The good news was the Boston Red Sox offense returned in tonight's game against the Minnesota Twins. The bad news was David Price was left in too long and the Boston bullpen got shelled by the Twins offense. The Twins broke out to a 4-1 lead after two innings but a five run rally capped off by a Hanley Ramirez three run bomb put the Sox on top. Jackie Bradley Jr knocked in a run in the bottom of the fourth and things appeared to be good. Then Price was knocked out in the top of the sixth but the Sox ended the sixth inning ahead 8-5. Then in the top of the seventh the Twins scored 5 runs off Clay Buchholz, Tommy Layne and Heath Hembree to put the Twins on top. The Sox did battle back to make it 10-9 but JBJ failed to drive the tying run in. Miguel Sano hit the killshot off Hembree and the Twins stunned the Sox 11-9 at Fenway Park.
The Twins wasted no time getting to Price in the top of the first inning as Eduardo Nunez grounded out to first to start. Robbie Grossman hit a fly ball deep to right and Michael Martinez lost it in the wind, dropping for a "triple". Miguel Sano walked but Brian Dozier hit a sac fly to the bullpen wall in right to score Grossman. Max Kepler got a base hit to left but Kennys Vargas took strike three to end the inning with the Twins up 1-0.
Nolasco got the ball in the bottom of the first as Brock "The Hitman" Holt led off with a base hit to center. Dustin Pedroia lined out to center but Xander Bogaerts got a base hit to left to move Holt to third. Ortiz hit a fly ball to center and Holt made a mad dash home to tie the game on a sac fly. Bogaerts moved to second on the throw home and Hanley Ramirez walked. Jackie Bradley Jr was plunked to load the bases but Aaron Hill forced Bradley at second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
The Twins bashed Price in the top of the second as Eddie Rosario singled to right. Kurt Suzuki doubled to left to score Rosario to put Minnesota on top. Byron Buxton caught Aaron Hill asleep with a bunt single and Hill threw the ball away. Suzuki scored and Buxton made it all the way to third. Nunez ripped a base hit to left to score Buxton but was thrown out at second on the throw. Grossman walked and Sano got a base hit to right, but Dozier grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Twins up 4-1.
The Sox exploded in the bottom of the second as Sox analyst Dave O'Brien announced that Jerry Remy went home because the wind blew a monitor off and hit Remy in the head. Yikes! Sandy Leon struck out swinging but Michael Martinez walked. Brock Holt singled to right and Pedroia struck Suzuki with an errant foul ball, knocking him out of the game. Juan Centeno came in for Suzuki and Pedroia hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to score Martinez. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Ortiz walked on a wild pitch that scored Holt. Ramirez smashed his 12th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. JBJ singled off the glove of Nolasco but Hill grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 6-4.
Kepler popped up to first to start the top of the third before Hill failed to get a glove on a base hit by Vargas. Rosario got a base hit to left but Centeno grounded into a double play to end the inning. Buddy Boshers came in to pitch the bottom of the third and Leon walked to start. Martinez and Holt both took strike three and Pedroia grounded out to first to end the inning.
Buxton grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fourth before Nunez struck out swinging to start. Nunez struck out swinging and Grossman flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts doubled high off the Monster to start. Ortiz hit a routine pop up to short but neither Nunez nor Sano called it and it dropped in for a "single". Ramirez grounded into a double play but JBJ doubled off the Monster to score Ortiz. Michael Tonkin came in to pitch to Hill and he grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-4.
Sano grounded back to the mound to start the top of the fifth and Dozier flied out to center. Kepler took strike three to end the inning. Taylor Rogers came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Leon grounded out to short to start. Sox broadcaster Dave O'Brien reported Chris Sale caused an incident in the Chicago White Sox clubhouse but would like to have him pitch anyway. Martinez flied out to center and Holt popped up to third to end the inning.
The Twins knocked Price out in the top of the sixth as Vargas struck out swinging to start. Rosario beat out an infield hit to short and Ceteno got a base hit to center to put runners at the corners. Buxton lined out to a running Martinez to score Rosario. That was it for Price as he allowed 5 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 11 hits and 2 walks. Clay Buchholz came in and struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins down 7-5.
The Sox got the run back in the bottom of the sixth as Pedroia struck out swinging to start. Bogaerts singled off the glove of Dozier and Ortiz singled to right to move Xander to third. Ryan Pressly came in to face Ramirez and Hanley popped up to second. JBJ hit a roller to third and Sano threw the ball away for an error to score Bogaerts. Hill walked to load the bases and Leon grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 8-5.
Suddenly the Sox fell apart in the top of the seventh as Grossman popped up to third to start. Sano lined a base hit to left but Dozier struck out swinging. Kepler hit a routine pop up to Martinez who misplayed it for a ''triple'' to score Sano. The floodgates opened as Vargas hit a routine pop up to left that Holt fell down trying to catch for a ''double'' to score Kepler. That was it for Buchholz who should have been out of the inning but was failed by his defense. Tommy Layne came in and Rosario drilled a base hit to center and Vargas took off for home. Bradley thew home....OUT! But wait, Twins manager Paul Molitor challenged that Vargas slid around the tag and sure enough....he was ruled safe to tie the game.
But wait there's more! Centeno hit a routine grounder to short but because the Sox were foolishly shifting, nobody got it for a single. Buxton walked to load the bases and that was it for Layne. Heath Hembree came in and Nunez ripped a base hit to center to score both Rosario and Centeno to put the Twins ahead. Nunez stole second but Grossman struck out swinging to end the inning with the Twins ahead 10-8.
The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the seventh as Martinez struck out swinging to start. Holt grounded out to short but Pedroia drilled a base hit to center. Bogaerts singled to the left field wall and that was it for Pressly. Fernando Abad came in to face Ortiz and David missed a 3 run home run by 10 feet down the left field line. Instead, he doubled to the Monster to score Pedroia. Ramirez was intentionally walked to load the bases....but JBJ flied out to the right field warning track to end the inning with the Twins up 10-9.
The Twins iced the game in the top of the eighth as Sano hit a home run all the way to the Galapagos Islands to increase the lead. Dozier doubled to center to chase Hembree and Robbie Ross Jr came in to pitch. Kepler flied out to center and a passed ball moved Dozier to third. Vargas grounded out to second but Rosario was hit with a pitch. Centeno was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning with the Twins up 11-9.
Sano ices it
Hill flied out to right to start the bottom of the eighth before Leon struck out swinging. Bryce Brentz pinch hit for Martinez and flied out to left to end the inning.
Brad Ziegler came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Buxton struck out swinging to start. Nunez flied out to center but Grossman reached first on strike three when the ball got away from Leon. Danny Santana pinch ran for Grossman and Sano popped up to second to end the inning. Brandon Kintzler came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Holt grounded out to second to start. Pedroia also grounded out to second and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the game. The Twins had won it 11-9.
Jackass of The Night is Heath Hembree. He allowed two inherited runners to score and one of his own to put the game out of reach.
Way to blow it Jackass
The Good:
Brock Holt was 2 for 6 with 2 runs scored.
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 6 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 4 for 6 with a run scored.
David Ortiz was 3 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a 3 run home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a hit by pitch.
Robbie Ross Jr pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Bryce Brentz was 0 for 1 at the plate.
David Price allowed 5 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 11 hits and 2 walks.
Clay Buchholz was charged with 3 runs in a full inning of work.
Tommy Layne was charged with 2 runs without recording an out.
The Ugly:
Aaron Hill was 0 for 4 with an error but walked.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and a passed ball, but walked.
Michael Martinez was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.
Final Thoughts:
Well this game was a sucker punch to the gonads. The loss of Mookie Betts hurt this one as that Michael Martinez misplay in the seventh inning opened the floodgates. Buchholz, Layne and Hembree could have easily pitched out of it, but if he caught that ball the inning and pretty much the game was over. This game showed how flawed the Sox are with their rotation since Price once again got rocked. The Twins are 23 games under .500 and they pounded out 18 hits in this one. The Sox are in a three way death match with the Toronto Blue Jays and Baltimore Orioles so every win counts at this point. The offense is one of the best in baseball but the pitching leaves a lot to be desired, which is insane considering John Farrell is a pitching first manager. He still has 2 months to get something out of Price and he better do it sooner rather than later. The loss dropped the Sox to 54-41, 1.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to tie up the series tomorrow afternoon when ''Slick'' Rick Porcello takes on Tommy Milone of the Twins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park
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