#RedSox Game Summary (October 9) Done Deal

CC Sabathia has been the bane of the Red Sox’ existence sometimes, but this was not one of those times. Boston got going in the 3rd inning, when Andrew Benintendi got hit by a pitch, reached 3rd on a single by Steve Pearce, and scored on a JD Martinez sac fly. Then, a wild pitch sent Pearce to 3rd, and he scored on an Ian Kinsler double. Kinsler subsequently scored on an Eduardo Núñez single. In the 4th, Christian Vázquez provided the ultimate margin of victory with a solo dinger to right off reliever Zach Britton. Rick Porcello was very solid in this outing, going 5 innings, giving up 1 run on 4 hits with 1 K. That run came in the 5th inning, when Gary Sanchez hit a ground-rule double, reached 3rd on a Gleyber Torres single, and scored on a Brett Gardner sac fly. Matt Barnes, Ryan Brazier, and Chris Sale held the line until the 9th. Sale had been scheduled for Game 5, but when Alex Cora saw the chance to end things here and now, he took it. Craig Kimbrel provided a little unintentional excitement in the 9th, when he gave up a single to Didi Gregorius and 2 walks to load the bases for Neil Walker, whom he hit with a pitch to force in a run. Gary Sanchez then hit a sac fly with 1 out to drive in another run, making the game uncomfortably interesting, at 4-3. But then Gleyber Torres grounded out in a close play to end the game. Now, it’s on to the ALCS against the Houston Astros on Saturday. Boston beat New York, 4-3, at Yankee Stadium. Boston wins the ALDS, 3-1.

#RedSox Game Summary (October 8) Back in Charge

The Red Sox recovered home field advantage in this series by beating the Yankees in spectacular fashion in the Bronx. The usually indomitable Luis Severino started this game for the Yankees, and he got slammed. The scoring began for Boston in the 2nd, when Rafael Devers singled, stole 2nd, reached 3rd on a fielder’s choice, and scored on a single by Christian Vázquez. In the 3rd, Mookie Betts and Andrew Benintendi singled, then Betts scored on a JD Martinez sac fly, and after Xander Bogaerts singled, Benny came in on a fielder’s choice, for 2 more runs. The big inning was the 4th, when Brock Holt and Vázauez singled, Jackie Bradley, Jr. walked to load the bases, and Lance Lynn came on to replace Severino. Lynn then walked Mookie Betts on 4 pitches to force in a run. After that, Benny hit a bases clearing double for 3 more runs. After Bogey singled, Chad Green replaced Lynn, but the fun continued for Boston. After Steve Pearce singled, Holt’s triple driven 2 more runs for a 7 run inning. In the 7th, JBJ doubled and scored on a Martinez single. In the 8th, Rafael Devers and Ian Kinsler singled. Devers scored on a Holt ground-rule double, and Kinsler came home on a wild pitch. A Betts single allowed Devers to cross the plate. Finally, in the 9th, with position player Austin Romine (catcher) pitching for New York, Ian Kinsler walked, and Holt hit a homer, to complete the cycle, the first in postseason history. The only Yankee run came in the 4th, when Luke Voit singled, reached 3rd on a Giancarlo Stanton singled, and scored on a fielder’s choice. Nathan Eovaldi looked very solid, pitching 7 innings while giving up 1 run on 5 hits and no walks, while whiffing 5. Heath Hembree and Eduardo Rodriguez also had very good innings. Boston beat New York, 16-1, at Yankee Stadium. Boston leads the ALDS, 2-1.

#RedSox Game Summary (October 6) ALDS Game 2: Advantage Yankees

The Red Sox lost their home field advantage over the New York Yankees in this loss. David Price was a major disappointment, giving up 3 hits and 2 walks during the first 2 innings while striking out no one, and surrendered all the runs the Yankees would need for victory. In the first inning, Aaron Judge hit a solo jack to center off Price for New York’s first run. In the 2nd, Price gave up another solo blast, this one to Gary Sanchez, then walked 2 and surrendered a RBI single to Andrew McCutchen with 2 out to end his short night. Joe Kelly came on and had a solid appearance, going 2 1/3rd shutout innings while giving up just one hit and whiffing one. Ryan Brasier and Brandon Workman also provided quality work, but Eduardo Rodriguez struggled in the 7th, giving up a hit and walk before offering up a 3 run Johnson to Gary Sanchez, his second dinger of the night. New York’s Masahiro Tanaka kept the Sox hitters at bay over 3 innings before serving up a center field line drive solo homer to Xander Bogaerts. Tanaka finished having given up just the one run on 3 hits and a walk with 4 punch-outs. The other Boston run came when Mitch Moreland singled off Yankee reliever Dellin Betances, and scored on an Ian Kinsler double. Rick Porcello will not be starting Game 3 because he came on in relief in Game 1, so Nathan Eovaldi gets the call. We need one back, Sox fans. New York beat Boston, 6-2, at Fenway Park. This ALDS is now tied, 1-1.

#RedSox Game Summary (October 5) ALDS Game 1: By the Skin of their Teeth

Chris Sale looked great over 5 innings, while the Red Sox piled up a 5 run lead, but the bullpen struggled to hold that lead, and it took Rick Porcello to recover control of the game, and Craig Kimbrel to finish things off. The Sox got all the runs they needed in the 1st and 3rd innings. In the 1st, Andrew Benintendi singled off New York starter JA Happ, Steve Pearce walked, and JD Martinez drove them in with a line drive home run into the Monster seats. In the 3rd, Mookie Betts doubled and Benny singled to end Happ’s night. On came Chad Green, who surrendered a single to Pearce for Boston’s 4th run, and after a Xander Bogaerts sac fly, Boston had a 5-0 lead. Sale looked strong over 5 innings, but in the 6th, his velocity was noticeably off, and after he surrendered singles to Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton, he came off for Ryan Brasier. Unfortunately for Sale, both runners on base scored. Brett Gardner (who had changed places with Judge in a fielder’s choice) scored on a Luke Voit single, and Stanton scored on a subsequent fielder’s choice. In the 7th, Brandon Workman gave up 2 singles (to Andrew McCutchen and Judge) with nobody out, and yielded to Matt Barnes, who loaded the bases with a walk to Gardner, then allowed a run to score on a fielder’s choice. Craig Kimbrel came on in the 8th for a 4 out save, and got out of that inning, but gave up a solo bomb to Judge in the 9th. After that, however, he whiffed the side to end the game. Boston beat New York, 5-4, at Fenway Park. Boston leads the ALDS, 1-0.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 30) Finished with a Bang

The Red Sox closed out the 2018 baseball season with a big thumping of the New York Yankees. Of course, neither team really needed to win this one, and the parade of pitchers to the mound showed that it was much more about picking pitchers for the postseason roster than gaining another W. Still, the Sox avoided being swept, avoided losing 4 in a row (they are the only team not to have lost 4 in a row at least once this year) and they ended up with a win going into the playoffs. The Red Sox got most of their runs early, with 4 in the 1st and 3 in the 2nd inning. In the 1st, Mookie Betts singled off New York starter Enrique Cessa and, in a show of real hustle, scored from first when Aaron Judge bobbled Brock Holt’s subsequent hit. JD Martinez singled, and Mitch Moreland drove in Holt with a double. Martinez scored on an error by Cessa. Moreland scored on a fielder’s choice. In the 2nd, Jackie Bradley, Jr. singled off Jonathan Loaisiga and scored on a Holt double, and then Xander Bogaerts crushed a 2 run jack to center. In the 4th, Yankee reliever Justus Sheffield walked Tzu-Wei Lin and Holt, then gave up a 3 run bomb to Martinez, his 43rd of the season. The X-Man subsequently doubled, but did not score. So, in the Yankees’ pitcher tryouts, the Sox went 10-for-37. Sam Travis also doubled ,but did not score. Interestingly enough, the Sox played the last 3 innings without the DH rule, because Alex Cora moved DH Brandon Phillips into the field to play second base in place of Ian Kinsler, but the pitcher’s spot did not come up before Craig Kimbrel closed out the game. For their tryouts, the Boston pitchers looked good. Pretty much everyone who had looked bad in recent games redeemed himself with the exception of Bobby Poyner, who gave up 2 runs in the 4th when Miguel Andujar doubled and scored on Luke Voit’s 2 run Johnson. Rick Porcello, who started the game, looked exceptional, going 2 no-hit innings with 1 walk and 2 Ks. He threw the rest of his 100 pitches in the bullpen. Personally, I think the win is a big boost for team confidence, and now comes the agonizing wait until Friday, when the Sox face the winner of the wild card game (Yankees vs. A’s). Boston beat New York, 10-2, at Fenway Park. Record: 180-54. Game 162/0. End of season.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 29) Don’t Panic

This is the part where Red Sox fans see some of their pitchers struggling, and immediately fear an early exit from the postseason. But this game yielded a mixed report card in that respect, as most of the damage done by the Yankees was against Eduardo Rodríguez and Brandon Workman. Each gave up 3 runs on 4 hits, punching out 2. Eduardo worked 2 innings, and also walked 2. The hits he surrendered included a double by Greg Bird and a 2 run jack by Gleyber Torres. Workman gave up a 2 RBI double to Miguel Andújar and a RBI single to Austin Romine. Nathan Eovaldi started the game, and went 2 innings while giving up 1 run on 1 hit when Brett Gardner reached on a throwing error by Rafael Devers and scored on a double by Giancarlo Stanton. Stanton also smacked a solo blast off Steven Wright. It is useful to note that Heath Hembree pitched a clean inning. To their credit, Red Sox hitters kept fighting. In the 2nd, New York starter Domingo Germán (who only lasted 1 1/3rd innings) walked Ian Kinsler, who stole 2nd and scored on a double by Jackie Bradley, Jr. In the 4th, Blake Swihart double and scored on a single by Andrew Benintendi. In the 8th, Brandon Phillips walked, Mitch Moreland singled, and Kinsler walked to load the bases, but they managed just 1 run on a fielder’s choice. In the 9th, Tzu-Wei Lin doubled, and Brock Holt hit a 2 run jack to right center. In retrospect, excluding the back-to-back meltdowns by Rodríguez and Workman, this was a very competitive game. Have no doubt, Alex Cora has taken note. New York beat Boston, 8-5, at Fenway Park. Record: 107-54. Game 161/1.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 28) Decisions, Decisions

The Red Sox don’t need to win single game in this series against the New York Yankees; they have the division and home field throughout the postseason, so It’s time for Alex Cora to figure out which pitchers will be on the ALDS 25-man roster. In this game, Brian Johnson, Drew Pomeranz, and Bobby Poyner struggled somewhat, but the five alarm fire belonged to William Cuevas, who has been pretty problematic all year (ERA 7.41, WHIP 1.82). Cuevas pitched just one  third of an inning, and was charged with 6 runs, having given up 6 hits and 1 walk with no strikeouts. Those hits included doubles by Miguel Andujar and Gleyber Torres, and a 3 run dinger by Aaron Hicks. Johnson started, pitching 3 innings, and gave up 2 runs on 3 hits and 2 walks with 2 punch-outs. The hits included a solo jack by Gary Sánchez. Pomeranz went 2 1/3rd innings, giving up 2 runs on 2 hits including a solo jolt off the bat of Luke Voit. Pomeranz also walked 1 and whiffed 4. Poyner lasted 2 innings, giving up 1 run on a solo blast by Aaron Judge. Poyner also yielded a double to Sánchez. Heath Hembree and Joe Kelly each pitched 2/3rds of an inning with no blemish. As far as Boston bats were concerned, the big inning was the 6th, as the Sox rallied in attempt to come back from an 8-0 deficit. After Mookie Betts singled off New York starter JA Happ, Andrew Benintendi doubled and Xander Bogaerts walked to load thetas for Steve Pearce. Steve seemed to have punched his ticket to the postseason with a monstrous grand slam over the Monster. The Sox scored single runs in the 8th and 9th. In the 8th, Pearce drove in Betts with a single. In the 9th, Yankee reliever Zach Britton walked Ian Kinlser, Betts reached on an error, Christian Váazquez walked to load the bases, and then Britton walked Bogey to force in a run. It was too little, too late though, as the Yankees prevailed to secure the home field for their wild card game against the Oakland A’s. New York beat Boston, 11-6, at Fenway Park. Record: 107-53. Game 160/2.

#RedSox Game Summary (September 20) Clinched!

The Boston Red Sox defeated the New York Yankees to become the 2018 American League Eastern Division Champions. Pitching-wise, this was a mess, with both starters getting roughed up. Boston starter Eduardo Rodriguez and New York starter Masahiro Tanaka were each charged with 5 runs. For Eduardo, the beating started in the 2nd inning with a 2 run shot by Luke Voit. In the 4th, he got 2 quick outs, then walked the bases loaded, ending his day. On came Heath Hembree, who immediately surrendered a grand slam to Giancarlo Stanton. Boston actually started the scoring when Mookie Betts doubled to lead off the game, and scored on a JD Martinez single. In the 2nd, a series of singles by Rafael Devers, Blake Swihart, and Mookie produced two more runs. Brock Holt added another with his solo dinger to right in the 3rd. In the 5th, Betts doubled, reached 3rd on a single by Andrew Benintendi, and scored on a double play to bring the Sox within a run. In the 7th, Jackie Bradley, Jr. homered off Yankee reliever Chad Green to tie the score at 6. Then, Christian Vazquez singled to end Green’s day. Benny doubled off Dellin Betances who then IW’ed JD Martinez. Xander Bogaerts’s sacrifice fly allowed Benny to score, and Martinez came home on a throwing error, to put Boston ahead for good. Mookie’s 3 run bomb in the 8th capped off the game, and they started stapling up the plastic in the visitors’ clubhouse. Betts had an incredible game, going 4-for-5 with a double and home run. Boston beat New York, 11-6, at Yankee Stadium. Record: 104-49. Game 153/9.

#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.