As for the game, its about time the bats woke up to match the pitching. "Slick" Rick Porcello (8-23.76 ERA) improved to 6-0 at Fenway as he tossed 6 solid innings against the Seattle Mariners. Jackie Bradley Jr and Xander Bogaerts both went yard as the Sox offense put 6 runs on the board. The Orient Express and Craig Kimbrel were able to lock down the final three innings to save the game. The Sox broke their two game rut with a 6-2 win at Fenway Park.
Cael Sanderson approves of the win
Porcello got the ball in the top of the first and Mariners wasted no time getting to him. Leonys Martin hit a rocket off the glove of Xander Bogaerts that was ruled a hit before Seth Smith hit a roller into right for a hit. Christian Vazquez dropped a strike three ball from Robinson Cano and Cano made him pay with a base hit to right to load the bases with nobody out. Porcello did manage to get Nelson Cruz to bang into a double play, but Martin scored to put the Mariners on top. Kyle Seager popped up to left to end the inning with the Mariners up 1-0. Porcello dodged a bullet there.
Adrian Sampson made his major league debut in the bottom of the first for the Mariners and Mr. Mookie Betts greeted him with a seeing eye single up the middle. Dustin Pedroia was initially ruled safe on a double play ball but Seattle challenged the call. The replay showed Pedroia was out and Xander Bogaerts dropped an opposite field single to right. David Ortiz dumped a base hit to center but Hanley Ramirez popped up to Cano in shallow center to end the inning.
The Mariners struck again in the top of the second inning as Adam Lind smashed a home run into the Charles River to increase the lead. Steve Clevenger hit a line shot to left for a hit but Nori Aoki banged into a double play. Ketel Marte popped up to Bogaerts to end the inning but the Mariners were up 2-0.
The Sox looked to rally when Jackie Bradley Jr walked to start the bottom of the second but Travis Shaw struck out swinging on an inside slider. Chris Young hit a bullet off the right arm of Sampson but JBJ was forced at second. Christian Vazquez grounded out to second to end the inning.
Martin singled past the diving Pedroia to open the top of the third and Smith doubled off the Monster to put Porcello on the ropes. The game turned when Porcello bore down to punch out both Cano and Cruz before getting Seager to ground out to second to end the inning. That proved to be the biggest inning of the game considering that could have gotten a lot worse. The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the third as Mr. Mookie lined out to center to start. Pedroia lined out to right and Bogaerts was rung up for strike three to end the inning.
Lind hit a rocket but right to Betts to start the top of the fourth before Porcello got Clevenger to swing and miss at a nasty changeup. Aoki flied out to JBJ at the left field wall to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fourth although Ortiz flied out to left to start. Hanley hit a little roller back to the mound but JBJ pounded his 12th home run of the season to get the Sox on the board. Shaw just missed a home run by flying out to the right field wall but the Sox were down 2-1.
Bradley hits one out
Porcello got Marte to ground out to short to start the top of the fifth before getting Martin to swing and miss at strike three. Smith caught the Sox asleep with a bunt single down the third base line but Cano grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox finally sprang to life in the bottom of the fifth as Young singled off the Monster to start. Vazquez broke his slump by dumping a base hit to right and Mr. Mookie tied the game with a base hit to right, moving Vazquez to third. Pedroia banged into a double play to score Vazquez to give the Sox the lead. Bogaerts then crushed his 9th home run of the season to increase the lead. That was it for Sampson as Mike Montgomery came in to pitch to Ortiz. Ortiz grounded into the shift to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.
Porcello came back for one last inning in the top of the sixth as Cruz grounded out to third to start. Seager whiffed on a nasty changeup and Lind also fanned on a change to end the outing for Porcello. Rick got hit early but survived to toss 6 innings of 2 run ball.
The Sox got another run in the bottom of the sixth as Hanley ate up Marte with a grounder to reach on a single to start. JBJ whiffed but Shaw blooped a base hit to center. Young whiffed but Vazquez ripped a double down the left field line to score Hanley with another run. Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.
It was time for The Orient Express as Junichi Tazawa was first out of the pen in the top of the seventh inning. JBJ made a running catch on a Clevenger liner to start but Aoki poked a single up the middle. Marte beat out a double play ball but Martin popped up to left to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Pedroia lined right back to the mound to start. Bogaerts grounded out to second and Ortiz grounded into the shift to end the inning.
Koji Uehara came in for the top of the eighth while a graphic showed the Sox were 34-2 when leading after 7 innings so far this season. Franklin Gutierrez pinch hit for Smith and whiffed on an 88 mph fastball to start. Cano popped up to shallow left and Cruz whiffed on a splitter in the dirt to end the inning.
Apparently Eduardo Rodriguez accidentally shoved Koji's glove into his own eye. Koji playfully jabbed Eduardo in the ribs after to show he was okay. The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the eighth as Hanley doubled down the left field line to start. JBJ hit a bullet to Cano who tried to double off Hanley at second...but Marte muffed the throw that went into left field. Ramirez blew through a stop sign by third base coach Brian Butterfield to score on the throw home. Shaw grounded out to short and Young grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.
Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the top of the ninth and Seager flied out to deep center to start. Pedroia made a great diving stab to rob Lind of a hit before Clevenger grounded back to Hanley to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-2.
Hero of the Night is Rick Porcello. He was nearly knocked out in the second inning but battled back to get out of a huge jam and didn't allow a run the next four innings in a gutty win.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a home run.
Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.
Junichi Tazawa pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Koji Uehara tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4.
The Ugly:
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.
Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4.
Chris Young was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
When the Sox offense is firing on all cylinders they are going to be very tough to beat. The problem is getting good starting pitching which hasn't been the case all season the way Eduardo Rodriguez and Clay Buchholz have struggled. It was important for Rick Porcello and the bullpen to pitch a good game and they did. Vazquez finally broke out of his slump and its a good thing because if Blake Swihart isn't coming back, they're down to him, Ryan Hanigan or Sandy Leon to do the catching. SOMEBODY has to step up and hit. As for the rest of the Sox, their 1-7 is as good as anyone if Shaw can get it together. The win improved the Sox to 38-29, 1 game behind the Baltimore Orioles for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to take two of three from the Mariners when they send David Price (7-4, 4.52 ERA) to the mound up against Taijuan Walker of Seattle. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.
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