Jays Spoil Big Papi Day (10/2/16)

You know, this series between the Boston Red Sox and Toronto Blue Jays can easily be summed up. The Jays were fighting for their playoff lives while the Red Sox were coasting through the end of the regular season just waiting to play Cleveland.  When one team says "Ugh, let's go home" and the other side says "ATTACK!!!" ....that side usually wins.  The whole day was honoring the life and times of David Ortiz including bringing back almost every member of the 2004, 2007 and 2013 Red Sox not currently busy or with current teams to honor Big Papi. Alas, the Toronto Blue Jays had a playoff game in sight and weren't going to let Ortiz ruin it. They used more late inning magic to defeat the Red Sox 2-1 in the final regular season game at Fenway Park.

                                                   Two legends say goodbye to Ortiz

David Price took the mound in his final start before his Game 2 date with Corey Kluber. In the top of the first, Devon Travis popped up to first but Josh Donaldson walked. Edwin Encarnarcion bounced into a double play to end the inning. Aaron Sanchez pitched the game of his life with the season on the line. In the bottom of the first, Dustin Pedroia and Brock Holt grounded out while Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to end the inning.

Price matched Sanchez in the top of the second. Jose Bautista walked but Russell Martin looked at strike three. Troy Tulowitzky doubled but the slow-footed Bautista was thrown out at home on a relay from Jackie Bradley Jr, to Xander Bogaerts to Sandy Leon. Melvin Upton grounded out to end the inning. The Sox failed to make the Jays pay in the bottom of the second. David Ortiz and Hanley Ramirez struck out before Bogaerts grounded out in short order.

Price kept pace in the top of the third. Kevin Pillar lined out and Ezequiel Carrera watched strike three go by, but Travis singled. Donaldson lined out to end the inning. Sanchez stayed hot in the bottom of the third. JBJ popped up but Leon walked. Andrew Benintendi flied out and Pedroia grounded out to end the inning.

Price ran into trouble immediately in the top of the fourth. Encarnarcion walked and Bautista singled. Martin flied out and Tulowitzky popped up before Upton struck out to end the inning. The Sox still couldn't hit Sanchez in the bottom of the fourth. Holt whiffed, Mr. Mookie flied out and Ortiz whiffed to end the inning.

The Jays finally tagged Price in the top of the fifth. Pillar flied out and Carrera whiffed but Travis smashed a solo home run into the Monster seats to put the Jays up 1-0. Donaldson flied out to end the inning. Could the Sox answer in the bottom of the fifth? Hell no! Ramirez flied out and Bogaerts whiffed, but JBJ was hit with a pitch. Leon watched strike three go by to end the inning. Sanchez had tossed 5 no-hit innings.

That was it for Price since this game was meaningless and Heath Hembree was first out of the bullpen in the top of the sixth. Encarnarcion and Bautista grounded out but Martin singled. Tulowitzky lined out to end the inning. Benintendi worked a walk to lead off the bottom of the sixth but Pedroia banged into a double play. Holt flied out to end the inning. The Sox were getting no-hit on Big Papi Day, that's pre-curse Red Sox in a nutshell.

Robbie Ross Jr got the ball in the top of the seventh as Michael Saunders pinch hit for Upton. Ross got Saunders to ground out but Pillar doubled. Carrera grounded out and Matt Barnes was brought in to face Travis. Matt did his job by getting Travis to fly out to end the inning. Mr. Mookie lined out and Ortiz flied out to put Sanchez just 7 outs from a no-hitter....when Ramirez lit up the crowd with a solo blast over the Monster seats, his 30th of the year, to tie the game. Bogaerts singled but JBJ flied out to end the inning.

The normally reliable Brad Ziegler crapped himself in the top of the eighth.  Donaldson singled and Encarnarcion walked but Bautista grounded into a double play, moving Encarnarcion to second. Martin singled to put runners at the corners and Tulowitzky singled in Edwin with the go-ahead run.  That was it for Ziegler as Drew Pomeranz of all people came in to finish the inning. He blew away Saunders on a 96 mph fastball, which was faster than any ball he threw as a starter this season. Could the Sox answer against Brett Cecil? Chris Young pinch hit for Leon and singled off the lefty. Young swiped second but Benny The Kid looked at strike three. The righty Joe Biagini was brought in and Pedroia grounded out. Holt whiffed to end the inning.

Pomeranz returned for the top of the ninth with Bryan Holoday catching. Pillar looked at strike three but Carrera reached when Pomeranz went OLE! on a ground ball. Travis flied out and Donaldson lined out to end the inning. The Sox had one last chance against closer Roberto Osuna in the bottom of the ninth. Mr. Mookie grounded out and Ortiz hit a 10 foot dribbler before being thrown out. His last at bat ends with a whimper. Ramirez walked and Bogaerts singled to put the tying run at second...but JBJ grounded out to end the game. The Jays had made the playoffs and won the game 2-1.


Jackass of the Night is Brad Ziegler. The normally reliable set up man melted down in the eighth inning.

                                          Thanks for nothing Jackass

The Good:

Hanley Ramirez joined David Ortiz and Mookie Betts in the 30 homer, 100 rbi club with his 30th homer of the year in the 7th inning. He also walked. Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4. Sandy Leon walked in 2 plate appearances. Chris Young pinch hit and got a single then a stolen base. David Price pitched well in his last tuneup before the playoffs. He allowed 1 run in 5 innings on 4 hits and 3 walks while striking out 4. Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless sixth. Robbie Ross Jr retired 2 of the 3 men he faced. Matt Barnes got the final out of the seventh. Drew Pomeranz pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief.



The Bad:

Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 4. Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts. Mookie Betts was 0 for 4. David Ortiz was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts in his final home game. Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.



The Ugly:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 2 but walked.


Honorable Mention:

Bryan Holoday caught the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Now the playoffs are set. The Jays host the Baltimore Orioles on Tuesday night and the Sox travel to Cleveland and play Game 1 Thursday night with Rick Porcello going up against Trevor Bauer. It is imperative that the Sox win Game 1 because Corey Kluber is going in Game 2 and winning Game 1 would give the Sox a chance to wipe out Cleveland at Fenway. Cleveland has a terrible road record so getting the series back to Fenway 1-1 with no Kluber for Game's 3 and 4 is the goal. Hell, maybe by miracle Price BEATS Kluber in Game 2. We won't know until then. In terms of this game, it would have been nice for Ortiz to go out a winner but hopefully his recent skid is more from fatigue from one ceremony after another. Now that the playoffs are here there will be no ceremonies to distract him. That's it for the regular season with the Sox finishing up at 93-69 and Eastern Division Champions. Game 1 is Thursday Night with Rick Porcello taking on Trevor Bauer....but you knew that already.