Yikes! Mookie Betts Will Miss Fifth Straight Game Tonight In Astros Opener

OK, now we're officially worried! Here is tonight's Red Sox line-up: 1. Andrew Benintendi (LF); 2. Xander Bogaerts (SS); 3. Mitch Moreland (1B); 4. J.D. Martinez (DH); 5. Dustin Pedroia (2B); 6. Rafael Devers (3B); 7. Brock Holt (RF); 8. Sandy Leon (C); 9. Jackie Bradley Jr. (CF). On the mound tonight is Drew Pomeranz.

Sox Have Officially Requested Unconditional 'Release Waivers' On Hanley

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After designating him for assignment late last week, the Red Sox (as of last night) have asked for unconditional release waivers on their former 1B/DH Hanley Ramirez. While they have had the last week to try to work out a trade for Hanley, few teams wanted to risk next year's $22 million vesting option that would be triggered by just 302 more 2018 plate appearances under the existing contract. With an unconditional release from that contract (after clearing waivers), teams could sign Ramirez as a free agent starting Friday. The burdensome terms of the 2019 vesting option would disappear in this scenario. Hanley would still be owed the balance of the 2018 contract—which a combination of the Red Sox and any new team would be responsible for. Confused yet? Anyway, it seems extremely likely that some contending team in need of a seasoned veteran at 1B/DH will snatch up Hanley sometime during this upcoming weekend. Our guesses are: the Angels (Luis Valbuena is awful); the Twins (Joe Mauer has been injured and has no power any more); or the Rockies (Ian Desmond has been at The Mendoza Line almost all year). Of course, the nightmare scenario is Hanley going to The Evil Ones (if they give up on a Greg Bird/Neil Walker/Tyler Austin mix). Yikes!

Red Sox 2004 ALCS Legend Dave Roberts Turns Forty-Six-Years-Old Today

"The Slide" (Getty Images)

In case you didn't already believe that everything is about the Red Sox, consider the fact that Manny Ramirez and Dave Roberts were born just one day apart back in 1972. Tell me the stars were not aligned that week. Today, Roberts—the stolen base hero of 2004's ALCS Game Four—turns 46-years-old. He is now skippering the Los Angeles Dodgers Of Chavez Ravine, but in our hearts, he will always be sporting Carmine Hose. "The Slide" could be the most iconic and important play in all of Red Sox history. Without it (and the brilliant walk by Kevin Millar that preceded it and the sharp RBI single by Bill Mueller that followed it ), there might still be a "curse" on our beloved franchise. Alas, Roberts was safe and the rest is history. He was only here for 45 games and the '04 post-season, but his mark is, and will remain, eternal. Happy birthday, Dave!

POLL: Solid Plurality Of Readers Favor Manny Ramirez Over Roger Clemens

Early voting in our latest FenwayNation Poll shows that a plurality of readers (45%) have a better overall feeling toward Manny Ramiez rather than Roger Clemens—when deciding between the two "substance"-challenged ex-Red Sox players. As the chart shows, just 18% have a better overall feeling toward The Rocket, while more than one-fifth (21%) have negative feeling toward both. About one reader in seven (15%) says they have positive feeling about both players. You can still vote in the poll HERE.

Drew Pomeranz May Be Walking The 'Rotation Tightrope' Tonight In Houston

(Getty Images)

Tonight in Houston could be the final chance for Drew Pomeranz to show that he can replicate his 2017 turnaround in 2018. Last year, after a couple of poor months, Pomeranz morphed into one of the best pitchers in baseball from months three through six. This year, over his last three starts, he has gone no further than four innings and given up 3, 4 and 5 earned runs during that span. Overall, he is 1-2 with a 6.75 ERA on the year. He's given up 24 earned runs in just 32 total innings. A World Series contending team cannot sustain that kind of rotation performance for very much longer. Unfortunately for Pomeranz, he has to face an actual World Series champion tonight in the form of the Houston Astros—who are back home after suffering back-to-back humiliating losses to The Evil Ones. They are not in a good mood. If Pomeranz can somehow tame this crew, he will get another chance to stay in the rotation. If not, it could be either the DL, AAA or possibly a trade/release. Stay tuned.

POLL: Which Do You Feel Better About, Roger Clemens Or Manny Ramirez?

Of these two former Red Sox players with substance abuse questions surrounding them, which ONE do you have a better overall feeling toward?

Roger Clemens

Manny Ramirez

Equally positive feelings toward both

Equally negative feelings toward both

 

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Roger Clemens Will Once Again Join The WEEI Red Sox Broadcast Tonight

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UPDATE: Deranged Rocket—"I did it the right way'.
Frankly, we're not sure how we feel about it, but former Red Sox pitcher Roger Clemens will be featured on tonight's WEEI radio broadcast from Houston. After 13 seasons in Boston, Clemens fled to Toronto as a free agent at the end of the 1996 season. And, miraculously, he won two straight Cy Young Awards—more than doubling the win total in his final Red Sox season in both 1997 and 1998. How curious—a 35-year-old gets exponentially better overnight. Hmm. We all know the stories swirling around Roger's substance issues—and his time with The Evil Ones doesn't help our evaluation of him (although, to be fair, he was traded to Baghdad-On-The-Hudson). Nevertheless, we still have a wicked bad taste in our mouth about The Rocket—despite his outstanding "pre-substance" achievements in Carmine Hose. We'll listen tonight—reluctantly.

E-Rod Delivers Best Start Of The Year, Red Sox Get 11 Hits, Sweep Jays, 6-4

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Eduardo Rodríguez worked fast, threw his devastating change-up a lot, and pitched his best game of 2018 in Boston's 6-4 victory this afternoon. The lefty went 6.2 solid innings, giving up just three hits and two earned runs—while walking just one and striking out seven. The win swept away the Blue Jays from Fenway as the Red Sox head out on the road to face the World Series Champion Astros for four games. Boston smashed out 11 hits on the day, the key blow being J.D. Martinez's 18th home run of the year—a two-run shot tying him for the MLB lead (and breaking a 2-2 tie at the time). Eduardo Nunez was solid as well—also going "yard" and knocking in two runs on the day. Jackie Bradley, Jr. continued his hot streak—going 2-3 and driving in the game's first run. Blake Swihart (in his first career start at first-base) had two hits—as did Andrew Benintendi (now hitting .294 on the year). Thanks to another poor bullpen "bridge" outing, Craig Kimbrel was needed again—and notched his 18th save of 2018.

Enigmatic Red Sox Legend Manny Ramirez Turns Forty-Six-Years-Old Today

Where has the time gone? Today, Manuel Arístides Ramírez Onelcida turns 46-years-old. He is still playing baseball (as far as we can tell) for the Kōchi Fighting Dogs of the Shikoku Island League Plus. That's a long way from the glory of Major League Baseball—something Manny basked in for 19 seasons. And, in eight of those seasons, Manny wore Carmine Hose. Did he ever. During his time in Boston, he won two World Series Championships (2004, 2007) while batting .312 and hitting 274 home runs (clouting a career-tying 45 for the Red Sox in the 2005 campaign). In a clear indication of his consistency, he also batted exactly .312 for his entire career—and .313 during his eight seasons in Cleveland. And, amazingly, his on-base percentage for the Red Sox also matched his career number: .411. As quirky and flat-out weird as Manny was, the dude could hit. While his legacy has been at least partially tarnished by his PED dalliances, he will forever be our Manny. Happy birthday!

Blake Swihart Makes His First Career Start At First Base Today For Red Sox

Here is today's Red Sox line-up in their final game of the home-stand against the Blue Jays (and the fourth straight game without Mookie Betts): Andrew Benintendi, CF; Xander Bogaerts, SS; J.D. Martinez, LF; Rafael Devers, 3B; Eduardo Nunez, DH; Brock Holt, 2B; Blake Swihart, 1B; Christian Vazquez, C;Jackie Bradley, Jr., RF. On the hill this afternoon for The Carmine Hose will be Eduardo Rodriguez.

Sox Sign 1B/OF/DH Adam Lind To Minor-League Contract For Roster Depth

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He's already been released by The Evil Ones twice this season. That's reason enough for the Red Sox to sign 34-year-old 1B/OF/DH Adam Lind to a minor-league pact. Lind will turn 35 on July 17th.  After the release of Hanley Ramirez, there was some concern about roster and organizational depth at the spots Lind can fill—so the deal makes some sense. Last season, playing for the Nationals, Lind hit .303 with a .362 OBP and an impressive .513 slugging percentage. He clouted 14 home runs in just 116 games for Washington. Over his 12-year career, Lind is a .272 hitter with exactly 200 home runs and a .795 OPS. His best season was 2009, when as a Blue Jay, he hit .305 with 35 home runs and 114 RBIs. He finished 15th in the AL MVP voting that year.

Sandy "The Babe" Leon Goes Wild At Fenway, Red Sox Smite Blue Jays, 8-3

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As we conveyed to you yesterday, Sandy "The Babe" Leon is having a killer May. Last night, he added to that description—going 3-4 with a 2-run HR and two doubles—in Boston's 8-3 win over the Blue Jays. Also with solid offensive nights were Xander Bogaerts (2-4, solo HR, 2 runs scored) and J.D. Martinez (2-4, RBI). Also chipping in with RBIs were: Jackie Bradley, Jr., Andrew Benintendi and Mitch Moreland. Rick Porcello went 6.2 innings of mostly effective work (just two earned runs)—although things started to seriously unravel for him in the seventh. Craig Kimbrel needed to come on in the ninth to quell a mini-rally in the making for his 17th save of the year. Joe Kelly also put out a fire earlier. A day game today and then it's off to Houston to play the World Champs (who, by the way, blew a 5-3 ninth-inning lead last night in the Bronx).

VIDEO: Jackie Bradley Jr.'s "Memorial Day Miracle" Catch (5/28/2018)

Third Straight "Mookie-Less" Game As Red Sox Pitch Porcello Against Jays

Mookie Betts is again out of the Red Sox lineup on Tuesday—presumably still suffering from side tightness. Here is the lineup: Andrew Benintendi LF, Xander Bogaerts SS, Mitch Moreland 1B, J.D. Martinez DH, Rafael Devers 3B, Dustin Pedroia 2B, Brock Holt RF, Sandy León C, Jackie Bradley Jr. CF. Rick Porcello takes to the hill for The Carmine Hose. We will try to update you as soon as possible on the extent and nature of Mookie's condition—and a timetable for his likely return to the lineup.

The Red Sox Are Back On Top Of The MLB.com Power Rankings This Week

Your 2018 Carmine Hose are back atop MLB.com's Power Rankings this week. Moving up from the #3 spot last week, Boston now rules over the second-place Evil Ones and the third-place Houston Astros. Rounding out the Top Five are: the very surprising fourth-place Milwaukee Brewers and the equally surprising fifth-place Atlanta Braves. The biggest jump of the week goes to the Washington Nationals—who moved from #12 to #7. The biggest drop befell the Chicago Cubs—who sank five spots from #6 to #11. Dead last on the Top Twenty list are tonight's Red Sox opponents—the Toronto Blue Jays, who dropped one spot from #19 last week. You can view the full listing HERE.

Evil Ones Are Sure To Be Trolling For Starting Pitching At The Trade Deadline

The Bronx Embalmers are just two games back of the Red Sox as we pass the Memorial Day milestone. But their GM—Brian 'Little Pocket Man' Cashman—has got to know that he needs more starting pitching to keep pace with The Carmine Hose. His stud is clearly 24-year-old Luis Severino—who has gone 7-1 with a 2.28 ERA. He is one of the best pitchers in baseball. Unfortunately for The Pinstriped Posers everyone else in their rotation has gone 13-10 with a 4.64 ERA. That is not sustainable. So look for Little Pocket Man to dive into those deep pockets and shell-out for the likes of Cole Hamels or Chris Archer—or maybe even a bolder move. For example, there is even some talk (cover your ears fans of The Metropolitans!) that they may pursue Jacob deGrom. Stay tuned.

Will 2018 Be The First 100-Win Sox Season Since The 1946 Pennant-Winners?

The Boston Red Sox have not won 100 games since Ted Williams and his 1946 pennant-winners notched 104 victories. Since then, the closest Boston has come to the century mark is 99 by the 1978 'Super Team' of Carl Yastrzemski, Jim Rice, Fred Lynn, Carlton Fisk, Dwight Evans, Rick Burleson and Jerry Remy (not a bad crew). The legendary, curse-busting 2004 'Idiots' came close at 98 wins—but since then only the 2013 World Series champs got in the same range at 97. Could this be the year that the franchise notches its first 100-win campaign in 72 years? Before 1946, the team achieved the 100-win plateau only two other times—in 1912 (105 wins) and in 1915 (101 wins). In both of those seasons, The Carmine Hose went on to win a World Series championship. Currently, the Red Sox are on-pace to nab 111 wins. However, with the natural ebb and flow of the long baseball season (what the geeks call "regression") that total will inevitably come down. But, still, 100 wins is clearly in play. If they make it to the hallowed "century mark", 'Teddy Ballgame' would certainly be proud.

Sandy "The Babe" Leon Shows Offensive Resurgence In The Month Of May

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You know, he does wear the uniform number "3"—so there's that. Somewhat unnoticed, Red Sox catcher Sandy Leon has found his offensive mojo again—as he did in 2016. As MassLive.com's Christopher Smith points out, in 11 games this month, Leon is hitting .313, with a .389 OBP, a .438 slugging percentage and an .826 OPS. Why? Apparently, he watched video from 2016 and has re-adjusted his stance accordingly. Said Leon, "Try to just get everything simple. Try to lower my leg kick to see the pitch better. I feel like if I strike out or if I hit a flyball or whatever, I feel like I'm taking good pitches, good at-bats and swinging at strikes. So I feel good right now." So, when you see Sandy's name in the lineup, you don't have to groan—because he is once again, "The Babe". And, he's raking.

Chandler Shepherd May Offer Sox Another Rotation Option Down The Road

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Way back in 2014, the Red Sox selected Chandler Shepherd out of the University of Kentucky in the 13th round of that year's MLB Draft (404th overall). The 25-year-old pitcher has had his ups and downs in the organization—but was shifted this year from relieving to starting. Things started to move in the right direction in early May. Then yesterday, Shepherd went seven solid innings, giving up just four hits and a run, while striking out six in the 6-1 win by the PawSox. Shepherd's strong May has been somewhat overshadowed by his Pawtucket teammate Jalen Beeks. But, if he continues to shine in the AAA rotation, he could be an option in Boston if injury or poor performance rears its ugly head any further than it already has. Keep an eye on him!

POLL: Readers Still Solidly Behind Red Sox Decision To DFA Hanley Ramirez

Continued voting in our latest FenwayNation Poll shows that more than four of every five readers (82%) favor the decision by the Red Sox to designate Hanley Ramirez for assignment. As the chart shows, less than one reader in five (18%) is opposed to what essentially amounts to the release of Ramirez. You can still vote in the poll HERE.

Benintendi And J. D. Martinez Go Yard, Propel Red Sox Over Blue Jays, 8-3

(Getty Images)

Andrew Benintendi launched an opposite-field three-run HR—and fell a double short of the cycle—in Boston's 8-3 victory over the Toronto Blue Jays. Although June is right around the corner, this is New England—so the game-time temperature was a chilly 53 degrees. David Price 'weathered' the elements fairly well—going five innings and giving up just two earned runs on four hits. His control was not too sharp, however—as he walked four and struck out four on 95 pitches. J.D. Martinez clouted his MLB (and Mookie)-tying 17th homerun—a 'monster' shot that went over everything in left field. Also contributing offensively were: Rafael Devers (2-4, R) and Jackie Bradley, Jr. (1-3, 2 RBIs, R, BB). JBJ also made the highlight reel defensive play of the game in CF (see accompanying photo)—with an honorable mention to emergency right-fielder Brock Holt. Boston's win, coupled with The Empire's defeat, moves the Red Sox into a full two-game lead on the Yankees in the AL East.

No Mookie, No Pedey In Red Sox Memorial Day Lineup Against Blue Jays

Here is today's Red Sox lineup: Andrew Benintendi LF, Xander Bogaerts SS, Mitch Moreland 1B, J.D. Martinez DH, Rafael Devers 3B, Eduardo Núñez 2B, Brock Holt RF, Christian Vázquez C, Jackie Bradley Jr. CF. David Price will take to the hill for Boston.

"Yard"-Sale: Sox Ace Gives Up Three-Run Homer, Boston Falls To Braves, 7-1

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This was not your typical Chris Sale outing. The lefty went just 4.1 innings, giving up six earned runs in perhaps his worst start of the year. Things did not look good after Sale coughed-up up a three-run shot early on—and, sure enough, it did not get any better in the eventual 7-1 loss. Boston's "offense" was held to just four hits—making Sale's performance kind of moot anyway. This was a stinker of a game, with more bad defense (from the totally unexpected source of Jackie Bradley, Jr.) and a total lack of punch. The fact that both Mookie Betts (slight injury, scratched right before game time) and J.D. Martinez (getting a scheduled rest, we guess) were missing in action didn't help the cause. Of course, The Bronx Embalmers won at The Concrete Bunker On 161st Street—meaning the AL East lead is back down to just one game. Blue Jays in town tomorrow.

POLL: Three-Quarters Support The Red Sox In DFA'ing Hanley Ramirez

Early results to our latest FenwayNation Poll show that fully three-quarters of our readers (75%) favor the decision by the Red Sox to designate Hanley Ramirez for assignment. As the chart shows, one-quarter oppose the move. Frankly, given the largely negative reaction to the transaction on social media in the immediate hours after it happened, we were surprised at the results to our poll. Clearly, Red Sox management has the support for most fans. You can still vote in the poll HERE.

Benny And Mitchy Team-Up To Move Sox 20 Over .500, Beat Braves, 8-6

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Your 2018 Carmine Hose are now 20 games over the .500 mark and own the best record in baseball at 36-16. Today, Andrew Benintendi (3-4, 3 RBIs, 2 Rs, homerun #6) and Mitch Moreland (2-5, 2 RBIs, 1 R) led the way in Boston's 8-6 victory over the former Boston Braves. The Red Sox overcame a 3-0 deficit—caused by the third straight horrendous performance by starter Drew Pomeranz. The lefty only managed to make it through 3.1 innings—giving up five earned runs. The Boston bullpen again shone (particularly should-be starter Steven Wright)—delivering 5.2 innings, while yielding just one earned run. Ironically, that run came as a HR off closer Craig Kimbrel—who notched his 16th save of 2018. The returning Dustin Pedroia went 0-4 with a walk, scoring a hustle run from second base.

POLL: Do You Favor Or Oppose The Red Sox DFA'ing Hanley Ramirez?

All things considered, do you favor or oppose the Red Sox designating Hanley Ramirez for assignment?

Favor

Oppose

 

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Mookie Clouts MLB-Leading 17th HR, Red Sox Roll Over Solid Bravos, 6-2

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At some point, the dweebs in Bristol, Connecticut will have to start mentioning the name of Mookie Betts on their telecasts. It will be unavoidable—as Betts continues to demonstrate that he is the best player in baseball this 2018 season. Mookie notched his MLB-leading 17th HR last night in Boston's 6-2 win over the young, talented (formerly Boston) Braves. Eduardo Rodriguez had a decent outing—but, again, his high pitch count (101) forced him out before he could finish six innings. The "domino" effect this created on the bullpen meant Craig Kimbrel was forced to unnecessarily work the ninth. E-Rod went 5.2, giving up six hits and two earned runs—while waking three and striking out seven. The Red Sox powered out four home runs—Betts, J.D. Martinez (his 16th), Mitch Moreland (his 8th) and Xander Bogaerts (his 7th). Mookie's two-run blast padded Boston's lead in the seventh and gave him 37 RBIs on the year. Boston's revamped line-up (minus the DFA'd Hanley Ramirez), has three players who are slugging over .600 (Betts, Martinez, Moreland). Boston maintained its one-game lead in the AL East and will now play three successive day games.

Reflections On The Always Interesting Hanley Ramirez Era With The Red Sox

(Michael Ivins Photo-Red Sox)

All indications are that the Hanley Ramirez Era in Boston has come to an end. With today's designation of the 1B/DH by the Red Sox, the team has seven days to either trade him or release him outright. Hopefully, someone will agree to a trade for a useful player—which would mean John Henry will still likely pay the bulk of the $15 million left on Hanley's 2018 contract (but do you really care about Henry's wallet?) Perhaps more importantly, the Red Sox will be out from under any automatic vesting option for next season—for which $22 million would kick-in after he reached 497 at-bats this year. Let's take a look at the fullness of Hanley's Red Sox career. I can vividly remember watching the 21-year-old Hanley (clad in green on St. Patrick's Day) playing in a 2005 Spring Training game for the Red Sox. Aside from a two at-bat "cup of coffee" in the 2005 regular season, all of his meaningful playing time came in the four (plus) years between 2015 and last night. In 431 games in Carmine Hose, Hanley hit .260 with 78 HRs and 255 RBIs. He posted an OBP of .326, with a .450 slugging percentage and a .776 OPS. In the rest of his career (nine seasons with the Marlins and Dodgers), he hit .300 with 191 HRs and 654 RBIs. His non-Red Sox OBP was .373, with a .500 slugging percentage and an .873 OPS. Clearly, as he aged (he's now 34), his production declined. He did, however, bring an energy and spirit to the team that will be missed. Who can forget his gesture on April 2nd of this year in Miami—promising a kid a jersey if he homered, then delivering? We wish you the best, Hanley!

BREAKING NEWS: Red Sox Designate Hanley Ramirez For Assignment

In a shocking move to make room on the roster for Dustin Pedroia, the Red Sox have designated Hanley Ramirez for assignment. Stay tuned for more details. By this move, Boston can now walk away from the $15 million or so left on Ramirez’s contract through the rest of the season. The Red Sox have seven days to trade or release Hanley. This transaction also lets the team off the hook for any automatic "re-up" of his $22 million vesting option for 2019 based on getting 497 at-bats in 2018.

'Ugly Ricky' Returns! Has Another Bad Outing, As Red Sox Fall To Rays, 6-3

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Rick Porcello was all over the place last night—missing locations, walking batters, and getting smoked when he did get the ball over the plate. From the very first batter of the night, it was clear that Porcello had nothing. It was another curiously bad outing by the only right-hander on the starting staff—as he went just 3.2 innings, giving up all six Rays runs (four earned). Boston struggled to generate offense all night, finally breaking through in the seventh on an Tampa error. In the ninth, the Red Sox added two more runs—including a homerun by Mitch Moreland (his 7th). The 6-3 loss reduced Boston's lead in the AL East to just one game over the idle Evil Ones. The Red Sox return home tonight against the former Boston Braves—who now reside somewhere in the Old Confederacy.

Rays Error Gift-Wraps 4-1 Victory For Red Sox, Move 1.5 Games Up In Division

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A tight 1-1 ballgame became a comfortable 4-1 win after a rookie Tampa shortstop made a critical throwing error in the ninth inning. The miscue put J.D. Martinez on second base—and the Red Sox capitalized by plating three runs. After that, Craig Kimbrel delivered a "rocking-chair" ninth inning for his 15th save of the season. The key hit in the ninth was a stinging double to the left-filed corner by Xander Bogaerts that scored Martinez with the eventual winning run. David Price delivered another solid performance in the aftermath of his carpal tunnel diagnosis—going six strong innings, giving up just one run on three hits and striking out nine. The Boston win pushed their division lead in the AL East to 1.5 games—as The Evil Ones blew a 10-5 lead and lost to the Rangers, 12-10.

Mookie, Raffie And Sale Propel Red Sox Into First Place In 4-2 Win Over Rays

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Mookie Betts clouted a three-run homer, Rafael Devers smacked a solo shot, and Chris Sale pitched 7.2 strong innings as Boston reclaimed sole possession of first place with a 4-2 win over the Rays. Betts' blast was his MLB-leading 16th and he is now hitting .368. Perhaps the rest of baseball (and John Henry's wallet) will begin noticing that this is the best player in the game. Sale got his fifth win of the year, yielding only four hits and one earned run, while striking out nine. Jackie Bradley, Jr. showed signs of breaking out his season-long slump—smacking two hits and scoring a run. Boston's win coupled with a loss by The Evil Ones, shot the Red Sox into first place in the AL East. They own the most wins in baseball—33.

Red Sox Go Yard Three More Times, J.D. Twice, Pummel Lowly Orioles, 5-0

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J.D. Martinez launched his 14th and 15th homeruns on Sunday—and Andrew Benintendi hit his fifth—as the Red Sox took three out of four from the struggling Orioles, 5-0. Martinez tucked one around the Pesky Pole and the other into the CF seats to account for three of Boston's runs. Benintendi went 3-4 on the day—including a two-run HR. Eduardo Rodriguez pitched 5.2 solid innings—striking out seven Birds and walking none. The Red Sox stayed in a first-place tie with the win, as The Pinstriped Posers were also victorious. Boston also maintains its position as the team with the most wins in all of baseball—32—two ahead of The Evil Ones and Astros and ten more wins than the Central Division-leading Cleveland Indians.

Almost One-Third Of All Who Wear Sea Dog Laundry Reach "The Show"

Want to make it to the major leagues? Make sure you stop off in Portland, Maine. An analysis by the Portland Press Herald reveals that nearly one-third of all players who reach Boston's AA Portland Sea Dogs (31.8%) make it to the big leagues. And, quite a few of them excel. The paper estimates that by the end of this season, 8.6% will have played in at least 1,000 MLB games. The Portland franchise has been in existence for 25 years now—and became affiliated with the Red Sox in 2003. Thus, 97 of the players who went on to 'The Show' were from the Marlins organization (does Kevin Millar ring a bell?), while the rest (118) were wearing Carmine Hose. Some of the stellar alums from the Red Sox organization are: Dustin Pedroia, Andrew Benintendi, Jackie Bradley Jr.,  Mookie Betts, Jacoby Ellsbury, Jonathan Papelbon, Brandon Moss, Jed Lowry, Xander Bogaerts and Hanley Ramirez. So, if you have your heart set on an MLB playing career, ask your travel agent about booking you into Portland. Plus, the seafood is damn good.

Red Sox Go Yard Three Times, Thrash Orioles To Stay In First Place, 6-3

(USAToday Sports)

Mookie Betts clouted his 15th HR—and Andrew Benintendi (4th) and Rafael Devers (8th) also went 'yard', as the Red Sox thrashed the lowly Baltimore Orioles 6-3 On Saturday night. Rick Porcello got himself back on track—going six innings and giving up three earned runs while striking out nine. The bullpen delivered three scoreless innings—including Craig Kimbrel's 13th save. Boston broke the game open in the fifth inning, when Betts and Benintendi hit back-to-back round-trippers. The Red Sox maintained their tie atop the AL East as The Evil Ones also won.

Not The Way The Red Sox "Drew" It Up, As They Fall To Lowly Orioles, 7-4

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Drew Pomeranz can't seem to get out of the fourth inning lately. The lefty last just four last night in a depressing 7-4 loss to perhaps the worst team in baseball—the Baltimore Orioles. The tone was set by the very first Bird batter—who drew a four-pitch walk from Pomeranz. Game. Set. Match. Down 5-1, Boston Battled back, but Steven Wright gave up two more runs in relief and the comeback trail was just to steep. Mookie Betts had another epic night in the loss—clouting his 14th HR and notching two doubles in a 3-5 effort. He is now hitting .371. Boston also got multiple hit games from: J.D. Martinez (2-5), Eduardo Nunez (2-4) and Christian Vazquez (2-3). Luckily, The Evil Ones also lost, so the two teams remain tied atop the AL East.

Non-Discounted Price Fires Complete Game In Sox 6-2 Victory Over Orioles

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Bring on the carpal tunnel, and give it to the rest of the staff! David Price threw a complete-game five-hitter—striking out eight—in Boston's 6-2 win over the hapless Orioles. The lefty nearly threw a shutout, but that was spoiled by a 9th-inning 2-run HR. The Red Sox were in cruise control for most of this game—gliding through with a 6-0 lead. The offense was again paced by Xander Bogaerts (another 3-run HR), J.D. Martinez (another 2-run HR)—with Hanley Ramirez (2-4, R), Mookie Betts (3-4, BB, 2 Rs) and Sandy Leon (2-4) all contributing multiple-hit games. The win moved the Red Sox back into a tie for first place—and gave them the distinction of being the first MLB team to achieve 30 wins in 2018.

Red Sox Look To Become The First MLB Team To 30 Wins In The 2018 Season

Here is tonight's Red Sox line-up—as they try to become the first MLB team to 30 wins in 2018: Mookie Betts RF; Andrew Benintendi LF;  Hanley Ramirez 1B; J.D. Martinez DH; Xander Bogaerts SS; Rafael Devers 3B; Brock Holt 2B; Sandy Leon C; Jackie Bradley, Jr. CF. On the hill tonight for The Carmine Hose will be David Price.

First Red Sox Alumni Game In 25 Years To Be Held May 27th At Fenway Park

The Red Sox have announced their first Alumni Game since 1993—to be held this May 27th at Fenway Park. The three-inning game will start that Sunday at 10:30 AM—before the 1:05 PM game against the Atlanta Braves. Fans with tickets to the afternoon game can also attend the alumni contest. The two Red Sox Alumni teams that will compete against one another include the following players: Wade Boggs, Oil Can Boyd, Orlando Cabrera, Scott Cooper, Jim Corsi, Lenny DiNardo, Alan Embree, Rich Garces, Jonny Gomes, Mike Greenwell, Sam Horn, Chris Howard, Bill Lee, Darren Lewis, Steve Lomasney, Derek Lowe, Mike Lowell, Julio Lugo, Steve Lyons, Keith MacWhorter, Pedro Martinez, Lou Merloni, Rick Miller, Mike Myers, and Troy O'Leary. The 1993 game featured Jim Lonborg, Jim Rice, and Carl Yastrzemski—playing a star-studded team that included the great Ernie Banks, Vida Blue, and Cesar Cedeno. Speaking for us—in addition to Boggsie, the biggest thrill of this year's Alumni game will be seeing El Guapo on the mound!

Please Help Support NESN Videographer John Martin's Battle Against ALS

In October of 2016, John Martin, a highly-skilled videographer with NESN (New England Sports Network), was diagnosed with ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease). For 19 years, John worked on both Red Sox and Bruins broadcasts for NESN. He is a great man who is loved throughout New England for his positive personality, work ethic, and commitment to others. Please support John's battle against this awful disease by purchasing a hat with the logo you see in the picture accompanying this post. YOU CAN BUY A HAT TO SUPPORT JOHN HERE.

Ex-Sox First-Baseman And NU Star Carlos Pena Turns Forty-Years-Old Today

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He graduated from Haverhill (MA) High School and went on to become a baseball star at Boston's Northeastern University. But it wasn't until he was 28-years-old that he got to play for his hometown team. Carlos Pena had a pretty darned good 14-year MLB career—mostly with Tampa (5 seasons) and Detroit (4 seasons). He was signed by Boston as a free agent after a very brief stint as a Pinstriped Poser. In his one year with the Red Sox (just 18 games in 2006), he hit only one HR—but it was a game-winner. He complied 286 career home runs—clouting an American League-leading 39 in 2009. But that wasn't his best dinger output. After leaving the Red Sox For Tampa in 2007—perhaps his best overall season—he clouted 46 HRs and knocked in 121 while hitting .282 with a 1.037 OPS. He finished ninth in the AL MVP voting that year. Today, Pena turns 40 years-old. Happy birthday, Carlos!

'Discount' Sale Hurls Well Enough To Win, Red Sox Power Up Over A's, 6-4

Sale delivers (FenwayNation Photo)

This was not your vintage Chris Sale. Boston's left-handed ace delivered a perplexing start—throwing only 12 of 21 first-pitch strikes, compiling 102 pitches in five innings, and yet striking out nine batters. All in all, it was good enough to give Sale his fourth win of the season in the 6-4 Red Sox win over the A's. Boston's offense was primarily driven by the long-ball—a two-run shot by J.D. Martinez (his 12th) and a game-changing three-run HR by Xander Bogaerts (his 5th). On an unseasonably cold night at the ballpark (53F throughout with a brisk breeze), Sale worked in his signature short-sleeves. Hanley Ramirez continued his clutch hitting—going 1-4 with an RBI and Boston saw multiple hit games from Mookie Betts (2-4, R) and Andrew Benintendi (2-4, R). The win allowed The Carmine Hose to avoid the sweep—which would have been a bit embarrassing considering the talent level of this Oakland ball-club. Now, just one-half game back of The Evil Ones, the Red Sox will face-off four times against the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway—Thursday through Sunday. Tonight's game is the make-up of the rained-out Patriots Day game.

JBJ Sitting Again Tonight As Red Sox Play Rubber Match Against Mighty A's

Here is tonight's Red Sox line-up: Mookie Betts RF, Andrew Benintendi CF, Hanley Ramirez DH, J.D. Martinez LF, Xander Bogaerts SS, Mitch Moreland 1B, Eduardo Núñez 2B, Rafael Devers 3B, Christian Vázquez C. On the mound tonight for The Carmine Hose will be left-hander Chris Sale.

Red Sox Get Lefty Specialist Josh Taylor From AZ To Complete Marrero Trade

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The proverbial "player-to-be-named-later" (PTBNL) has, in fact, been named—at least with regard to the Deven Marrero trade to the Arizona Diamondbacks. To complete the March deal, the Red Sox have picked up 25-year-old lefty reliever Josh Taylor—who throughout his minor league career has kept lefty hitters in the .200 or less range. However, he has not shown the ability to get right-handed hitters out—with those players batting .350 and above during his career. Clearly, he would be used as a "lefty-specialist" if he ever makes it to The Show. Taylor has a 94-96 MPH fastball and a solid slider in his repertoire. He was an un-drafted free agent by the Phillies and has spent the last two seasons at Arizona's AA affiliate. He will report to the AA Portland Sea Dogs to start his career with The Carmine Hose.

Marlins, Pale Hose, Reds And Rangers Top Landing Spots For Blake Swihart

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R.J. Anderson of CBSSports.com has handicapped the likely trading partners that might be interested in a Blake Swihart deal. Boston will most likely have to move the 26-year-old C/IF/OF by Memorial Day—when their roster swells with returning injured players like Dustin Pedroia. The top landing spot is probably the Miami Marlins—who will almost certainly be trading J.T. Realmuto at the deadline (or sooner), and would therefore need a capable back-up like Swihart until that deal happens. The Cincinnati Reds seem like another good spot—they just traded Devin Mesoraco to the Mets for Matt Harvey and badly need a legitimate catcher. The White Sox and Rangers also need backstop help—but Dave Dombrowski would probably rather send Swihart to the Senior Circuit. At this point, Swihart could probably fetch a middling relief pitcher—something Boston could use with the departure of Carson Smith to the DL (likely long-term). Stay tuned!

Blake Swihart's Agent Asks Sox To End 'Super-Futility' Role And Trade Him

Swihart In 2012 (FN Photo)

The vaunted "super-utility" role that Alex Cora envisioned for Blake Swihart has turned into more of a "super-futulity" role. The 26-year-old C/IF/OF has seen almost no playing time in 2018 (29 ABs) and, as such, any trade value he had is plummeting daily. Now, his agent is asking that he be traded. Said Swihart's agent Brodie Scoffield To NBC Boston Sports, "Yes. We’ve had conversations with the team, and they’re aware of how we feel. Blake’s in a really difficult position. We’ve got a switch-hitter, offensive impact player, and his bat deserves a chance to be in the lineup. Blake’s not the type of player that’s going to ask or demand a trade [on his own]. He’s focused on what’s in front of him and happy having a positive impact on the team and the situation at hand. That being said, I don’t think we’re building any type of trade value, nor helping him progress as a ballplayer, nor is the team really being served by him in this role." Since being drafted in the first round in 2011 (the 26th pick overall), Swihart has never played more than 84 games in a season for Boston. In July of last year, after being plunked down in LF by the Red Sox, he suffered a serious ankle injury that sidelined him for the rest of the year. So, bad luck and bench-warming are turning what was a promising career into baseball oblivion. The Red Sox should do what they can to move Swihart and give him a chance to catch every day.

Moronic Glove-Throwing Tirade Might Mean Surgery For Carson Smith

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What is it with Red Sox pitchers and freak injuries? There's David Price and his video-wrist, Michael Kopech's broken hand fighting a teammate, Jake Peavy cutting his hand on a fishing knife, and, of course, Paxton Crawford falling out of bed onto a broken glass (and we're not even mentioning Jim Lonborg's skiing injury). Now, we have Carson Smith flinging his glove in the dugout in frustration and suffering right shoulder subluxation that landed him on the DL. No one has any idea when he'll be back—in fact the injury may require season-ending surgery. Said Dave Dombrowski, "It's got the potential of being a major injury". Dumb. Dumb. Dumb. No other analysis needed.

Pitching Again Fails Red Sox As They Stumble To Oakland A's Again, 5-3

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So much for home cooking. The Red Sox dropped their second straight Fenway game to the Oakland A's, by a score of 5-3 last night (after a nearly two-hour rain delay). Again, its was pitching (both starting and relief) that was the culprit. Eduardo Rodriguez continued his frustrating inability to finish off hitters—giving up three earned runs in just five innings of work. A rusty Steven Wright coughed up another two runs in relief. Despite collecting ten hits, Boston was unable to convert when it counted—scoring only single runs in the fourth, fifth and ninth. On the somewhat bright side, Andrew Benintendi clouted his third HR of the year, and Mitch Moreland stayed hot with two doubles. Only Chris Sale stands in the way of an unacceptable sweep tonight.

Carson Smith Is Placed On The Ten-Day DL With Right Shoulder Subluxation

The Red Sox bullpen suffered a major blow today as reliever Carson Smith was placed on the 10-day disabled list with right shoulder subluxation. Smith's spot on the 25-man roster has been filled by left-handed reliever Bobby Poyner—who was recalled from the team's AAA Pawtucket farm club. The 28-year-old Smith has made just 29 appearances over three seasons in Carmine Hose—this year, going 1-1 with a 3.77 ERA in just 14.1 innings of work. Smith was acquired before the 2016 season—along with Roenis Elias—in a trade with the Seattle Mariners for Jonathan Aro and Wade Miley.

POLL: Readers Give Resounding "NO!" To Nixing 'Sweet Caroline' At Fenway

Final results to our latest FenwayNation Poll show an overwhelming negative reaction to 'deep-sixing' the singing of "Sweet Caroline" before the bottom of the eighth inning at Fenway Park. As the chart shows, almost four in five readers (79%) come down on the side of keeping the Neil Diamond standard. Interestingly, 8% want to scrap any signing of anything during that time at Fenway—while 6% favor switching out "Sweet Caroline" for the Dropkick Murphys tune, "Shipping Up to Boston". About as many (7%) would opt for ditching "Sweet Caroline" for some other ditty. Apparently, though, the people have spoken. It's "So good!, So good!, So good!" for the foreseeable future.

Reports Indicate Robinson Canó Will Be Suspended 80 Games For PED Use

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Current Mariner and former Yankee Robinson Canó will reportedly be suspended 80 games by MLB for steroid use. The Seattle second-baseman was recently placed on the 10-day disabled list with a fractured fifth metacarpal on his right hand. One of the reports comes from MLB Network Insider Ken Rosenthal, who stated the following in a Tweet: "Source confirms: #Mariners’ Canó will be suspended 80 games for violating baseball’s joint drug agreement." In 39 games this season, Canó was hitting .287 with 4 HRs and 23 RBIs. Before signing with the Mariners as a free-agent before the 2014 season, Canó spent nine seasons in the Bronx as a member of the Yankees. He hit .309 with 204 HRs as a member of The Pinstriped Posers. Over his entire 14-year MLB career, he has hit .304, with 305 HRs, 1,206 RBIs, a .493 slugging percentage and an .848 OPS. He has driven in more than 100 runs four different times in his career. Canó is an eight-time All-Star. Stay tuned for further developments.

"No-So-Pretty-Ricky" Takes First Loss As Red Sox Fall to Oakland, 6-5

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It was Rick Porcello's first loss of the season—but his second straight bad outing. The righty went six innings giving up five runs on nine hits and giving up two HRs. Boston's offense tried to bail him out, but even nine hits of their own fell short in the 6-5 loss. Rafael Devers (#7) and J.D. Martinez (#11) homered, but when Carson Smith ave up another Oakland HR in the eighth, it was too much to overcome. Mookie Betts went 2-5 —placing his MLB-leading average at .362, while Hanley Ramirez knocked in two runs (which briefly gave Boston a one-run lead). This is a dispiriting loss—which plunges Boston one-half game back of the idle Empire. With a supposed ace on the mound, at home, scoring five runs—you have to win. Bad loss, no biscuit.

Velazquez Placed On DL With 'Fenway Flu', Wright Returns From Suspension

Red Sox pitcher Hector Velazquez was placed on the 10-day disabled list today with a "low back strain". This, despite pitching two scoreless innings of relief in yesterday's 5-3 win at SkyDome with little, if any, visible discomfort. In a related move, Steven Wright was activated and placed on the major league roster after serving his suspension. It will be interesting to see how long Velazquez suffers from this severe case of the 'Fenway Flu'. He was 5-0 with a stellar 2.10 ERA in 10 games with the big club.