Carlos Carrasco was hardly sharp but Clay Buchholz was downright awful. In the end, it was the bullpen that gave the game away but they never should have been in that position to begin with. Mr. Mookie Betts led the game off and whiffed on a 2-2 fastball. Dustin Pedroia got his first of the season with a ground rule double to right. Xander "X-Man" Bogaerts worked a walk on a 3-2 count, driving up the pitch count early. David Ortiz lined out to left and Hanley Ramirez swung on a 3-0 pitch, meekly grounding out to Carassco to end the inning. Leaving two men on the field isn't good, but Carassco was leaving fastballs up in the zone. Clay Buchholz took the mound for the bottom of the first and struck out Fransisco Lindor on a 3-2 count. Jose Ramirez singled to center and Jason Kipnis doubled him home for the game's first run. Mike Napoli walked and Carlos Santana cleared the bases with a 3 run bomb. Just like that it was 4-0 Cleveland. Yan Gomes flied out to right but Marlon Byrd grounded out to end the inning but the damage was done.
Travis Shaw tried to start a rally in the top of the second with a single to left. Brock "The Hitman" Holt answered Santana with a 2 run shot to left to cut the lead 4-2. Blake Swihart hit a shot to the wall in center but it died at the wall. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out and Mr Mookie lined out sharply to center to end the inning. Some very loud outs and the Sox had Carrasco on the run. Could Buchholz keep it at 4-2? NO! Juan Uribe grounded out to X-Man on the first pitch of the bottom of the second inning. Tyler Naquin singled on a 3-2 count and advanced to second on a ground out by Lindor nabbed by Hanley. A base hit by Ramirez scored Naquin when the throw by JBJ went off the line. Kipnis walked as analyst Jerry Remy says Buchholz doesn't look comfortable at all. Napoli grounded out to end the inning but it was back to a 3 run deficit.
Pedroia led off the top of the third with a ground out and Bogaerts whiffed badly. Ortiz grounded out to Napoli as Carrasco gets his first clean inning. Could Buchholz respond with a clean inning of his own? NO! Carlos Santana stroked a leadoff double when Sox defenders were slipping and sliding all over the wet surface. Noe Ramirez began to warm up as John Farrell had seen enough. Clay somehow struck out Gomes and got Byrd to pop up. Uribe flied out to Bradley to end the inning. Finally a shutout inning for Buchholz.
Could the Sox rally a second time? Hanley Ramirez opened the top of the 4th with a horrific strikeout. Shaw popped up and Hitman Holt singled to center. Swihart then whiffed badly to end the inning. Buchholz returned for the bottom of the fourth and whiffed Naquin, then Lindor back to back. Ramirez lined out to Shaw to end the inning. Finally a clean inning.
JBJ grounded out to begin the top of the 5th. Mr. Mookie grounded out to second as Kipnis went "Ole!" on a liner by Pedroia. X-Man grounded out to end the inning. Carrasco was in a groove and Buchholz was just about finished. Noe Ramirez began to warm up again as Buchholz walked Kipnis to open the bottom of the fourth inning. Farrell had seen enough and lifted Clay for Ramirez. Clay threw 94 pitches and lasted only 4 inning, giving up 5 runs....terrible.
Ramirez made an immediate splash by inducing Napoli to bang into a double play. Santana flied out to deep center to end the inning.
David Ortiz greeted Carrasco in the top of the 6th with a solo blast to center, number 505, to cut the lead 5-3. Hanley Ramirez said "anything you can do, I can do better" by launching his first home run of the year almost in the same spot. That was it for Carrasco as Indians manager Terry Francona lifted him for Ross Detwiler. Sox manager John Farrell countered by pinch hitting Travis Shaw with Chris Young, who hits lefties well. Young lifted a routinely fly that Naquin and Ramirez muffed, allowing Young to reach second. Holt worked a walk. Swihart walked to load the bases and JBJ tied the game with a sac fly, scoring Young plus advancing Holt to third. Zach McAllister was brought in to relieve Detwiler. Betts than grounded to third and was thrown out at first, but the alert Holt scampered home to give the Sox a 6-5 lead. Pedroia lined out to first but the Sox had roared back. Could they keep the lead? NO! Chris Young moved to left field while Brock Holt moved to third. It was a costly mistake by John Farrell. Gomes walked and Byrd hit a flare down the line that moved Gomes to third. Uribe hit a sac fly that scored Gomes to tie the game. Farrell then lifted Ramirez for Robbie Ross Jr. Rajai Davis hit for Naquin and lined out. Holt then booted a grounder hit by Lindor and there were now two men on. Ramirez lined out to right to end the inning. So much for the lead.
X-Man grounded out to begin the top of the 7th. Ortiz flied out to center but Hanley singled. The much maligned Pablo Sandoval then pinch hit for Young. Ramirez caught the Indians napping by stealing second and advanced to third on a wild pitch. Could Sandoval give the Sox the lead back? A meek line out to center answered that.
Junichi Tazawa (0-1) was brought in to pitch the bottom of the 7th. Things started promising when Kipnis flied out, but in stepped old friend Mike Napoli. You'd think Tazawa knew him enough not to leave one in his wheelhouse, nope. BANG! Napoli swatted a solo shot to left to give the Indians the lead back, 7-6.
Santana walked and it was clear Taz had nothing tonight. Farrell lifted him for Matt Barnes who was ready. Matt got Gomes to line out and whiffed Byrd to end the inning.
The Sox tried to rally in the 8th against Bryan Shaw. Holt grounded out and Swihart lined out. JBJ singled to put the tying run on but Mr. Mookie struck out to end the inning. Barnes returned for the bottom of the 8th and got Uribe to line out. Davis singled and stole second before Lindor walked. Davis tried for third and Swihart gunned him down. The replays showed Davis beat out the throw but strangely Terry Francona didn't challenge. Ramirez struck out to end the inning. Had the Sox mounted a comeback, not challenging there would have loomed large.
Cleveland closer Cody Allen took the mound for the top of the 9th. He retired Pedroia by fly out and Bogaerts by strikeout. David Ortiz was the last chance and hit one deep to left....caught at the wall for the third out. It would have been off the wall at Fenway but it was the end of the game here. The Indians had won 7-6
Jackass of the Night is a tough one. I have to go with Junichi Tazawa on this one. Yes, Buchholz stunk the joint out, but he was long gone by the time the Sox had taken the lead. Tazawa should have known better not to serve up a meatball to Napoli
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5. Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a solo shot in the 6th. Travis Shaw was 1 for 2 with a run scored before he was removed. Chris Young reached base and scored in his only at-bat. Brock Holt was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbi's and 2 runs scored. Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with an rbi. Robbie Ross Jr retired the only two men he faced. Matt Barnes pitched 1 2/3 innings of scoreless relief.
The Bad:
Pablo Sandoval lined out with the go-ahead run at third in his only at-bat. Clay Buchholz stunk in his season debut. He allowed 5 earned runs on 6 hits and 3 walks in just 4 innings.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 5 but scored a run. Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 but walked. David Ortiz was just 1 for 5 but the one was a solo shot that started the 6th inning rally. Blake Swihart was 0 for 3 but walked and gunned down Davis at third. Noe Ramirez gave up the lead in the 6th but mopped up for Buchholz the inning before.
Final Thoughts:
Not what the Sox needed out of Buchholz tonight. They showed some guts by rallying twice, down 4-0 and 5-2 but couldn't complete the comeback. The problem was the lousy starting pitching by Buchholz that led to 5 innings of relief work. If Buchholz doesn't get his head on right, this is going to be another long year. Tomorrow night at 6:05, Joe Kelly makes his season debut against Danny Salazar. Hopefully Kelly can keep up the momentum he built after going 8-0 to end last season.
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