Mr. Mookie Betts led off against RA Dickey (1-1) who grounded out to short in the top of the first. Dustin Pedroia singled to right and Xander "X-Man" Bogaerts whiffed badly. Travis Shaw looked at strike 3 to end the inning. The much maligned Rick Porcello (1-0) made his season debut by promptly puking on himself. He whiffed Kevin Pillar.....but Josh Donaldson singled and Jose Bautista homered, for the third game in a row...bing bang boom it was 2-0 out of the gate.
Edwin Encarnarcion singled as all of Porcello's pitches have been up. Troy Tulowitzky hit an absolute rocket but it was snagged in center by Rusney Castillo. Ezequiel Carrera whiffed to end the inning. Three straight horrid starts from the Sox rotation.
Could the Sox rally in the top of the second? NO! Hanley Ramirez popped up on the first pitch and Pablo Sandoval whiffed badly, breaking his belt in the process.
Jose Bautista robbed Brock Holt of a hit to end the inning. Ryan Goins grounded back to the mound to begin the bottom of the second. As if Sandoval breaking his belt wasn't bad enough, a routine grounder by Darwin Barney was airmailed to Travis Shaw, allowing Barney to reach first. So far Sandoval broke his belt, whiffed and committed a throwing error. Josh Thole struck out but Barney stole second. Pillar also struck out but Porcello was up to 44 pitches already.
The Sox struck back in the top of the third. Rusney Castillo started with a clean single. Blake Swihart worked a walk. The Sox got a gift when Dickey sailed a pick-off throw into center, advancing both runners. Mr. Mookie then struck out swinging on a pitch right down the middle. Pedroia grounded out but at least it scored Castillo and advanced Swihart to third, cutting the lead 2-1. X-Man pounded a ground-rule double to tie the game. X-Man moved to third on a wild pitch by Dickey as Sox anaylist Jerry Remy says a gust of wind came through. Shaw then gave the Sox the lead with a ground rule double of his own. Ramirez popped up but the Sox had the lead. Could Porcello keep it? NO! Josh Donaldson doubled down the line and Jose Bautista slugged a two run home run to give Toronto the lead back in 3 seconds flat.
James says "Stop pitching to Bautista!"
Porcello recovered to get Encarnarcion to fly out, Tulowitzky to pop up and Carrera to strike out to end the inning.
Could the Sox rally in the top of the 4th? YES! Pablo Sandoval struck out again, bringing his total to 2 strikeouts, a belt pop and a throwing error. Holt also struck out but the knuckleball got away from Thole and he got to first safely. Castillo stroked a one out double to put runners at second and third. Swihart tied the game with a sac fly that also advanced Castillo to third. Betts whiffed to end the inning as his miserable day continued. Still, the game was tied. Porcello opened the bottom of the fourth with a nasty strikeout of Goins. Barney flied out to right. Thole whiffed badly and finally Porcello had a clean inning, but he was up to 78 pitches.
Pedroia opened the 5th with a single and Bogaerts worked a walk to put quick pressure on Dickey. Unfortunately Shaw struck out. Ramirez then caught Bautista asleep with a single to right that turned into triple because the ball bounced over the head of Jose. Both runners scored and it was now 6-4 Boston.
Could Sandoval finally deliver? He didn't have to...a wild pitch by Dickey scored Ramirez to make it 7-4. Sandoval struck out badly anyway. That's 3 strikeouts, an error and a destroyed belt. Hitman Holt doubled down the line. Castillo grounded out and Dickey was up to 101 pitches. Porcello returned for the bottom of the 5th with the gruesome twosome looming. Pillar lined out to Castillo and in stepped Donaldson. Somehow Porcello got him to fly out. Bautista walked...better than a home run. Encarnarcion grounded out as Sandoval actually made the throw to third.
Arnold Leon relieved Dickey in the top of the 6th. Swihart grounded out to first. Mr Mookie singled and Pedroia doubled him home.
X-Man struck out and Shaw flied out to end the inning, but it was now 8-4 Boston. Could Porcello slam the door in the 6th inning? Nope. Tulowitzky hit a flare into center field which prompted Sox manager John Farrell to have Robbie Ross Jr warm in the bullpen. Carrera grounded into a fielder's choice as Tulowitzky was out at second. Pedroia made a diving stab to rob Goins of a hit, Tulowitzky moved to third on the out. Barney hit an infield single that Sandoval actually saved a run by stabbing at the last second to hold Tulowitzky. Shaw then stabbed a ground ball by Carrera and flipped to Porcello for the third out. It looked bleak early, but Porcello held on to go 6 innings with just the 4 runs allowed.
Tulowitzky robbed Ramirez of a hit to open the top of the 7th as the much maligned Sandoval worked a walk. Hitman Holt struck out and Castillo grounded into a force to end the inning. Koji Uehara took the mound for the bottom of the 7th inning. Pillar grounded out to Sandoval to open the frame. Swihart dropped a pop fly hit up the elevator shaft by Donaldson but Uehara bailed him out by striking Josh out. Bautista flied out to Holt to end the inning. Farrell's gamble with Uehara early pays off as he gets the heart of the order. Good work Koji.
Swihart opened the top of the 8th with a base hit against new pitcher Joe Biagini. Mr Mookie worked a walk. Pedroia popped up as X-Man advanced Swihart to third with a long fly out to center. Betts swiped second but was stranded when Shaw struck out. Robbie Ross Jr took the mount in the bottom of the 8th and got Encarnarcion to ground out to third. Tulowitzky grounded out to short. Shaw then robbed pinch hitter Chris Colabello of a hit by snaring the line drive for the third out. Great job by Ross.
Toronto closer Roberto Osuna was brought in to pitch the 9th just to get him some work. Hanley grounded out to third, Sandoval grounded to second and Swihart struck out to end the inning. Ross returned for the bottom of the 9th to close out the game. Ross punched out pinch hitter Russell Martin and Barney grounded out to Pedroia. Justin Smoak pinch hit for Thole and struck out to end the game. The Sox had won 8-4.
Hero of the Day is a tough one but I'll go with Dustin Pedroia. He went 3 for 5 with a run scored, 2 rbi's and several great defensive plays in the field.
The Good:
Rusney Castillo was 2 for 4 with a run scored. Blake Swihart was 1 for 2 with a walk, run scored and run batted in. Koji Uehara pitched a clean 7th inning. Robbie Ross Jr was outstanding with 2 perfect innings to close the game out.
The Bad:
Shockingly none. Everyone at least did one thing right.
The Ugly:
Everyone else. Rick Porcello fell in a hole early but battled to post an average start. He went 6 innings, giving up 4 runs on 7 hits in a walk, striking out 7. Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored. Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked, scored 2 runs and drove in a run. Travis Shaw was just 1 for 5 with a 3 strikeout hat trick but scored a run. Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 5 but scored a run and knocked in 2. Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 4 with a 3 strikeout hat trick, a throwing error, destroyed a belt buckle...but walked. Brock Holt was just 1 for 5 with a 3 strikeout hat trick but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Once again the Sox offense bailed out an ineffective starter but Porcello hung on to pitch 6 innings, saving the arms of Tazawa and Kimbrel for another day. The offense is continuing to click even with David Ortiz getting the day off today. The Sox have played 4 road games to start the year (2 postponements) and have won 3 of them. Tomorrow the Sox go for the series sweep by sending Steven Wright out against Marco Estrada.
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