The walking wounded list has grown with Alex Wilson being placed on the DL. Jose De La Torre was sent back down to Pawtucket, in their places are the returning Jackie Bradley Jr and Brandon Workman, making his major league debut. Buchholz, Wilson, Morales, Ross, Drew all on the DL with Hanrahan and Miller gone for the season, not good. Jacoby Ellsbury will also be out for the game, just lovely.
The Sox started the game off miserably. Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma was tought, striking out Daniel Nava to begin the game. Shane Victorino grounded out and Dustin Pedroia flied out to end the inning. Allen Webster got the ball to start the game and he went on to vomit up his intestines. Brad Miller popped up to begin the bottom of the first but Nick Franklin singled. Raul Ibanez grounded into a fielder's choice but Kendrys Morales swatted his 12th home run of the year to give the M's a quick 2-0 lead. Kyle Seager grounded out to end the inning. David Ortiz greeted Iwakuma in the top of the second by smashing his 18th home run of the season.
Mike Napoli grounded out to third but Jarrod Saltalamacchia and Jose Iglesias hit back to back singles. Brock Holt's groundout advanced both runners but Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to end the inning. The M's tacked it on in the bottom of the 3rd. Justin Smoak singled and Michael Saunders walked. Webster struck out Mike Zunino but Dustin Ackley walked to load the bases. Brad Miller cleared the bases to make it 5-1. At this point most Sox fans were reaching for their remote controls. They just lost 3 in a row and were getting knocked around again. Then the Gods shined on the Sox as Franklin struck out and Ibanez popped up to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the top of the 4th. Victorino stroked a one out single and Pedroia launched a 412 foot bomb to cut the lead 5-3.
Pedroia makes it 5-3 with a blast
David Ortiz doubled and Mike Napoli joined the homer parade with his 11th round tripper of the season to tie the game. Saltalamacchia hit a ground rule double and Iglesias reached on a strikeout/passed ball that advanced Salty to third. Brock Holt gave the Sox the lead with a sac fly to make it 6-5. Bradley Jr grounded out to end the inning. Webster couldn't hold the lead unfortunately, dropping a turd in the bottom of the 3rd when Morales homered again to tie the game. Seager singled but Smoak lined out. Sox manager John Farrell pulled Webster after 2 1/3 innings and 6 runs allowed in favor of Alfredo "The Vulture" Aceves.
Michael Saunders tripled home Seager to give the M's the lead back 7-6. Zunino and Ackley grounded out to end the inning. The Sox refused to roll over and die in the top of the 4th. Blake Beavan replaced the ineffective Iwakuma but hit Nava with a pitch. Victorino walked and Pedroia singled home Nava to tie the game 7-7. Unfortunately the runners were stranded when Ortiz flied out then Napoli and Salty both struck out.Strangely Alfredo Aceves was gone and in his place was Craig Breslow for the bottom of the 4th, more on Aceves later. Miller singled but Franklin popped up. Ibanez flied out but Morales continued to be a pain in the ass by singling. Seager flied out to end the inning with the game still tied. The Sox took the lead in the top of the 5th when Jackie Bradley Jr homered with 2 out to make it 8-7. Nava flied out but the Sox had battled back again.
Craig Breslow returned for the bottom of the 5th and got a 1-2-3 inning, finally. Pedroia worked a one out walk and Ortiz doubled him over to third off new reliever Danny Farquhar. Once again Napoli and Salty struck out to end the inning. Breslow returned for the bottom of the 6th and got Ackley to ground out but Miller doubled. Manager John Farrell lifted Breslow after 2 1/3 much needed scoreless innings.
Andrew Bailey was summoned into the game and got the final 2 outs. Farquhar got the first 2 outs of the top of the 7th before Mariners manager Eric Wedge pulled him for Charlie Furbush. Bradley Jr walked but Nava struck out to end the inning. Back to the mound came Bailey who gave up a one out single to Seager which was erased on an inning ending double play by Smoak. The Sox put the game away in the top of the 8th when Victorino led off with his 4th home run of the year to make it 9-7
Pedroia lined out but Ortiz singled to chase Furbush. Carter Capps replaced him and poured gas on the fire. Napoli earned the Hat Trick with his 3rd strikeout but Ortiz stole second. For some reason Salty was intentionally walked and Iglesias made them pay by singling home Ortiz and advancing Salty to third to make it 10-7. Holt continued his torrid stretch by singling home Salty, chasing Capps from the game with a score of 11-7. Lucas Luetge came on to strike out Bradley Jr to end the inning but the Sox got their insurance.
They'd need it when Junichi Tazawa came on for the bottom of the 8th. Saunders singled but Zunino flied out. Ackley singled Saunders to third, who scored on the Miller ground out to make it 11-8. Tazawa's velocity was clocked around 91...he's definitely fatigued, not used to a full season workload. He did manage to strike out Franklin to end the inning. Nava stroked a leadoff single in the top of the 9th but 2 batters later Pedroia banged into a double play to end the inning.
Unfortunately, the run allowed by Tazawa meant his tag team partner in the Orient Express, Koji Uehara had to pitch the bottom of the 9th in a save situation. Two groundouts and a pop up ended the game in short order with the Sox winning 11-8.
THE GOOD:
Hero of the night is a tough one. Gotta go with Dustin Pedroia, he came up big today by going 2 for 5 with a two run homer, 3 total rbi's, a walk and a run scored.
Other good guys include Shane Victorino who was 2 for 5 as well with 2 runs scored, a home run and a walk. David Ortiz was 4 for 5 with an rbi and 3 runs scored, tying Harold Baines' all-time record for hits by a DH. Jarrod Saltalamacchia was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored. Jose Iglesias was 2 for 5 with an rbi to keep his average at an amazing .388. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 4 with a walk and a solo home run. Craig Breslow earned the win, improving to 3-2 on the season and getting revenge for the Angels loss by tossing 2 1/3 scoreless innings. Andrew Bailey pitched in with 1 1/3 scoreless innings of his own. Koji Uehara earned his 6th save of the season with a 1-2-3 bottom of the 9th.
THE BAD:
Allen Webster threw up on himself by allowing 7 runs on 6 hits (2 home runs to Morales) and 2 walks. "The Chosen One" has been mostly bad this season, his ERA is a hideous 9.57 and likely going back to Pawtucket after the game. Alfredo Aceves goes here too for taking himself out of the game. Believe it or not, it was learned after the game that Aceves told Farrell after the bottom of the 4th that he simply didn't feel like pitching anymore. He wasn't hurt, he just didn't feel like it...NOW he's most likely gone. He already quit on them once that rainy night against Oakland and he just did it again. Taking yourself out of a game without an injury when the bullpen desperately needs a lift should be grounds for termination. Wake up Cherrington! Junichi Tazawa continued to struggle by giving up another run on 2 hits. The all-star break can't come fast enough for him.
THE UGLY:
Daniel Nava was just 1 for 5 with a hit by pitch but scored a run. Mike Napoli was just 1 for 5 with a Hat Trick but walked and the one hit was a solo home run. Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but knocked in 2 runs.
Final Thoughts:
Finally the streak is over, its a good thing too because Tampa Bay won again. It sucks that Webster puked on himself, Tazawa continues to struggle and Aceves quit on them but otherwise it was a great game. The offense pounded out 5 homers (including another from Napoli which is encouraging) and picked up their pitching big time. The win improved the Sox to 55-37, still 3.5 ahead of Tampa who have won 6 in a row and 10 of their last 11. Something needs to be done in the rotation because it looks like Aceves is gone and Webster can't get it done right now. If Buchholz is still out (which is ridiculous by this point) then who's going to be the number 5 starter? Tomorrow Felix Doubront takes the hill against Aaron Harang.
No comments:
Post a Comment