The Sox wasted no time blasting Santana in the top of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts popped up but Dustin Pedroia blasted a solo home run to left, his second of the season. Xander Bogaerts was hit with a pitch and Andrew Benintendi made Santana pay by launching a moon shot down the right field line for a 2 run bomb, his 5th of the season. Hanley Ramirez worked a walk but was erased on the Mitch Moreland ground out. Chris Young grounded out to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.
Could Chris Sale pitch with a lead? YES! Robbie Grossman looked at strike three, Jorge Polanco lined out and Miguel Sano whiffed to end the inning.
Santana settled down in the top of the second inning. Sandy Leon grounded out and Deven Marrero whiffed but Mr. Mookie singled up the middle. Pedroia whiffed to end the inning. Sale began the bottom of the second by striking out Kennys Vargas. Eduardo Escobar struck out but Chris Gimenez doubled over the head of Young. Sale recovered to blow away Eddie Rosario to end the inning.
Santana almost made quick work of the Red Sox in the top of the third inning. Bogaerts and Benny The Kid grounded out but Ramirez walked. Moreland struck out to end the inning. Sale was filthy in the bottom of the third as he whiffed Byron Buxton and got Ehire Adrianza looking. Grossman walked but Polanco flied out to center to end the inning.
Santana kept the Sox off the board in the top of the fourth inning. Young popped up, Leon struck out and Marrero grounded out to end the inning. Sale cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Sano popped up on the first pitch, Vargas whiffed and Escobar grounded out to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth when Mr. Mookie launched a line drive home run off the top of the fence to increase the lead. Pedroia and Bogaerts flied out then Benny The Kid popped up to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.
The Twins exploded to tie the game in the bottom of the fifth as Gimenez was accidentally plunked to begin the inning and Rosario blooped a single to left. Buxton bunted his way on as Marrero booted the ball to load the bases. Adrianza drove in Gimenez with a sac fly to get the Twins on the board, also moving Rosario to third. Grossman walked to re-load the bases and Polanco blooped a single to left to score 2 more runners to cut the lead to 1. A passed ball by Leon moved both runners into scoring position. Sano walked to re-load the bases and Vargas hit a sac fly to score Buxton to tie the game and move Polanco to third.Escobar struck out to end the inning but the Twins had tied it by knocking out Sale.
The Sox picked up the fallen Sale in the top of the sixth inning. Ramirez worked a lead-off walk and advanced to second on the Moreland force. Young grounded out but Leon stepped up to belt a 2 run bomb to right to give the Sox a 6-4 lead and put Sale in line for the win. Marrero popped up to end the inning but the Sox re-took the lead.
Curiously Sale returned for the bottom of the sixth and he punched out Gimenez to begin the inning, his 10th K of the day. Bogaerts made a great play to rob Rosario of a hit and Buxton flied out to end the inning.
Tyler Duffy took over for Santana in the top of the seventh and ruised. Mr. Mookie and Pedroia grounded out before Bogaerts lined out to end the inning. Heath Hembree came on in relief of Sale in the bottom of the seventh inning. Adrianza popped up and and Grossman struck out but Polanco blooped a single to center. Sano flied out to end the inning.
Taylor Rogers came on to pitch the top of the eighth and Benny The Kid doubled down the left field line to greet him. Benny swiped third but Ramirez looked at strike three. Moreland added an insurance run by driving in Benintendi with a single up the middle. That was it for Rogers as Ryan Pressly relieved him and Young doubled over Rosario's head to greet him. Leon was intentionally walked to load the bases. Sure enough, Marrero banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox now ahead 7-4.
Matt Barnes came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and puked on himself. He served up a solo home run to Vargas to cut the lead to 2 before Escobar and Gimenez both walked to chase him. Robby Scott came in to stop the bleeding and he pooped himself as well. Scott uncorked a wild pitch to advance both runners into scoring position. Escobar scored on the sac fly by Rosario as Gimenez moved to third. That was it for Scott as Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to get the four out save with the tying run at third base. Joe Mauer pinch hit for Buxton and Mauer took a borderline curveball for strike three. That was very, very close. Max Kepler pinch hit for Adrianza and Kimbrel blew him away on 3 pitches to escape the inning with a 7-6 lead.
The Sox put the game away against Matt Belisle in the top of the ninth. Mr. Mookie grounded out but Pedroia worked a walk and went to third on the double down the line by Bogaerts. Benny The Kid was intentionally walked to load the bases for Ramirez. Ramirez made the Jays pay with a scalding single to score Pedroia and re-load the bases. Moreland then doubled down the line to score Bogaerts and Benintendi to ice the game. Young then swatted a double to the wall to score Ramirez and Moreland to give the Sox a season high in runs.
One man wrecking crew
That was it for Belisle as Twins manager Paul Molitor brought in former Sox prospect Justin Haley. Leon gave him a rude awakening as he blasted another 2 run bomb to give the Sox a 7 run ninth inning. Marrero grounded out but Mr. Mookie doubled. Pedroia legged out an infield single to move Betts to third as Sox analyst Jerry Remy said Haley has nothing and his bicep hasn't healed yet. Christian d'Arnaud made his season debut by running for Pedroia. Bogaerts then tripled down the right field line to clear the bases. Benny The Kid walked and Paul Molitor came out to get the incompetent Haley. That was hard to watch after rooting like hell for Just in Portland and Pawtucket.
Old pal Craig Breslow came in and walked both Ramirez and Moreland to score Bogaerts. Young flied out to the wall to mercifully bring the inning to an end with the Sox ahead 17-6. Joe Kelly came on to pitch the bottom of the ninth since it made no sense for Kimbrel to return with an 11 run lead. Grossman grounded out but Polanco walked. Sano bounced into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 17-6.
Hero of the Night is Sandy Leon. He was on fire, blasting not one but two 2 run home runs.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 3 for 6 with 2 runs scored and a home run.
Chase d'Arnaud pinch ran for Pedroia and scored in his season debut.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with 3 runs scored and 2 runs batted in.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with 2 walks, 3 runs scored, a stolen base and a 2 run home run.
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 2 with an amazing 4 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 5 with a walk, run scored and 4 rbi's.
Craig Kimbrel got the final two outs of the eighth inning.
Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Deven Marrero was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
Matt Barnes allowed a home run and two walks without retiring a batter.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 5 with a walk but made the hit count as it was a solo home run.
Chris Sale got lit up for 4 runs in the 5th inning but gutted through 6 innings
Robbie Scott uncorked a wild pitch and allowed an inherited runner to score, although he did get the first out of the 8th inning.
Final Thoughts:
Holy mackerel what a show. Chris Sale was due for a bad game but the Sox offense picked him up big time by scoring SEVENTEEN runs on FIFTEEN hits. The Sox swatted 5 home runs and left no doubt on who the winner was going to be. Hopefully the last two games are the spark the Sox need to wake up the bats moving forward. The win propelled the Sox to 17-14, 4 games behind the Yankees for first place. Tomorrow is an off-day so the Sox return to action Tuesday night in Milwaukee. Drew Pomeranz (3-1, 4.00 ERA) takes the hill opposite Willy Peralta at 7:40 PM.
No comments:
Post a Comment