Porcello started his day by getting Kevin Pillar to ground out to third. Josh Donaldson grounded out and Jose Bautista check swinged a bunt to Pedroia who fired to first for the out. Good start for Rick. Mr. Mookie Betts gave one a ride but it was snared by Bautista in right. Dustin Pedroia grounded out to second. Xander "X-Man" Bogaerts poked a single to right field to extend the inning. David Ortiz missed a home run to dead center by inches, settling for an off the wall double that scored Bogaerts. Hanley Ramirez fooled everyone on a strikeout by launching his bat down the left field line, distracting the Toronto catcher. Ramirez ran down to first and beat out the throw, advancing Ortiz to third. Travis Shaw doubled off the wall that scored Ortiz and Ramirez before being tagged out in the run-down. Shaw was out but the Sox led 3-0 just like that.
Could Porcello protect this lead in the top of the second? Sox analyst Dave O'Brien jinxed him by saying Edwin Encarnarcion hadn't homered yet this season.....and right on cue Edwin launched a bomb into the monster seats. Thanks a lot Dave. Troy Tulowitzky was plunked but Porcello struck out Justin Smoak. Vazquez and Porcello combined to strike out Michael Saunders and gun down Tulowitzky who sneaked too far off first base. Welcome back Vazquez! Brock "Hitman" Holt flied out to center to begin the bottom of the second. Vazquez lit up the crowd with a wall-ball double off the monster. Jays manager John Gibbons came out to challenge whether Vazquez came off the back. The replays showed he was safe and Gibbons couldn't challenge the rest of the game. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out but advanced Vazquez to third. Mr. Mookie was inspired by Vazquez effort and he singled him in to increase the lead 4-1. Pedroia walked but Bogaerts struck out to end the inning. They had Dickey on the ropes in that inning.
Porcello began the top of the third by striking out Ryan Goins. Josh Thole lifted a broken bat pop up to Bradley Jr for the second out. On the 50th pitch of his outing, Porcello got Pillar to line out to Pedroia at second to end the inning. 50 pitches through 3 innings isn't good, he's only on pace for 6. Ortiz flied out to center to open the bottom of the 3rd inning. Ramirez grounded back to Dickey for the second out. Shaw worked a walk but Holt was robbed at the wall of a hit by Pillar to end the inning.
JBJ flagged down a long drive by Donaldson to begin the top of the fourth. Porcello then struck out Bautista on a nasty front-door slider. Encarnarcion then grounded out to Shaw to end the inning on pitch number 66. Vazquez lined out sharply to Smoak to begin the bottom of the fourth. JBJ singled to right and advanced to third when Donaldson tossed a ground ball hit by Mr. Mookie into right field. Toronto Blue Jays manager John Gibbons came out to complain about the slide by Jackie Bradley Jr. The new rule states that the runner has to slide before going into second and Bradley's slide was apparently late. The umpire told Gibbons to beat it because Gibbons lost his challenge earlier and the game resumed. Pedroia then banged into a double play to kill the rally.
Porcello came out for the 5th inning and got Tulowitzky grounded out to Shaw. Justin Smoak struck out and Goins broke his bat on a grounder to Pedroia to end the inning. Very impressive inning for Rick who's set down 11 in a row and the only hit allowed was the Encarnarcion bomb. Dickey returned for the bottom of the 5th and was aided by Tulowitzky who nabbed Bogaerts at first on a high chopper. Ortiz worked a full count walk and Hanley Ramirez once again chucked his bat 50 feet down the line. Last year his helmet couldn't stay on, this year he can't hold on to the bat. Ramirez eventually struck out. Shaw walked and that was it for Dickey. Gibbons pulled him in favor of the ambidextrous Pat Venditte. He pitched lefty to face Brock Holt. Holt popped up to end the inning.
Porcello returned for the top of the 6th and quickly got Goins to ground out. Thole struck out but Pillar was hit by a pitch. On Porcello's 89th pitch, Porcello got Donaldson looking on a questionable pitch on the outside corner. Porcello had a chance to go 7, where no Boston starter has gone before this season. Vazquez got the crowd up again with a line drive single off the monster. JBJ tapped a slow roller to Venditte who bobbled it, allowing Jackie to reach base. It was ruled a hit and that was it for Venditte. Gibbons brought in Joe Biagini to face Mr. Mookie. Betts proved un-clutch as he banged into a double play, advancing Vazquez to third. Pedroia then singled off Biagini's leg to score Betts and increase the lead 5-1. Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning.
Porcello attempted to go where no man has gone before, navigating the 7th inning. Right on cue he walked Bautista and gave up a 2 run home run to Edwin Encarnarcion.
Tulowitzky struck out and Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough. Once again he wouldn't allow a starter to go 7 innings. Still, take away the two home runs and Porcello didn't allow a hit to any other Toronto batter. Porcello didn't go quietly either. He was recorded to saying "F*cking Bull*ht" as he was lifted.
Tazawa held down the fort by striking out Smoak. Saunders popped up to end the inning. Porcello was pissed, but Tazawa kept the lead intact, 5-3 Boston. Ortiz worked a leadoff walk in the bottom of the 7th inning. Ramirez and Shaw both struck out. Ortiz gave the crowd a laugh by stealing second base, catching Toronto asleep. Ortiz became just the 4th Sox player after 40 to steal a base which included Rickey Henderson, Ted Williams and Cy Young of all people. Hitman Holt walked but Vazquez flied out to end the inning.
It was Koji Time in the top of the 8th. Goins popped up to third. Russell Martin pinch hit for Thole and struck out. Koji struck out Pillar to end the inning on a blown ball four call. Pillar hopped up and down mad, and he had a point.
Martin took over behind the plate as Jesse Chavez was brought in to pitch the last of the 8th. JBJ struck out and Mr.Mookie flied out. Pedroia struck out to end the inning.
Could Kimbrel nail down another save in the top of the 9th. Donaldson popped up to Ramirez. Bautista flied out to Betts for the second out. The pain in the ass Encarnarcion lined a broken bat single to right. Tulowitzky walked to put the tying runs on. Kimbrel said enough was enough and struck out Smoak on a 98 mph pitch to end the game. The Red Sox won 5-3.
Hero of the Night is tough one but I'll go with Christian Vazquez. He did it all, hitting, throwing, catching. The Sox would not have won the game without him.
The Good:
David Ortiz was 1 for 2 with 2 walks, an rbi, a run scored and his first stolen base since July 21, 2013. Travis Shaw was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and 2 runs batted in. Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4. Rick Porcello pitched great, going 6 1/3 allowing only 2 hits, a walk and 2 hit batsmen. He struck out 8 and improved to 2-0 on the year. Junichi Tazawa finished up the 7th inning without a blemish. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless 8th inning. Craig Kimbrel nailed down his third save of the year with a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Nobody today.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run. Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run. Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of strikeouts but reached base and scored on one of them. Brock Holt was 0 for 3 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Well that was more like it. Porcello needed to go a long way and he did, giving up only 2 hits to the pesky Encarnarcion but navigating the Blue Jays lineup well otherwise. The returning Vazquez already improved the defense which shut down the Jays on the bases. The offense continues to score 4-5 runs a game and if they get solid pitching, that's a recipe for success. Tomorrow afternoon David Price looks to go mano e mano with the only guy who's shut down the Sox this year, Marco Estrada at 4:05 PM.
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