Vic-Lack Lead Sox Victory

Well, overall, it was a team victory, with a number of players making key contributions. However, both at bat and on defense, the team was led by Vic and Lack. Vic, only recently off the DL from season start, went 4-4, including a ringing double and drove in a pair of ribbies. Pierzynski and Bradley each had a pair of hits, driving three more between them, and the team picked up a total of thirteen hits, five of them for extra bases.
Defensively, Lack was stellar! He allowed just six hits in eight innings and had a game WHIP of 0.875--excellent! He also K'd five Rays batters along the way. Mujica came in to start the 9th, and after giving up a pair of runs to the Rays along with getting two outs, gave way to Koji. Then, three pitches, all strikes, and the game was over! Koji got his sixth save in six tries.
This win gives the Hose their third in the last four games, and gets them a bit of space between them and the bottom of the division. In fact, it leaves them, once again, within a game of .500, and in third, half a game behind the O's and 2.5 back of the Stripes, who lost tonight to the M's.

Twentyfour Hour Turnaround

One day after what was arguably the worst team, performance of the year, the Sox went overseas (so to speak) and took out all their frustrations from last night's abortion against the Yankees on the Jays. From terrible pitching and worse fielding (all those errors), the Hub Hose put Jake Peavy on the hill and let him hurl them past the Jays. Result: last night's 14-5 loss to the Stripes was replaced, happily, by tonight's 8-1 victory in Canada. In fact, but for one pitch late in the game by Peavy, the Hose would have had a shutout against their rivals from the north. Middlebrooks, in his second game back from the DL, went 2 for 4, including a double and drove in a pair of runs. Papi drove his fifth shot into the cheaps, while Pedey and Nap each collected a pair of hits.  To round it all out, Brad really let loose on Toronto pitching, going 3 for 4, all of them extra bases. He had a pair of ripping two baggers and a trip for the evening, and drove home a ribbie.
The offense collected its highest total of hits for a game so far this year, accounting for sixteen knocks, nine of them for extra bases.  Keeping right in stride with the hitters, Peavy and his followers from the pen were sparkling. Jake had a game WHIP of 1.0, K'ing seven and allowing only a single run, a bases empty shot late in the game. While it is just his first win of the 2014 season, his ERA of 2.87 shows how well he's been doing, and how a lack of timely hits has deprived him and the Sox from a better record.
Sox relievers finished out the game, each tossing an inning of shutout relief. Capuano continued his perfect ERA, throwing just 12 pitches to strike out the side, while Miller threw 19 pitches, but allowed only a single and quickly eliminated that risk with a pair of K's and an easy pop to the Dustman. Game over!

Sox Turn Around - Beat Yankees

Well, that's apparently all it took--one critical column from here and the Sox went out and took it to Mr. Hankie's Yankees today at the Fens, 5-1. The big offensive heroes were, in no particular order, The Dustman, Nap and Sizemore. Pedey was 2 for 5, while Nap gave a solid 3 for 4. Included in these stats were Nap's fuifth two bagger of the year and Sizemore's first three bagger. If that's not enough to make you smile, the Hose pitching staff was positively golden today.  Lack was the starter and went eight solid innings, picking up 11 K's along the way. He also allowed not a single freebie, so his game WHIP ended up at 0.88--definitely not too shabby! Come the 9th and Koji took over. Fourteen pitches later the game was over and he had his fifth save of the year in five tries. Ten of those 14 pitches were for strikes, and, after allowing a leadoff single, he blew away the Stripes--struck all of them out, 1, 2, 3--time for a shower!
As for a pickup in hitting, going forward, both Vic and Middlebrooks are on rehab assignments at Pawtucket, and could be back with the parent club by week's end, barring any unexpected setbacks. They'll be welcomed with open arms.

Three IN A Row & Counting--DOWN

Well, after getting a pair consecutively from the O's, and four of five, it looked as if the Sox were finally getting rolling. They were within a game of .500, and things were looking up. Then they lost the Patriots Day finale vs the O's, although they did mount an impressive comeback that fell just short. The Evil Empire made its appearance in Fenway and immediately took a pair, so that the Hose are now in a three game losing streak. Yesterday's was just plain UGLY! Even though Lester allowed three earned runs, he also allowed another five unearned, set up in part by 4 freebies! It was four zip Stripes before the Hose even got anything on the board. At that point, the Sox looked as if they were going to give the Stripes an argument in the form of some runs, both Nap and Papi hitting solo shots. But it all fizzled and the HubHose dropped another. The biggest problem still seems to be a lack of timely hitting, most of all. The Hose get runners on base, but all too often leave them stranded there. More often than not, the LOB stat shows the Sox with enough stranded runners to have won a given game had the timely hit happened. Well, on to tonight's game and hope.

Two Straight Over Chisox

Well, last night it took 14 innings to pull out the W, the Sox never seeming quite able to take and hold a lead before the Pale Hose would take it away or tie it. But finally, off a pitcher who normally plays second base throwing for the Chicago Mob, the Bosox took things into their own hands and won. 
Tonight, while it was almost as much a seat squirmer, the Sox managed to close things out in regulation. Both starters, the Hub's Lester and the Chisox' Sale, took no-no's into the 6th, with Lester losing his after 5 1/3 and Sale only hanging on 1/3 of an inning longer. In fact, Lester had a perfecto going until giving up the first Chicago hit. On the evening, the Bosox pitching made the difference, coupled with, for once, timely hitting by the offense. Lester lasted eight, and had a game WHIP of 0.875, an excellent number, with absolutely no freebies. He also picked up another 9 K's in his time out there. After the Hub Hose sent seven men to the dish in their half of the 9th, scoring the final two runs of the game, Uehara, his stiff shoulder apparently now better (Jesus, I hope so), came on to get the save. This time he gave up a lone single, grabbed a K, and sent everyone home on just 13 pitches. This is his third save of the young season.

Red Sox hitting heroes were Bogaerts, who started the scoring with a shot into the cheaps, and Ross, who doubled home what proved to be the winning run in the Boston 9th.
Tonight's victory was just the second time this season so far that our heroes have managed to win consecutive games, the other occasion occurring during the opening series in Baltimore. By the way, the O's are scheduled to be the opposition on Patriots Day this Monday.

Injuries Hampering Sox--Looking A Bit Like 2010

Well, here we are a year later than the Marathon Bombing on April 15 of last year and the Sox season so far isn't looking like the Championship one of last year at this time. At that time, the Hub Hose had a winning record and were sitting in the AL East 1st place slot. Right now, we're seeing a last place position in the Division, a losing record and a three game losing streak, capped off last night by a bottom of the 9th throwing error that allowed the Chisox to win, 2-1. Peavey deserved better than this, and, during this losing streak, the Sox pitching has, for the most part been likewise. To make matters worse, in the two most recent losses to the Stripes, in one game, MLB has subsequently admitted its error in the new replay system, and in the next game, cost the Sox the game as they gave up the winning run on a reversal of play that on screen reviews showed was "inconclusive", or, in baseball's replay structure, not reversible. When Farrell decided to debate this issue with the umps, he was tossed, as a debate over a replay is like balls and strikes--non-arguable.
Now, this might all be a bit more bearable if the Sox were healthy. But, things in that area of discussion seem to be taking an ominous turn for the worse. Now, in the headline, I alluded to 2010, when an unprecedented list of injuries to key Sox players led to them missing the post-season. This season's injury skein so far hasn't taken that severe a turn, but, for being in the first two weeks of the season, it's looking potentially ominous if not reversed.
Consider the following: Middlebrooks and Vic are out with injuries and have been for basically the entire season so far. Pedey has a wrist injury that has affected his play, and finally led to him sitting for a couple of games, last night's defensive participation in the 9th notwithstanding. Last season's heroic closer, Uehara, is sitting due to a "stiff" shoulder. No-one on the team has commented about it one way or the other, but if he's gone for any length of time, it could have serious repercussions. Until the top of the 9th last night, that was the extent of Hose injuries so far in 2014.  Then, Nap slides into second and injures his finger.  No word yet which finger or on which hand, but, if a finger is hurting, it can negatively affect one's bat swing.  If it's a throwing hand, there goes the ability to handle most plays in the infield. If a glove hand, it could have some negative affect. although presumably somewhat less than if it's on the throwing hand.
So, what's next? Hopefully, nothing and we can get this slide terminated and the full lineup back to good health, hopefully.  But, right now, this observer is getting a bit uncomfortable with the direction that things are headed.

Papi Settles It!

Well, after a solid beating by the Rangers yesterday, even though the Hose made a run at a comeback before losing 10-7, the Sox took out their recent frustrations on the guys from Texas today. With Peavey pitching, the Sox held a slim 1-0 lead through six, soon to be 1-1 after seven, with Peavy going 6 2/3 of that. He was masterful, getting 8 K's and allowing just three hits. Even adding in his four freebies, his game WHIP was still just fractionally over 1.0. After the lead was surrendered in the 8th by Miller, who allowed a shot to the cheaps for the tying run, the Sox took to the plate in their half of the 8th. After Bradley walked and Pierczynski moved him over with a single, Pedey hit into a fielder's choice that left Hose on 1st & 3d. Up comes Papi and he does exactly what we have all loved to see him do. One swing and the ball comes to rest in Never Never Land in right and the Sox have retaken the lead, 4-2. Here's the ball, Koji. Take the ball he did, in the 9th, and settled things quickly. On eleven pitches, he put the Rangers to sleep and the Hose had the W.
Papi had a good day, going 2-4 with a two bagger, the aforementioned shot and three ribbies. Jackie Bradley, showing that he's gotten much better than his brief sojourn with the parent club last year, showed his plate judgment, taking enough pitches from Rangers hurlers to collect three freebies, and make no outs. His average for now still rests at .400.

Sox Lose 2d Straight as Pen Fails Again

Well, against the Brewers, the answer the Sox need to come up with is how to get some of the newer members of the vaunted pen to pitch like the leaders from last year such as Tazawa and Uehara. Today, the fault lies at the doorstep of Badenhop, who, in 15 pitches, gave up a pair of two baggers and what ultimately was the winning run. Not that the Sox hadn't been swimming in shark infested waters all day. Bucky had a start quite different from last year's. In four and a third, he surrendered thirteen (no typos here) hits, a pair of them into the cheaps, and six earned runs. About the only good thing from his outing was the fact that no Brewer reached on a freebie.
The Sox had their chances as the game progressed from there, eventually tying the score in the 6th. Along the way, they had doubles by Gomes and Bogaerts, as well as a dinger for three runs by Nap that got the Hose to within one. But overall, the Hose only managed seven hits, not a recipe for success when your opponent is picking up nineteen.
a bright spot: Capuano, in his second game for the Hose, again remained scoreless, this time for a pair of innings. Although he did allow two hits, he also picked up four K's, maintaining his perfect ERA, and an opponents BA of .182. That number, folks, is second in the Sox pen to, who else, Uehara, who also threw another scoreless inning today. This time, he struck out the side on a total of 13 pitches.
Hopefully, tomorrow the Sox will pick up the series ending game, get back to .500 and start a nice long winning streak.

Formula 2013 Good in 2014

Well, the Sox tonight used the same formula to win that hey finished out last year with. Get timely hitting from a relentless offense and combine with good starting pitching backed by a shutdown pen.  Tonight, both Papi and Bogaerts each had three hits, helping the Hose total 14 hits off O's pitching.  Of the 14, a dozen were singles, but came in clusters, so that the Sox never trailed. Using single runs in the 2d, 3d, and 4th innings, they jumped out to a three zip lead, only to have the O's finally get going in the bottom of the 4th with a pair. However, the Sox lost no time in regaining a part of their lead, adding a run in the 6th. This final Sox run came in just enough time to offset the O's third run in the bottom of the frame.

Sox starter Dubront was good enough to set up the Sox lead, finally being chased in the middle of the 6th with an Oriole on base and one out. That runner did score on a wild pitch by Workman, and was charged to Dubront. So, his ERA doesn't look too impressive, but he pitched when it was necessary, thus allowing the Sox to maintain their lead when he left. He picked up four K's, and that total was added to by the Sox pen, which added its own total of four K's. After the pickup by Workman, the rest of the game was pure Sox 2013 pen. First new free agent Capuano, then Tazawa and Uehara in order each tossed a hitless inning, with Capuano and Uehara both being perfect.  In fact, Koji was so good, he needed just seven pitches to close things out.

Sox come home to Fenway for the season opener tomorrow against Milwaukee, and there will be a ring presentation ceremony for the Champs' Series rings before the game. This will be Papi's third ring, and the second each for Lester, Pedey, and Bucky.

Papi, Nap Homer; Lackey K's 6

Well, today's game was markedly different in almost all ways from the opener against the O's. The only similarity to the opener is that the O's runs came from a blast by Cruz, a free agent addition.
From there, however, the Sox dominated. Never trailing, they started off with a 2 run shot by Papi in the 3d. After Cruz tied it up the next inning, they then went to town immediately. In the next inning, Nap hit one out, making it 4-2, Sox. Then, in the 7th, the Hose greeted new pitcher Webb with a bases loaded situation of his own making: a couple of Sox hits, a freebie, and up comes Nap. Base hit! Sox score another pair, and the game is basically put away. The final is 6-2, Sox, with the Hose totaling ten hits, including the two homers.
Lackey was stellar. He went a solid six, allowing just the shot by Cruz, but only a pair of other hits, while striking out six. His game WHIP was 0.67, and that's better than 'not too shabby'. It's exceptional, in fact! While I'm on Sox pitching, the pen picked up from there, allowing three harmless hits over three shutout innings, including a K per inning.
Other heroes of note were The Dustman. Who else? Pedey went four for five, and raised his BA to .600, while scoring a pair of runs. I know it's just the second game of the year, but he was vintage Pedey--like always.
Final game of the series is tomorrow with Dubront getting the ball.

Sox Can Only Finish 161-1 Now

Well, the opening game in Baltimore wasn't the outcome all of us in Red Sox Nation hoped for. However, even in the narrow 2-1 loss, there was a lot to cheer for. Sizemore showed up well, bringing in the Sox sole run with a homer. The Sox starter, Lester, looked very good, and deserved a better fate. Although he gave up both O's runs, he has a 2.67 ERA, went 1.0 for his game WHIP, and K'd 8 in 7 innings. Sox outhit the O's and had a huge advantage in LOB's, and that's the trouble with last night's game--LOB. The Sox left 13 guys stranded, and in the 9th has two on with one out, only to have Papi fly out and Bradley take a called third strike.  The lack of a timely hit can be, and was, a killer last night. Add in the placing of Vic on the 15 day DL, and I've seen better starting days.