The “Short Season” of 2020

A number of people have suggested to me that I must be excited about the return of baseball this year. I am not. This will be a 60 game season. The differences in play rules are sufficient to make the season record non-analogous with other seasons, and the World Series, if there is one, can hardly be compared with those of other years. For the fan, baseball is all about statistics, and the conditions of play this year mean that the statistics that come out of this season should not count anywhere except, possibly, in individual player lifetime stats. In particular, I really don’t like the “player on second” rule for extra innings. A number of other rules, intended to prevent COVID-19 infection, could materially interfere with play. There are also some permanent rule changes on the horizon that may end my interest in major league baseball for good. I think many other loyal fans, who buy most of the tickets, watch most of the games (driving up all important TV revenue), and get the MLB gear, feel similarly. Commissioner Manfred’s efforts to engage the casual fan may end up alienating the dedicated fan, and killing the game. I will consider this a 60 game exhibition season, and hope that MLB comes to its collective senses going forward.

#RedSox Game Summary (October 28) Champions

The Boston Red Sox took control of this game from the start over the Los Angeles Dodgers, and never let go. After Andrew Benintendi singled off Clayton Kershaw with 1 out, Steve Pearce smacked a 2 run bomb to center field. Kershaw is an excellent pitcher, a future Hall of Farmer, and a key reason the Dodgers got this far, but you can only ask so much of any star. He ended up pitching 7 innings, and giving up 2 more runs (a Mookie Betts solo blast in the 6th, and a JD Martinez blast in the 7th), but was not the stopper that LA had hoped for. In the 8th, Pearce had is second solo dinger, this one off reliever Pedro Baez, to ice the game. This game should put all criticisms of David Price to rest. He started for Boston, and after giving up a solo dinger to David Freese, was as clutch as a pitcher can be, going 7 innings, giving up just the 1 run on 3 hits and 2 walks, with 5 whiffs. Joe Kelly was strong in the 8th, and Chris Sale finished off the Dodgers in the 9th. Anyone wondering if Alex Cora was ready to manage a major league club should have all questions answered. Also, those who have criticized Dave Dombrowski’s player personnel decisions, well, you may now sit down and shut up. Boston beat Los Angeles, 5-1, at Dodger Stadium. Boston wins the World Series, 4-1.

#RedSox Game Summary (October 26) WS Game 2: Marathon Men

They sometimes say that baseball is a marathon, not a sprint, and no game illustrated that idea better than this 18 inning affair. You knew as we reached the 11th that this game would come down to one great swing, one pitcher’s mistake, or both. We got both, and the Dodgers climbed back into the Series with this critical win. Rick Porcello started for the Red Sox, but could not make it through the 5th inning. In the 3rd, he gave up a solo 2 out jack to Joc Pederson, but was pretty well in control otherwise until the 5th, when Eduardo Rodriguez came into the game with one on and 2 out. Dodger started Walker Buehler kept the Sox off the scoreboard for 7 innings, but in the 8th, Jackie Bradley, Jr. tied it up with a solo no-doubter off reliever Kenley Jansen. The score remained tied until the 13th, when reliever Scott Alexander walked Brock Holt, who stole 2nd and scored on a throwing error after a single by Eduardo Núñez. But in the bottom of the inning LA retied the score when Nathan Eovaldi walked Max Muncy, who tagged and took 2nd on a long pop-out, then scored on a single by Yasiel Puig. Eovaldi held things together for six innings altogether, but finally, in the 18th, Muncy ended the game with a solo walk-off dinger to left center. Los Angeles beat Boston, 3-2 in 18 innings, at Dodger Stadium. Boston leads the World Series, 2-1.

#RedSox Game Summary (October 23) A Fast Start

Boston jumped on LA Dodgers starter Clayton Kershaw early, and that may have made all the difference in this one. Chris Sale started for the Red Sox, and kept LA under control through 4 innings, not enough to take credit for the win, but vital nonetheless. The bullpen took it from there. Mookie Betts led off the game with a single, stole 2nd, and scored on an Andrew Benintendi single; Benny reached 2nd on the throw (a close play that was decided by review). Benny subsequently scored on a single by JD Martinez. In the 4th, Martinez doubled in another run. In the 5th, Betts walked, and scored on a force play. The Dodgers kept battling back. Matt Kemp hit a solo dinger off Sale in the 2nd inning. In the 3rd, a series of singles by Justin Turner, David Freese, and Manny Machado resulted in another run. Brian Dozier walked in the 5th, reached 2nd on a single by Justin Turner, got to 3rd on a wild pitch by Matt Barnes, and scored on a fielder’s choice. That tied the score at 3. Max Muncie singled off Ryan Brazier in the 7th, got to 2nd on a Turner single, reached 3rd when Brazier walked Yasmani Grandal to load the bases, and scored on a sac fly. That brought LA within 1 at 5-4. But it was all for naught as, in the bottom of the inning, Benny hit an odd ground-rule double that could have been caught, but struck just inside the foul line beyond 3rd base and bounced into the stands. JD was intentionally walked, and on came righty Eduardo Núñez in place of Rafael Devers to face lefty pitcher Alex Wood. He reached down and lifted a pitch from about 2 inches off the ground, and launched it into the Monster seats for a 3 run bomb that sealed the game. So, the all important first game is in the books. Boston beat Los Angeles, 8-4. Boston leads the World Series, 1-0.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 24) Simply the Best

The 2018 team now owns the best record in the history of the Red Sox, and the best record in MLB this year, ensuring them home field advantage through the World Series. They accomplished this by beating the Baltimore Orioles; and make no mistake, though the Orioles possess one of the worst records in MLB, they have a decent hitting lineup, so holding them at bay was no mean feat. Red Sox starter Nathan Eovaldi went 5 innings, giving up 1 run on 4 hits and no walks while punching out 10. The one run came when Tim Beckham singled and went first to third on a single by Renato Núñez, then scored on a wild pitch. The second Oriole run came in the 8th, when Caleb Joseph singled off Joe Kelly, reached 3rd after a pair of walks, and scored on a sac fly. The Sox runs came in the 2nd and 4th innings. In the 2nd, Steve Pearce and Brock Holt hit back-to-back doubles off Baltimore starter Dylan Bundy to plate Pearce, and Holt scored on a single by Christian Vázquez. Mookie Betts then cleaned things up with a 2 run dinger to left for a total of 4 runs. In the 4th, a series of singles by Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Xander Bogaerts off O’s reliever Donnie Hart, and a walk by JD Martinez resulted in 2 more runs. The rest of the season is tune-up for the postseason. Boston beat Baltimore, 6-2, at Fenway Park. Record: 106-51. Game 157/5.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 23) Another Eleven

Boston played its second consecutive 11 inning game against the Cleveland Indians, and it ended the same way… in a loss. The Sox started the scoring in the 1st when Mookie Betts doubled off Indians starter Adam Plutko, reached 3rd on Adam Benintendi’s sacrifice bunt, and scored on a wild pitch. They got another in the 3rd, when Christian Vázquez and Betts singled and Xander Bogaerts walked to load the bases. Alas, one run was all they got as Vázquez scored on a fielder’s choice. The Sox posted one more tally in the 5th on a solo blast by Betts to right center. Hector Velázquez started for Boston, and managed to hold the Indians off until the 4th, when Michael Brantley singled, reached 2nd on an errant pickoff throw by Velázquez, took third on a wild pitch, and scored on Edwin Encarnación’s single. Alex Cora then lifted Vázquez for Steven Wright, who gave up a single to Yonder Alonso and a double to Melky Cabrera that drove in 2 more Cleveland runs. After the Betts dinger tied the score in the 5th, it remained so until the 11th inning, when William Cuevas, who had pitched since the 6th inning, walked José Ramírez, and Erik González reached on a fielding error. Cuevas was done, and on came Robby Scott, who has been problematic since his return. This night was no exception. He IW’ed Yandy Díaz to load the bases, then surrendered a walk-off single to Greg Allen. Cleveland beat Boston, 4-3 in 11 innings, at Progressive Field. Record: 105-51. Game 156/6.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 22) Chasing the Elusive One

#RedSoxGameSummary (September 22) Chasing the elusive one. The Red Sox need to win one more game, or see Houston lose one, to claim home field throughout the postseason. They tried mightily against the Cleveland Indians over 11 innings, but could not come up with that win this time. The Indians struck first when, in the 2nd inning, Josh Donaldson and Melky Cabrera singled off Boston starter Rick Porcello, and Yan Gomes drove in Donaldson with a double. Cabrera subsequently scored on a single by Francisco Lindor. In the 3rd and 4th, the Sox and Indians traded runs. Rafael Devers hit a solo dinger in the 3rd off Cleveland starter Mike Clevinger for Boston’s first score, and in the bottom of the inning, José Ramírez walked with one on, reached 3rd on a double play, and scored on a single by Donaldson. In the 4th, Blake Swihart’s solo shot cut the Indians lead to 1, but in the bottom of the inning, Cleveland pushed it back up when Gomes reached on an error by Xander Bogaerts and subsequently scored on a Lindor single. The Sox rallied in the 8th, beginning when Mitch Moreland singled off our old friend Andrew Miller, who got 2 subsequent outs before yielding to Brad Hand. Hand gave up a double to Jackie Bradley, Jr., and Andrew Benintendi drove in 2 with a single to tie the score. There the score remained, knotted at 4, until the 11th inning, when Drew Pomeranz gave up singles to Gomes and Greg Allen, and then gave Lindor an intentional pass to load the bases. Michael Brantley’s single then ended the contest. Cleveland beat Boston, 5-4 in 11 innings, at Progressive Field. Record: 105-50. Game 155/7.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 21) Climbing to the Summit

The Red Sox, having secured the division, are now aiming at the best record in the AL to ensure home field throughout the playoffs. They took the first step in this game against the Cleveland Indians. Mookie Betts, Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley, Jr., Xander Bogaerts, Mitch Moreland, and Ian Kinsler got some well-earned rest, and their positions were taken by Blake Swihart, Tzu-Wei Lin, Sam Travis, Steve Pearce, Brandon Phillips, and Brock Holt. Different lineup, but a very good result. Chris Sale started for the Sox, once again on a limited schedule, and pitched 3 1/3rd innings. He left in the 4th, having given up 1 run on 5 hits and no walks with 7 strikeouts. One of the hits was a solo bomb by Josh Donaldson. He was charged another run when Yan Gomes hit a 2 run blast off Heath Hembree. In the 5th, Bobby Poyner gave up a double to Francisco Lindor, who subsequently reached 3rd on a single and scored on a sac fly. In the 7th, Drew Pomeranz hit Michael Brantley, who scored on José Ramírez’s double. Indians starter Trevor Bauer, struggling to return after a stint on the DL, lasted just 1 1/3rd innings, and was lifted though he gave up no runs. The Sox picked up single runs in the 3rd and 6th; in the 3rd, Sam Travis hit a solo dinger to right off Cleveland reliever Shane Bieber, and in the 6th Rafael Devers popped his own one run Johnson to right center; still the Sox trailed the Indians 4-2 going into the 7th. But as often happens, even with a substitute lineup, that’s when they rallied. After Brock Holt and Blake Swihart singled, Sam Travis drove them both in with a double to tie the score. Tzu-Wei Lin’s single brought Travis home, and singles by Brandon Phillips and Devers enabled Lin to score. Lin added a solo no-doubter in the 9th to provide some insurance. The bullpen still looks unsteady; Heath Hembree and Dew Pomeranz had a tough time, but Matt Barnes had a solid, and welcome return from the DL, giving hope for the postseason. With this win, the Sox have tied the total wins record achieved by the 1912 team, and they did it in the 154th game (in 1912, the season was 154 games),so it can be compared without complaint. Boston beat Cleveland, 7-5, at Progressive Field. Record: 105-49. Game 154/8.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 19) Stalled

The Red Sox need just one game against their probable ALDS opponents, the New York Yankees, to clinch the division, but have stumbled in their effort to get it. They were crushed in this one by the Yankees. Yankee starter Luis Severino owned the Red Sox hitters, except for JD Martinez (who went 3-for-3 in the game) and Eduardo Núñez, who doubled off him (he went 2-for-3 for the game). Luis pitched 7 innings, giving up just 1 run on 6 hits and 1 walk with 6 Ks. The one run came when Núñez doubled and scored on Sandy Leon’s single. David Price struggled in this one, hurt further by a key Red Sox error. In the 2nd, he gave up a homer to Miguel Andujar. A single and walk later, two runs scored on an error by Núñez. Things got worse from there. Luke Voit homered in the 4th, and again in the 6th (a 2 run job) when his fly ball bounced straight up off the top of the wall and was caught by a fan, but ruled a homer anyway. Singles by Andrew McCutchen and Aaron Judge off Joe Kelly set up a 2 RBI triple by Aaron Hicks. In the 8th, 3 singles and 2 ground-outs yielded 2 more runs for the Bronx Bombers. If the Red Sox are to have any credibility in the postseason, they need to show they can beat the Yankees at least once. Go Sox! New York beat Boston, 10-1, at Yankee Stadium. Record: 103-49. Game 152/10.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 18) Not Just Yet

Nathan Eovaldi had a fine game against the New York Yankees, rebounding from the prior bad starts. He pitched 6 scoreless innings, giving up just 2 hits (including a double by Gleyber Torres) and 2 walks with 5 whiffs. He left with a 1 run lead thanks to Ian Kinsler, who singled in the 3rd off Yankee starter JA Happ, reached 2nd on a balk and 3rd on a wild pitch. JD Martinez drove him in with a sacrifice fly. The Red Sox had a 1-0 lead through 6. But once again, the bullpen failed to hold. In the 7th, Brandon Workman walked two and induced a pop-out before being replaced by Ryan Brasier, who surrendered a 3 run no doubter to Neil Walker. The Sox rallied in the 9th, when Yankee closer Zack Britton walked Brock Holt, who went 1st to 3rd on a Yankee fielding error, and scored on another error. But that was all they got. Xander Bogaerts doubled, and JD Martinez tripled in the game, but to no avail. New York beat Boston, 3-2, at Yankee Stadium. The magic number remains at 2. Record: 103-48. Game 151/11.