The Olde Towne Team: 2015 Boston Red Sox (and beyond...)

[OmahaBaseball]

The first result is out for the upcoming All-Star game. The American League vote leader right now is J.D. Martinez of the Tigers with 423,806 votes. The National League leader is Clayton Kershaw of the Dodgers with 423,018. Boston has two (2) players (Gray and Swihart) leading their respective positions, with another (Lawrie) in 2nd place.

[OmahaBaseball]

Boston split a 2 game series with the Minnesota Twins.

Game 1: Boston 10 Twins 1 Sonny Gray (9-0) pitched a gem, going 8 1/3 innings of 1 run, 7 hit ball. Gray struckout 10 and walked 1 on 115 pitches. Game score 76. Ogando came in and got the last two outs to finish the game. Hughes (1-4) took the loss in his 3 innings of work, allowing 7 runs (earned) on 8 hits. Game score 14. Boston had 16 hits and 4 walks in scoring 10 runs. Cecchini (3 for 6, 2 RBI & Run), Pedroia (3 for 4, 3 RBI & Run), and Swihart (2 for 5, 3 Runs & RBI) led the way. With Pedroia's great day, he raised his average to .204 on the season.


Game 2: Twins 2 Boston 1 Michael Wacha was cruising trough 7 innings, then let it get away from him in the 8th. Wacha (4-4) went 7 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs (earned) on 6 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 4 on 109 pitches. Game score 60. Tyler Duffey pitched 6 innings for the Twins, allowing 1 run (earned) on 4 hits, walking 3 while striking out 6. He did not factor into the decision -- Game score 63. Kevin Jepsen (1-0) picked up the win, while Burnett earned his 6th save of the year. Boston was able to only get 1 run came on 6 hits and 4 walks. Pedroia went 1 for 2, with 2 walks & RBI. His season average is now .208


Game 3: Rainout!


Season Record: 28-18 (1st Place, 4.5 Game Lead)

[OmahaBaseball]

Boston split a 4 game series with the Angles in California.

Game 1: Angels 7 Boston 6: Red Sox starter Trevor Bauer (5-1) took his first loss of the year, going 6 1/3 innings and allowing 7 runs (6 earned) on 11 hits and 2 walks. Bauer struckout 4 and threw a total of 103 pitches on the day. Game score 27. Angles pitcher C.J. Wilson went 6 2/3 innings, allowing 6 runs (4 earned) and walked 5 while striking out 4 in his 106 pitches, but did not record a decision. Game score 35. Morin (1-1) went 1 1/3 innings to get the victory, while Huston Street picked up his 12th save of the year. Boston had 9 hits and 5 walks, with Mookie Betts going 3 for 5 on the day. Pedroia went 1 for 4, with 2 RBI to raise his average to .209 on the year.


Game 2: Angels 5 Boston 3 The Red Sox fell behind early in this one and just could not catch back up. Marcus Stroman (1-3) took the loss, lasting only 4 1/3 innings in which he allowed 5 runs (earned) on 12 hits, striking out 1 and walking 2 on 87 pitches. Game score 20. A positive note was that Machi & Layne combined for 3 2/3 innings of 1 hit, 6 k ball. Angel starter C. Rasmus (1-1) picked up the win, going 6 2/3 innings in which he allowed 2 runs (earned) on 4 hits, striking out 3 and walking 2 on 94 pitches. Game score 59. Morin picked up his 8th hold of the year, and Salas earned his 3rd save. Really was not much in the way of offense for Boston, with Swihart going 2 for 3 on the day and Pedroia accounting for the 3 runs with his 7th inning blast. By going 1 for 3 on the day, Pedroia raised his average to .212 on the season.


Game 3: Boston 2 Angels 1 While not getting a decision, Sonny Gray pitched an outstanding game, throwing 6 innings of 3 hit, 1 run (earned) ball, striking out 8 and walking 0 on 87 pitches. Game score 70. Ogando (4-1) picked up the win for his 1 inning of work, while Machi (3rd) and Crockett (8th) earned holds, and Tazawa got his 12th save of the year. Taking the loss was Skaggs (2-4) who pitched a good game of 6 innings of 2 run (earned) ball. Game score 58. Boston's 8 hits were distributed pretty evenly, but Swihart did have another solid day at the plate going 2 for 4, with a run. Pedroia went 1 for 4 and his average sits at .213 for the year.


Game 4: Boston 5 Angels 2 What a great come from behind win for Boston. After being shutdown by Garrett Richards most of the day, the Sox were able to put up 4 runs in the 9th to get the win. Wacha did not factor into the decision (5 innings, 2 runs (earned) on 6 hits. Game score 46) but was solid enough to keep the team in the game. Ogando (5-1) earned the win for his 3 innings of work, with Tazawa picking up his 13th save of the year. Richards was outstanding for the Angels (8 innings, 1 run (unearned), 5 hits, 9 k's, and 0 walks - Game score 74). Street (1-3) took the loss and earned his 4th blown save of the year. Bradley had a good day at the plate (3 for 4, RBI), but it was Cecchini who made the difference. With the bases loaded in the 9th inning, and 2 outs, he smashed a shot out of the park.


Season Record: 30-20 (1st Place, 2.5 Game Lead over the Yankees)

[OmahaBaseball]

Quick update to the last two (2) posts, along with a snapshot of the 2016 draft. Not sure what happened, but my last couple of posts did not have the images or the details from the games. That is corrected now.

As for the draft, despite having the 3rd overall pick, I was not very happy with my selection. There really was no one that overwhelmed me. It also did not help that I had traded away most of my picks last year, so I missed out on some decent players. I will make sure that I get Pint on the team. I will not be upset though if I don't sign the remaining bunch who, in my opinion, are asking way too much for what they bring to the table.

[OmahaBaseball]

Thanks to a earlier rain-out, Boston played a 5 game series (including a double header that was held in both cities on the same day), against the Twins. Despite losing the double header, Boston took the next 3 games to win the series.

Game 1: Twins 7 Boston 4: Despite having the lead on 2 different occasions, the Red Sox bullpen could not get the victory. Matt Barnes got the start but could not get a victory. Barnes went 5 innings, allowing 3 runs (earned) on 5 hits, striking out 4 while walking 5 on 102 pitches. Game score 44. Machi (2-3) took the loss for his 1 1/3 innings of work, allowing 2 runs (earned) on 4 hits. Twins starter Phil Hughes did not get a decision for his 6 1/3 innings of work, allowing 4 runs (3 earned) on 8 hits, 7 k's and 1 walk on 106 pitches. Game score 49. Joba Chamberlin (2-1) picked up the win for his 1 inning of work, while Graham (6th) and Perkins (4th) picked up holds and Burnett earned his 7th save of the season. David "Big Papi" Ortiz smashed a 7th inning pinch hit home-run and Cecchini continued his hot streak, going 2 for 5 with 1 RBI and 1 Run. Pedroia went 1 for 2 on the day and raised his season average to .220.

Game 2: Twins 5 Boston 3: Another letdown by the bullpen. Boston starter Trevor Bauer was solid for 5 innings, allowing 2 runs (earned) on 5 hits with 6 k's and 1 walk on 85 pitches. Game score 52. He turned the ball over to Varvaro (0-1, 2nd blown save) and the game was lost due to 3 runs (earned) in just 2/3 inning. Twins starter Jose Berrios (1-0) picked up the win for his 6 innings of work, allowing 3 runs (earned) with 3 's and 3 walks on 99 pitches. Game score 51. Graham (7th) and Jepsen (4th) picked up "holds," while Burnett earned his 8th save. Boston had 7 hits on the day, led by Cecchini (2 for 5, double) and Vazquez (2 for 3, walk). Pedroia went 1 for 4 (.220 season average) on the day. Twins second baseman E. Rosario smacked 2 triples in his 3 for 5 day.

Game 3: Boston 6 Twins 0: As has been the case throughout the year, Sonny Gray put a stop to a Boston losing streak. Gray (10-0) was solid in his 6 2/3 innings of work, allowing 3 hits, 1 walk, while striking out 11 on 91 pitches. Game score 78. After the 48 minute rain delay, he turned the ball over to Varvaro who pitched the final 2 1/3 inning to preserve the win. Ricky Nolasco (2-6) took the loss for his 4 2/3 innings of work, allowing 5 runs (earned) on 7 hits and 3 walks. Game score 31. Boston had 10 hits and 3 walks in scoring the 6 runs. Boston was led by Goldschmidt (2 for 4, RBI & Run w/HR) and Piscotty (2 for 3, Run & RBI).

Game 4: Boston 8 Twins 6: By no means was it a pretty win, but it was a victory nonetheless. While it seemed like no lead was safe, Boston was finally able to lock things up with 2 runs in the 8th inning to make it two wins in a row. Michael Wacha did not get the win, but he did go 5 innings, allowing 3 runs (earned) on 4 hits, striking out 7 while walking 2 on 106 pitches. Game score 52. Machi had a blown save (3rd of year) due to his 3 runs (earned) on 4 hits and 1 walk in 2/3 of an inning.Crockett (1-0) picked up the win and Tazawa earned his 14th save of the year. Taking the loss for the Twins was Joba Chamberlin (2-2) who allowed 2 runs (earned) on 5 hits and 1 walk in 2 innings of work. Boston hitters had a good day at the plate, pounding out 13 hits (5 for extra bases) and 3 walks. Goldschmidt (3 for 4, 2 runs & RBI) and Swihart (3 for 4, 2 runs & 2 RBI) were the stars of the day.

Game 5: Boston 3 Twins 2: Taking the final game of the 5 game series, Boston relied upon Trevor Bauer to keep the Twins in check. Bauer (6-1) went 5 innings, allowing 2 runs (earned) on 7 hits, striking out 5 and walking 2 on 88 pitches. Game score 47. Machi and Ogando each picked up their 4th hold of the year, while Samardzija earned his 7th hold and Tazawa notched his 15th save of the season. J. Chavez (4-4) took the loss for the visiting team. Piscotty led the way for the team, going 2 for 3, with a double and a walk. Pedroia went 1 for 3 and raised his average to .224 on the season.

Season Record: 33-22 (1st Place, 2 Game Lead over the Yankees)

[OmahaBaseball]

Team is still playing well and, according to the bench coach, team chemistry is great right now.

[OmahaBaseball]

Into mid-June now and the latest power rankings are out. The Astros and Indians are playing great ball right now. Boston has dropped a little, but still in the top 10 at 7th place. The Yankees (in 9th place) have really closed the gap over the last few months. The Twins and Orioles are just bad! The AL East is weak, with 3 teams in the bottom five of the ranking.

[OmahaBaseball]

A three game home stand against the Rangers did not end up the way the Fenway faithful hoped it would. In a series that saw all 3 games go into extra innings, Boston was only able to take 1 of 3 in the series.

Game 1: Boston 5 Texas 4: Despite having leads of 3-2 and 4-2, Boston allowed the Rangers to claw their way back into the game. It was not until Cecchini smacked a single in the 11th inning, followed it up with a stolen base, and then made it home on a Mookie Betts single that Boston was able to win the game. Marcus Stroman (6 innings, 3 runs (earned) on 6 hits, 0 walks, and 5 k's on 94 pitches -- Game score 53) got the start for Boston but did not factor into the decision. Ogando picked up his 2nd blown save of the year, Crockett and Layne kept the Rangers in check, and Varvaro (1-1) earned the victory. Taking the loss for the Rangers was A. Claudio (2-1) for his 1 2/3 innings of work, allowing 1 run (earned) on 3 hits. Boston had 14 hits and 2 walks on the day, led by Mookie Betts (3 for 6, RBI), Xander Bogaerts (3 for 5), and Dustin Pedroia (1 for 2, Run & 3 RBI).

Game 2: Texas 5 Boston 3: A 12th inning triple by Joey Gallo drove in 2 runs to lead the Rangers to the victory. J. Diekman (1-2) picked up the win, while K. Kela earned his 3rd save of the year. Matt Barnes got the start for Boston and went 7 innings (3 runs (earned) on 7 hits, 3 walks, and 7 k's on 98 pitches -- Game score 55 but did not get a decision. J. Machi (2-4) took the loss for his 2 innings of 2 runs (earned), 1 hit, and 2 walks. Boston had 7 hits and 7 walks, led by Xander Bogaerts (HR) and Paul Goldschmidt (HR).

Game 3: Texas 3 Boston 0: What an absolute disappointment to waste such a great outing by Sonny Gray. Gray tossed 8 innings of dominate pitching, allowing just 2 hits and 1 walk, striking out 9 on 105 pitches. Game score of 85. While Layne pitched a perfect 1 2/3 innings, Varvaro (1-2) gave up 3 runs (earned) over 1 1/3 innings to take the loss. Boegarts, Bradley & Goldschmidt each had 2 hits on the day.

Season Record: 34-24 (1st Place, 2 Game Lead over the Yankees)

[OmahaBaseball]

A quick look at the AL batting & pitching leaders. As a team, Boston is in the Top 3 for batting average and starter ERA. Swihart still leads in batting average, while Gray is leading in the pitching triple crown categories.

[OmahaBaseball]

A three game road sweep of the Blue Jays was a much needed outcome for Boston given their struggles as of late. It was also great to see Boston run its consecutive innings streak of shutting out its opponent to 21 innings.

Game 1: Boston 10 Toronto 0: A masterful 5 hit, complete game shutout by M. Wacha (5-4) got Boston back on track. In tossing the shutout, Wacha struck-out 8 and walked 1 on 110 pitches. Game score 84. Taking the loss for the Blue Jays was A. Sanchez (5-4) who lasted on 3 innings, giving up 5 runs (earned) on 7 hits. Game score 25. Boston had 16 hits and 2 walks, led by Blake Swihart's 2 HR's (2 for 5, 2 Runs & 2 RBI) and Dustin Pedroia's 2 HR's (2 for 4, 2 Runs & 3 RBI). Also contributing was Mookie Betts (3 for 5) and Bret Lawrie (2 for 5, Run & 2 RBI).

Game 2: Boston 4 Toronto 0: Another shutout by the Boston staff, this time with the combined efforts of Trevor Bauer (7-1) and Tazawa. Bauer went 8 innings, allowing 4 hits, 1 walk, and struck-out 8 on 99 pitches. Game score 81. Tazawa pitched a perfect 9th. Rick Porcello (3-9) took the loss for his 6 innings of work, allowing 3 runs (earned) on 9 hits, 2 walks, and 4 k's in 103 pitches. Game score 44. Boston hitters had another big day, getting 14 hits and 2 walks. Jackie Bradley Jr. went 4 for 4, with a Run & RBI, while Goldschmidt went 3 for 5 with a Run & RBI. Both hitters had a home-run in the game.

Game 3: Boston 11 Toronto 1: The hits and wins kept coming for Boston, with Marcus Stroman (2-3) earning the win and Jeff Samardzija picking up his 1st save of the year. Stroman lasted 5 innings, allowing 1 run (earned) on 7 hits, walking none and striking out 4 on 96 pitches. Game score 53. Taking the loss for Toronto was Hutchison (3-4), who allowed 4 runs (earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks in 4 2/3 innings. Game score 37. Once again, Boston hitters were getting on base due to the 13 hits and 7 walks. Bradley (2 for 4, Run & 4 RBI), Piscotty (3 for 5, 2 Runs), and Pedroia (2 for 4, Run & 2 RBI) led the way. For those that have been following along, Pedroia has now raised his average up to .228 on the year.

Season Record: 37-24 (1st Place, 3 Game Lead over the Yankees)

[OmahaBaseball]

The winning streak continues as the Red Sox beat up the O's during a 3 game sweep in front of the Fenway crowd.

Game 1 Boston 6 Baltimore 3: Matt Barnes (3-3) earned the victory with his 5 innings of 3 runs (earned), 6 hits, 4 k's and 1 walk outing. Game score of 46 on 82 pitches. Machi (5th) and Crockett (9th) both earned holds, while Tazawa notched his 16th save of the season. Taking the loss for the O's was M. Wright (4-5), who lasted 3 1/3 innings while allowing 5 runs (earned) on 7 hits and 1 walk. Game score of 28 on 67 pitches. Leading the Boston 13 hit attack was Pedroia (3 for 4, HR), Goldschmidt (3 for 4, 2 Doubles, 2 Runs & RBI), and Piscotty (3 for 4, HR).

Game 2 Boston 8 Baltimore 3: This looked like the game that Sonny Gray would finally lose. Down 3-0 heading into the bottom of the 7th inning, Boston scored 1 run in the inning and then tacked on 7 more runs in the 8th inning allowing Gray (11-0) to keep his undefeated streak alive. Gray pitched 8 innings of 3 run (earned) ball, allowing 8 hits, walking 0, and striking out 10. Game score of 64 on 116 pitches. Crockett pitched a perfect 9th inning to ensure that Gray got the win. Taking the loss for the O's was Ubaldo Jimenez (1-8), who lasted 7 innings in which he gave up 7 runs (6 earned) on 11 hits. Game score 32. Piscotty continued to hit well, going 2 for 4 (Double & HR), while Swihart (3 for 4, Double & Triple) and Bogaerts (2 for 4, Run & RBI) had a good day at the plate.

Game 3 Boston 5 Baltimore 2: While Wacha did not factor into the decision, he did pitch well enough to keep Boston in the game. Wacha threw 111 pitches over 5 2/3 innings, allowing 2 runs (earned) on 8 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 7. Game score 49. Machi (3-4) secured the victory with his 2 1/3 innings of work, and Tazawa picked up his 17th save of the season. Ian Kennedy took the loss, giving up 5 runs (3 earned) on 9 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 5 on 113 pitches. Game score 48. While Boston failed to put up double digits in hits, it was still solidly lead by Cecchini (2 for 4, Run), Lawrie (2 for 4), and Bogaerts (2 for 4, Run & 2 RBI). Pedroia went 0-4 and dropped his batting average to .234 for the season.


Season Record: 40-24 (1st Place, 4 Game Lead over the Yankees)

[OmahaBaseball]

A cornerstone of the franchise for many years, it looks like Farther time has finally caught up with Dustin Pedroia. In what has been a rough first part of the year, Pedroia has been the center of multiple trade rumors. While the front office has not confirmed the trade discussions, they also have not done a good job at denying them either. Sources close to the team are still reporting that the likelihood of Pedroia being moved this year is high.

What may keep Pedroia in Boston this year is the fact that his bat his starting to heat up. As shown by the monthly splits, he is now batting .300 for the month of June and showed a little power in his bat. With that said, age, high salary, and diminishing skills just doesn't sit well with the new front office. Only time will tell if Pedroia stays in Boston.

[OmahaBaseball]

Talk about being on a roll. With a four (4) game sweep of the Nationals, Boston ran its win streak to 10 games in a row and 14 of the last 16. With a record of 44 - 24 (.647), the Old Towne Team owns the best record in baseball.

Game 1 Boston 6 Washington 1: A nice win for Boston over the Nationals in a game that had a 67 minute rain delay in the 6th inning. Starter Trevor Bauer (8-1) was solid in his outing, going 6 innings of 1 run (earned) 5 hit ball, striking out 4 and walking 0 on 92 pitches. Game score 62. Jeff Samardzija picked up his 2nd save of the year for his 3 scoreless innings of work. Jeff Zimmermann (4-4) lasted only 4 innings, giving up 6 runs (earned) on 9 hits. Game score 18. Boston knocked 13 hits and 4 walk on the way to scoring 6 runs. Xander Bogaerts went 4 for 5 (Run, RBI, Double), while Cecchini (Double), Lawrie (Double), & Goldschmidt (HR) each had 2 hits.

Game 2 Boston 3 Washington 1: The combined efforts of five (5) Boston pitches led to the victory. Marcus Stroman (3-3) pitched 7 strong innings, allowing 1 run (earned) on 4 hits, 8 strikeouts and 3 walks on 103 pitches. Game score 70. Crockett (10th), Machi (6th), and Layne (4th) each picked up a hold, while Tazawa recorded his 18th save of the season. Washington starter Doug Fister (3-6) took the loss, throwing 113 pitches over 6 innings, allowing 3 runs (earned), 1 strikeout, and 2 walks. Game score 43. Boston was led by the hot hitting of Paul Goldschmidt (3 for 4, 2 Runs, RBI, HR) and Xander Bogaerts (2 for 4, RBI).

Game 3 Boston 7 Washington 3: Because of an earlier rain out, this game was held in Washington on the same day that the night game would be held back in Boston. Strange. The Nationals jumped out to a 3-0 lead that they kept until the 6th inning. Thanks to a 5 run 6th, Boston took the lead and eventually the game. Matt Barnes (4-3) threw 103 pitches in 7 innings, allowing 3 runs (earned) on 3 hits, 6 strikeouts, and 3 walks. Game score 62. Ogando (5th), Crockett (11th), and Machi (7th) picked up holds, and Tazawa got his 19th save of the year. Gio Gonzalez (4-7) took the loss, allowing 4 runs (1 earned) on 8 hits, 5 strikeouts, 2 walks in 110 pitches. Papelbon got his 1st blown save of the year. Goldschmidt continued his hitting streak, going 4 for 5 (2 Runs, 2 RBI, 2 HR's). Mookie Betts chipped in with a 3 for 5 day, RBI.

Game 4 Boston 7 Washington 1: Sonny Gray (12-0) had not lost a game the entire season and there was no reason he was going to start now. Gray tossed 6 innings of 1 run (earned) ball, allowing 4 hits, striking out 7, walking 2 on 92 pitches. Game score 65. Ogando picked up his 6th hold of the year. Max Scherzer (5-7) took the loss for his 6 innings of 2 run (earned) ball, allowing 5 hits, 5 strikeouts, 3 walks on 104 pitches. Game score. 56. Bogaerts (2 for 5), Lawrie (2 for 5), and Bradley (1 for 3, 4 RBI) paced the offense.

Season Record: 44-24 (1st Place, 5 Game Lead over the Yankees)

[OmahaBaseball]

I picked up my first "Silver Achievement" thanks to a nice 10 game win streak. Yeah!

[OmahaBaseball]

What a great week for Boston slugger Paul Goldschmidt.

[OmahaBaseball]

Boston is back in 1st place in the MLB Power Rankings. The AL East has become more challenging, with the Yankee (3rd place) and Blue Jays (13th place) moving up the rankings.

[OmahaBaseball]

What a month it was for Paul Goldschmidt. The powerful 1st baseman earned AL Player of the Month honors.

[OmahaBaseball]

While the winning streak was bound to eventually come to an end, Boston still had a great series against Kansas City, taking 2 out of 3 games and outscoring KC 18-4. Boston continues to have the best record in MLB.


Game 1 KC 3 Boston 2: While Boston jumped out to an early 2-0 lead, they could not push across another run the rest of the game. Michael Wacha (5-5) took the loss, despite throwing 7 good innings in which he allowed 3 runs (earned) on 7 hits, striking out 5, walking 1 on 109 pitches. Game score 51. Picking up the win for the Royals was Y. Ventura (3-9), who pitched 5 innings of 2 run (earned) 4 hit ball, walking 2 and striking out 7 on 96 pitches. KC pitchers Collins (7th), Rodney (7th), and Herrera (11th) all picked up "holds", while Greg Holland earned his 19th save of the year. Boston only scratched out 6 hits, with Goldschmidt being the only hitter who had multiple hits on the day (2 for 4). Pedroia went 0-3, and dropped his average to .221 for the season.

Game 2 Boston 4 KC 1: Tied 1-1 going into the top of the 9th inning, Boston was able to put up 3 runs via singles and walks to win the game. In fact, the team had 11 hits (none for extra bases) and 7 walks on the day. While not factoring into the decision, Trevor Bauer pitched 6 solid innings of 1 run (earned) ball, allowing 6 hits, striking out 5 and walking 4 on 113 pitches. Game score 57. Picking up the win was Kyle Crockett (2-0), with Tazawa earning his 20th save of the year. B. Boyer (0-2) took the loss for his 2/3 of an inning work, allowing 3 runs (earned). Swihart, Piscotty, and Cecchini each had 2 hits on the day, while Goldschmidt picked up 2 more RBI.

Game 3 Boston 12 KC 0: While the first 2 games were close, this one was a blowout. Stroman (4-3) easily picked up the victory, with Boston pounding out 12 runs on 15 hits and 4 walks. Stroman was dominate, tossing 8 innings of shutout ball, allowing 3 hits, striking out 7 and walking 1 on 94 pitches. Game score 83. C. Villanueva (3-8) took the loss for his 4 1/3 innings of work, allowing 6 runs (earned) on 8 hits and 2 walks, while striking out 2 on 78 pitches. Game score 27. With so much offense on the day, several hitters had a big game including Piscotty (3 for 5, 3 Runs & 3 RBI), Goldschmidt (2 for 4, 3 Runs & Walk), and Lawrie (2 for 4, 3 RBI, Run & Walk).


Season Record: 46-25 (1st Place, 4 Game Lead over the Yankees)

[OmahaBaseball]

The match-up between the Jays and the Red Sox has been very one-sided this season. With the sweep, Boston now has run its season record to 12-1 against Toronto. Domination!

Game 1 Boston 4 Toronto 0:This was a tight game until the 7th inning when Boston scored 4 runs to take the lead. Pitching before 37,000+ fans, Matt Barnes tossed 6 2/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing 2 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 4 on 114 pitches. Game score 71. Picking up the win was Ogando (6-1) for his 2 innings of work, while Tazawa earned his 21st save of the season. Taking the loss for the Jays was Mazzoni (3-5), who went 6 1/3 innings and allowed 4 runs (earned) on 7 hits and 2 walks, striking out 4. Game score 45. Boston hitting was led by Pedroia (3 for 4, Run), Goldschmidt (2 for 4, Run), and Lawrie (2 for 4, 2 RBI).

Game 2 Boston 3 Toronto 2: Another close game, but another victory for the Red Sox. Led by the strong pitching performance of Sonny Gray, Boston was able to stay in the game until Paul Goldschmidt smashed the winning run in the bottom of the 8th inning. Though not getting a decision, Gray went 7 innings, allowing 2 runs (earned) on 7 hits and 1 walk, while striking out 8 on 119 pitches. Game score 62. Crockett (3-0) earned the victory, while Tazawa recorded his 22nd save of the year. Rowen (3-3) took the loss for the Jays, pitching 1 inning in which he served up the homerun to Goldschmidt. Betts (3 for 3, Run & Walk), Swihart (2 for 4, Run & RBI), and Goldschmidt (1 for 2, Run, RBI, and 2 Walks) were the big hitters on the day.

Game 3 Boston 2 Toronto 0: Despite not having the gaudy record that Gray has, Wacha showed that he is every bit as dominate as his teammate. Wacha (6-5) threw 7 1/3 innings of shutout ball, allowing 5 hits, walking 1, and striking out 9 on 116 pitches. Game score 76. Crockett (12th) and Machi (8th) each earned "holds", while Ogando picked up his 2nd save of the year. The loss was given to Sanchez (6-6) despite pitching very well, going 6 innings, allowing 1 run (earned) on just 1 hit, though walking 6 and striking out 5 on 100 pitches. Game score 65. While Boston only managed 3 hits on the day, it was enough to get the win. Cecchini (1 for 2, RBI and Walk) drove in the winning run, while Bradley went 1 for 3, with a Run and RBI. Pedroia went 0-1, but drew 3 walks on the day and sits at a .238 average on the year.


Season Record: 49-25 (1st Place, 5 Game Lead over the Yankees)

[OmahaBaseball]

The amazing run of the Red Sox continued, this time sweeping the 3 game series from the Yankees. What was interesting about this series is that each game was decided in the 9th inning or later. While it is great to win and be on such a hot streak, I sure hope that the team is not peaking in June/July. Much rather struggle now and peak in October.

Game 1 Boston 8 New York 5: Well not the prettiest game the Sox have played, but some timely 11th inning hitting helped lead the team to victory. Trevor Bauer was the starter for Boston, going 6 innings while allowing 3 runs (earned) on 6 hits, walking 0 and striking out 3 on 105 pitches. Game score 51. Ogando got roughed up today, blowing his 2nd save of the season thanks to the 2 runs (earned) that he allowed on 2 hits and 2 walks in 2/3 of an inning. Layne (1-2) picked up the win, while Tazawa recorded his 23rd save of the year. The loss went to Blevins (1-2) on account of the 3 runs (all unearned) that he allowed on 2 hits and 1 walk in 2/3 of an inning. The big hitter on the day was Mookie Betts who went 4 for 6, with 3 doubles, 3 RBI, and 2 Runs. Goldschmidt also had a another solid day, going 2 for 5 with 2 RBI, Run, and Walk.

Game 2 Boston 12 New York 6: What a crazy game. Up 4-3 heading into the bottom of the 8th inning, when the bullpen uncharacteristically gives up 3 runs to fall behind 6-4. Looking like Boston was finished, the team somehow put up 8 runs in the top of the 9th inning to make this a blowout game over the Yankees. In fact, the 8 runs did not come on any extra base hits, but rather on 7 singles, 2 walks (including an intentional walk to Pedroia of all people), and a passed ball. Stroman was the starter for Boston and lasted 7 innings, allowing 4 runs (earned) on 6 hits, walking 2 and striking out 7 on 99 pitches. Game 54. Crockett (13th) and Samardzija (8th) picked up holds, and Layne (2-2) picked up the win, but also recorded his first blown save of the year. Blevins (1-3) took the loss and the blown save (1st of year) after giving up 6 runs (earned) on 4 hits and 2 walks in just 1/3 of an inning. Boston hitters had a great day at the plate, pounding out 12 runs on 17 hits and 7 walks, led by Swihart (3 for 5, 2 Runs, RBI, HR), Goldschmidt (2 for 2, Run, RBI, 3 walks), and Lawrie (2 for 6, 2 Runs, 2 RBI, HR).

Game 3 Boston 4 New York 3: Another tough game for Boston, but through a little extra innings magic they were able to beat the Yankees once again. This time it was Pedroia scoring from 1st base on a double by Jackie Bradley Jr. Barnes got the start for the Red Sox, lasting 5 innings of 8 hit, 1 run (earned) ball though did not get a decision. Game score 50. Tazawa (2-3) picked up the win but only after he blew his 2nd save of the year. Tanaka threw a great game ( 7 innings, 1 run on 3 hits, 7 k's, game score 72) but, like Barnes, did not get a decision. Betances got his 3rd blown save and Martin (1-4) picked up the loss. Bradley (3 for 4, RBI), Swihart (2 for 4, RBI & Run), and Bogaerts (2 for 4, 2 Runs & 2 RBI) led the hitting attack.


Season Record: 52-25 (1st Place, 8 Game Lead over the Yankees)