Orioles starter Miguel Gonzalez got the ball and Mr. Mookie Betts greeted him with a single to center to begin the game. Dustin Pedroia popped up to first and David Ortiz lined out to left before Hanley Ramirez got robbed of a hit by third basemen Manny Machado to end the inning. Porcello took the mound in the bottom of the first and struck out both Alejandro De Aza and Machado looking to start. Jimmy Paredes whiffed to end the impressive inning.
Mike Napoli flied out to right to begin the top of the second but Pablo Sandoval singled to left. Daniel Nava lined out to center and Holt grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Adam Jones and Chris Davis both struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second. Delmon Young lined out to center to end the inning. Porcello struck out 5 of the first 6 hitters, guess he was ready to battle.
In the top of the third, Ryan Hanigan lined out to first but Betts was plunked for the second game in a row. Pedroia popped up third but Ortiz singled Betts to third. With two men on...Ramirez lined out to center to end the inning. Reynaldo Navarro struck out looking (that makes 6) to start the bottom of the third but Caleb Joseph walked. Everth Cabrera banged into a double play to end the inning.
Napoli grounded out to short to begin the top of the fourth and Sandoval flied out to left. Nava popped up to Gonzalez to end the inning. The O's struck first in the bottom of the third although De Aza flied out to left to start. Machado singled to center and Paredes then belted one over the right field fence to give the O's the lead. Jones singled to center but Davis banged into a double play to end the inning with the O's ahead 2-0.
The Sox stormed back in the top of the fifth although Holt flied out to left to start. Hanigan grounded out to third but Mr. Mookie walked. Pedroia singled to left and Ortiz then smashed a three run bomb over the right field fence to give the Sox the lead. Ramirez joined the homer parade by swatting his sixth of the year to left, upping the lead. Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning but the damage was done with the Sox ahead 4-2.
The O's answered in the bottom of the fifth although Young lined out to center to start. Navarro double to left but Joseph lined out to center that moved Navarro to third. Cabrera singled home Navarro then stole second. Porcello recovered to get De Aza to fly out to left to end the inning, but it was now 4-3 Sox.
Sandoval singled to right to start the top of the sixth inning but Nava flied out to left. Holt singled to center but Hanigan banged into a double play to end the inning. Could Porcello escape the sixth inning of death? Things got hairy when Sandoval tossed a routine grounder by Machado away but the Sox defense stepped up when Ramirez snared a liner off the bat of Parades and gunned down Machado running to second. Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.
Tommy Hunter relived Gonzalez in the top of the seventh. Mr Mookie singled to left but was erased on the Pedroia force. The Sox goofed when Ortiz whiffed on a blown hit and run, Pedroia becoming the first baserunner caught stealing of the season in the process. Could Porcello give the bullpen a break with a strong bottom of the seventh inning? HELL NO! Davis walked and Young singled to center to chase Rick. Sox manager John Farrell brought in Craig Breslow to pitch to Navarro. Reynaldo sacrifice bunted the runners over and Joseph was intentionally walked to load the bases. Cabrera tied the game with a sac fly as Steven Pearce hit for De Aza. Farrell countered by relieving Breslow with Alexi Ogando (1-0, 3.68 ERA). Alexi had Pearce struck out but the ump squeezed him, allowing Pearce to walk and re-load the bases. On a 3-2 count, Ogando punched out Machado swinging to end the inning. That turned out to be a huge out but the game was tied 4-4.
Just as soon as the O's tied it, the Sox took the lead back in the top of the eighth. Ramirez grounded out to third to start and Napoli flied out to center. O's manager Buck Showalter goofed by bringing in lefty Brian Matusz to pitch to Sandoval. Pablo walked and Allen Craig pinch hit for Nava. Showalter countered by bringing in Darren O'Day to pitch to Craig. Allen hit a routine grounder but Machado went OLE! with the ball, allowing Craig to reach. Holt made them pay by launching his first homer of the year over the right field fence to give the Sox the lead. Hanigan grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox had the lead 7-4.
Touch em all Hitman!
It was time for the Orient Express as Junichi Tazawa took over for Ogando to begin the bottom of the eighth. Craig remained in the game in right and Parades flied out to him to start. Jones popped up to first but Davis scorched a 400 foot bomb to cut the lead. Tazawa's first run allowed of the year. Young singled to short but Navarro flied out to center to end the inning with the O's down 7-5.
It was time for the Orient Express as Junichi Tazawa took over for Ogando to begin the bottom of the eighth. Craig remained in the game in right and Parades flied out to him to start. Jones popped up to first but Davis scorched a 400 foot bomb to cut the lead. Tazawa's first run allowed of the year. Young singled to short but Navarro flied out to center to end the inning with the O's down 7-5.
Former Sox prospect Jason Garcia took over for the top of the ninth and Mr. Mookie flied out to right to start. Cabrera ole'd a ball allowing Pedroia to reach first before Ortiz struck out swinging. Ramirez singled to center and Xander Bogaerts pinch ran for him but Napoli struck out swinging to end the inning. Bogaerts took over at short and Holt took over in left for the bottom of the ninth with Koji Uehara on the mound. Joseph singled to left but Koji whiffed pinch hitter Travis Snider. Pearce lashed a base hit to left but Holt's monster throw held him at first while Joseph took third. This meant the tying run was not in scoring position. Machado popped up to short and David Lough ran for Pearce. Uehara bore down and struck out Parades swinging to end the game. The Sox had bashed their way to their tenth victory of the season with a 7-5 win.
Hero of the Night is easy. Brock "Hitman" Holt was 2 for 4 including a 3 run go-ahead home run.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 3 including a walk, a run scored and was plunked.
David Ortiz was 2 for 5 including a 3 run bomb.
Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 5 including a solo home run.
Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Alexi Ogando got the win by striking out Pearce to end the 7th inning.
Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 9th inning for his third save of the year
The Bad:
Mike Napoli was 0 for 5 with two strikeouts.
Mookie Betts was 2 for 3 including a walk, a run scored and was plunked.
David Ortiz was 2 for 5 including a 3 run bomb.
Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 5 including a solo home run.
Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Alexi Ogando got the win by striking out Pearce to end the 7th inning.
Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 9th inning for his third save of the year
The Bad:
Mike Napoli was 0 for 5 with two strikeouts.
Daniel Nava was 0 for 3.
Ryan Hanigan was 0 for 4.
Junichi Tazawa gave up a solo shot to Chris Davis in the bottom of the 8th.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.
Allen Craig reached on an error in his only plate appearance and scored on the Holt home run.
Rick Porcello gave up 4 earned runs but pitched into the 7th, striking out 7 in the process.
Craig Breslow gave up the lead in the bottom of the 7th but didn't allow a run of his own.
Honorable Mention:
Xander Bogaerts pinch ran in the top of the 9th and played short in the bottom of the inning.
Final Thoughts:
Once again the Sox took advantage of shoddy fielding to take the lead, but they survived this one. A win's a win, doesn't matter if its pretty or not. Its nice to see the offense showing up after taking last night off. Shane Victorino appears headed for the DL again after pulling the hamstring and we may have seen the last of him. The only thing keeping him around is the injury to Rusney Castillo in AAA. We may see more Allen Craig in the next few days, or Brock Holt in right. Sox manager John Farrell has to go with the hot hand and right now that's Holt. Is it possible for the Sox to get a starter to last through seven innings for once? Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action against the Orioles when Justin Masterson takes on Wei-Yin Chen. The Sox look to take another road series and the game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.
Once again the Sox took advantage of shoddy fielding to take the lead, but they survived this one. A win's a win, doesn't matter if its pretty or not. Its nice to see the offense showing up after taking last night off. Shane Victorino appears headed for the DL again after pulling the hamstring and we may have seen the last of him. The only thing keeping him around is the injury to Rusney Castillo in AAA. We may see more Allen Craig in the next few days, or Brock Holt in right. Sox manager John Farrell has to go with the hot hand and right now that's Holt. Is it possible for the Sox to get a starter to last through seven innings for once? Tomorrow night the Sox are back in action against the Orioles when Justin Masterson takes on Wei-Yin Chen. The Sox look to take another road series and the game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.
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