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July 31, 2015

G104: Red Sox 7, Rays 5

Rays    - 111 000 200 - 5 10  3
Red Sox - 300 010 21x - 7  8  2
After losing leads of 3-1 and 4-3, Boston went ahead for good on Mike Napoli's two-run homer in the seventh inning. David Ortiz was on first, after working an 11-pitch walk.

Napoli also walked twice and scored two runs. ... Blake Swihart and Alejandro De Aza each drove in two runs.

Example
Erasmo Ramirez / Eduardo Rodriguez
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
De Aza, LF
Castillo, RF
Swihart, C
Bradley, CF
Rutledge, 3B

July 30, 2015

G103: Red Sox 8, White Sox 2

White Sox - 200 000 000 - 2  7  0
Red Sox   - 100 024 10x - 8 13  0
David Ortiz went 3-for-3 with a walk and two RBI. ... Xander Bogaerts went 3-for-4 and scored twice. ... Rusney Castillo had two hits, including his second home run of the year, and two runs scored. ... Wright: 7-6-2-2-8, 116.

Daniel Nava was designated for assignment and Tommy Layne was optioned to Pawtucket to make room on the roster for relief pitchers Jonathan Aro and Jean Machi.
Example
Chris Sale / Steven Wright
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ramirez, LF
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Castillo, RF
Sandoval, 3B
Swihart, C
Bradley, CF
Elias:
The White Sox once again jumped out to a fast start [on Wednesday night], scoring six times in the first three innings in their 9-2 win at Boston. It was the third straight game in which Chicago scored at least five runs before the start of the fourth inning, all wins at Fenway Park. The White Sox had only once before put up five runs over the first three innings in three straight road games. That was in 1936, in wins over Washington (July 17) and Philadelphia (a doubleheader on July 18).

Jon Lester struck out 14 Rockies batters over eight innings in a 3-2 victory at Wrigley Field. The Cubs have won two World Series since the last time they had a left-handed pitcher record 14+ strikeouts in a game. On May 30, 1906, Jack Pfiester fanned 17 Cardinals in a complete-game 4-2, 15-inning home loss to the Cardinals. The Cubs finished that year with a record of 116-36 (.763), representing the best single-season winning percentage in modern major-league history. The North Siders lost to the crosstown White Sox in the Fall Classic before rebounding to win the World Series in both 1907 and 1908.

July 29, 2015

G102: White Sox 9, Red Sox 2

White Sox - 231 000 210 - 9 17  1
Red Sox   - 000 100 100 - 2  7  2
Mike Napoli hit a double and a home run (#12) and drove in both of Boston's runs.

Rick Porcello: 2-10-6-1-2, 68.
Example
Jose Quintana / Rick Porcello
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ramirez, LF
Ortiz, DH
Napoli, 1B
Castillo, RF
Sandoval, 3B
Hanigan, C
Bradley, CF
Mookie Betts has been placed on the 7-day concussion DL.

July 28, 2015

G101: White Sox 9, Red Sox 4

White Sox - 500 002 110 - 9 14  0
Red Sox   - 020 000 002 - 4  8  1
An ESPN headline that sums up tonight's game:


Example
Jeff Samardzija / Wade Miley
Betts, CF
De Aza, RF
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
Swihart, C
Weeks, 2B

Watch NESN's Live Stream Of Pedro Martinez Ceremony

NESN's website will have a live stream of tonight's ceremony - the retirement of Pedro Martinez's #45 - beginning at 6:30 p.m. (NESN's TV coverage starts at 5:00.)

Click HERE.

Automated Strike Zone To Be Used In Pacific Association Game Tonight

Robots!

J.J. Cooper, Baseball America:
History will be made tonight.

There has been a lot of talk about the benefits and drawbacks of automated umpires for calling balls and strikes. Advocates and skeptics. But on Tuesday night in the independent Pacific Association in a game between the San Rafael Pacifics and Vallejo Admirals, everyone will get to see an automated strike zone in action in a professional game.

The two-game automated umpire trial is the brainchild of former big league outfielder Eric Byrnes, who will serve as the "Strike Zone Umpire" for the two games as a charity fundraiser for the Pat Tillman Foundation. ...

The technology is pretty widespread and understood at this point. Three cameras track the ball in three dimensions. Byrnes will be sitting with a monitor in front of him on press row. When the pitch crosses the plate, the pitching tracking software will show whether it's a strike or a ball. Byrnes will then immediately call ball or strike into the public address system. There will still be a home-plate umpire to handle any other calls that need to be made at the plate (such as check swings and plays at the plate). Longo said that the Pacific Association's umpires were consulted and are in favor of testing out the system. ...

Not long ago the independent Atlantic League added some innovative initiatives to speed up the pace of play, many of which were later adopted by Major League Baseball. It would not be surprising if other independent leagues toyed with the idea of testing automated ball-strike calls. From there, the idea could grow.
This is excellent news. The toughest thing for me is rethinking my negative opinion of Eric Byrnes.

Pedro's #45 Retired By Red Sox Tonight

The Red Sox will retire Pedro Martinez's #45 in a ceremony before tonight's game against the White Sox.

The ceremony begins at 6:30.

July 27, 2015

G100: White Sox 10, Red Sox 8

White Sox - 401 011 201 - 10 15  2
Red Sox   - 220 210 001 -  8 12  1
David Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the first inning, his 20th longball of the season. Ortiz's 13 seasons with 20+ home runs in a Boston uniform rank second only to Ted Williams (16). The only player with more consecutive 20+ home run seasons with a single American League team is Babe Ruth (15, Yankees, 1920-34).

I watched only the middle innings of this one, so looking back at the top of the first against Joe Kelly - man oh man, what a way to start the night: triple, triple, double, HBP, single, FC/E1 ...

Ryan Hanigan batted as the potential winning run in the bottom of the ninth, but grounded out to third.
Example
Shane Victorino was traded before the game to the Angels for Josh Rutledge.

Rusney Castillo was recalled from Pawtucket.
Example
John Danks / Joe Kelly
Betts, CF
Victorino, RF Ramirez, LF
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF Napoli, 1B
Napoli, 1B Sandoval, 3B
Sandoval, 3B Castillo, RF
Hanigan, C
Weeks, 2B

July 26, 2015

G99: Red Sox 11, Tigers 1

Tigers  - 000 010 000 -  1  3  1
Red Sox - 000 143 30x - 11 20  1
Good Times at Fenway on Sunday night!

David Ortiz went 4-for-5 and drove in a career-high seven runs, six of them coming on a pair of three-run homers. Ortiz now has 485 career dongs. Big Papi finished the night with 10 total bases, one shy of his career best (11, on August 12, 2005).

With his big night, Ortiz passed Al Kaline, Harmon Killebrew and Rogers Hornsby on the all-time RBI list, and is now 38th with 1,587 RBI.

The Red Sox had a season-high 20 hits. ... Xander Bogaerts also went 4-for-5, raising his average to .317. ... Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez each scored three times.

Eduardo Rodriguez (7-3-1-1-6, 95) became the first AL left-hander since at least 1918 to allow one or no earned runs in seven of his first 11 major league starts.
Example
Shane Greene / Eduardo Rodriguez
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
De Aza, RF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
Swihart, C

Pedro, Hall Of Fame Induction

Example
LIVE VIDEO FEED (Speeches begin at 1:30 pm)
Pedro Martinez will be inducted into the Hall of Fame this afternoon in Cooperstown, New York:
I'm going to be able to actually showcase how we are, how our people feel. I hope that I can express with the moment how much I love, respect and treasure everything I did in baseball, America, the people, the fanbases, the teams, the organizations. I hope I can project the right image at the time I get to the podium. Hopefully, emotions won't [catch] me off guard and make me cut it short.
MLB.com has a live stream beginning at 11 AM.
This afternoon, NESN will be showing Pedro's innings from the following games:
12:00 PM - Red Sox at Tampa Bay Devil Rays, August 29, 2000
1:30 PM - Toronto Blue Jays at Red Sox, September 21, 1999
3:00 PM - New York Yankees at Red Sox, May 30, 2001
4:30 PM - Seattle Mariners at Red Sox, May 12, 1999
6:00 PM - Red Sox at Tampa Bay Devil Rays, August 29, 2000
(NESN being NESN, it screws up the listing and lists the 2000 game twice. With any luck, they will show a fifth game at 6 PM.)

July 25, 2015

Pedro, Spring Training 2000

Spring training trip in 2000. After watching a game in Fort Myers, we were walking down the street alongside the park's parking lot back to our rental car. We saw a small group of people gathered by a chain link fence. One person saw us coming and made a "shhhhh" motion with his finger.

We get closer - and it turns out it's Pedro, talking on a cell phone, but also signing stuff, tossing everything back over a chainlink fence. Luckily, I had a ball that had a few other sigs on it from pre-game (including Johnny Pesky). And so over the fence it went - there was someone helping Pedro catch stuff, since he had his phone going, too. I wish it had been a clean ball, so it could have been only his signature, but what can you do.

I took a few pictures and we continued on our way back to the car.

G98: Tigers 5, Red Sox 1

Tigers  - 110 201 000 - 5  9  0
Red Sox - 000 010 000 - 1  6  0

Example
Alfredo Simon / Steven Wright
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
De Aza, RF
Swihart, C
Dustin Pedroia is back on the disabled list. In seven games since coming off the DL on July 17, Pedroia was 1-for-22.

John Farrell:
Yesterday, him being down was because of some soreness. He went through a MRI here this morning. While the injury or the strain to the hamstring doesn't show any enlargement, still he's aggravated by the symptoms and feel like he needs some shutdown period to get back over it.

July 24, 2015

G97: Red Sox 2, Tigers 1 (11)

Tigers  - 001 000 000 00 - 1  7  0
Red Sox - 001 000 000 01 - 2  9  0
Xander Bogaerts's third hit of the night - a one-out line drive into center field - scored Mookie Betts from second base as the Red Sox won in extra innings and snapped their eight-game losing streak.

Betts began the inning by drawing a walk against Blaine Hardy. Brock Holt bunted him over to second. On Bogaerts's hit, Betts slid in ahead of Anthony Gose's throw, but it appeared that his lead foot may have hopped up and over the plate. The Tigers challenged the call, and after a long delay, Tim Timmons's "safe" call was upheld.

Rick Porcello (7-5-1-0-6, 105) turned in a fantastic start. ... Holt had an RBI single in the third.
Example
Justin Verlander / Rick Porcello
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Sandoval, 3B
Ramirez, DH
Napoli, 1B
De Aza, LF
Victorino, RF
Hanigan, C
The Red Sox have lost eight games in a row and are sinking like a rock in the AL East (now 12 games out). They return home to Fenway Park tonight to start a 10-game homestand against the Tigers, White Sox, and Rays.

Hope For The Future

With the 2015 season quickly turning into a raging dumpster fire, it's heartening to read that ESPN's Keith Law ranks the Red Sox's farm system as the best in baseball:
1. Boston Red Sox
January rank: 5
Number of top-50 prospects: 5

Top prospects: Rafael Devers, 3B (ranked 8th in top 50); Yoan Moncada, 2B (11); Manuel Margot, CF (14); Henry Owens, LHP (37); Javier Guerra, SS (48)

The Red Sox have as much potential ceiling -- in terms of players who have at least a fighting chance to become well-above-average regulars or more -- as any organization in baseball, as well as tremendous depth in both position players and pitchers. This sets them up well to make a trade for some major league impact now or this winter.

The top three players in their system are all international signings who have shown huge early promise, as has Guerra and their main signing from July 2, 2014, right-hander Anderson Espinoza, who is already throwing well at age 17 in the Gulf Coast League. They also added, via this year's draft, Golden Spikes Award winner Andrew Benintendi, a power-hitting center fielder with above-average speed who's off to a great start in short-season ball, while fast-rising first baseman Sam Travis (former teammate of Cubs rookie Kyle Schwarber at Indiana) already has hit his way to Double-A. And they still have players like third baseman Garin Cecchini, shortstop Deven Marrero and center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr., who would be on the major league rosters of many other MLB teams but are completely blocked in Boston.

SoSH: Pedro Martinez Memories

Pedro Martinez will be inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame on Sunday - and, in celebration, SoSH has a thread dedicated to memories of watching the man pitch. There is sure to be some great reading.

See also Over The Monster's special Pedro section.

(Also, if anyone happens upon a video file (e.g., an mp4) of his induction and speech, let me know.)

July 23, 2015

G96: Astros 5, Red Sox 4

Red Sox - 110 000 020 - 4 10  0
Astros  - 100 000 301 - 5 10  1
Elias:
Jose Altuve's walkoff home run [off Craig Breslow] in the bottom of the ninth inning stamped an exclamation point on one of the worst road trips in Red Sox history. Boston was swept in a four-game series in Anaheim and then lost all three games at Minute Maid Park to mark only the third time that the Red Sox did not win a game on a road trip of at least seven games. They also did that on an eight-game trip to end the 1951 season and during an eight-game road trip in 1907, during which they lost seven games and tied one.
12 GB.
Example
Wade Miley / Lance McCullers

I hear NESN will be using some Frank Zappa as its new Red Sox theme music.


July 22, 2015

G95: Astros 4, Red Sox 2

Red Sox - 000 002 000 - 2  7  2
Astros  - 100 120 00x - 4  8  0
Example
Joe Kelly / Collin McHugh
Pedroia, 2B
Holt, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
De Aza, CF
Victorino, RF
Napoli, 1B
Swihart, C
Gordon Edes, ESPN:
John W. Henry was willing to blow up the Boston Red Sox roster twice in three years, because he wasn't interested in a beauty contest. He said as much barely seven weeks ago. ... Better to begin the rebuilding process immediately, rather than scrounge for a few extra wins. ...

This season is beyond salvaging. The Sox are 10 games under .500 and 10 games behind the New York Yankees in the AL East. They are a beaten team, and look every bit the part. ...

It is time to start planning for 2016. ...

Jackie Bradley Jr. should be here. Give him the chance denied him this season and find out whether he can hit on this level. Rusney Castillo, too. If a Bradley-Betts-Castillo outfield isn't a viable option in 2016, find out now. ...

It's time to abandon the pretense of winning in 2015. Get a head start on 2016, and the sooner the better.

July 21, 2015

G94: Astros 8, Red Sox 3

Red Sox - 003 000 000 - 3  8  1
Astros  - 100 042 01x - 8  9  0
The Red Sox have completely destroyed any good vibes they may have created during their hot streak before the All-Star Game.

On June 20, Boston was 10 games out of first place. By July 9, the Red Sox had whittled that deficit down to a mere five games, sparking thoughts of contention in the second half. But now, after losing their sixth game in a row, they will wake up on the morning of July 22 once again 10 games behind the Yankees in the AL East. At 42-52, Boston has the worst record in the American League.

Boston held a two-run lead for a couple of innings before Houston struck for four runs in the fifth. With runners at first and third, and Jose Altuve at the plate, Jake Marisnick took off for second. Ryan Hanigan's throw struck the sliding runner and caromed off into left field. Chris Carter, who had begun the inning with a single, trotted home from third and Marisnick came all the way around to score the tying run, his head-first slide beating Hanley Ramirez's off-line throw to the plate.

Carter hit a two-run home run off Justin Masterson in the following inning to put the game out of reach.

Brian Johnson (4.1-3-4-4-3, 87) was a bit wild in his major league debut (his last start was July 6), walking Altuve, the first batter he faced. (NESN reinforced its unprofessionalism by not showing the first pitch of Johnson's career. That's inexcusable production from a network that, after years of practice, is still unable to broadcast a complete baseball game. One can only hope Johnson's parents were either at the game or watching the Astros feed.) Altuve stole second and scored on a sac fly to give the Astros an early 1-0 lead. Johnson issued two one-out walks in the second, but stranded the runners, one of the outs a nice catch by Ramirez in left.

Alejandro de Aza lined a single to right to open the top of the third. Hanigan smoked a double to the wall in left. Mookie Betts checked his swing on a 2-0 pitch and knocked the ball inside the first base bag and down the right field line for a two-run double. Xander Bogaerts's single brought Betts home for the third run. And Johnson then went out and struck out the side in the bottom half, retiring Houston's 1-2-3 hitters.

Brock Holt doubled with one out in the fourth, but De Aza and Hanigan both struck out. Boston would not get another runner past first base over the game's final five innings. Ramirez singled in the sixth and De Aza singled in the seventh, but both were erased in inning-ending double plays.
Example
Brian Johnson / Vincent Velasquez
Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Holt, 1B
De Aza, RF
Hanigan, C
Brian Johnson, a 24-year-old left-hander, makes his major league debut in Houston.

Sox Prospects has a report here:
Future number four or five starter. Four average pitch mix with solid-average command and control. Lacks swing-and-miss pitch and a plus offering. Advanced knowledge of pitching and sequencing. Strong pitchability, knows how to pitch. Tempo pitcher that works incredibly fast. Impressive feel for pitching having recently committed to pitching full-time. Incredibly smart and has a good understanding of reading hitters. Gives his best effort every time with a fearless, determined approach.
Also: The Red Sox activated Daniel Nava and optioned Deven Marrero to Pawtucket.

For those about to pitch ...

July 20, 2015

G93: Angels 7, Red Sox 3

Red Sox - 000 002 010 - 3  6  0
Angels  - 014 010 10x - 7  8  0
The Angels pulled away by scoring four times in the third inning after there were two outs. ... Albert Pujols hit two home runs.

David Ortiz hit a two-run homer in the sixth. ... Ortiz, Mike Napoli, and Xander Bogaerts each had two hits.

The Red Sox, who had cut their deficit in the East from 10 games to 5.5, have now fallen back to 9 games out.
Example
Steven Wright / Andrew Heaney
Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Victorino, RF
Napoli, 1B
Swihart, C

G92: Angels 11, Red Sox 1

Red Sox - 000 100 000 -  1  9  1
Angels  - 070 400 00x - 11 11  0
Look on the bright side: The Red Sox scored a run!

Eduardo Rodriguez allowed seven runs and recorded only five outs: 1.2-6-7-3-0, 36.
Example
Eduardo Rodriguez / Hector Santiago
Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
Victorino, RF
Hanigan, C
First game of a day-night doubleheader. The second game is at 10 PM.

Blake Swihart was activated and Sandy Leon was designated for assignment.

July 19, 2015

G92: Red Sox at Angels, PPD.

Red Sox - 
Angels  - 
Rained out, called after a delay of roughly 2.5 hours. It was the first rainout at the Big A since June 16, 1995.

Monday doubleheader, with the games at 5 and 10 EST.

Even with the cancellation, the Red Sox still lost ground in the standings. New York's win dropped Boston to 8 GB.

Example
Eduardo Rodriguez / Hector Santiago
Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
Victorino, RF
Hanigan, C
Red Sox Shutout In Back-to-Back Games (Last 20 Seasons)
1996 at OAK  August 30 (7-0) and August 31 (8-0)
2002 vs NYY  August 27 (6-0) and August 29 (7-0)
2009 at NYY  August 7 (2-0*) and August 8 (5-0)
2015 at LAA  July 17 (1-0) and July 18 (3-0)
* The game was 0-0 into the 15th inning.

Have the Red Sox been shutout in three straight games? ... Yes. (Baseball Reference's Play Index goes back to 1914, but I checked the other years back to 1901. That link gives you all of the three- and two-game streaks for the last 102 years.)

July 6-7, 1906: New York 4-0, New York 8-0, Chicago 12-0
May 23-26, 1909: St. Louis 1-0, St. Louis 5-0, St. Louis 5-0
July 7-8, 1920: Philadelphia 6-0, Philadelphia 1-0, St. Louis 4-0
September 27-30, 1964: Detroit 3-0, Cleveland 5-0, Cleveland 3-0
September 2-4, 1974: Baltimore 1-0, Baltimore 1-0, Baltimore 6-0
April 27-29, 1981: Texas 10-0, Texas 9-0, Texas 5-0

Have the Red Sox been shutout in four straight games? ... Yes! That's the team record.

August 2-6, 1906: Chicago 3-0, Chicago 4-0, Chicago 1-0, Cleveland 4-0.

You'll notice the 1906 team on both of those lists. They were shutout 28 times!

Ben Buchanan, Over The Monster:
A little over a week ago, before the series against the Yankees, it was understood that the season hinged on the games to come. They had won some games when wins seemed mostly meaningless, to the point where a strange thing happened and suddenly they were in position to actually do something. To give their lost season some small hint of life. But there was still a test to pass: a few series against good teams. The teams that you have to be able to beat to actually be a contender. ...

Five games in, and they're 1-4 with 12 runs scored. It was probably the most important stretch of their season, and they didn't even show up to play.

July 18, 2015

G91: Angels 3, Red Sox 0

Red Sox - 000 000 000 - 0  2  1
Angels  - 011 010 00x - 3  5  0
Kole Calhoun hit two solo home runs to lead the Angels to their second straight shutout win over the Red Sox. Los Angeles' third run scored in the second inning on two walks, an infield error, and a wild pitch from Rick Porcello (5-4-3-3-5, 102).

Garrett Richards (9-2-0-1-6, 113) pitched his first complete game of the season.

Pablo Sandoval had both of Boston's hits: a single in the second and a ground-rule double in the fifth.

The Red Sox's post-All-Star Game offense has consisted of seven hits and no runs in 18 innings.

000 000 000 000 000 000

Example
Rick Porcello / Garrett Richards
Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
De Aza, RF
Holt, 1B
Hanigan, C
Porcello Factoid: "In four starts with [Ryan] Hanigan, Porcello has a 3.60 ERA as compared with a 6.70 ERA in 13 starts with either Sandy Leon or Blake Swihart catching."

Mike Trout - still only 23 years old - is pretty friggin good at baseball.

July 17, 2015

G90: Angels 1, Red Sox 0

Red Sox - 000 000 000 - 0  5  0
Angels  - 000 000 001 - 1  2  0
Mike Trout's home run off Koji Uehara with two outs in the bottom of the ninth gave the Angels a 1-0 victory.

Wade Miley (7-1-0-2-6, 101) retired the first 16 Angels and did not allow a hit until a leadoff double in the seventh inning. ... Xander Bogaerts and David Ortiz each had two hits.
Example
Wade Miley / C.J. Wilson
Betts, CF
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
Victorino, RF
Hanigan, C
After Miley, the Red Sox rotation will be Rick Porcello on Saturday, Eduardo Rodriguez on Sunday, and Brian Johnson making his major league debut on either Monday against the Angels or Tuesday in Houston. TBA for the day Johnson does not pitch.

John Farrell:
We just wanted to break up the left-handers and the way it was falling, we wanted to give Rodriguez a couple of extra days. That was the alignment that fit best.

July 14, 2015

Book Review: Pedro, By Michael Silverman And Pedro Martinez

John Updike wrote, "Gods do not answer letters." However, with the publication of Pedro, we now know they sometimes write memoirs.

The story of Pedro Martinez's journey from sitting under a mango tree in the Dominican Republic to baseball's Hall of Fame is long overdue. Pedro, written by Michael Silverman of the Boston Herald, comes more than five years after Martinez's retirement (stats). Pedro will be inducted into the Hall of Fame on July 26 and his #45 will be retired by the Red Sox on July 28.

Although JoS readers will be most interested in Martinez's insights and memories from his seven years with the Red Sox, the early chapters - of Pedro growing up in Manoguayabo, a small village eight miles west of Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, of his signing with the Los Angeles Dodgers and his minor league travails, and his emergence as one of baseball's best pitchers during his short stay in Montreal - are equally fascinating because they give us the chance to see the young, maturing Pedro, and learn who and what influenced and shaped him as both a pitcher and a man.

Silverman paints a vivid picture of Martinez's childhood. Pedro was the second youngest of six children, and he grew up idolizing his older brother, Ramon, who was five years older. After Ramon signed as a pitcher with the Dodgers (the first team to establish a baseball academy in the DR), Pedro would sometimes accompany him to Camp Las Palmas, a 60-90 minute bus ride from the Martinez home. Pedro secretly hoped that the Dodgers would notice him, too. Martinez thought playing baseball for a living would be cool, and the idea of being able to send money back to his parents was even better. That's what Ramon was doing, and so that's what Pedro wanted to do.

It was because of Ramon's success with the Dodgers that the team agreed to let young Pedro attend a tryout in 1987. The Dodgers' rules stated that no player under six feet could try out, but they relaxed the rule in this case. Afterwards, Pedro overheard some of the coaches talking about his session: "Ramon is a superb athlete - this one, he's not going to develop." ... "He threw fine, not great, not terrible. But really, was he anything special?" ... "You saw he wasn't throwing that hard. Maybe 82 miles per hour." ... "To be honest, there's nothing I like so much."

It would be hard to overstate how important those few minutes were to Pedro Martinez. For the first time, Pedro has doubts about the possibility of his success in professional baseball. But it is clearly more important than that. It's a seminal moment in Martinez's life - the day he becomes driven to prove wrong any and all doubters. It's a pattern that comes up again and again and again in Pedro. Any time Martinez is slighted, even the most casual and informal way, he takes offense (sometimes quietly to himself, sometimes out loud publicly) and vows to never forget.

Martinez was a sensitive kid and would often express his extreme anger by breaking out in tears. He also could not always harness that anger and he would act out. However, he was just the opposite on the mound, showing nothing but a cold, dead-eyed stare and a refusal to cede anything to any batter. Pedro had no fear of pitching inside and because of his lack of control early in his career, he got a reputation as a headhunter. (He was nicknamed "Senor Plunk" while in Montreal.) He says he felt slighted and misunderstood because of this: the HBPs were not intentional (well, most of them weren't) so why can't he just pitch like he pitches? Alongside collecting grudges to nurse against various coaches and opposing players, Martinez also fears that if he cannot pitch in his style, he may be sent down or released.

When Martinez believes he has worked hard enough to get something, he believes he has earned it - "I had done my job and done it well. Success was supposed to follow." - and cannot understand when events don't follow that linear course. When circumstances change and what should happen does not happen, Martinez acts out. After an excellent spring in 1993, Pedro appears to be a shoo-in for the Dodgers pitching staff, but is sent down to the minors at the last minute. He is livid: "I can understand now why people snap and kill their bosses". He plans to quit the game and go home. While a reader can perhaps understand his frustration, Martinez still comes across as immature. (And one week into the season, the Dodgers call him up.)

After two seasons with Los Angeles, Martinez was furious (and saddened) once again when he learned that he has been traded to the Expos. All he had known was Dodger Blue and it felt like the ultimate betrayal. (To this day, he has no love for the Dodgers organization.*) The trade to Montreal also took him away from his support system and his brother. It is Ramon who set Pedro straight, telling him the trade was a good thing. The Expos want him as a starter, which is what Martinez yearns to do. Ramon: "This is your chance to become whoever you want to be."

*: Even when he was with the Red Sox, his anger towards the Dodgers burned. "I couldn't stand the possibility that the Dodgers would find some small amount of pleasure knowing I had broken down before reaching 30."

Martinez is shocked by the cold weather in Montreal, but he loves the city. ("I noticed right away that the women in Montreal were gorgeous . . . Suddenly, learning French became very important.") It was in Montreal, pitching for manager Felipe Alou, that Martinez became a star. "I felt liberated living in a nonjudgmental place, and I grew into a man during my time in Montreal."

There is plenty of good information on how Dan Duquette, then the general manager of the Expos, had his eye on Martinez for awhile, thinking he was exactly the sort of pitcher the Expos needed. However, soon after trading for Pedro, Duquette left the Expos to accept a job he once dreamed about having even as a child: general manager of the Boston Red Sox.

With the Expos in 1997, Martinez became a star, finishing the year with a 1.90 ERA and winning his first Cy Young award. However, the Expos could not afford to pay its players the money they deserved once they neared free agency, and so GM Jim Beattie asked Pedro where he would like to pitch, and he'd see if he could swing a deal. Martinez told Beattie he'd pitch for the Yankees, or maybe Cleveland, Baltimore or San Francisco. The Red Sox were "not even on the outer region of my radar". And yet Dan Duquette, down in Boston, continued calling Beattie. It turned out that the Red Sox had several young pitching prospects that interested the Expos so it wasn't long before Carl Pavano, Brian Rose, and Tony Armas Jr. were sent to Montreal (outfielder Trot Nixon was at one time considered part of the deal).

Martinez planned to play one year in Boston and then hit the free agent market. Duquette asked him what would it take for the young pitcher to remain with the Red Sox. Martinez listened to Duquette's extensive explanation of what he wanted to do with the Red Sox and how plausible the plan was. In the end, Duquette convinced Martinez to sign a long-term deal with Boston, though whether it was the GM's long-range plan for the Red Sox or the massive amount of money on the table is not clear. regardless, Pedro signed a six-year contract with the Red Sox for a guaranteed $75 million, making him the highest paid player in baseball. There was also a club option for a seventh season, meaning Martinez would likely be with the Red Sox through the 2004 season.

The overriding theme of Pedro is Martinez fighting against The World.

Early on, Martinez notes, "I have never felt that enough people appreciated my honesty."

Throughout his career, the grievances pile up: "I continued to be a magnet for flare-ups and misunderstandings." ... "I bumped into more ignorance about what it means to pitch inside" ... "just one more time when somebody misinterpreted my actions as being mean-spirited and breaking the rules of baseball." Martinez says he "felt targeted" over flak he received concerning the size of his uniform sleeves and the red laces on his glove. "I felt the league was caving in to complaints from opposing managers, who were looking for any available weapon they could find."

At another point, he says, "I believe that baseball saw me as a threat, a foreign threat" (i.e., not an American). Martinez is quick to cite racism in various snubs and disagreements (and in many cases, I believe he is right). Martinez even admits that part of him suspects sportswriters George King and LaVelle Neal colluded to deprive him of the 1999 AL MVP by both leaving him off their 10-man ballots.

Martinez's frequent complaints about being misunderstood and allegedly singled out by the baseball establishment pile up to a degree that threatens to come off as whiny. Pedro appears to be aware of this. When he arrived late for his start on August 14, 1999, Red Sox manager Jimy Williams started someone else. "I took it personally, as I always tended to do."

After being booed at Fenway after a bad start in 1998, his first year in Boston, Martinez vowed: "From that day forward, I would never tip my hat at Fenway ... the respect had not been there, so there could not be a mutual respect." In short, Martinez believed that because he always gave 100%, he did not deserve to be booed - ever. (He mentions Ted Williams's "rabbit ears", and the way TSW could seemingly hear one heckler out of a stadium full of cheers. Pedro is much the same.)

Concerning the heart-breaking end to the Red Sox's 2003 season, Martinez writes, "I didn't execute, and it cost ... us a trip to the World Series ... The blame was my own." It's an admirable gesture, but I prefer to believe Martinez expressed his real feelings shortly after that Game 7, when he said: "It's difficult for us as competitors to say we're tired. That's why we have coaches."

There is no love lost between Martinez and the Boston sports media. He calls the media's perception of him "ridiculously warped, wrong, and negative", noting that the writers who covered the Red Sox "overlook the good, overemphasize the bad". Indeed, "the media latched onto any slip of the tongue, any hint of divisiveness, any scent of dissent." (Silverman appears to have always been an exception. He often got interviews with Pedro during Martinez's Red Sox career, even when Martinez was supposedly not speaking to the press.)

Martinez makes several not-so-subtle hints that he had to pitch to hitters who were using steroids. He mentions Mike Piazza and Luis Gonzalez as guys "who found sudden success at the plate" or whose powers numbers took a big jump. Pedro says he was first offered steroids in 1992 in the minor leagues, but that no one approached him once he reached the major leagues. He says saw teammates on the Expos injecting themselves. And like all baseball fans, he wonders what his ERA would have been "if the playing field had been level".

There is plenty of background information on Pedro's decision to leave the Red Sox and sign a four-year deal with the Mets. (It's also clear that Martinez would have seriously considered pitching for the Yankees, but he "never got a formal offer" after a friendly meeting with George Steinbrenner.) After his father's death in the summer of 2008, Martinez was unable to fully concentrate on baseball and "began to pull away from playing" the game he loved. "I lost my will to battle."

For all my love of Pedro - this blog grew out of a Pedro website I ran for a few years - and recommendation of this book, Pedro is far from perfect. Many highlights of Pedro's career are given very short mention. There is a little bit about his state of mind while warming up in Yankee Stadium on September 10, 1999 - "cranky, tired ... snippy" - but next-to-nothing about his 17 strikeouts (outside of some play-by-play description added by Silverman).

Likewise, the historic 2004 postseason zips by, as though it was of no more importance than any of his other years in Boston. Martinez's start in ALCS Game 5 against the Yankees - what turned out to be his final game in Fenway Park as a Red Sock - is quickly described. Pedro's memories of the World Series against the Cardinals constitute one page, and are not insightful. The first two games are dismissed in one sentence: "We won a tight Game 1 against the Cardinals at Fenway, and then Curt came back strong in Game 2." All we get of Pedro's masterful seven-inning, three-hit, no-run performance in Game 3 - one day after his 33rd birthday and his last game in a Boston uniform - is some play-by-play of the first and third innings. The account of Game 4 is barely there.

There is also very little about his return to Fenway Park in June 2005 as a member of the Mets, just a brief dig at Globe sportswriter Dan Shaughnessy. And I was disheartened to read Martinez using sexist language (at least twice) in describing the arm and elbow pads worn by many batters as "pussy pads".

While these disappointments are real, I do not hesitate to recommend Pedro.

[Note: I received a copy of Pedro from Houghton Mifflin Harcourt.]

July 13, 2015

Are The Red Sox Playoff Contenders?

The Red Sox are 6.5 GB in the AL East, with 73 games to play. Are they realistic contenders for a playoff spot?

Alex Speier, Globe:
No AL East team in the last 25 years has overcome a first-half deficit of more than three games to win the division. The last teams to do so were the 1989 Blue Jays, down seven at the break, and the 1988 Morgan Magic Red Sox, down nine at the break.

The Red Sox have a .477 winning percentage. Of the 380 teams to make the playoffs from 1914 through 2014, just six had a winning percentage of .477 or worse in the first half [1.6%], and two of those instances, the 1995 Yankees and 1981 Royals, came in strike seasons. ...

Since the postseason expanded to include the LCS format in 1969, just 19 of 270 playoff teams (7 percent) have had a negative first-half run differential — including 14 of the 166 teams (8.5 percent) to make the playoffs in the wild card era. ...

In other words, there's plenty of reason for skepticism about the Red Sox' chances. History suggests that they're a statistical longshot.
With his home run on Friday, Mookie Betts became the first Red Sox player since Ellis Burks in 1987 (and only the sixth in team history) to hit 10 homers and have 10 stolen bases in his age-22 (or younger) season.

July 12, 2015

G89: Yankees 8, Red Sox 6

Yankees - 020 013 002 - 8 11  2
Red Sox - 003 001 002 - 6 12  0
Several missed scoring opportunities doomed the Red Sox to defeat - and Boston finished the "first half" of the season at 42-47, 6.5 games out of first place.

Brian McCann gave the Yankees an early lead with an opposite field two-run homer into the Monster Seats off Wade Miley (5.1-7-6-0-2, 93), but Boston took the lead with five singles in the third - thanks to consecutive RBI hits from Xander Bogaerts, Pablo Sandoval, and Hanley Ramirez.

New York tied it in the fifth (McCann doubled and scored on a balk) and went ahead to stay in the sixth (Alex Rodriguez, Chris Young, and Chase Headley each had an RBI double).

In the bottom of the sixth, facing Adam Warren, Ramirez led off with a double and scored on a one-out single by Shane Victorino. Justin Wilson came in and Mike Napoli pinch-hit for Travis Shaw. Napoli singled and, after Ryan Hanigan struck out, he and Victorino pulled a double steal. With runners at second and third, trailing 6-4, Mookie Betts flied to right to end the inning.

Betts had a chance to drive in some runs in the eighth, as well. With Victorino on second and Hanigan on first and two outs, Betts fell behind 0-2 before striking out on a 2-2 pitch in the dirt.

The Red Sox scored twice off Andrew Miller in the ninth - courtesy of a walk, two infield errors and a sac fly - but New York's insurance runs in the top half, which came on Robert Refsynder's first major league home run, ended up being the margin of victory.
Example
Nathan Eovaldi / Wade Miley
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Sandoval, 3B
Ramirez, DH
De Aza, LF
Victorino, RF
Shaw, 1B
Hanigan, C

July 11, 2015

G88: Red Sox 5, Yankees 3

Yankees - 100 001 010 - 3  9  1
Red Sox - 001 200 20x - 5 11  0
Hanley Ramirez hit a two-run homer in the fourth inning.

Mookie Betts and Xander Bogaerts had RBI hits in the seventh.

Rodriguez: 6.1-5-2-1-2, 95.

Example
Ivan Nova / Eduardo Rodriguez
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
De Aza, RF
Hanigan, C
Clay Buchholz will be placed on the disabled list (though there is no ligament damage in his elbow). Brian Johnson - one of the team's top pitching prospects - has been called up.

July 10, 2015

G87: Yankees 5, Red Sox 1

Yankees - 100 300 010 - 5  9  2
Red Sox - 000 010 000 - 1  7  2
Clay Buchholz (3.1-6-3-0-3, 59) left the game in the fourth inning with tightness in his right elbow. (Only one of his three runs allowed was earned.)

Boston had runners at first and second with one out in the third, but Xander Bogaerts grounded into a double play. Two singles with two outs in the fourth were wasted.

Mookie Betts hit a solo homer (#10) for the Red Sox's only run. He also fanned with a runner on third to end the seventh.

Dellin Betances retired the Red Sox in order in the eighth. Andrew Miller recorded two strikeouts in the ninth, including Shane Victorino to end the game with a man on second.

Boston dropped to 6.5 GB.
Example
Michael Pineda / Clay Buchholz
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
De Aza, RF
Leon, C
Is this the season's most important series? So far, yes, without a doubt.

Boston has won nine of its last 12 games and is now only 5.5 GB the Yankees in the division. If the Red Sox can sweep this three-game series, they will be only 2.5 games out at the All-Star break. Conversely, a Yankees sweep would likely push the Red Sox back out of postseason contention. (With either team winning two of the three games, Boston would end the weekend either 4.5 or 6.5 GB. Those outcomes might not tell us very much.)

Dustin Pedroia (right hamstring injury) is eligible to be activated from the disabled list for the series, but it is not certain that he will play. Manager John Farrell says that Pedroia will be back in the lineup "when he's first ready, without any undue risk". In 12 games since Pedroia went down, Brock Holt has hit only .250/.304/.250.

Brian MacPherson of the Providence Journal writes that the Red Sox's current surge points out how few good options Farrell has in his bullpen: "As a group, the 3.94 ERA Boston's bullpen had compiled entering play Wednesday ranks fourth-worst in the American League. ... By Fielding Independent Pitching, the group looks even worse." ... Joe Kelly, currently with Pawtucket, could return to the team as a reliever.

In his last nine appearances, covering nine innings, Koji Uehara has allowed only one hit, with opponents batting .034 (1-for-29). Uehara has no walks and nine strikeouts in those games.

Dvid Ortiz has played first base twice recently because of Mike Napoli's horrific slump. Can Ortiz keep doing it? "Hell, no. ... I'm too old for that, man. I like doing my focusing on hitting. ... I know my boy is going to bounce back and do what he normally does. It's just a matter of time." (Napoli is hitting .192 and is 2-for-27 (.029) in his last nine games.)

Rick Porcello has a 3.60 ERA in four starts with Ryan Hanigan behind the plate. His ERA with Sandy Leon or Blake Swihart is more than twice that (6.70). Porcello calls Hanigan an "experienced, veteran catcher, I trust him." Hanigan says he and Porcello have a good bond: "I'm feeling a groove with him. I like catching him."

This weekend:
Saturday, 7 PM: Ivan Nova / Eduardo Rodriguez
Sunday, 1:30 PM: Nathan Eovaldi / Wade Miley

July 8, 2015

G86: Red Sox 6, Marlins 3

Marlins - 000 200 000 - 3 10  3
Red Sox - 004 001 10x - 6  5  0
It took 86 games - but the Red Sox finally won four in a row.

David Ortiz's two-run opposite-field home run capped a four-run third inning; he also doubled and scored in the sixth. Rick Porcello (6-8-2-1-4, 95) settled down after allowing five consecutive singles in the fourth, retiring the Marlins in order in the fifth and sixth before turning the ball over to the bullpen.

Ryan Hanigan walked with one out in the third. A two-base throwing error by Miami starter Tom Koehler (6-5-5-2-2, 104) put Hanigan on third and Mookie Betts on second. Brock Holt's groundout scored Hanigan and Xander Bogaerts's infield single scored Betts. Then Ortiz went deep for the 15th time this season. All four runs were unearned, though you'd think that since the pitcher made the error, the runs should be charged to his ERA.

Porcello immediately gave two runs back. Five straight one-out singles cut the lead to 4-2 and Miami had the bases loaded. Dee Gordon grounded to third and Pablo Sandoval threw home for a force. Porcello then made a nice snare of a hard grounder and threw to first for the third out.

Ortiz led off the sixth with a ground-rule double into the triangle. Hanley Ramirez scorched a single to center, moving Flo to third. Sandoval grounded into a double play and Ortiz scored. Alejandro De Aza began the seventh by reaching on pitcher Sam Dyson's throwing error. He took second on a groundout and broke for third on a 1-2 pitch to Betts. Mookie fanned, but catcher J.T. Realmuto's throw went into left field and De Aza scored.

Robbie Ross pitched a perfect seventh. Matt Barnes allowed a two-out home run in the eighth. Koji Uehara needed 11 pitches to set down the Marlins in the ninth.

The Yankees held off the A's 5-4, so the Red Sox remained 5 GB.
Example
Tom Koehler / Rick Porcello
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, 1B
Ramirez, DH
Sandoval, 3B
Victorino, RF
De Aza, LF
Hanigan, C
Among 49 qualified pitchers, Porcello's 6.08 ERA in dead last in the American League.

Since June 21, the Red Sox are 10-5.

July 7, 2015

G85: Red Sox 4, Marlins 3

Marlins - 001 000 200 - 3  7  2
Red Sox - 010 000 30x - 4  8  0
Xander Bogaerts's three-run single lifted the Red Sox to victory.

With the Yankees' loss to Oakland, Boston is now 5 GB in the East.
Example
Dan Haren / Wade Miley
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Victorino, RF
Shaw, 1B
Hanigan, C
And so begins what WEEI's Rob Bradford calls "the most important week" of the season:
-- The Red Sox are six games out of first place in the American League East. Considering the Cardinals were five games out of first on the same date last season and ended up winning their division by two games, such a deficit would still seem manageable.

-- They are tied with Milwaukee for the most wins in baseball (12) since June 16, when the Sox ended seven-game losing streak.

-- During the past 19-game stretch, the Red Sox have the best offense in the majors. They have an .820 OPS with a .474 slugging percentage, both tops in MLB. They've even hit lefties at a reasonable rate, a feat that didn't seem possible earlier in the season.

-- They have found a No. 1 starter in Clay Buchholz, who has a 2.17 ERA over his last 11 starts. ...
After two games against the Marlins and another day off, the Red Sox host the AL East-leading Yankees for a three-game weekend series. Winning all five games would give Boston a 44-45 record at the break - and possibly put them within two or three games of first place.

July 6, 2015

For First Time In 17,867 Games, No Putouts By Red Sox First Baseman

From ESPN (thanks to Fenway Fanatics for pointing it out):

Houston's 27 outs:
1st:  K    K   F8
2nd:  K  3-1   2U
3rd:  K   L8   P6
4th:  K   F7   P6
5th:  K    K    K
6th:  K  2-6   F9
7th:  K   L6    K
8th:  K   F8   F8
9th: F7    K    K
Ortiz did touch the ball once, however, on what was the only groundball out of the day.

(Note: 2U was interference, with the output awarded to the catcher. 2-6 was a caught stealing.)

July 5, 2015

G84: Red Sox 5, Astros 4

Astros  - 000 100 300 - 4  9  2
Red Sox - 010 002 20x - 5 10  1
Hanley Ramirez's two-run homer in the seventh inning gave the Red Sox their third lead of the game, one they did not surrender. (Alexi Ogando had allowed back-to-back dongs in the top half as the Astros took a 4-3 lead.)

In the ninth, Preston Tucker led off by reaching on an error by Brock Holt. Koji Uehara retired the next three Astros: F7, K, K.

Ryan Hanigan went 3-for-4 with a walk and two RBI. Pablo Sandoval also went 3-for-4; he and Ramirez each scored twice. Mookie Betts doubled and walked twice.

Eduardo Rodriguez: 5-6-1-2-8, 101. He became the first pitcher (since at least 1914) to allow one or no runs in at least six of his first eight major league outings/starts.

Time of game: 4:01!

The Rays beat the Yankees 8-1, so Boston is 6 GB.
Example
Lance McCullers / Eduardo Rodriguez
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, 1B
Ramirez, DH
Sandoval, 3B
Victorino, RF
De Aza, LF
Hanigan, C
David Ortiz starts at first base in a non-interleague game for the first time since August 5, 2006. It is his first start at first base at Fenway Park in almost 10 years (July 16, 2005).

John Farrell:
Today's lineup I think gives us the best lineup we can put on the field. Recognize it's been quite some time since David has played first base in an American League game. Also gives us the ability to have De Aza in left field.
Mike Napoli is batting only .168 since June 1.

Farrell also said that Wade Miley and Rick Porcello will start Tuesday and Wednesday against Miami and Justin Masterson will pitch out of the bullpen until the break.

July 4, 2015

G83: Red Sox 6, Astros 1

Astros  - 000 000 001 - 1  6  2
Red Sox - 110 011 02x - 6 11  0
Clay Buchholz (9-6-1-0-8, 110) pitched his first complete game of the season. In his last 10 starts, dating back to May 15, Buchholz has a 1.99 ERA. Those look like Ace numbers to me.

Mookie Betts went 2-for-3 with two doubles and 3 RBI. ... Xander Bogaerts was 2-for-4 and drove in two runs. ... Sandy Leon went 3-for-4 and scored twice. ... Shane Victorino was 2-for-4 with two runs scored.
Example
Collin McHugh / Clay Buchholz
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sanodval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
Victorino, RF
Leon, C
Shane Victorino returns, starting his first game since May 23. Also, Steven Wright has been recalled, with Noe Ramirez being sent down.

July 3, 2015

G82: Astros 12, Red Sox 8 (10)

Astros  - 000 500 210 4 - 12 17  2
Red Sox - 020 030 210 0 -  8 11  1
With the game on the line in the eighth and tenth innings, John Farrell, the team's brilliant in-game tactician, chose to rely on Craig Breslow and Noe Ramirez, respectively. ... For some odd reason, those two decisions did not turn out to be wise ones.
Example
Dan Straily / Justin Masterson
Betts, CF
Holt, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Ramirez, LF
Sandoval, 3B
Napoli, 1B
De Aza, RF
Hanigan, C
The Red Sox return home for a eight-game homestand against the Astros, Marlins, and Yankees. ... After the All-Star Break, they head west to Anaheim and Houston.

David Ortiz:
If we finish the first half of the season playing the way we have lately, it'll give you hope for the second half, especially when you're in a division where there's not too many games apart. We played the worst the first couple months of the season and we're still six, seven games away.
AL East
BAL  42  37  ---
MFY  42  37  ---
FKR  42  39  1.0
TOR  42  39  1.0
BOS  37  44  6.0

July 2, 2015

G81: Red Sox 12, Blue Jays 6

Red Sox   - 800 000 310 - 12 19  1
Blue Jays - 040 000 002 -  6 14  1
The first eight Red Sox batters reached base and scored - and the game was 21 minutes old before the Blue Jays recorded an out. Toronto starter Matt Boyd (0-6-7-1-0, 28) threw fewer pitches than three of the relievers that followed him to the Skydome mound.

The highlight of Boyd's second big league start was getting ahead of Mookie Betts 0-2. Then Betts (3-for-6) lined a single to left. Brock Holt (4-for-6) grounded a single to right. Xander Bogaerts (4-for-6) lined an RBI-single to center. David Ortiz hit an opposite field three-run home run (off a lefty!). Hanley Ramirez followed with a solo bomb to the second deck in left-centre. Pablo Sandoval singled to right and Mike Napoli walked.

Liam Hendriks came out of the pen and Alejandro De Aza promptly tripled to left-centre, scoring two more runs. Ryan Hanigan - reactivated from the disabled list - popped to second, which caused a standing ovation at Skydome. Betts singled in De Aza, making it 8-0. Holt lined a pitch off Hendriks's foot, and the ball caromed over to third baseman Josh Donaldson. The umpires ruled that Betts interfered with Donaldson, despite the fact that Betts tried to both stop running into the fielder and get out of his way. Bogaerts grounded out to shortstop to end the festivities.

The Boston bats went quiet for the next couple of innings and Wade Miley made every Red Sox fan feel like this would be one of those horrific games in which the bats go into hibernation and the opposing team chips away at the lead before finally coming out on top. In five innings, Miley (5-7-4-7-2, 103) allowed seven hits and seven walks. Toronto sent 10 men to the plate and scored four runs. They brought the potential tying run to the plate and left the bases loaded. And although the Jays did not score in the fourth, Miley left the bases filled in that frame, as well.

Boston purchased some insurance runs in the seventh, with De Aza, Betts, and Bogaerts driving in runs.

The Red Sox set a season-high mark with 19 hits. Holt and Bogaerts each had four hits. De Aza went 3-for-5, with a single, double, triple, and four RBI. Betts went 3-for-6.
Example
Wade Miley / Matt Boyd

Larry Lucchino says he is "a little embarrassed" by the Red Sox's performance this season.

July 1, 2015

G80: Blue Jays 11, Red Sox 2

Red Sox   - 000 000 110 -  2  6  1
Blue Jays - 521 001 02x - 11 16  0
Example
Rick Porcello / Mark Buehrle

Happy Canada Day!

Boston is now only 6 GB in the East, after being a season-high 10 games out on June 20. The Red Sox have won five of their last seven games and nine of their last 14.