After the Red Sox got shelled by the Baltimore Orioles last night, falling behind 5-3 in tonight's game to the Toronto Blue Jays made the outlook bleak. Luckily Hanley Ramirez and Mookie Betts were around to save the day. Ramirez scored Betts with a sac fly to tie the game in the bottom of the eighth and Betts drove home the winning run in the bottom of the ninth to give the Sox a hard fought 6-5 win over the Jays at Fenway Park.
Joe Kelly got the start for the Sox and the Jays pounded him in the top of the first inning. Jose Reyes hit a seeing eye single to left before swiping second. Devon Travis singled to right with Brock "The Hitman" Holt playing deep and Reyes scored to put the Jays up early. Josh Donaldson walked but Kelly somehow blew away Jose Bautista. Edwin Encarnacion popped up to right but Russell Martin drilled a double into the left field corner to score both runners to put Toronto up big early. Michael Saunders flied out to deep center to end the inning but the Jays were up 3-0 early.
Aaron Sanchez got the ball to start the bottom of the first and the Sox struck back. Mr. Mookie Betts led the inning off with a walk but was thrown out trying to steal. Dustin Pedroia walked and David Ortiz doubled into the left field corner. Hanley Ramirez whiffed but Pablo Sandoval singled off the Monster on a 3-0 count to score both runners. Daniel Nava watched strike three go by but the Sox were back in it down 3-2.
Kelly turned up the heat in the top of the second inning as he froze Kevin Pillar for strike three to start. Kelly blew away both Dalton Pompey and Reyes to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Hitman Holt looked at strike three to start. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third before Ryan Hanigan was frozen for strike three to end the inning.
The Jays struck again in the top of the third when Travis launched a bomb into the Monster Seats to increase the lead. Donaldson whiffed on a hanging curve before Bautista took strike three. Encarnacion whiffed to end the inning but it was 4-2 Jays
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Mr. Mookie whiffed to start before Pedroia popped up to center before Ortiz lined out to right to end the inning.
The Jays attacked again in the top of the fourth inning as Martin drew a leadoff walk to start. Saunders walked and Pillar singled home Martin to increase the lead. Sandoval dove to make a diving catch off a Pompey bunt attempt but hurt himself. Reyes banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were down 5-2.
The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Ramirez whiffed to start. Sandoval drilled his second home run of the season into the bullpen to cut the lead. Nava grounded out to first before Holt grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox down 5-3.
Kelly cruised in the top of the fifth as he blew away Travis to start. Donaldson whiffed before Bautista grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox continued the comeback in the bottom of the fifth although Bogaerts whiffed to start. Hanigan grounded back to the mound but Mr. Mookie doubled to the left field wall. Pedroia hit a ball back to the mound but Sanchez threw it into the camera well to score Betts and advance Pedroia on the error. Ortiz grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox were down 5-4.
Sandoval ended up fainting in the dugout and had to be loaded onto an ambulance headed for Mass General's ICU, so Allen Craig took his spot in the batting order. Holt moved to third, Craig took over at first and Nava moved to right to start the top of the sixth inning. Encarnacion grounded out to second to begin before Martin grounded back to the mound. Kelly earned his 10th strikeout of the night by blowing away Saunders to end the inning. Kelly was all over the place tonight, giving up 5 runs but striking out 10.
Sanchez returned for the bottom of the sixth and Ramirez was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start. Craig was robbed of a hit by Donaldson and that was it for Sanchez. Aaron Loup came in to face Nava and Daniel hit a liner off the glove of and but right to Donaldson who fired to first for the out to end the inning.
Alexi Ogando came in for the top of the seventh inning and Pillar doubled off the Monster to start. Pompey flied out to right but Pillar moved to third. Ogando blew away Reyes and Bogaerts made an amazing throw on a grounder by Travis to end the inning. Donaldson made a leaping catch to rob Holt of a hit to start the bottom of the seventh before Bogaerts popped up to second. Hanigan grounded out to second to end the inning.
Ogando returned for the top of the eighth inning and Donaldson grounded out to first to begin. Bautista drew a walk but Encarnacion lined out to a running Ramirez. Martin whiffed to end the inning, good work Ogando. Roberto Osuna came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and the Sox rallied. Mr. Mookie singled off the Monster before Pedroia dumped a base hit to left. A wild pitch moved the runners over so Ortiz was intentionally walked. Pompey made an amazing diving catch to rob Ramirez of a bases clearing double...but Betts scored to tie the game on the "sac fly". Craig watched strike three go by before Donaldson made another leaping grab to rob Nava of a hit to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
One half of The Orient Express, Koji Uehara came in for the top of the ninth inning. Saunders whiffed to start before Pillar also struck out swinging. Pompey popped up to third to end the inning. Miguel Castro came in to pitch the fateful bottom of the ninth but Holt whiffed to start. Bogaerts lined a base hit throught the hole into left before Hanigan singled up the middle. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Betts singled through the hole in short to score Bogaerts with the winning run. The Sox had walked it off 6-5.
Hero of the Night is Mookie Betts. He got the walkoff hit to win the game.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Pablo Sandoval was 2 for 2 with 3 total rbis and a 2 run home run.
Alexi Ogando tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Koji Uehara earned the win with a scoreless 9th.
The Bad:
Allen Craig was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Daniel Nava was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Joe Kelly allowed 5 runs in 6 innings of work.
The Ugly:
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in the tying run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Ryan Hanigan was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
That was a good win considering the Sox had to scratch and claw to get back in the game. Getting Aaron Sanchez out of the game was clutch because they got to the Jays bullpen for the late inning runs. The offense looks like they have something with Betts and Bogaerts as the future stars with Ortiz and Pedroia the holdovers. Ramirez and Sandoval better live up to their pricetags and today they did. Kelly had a weird start because he looked dominant at times and batting practice other times. All in all it was a good win and the Sox need to keep up this momentum in the next few games. Tomorrow evening Clay Buchholz gets the start for the Sox going up against Marco Estrada at 6:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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