The Red Sox attempted to avoid being swept by the Baltimore Orioles as they sent Clay Buchholz on the mound on Sunday. Unfortunately the game turned into a ridiculous 17-inning affair ending in a brutally painful 9-6 Sox loss. Darnell McDonald earned the loss after the Sox depleted their available bullpen options and were forced to use the outfielder as a pitcher. The Orioles also ran out of relief options, so the weekend thorn in the Boston side, Chris Davis, was brought on and delivered two innings of scoreless relief, picking up the victory. The drained remaining crowd at Fenway Park probably regretted sticking around for this one.

Buchholz Awful Again

Buchholz was shaky from the beginning, surrendering solo home runs to shortstop J.J. Hardy in each of his first two at bats. They were Hardy’s fifth and sixth long balls of the season, each traveling to the Green Monster in left field. The early two runs immediately made the home crowd restless, as the Orioles had been using the long ball throughout the series against poor Sox pitching.

In the fourth, the struggles for Buchholz continued. He entered the game allowing at least five runs in each of his starts this season and that trend continued as he surrendered a three-run bomb to Robert Andino, extending the Baltimore lead to 5-0. Matt Wieters and Mark Reynolds scored on the homer after each received walks from Buchholz. He then allowed consecutive singles and was pulled by Bobby Valentine in place of Andrew Miller, who was making his return from the disabled list.

Buchholz’s Stats

Buchholz pitched only 3.2 innings, allowing seven hits and five earned runs. He struck out four Orioles batters but also walked four in the short outing. This season, he holds an undeserving 3-1 record with a 9.09 ERA. With the three home runs he allowed to Baltimore on Sunday, he has now allowed 10 on the season in six starts after allowing 10 all of last year in fourteen starts. Luckily for him, the Sox offense got hot after he departed, preventing him from earning a loss.

Grand Slam for Middlebrooks

Down 5-1 in the fifth, the Sox loaded the bases for young blossoming star Will Middlebrooks, setting up a dramatic moment in his career. Middlebrooks turned on a first pitch curveball from Tommy Hunter and sent it high and deep to left, making the first home run of his big league career a game-tying grand slam. Two more base hits later in the inning chased Hunter, setting up another battle of the bullpens, which would drag on for quite awhile.

In the top of the eighth, the Orioles retook the lead against Vincente Padilla, who allowed an RBI double to Reynolds. In the bottom half of the inning the Sox responded, finally getting to the dominant Baltimore bullpen. With McDonald on third base and one out, catcher Jarrod Saltalamacchia tied the game with a deep fly ball out to left-center field.

Plenty of Extra Frames

The game remained tied for the next eight innings, during which the teams combined to use eight different relievers throwing shutout baseball. Alfredo Aceves, Franklin Morales, Rich Hill, and Scott Atchison all pitched two scoreless innings each. They allowed a combined four hits, walking three and striking out four. It was certainly a victory for the effectiveness of the relief core despite the end result.

Play at the Plate in the 16th

The Sox offense was quiet throughout the extra inning frames. However, the game nearly ended in the bottom of the 16th with Marlon Byrd on first base and Mike Aviles at the plate. Aviles belted a ball to left-center field which bounced to the wall, but as Byrd rounded third and headed home, the Orioles executed a terrific relay. Hardy received the throw from center and fired home to Wieters, who held on and tagged Byrd out in a hard collision.

Hitters Pitching

McDonald took the mound in the top of the seventeenth, allowing a double and walk to put two runners on for Baltimore, bringing up Adam Jones. With a 1-1 count, Jones blasted a three-run homer to left, giving the Orioles a 9-6 lead. However, as Davis had pitched the previous inning, it appeared Baltimore would need their position player to hold on for the win.

Davis Beats Sox

Amazingly Davis did just that, though it wasn’t the prettiest outing. Ryan Sweeney singled to leadoff the inning, followed by a walk for Dustin Pedroia. That brought up Adrian Gonzalez as the potential tying run, though he was hitless in the game to that point. Davis struck him out on three pitches, leaving the Sox star 0-8 in the game. McDonald then came up with the opportunity to atone for the home run he allowed as a pitcher, but he instead hit into a double play to end the lengthy game.

So after over six hours of baseball, the Red Sox were left empty handed, being swept by the Orioles and falling to 4-10 at Fenway Park and 11-16 overall. The Orioles, on the other hand, made a statement in the series, improving to 19-9 and moving into first place in the American League East.

There’s no rest for the Sox either, as they kick off a series Monday against the Royals in Kansas City with Felix Doubront taking the mound against Jonathan Sanchez.

© Matthew Bond for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | One comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

Aaron Cook was hoping for a better first start in Boston. A much anticipated debut for the Red Sox on Saturday was shattered early, as a second inning collision with Chris Davis left a large gash in his leg. He amazingly stayed in the game, but probably would have been better off hitting the showers, as he was knocked around in a seven-run Orioles third inning. The Sox offense was relatively quiet again as Jason Hammel pitched into the seventh inning for Baltimore.

Cook was actually solid out of the gate. Throwing entirely sinkers, he retired the first five batters he faced, inducing four ground ball outs in the infield. Consecutive singles from Davis and Wilson Betemit put runners on the corners, and a passed ball by Jarrod Saltalamacchia allowed Davis to head home. Cook rushed to the plate as the runner slid in ahead of the tag, clipping the pitcher with his cleat and leaving the wound.

The Red Sox medical staff visited Cook, who appeared calm throughout the process of getting his leg wrapped up. Amazingly he elected to continue pitching, which in retrospect was probably not a good decision. Adam Jones followed an RBI single from Nick Markakis with a two-run blast over the Green Monster. Cook was pulled after allowing another RBI single to Betemit made it 5-0 Baltimore. Clayton Mortensen promptly came in and allowed a three-run home run to Mark Reynolds, quickly giving Baltimore an 8-0 lead.

The Sox would get a few back late, but the game was already out of reach.

In the seventh, Ryan Sweeney continued his hot hitting all season long with his 13th double, driving in Adrian Gonzalez, and Cody Ross drove in Sweeney with a base hit to right.

After allowing the bomb to Reynolds, Mortensen struck out five over 3.1 relief innings. Scott Atchison aided in relieving the relieving core from what could have been a busy afternoon with three shut out innings to close the game.

On Sunday, the Red Sox will try to avoid a sweep at the hands of Baltimore, sending Clay Buchholz to the mound against Tommy Hunter. In all of Buchholz’s starts this season, he’s allowed at least five earned runs, though in his most recent start, the runs came in the seventh inning after what had been a fairly solid outing. Hunter has had two days of extra rest and hopes to continue his success early on this year.

© Matthew Bond for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox, Top Story.

Down two with two men on in the bottom of the ninth, Kevin Youkilis grabbed a batting helmet. The oft-injured Youkilis didn’t start Tuesday against the Oakland Athletics due to back stiffness, but no one left on the bench gave the Boston Red Sox a better chance of tying and possibly winning the game.

Unfortunately, Youkilis just couldn’t get loose enough to bat. The almost-comeback ended with the “almost” fully intact. The Athletics beat the Red Sox, 5-3.

Norberto Dominates in Two-Thirds Inning

Down 5-1 entering the ninth, the Red Sox finally broke through against reliever Grant Balfour. Cody Ross led off with a double, his third hit and second double of the game, and the Red Sox loaded the bases on Marlon Byrd‘s one-out single and Nick Punto‘s third walk of the game.

Sensing Balfour’s nervousness, the Fenway Park crowd did their best to rattle him, repeatedly chanting his name in a chorus of sing-song mockeries. The fans may very well have succeeded, because Balfour gave up a two-RBI single to Mike Aviles to cut the Athletics’ lead to 5-3.

Lefty Jordan Norberto relieved Balfour following Aviles’ hit, but without Youkilis the Red Sox went with Lars Anderson, who had only entered the game one inning prior. Andersen had yet to get a hit off a lefty in his career, and Norberto struck him out easily on four pitches.

Dustin Pedroia, who’d scored Boston’s only run through the first eight innings on an Adrian Gonzalez RBI ground out in the fourth, followed Anderson. Norberto got Pedroia to ground into an easy fielder’s choice at second base, ending the game and giving Norberto his first save of the season.

Athletics Get to Doubront in Fourth

Felix Doubront baffled Athletics hitters throughout his start with off-speed pitches. His curveballs broke sharply, his breaking balls danced in the zone. He struck out eight Tuesday – including the side in the first – mostly because of the deuce.

But Doubront couldn’t throw his fastball with the same consistency, and it cost him both pitches and runs. He needed 50 pitches to get through the first two innings, and the Athletics responded to his 1-2-3 third by breaking the game open an inning later.

Up 1-0 with two men on and two down in the fourth, shortstop Cliff Pennington doubled to left-center, plating a run and putting men on second and third. Pennington entered Tuesday’s game batting .200, but he finished 2-for-4.

Following Pennington’s double, Doubront left another fastball up in the zone to second baseman Jemile Weeks, and Weeks singled to center to score two more and make it 4-0 Athletics. Weeks promptly stole third, then came home on a wild pitch to make it 5-0.

Those five runs would be more than enough for Athletics starter Jarrod Parker, whose biting slider and change-up kept the Red Sox off-balance for 6.2 innings. The Red Sox put seven base runners on against Parker, but he held them hitless with runners in scoring position.

Parker earned his first win of the season, giving up one run on four hits, two walks, a hit-by-pitch and four strikeouts. Doubront took his first loss, giving up five earned runs on six hits, two walks and two wild pitches in just four innings.

Red Sox Bullpen Puts Up Zeroes

Boston’s worrisome bullpen performed quite admirably Tuesday, with three relievers combining on a five-inning shutout. Scott Atchison handled the lion’s share, giving up just two singles while striking out one in two innings.

Rich Hill and Matt Albers pitched the final three innings, striking out five. Hill gave up a one-out double in the seventh, then retired the next four he faced.

Albers gave up a lead-off single to Pennington in the top of the ninth, and Pennington moved to third on a ground out and the Athletics’ fourth stolen base of the game (the Red Sox stole none). Albers induced a ground out with the infield drawn in to hold Pennington at third, then struck out Josh Reddick swinging on a breaking ball in the dirt.

With everything – the ball, the dirt, the grass, the players, the fans – slick from Tuesday’s constant drizzle, Albers’ pitch bounced away from Jarrod Saltalamacchia. Reddick delayed a moment before taking off for the open first base, giving Saltalamacchia just enough time to track the ball down halfway between third base and the on-deck circle and make a run-saving throw to first for the final out.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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The Sox have started the 2012 campaign much as they started and ended 2011—lifeless and losing. The Detroit Tigers handed Josh Beckett and the Sox a 10-0 loss Saturday in Detroit and the Sox are off to a quick 0-2 start. Sunday, they turn to Clay Buccholz to right the ship.

The Tigers pounded Beckett for 7 hits, including a career-worst 5 home runs in just 4.2 innings. Miguel Cabrera and offseason acquisition Prince Fielder each homered twic,e while catcher Alex Avila added the fifth.

Beckett’s fastball never seemed crisp and he hung a number of breaking balls. He continued to work slowly with men on base. He seemed overly preoccupied with Austin Jackson after walking him in the first inning. He then surrendering the first of Cabrera’s 2 bombs, and things went downhill from there.

Beckett entered the game with concerns about his thumb but said after the game that it was not an issue. The Sox can only hope that there are no long term health concerns and it was merely a bad outing.

While Beckett and relievers Albers and Atchison were all ineffective on the mound the offense was also dismal for the second straight day. The Sox managed only 7 hits and struck out 11 times. In 2 games they have just 12 hits, have struck out 19 times and and scored just 2 runs. While a lack of production can be excused against Justin Verlander in Game 1, Saturday’s power outage came against the likes of Doug Fister (who left after 3.2 2 innings with a muscle strain), Duane Below, Octavio Dotel, Phil Coke, and Joaquin Benoit. They had just 1 extra base hit and were 0 for 5 with runners in scoring position.

The conventional wisdom when the Sox broke camp was that they could not afford a slow start like they had in 2011. That they had to put the bad feelings left from last season’s collapse in the past and start 2012 playing good ball. Time is running out to accomplish that.

© Megan Shea for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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I’ll be writing a weekly article this season recapping the previous week of the Pawtucket Red Sox. For those not familiar with Minor League Baseball, Pawtucket is the highest level affiliate of the Boston Red Sox and plays in the International League. The IL consists of 14 teams split up into three divisions, with Pawtucket playing in the North Division. Pawtucket won the North Division last year, but was swept in the first round of the playoffs by the Lehigh Valley IronPigs.

This week, I’ll break down Pawtucket’s roster ahead of Opening Day, plus I’ll tack on a little Q&A with Pawtucket manager Arnie Beyeler.

2012 Pawtucket Red Sox Roster

Starting Rotation

#1 Ross Ohlendorf

#2 Alex Wilson - The 2009 second round draft pick had a breakthrough season last year, posting a 10-4 record with a 3.11 ERA between Portland and Pawtucket. A repeat performance in 2012 should propel him to Boston next year.

#3 Aaron Cook – Cook has the ability to opt out of his contract if he is not called up to Boston by May 1st. A dominant Spring Training should convince the big club to prevent that scenario.

#4 Brandon Duckworth – A 36-year old journeyman who is really a Quadruple-A player at this point in his career.

#5 John Maine

Bullpen

Junichi Tazawa – After missing all of 2010 while recovering from Tommy John surgery, Tazawa came on strong towards the end of last season, recording a 2.51 ERA with 19 K’s over 14.1 innings for Pawtucket. He’s only 25, and it looks like he has a bright future ahead of him as a big-league reliever.

Tony Pena Jr.

Clayton Mortensen – The guy Boston got for Marco Scutaro. Had a 3.86 ERA for Colorado last year over 58.1 innings.

Will Inman

Doug Mathis

Starters

C Ryan Lavarnway – The second coming of Johnny Bench, both offensively and defensively. Hit 34 home runs last year.

1B Lars Anderson – In danger of becoming a Quadruple-A player if he doesn’t get out of the Red Sox’ system soon. First base in this organization is a dead-end that leads into the brick wall that is Adrian Gonzalez. Lars led the IL in walks last year.

2B Nate Spears

3B Will Middlebrooks – The heir apparent to Kevin Youkilis at 3rd base. He features good average (hit .285 last year) with lots of power.

SS Jose Iglesias – Soon to be the starter in Boston, despite the fact that he just can’t hit. He batted .235 with 1 home run last year in AAA. How is he going to hit against major-league pitching?

LF Alex Hassan – If he can replicate what he did in Portland last year (.291 AVG, .404 OBP, 34 doubles) in Pawtucket this year, it’ll be hard to keep him in the minors for long.

CF Che-Hsuan Lin

RF Josh Kroeger

DH Mauro Gomez – Had a spectacular offensive season last year for the Gwinnett Braves, leading the league in total bases and was second in hits, third in home runs, and fifth in doubles.

Bench

C Luis Exposito

IF Tony Thomas

IF Brad Emaus

OF Ronald Bermudez

OF Jason Repko

OF Daniel Nava – A local celebrity after hitting a grand slam on his first major league pitch in 2010, Nava had a down year last year that saw his average dip to .268. It’s unclear how much playing time he’ll get this year with Hassan in the mix in the outfield.

These rosters are sure to be obsolete as soon as I write them; Alfedo Aceves was supposed to be Pawtucket’s Opening Day starter last year but was called up to Boston hours before first pitch, forcing Scott Atchison to make the start.

Manager Q&A

On Monday, manager Arnie Beyeler, now in his second season as skipper, sat down for a Q&A session on Boston.com.

Here are some questions that I asked him, and his responses:

AR: How much does it matter to the guys in a minor league clubhouse to win their division or pennant?

AB: That’s a great question, you would be surprised how much they want to win. I was very surprised last season at that. I guess deep down they are all professionals and want to win at everything they do. We had a great group of guys here last season and most of them coming back this season, so I hope we can win a few games again.

AR: With Alex Hassan being sent to Pawtucket to start the year, what will your starting outfield look like? Nava, Hassan, Lin?

AB: Don’t know yet, have to wait and see who Bobby sends us.

AR: Do guys have to scramble to find a place to live before the season starts? Tony Thomas asked on Twitter [on Sunday] if there were any housing companies in Rhode Island open on Sunday. How hard is it for guys to find housing?

AB:Yes it is tough, they don’t know till the last minute where they are going so they can’t plan much and most have families to move also. That’s the lifestyle.

The Week Ahead

• Thursday – vs. Buffalo, 7:05
• Friday – vs. Buffalo, 6:15
• Saturday – double-header vs. Lehigh Valley, 4:05
• Sunday – off
• Monday – vs. Lehigh Valley, 6:15
• Tuesday – vs. Lehigh Valley, 12:05

© Aryeh Rosenfield for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
Filed under: Featured, Red Sox.

Ladies and gentlemen, we have a new Spring Training Player of the Week! With a .571 batting average, three runs, four doubles and an RBI in four games, Mike Aviles takes over. Hopefully this award propels him to a fantastic season, finally giving the Red Sox some stability at shortstop.

In other Spring Training news, Bobby Valentine picked Jon Lester to start Opening Day for the second consecutive year. And in a moment of true stupidity, Bobby Jenks crashed his car after taking too many muscle relaxers early Friday morning. Lee County police officers arrested Jenks and charged him with DUI.

The Red Sox finally had a bad week, going 1-6-1, bringing their record back to .500. Sports of Boston’s weekly Spring Training Update fills you in on the rest.

Twins 8, Red Sox 4

Jacoby Ellsbury‘s RBI single in the third Monday capped a three-run inning, and he finished with two of Boston’s nine hits.

The Red Sox led 3-2 going into the sixth, but Mark Melancon gave up a bases-loaded double to Minnesota center fielder Joe Benson, earning a blown save and the loss. Another rough outing from Scott Atchison (4.91 ERA in five appearances) made it 8-3 heading into the bottom of the ninth.

Felix Doubront started and went 4.2 innings, giving up two earned runs on eight hits, a walk and three strikeouts. Andrew Bailey allowed just a walk in a scoreless seventh.

Blue Jays 9, Red Sox 2

Daniel Bard started, giving up three runs in the second inning Tuesday but limiting Toronto to just a hit and a walk through his other four. Bard’s ability to let the second inning go suggests he has the composure to start games.

The Red Sox got two runs back in the bottom of the second on Aviles’ double and Kelly Shoppach‘s first home run of the preseason, but otherwise Blue Jays pitchers dominated, limiting the Red Sox to just five hits and a walk Tuesday.

Bard took the loss, but the bullpen really failed, allowing six additional earned runs. Of the five relievers Boston used, only Andrew Miller didn’t allow a run, and only because he left after two pitches with a strained hamstring. It was Miller’s second injury this March.

Pirates 6, Red Sox 5

Lester rewarded Valentine by struggling badly in his first start since Valentine chose him, giving up four runs on eight hits, two walks and a strikeout in just three innings Wednesday.

The Red Sox overcame that, however, thanks in part to a double by Adrian Gonzalez followed by a home run from Jarrod Saltalamacchia in the third that made it 4-3. Gonzalez tied the game an inning later with an RBI double. Both he and Saltalamacchia finished 2-for-3.

Non-roster first baseman Mauro Gomez‘s home run gave Boston a 5-4 lead heading into the bottom of the seventh, but Bailey gave up a two-run shot to Pittsburgh center fielder Nate McLouth. The Red Sox had a man in scoring position in the bottom of the ninth, but Gomez flew out to end the game and hand Bailey his first loss.

Red Sox 4, Yankees 4

The Red Sox primarily used non-roster pitchers Thursday against the Yankees, with starter Aaron Cook giving up two earned runs on four hits and two strikeouts in four innings. Ross Ohlendorf gave up two more over the next three, giving the Yankees a 4-0 lead through seven.

Melancon’s perfect eighth may have inspired the Red Sox, because that’s when the bats finally came alive. The Red Sox strung together four consecutive hits, including three doubles. Lars Anderson‘s RBI double cut the Yankees’ lead to 4-3.

The Yankees sent minor leaguer George Kontos to the mound to close, but two hits including a double by Aviles put men on second and third. Jason Repko‘s sacrifice bunt tied the game. Does this mean Valentine’s Red Sox may actually play smallball?

Boston and New York will play each other 18 times this season. No wonder they opted to abandon this preseason game after nine innings.

Orioles 6, Red Sox 5

So far, the 2012 starting rotation doesn’t look any better than the 2011 rotation that derailed the team. Clay Buchholz started against Baltimore Friday, giving up five runs on seven hits including two homers. He walked one and struck out three.

Center fielder Adam Jones put the Orioles up 2-0 after one inning, but the Red Sox answered immediately. Repko’s single with two men on put the Red Sox on the board, and a passed ball tied the game 2-2 in the top of the second.

The Orioles went back up 4-2 in the bottom of the third on a two-run blast from Nick Markakis, then scored again in the fourth and sixth.

Boston nearly mounted a comeback, with Daniel Nava‘s single in the eighth cutting Baltimore’s lead to one, but Boston went 1-2-3 in the ninth, handing Buchholz his second loss of the season.

The Red Sox also optioned or reassigned six players Friday, headlined by Junichi Tazawa going to Triple A.

Phillies 10, Red Sox 5

Saturday’s game was over after four innings. Alfredo Aceves started and gave up nine earned runs on 10 hits – three for home runs – in three innings. Michael Bowden allowed another run, making it 10-2 Philadelphia.

The Red Sox never had a chance in this one, but they still managed a few note-worthy plays. Ellsbury’s triple cut the Phillies’ lead to 6-2 after two, and Peter Hissey‘s two-RBI double made it 10-5 after eight. Nick Punto also went 3-for-4.

Though Aceves and Bowden struggled on the mound, Franklin Morales and Vicente Padilla each pitched a perfect inning. Padilla’s inning was particularly encouraging, having strained a hamstring earlier in the week.

Saturday also marked the return of Dustin Pedroia, who’d suffered a bruised forearm after getting hit by a pitch against the Yankees. Results were negative, and Pedroia went 0-for-4 in his first game back.

Red Sox 4, Marlins 1

The Red Sox got a terrific start from Felix Doubront in their second game Saturday, with Doubront giving up just a (home) run on five hits, a walk and two strikeouts in six innings. The relief trio of Doug Mathis, Clayton Mortensen and Justin Thomas combined for three perfect innings with three strikeouts.

Boston’s hitters belted out 10 hits against Miami pitching, effectively winning the game with a three-run first. Pedro Ciriaco (2-for-3) put runners at the corners with a double, then three batters later Ryan Lavarnway (2-for-3) singled to put Boston up 3-0.

Blue Jays 6, Red Sox 5

Bard’s transition to the starting rotation just isn’t going very well. He gave up five runs in six innings Sunday, and unlike Tuesday allowed runs to score in four different innings. He also coughed up leads of 3-0 and 5-3, a very concerning problem for Bard this Spring Training.

The Red Sox scored first Sunday when Aviles led off with a double and Ellsbury drove him in with a triple. Gonzalez then scored Ellsbury with a sacrifice fly to center for a 2-0 lead.

The Red Sox went up 3-0 in the second on an RBI double from Aviles (3-4, two doubles, two runs, RBI) before Bard let the Blue Jays back in the game. The Red Sox re-took the lead when Darnell McDonald‘s triple scored both Aviles and Gonzalez, but the Blue Jays tied it again in the bottom of the sixth.

Boston’s next three relievers held Toronto to just one hit, but Toronto’s pitchers also dominated, leading to a 5-5 tie entering extra innings. Mathis loaded the bases with none out in the bottom of the 10th, and Ricardo Nanita‘s single gave Toronto the walk-off win.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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Non-roster shortstop Pedro Ciriaco gave the Boston Red Sox some pretty good reasons to keep on the squad come opening day. After winning SoB’s inaugural “Spring Training Player of the Week,” Ciriaco followed it up by batting .538 with two doubles and a home run in six games this week. He scored four runs and drove in five.

The Red Sox as a team matched last week’s success, once again going 4-2-1. How’d they get there? Here’s this week’s Red Sox Spring Training Update.

Red Sox 5, Marlins 3 (10)

After Nate Spears bunted his way to first with one down in the bottom of tenth Monday, Ciriaco drilled a 1-0 home run to left, giving the Red Sox their first walk-off win in preseason.

Prior to Ciriaco, the Red Sox had gone up 1-0 in the second on a triple from Mike Aviles (2-3) and an RBI double from Nick Punto. As two likely major leaguers, this sequence is particularly encouraging. The Red Sox added two in the third on an RBI single from Cody Ross and a sacrifice fly from Kelly Shoppach.

Josh Beckett started and went four innings, giving up an earned run on a hit, two walks and three strikeouts. He also hit two batters. Scott Atchison blew a 3-2 lead in the ninth by giving up an RBI sacrifice fly, setting up Ciriaco’s game-ender.

Non-roster pitcher Jesse Carlson gave up a hit and struck out one in a scoreless tenth for the win.

Red Sox 1, Yankees 0

Red Sox swing-man Felix Doubront matched Yankee phenom Ivan Nova inning for inning Tuesday, with both allowing just two hits over four scoreless innings. Both struck out three, though Doubront also walked a guy and balked once.

Following a scoreless fifth from Michael Bowden (one hit, three strikeouts), Vicente Padilla took over and dominated, pitching three perfect innings with four strikeouts.

The Red Sox, meanwhile, caught a break to start the ninth inning. Ciriaco singled, but two errors by the Yankees – one in the outfield, one in the infield – allowed Ciriaco to score the game’s only run. Padilla got the win, while David Phelps suffered a hard-luck loss that really wasn’t his fault.

Junichi Tazawa‘s journey back from Tommy John surgery took a giant leap forward, as he earned the save by giving up just a single with three strikeouts in the ninth.

Cardinals 9, Red Sox 6

Well…. Thursday’s game was one Daniel Bard will want to forget as soon as humanly possible. Given a 4-1 lead to start the sixth, Bard coughed it all up with a solo homer and two two-out RBI singles.

A bases-loaded double from “Who Else But” Ciriaco (2-2) made it 6-4 Red Sox, but Bard struggled again in the eighth, allowing four two-out hits. The killer: a bases-loaded triple by St. Louis center fielder Shane Robinson that gave them a 7-6 lead.

The Red Sox put two men on to start the ninth, but Kyle McClellan retired the next three for the save. Bard took the loss, giving up seven earned runs on six hits and four walks with just one strikeout. Jacoby Ellsbury went 2-3, and Darnell McDonald went 2-2.

Twins 2, Red Sox 1

Boston made its first four cuts Friday, with Will Middlebrooks and six other players either optioned to Triple-A or reassigned to minor league camp. Minnesota finally fought back in the “battle” for the Mayor’s Cup that night, with starter Liam Hendricks limiting Boston to just a walk in three innings.

Jon Lester, meanwhile, gave up two runs in four innings. The Twins went up 1-0 in the top of the second on back-to-back-to singles, then took a 2-0 lead on another RBI single in the fourth.

A double by Ciriaco and single from Kevin Youkilis put the Red Sox on the board, but that’s all they got. With two men on in the ninth, Daryl Thompson struck out the last two Red Sox to finish the save. Hendricks got the win, Lester the loss.

As a small silver lining, Red Sox closer Andrew Bailey pitched a perfect sixth with two strikeouts.

Red Sox 7, Orioles 3

Two three-run innings helped the Red Sox put this game away by the sixth. Tied 1-1 entering the bottom of the fourth, the Red Sox went up 4-1 on an RBI double from Punto and a 2-RBI single from Lars Anderson (2-3). They went up 7-1 on two RBI groundouts and a homer from Ross (2-3).

Beckett started and earned his first win, allowing one earned run on two hits and a walk with two strikeouts in five innings. The Orioles got back three runs on Tazawa, but that just set up Bowden for his second save of Spring Training.

Red Sox 3, Orioles 3 (10)

Boston’s 3-2 lead entering the bottom of the ninth gave them a chance to sweep Saturday’s split-squad double-header, but non-roster pitcher Doug Mathis blew the save, giving up a double and RBI single with two outs. Both sides went 1-2-3 in the tenth, so they called it a draw.

The Red Sox drew first blood in the fifth, with Spears hitting a three-run homer. The Orioles got two runs back in the bottom of the sixth on an errant pickoff throw by Clayton Mortensen – Boston’s only non-roster pitcher in this game – and a passed ball by minor league catcher Luis Exposito.

Will Inman started for Boston, giving up a hit and a walk with a strikeout over 3.1 scoreless innings.

Red Sox 8, Rays 4

The Red Sox clobbered the Rays’ first two pitchers, putting up six runs in the first four innings. Ross and Josh Kroeger hit solo home runs in the first and second, and Kroeger added a sacrifice fly following a bases-loaded walk to make it 4-1 after three.

The Red Sox went up 6-1 in the fourth on an RBI single by Hassan and a run-scoring double-play. Hassan’s second single of the day put Boston up 7-1 in the sixth, and Ciriaco drove in his fifth run of the week with a single in the ninth.

Clay Buchholz continued his strong preseason with five innings of one run-baseball, giving up a solo home run in the second but otherwise holding Tampa Bay to three hits with no walks and four strikeouts. Padilla pitched the final three innings, giving up a run but locking down the win for his first save.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | No comment
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Just as winter finally rears its ugly head up in Boston, the Red Sox’s Spring Training schedule kicks off down in Ft. Myers, Fla. And with preseason games comes Sports of Boston’s weekly Spring Training Update! Need a recap on a certain game? Curious which minor leaguers and non-roster invitees are making names for themselves? Want to know how the Mayor’s Cup race is going, or maybe just what the Mayor’s Cup is? Look no further!

Just two days after losing one of their longest-tenured players to retirement, the Red Sox began their new preseason Saturday with a double-header against some upstart youngsters from Northeastern and BC. They began their quest to reclaim the possibly coveted Mayor’s Cup Sunday against the Minnesota Twins.

Red Sox 25, Huskies 0

The Red Sox’s 25-0 victory over Northeastern would be more impressive if a) the Huskies were a pro team, and b) the game counted for anything. Still, 25 runs! The Red Sox homered five times in this game, including one from Adrian Gonzalez and two from newcomer Cody Ross. Ryan Sweeney, another newcomer, went 4-for-5, while Will Middlebrooks went 3-for-5, all doubles.

The Red Sox lead 9-0 after the second – more than enough for their pitching. Jon Lester started and got the win, pitching two innings while giving up a single – one of just three Huskies hits Saturday, all singles – and striking out two. Michael Bowden and Matt Albers pitched the final three innings, giving up just a single between them while striking out five with no walks.

Red Sox 6, Eagles 3

The Red Sox took a 4-o lead in the second when a single by Ryan Lavarnway and back-to-back walks loaded the bases, then with one out Mike Aviles doubled to left to score two. Following an RBI ground out by non-roster player Juan Carlos Linares, Aviles scored on a passed ball. Both Aviles and Lavarnway finished with two hits.

Felix Doubront pitched two innings of one-hit baseball, but Junichi Tazawa made things interesting in the top of the third by giving up two runs. The Red Sox answered with single runs in bottom of third and fourth, including an RBI single from Linares in the fourth. The Eagles got one back in the fifth, but non-roster invitee Chorye Spoone pitched a perfect seventh for the save.

Tazawa is still working his way back from Tommy John surgery, so his struggles shouldn’t concern Red Sox fans. Doubront, however, could definitely be in the major league bullpen at some point this season, possibly even on Opening Day. Hopefully this win is a sign of things to come for the lefthander.

David Ortiz also played first base Saturday against the Eagles, handling all seven chances without an error.

Red Sox 8, Twins 3

The Red Sox and Twins took a 2-2 tie into the bottom of the seventh Sunday afternoon, then the Red Sox broke it open. They went up 3-2 on a bases-loaded walk to outfielder Che-Hsuan Lin, then Lars Anderson followed with a grand slam to right field to make it 7-2. Anderson finished with two hits, as did Aviles. Oscar Tejeda added an RBI triple in the bottom of the eighth.

Josh Beckett started, giving up a single and two walks in two scoreless innings. Andrew Miller relieved Beckett, giving up just a walk while striking out three over the next two innings.

Non-roster invitee Tony Pena gave up a game-tying RBI single to outfielder Ben Revere in the top of the seventh, earning a blown save and then winning due to the Red Sox’s five-run bottom of the inning. Scott Atchison – another non-roster pitcher – gave up a run on two hits, two walks and two strikeouts over the final inning.

© Matt Goisman for Sports of Boston, 2012. | Permalink | One comment
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To kick off the offseason transactions, the Red Sox announced they will exercise their $6 million option on Marco Scutaro for the upcoming season, even though his role as a shortstop might not be clearly defined quite yet with Jed Lowrie also getting time at the position. Now 35 years of age, Scutaro is expected to share time at shortstop with both Lowrie and Jose Iglesias, who should get more experience at the major league level in 2012 than the brief 10 games he had this past season.

In 2011, Scutaro played 113 games, hitting a terrific .299 and playing solid defense at shortstop. New, Red Sox general manager Ben Cherington establishes himself with the team by carrying out the transaction. It should be interesting to see how Cherington’s approach to free agency this offseason compares to that of Theo Epstein, especially after a season where the Red Sox were coming off of one of their most impressive winters by acquiring both Carl Crawford and Adrian Gonzalez.

Bringing back Scutaro is probably necessary, as he is a solid defensive player at multiple infield positions who has had lots of offensive success at the shortstop position. While the price is high at $6 million for a player who may end up being a backup for the majority of the season depending on the success of Lowrie, I think that the certainty of how Scutaro can perform in Boston and on this team makes him a better option than the Sox pursuing a free agent like Clint Barmes or old friend Alex Gonzalez. Look for Scutaro to have another solid season in 2012 and get plenty of playing time in the infield.

Sox Cut Ties With Wheeler & Atchison For Now

The Red Sox announced Monday that they declined contract options for relievers Dan Wheeler and Scott Atchison.

The 33-year-old Wheeler projects as a Type B free agent. He had a 4.38 ERA over 49.1 innings last season.

Atchison, meanwhile, spent much of the year in the minors.

Both players may end up re-signing in Boston.

© Matthew Bond for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
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Boston just can’t seem to get it together, and lost once more to start a doubleheader Sunday 6-2. And yet again, their opponent beat them down early, and as usual, the Yankees never let them back into the game. The omens started early, too, with Jacoby Ellsbury getting picked off in the 1st inning after getting caught in a rundown. New York followed that up with two bunt singles and stolen bases to start their game, and after a missed catch error, passed ball and wild pitch, took a 2-0 lead.

New York struck again in the 3rd, with a two-run homer from Jorge Posada, who bat fourth in the lineup. Jacoby Ellsbury homered in the 4th to cut the deficit to 4-1, but after two singles in the 5th for New York (the first of which also saw a fielding error on Carl Crawford), New York made it 5-1.

Ellsbury homered yet again in the 6th, but in the bottom of the frame, a single, sac bunt and ground-rule double made it 6-2. A.J. Burnett kept everything going good for the Yanks through 7.2 innings, forcing Boston to waste a lead-off double in the 8th. Boston never got any momentum going, and the way they’ve been playing lately, why should they?

Sox’ Stud of the Game: Jacoby Ellsbury

Two home runs in one game is a good day for anyone, but alas, one man does not a team make.

Sox’ Dud of the Game: Tim Wakefield

Wakefield gave up five runs (three earned) and five walks in 4.0 innings and two batters. Laboring the way he did doesn’t win games, and only taxes the bullpen further.

Game Notes:

W: A.J. Burnett (11-11)
L: Tim Wakefield (7-8)

• Adrian Gonzalez grounded into two double plays, giving him 28 for the season, second only to Albert Pujols.
• Ellsbury is the only person in Red Sox history to have at least 30 homers and 30 stolen bases in the same season.
• While warming up for the 8th, Scott Atchison left the game due to injury. He was seen clutching at his groin.
• Boston is only 0.5 games ahead of Tampa in the Wildcard race with four games left (to Tampa’s three remaining). The Angels are 2.0 games out with four remaining, including leading Oakland 2-0 in the 6th as of press time.

© John for Sports of Boston, 2011. | Permalink | No comment
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