If the Boston Red Sox want to win the AL East division this season, they're going to have to win more games like tonight against the Baltimore Orioles. Steven Wright (8-4, 2.22 ERA) pitched great for 7 innings, outdueling Orioles starter Kevin Gausman. Hanley Ramirez hit a three run home run and the leaky bullpen just barely was able to hang on. If the Orioles are the best in the east, the Sox took it to them with a 6-4 win at Fenway Park.
Wright got the ball in the top of the first and Adam Jones led off by grounding out to second. Hyun-Soo Kim got plunked and Manny Machado popped up to left. Kim stole second but Sox manager John Farrell challenged the call. Replays showed Kim was out and the call was overturned to end the inning.
Gausman got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to first to start. Dustin Pedroia popped up to short right and Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.
Chris Davis led off the top of the second inning by grounding out to short to start. Mark Trumbo dumped a base hit to left but Matt Wieters popped up to right. Jonathan Schoop whiffed to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as David Ortiz grounded into the shift to start. Hanley Ramirez walked but Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed. Chris Young singled Hanley to third and the slumping Travis Shaw doubled to the Monster to score Ramirez to give the Sox the lead. Christian Vazquez whiffed to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 1-0.
Wright got himself in trouble when he plunked Joey Rickard to start the top of the third. Ryan Flaherty beat out a double play ball but Jones reached on a swinging bunt. Kim forced Jones at second and Machado popped up to Hanley in front of the Red Sox dugout to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the third inning when Mr. Mookie beat out an infield single to short to start. Pedroia singled Betts to third and Bogaerts scored Mookie with a line drive off Gausman for a hit. Ortiz drove home Pedroia with a base hit to right and Ramirez crushed a 3 run home run over everything in left to ice the game. JBJ lined out to center and Young grounded out to first, but Shaw drew a walk. A wild pitch moved Shaw to second but Vazquez whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-0.
Wright cruised in the top of the fourth as Davis grounded into the shift to start. Trumbo grounded out to second and Wieters struck out swinging to end the inning. Odrisamer Despaigne came in for the bottom of the fourth and Mr. Mookie flied out to right to start. Pedroia grounded out to short but Bogaerts and Ortiz stroked back to back singles. Ramirez grounded out to third to end the inning.
Wright got Schoop to ground back to the mound to start the top of the fifth. Shaw threw the ball away to allow Rickard to reach on an error but Flaherty lined out to center. Jones whiffed to end the inning. JBJ singled to right to start the bottom of the fifth but Young popped up to second and Shaw banged into a double play to end the inning.
Wright got in trouble in the top of the sixth but Kim took strike three to start. Machado popped up to center but Davis and and Trumbo hit back to back singles to put runners at the corners. Wieters lined out to JBJ to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez grounded back to the mound to start. Mr. Mookie popped up to first but Pedroia and Bogaerts drew back to back walks. Brian Duensing came in and Ortiz flied out to the right field wall to end the inning.
The O's fought back in the top of the seventh although Shaw made a great stab to rob Schoop of a hit to start. Rickard dropped a base hit to left but Flaherty popped up to third. A passed ball moved Rickard to second but Jones blasted a home run into the Monster Seats to cut the lead. Kim grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.
Ramirez started the bottom of the seventh with a base hit to center but JBJ whiffed. Young banged into a double play to end the inning.
Wright ran out of gas in the top of the eighth inning as Mr. Mookie made a great running catch to rob Machado of a double to start. Davis walked and that was it for Wright. Steven dazzled the O's for 7 1/3 innings and would eventually be charged with 3 runs. Junichi Tazawa came in and crapped his pants although Trumbo popped up to right. Wieters doubled into the right field corner to score Davis and Schoop dropped a hit in front of Betts to score Weiters. Sox pitching coach Carl Willis sprinted to the mound to let Tazawa know Rick & Morty was on in the clubhouse. Junichi got so excited that he got Rickard to pop up to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.
Dylan Bundy came in for the bottom of the eighth and Shaw grounded out to second to start. Vazquez also grounded out to second but Mr. Mookie and Pedroia both singled through the hole at second. Bogaerts hit a cue shot to first to end the inning. Rusney Castillo took over in left with Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel now on the mound to close out the top of the ninth. Flaherty grounded out to second and Kimbrel froze Jones with a nasty curve for strike three. Kim flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had held on to win it 6-4.
Hero of the Night is Hanley Ramirez. His 3 run blast and a run scored matched the Orioles entire output by himself.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.
David Ortiz was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Steven Wright got his 8th win by giving up 3 runs in 7 1/3 innings.
Craig Kimbrel earned his 15th save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Junichi Tazawa allowed an inherited runner to score and one of his own in 2/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Chris Young was just 1 for 4.
Honorable Mention:
Rusney Castillo played left field in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
That's more like it. If the Sox hope to keep pace with the Orioles and Toronto Blue Jays this season, they need to win the head to head matchups. Steven Wright stepped up big tonight and it was good to see the offense deliver as it did. If Wright can keep this up all season the Sox could have three potential 15-18 game winners, a great improvement over last season. The trio of Tazawa, Kimbrel and Koji Uehara has gelled and the Sox are just Eduardo Rodriguez coming into his own away from being the most deadly team in the AL East. Its only June but unlike last season, the Sox are right in the thick of things. The win improved the Sox to 37-27, tied for first place in the AL East with the Orioles. The Sox and O's play the rubber game of the series tomorrow night to decide who leaves Fenway in first place. Eduardo Rodriguez (1-1, 6.06 ERA) looks to get on the winning track when he faces Tyler Wilson at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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