The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost Game 2 of their first round NBA playoff series to the Chicago Bulls but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays.As for the game. It looks like the Boston bats are over the flu for good as they plastered the Blue Jays pitching staff for 15 hits and 8 runs. They survived a horrible ninth inning to hang on to win 8-7 at Skydome.
Xander Bogaerts hit lead-off for the first time ever and singled to right to begin the top of the first. Andrew Benintendi quickly erased Bogaerts by bouncing into a double play. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out quickly to end the inning. Brian Johnson made his season debut and first big league start in two years and Kevin Pillar greeted him with a lead-off double. Johnson recovered to strike out Jose Bautista on an 89 mph fastball right down the middle. Kendrys Morales gave Toronto the lead with a single to score Pillar. Sandoval then bobbled a ground ball hit by Troy Tulowitzky and everyone was safe. Justin Smoak made Pablo pay by smashing a double to the centerfield wall to score Morales. Johnson got some help when Marco Hernandez gunned down Tulowitzky at home on the force by Russell Martin. Steve Pierce struck out to end the inning but Brian had thrown 35 pitches and was trailing 2-0.
The Sox couldn't answer in the top of the second inning. Hanley Ramirez whiffed badly but Mitch Moreland stroked a base hit. Chris Young grounded out but Moreland moved to second. Pablo Sandoval worked a rare walk but Christian Vazquez grounded out to end the inning. Johnson returned for the bottom of the second and struck out Darwinn Barney on a nasty pitch. The Jays threatened when Devon Travis walked on 4 pitches. Pillar doubled down the line and Sox manager John Farrell took no chances by having Bautista intentionally walked. Johnson recovered to strike out Morales and got Tulowitzky to line out to Betts to end the inning.
The Sox struck back in the top of the third as Hernandez waived at a pitch in the dirt to begin. Bogaerts lashed a single to right and Benny The Kid singled past the diving Tulowitzky. Mr. Mookie singled up the middle to score Bogaerts but the throw by Pillar tried to nail Benny at third, failing. Betts moved to second on the throw. Ramirez whiffed but the red hot Moreland singled home both runners to give the Sox a 3-2 lead. Young popped up to end the inning but the Sox had the lead.
The lead lasted approximately 5 seconds as Smoak launched Johnsons's first pitch for a solo home run to tie the game. Johnson recovered to strike out Martin and get Pierce to pop up. Barney popped up to end the inning.
The Sox botched a hit and run situation in the top of the fourth inning. Sandoval singled but was thrown out at second when Vazquez swung and missed. Vazquez ended up lining a single up the middle anyway. Hernandez whiffed and Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning. Travis walked to open the bottom of the fourth but Pillar flied out. Bautista flied out and Morales struck out to end the inning.
The Sox staged a furious rally in the top of the fifth inning. Benny The Kid grounded out but Mr. Mookie singled. Ramirez and Moreland stroked back to back doubles to put the Sox up 5-3. Young grounded out to chase Stroman. Aaron "Fruit" Loup came in to pitch to Sandoval and Sandoval slammed home a single to score Moreland. One batter and out for Loup as Dominic Leone replaced him to get Vazquez to ground out to end the inning.
Johnson returned for the bottom of the fifth inning. Tulowitzky and Smoak grounded out but Martin blasted a solo home run to cut the lead. Pearce flied out to end the inning but Johnson had kept the Sox in it with a 6-4 lead.
The Sox went quietly in the top of the 6th inning. Hernandez grounded out, Bogaerts popped up and Benny The Kid struck out to end the inning. Heath Hembree was first out of the pen in the bottom of the 6th inning. Barney greeted him with a single but Travis flied out. Pillar grounded out but Bautista walked. Morales grounded out to end the inning.
Joe Smith got the call in the top of the seventh inning and Mr. Mookie got the monkey off his back by blasting his first home run of the year to increase the lead 7-4. Ramirez grounded out and both Moreland and Young struck out to end the inning.
Hembree returned for the bottom of the seventh inning and Tulowitzky singled. Smoak grounded out and Martin struck out, but Bogaerts booted a ground ball by Pearce to extend the inning. Barney grounded out to end the inning on a great play by Hembree.
Ryan Tepera relieved Smith as the Sox got a huge insurance run in the top of the eighth inning. Sandoval singled and advanced to second on the Vazquez ground out. Hernandez walked but Bogaerts struck out. Benny The Kid lashed a ground rule double to score Sandoval and advance Hernandez to third. That chased Tepera as Danny Barnes relieved him and got Mr. Mookie to pop up to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-4.
Fernando Abad came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth with Craig Kimbrel and Joe Kelly resting. Travis grounded out but Pillar doubled. Bautista flied out and that was it for Abad. Sox manager John Farrell wasted no time bringing in Matt Barnes to get the final four outs. Morales grounded out to end the inning.
The Sox wouldn't score again in the top of the ninth. Ramirez grounded out and Moreland popped up but Young walked. Sandoval grounded out to end the inning. Barnes returned for the bottom of the 9th and nearly gave it away. Tulowitzky and Smoak grounded out in short order but Martin walked. Martin took second on defensive indifference and scored on the Pearce single. Ezequiel Herrera pinch hit for Barney and belted a 2 run home run to left to cut the lead to 1. Luckily Travis lined out to end the game. The Sox had held on to win 8-7.
Hero of the Night is a tough one. I'll have to go with Mookie Betts. He was 3 for 5 with an rbi and 3 runs scored along with his first home run of the year.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with a run scored and an rbi.
Mitch Moreland was 3 for 5 with 3 rbi's and a run scored.
Pablo Sandoval was 3 for 4 with a walk, a run scored and an rbi.
Heath Hembree pitched two scoreless innings.
Fernando Abad got the first two outs of the eighth inning.
The Bad:
Matt Barnes nearly gave the game away by giving up 3 runs in the bottom of the ninth despite closing it out in the end.
The Ugly:
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 5 with a run scored and an rbi.
Chris Young was 0 for 4 with a walk.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.
Marco Hernandez was 0 for 3 but walked.
Brian Johnson got the win but struggled, lasting just 5 innings and giving up 4 runs on 7 hits and 3 walks.
Final Thoughts:
That got a little hairy again but that was a pretty good win. Missing Dustin Pedroia and having a Pawtucket call up struggle only to win the game anyway shows balls. It also highlights a complete 180 from last year. When the Sox were down, they rarely came back (sans the 11 game win streak in September) but they're finding ways to come back so far this season. Tomorrow night Rick Porcello gets the start looking to bounce back from his previous stinker as he goes up against Fransisco Liriano at 7:07 PM.
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