Darnell McDonald Designated For Assignment

With the abundance of outfielders on the 40-man roster plus Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford on the DL, there would eventually have to be some cuts. The first of these occurred today when Darnell McDonald was designated for assignment by the Red Sox. Ever since his Red Sox debut in the 2010 season where he batted .270/9/34, McDonald has largely been a disappointment for the Red Sox. He's taken over the role of a fourth/fifth outfielder in recent seasons and, while fairly good against lefties, has struggled in the long run. Last season he batted .236/6/24 and this year was only batting .214/2/9 at the time of his cut. However, this season he wasn't even hitting lefties well as he was equally bad against both lefties and righties (batting .214 against both). There are going to be some serious cuts in the Red Sox outfield in coming weeks with Jacoby Ellsbury and Carl Crawford returning. This could involve demotions or trades of Daniel Nava, Cody Ross, or Ryan Kalish. I wish McDonald the best in his future baseball career and I'll try to remember his 2010 self rather than 2011 and 2012.

Red Sox Ride Huge First Inning Into Third Place (40-35)

Lester earned the win with seven
strong innings

The Red Sox are as hot as they've been all year right now as with a win today, coupled with a Rays' loss, the Red Sox moved into third place in the AL East. After a Brett Lawrie double to lead things off, the Blue Jays scored first when Colby Rasmus drove him in with a soft single to center. However, the Red Sox really turned things around with a huge first inning off Jays' ace Ricky Romero. After he walked Daniel Nava to start things off, Dustin Pedroia doubled to right-center to tie the game. A walk and a single loaded the bases with no outs for Adrian Gonzalez. Two runs came in to score as first baseman Edwin Encarnacion botched the play on the grounder. A Will Middlebrooks groundout and a Mike Aviles single would make it 5-1 in the first inning. A 3-2 single up the middle by Darnell McDonald would be the last run of the first as the Sox left with a 6-1 lead.

Ortiz hit the 399th home run of his
fruitful career

After two one out walks in the second, Adrian Gonzalez singled in another run to make it 7-1. The Jays got one back in the fourth when Jose Bautista absolutely clobbered one over the monster. However, after a walk and a double to start off the first, the Red Sox would answer for that Blue Jays' run. A bloop RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez and a Mike Aviles double to left-center made it 9-2. In the fifth, the Red Sox reached the double digit mark as David Ortiz crushed a home run-- the 399th of his career-- over the bullpens in right-center. In the sixth, the Blue Jays got a pair of runs of their own when Edwin Encarnacion crushed a ball over the monster to make it 10-4. The score stayed put there as Jon Lester pitched very well-- exiting after seven with a line of 7 IP, 7 H, 4 R, 0 BB, 4 K. He earned the win as Mark Melancon and Clayton Mortensen pitched a pair of scoreless innings in an all around good win for the Red Sox.

Bright Spots:
Mark Melancon- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Clayton Mortensen- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R
Dustin Pedroia- 1-5, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 1-2, 4 R, 3 BB, 1 HR, 1 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-3, 2 R
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-5, 1 R, 3 RBI
Mike Aviles- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Darnell McDonald- 1-3, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Nobody!

Player of the Game:
Adrian Gonzalez- Gonzalez put together a great game in the offensive marathon by going 2-5 with 3 RBIs to become .269/6/43 this season.

Buchholz Tosses Shutout As Sox Avoid Sweep (29-28)

Buchholz threw a shutout,
his best outing by far

Things were looking bleak for the Red Sox after losing seven consecutive ballgames at home to the Orioles. The O's had won the first two games of the series and another win would push the Red Sox below .500. However, the Red Sox fought to stay above .500, starting very early in the game. They loaded the bases with two outs on two walks and a single in the first inning. After working a long at bat, Adrian Gonzalez ripped a ball down the first base line-- a double that scored two in the first. The Sox got right back to business in the second inning, loading the bases with no outs this time. Dustin Pedroia grounded a potential double play ball to shortstop J.J. Hardy. Hardy flipped the ball to second to secure an out, but the second baseman Robert Andino airmailed the throw into the stands to allow two runs to score and make it 4-0. The Red Sox just kept rolling along as Adrian Gonzalez singled up the middle to lead off the third inning. Buck Showalter noticed the inevitable and pulled Brian Matusz out of the game with a Bard-like 2 IP, 4 H, 5 R, 4 ER, 5 BB line.

Buchholz lowered his ERA
from 6.58 to 5.77

Reliever Miguel Gonzalez got the next two outs, but also surrendered a double to Darnell McDonald which put runners at second and third with two outs for Daniel Nava. As usual, Nava delivered, hitting a line drive through the hole and into right field to score two runs and give the Red Sox a commanding 6-0 lead. While neither team scored for the next several innings, the Red Sox did accomplish one thing: working the Orioles' bullpen as Gonzalez, who may have started Saturday, had to throw 55 pitches from the bullpen. The Red Sox would score an insurance run in the eight inning after a one out double for Daniel Nava. With two outs and Nava on second, Kevin Youkilis delivered with a line drive double down the third base line to score Nava and make it 7-0. Clay Buchholz had dominated the Orioles all night long-- and a strong ninth led to a shutout for the righty-- the first by any Red Sox pitcher this year.


Bright Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 9 IP, 4 H, 0 R, 1 BB, 6 K, W (6-2)
Daniel Nava- 2-3, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 BB, 2 RBI
Kevin Youkilis- 2-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 1 RBI
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-4, 1 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Darnell McDonald- 1-3, 2 R, 1 BB, 1 2B

Dull Spots:
Mike Aviles- 0-4, 1 K, 4 LOB

Player of the Game:
Clay Buchholz- After good starts in his last few times out for Buchholz, he really put it all together with a shutout last night-- he is now 6-2/5.77/46 this year.

Red Sox Fall To .500 While Stranding Sixteen (28-28)

Beckett had a very strong
outing last night

After a brief stint over the .500 mark (and even out of last for some time), the Red Sox fell back to .500 and the cellar after a loss to Baltimore last night. Neither team scored until the third inning-- Beckett actually started off the game with three perfect innings-- but the Red Sox finally got started in the bottom of the third. The inning started after Darnell McDonald doubled off the green monster in left-center to start the inning off. McDonald advanced to third on a bloop single into right by Marlon Byrd to put the Red Sox in a great position to start a rally. Mike Aviles hit a fly ball to left field and McDonald hustled home to score. However, in a sense that sacrifice fly, while scoring a run, killed the rally-- as the Red Sox did not score again in the inning. Beckett's perfect game was broken up in the fourth on a leadoff single by Endy Chavez, but Chavez was quickly erased on a J.J. Hardy double play. Things were cruising along with a 1-0 lead all the way until the sixth inning, when the Orioles finally broke things up.

                                     

Two ground ball singles woke the Orioles' offense up, as they now had runners at the corners with no outs off Josh Beckett. Robert Andino knocked a bloop single into right field to score one of those runs and tie things up at 1-1. It wouldn't stay 1-1 for long, however, as Endy Chavez hit a slow bouncer to second base. Dustin Pedroia went for the double play, but only got one out and the run scored (it would've scored anyway). That run made the difference as the Orioles took a 2-1 lead. Josh Beckett exited the game after the eighth after a pretty good outing that saw him go 8 IP, 5 H, 2 R, 5 K-- however, he earned the loss as the Red Sox offense sucked tonight. 

Bright Spots:

Vicente Padilla- 1 IP, 0 H, 0 R

Kevin Youkilis- 1-3, 1 BB

Will Middlebrooks- 2-4

Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3

Darnell McDonald- 1-2, 1 R, 1 2B

Marlon Byrd- 1-3

Dull Spots:

Dustin Pedroia- 0-4, 2 K, 1 LOB

Player of the Game:

Josh Beckett- Despite being tagged with the loss, Beckett pitched very well last night, allowing two runs and walking none in eight innings-- he is now 4-6/4.04/51 this year. 

McDonald Off The DL, Bard To Handle Control Issues In Pawtucket

With Darnell McDonald coming off of the DL today, they Red Sox had to demote somebody to AAA. Their choice was a surprising one as they sent fifth starter Daniel Bard down. Bard has had a shaky time adjusting to starting all year, but it all caught up to him in a horrible start on Sunday. In that start he lasted just 1.2 innings, walking six and allowing five runs in a 5-1 loss to the Blue Jays. While his season stats aren't awful at 5-6/5.24/34, he's had serious control issues all year-- walking 6.04 per nine innings. It was thought that Bard may move to the bullpen, but they obviously want the Bard experiment to continue without causing damage to the team. Either Daisuke Matsuzaka or Aaron Cook will probably take Bard's place in the rotation for the next few weeks until he's ready to go again. Darnell McDonald will provide some depth to the outfield that has been depleted by injuries this year. McDonald was having a brutal season to start the year at .179/2/8 and while he generally can at least provide a decent bat against lefties-- he has only batted .185/1/5 this year. This is an interesting move for the Red Sox, but I guess they're serious about the Bard Experiment.

Red Sox Swept After 17 Inning Heartbreaker (11-16)

Buchholz was very bad,
again

Being swept by the Orioles frankly sucks, as the Sox dropped one in 17 innings today after some questionable decisions by Bobby Valentine. The O's jumped out to a 1-0 lead when J.J. Hardy homered to left in the first. They took another run in the third inning on basically the same result, Hardy driving a hanging curve to left to make it 2-0. However, it was in the fourth that things got really bad for the Sox with the Orioles putting a pair of runners on base with just one out. Robert Andino, a famed Red Sox killed, came up and promptly drove an inside fastball over the monster to give the Orioles a 5-0 lead early on. After a couple more batters, Buchholz was taken out after a miserable day where he only lasted 3.2 innings, allowing five runs. Andrew Miller came out of the bullpen and got the last out of the fourth to send it over to the offense. There was hope when Mike Aviles led off the inning with a double, and more when Ryan Sweeney singled to center to make it 5-1. That would be all the Sox would score in that inning, however.

Will Middlebrooks had his first career
home run today

However, Andrew Miller worked a shutdown fifth-- his first outing since last September-- and went 1.1 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 3 K. The Sox led off the fifth by loading the bases on a pair of singles and a walk. Will Middlebrooks came up and deposited his first career home run into the monster seats-- a game tying blast to make it 5-5. In the top of the eighth, Mark Reynolds would give the O's a 6-5 lead by doubling high off the wall in center field. However, the Sox would tie it back up in the bottom of the inning when pinch-runner Darnell McDonald came in on a sacrifice fly. Several more innings passed, before Bobby Valentine made a stupid mistake and put Darnell McDonald in to pitch (he surrendered a three-run homer to Adam Jones) when Clayton Mortensen was still available in the bullpen. The Sox lost in 17 innings and were swept by the Orioles.

Bright Spots:
The Bullpen- 13.1 IP, 8 H, 4 R, 3 ER, 6 BB, 11 K
Mike Aviles- 3-8, 1 R, 2 2B
Ryan Sweeney- 4-8, 1 RBI
Will Middlebrooks- 2-7, 1 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI

Dull Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 3.2 IP, 7 H, 5 R, 4 BB, 4 K
Adrian Gonzalez- 0-8, 2 K, 8 LOB

Player of the Game:
Will Middlebrooks- Middlebrooks had his first career home run today, a game-tying grand slam off of Tommy Hunter. I have a feeling he's gonna be a great player.

Slugfest Over A's Returns Sox To .500 (11-11)

Buchholz pitched well for all
but one inning

Just one game after their offense being completely shut out by Gavin Floyd and the White Sox, the Sox came on strong again last night. The A's took a 1-0 lead in the second inning when Daric Barton got into a rundown between second and third, allowing Kurt Suzuki to score. However, the Sox quickly answered in the second when David Ortiz homered on a line drive into right field. Darnell McDonald got on base with a ground rule double with one out, later in the inning, and Marlon Byrd drove him in with a single to make it 2-1. Mike Aviles proceeded to drive in Byrd with a single and he would score later in the inning when Jemile Weeks committed a bad error. In the third, Darnell McDonald crushed a two-run homer into left-center field and over the monster to make it a 6-1 game-- it was Darnell's second of the season. In the fifth, David Ortiz crushed his second homer of the game (sixth of the year) to right. Later in the inning, Marlon Byrd drove in a run with a double high off the wall and Mike Aviles knocked a three-run homer to left for an 11-1 lead.

Ortiz hit two home runs

The A's would load the bases with two outs in the seventh inning-- Clay Buchholz had been cruising along so far, but here he would falter. Coco Crisp proceeded to knock a little ground ball to Adrian Gonzalez's right. Gonzalez deflected it off his glove and two runs would score to make it 11-3. Former Red Sox Josh Reddick then came up and promptly knocked a low pitch into the bullpen for a three-run homer to make it 11-6. As you may have guessed, Clay Buchholz was removed from the game after this. One bad inning completely ruined his line and he finished with 6.2 IP, 7 H, 6 R, 5 BB, 5 K, W (3-1). After Junichi Tazawa came into the game, the A's quickly loaded the bases before Vicente Padilla came on and struck out Daric Barton. The A's loaded the bases again off Scott Atchison in the eighth, but no harm done as Franklin Morales got the final two outs. Finally, Alfredo Aceves allowed only a double in a shutdown ninth, nailing down an 11-6 win.

Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 1 IP, 1 H, 0 R, 2 K
Mike Aviles- 2-5, 2 R, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Dustin Pedroia- 2-5
David Ortiz- 2-3, 3 R, 2 HR, 1 BB, 2 RBI
Darnell McDonald- 3-4, 3 R, 1 HR, 1 2B, 2 RBI
Marlon Byrd- 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 2 RBI

Dull Spots:
Cody Ross- 0-4, 1 K, 3 LOB

Player of the Game:
David Ortiz- Ortiz lifted the Red Sox with a pair of home runs last night, he also scored three and went 2-3 to add to a brilliant .405/6/20 season for Ortiz.

Late Rallies Extend Winning Streak To Five (9-10)

Daniel Bard pitched well
in his first win as a starter

Unlike the previous five games, the Red Sox did not start off quite as strong-- but they came on late and that's when it really counts. With runners at first and second, two outs, and two strikes in the first, A.J. Pierzynski doubled off the wall in left to drive in a run. However, the Red Sox got those runs back in the second when David Ortiz crushed a two-run homer (his fourth of the year) on an inside fastball to make it 2-1. The game got all knotted up again in the third when Kelly Shoppach allowed a weird passed ball on a high fastball that he should have definitely caught. The White Sox took another lead in the fifth when Paul Konerko crushed a home run into deep left. But that's just when things got going strong for the Red Sox. The Sox loaded the bases on a pair of walks (Adrian Gonzalez and Kevin Youkilis) and a single (David Ortiz) with just one out. With two strikes and a low fastball, Cody Ross turned on it and sent a line drive through the infield gap to the left. Gonzalez would score and tie the game up at 3-3, but that wasn't all for the Sox.

Darnell McDonald had 4 RBIs

Kelly Shoppach struck out swinging to make it two outs, but Darnell McDonald would deliver. On a first pitch fastball, he drove a line drive right down the third base line. Two runs scored easily and Ross just made it around on a close play as a three-run double from one of the least likely suspects had given the Red Sox a 6-3 lead. From there they didn't really look back as Marlon Byrd made it 7-3 with a little blooper into left-center. The Red Sox scored two more runs in the seventh inning on RBI singles by Cody Ross and Kelly Shoppach to make it 9-3. The seventh inning was also Daniel Bard's last-- as he really settled down to throw a great ball game with 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K and winning the game to become 2-2/3.72/19 on the year. The Red Sox would take another in the ninth inning when Darnell McDonald homered to make it a 10-3 win for Boston.

Bright Spots:
Daniel Bard- 7 IP, 6 H, 3 R, 2 ER, 1 BB, 6 K, W (2-2)
Matt Albers- 2 IP, 0 H, 0 R, 1 K
Dustin Pedroia- 2-4, 1 R, 1 BB
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-3, 2 R, 2 BB
David Ortiz- 2-4, 2 R, 1 HR, 2 RBI
Cody Ross- 2-5, 1 R, 2 RBI
Darnell McDonald- 2-4, 2 R, 1 2B, 1 HR, 4 RBI
Marlon Byrd- 2-5, 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Nobody

Player of the Game:
Darnell McDonald- McDonald really turned it on in the late innings with the go ahead three-run double in the sixth and a solo homer in the ninth-- he is now .147/1/6.

Bard's, Red Sox' Struggles Continue Against Jays (10-10)

Bard allowed five runs in six innings

The Red Sox' woes continue as they have now lost six of their last eight games-- dropping from 9-4 to 10-10 this spring. The Sox got going very fast in this game; Mike Aviles led off the first with a double and Jacoby Ellsbury followed him up with a triple down the first base line. Adrian Gonzalez hit a high fly ball to center fielder Colby Rasmus which would wind up as a sacrifice fly to give the Sox a 2-0 lead. They scored again in the second when Nate Spears scored on a double off the wall by Mike Aviles. However, Daniel Bard allowed the Blue Jays to tie the game-- allowing single runs in the second, third, and fourth innings. A two-run triple by Darnell McDonald would give the Sox a 5-3 lead in the fifth inning but that would be all the Red Sox scoring for the day. Two runs in the sixth inning concluded Daniel Bard's day-- he got a no decision after allowing five runs in six innings. Red Sox pitching was pretty good for the most part after Bard's departure-- Scott Atchison, Andrew Bailey, and Justin Thomas each threw scoreless innings. However, in the bottom of the tenth, Doug Mathis was not so lucky-- loaded the bases and allowing the winning run to pass on a walk-off single by Ricardo Nanita. He would end up with 0 innings pitched and the loss.

Bright Spots:
Scott Atchison- 1 inning, no runs, no hits
Andrew Bailey- 1 inning, no runs, 1 hit, 1 strikeout
Justin Thomas- 1 inning, no runs, no hits, 2 strikeouts
Mike Aviles- 3-4, 2 runs, 2 doubles, 1 RBI
Jacoby Ellsbury- 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 triple
Adrian Gonzalez- 1-2, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 sac fly
Darnell McDonald- 1-3, 1 triple, 2 RBIs
Ryan Lavarnway- 3-5, 1 double
Nate Spears- 2-4, 1 run

Dull Spots:
Daniel Bard- 6 innings, 5 runs, 6 hits, 3 walks, 5 strikeouts
Doug Mathis- 0+ innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 2 walks
Jackie Bradley- 0-2, 2 strikeouts
Lars Anderson- 0-2, 2 strikeouts
Felix Sanchez- 0-2, 1 strikeout
Kelly Shoppach- 0-2
Josh Kroeger- 0-2, 1 left on base
Jonathan Hee- 0-4, 7 left on base

Red Sox Bats Can't Quite Back Buchholz (9-8)

Clay Buchholz was very shaky

With Clay Buchholz-- the man who started the Red Sox' last win-- on the hill, the Sox faced the Orioles today. However, Buchholz's outing did not turn out quite so well. Buchholz allowed a pair of runs to the Orioles in the bottom of the first. However, Darnell McDonald led off the second inning with a single. A groundout and two singles scored McDonald and put two men on base with just an out. Nate Spears and Nick Punto walked to capitalize on the opportunity and make it a 2-2 game. The Orioles scored three more over the course of the next two innings and Buchholz finished his outing after allowing five runs in five innings. The Sox ate away at the lead a bit in the sixth when Mauro Gomez singled in Tony Thomas to make it 5-3. The Orioles scored one off Mark Melancon in the bottom half to put them up 6-3, however. The Sox scored single runs in the seventh and eighth innings but it wasn't nearly enough to make up for the pitcher's shortcomings. However, the game was ended by some nice pitching by Matt Albers.

Bright Spots:
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-2, 1 walk
Daniel Nava- 2-2, 1 run, 1 RBI
Darnell McDonald- 3-3, 1 run
Lars Anderson- 1-2, 1 run, 1 walk
Jason Repko- 1-3, 1 RBI
Nate Spears- 0-1, 2 walks

Dull Spots:
Clay Buchholz- 5 innings, 7 hits, 5 runs, 1 walk, 3 strikeouts
Mark Melancon- 1 inning, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 strikeout
Jose Iglesias- 0-3, 2 strikeouts, 4 left on base
Mitch Dening- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 1 left on base

Bard Blows Game As Sox Fall To Cards (7-3)

Pedroia hit a home run today

Well, so far the Red Sox have lost twice this spring, and two of those times have been to the Cardinals. Both of the games against the Cardinals have been blown in the 8th inning by a Red Sox pitcher. The Cardinals first took the lead in the 2nd inning as one of few blemishes in a very good outing by Alfredo Aceves: 4 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts. The Sox then scored three in the fourth inning. A one-out double by David Ortiz and a two-out double for Ryan Lavarnway knotted up the score at 1-1. Darnell McDonald proceeded to homer over the psuedo-monster in left field to make it 3-1. After an inning in which Justin Thomas allowed two hits in a scoreless inning, the Sox took a 4-1 lead in the 5th after Dustin Pedroia (right) led off the inning with a homer. However, the Cardinals scored three to tie it up in the sixth. The Sox took a 6-4 lead back though in the 6th when, after three consecutive walks, Pedro Ciriaco doubled to left. Unfortunately, in the eighth, the game unraveled in front of Daniel Bard who wound up with 7 runs in 2.2 innings. Chorye Spoone closed things out by allowing a run on four hits in 1.1 innings.

Bright Spots:
Alfredo Aceves- 4 innings, 3 hits, 1 run, 4 strikeouts
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-3
Dustin Pedroia- 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Pedro Ciriaco- 2-2, 1 double, 2 RBIs
Ryan Lavarnway- 1-3, 1 double, 1 RBI, 1 run
Darnell McDonald- 2-2, 1 run, 2 RBIs, 1 homer

Dull Spots:
Daniel Bard- 2.2 innings, 6 hits, 7 runs, 4 walks, 1 strikeout
Chorye Spoone- 1.1 innings, 4 hits, 1 run
Juan Carlos Linares- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 4 left on base
Cody Ross- 0-3, 2 strikeouts, 2 left on base
Mike Aviles- 0-2, 1 left on base

Red Sox Underperform, Lose To Mediocre Pirates' Lineup (3-2)

David Ortiz hit his second homer

In a night in which many expected the Sox to overrun the Pirates, myself included, the Sox played a bad game and dropped a tough one. The Pirates scored in the first and third off Clay Buchholz-- who didn't have a great night. However, he looked more comfortable out there despite going 3 innings, 3 hits, 2 runs, and a strikeout. The Red Sox never really caught up to the Pirates' fast start, despite David Ortiz (right) leading off the fourth inning with a homer to right. This pitted the Sox in a 2-1 deficit, unfortunately the fifth inning was when the game was coughed up. After a 1-2-3 fourth inning, Vicente Padilla was awful in the fifth, allowing four runs in the inning and putting the Sox behind 6-1. His final line looked like this: 2 innings, 5 hits, 4 runs. The Red Sox did score in the fifth, with Josh Kroeger doubling with two outs and Mike Aviles driving him in with a single up the middle to cut it to 6-2. Will Inman allowed a run in the seventh, but he went 2 innings, 2 hits, 1 run, 3 walks and after him, the scoring stopped. The Red Sox scored once in the sixth when Dustin Pedroia singled. Pedro Ciriaco came in to pinch-run and advanced to second on a wild pitch before stealing third-- I'm telling you, this kid runs like a deer! A single into left for Cody Ross scored Ciriaco and made it a 7-3 deficit. A one out homer to left for Darnell McDonald in the 7th would finally stop everyone's scoring at 7-4. Strong innings for Michael Bowden (1 inning, no runs or hits or walks, 1 strikeout) and Brandon Duckworth (1 inning, no runs, hits, or walks, 1 strikeout) closed out the game.

Bright Spots:
Michael Bowden- 1 inning, no runs, hits, or walks, 1 strikeout
Brandon Duckworth- same as Bowden
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-2, 1 run, 1 stolen base
David Ortiz- 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 home run
Cody Ross- 2-3, 1 RBI
Darnell McDonald- 2-2, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 homer, 1 double

Dull Spots:
Vicente Padilla- 2 innings, 5 hits, 4 runs
Ryan Sweeney- 0-3, 1 strikeout, 1 left on base
Lars Anderson- 0-2, 1 strikeout, 1 left on base
Nate Spears- 0-2, 2 strikeouts, 1 left on base

Red Sox Not Feeling Fraternal Towards Twins (2-0)

David Ortiz's 3rd inning homer

Buchholz pitched 2 strong innings

Last night was a good game (if you're a Red Sox fan) as the Red Sox just came in and dominated the Twins even more than they had on Saturday. Neither team scored in the first inning, but in the top of the second-- the Sox got going. Darnell McDonald led off the inning with a double, but a defensive miscue in left for Ryan Doumit allowed him to advance to third. Josh Kroeger quickly hit him in with a single up the middle to put the Sox up 1-0. Kroeger advanced to second on a passed ball, and Kelly Shoppach drove a single into left field to put runners at the corners with no outs. A Nick Punto walk loaded the bases for Jason Repko, who hit a slow bouncer to the shortstop, who could not turn the double play while the run scored. Jason Marquis threw another wild pitch to allow Shoppach to score after Jose Iglesias walked to load 'em back up with one out. Ryan Sweeney hit a hard grounder to first base where Justin Morneau made an excellent play to get one out, but then threw the ball away allowing Jason Repko to score to make it 4-0 after two. All the while, Clay Buchholz was pitching his first two official innings since June 16. Much like Beckett, he had control problems but other than that was alright-- his final line was 2 innings, no runs or hits, two walks and two strikeouts. David Ortiz (right) led off the top of the third by taking a high fastball over the right field wall but other than that it was a quiet inning for the Sox. Through the 3rd and 4th innings, I got a look at Vicente Padilla-- he pitched 2 innings, allowing 3 hits but no runs or walks and striking out three. He showed good stuff, but got roughed around to a bases loaded situation in the 4th. After a quiet fifth for the Sox, Will Inman took over pitching for them. Inman got roughed up in the 5th, and while he settled down in the 6th-- his final line of 2 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, and 1 strikeout were not good. It stayed at 5-2 until the 7th, when the Sox went wild on Twins' farmhand Deolis Guerra. Pedro Ciriaco singled to lead off the inning, and was advanced to second on a groundout by Alex Hassan. A Will Middlebrooks single drove him in, but they were just getting started. Lars Anderson walked and Juan Carlos Linares popped out to put first and second with two outs and a 6-2 lead. Then the hits came as Nate Spears laced a ground-rule double down the first base line which scored Middlebrooks and brought Anderson to third. Then, pinch-hitter Daniel Butler crushed an inside fastball over the left field wall for a 3-run homer to make it 10-2-- which ended up as the final score. The Red Sox pitching in the last few innings was excellent as Brandon Duckworth was fantastic (he allowed no runs, hits, or walks while striking out two in two innings) and Jesse Carlson was also sharp in his Red Sox debut with a perfect inning.

Bright Spots:
Brandon Duckworth- 2 innings, no hits, runs, or walks and 2 strikeouts
Jesse Carlson- 1 inning, no hits, runs, or walks
Jose Iglesias- 1-2, 1 walk, 1 steal
Pedro Ciriaco- 1-2, 1 run, 1 steal
Will Middlebrooks- 2-2, 1 RBI, 1 run
David Ortiz- 2-3, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 home run, 1 double
Darnell McDonald- 1-2, 1 double, 1 run
Josh Kroeger- 1-3, 1 run, 1 RBI
Nate Spears- 1-2, 1 run, 1 RBI, 1 double
Kelly Shoppach- 1-2, 1 run
Daniel Butler- 1-1, 1 run, 3 RBI, 1 homer

Dull Spots:
Will Inman- 2 innings, 4 hits, 2 runs, 1 walk, 1 strikeout
Alex Hassan- 0-2, 1 left on base
Juan Carlos Linares- 0-3, 1 strikeout, 4 left on base
Oscar Tejeda- 0-2, 1 strikeout

Homers By Ross, Sweeney, Gonzalez Highlight Slugfest Vs. Northeastern

The Red Sox essentially went crazy on Northeastern University today in their annual double-header against NEU and BC. After scoring twice in the first inning on a timely double by Darnell McDonald, the Sox exploded in the 2nd with a 7-run inning highlighted by a solo home run by Cody Ross and a 3-run shot by Adrian Gonzalez. Through this time, Jon Lester was very strong for the Sox-- allowing just a hit and striking out two through the first couple of innings. After a run in the third inning, the Sox came storming back in the fourth-- scoring 7 more times-- highlighted by a grand slam by Cody Ross and a 2-run shot by light-hitting outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin. Through this, Justin Germano pitched very well for the Sox-- allowing a hit and striking out one through two innings-- also not allowing a run. Two runs in the fifth, on RBI doubles by Max St. Pierre and Will Middlebrooks, plus two more perfect inning by Michael Bowden slates the Sox with a 19-0 lead in the middle of the 6th. The Sox scored six more in the 6th inning and are now up 25-0 after a big inning highlighted by a 3-run homer by Ryan Sweeney. The game was called after the top of the 7th, the Sox still up 25-0. All in all, a very successful day for the Sox-- even against a college team. There were many reasons to hope, such as the power shown by everyone-- but particularly Cody Ross and Ryan Sweeney. Everyone pitched very well, with Justin Germano's nice outing a pleasant surprise. I'll be away from home for tonight's game against Boston College, but I should be able to post about it tomorrow morning (hopefully after having watched the game in the MLB.TV archives. 

Bright Spots:

Jon Lester- 2 innings, 1 hit, 2 strikeouts-- not bad

Justin Germano- 2 innings, 1 hit, 1 strikeout-- very pleasant surprise 

Michael Bowden- 2 innings, no hits, 3 strikeouts-- excellent outing for the bullpen candidate

Jose Iglesias- 1-3, 1 run, 1 stolen base

Pedro Ciriaco- 2-3, 2 runs, 1 RBI

Che-Hsuan Lin- 2-2, 2 runs, 3 RBIs, 1 home run, 1 walk

Adrian Gonzalez- 1-1, 1 walk, 3 RBIs, 2 runs, 1 home run

Nate Spears- 1-2, 2 runs, 1 walk

Darnell McDonald- 2-4, 2 runs, 2 RBIs, 1 double

Ryan Sweeney- 4-5, 3 runs, 5 RBIs, 1 home run, 1 double

Cody Ross- 2-3, 2 runs, 5 RBIs, 2 home runs

Will Middlebrooks- 3-5, 2 runs, 1 RBI, 1 double

Dull Spots:

Northeastern University!

The Right Field Situation Post-Bailey Trade

Earlier this offseason, the Red Sox were rumored to be in the mix for  some right fielders with Reddick being unproven in the majors. Carlos Beltran's name was thrown around, but he signed with the Cardinals. Michael Cuddyer's name was as well, but he signed with the Rockies. Since the Red Sox traded Josh Reddick over the Oakland in return for Andrew Bailey and Ryan Sweeney, they are in serious need of a right fielder. However, since they waited so long, there is only a small market of cheap, mediocre right fielders. Let's look at some options to how the Red Sox could fill the Red Sox right field vacancy in 2012. On the team right now, they have Darnell McDonald and Ryan Sweeney (right) who could potentially fill that spot. This could work perfectly for the Red Sox as Sweeney is a lefty and McDonald is a righty. Each were bad against their pitchers of their respective hands, batting .159 and .189 off of lefties and righties, respectively. However, off of the opposite pitchers, they batted .286 and .260- something which could make an above average platooning partnership. Going out for acquisitions, some available options are Magglio Ordonez (.255/5/32), Ryan Spilborghs (.210/3/22), Andruw Jones (.247/13/33), Ryan Ludwick (.237/13/75), Cody Ross (.240/14/52), Scott Hairston (.235/7/24), and Yoennis Cespedes (.333/33/99 in 90 games in Cuba). Of these, Ordonez and Cespedes would be the most expensive. The least expensive would be Spilborghs and Hairston. In the middle of these would be Andruw Jones, Ryan Ludwick, and Cody Ross. All three are righties, which is what the Red Sox need in their lineup. Against lefties: Ross batted .234, Jones batted .286, and Ludwick batted .264. By these stats, Jones would be the best option for the Red Sox. By fielding statistics, Ludwick has managed a 3.7 UZR/150, Jones has managed a 9.3, and Ross has managed a -0.4. By all my stats together, I would say that Jones would be a great move to fill that position for the Red Sox. However, they could easily manage with platooning McDonald and Sweeney.

September Blues Continue For Weiland And Red Sox (87-66)

Today, the Sox played a close game and nearly came back from an early deficit to lose to the Orioles. After a groundout to start the 3rd for the Orioles, a single and a double put runners at 2nd and 3rd with one out. Matt Angle proceeded to knock a 2-run double to center field to make it 2-0. Darnell McDonald led off the bottom of the 3rd with a homer to make it 2-1. With 1 out and a man on first in the 4th for the Orioles, back-to-back home runs by Robert Andino and Nolan Reimold would make it 5-1. In the bottom of the 4th, David Ortiz scored on an RBI triple by Jarrod Saltalamacchia. J.J. Hardy led off the 5th with a home run to make it 6-2. After a 2-out walk by Marco Scutaro in the 5th, an Adrian Gonzalez double and a Dustin Pedroia triple would make it 6-4 and give Sox fans some hope. Then in the 7th, a 2-out double by Marco Scutaro and an RBI single by Adrian Gonzalez made it 6-5, but that's all they would get.

      Kyle Weiland was pretty bad, allowing 6 runs in 4 2/3 innings as his tough career continues, he is now 0-3/7.99/10. A shutout 1 1/3 innings by Felix Doubront and a shutout 3 innings by Alfredo Aceves provided some help, but not enough. Marco Scutaro had a great day, going 3-3 with 2 runs scored, including 2 doubles. Adrian Gonzalez also had a nice day at the ballpark, going 2-4 with a run and 2 RBIs. Dustin Pedroia and Jarrod Saltalamacchia each went 1-4 with an RBI triple, the 3rd triple of the year for each player. Darnell McDonald (left) had a good game, going 2-4 with a solo home run, as he is having an ok year at .221/6/24 for a bench player. Tonight, the Sox will play the 2nd game of the double-header, with John Lackey (12-12/6.19/101) going against Brian Matusz (1-7/9.84/33).

Bright Spots:
Felix Doubront- 1 1/3 scoreless innings
Alfredo Aceves- 3 shutout innings
Marco Scutaro- 3-3 with 2 runs and 2 doubles
Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4 with 1 run and 2 RBIs
Dustin Pedroia- 1-4 with an RBI triple
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-4 with an RBI triple
Darnell McDonald- 2-4 with a solo home run

Dull Spots:
Kyle Weiland- 6 runs, 5 earned in 4 2/3 innings
Mike Aviles- 0-4 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

This was overall not a bad game, but we got in an early hole.

Our Offense Shows Its Unpredictability Again, I Mean... Wow... (85-56)

Basically, the Red Sox creamed the Blue Jays last night, they started strong and finished strong in an easy victory for our favorite team. After a leadoff double to start off the game and a Dustin Pedroia strikeout, Adrian Gonzalez delivered by popping a ball up down the 3rd baseline just out of reach of Eric Thames. After a walk to Kevin Youkilis and a wild pitch, David Ortiz hit a hard single through the right side of the infield. The next batter, Marco Scutaro, basically had the exact same hit, but to the opposite field to score another run and make the score 3-0. Carl Crawford proceeded to hit a hard drive down the 1st baseline for an RBI double to end the scoring in a 4-run 1st inning. However, the Sox left off where they started in the 2nd with another hit by Jacoby Ellsbury, this time being brought in by a single up the middle by Adrian Gonzalez. Gonzalez came in to score as Kevin Youkilis crushed a double to center field to make it 6-0. After a one out single by Marco Scutaro to lead off the 3rd, Jarrod Saltalamacchia crushed a 2-run homer to center to make it 8-0. After Kevin Youkilis got on base in the 4th inning, back-to-back for David Ortiz and Marco Scutaro would make it 10-0 Sox. Marco Scutaro would come in to score on a line drive to Jose Bautista which deflected off his glove for an RBI single to make it 11-0. With Adrian Gonzalez and David Ortiz on base in the 5th inning, Marco Scutaro drove them both in with a double right down the 3rd base line for a 2-run double to make it an awesome 13-0 lead. In the 8th inning an opposite field home run for Josh Reddick would further extend the lead to 14-0, the final score.
      He was overshadowed by the offense, but dang.... Jon Lester was really, really good; he threw 7 shutout innings and struck out 11, as he is now 15-6/2.93/167 as he's been great all year. He was relieved by Kyle Weiland, who was also really good with 2 shutout innings and only 1 hit in relief. Jacoby Ellsbury had a pretty good day, going 2-4 and scoring 2 runs in the blowout, however, it was his pinch hitter Josh Reddick who made a big impact with a solo home run, as he is now .295/7/27. Adrian Gonzalez (near left) had a great night, going 3-5 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as he is now .342/23/105. Kevin Youkilis also had a good day, going 2-4 with 2 runs, 1 RBI, and 2 walks. David Ortiz (far left) had an awesome game, going 4-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as he is now .318/28/91. Marco Scutaro had just a great day, going 4-5 with 2 runs, 4 RBIs, and 3 doubles; maybe he should bat in the #6 spot more often? Jarrod Saltalamacchia only went 1-5, but his hit was a big 2-run homer, as he is now .250/15/50. Even Darnell McDonald had a great game, going 2-5 with an RBI to bring his average up and past the "Mendoza Line." Tomorrow, Tim Wakefield (6-6/4.95/75) will try again for win #200 against Brandon Morrow (9-10/4.78/172).

Bright Spots:
Jon Lester- 7 shutout innings with 11 strikeouts
Kyle Weiland- 2 shutout innings of relief
Jacoby Ellsbury- 2-4 with 2 runs scored
Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with 3 runs scored and 2 RBIs
Kevin Youkilis- 2-4 with 2 runs and 1 RBI
David Ortiz- 4-6 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs
Marco Scutaro- 4-5 with 2 runs and 4 RBIs
Jarrod Saltalamacchia- 1-5 with a 2-run homer
Darnell McDonald- 2-5 with 1 RBI

Dull Spots:
Dustin Pedroia- 0-5 with a strikeout and 5 LOB

This was an awesome game for us, but in the way things are going, we're gonna get shut out tonight.

Red Sox Lose On Royals' 8-run 6th (76-49)

Well, Tim Wakefield was denied 200 wins again in a really tough 9-4 loss to the Royals. The Red Sox led off the 3rd inning with runners on 1st and 3rd and no outs. Marco Scutaro promptly grounded into a double play, however, that scored one for the Sox. In the bottom of the 3rd, Alcides Escobar singled to lead off the inning and 3 batters later, Billy Butler doubled him in to tie it at 1-1. In the top of the 4th, there were runners at 1st and 2nd with 1 out when Carl Crawford singled in Dustin Pedroia. Later in the inning, a sacrifice fly by Darnell McDonald made it 3-1. After Jarrod Saltalamacchia doubled to lead off the 6th, Ryan Lavarnway knocked him in for his first MLB RBI. However, in the bottom of the 6th, all hell broke loose after Eric Hosmer singled with one out. Consecutive doubles by Jeff Francoeur and Mike Moustakas made it 4-3. After a walk to Salvador Perez, a single by Chris Getz would tie it up at 4-4. A 2-run double by Alex Gordon and an RBI single by Melky Cabrera would extend the lead further to 7-4. Then, after a walk to Billy Butler, Eric Hosmer cleared the bases with a 2-run triple to make it 9-4.

Tim Wakefield was pretty good until the 6th, but he ended up allowing 4 runs in 5 1/3 innings and is now 6-5/4.97/69. Matt Albers was awful in relief, allowing 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning and earning the loss. Franklin Morales went 1 1/3 scoreless innings and Dan Wheeler threw 1 scoreless inning. Dustin Pedroia had a good game, going 2-4 and scoring a run. Carl Crawford went 2-4 with an RBI in a good day for him. Ryan Lavarnway had his first good day in the major leagues, going 2-3 with an RBI. Darnell McDonald (left) went 1-3 with an RBI. Today, we will have a good chance of winning the series as Jon Lester (12-6/3.22/143) will take the hill against Danny Duffy (3-7/5.66/69).

Bright Spots:

Franklin Morales- 1 1/3 scoreless innings

Dan Wheeler- 1 scoreless inning

Dustin Pedroia- 2-4 with a run

Carl Crawford- 2-4 with an RBI

Ryan Lavarnway- 2-3 with an RBI

Darnell McDonald- 1-3 with an RBI

Dull Spots:

Matt Albers- 5 runs in 1/3 of an inning, as this was one of his best outings in a Red Sox uniform by far

Adrian Gonzalez- 0-5 with a strikeout and 2 LOB

This was a tough game, as we would have won if not for one bad inning.

Red Sox Edge Twins In Second Game of Series (72-43)

Last night, the Red Sox played a pretty good game against the Twins which they won 4-3 and extended their AL East lead to 2 1/2 games, and won their 4th straight. After the Twins led off the game with runners at 1st and 3rd, they scored their first run on a sacrifice fly by Michael Cuddyer. Later in the inning, they loaded the bases, and a Delmon Young walk pushed the lead to 2-0. In the 5th, however, the Sox got those runs back on a crushed 2-run homer by Darnell McDonald. In the 6th, the Red Sox got a lead on a an RBI single by Jason Varitek, scoring Jed Lowrie to make it 3-2. However, the Twins tied it up at 3-3 in the 6th when Danny Valencia scored on a double by Tsuyoshi Nishioka. With the bases loaded in the 7th, David Ortiz bounced a ball down the first base line which pitcher Phil Dumatrait botched, and Dustin Pedroia scored to make it 4-3.

Erik Bedard was pretty good in his 2nd start for the Sox, allowing just 2 runs (both scored in the 1st) through 5 innings. He is now 4-7/3.55/98 total and 0-0/4.50/11 as a Red Sock. Matt Albers got the win, allowing a run in an inning. He was relieved with Franklin Morales (2/3 scoreless), Daniel Bard (1 1/3 scoreless), and Jonathan Papelbon (1 scoreless). Adrian Gonzalez had a pretty good day, going 2-4. David Ortiz went 1-3 with the game-winning hit, his 76th RBI of the year. Jason Varitek went 1-3 with an RBI and a run scored in a good day for him. Darnell McDonald (left) had a great day, going 2-3 with a 2-run homer, as he is now .182/4/15 on the season. Tomorrow, the Sox will go for a sweep with Jon Lester (11-5/3.23/131) against Nick Blackburn (7-9/4.58/71).

Bright Spots:

Erik Bedard- he was very sharp after the 1st inning

Daniel Bard- a scoreless inning of relief

Jonathan Papelbon- save #26

Adrian Gonzalez- 2-4

David Ortiz- 1-3 with an RBI

Jason Varitek- 1-3 with a run and an RBI

Darnell McDonald- 2-3 with a 2-run homer

Dull Spots:

Matt Albers- a blown save, despite a win

Jacoby Ellsbury- 0-5 with a strikeout

Kevin Youkilis- 0-4 with 3 LOB

Jed Lowrie- 0-3 with 6 LOB

Carl Crawford- 0-3 with 2 strikeouts and 3 LOB

I'm glad the S0x won, because we now hold a 2 1/2 game lead in the division.

The Grand Papi Lifts Red Sox (64-38)

Last night, the Red Sox beat the Royals 12-5, as their offense as just so good again. The Royals got off to a very fast start off of John Lackey on a crushed 3-run homer over the green monster by Eric Hosmer. However, the Red Sox got two of those runs right back on back-to-back homers by Jacoby Ellsbury (off the pesky pole) and Dustin Pedroia (onto Lansdowne St.), two very different home runs, but effective nonetheless. In the 2nd inning, the Red Sox loaded the bases with no outs, and after Jacoby Ellsbury walked, they tied the game at 3-3. Dustin Pedroia then flew out to right field to give the Sox a 4-3 lead. Then Adrian Gonzalez grounded up the middle, scoring on Ellsbury if not for a would-be single on a great play by Chris Getz. In the 4th, an RBI single for Yamaico Navarro scored Darnell McDonald made it 6-3. Then later in the inning, a small milestone took place as David Ortiz knocked a grand slam into the bullpens to make it 10-3. In the 5th, Billy Butler crushed a ball onto Lansdowne St. for the second straight game to make it 10-4. In the 6th, the Sox got that run back on an RBI single up the middle by none other than the great RBI machine Adrian Gonzalez, making it 11-4. In the 8th, an Eric Hosmer single drove home Alex Gordon to make it 11-5. In the bottom of the 8th, Jacoby Ellsbury came home on a long drive off the monster by Adrian Gonzalez, as he earned his 3rd RBI of the game despite being thrown out going for a double to make it 12-5.

John Lackey was not bad, as although he gave up 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings, he gave up 3 of those on an Eric Hosmer home run in the 1st inning. After that start he is now 9-8/6.20/66, as he is not having a very good season. He was relieved by Randy Williams, who allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings and Dan Wheeler who pitched a scoreless 1 2/3 innings. Jacoby Ellsbury had a great game, going 3-4 with 3 runs and 2 RBIs, as well as the solo home run to lead off the game, he is now .325/17/60. Dustin Pedroia also had a great game, going 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, as well as a homer as he is now .308/14/53. Adrian Gonzalez also had a good game, going 3-5 with a run and 3 RBIs, as he is now .351/17/87. David Ortiz only went 1-4, but that one hit was huge, as it was a grand slam over the bullpens, that accounted for his 1,000th RBI as a Red Sock. Darnell McDonald had a rare good game, going 2-4 with 2 runs scored. Yamaico Navarro also had a good game, going 2-4 with a run and an RBI despite some blunders playing the green monster for his first time ever. Today at 1:35, Josh Beckett (9-3/2.07/107) and Luke Hochevar (6-8/5.29/66) will square off as the Sox will look for a series win.

Bright Spots:

Dan Wheeler- 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief

Jacoby Ellsbury- 3-4 with 3 runs and 2 RBI, including a leadoff homer

Dustin Pedroia- 3-4 with 2 runs and 2 RBIs, including going back-to-back with Ellsbury

Adrian Gonzalez- 3-5 with a run and 3 RBIs

David Ortiz- 1-4 with a grand slam, his 1,000th RBI with the Sox

Darnell McDonald- 2-4 with 2 runs scored

Yamaico Navarro- 2-4 with a run and an RBI

Dull Spots:

Marco Scutaro- 0-3

The Sox played a good game, and congratulations to David Ortiz!