The Sox offense finally came alive in this one, better late than never. Riding the hot hand of Drew Pomeranz, the Sox woke up late to defeat the Baltimore Orioles 8-1 at Fenway Park.
Pomeranz got some defensive help in the top of the first inning. Craig Gentry looked at strike 3 and Dustin Pedroia made a great lunge and throw to nab Adam Jones. Manny Machado walked but Mark Trumbo swung and missed on a full count to end the inning. Dylan Bundy got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and got Dustin Pedroia to pop up in foul territory. Andrew Benintendi beat out an infield single but was erased on the Mookie Betts double play.
Pomeranz froze Chris Davis with strike 3 to begin the top of the second inning but Wellington Castillo singled to right-center. Trey Mancini doubled Castillo to third but Jonathan Scoop popped up to first. JJ Hardy flied out to center to end the inning but Pomeranz had already thrown 37 pitches. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second inning. The returning Ramirez walked and Mitch Moreland doubled off the Monster to advance Hanley to third. Xander Bogaerts whiffed but Pablo Sandoval scored Ramirez with a sac fly. Chris Young swung at a curveball in the dirt to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.
Pomeranz whiffed Gentry to open the top of the third. Jones grounded out to second and Sandoval snared a line drive by Machado to end the inning. Christian Vazquez poked a single into right to open the bottom of the third inning. Pedroia popped up on a full count and Vazquez swiped second base for his first major league stolen base. Benny The Kid popped up and Mr. Mookie hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.
Trumbo popped up to short to begin the top of the fourth. David whiffed and Castillo flied out to end the inning. Ramirez singled to right-center to begin the bottom of the fourth inning. Moreland popped up and the inning ended on the strike em out, throw em out double play when Bogaerts struck out as Ramirez was thrown out trying to steal.
Pomeranz struck out Mancini to open the top of the fifth. Pedroia made a great play and throw to get Schoop at first. Hardy grounded out to end the inning with the Sox still on top 1-0. The Sox added to the lead although Sandoval was tagged out on a dribbler to first to begin the bottom of the fifth inning. Young singled and Vazquez doubled off the Monster. Pedroia lofted a sac fly to score Young and advance Vazquez to third. Benny The Kid grounded out to first to end the inning but the Sox now led 2-0.
Pomeranz returned for the top of the 6th inning and got Gentry to ground out to start. Jones doubled but Machado popped up. Trumbo flied out to end the inning. Big effort by Pomeranz to toss 6 shut-out innings. The Sox threatened again when Mr. Mookie lined a leadoff singled but Ramirez flied out and Moreland banged into a double play to end the inning.
Pomeranz returned for the top of the seventh to face Davis who he whiffed twice before, but the move backfired as Davis singled to chase him. Still was a great effort by Drew as Heath Hembree came in to replace him. Castillo made a boo-boo as he hit one into the left field corner but curiously stopped at first although Davis moved to third. Hembree bore down to strike out Mancini but Schoop beat out a double play ball to score Davis. Hardy grounded into a force to end the inning with the lead still intact 2-1. The Sox then pounced on the Baltimore bullpen with some terrible defense although Bundy returned for the bottom of the seventh, Bogaerts grounded out but Sandoval walked to chase him. Darren O'Day relieved Bundy and got no help as Hardy booted a ground ball by Young for an error. Vazquez then lofted a routine fly to center and Schoop DROPPED IT! Actually it never actually touched the glove so it was ruled a clean single, as pathetic as that sounds. Pedroia then singled in the hole at short to score Sandoval and Young. Benintendi singled home Vazquez then took second on the throwing error by Gentry. 3 miscues by Baltimore and it was 5-1. Pedroia got caught in a rundown on a ground ball by Mr. Mookie allowing Benny The Kid to reach third and Mookie second. Ramirez flied out to end the inning but what a rally.
Matt Barnes took over for the top of the 8th. Seth Smith pinch hit for Gentry and he whiffed to open the inning. Jones also whiffed and Machado flied out to end the inning, The Sox put the game away in the bottom of the 8th against Oliver Drake who is a MA resident of Gardner. Moreland struck out but Bogaerts walked. Sandoval whiffed but Young singled. Vazquez then hit a triple as Gentry missed a line drive in the right field corner to give the Sox a 7-1 lead. Pedroia then lined one off Drake, Schoop missed it and Vazquez was safe at home. Benny The Kid beat out an infield single and Mr. Mookie lined one off the glove of Machado to load the bases. Ramirez lined out to end the inning but the game was all but over 8-1.
Joe Kelly relieved Barnes for the top of the ninth. Trumbo grounded out but Davis walked. Ryan Flaherty pinch hit for Castillo and flied out. Mancini grounded out to end the game, the Sox had won 8-1.
Hero of the night is Drew Pomeranz. Facing a dangerous Baltimore lineup, he tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 6.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with 4 rbi's.
Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 5 with an rbi.
Mookie Betts was 2 for 5
Chris Young was 2 for 4 with 3 runs scored.
Christian Vazquez was 4 for 4 with 2 runs scored, 2 rbi's and a stolen base.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning
Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
None....a shock!
The Ugly:
Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Pablo Sandoval was 0 for 2 but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
Heath Hembree allowed an inherited runner to score but gave up none of his own.
Final Thoughts:
Now THAT'S more like it. When the offense isn't hurt, grieving or puking its guts out, it actually is a dangerous lineup. Now that everyone but Bradley is back, they produced in a big time tonight against the O's bullpen. Drew Pomeranz had a hell of a game and maybe this is what Dave Dombrowski saw when he traded for him last year. This was no fluke either, Baltimore's lineup is damn good with a lot of power. If Pomeranz is healthy and can give you games like this, they can survive without David Price long enough to be in contention until he gets back. Tomorrow night Steven Wright goes for the Sox opposite Ubaldo Jimenez at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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