reliever Brandon Workman for assignment. 

    Technically, Schwarber is a rental since he will be a free agent after 2021 who figures to make a boatload of money because he was an All-Star this summer for the first time in his career and he's hitting .253/.340/.570 with 25 home runs and 53 RBIs. He originally started out as a catcher but almost exclusively in the past five seasons, he has been a full-time left fielder (playing his entire career in the National League). Boston's outfield is currently pretty full with Alex Verdugo in left, Jarren Duran in center and Hunter Renfroe in right not to mention J.D. Martinez is primarily a DH so where does that leave Schwarber to play? A new first baseman is arguably the biggest need for the Red Sox so perhaps they hope to have Schwarber try and fill that black hole. 

    Boston lacked lefty hitters so at the very least, Schwarber should immediately help to fix that. He will never win a batting title (his career batting average is .233, yuck) but he has legit power which is hard to find: 146 HRs and 332 RBIs in 623 games. Kyle also has a proven track record of postseason success where he has hit .288/.405/.576 with six homers and 11 RBIs in 24 playoff games. He has reached 25+ home runs four times in seven MLB seasons (6 with Chicago, 1 with Washington) with his best year being 2019 with 38 HRs, 92 RBIs and .250/.339/.531. He strikes out a ton (679 times in 2071 career at bats) so we'll need to get used to that but what do you expect from a guy that's shaped like a fire hydrant at six-feet-tall and 229 pounds? He is in the prime of his career at the age of 28 and the former first-round draft pick (4th overall in 2014) will want to cash in after he bet on himself and signed a modest one-year deal (worth $7 million) last winter with the Nationals. 

    This was a nice start for Bloom and hopefully he continues to work the phone lines tomorrow morning and afternoon to find a true first baseman, a reliever and possibly a starting pitcher as well. Over the last few days, many top MLB reporters had mentioned that the Red Sox were in on Nationals ace Max Scherzer (who is now going to the Dodgers in a blockbuster trade) and Cubs first baseman Anthony Rizzo (headed to the Yankees, ugh) and while they missed out on both of those guys, Schwarber is better than a consolation prize. Assuming that he's not a complete disaster these next few months in Boston, he would be another nice piece to help Bloom build a World Series contender year after year. We are not sure exactly when he will make his Red Sox debut, they have a huge three-game series at Tampa Bay (61-42 overall)-who is only 1.5 games back with a game in hand-starting tomorrow night (7:10, NESN)-but he has been lightly jogging and taking batting practice lately so it should not be too far away. 

UPDATE 7/30/21:  Welp, the Red Sox made two other trades today but they were for a pair of awful relievers: righty Hansel Robles was acquired from the Twins for minor league righty Alex Scherff and infielder Michael Chavis went to Pittsburgh (poor bastard) for lefty Austin Davis. 

Thanks To Verdugo's HR In The 8th, Sox Rally For Their MLB-Best 33rd Comeback Win Of The Season

 

    Their games still might take way too long to complete but at least the Red Sox (62-39 overall, 32-20 home) in 2021 are making it worth your while if you stick around for the later innings since they seem to have a special ability to never be out of almost any contest. Tonight in their series opener against the Blue Jays (49-47 overall, 27-25 away) at smoky Fenway Park (because of the wildfires in California), they trailed 4-3 in the eighth inning before left fielder Alex Verdugo crushed a two-run bomb (his 10th of the season) into the right centerfield seats that scored right fielder Hunter Renfroe (2-for-3 w/2B, 2 runs, BB). Closer and UConn product Matt Barnes worked an easy 1-2-3 ninth inning on just nine pitches to record his 22nd save of the season. 

    The win over the stunned Jays was the 33rd comeback victory of the season for Boston-the most in MLB-and it put them a season-high 23 games over .500 while their slim lead over the second-place Rays (60-40 overall) in the AL East slightly increased to 1.5 games while Tampa Bay has a game in hand. The Sox struck first with a pair of runs in the second inning on an RBI single by Verdugo that plated Renfroe and second baseman Michael Chavis drove in Verdugo with a ground out. Toronto tied it with a pair of RBI singles in the third inning by their superstar first baseman Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (that scored catcher Reese McGuire) and second baseman Marcus Semien (that scored UConn's George Springer). 

    Boston's star third baseman Rafael Devers (2-for-4) helped the Red Sox pull ahead again 3-2 with a solo homer (his team-leading 27th of the season) in the third inning that hooked a few rows back into the right field seats. Red Sox killer and Blue Jays shortstop Bo Bichette hit a two-run blast over the Green Monster (his 18th of the season also scored Springer) in the fifth inning that gave the Jays a 4-3 advantage. From there, it was a battle of the bullpens which the Red Sox predictably dominated as relievers Phillips Valdez (2.1 scoreless innings with two strikeouts) and Northeastern's Adam Ottavino (3-3; scoreless eighth inning) bridged the gap from the ineffective starting pitcher Nick Pivetta (4.2 IP, 4 ER, 6 hits, 3 Ks, 2 BBs) to Barnes. One of the main reasons why the Blue Jays currently sit where they are in the standings is due to their putrid bullpen.

    Boston improved to 8-4 against Toronto this season and they'll go for their fourth straight win against them tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) as good old Garrett Richards (6-5) faces Jays ace Robbie Ray (8-5). Obviously, Ray is a much better pitcher than Richards but this same matchup actually happened last Wednesday in Buffalo with Richards outlasting Ray in a 7-4 Red Sox triumph. The Sox are 7-3 since the All-Star break and they own the best record in the American League with the Giants (62-37) being the only team with a better mark than them at this point of the season. Oh yeah and the trade deadline is Friday afternoon at 4 p.m. so if you need me, I'll be busy reading juicy tweets and rumor-filled stories about possible deals until that time.

With Five Yanks Placed On Covid-19 IL, Sox Blanked Them 4-0 To Improve To 7-0 Vs. NY In '21

 

    The Yankees (46-44 overall, 23-23 home) were already a disaster this season and now they are suffering a Covid-19 outbreak (still?) that caused last night's Red Sox (56-36 overall, 28-17 away)-Yanks game to be postponed. Tonight (along with the rest of MLB), the series and second half began with New York putting five players-left-handed pitchers Nestor Cortes and Wandy Peralta, along with outfielder Aaron Judge, catcher Kyle Higashioka and infielder Gio Urshela-on the Covid-19 injured list. Not surprisingly, with a lineup that was better suited for a Spring Training game in mid-March, the Yanks did not stand much of a chance as Boston shut them out 4-0 this evening at Yankee Stadium. By recording their first shutout in the Bronx in a little over three years, the Sox extended their perfect start (7-0) against their bitter rivals in 2021.   

    The teams combined for eight hits so it was not exactly an offensive explosion but Boston at least made theirs count with a two-run homer and a solo shot. Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (7-5) wasn't his sharpest (40 of his 97 pitches were balls) but it was plenty good enough against such a weak starting nine. In 5.2 innings, E-Rod allowed just two hits with eight strikeouts and two walks. It only took two Sox relievers to complete the job from there: Hirokazu Sawamura induced a ground out (on three pitches) from Yankees catcher Gary Sanchez to end the sixth inning and strand a runner at second base. Tanner Houck has spent most of the season with the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox (lucky him!) but he was recalled to Boston yesterday and he closed it out with three scoreless innings including three strikeouts for his first career MLB save. 

    Boston got all the runs they needed in the second inning as shortstop Xander Bogaerts scored on a ground out by right fielder Hunter Renfroe and second baseman Christian Arroyo crushed a two-run bomb to right center (his sixth of the season) that scored third baseman Rafael Devers. Red Sox designated hitter J.D. Martinez added an insurance run with a solo homer to right in the eighth inning that made it 4-0 on his 19th home run of the season. Yankees starting pitcher Jordan Montgomery (3-5) was decent enough (6 IP, 3 ER, 3 hits, 4 Ks, 2 BBs) but he basically would have had to no-hit the Red Sox to steal a win for his overmatched club in the series opener. 

    With the victory, Boston held serve for a 1.5 game lead over second-place Tampa Bay (54-37) in the AL East while New York dropped to fourth-place behind Toronto (46-42). Even though the Yanks are a complete mess, they still undeservedly get the primetime spotlight the next two nights: Nathan Eovaldi (9-5) faces fellow All-Star Gerrit Cole (9-4) tomorrow (7:15, Fox) and Martin Perez (7-5) takes on Jameson Taillon (4-4) on Sunday (7:08, ESPN). There is no chance that the Yanks will make some miraculous comeback and push the Red Sox and Rays for the AL East crown this fall. Hell, I'd be shocked if they sniffed the neighborhood of the Wild Card spots. New York is hopeless but that is not our problem so we can only laugh at their misery as Boston continues to bury them in 2021. PS one of Boston's top prospects-outfielder Jarren Duran-was called up as well and since he's a lefty hitter, I bet that he makes his MLB debut vs. Cole.