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.

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. 

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!). 

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 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. 

The Sox Completed Another Three-Game Sweep Of The Yankees, They Are 6-0 Vs. NYY This Season

 

    Once again, the Yankees (40-37 overall, 19-19 away) are a mess this season but as always, that is not the Red Sox' (47-31 overall, 23-17 home) problem at all. Good for Boston for taking advantage of the situation as they destroyed the Yanks 9-2 this afternoon on a sweltering day at Fenway Park. Thanks to another three-game sweep of their biggest rival, the Sox improved to 6-0 against the Yankees in 2021. Standings wise this was a very important contest since coupled with Tampa Bay's (47-32) unexpected loss 6-4 to the Angels (37-40), the Sox retook the lead in the AL East. They are a half game ahead of the Rays (with a game in hand), six games in front of Toronto (40-36) and now 6.5 ahead of the lifeless Yankees. 

The craziest part of a very surprising victory was that Red Sox starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (6 IP, 2 ER, 5 hits, 8 Ks, 0 BBs) clearly outdueled New York's ace Gerrit Cole (5 IP, 6 R (5 ER), 6 Ks, 2 BBs) who is typically one of the best pitchers in baseball. For E-Rod (6-4), it was his first win in nine starts while Cole (8-4) suffered through his worst outing of the season. The home team wasted no time taking control of the game as center fielder Kike Hernandez laced a home run over the Green Monster (his 7th of the season) on the first pitch of the game for Boston. It soon became 4-0 Red Sox when third baseman Rafael Devers (3-for-4) crushed a three-run bomb to right field (his 19th of the season!). That was only in the first inning so naturally Boston added two more runs in the third inning: designated hitter J.D. Martinez hit a solo home run to center (his 15th of the season) and shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2-for-4 with 2 runs scored) came around on catcher Christian Vazquez's sacrifice fly to make it 4-0 in favor of the good guys. 

    Fittingly, New York's only two runs came from a two-run shot by their star outfielder Aaron Judge (his 17th home run of the season) that went over the Green Monster in the sixth inning. Boston's offense wasn't done as they ended up scoring as many runs today (9) as they had combined in the last two days. In the seventh, Devers knocked in Bogaerts with an RBI single that pushed the Red Sox' lead up to 7-2. Vazquez added his own solo homer (his 4th of the season) that went into the Monster Seats in the eighth inning then Kike drove in second baseman Marwin Gonzalez with an RBI double later on in the frame. 

    This weekend was so bad for the Yankees that you have to believe that ownership could be exploring many possible trade ideas along with some personnel changes. The Red Sox outscored them 18-7 over the weekend in the series. Aaron Boone seems like a nice enough guy (and I have to admit I liked him very much as a commentator at ESPN-his previous position) but I don't think that he's cut out to be an MLB manager-at least not in a huge market like NYC. Remember that this is a guy who had never coached or managed at any level until he got one of the most coveted positions in baseball. Haha with an empty resume like that, who could have seen this coming? 

    There is no off-day for the Red Sox tomorrow even though it's Monday. They begin a four-game series with the Royals (33-43 overall, 15-24 away) at Fenway followed by a six-game West Coast road trip that starts in Oakland (47-33 overall, 25-18 home) and ends in Los Angeles where they'll meet the Angels (37-40 overall, 21-19 home) for three games. Kansas City stinks, they have lost five straight games although keep in mind that the Royals won two out of three at home vs. the Sox a few weeks ago. Today was the start of another heatwave in the Boston area so you are crazy if you want to attend any of the Royals series unless you have access to a luxury box with air conditioning. Mr. Human Puddle himself Garrett Richards (4-5) faces the sneaky good Danny Duffy (4-3) tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) in the series opener; on Tuesday night (7:10, NESN), Nick Pivetta (6-3) takes on Brad Keller (6-8); on Wednesday night, it will be Martin Perez (5-4) vs. Mike Minor (6-5) in a battle of mediocre lefty starters; in Thursday afternoon's (1:10, NESN) series finale, it is Nathan Eovaldi (8-4) against TBA for KC who arguably has been their best pitcher during this miserable season. 

The Red Sox Blew A 5-2 Lead To The Rays But Recovered In Time To Win 9-5 In 11 Innings

 

    Even the unanimous top prospect in baseball-Wander Franco-couldn't turn things around for the free-falling Rays (43-31 overall, 19-15 home) in his explosive MLB debut tonight at Tropicana Field. The 20-year-old third baseman (he is the first guy born in 2001 to appear in a Major League game!) went 2-for-4 with a three-run bomb, a double and a walk with two runs scored but Boston (44-29 overall, 24-12 away) outlasted Tampa Bay 9-5 in 11 innings. The Sox led 5-2 early in the series opener of a pivotal three-game set and they eventually improved to a perfect 4-0 vs. second-place Tampa who now trail Boston by a game and a half in the AL East. Oh and the Rays have lost seven games in a row, is that bad?

    Things started off on a shaky note for the Red Sox as star shortstop Xander Bogaerts' (3-for-5 with 2 runs) throwing error in the first inning allowed the Rays to take a cheap 2-0 lead. Boston's starting pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (6 IP, 5 R, 3 ER, 7 hits, 7 Ks, 1 BB) entered winless in his last seven starts so the fact that he made it through six innings was a minor miracle. Of course, he was the one who served up Franco's first career home run, that found its way over the left field wall and tied it at five in the fifth inning. The Sox did much of their damage in the third inning as they scored five runs to take a 5-2 lead. DH J.D. Martinez's two-run double scored left fielder Alex Verdugo and center fielder Danny Santana which tied it at two. Third baseman Rafael Devers (2 doubles, run, 3 RBIs) knocked in Martinez with a sacrifice fly before former Rays great Hunter Renfroe (2-for-5, 3 RBIs, 2 runs) crushed a two-run homer to left center (his 9th of the season) that plated Bogey. 

    The bullpens took control from there until things got weird in the extra innings. For Boston, Josh Taylor (2 strikeouts), Northeastern's Adam Ottavino and UConn's Matt Barnes each pitched a scoreless inning. Hirokazu Sawamura got two outs then Darwinzon Hernandez (2-2) recorded the last four outs for the Red Sox. Tampa is still doing that silly opener thing so their first pitcher Andrew Kittredge recorded two outs in the first inning before he was pulled after 16 pitches. Fun! No wonder this game took four hours and 21 minutes. For Tampa Bay, Collin McHugh pitched three hitless innings, Matt Wisler had a clean frame and J.P. Feyereisen added two scoreless innings before Peter Fairbanks (1-3) cracked as he allowed four runs (3 earned) in two laborious innings (37 pitches) of work. 

    The middle game of the series is tomorrow night (7:10, NESN) and it pits Garrett Richards (4-4) vs. former Red Sox great Rich Hill (5-2). Tampa Bay is due to start winning again sometime soon but ideally, it won't be in the next couple days as they host the Sox. Boston has a nice opportunity here to take advantage of the Rays who are stuck in a rare terrible stretch of play. I still think that these will be the top two clubs in the AL East this season when it's all said and done so the Red Sox might as well pile up the wins against Tampa while they can. Haha keep in mind that including tomorrow, these two teams meet 15 more times this season.

Rodriguez (3-0) Is Starting To Look Like An Ace Again As Sox Beat Ryu (1-2) & Jays 4-2 Last Night

 

    It's easy to forget sometimes because so much has happened since then, but we are only two seasons removed from an outstanding 19-6 campaign by Red Sox pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez. Yes, he gets hurt all the time and he missed all of 2020 with a scary heart condition (not to mention a bout with Covid-19) but so far in 2021, Eddie is showing signs that he has found that No. 1 starter form again. Last night in the mini-series opener at Fenway Park vs. Toronto (7-10 overall, 4-7 away), Rodriguez (6 IP, 2 ER, 3 hits, 6 Ks, 1 BB) helped Boston (12-6 overall, 6-5 home) to a 4-2 victory. He was matched up with the Blue Jays ace Hyun Jin Ryu (5 IP, 4 ER, 8 hits, 2 Ks, 0 BBs) and Rodriguez came out on top of that battle.

    The only runs for Toronto came via a solo home run by shortstop Bo Bichette (2-for-4) in the fourth-fifth of the season-and center fielder Randal Grichuk (2-for-4) in the seventh-his second of the season. That gave them a short-lived 1-0 lead in the fourth and cut it to 4-2 in the seventh. All of Boston's runs were in the fourth inning as shortstop Xander Bogaerts (2-for-4) crushed a three-run bomb to center that scored second baseman Christian Arroyo (3-for-4, 2B, run) and left fielder J.D. Martinez. We had started to worry a bit that Bogey hadn't homered this season but with the weather starting to warm up, I bet that gets him going. The Aruba native is hitting .393 with a .439 OBP and .557 SLG, so everybody can relax. First baseman Bobby Dalbec (2-for-3) added an RBI triple (1st 3B of his career) that plated third baseman Marwin Gonzalez. 

    I feel like a broken record here but once again, Boston's bullpen was excellent. Matt Andriese pitched a 1-2-3 seventh inning with one strikeout, Northeastern's Adam Ottavino had a scoreless eighth inning with one strikeout and one walk setting the stage for closer Matt Barnes who allowed an infield single but got a strikeout in a scoreless ninth inning for his third save of the season. Tonight (7:10, NESN) is the series finale with Garrett Richards (0-1) facing something called Trent Thornton (0-0). Haha whatever the over/under is, take the over since I feel like both of those nobodies will get shelled. There is no Celtics or Bruins game this evening so expect a long night of baseball at Fenway.

The Red Sox Sweep A Doubleheader With The Twins As Their Win Streak Rolls On To Nine Games

 

    I hope that you have already started to pay attention to the Red Sox (9-3 overall, 6-0 away) this season because what they are doing right now is rather incredible. In today's adventure, Boston swept a doubleheader at Target Field against the Twins (5-7 overall, 1-5 home). The Red Sox took Game 1 by a score of 3-2 and then the nightcap turned into a blowout as they won that 7-1. Boston has won nine games in a row after getting swept by Baltimore (5-6) in their season opening series at Fenway Park while Minnesota has dropped its last five straight games. Besides the constant winning-which is always fun-the Red Sox are making it interesting by getting the results in different ways. I would still maintain that the starting rotation is their biggest question mark but thus far, it has done the job while different relievers and hitters step up in every game. 

    Keep in mind that all doubleheaders are seven innings long (unless they go to extra innings) thanks to a much needed rule change by MLB last season to tighten things up a bit. Nathan Eovaldi (2-1) started the opener this afternoon and he was relatively sharp for the 82 pitches that manager Alex Cora had him throw. In five innings, Eovaldi allowed two earned runs on five hits with three strikeouts and no walks. He outlasted Twins starter Kenta Maeda (1-1) who only went 4.1 innings, allowing three runs (2 earned) on seven hits with five strikeouts and two walks. 

    In Game 1, Boston scored all of its runs in the second inning while Minnesota did the same in the third inning. Right fielder Hunter Renfroe gave the visitors a 1-0 lead with an RBI single that scored first baseman Marwin Gonzalez. Renfroe ended up later scoring on a throwing error by Maeda then second baseman Christian Arroyo (2 for 4, 2B) added a run-scoring single of his own that allowed left fielder Franchy Cordero to cross home plate. For the Twins, second baseman Jorge Polanco hit a two-run single that scored catcher Ryan Jeffers and shortstop JT Riddle. Boston's bullpen got two scoreless innings that let them hang on to that one-run lead for good. Lefty Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a 1-2-3 sixth inning on just seven pitches (haha way to be patient Minnesota) while closer Matt Barnes recorded his second save of the season thanks to two strikeouts and a great diving catch by Alex Verdugo (2 for 4) in left field to end it. 

    Game 2 looked like it would be a pitcher's duel between Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0) and Minnesota's ace Jose Berrios (2-1) but that's not exactly how it played out. The Twins actually had a 1-0 lead for a few innings as left fielder Kyle Garlick (what a great name) knocked in third baseman Josh Donaldson with a sacrifice fly. Berrios cruised through the first four innings but he started to labor in the fifth inning and Minnesota's manager Rocco Baldelli had a strangely quick hook which immediately blew up in his face. Cordero walked with the bases loaded which scored third baseman Rafael Devers (2 for 4, 2 RBIs, run, 2B). Baldelli elected to swap Berrios for something called Tyler Duffey and what do you know, it didn't work! Verdugo's (3 for 4, 3 RBIs, 2 runs) two-run single scored first baseman Bobby Dalbec and catcher Christian Vazquez with the go-ahead runs. Cordero came around to score on a wild pitch by Duffey and finally, Devers greeted another scrub Twins reliever (the immortal Caleb Thielbar) with a two-run single of his own that scored DH J.D. Martinez and Verdugo. 

    The promising part for E-Rod is that he was far from at his best but he went five innings and only allowed one earned run on five hits with five strikeouts and a walk. Credit to Red Sox GM Chaim Bloom for discovering Rule-5 pick Garrett Whitlock from the Yankees. The righty reliever had his third consecutive scoreless outing, pitching a clean sixth inning with one strikeout in 10 pitches. Expect his role to expand as the season goes along, he is a real weapon out of the bullpen (and eventually in the rotation) for Boston with quality stuff. After Verdugo's solo bomb in the seventh (his 2nd HR of the season), it became such a laugher that the Red Sox were able to use their 26th man (called up since rosters expand for a doubleheader) righty Eduard Bazardo who made his MLB debut. It was a little rocky as it took him 24 pitches to get three outs since he walked two guys but he got a strikeout and most importantly didn't allow a run as Red Sox manager Alex Cora (who in Game 1 collected his 200th MLB victory) got to rest his top bullpen guys. 

    Tomorrow is Jackie Robinson Day in MLB so every player will be wearing his No. 42. Boston goes for the sweep with its worst starter-Garrett Richards (0-1)-looking for his first win as a Red Sox-going up against former Yankees pine tar aficionado Michael Pineda (1-0). It's another afternoon game with an hour earlier start time (1:10, NESN) so that Boston can hopefully get back home before it's too late tomorrow night. They also bid for their 10th straight win which would make them the second team in MLB-after the Dodgers (10-2) of course-to reach double digit victories in mid-April.

Finally, A Reason To Watch the Red Sox This Season (Well At Least Every 5th Game)

Hey gang, remember the Red Sox? They had a nice run for a while, huh? What ever happened to them? Oh that's right, they are headed on a course straight for their third last-place finish in the last four seasons. That is until tonight when rookie lefthander Eduardo Rodriguez proved to be something of a revelation in his MLB debut. The former Oriole (obtained in the Andrew Miller trade last season) and highly touted prospect went 7.2 scoreless innings, allowing only three hits with seven strikeouts and two walks as Boston (22-26 overall, 12-14 away) won the series opener 5-1 over Texas (23-25 overall, 6-14 home) at Globe Life Park in Arlington.

Obviously one starting pitcher in baseball can't make that much of a difference on a bad team but at least this gives us a reason to watch again (when he's on the hill). The reason I hadn't written about the Red Sox in weeks is that just like last year, not only are they terrible but they are also boring which is a deadly combination for an MLB team. I don't know about you but I'd like to have something to watch this summer when there is literally nothing else going on in the sports universe. That's where you come in, Red Sox.

Maybe this will be the high point of Rodriguez's career; at least we saw that he has this type of ability against a quality lineup. The same can't be said for the rest of Boston's sorry rotation. The plan before his gem was to send him back to Pawtucket but there is no chance that will happen. The immortal Nick Martinez (4-1) held the Red Sox in check until the fifth when Mookie Betts (3 for 5, triple) drove in Blake Swihart (2 for 4, run) with an RBI single.

Hanley Ramirez hit his first home run of May (his first in 85 at bats), a solo shot to left center in the sixth for a 2-0 Red Sox advantage. Martinez (7 innings, 2 earned runs, 9 hits, 5 strikeouts, 2 walks) would fit in well on the Red Sox since he pitched really well but his offense let him down to say the least. Boston got three more insurance runs in the eighth on a gift two-run single for Swihart that was misplayed by Texas second baseman Adam Rosales. Boston's final run came from an infield single by Rusney Castillo that scored the newest member of the team-outfielder Carlos Peguero.

The Rangers' lone run came in the ninth on an RBI single by Josh Hamilton (2 for 4, double) who was playing his first game back in Texas after being reacquired from the Angels. It'll be interesting to see how Rodriguez fares in his second start and so on. Now MLB teams will have more tape on him so he won't be such a mystery. Dustin Pedroia has been batting leadoff lately for Boston and it seems to be working, he was 3 for 5 this evening. Xander Bogaerts got hit on the left forearm with a pitch in the fourth inning and had to leave but his injury was termed a "forearm contusion" which doesn't sound too serious.

Steven Wright (2-1) faces Yovani Gallardo (4-6) tomorrow night (8:05, NESN) in the second game of a four-game set.

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Our Regional Nightmare is Over: Lackey Headed to St. Louis, Craig & Kelly Coming to Boston

He bounced back in a big way last season and helped the Red Sox win a World Series title but even then, it was always difficult to pretend to cheer for that jerk John Lackey. The good news for Boston fans is that now that awkward situation is behind us since he was traded to St. Louis (56-50) along with minor league pitcher Corey Littrell and cash considerations for outfielder Allen Craig and right-handed starter Joe Kelly.

Lackey is 11-7 with 3.60 ERA, 1.23 WHIP and 116 strikeouts in 21 starts this season. At age 35 (36 in October) and coming off a major elbow injury, it's a miracle that he has returned to this level. His team option for next year is only $500,000 which shows how little faith the Red Sox had that he could ever be himself again.

Like Yoenis Cespedes, acquired earlier today from Oakland, Craig was an All-Star last season. The difference is that this year, he's gone off a cliff coming back from a foot injury (remember that from the World Series?). This season he's hitting .237/.291/.346 with seven homers, 44 RBIs, 17 doubles and 34 runs in 97 games. Last season, he hit .315/.373/.457 with 13 homers, 97 RBIs, 29 doubles and 71 runs in 134 games. Granted it was a smaller sample size but last season's breakout wasn't that crazy since he was good in 2011 and 2012. At age 30, he's a good guy to take a chance on.

Kelly is 26 and this is only his third full season in MLB. He's also been banged up, dealing with a hamstring injury hence why he's only made seven starts in 2014. He's 2-2 with 4.37 ERA and 1.46 WHIP. He was solid last season, 10-5 in 37 games (15 starts) with 2.69 ERA, 1.35 WHIP and 79 strikeouts/44 walks in 124 innings. Since the Red Sox' pitching rotation is now wide open, Clay Buchholz is the only holdover from Opening Day, Kelly should have a great chance to earn a spot for at least the next few years.

UPDATE 7/31: Looks like the Red Sox are done for the day after they shipped Andrew Miller (3-5, 2.34 ERA, 0.90 WHIP, 69 strikeouts/13 walks in 50 appearances) to Baltimore for Double-A pitcher Eduardo Rodriguez (their No. 3 prospect). Miller is having a career year but he'll never be better than this; get ready to see him facing David Ortiz a million times a season.

Showing that they have a good sense of humor, the Red Sox traded one bucket of crap-Stephen Drew-to the Yankees at the last minute before the deadline for a bucket of shit-second baseman Kelly Johnson. That means that Xander Bogaerts will get to move back to shortstop (where he should have been all season) and Will Middlebrooks will return from purgatory aka Pawtucket. The ironic part is that New York comes to Fenway for a three-game series starting tomorrow night. At least there is a reason to watch the rest of the season with all these new guys on the Red Sox.

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