As for the game, what looked to be an epic disaster after Rick Porcello fell behind the last place Philadelphia Phillies 4-0 turned into a dramatic, 11 inning affair the Red Sox somehow pulled off. After tying the game up in the eighth inning, Dustin Pedroia won it in 11 after some great relief pitching to beat the hapless Phillies 5-4.
Rick Porcello took the mound in the top of the first inning as Odubel Herrera greeted him with a single to left. Old pal Daniel Nava doubled off the Monster to advance Herrera to third, but somehow Porcello struck out Aaron Altherr. Howie Kendrick grounded one to Mitch Moreland who gunned it home to get Herrera for the second out. It didn't matter as Tommy Joseph singled up the middle to score both runners. Andres Blanco doubled home Joseph and Maikel Franco singled home Blanco to make it 4-0. The boo's reigned down on Porcello as he struck out Andrew Knapp to end the inning with Philadelphia ahead 4-0.
Philly starter Jerad Eickhoff was 0-7 going into the year and care to guess what he did? He dominated the Red Sox although Mr. Mookie Betts somehow got a fluke double to lead off the bottom of the first inning. Naturally Dustin Pedroia popped up to first, Xander Bogaerts struck out and Mitch Moreland grounded out weekly to end the inning.
The incompetent Porcello came back for the top of the second and somehow got Freddy Galvis to fly out. Miraculously Herrera lined to third and Josh Rutledge caught it rather then dive for cover. Nava blooped a single over the head of Bogaerts but Altherr flied out to end the inning. A scoreless inning? ITS A MIRACLE!!! Then again it didn't matter because the 0-7 Eickhoff wasn't going to blow this one, although Andrew Benintendi struck a home run to dead center to lead off the bottom of the second. Things went back to normal as Hanley Ramirez grounded out although somehow Jackie Bradley Jr walked. Josh Rutledge ran away screaming as the strike three pitch came in right down the middle. Sandy Leon swung and missed on a pitch headed for the backstop to end the inning. The Sox wouldn't get shut out at least down 4-1, hooray for moral victories.
Porcello returned for the top of the third and almost crapped himself again. Kendrick singled to center but Joseph popped up. Blanco struck out but Franco bounded a ball to Moreland who suddenly belly flopped on the ball and curled up on it like it was a live grenade. Franco took first on the error as Kendrick laughed at Moreland all the way to third. Knapp grounded out to end the inning. The Sox finally showed some life in the bottom of the third. Mr. Mookie smoked a ground rule double then swiped third base. Pedroia grounded out but Betts scored to cut the lead in half. Bogaerts whiffed but Moreland made up for his error with a single, then took second on a wild pitch. Benny The Kid then singled home Moreland and wisely took second on the throw home. Ramirez grounded out but the Sox had cut it to 4-3.
Porcello finally got his head out of his ass in the top of the fourth inning. Galvis flied out and Herrera grounded out. Nava then singled off the Monster but was thrown out at second base by Benintendi to end the inning. You'd think Nava would have known better than to run off a Monster single. The Sox tied it up in the bottom of the fourth inning. JBJ hit a ground ball and Kendrick went OLE! which allowed Jackie to reach first. Rutledge struck out but Leon singled JBJ to third on a perfectly executed hit and run. Mr. Mookie then hit his 3rd consecutive double, this one down the left field line to score JBJ with the tying run. Brian Butterfield then made an egg-headed move by sending Leon on a short fly ball by Pedroia. Expectedly Leon was out by a mile to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 4-4.
Just as soon as the Sox tied the game, Porcello gave it away. Altherr doubled and Kendrick singled him home before most of the fans out buying a hot dog could get back to their seats. Mr. Mookie ran down a liner by Joseph. Leon then had Kendrick dead to rights at second on a steal attempt but Bogaerts DROPPED THE BALL! Blanco walked and both runners pulled off a double steal. Just when all looked lost, Bogaerts did a triple flip to rob Franco of a hit, then made a diving stop before gunning Knapp out at first to end the inning. Talk about a schizophrenic inning but the Phills now led 5-4.
Don't try to wrestle him, TAG HIM!
Porcello came back for one last inning in the top of the sixth. Galvis grounded out, Herrera struck out and Nava struck out to end the inning. Once again Porcello got hammered but at least he lasted 6 innings.
The Sox almost took advantage of more bad defense in the bottom of the sixth inning. Ramirez lined out but JBJ walked. Rutledge grounded a perfect double play ball to third but Kendrick airmailed the throw to first and Josh was safe at second. It didn't matter because Leon grounded out to end the inning.
Joe "Machine Gun" Kelly got the ball in the top of the seventh inning and Altherr popped up to first. Kendrick singled but Joseph flied out. Blanco grounded out to third to end the inning. Pat Neshek was first out of the Philly bullpen in the bottom of the seventh inning. The suddenly red hot Betts greeted him with a single but Pedroia popped up. Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning.
Robby Scott came in to pitch the top of the eighth and promptly walked Franco. Robby recovered to strike out Knapp and get Galvis to fly out. A wild pitch moved Franco to second but Moreland snared a line drive by Herrera to end the inning. A familiar scene occurred in the bottom of the eighth. Juaquin Benoit was on the mound and he struck out Leon before Benny The Kid grounded out. Similar to David Ortiz in the LCS 4 years earlier, Ramirez blasted a 2 out, game tying home run off Benoit only this one cleared the Monster in left. JBJ beat out an infield single by swinging at a pitch down at his ankles. Pablo Sandoval pinch hit for Rutledge and flied out on a pitch down by his feet to end the inning, but the Sox had tied it 5-5.
Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel got the call to keep it tied in the top of the ninth inning. Sandoval snared a line drive off the bat of Nava before Kimbrel blew away Altherr. Kendrick grounded a ball to Sandoval who threw his glove at the ball and ran in a circle pumping his fists while Howie reached first on the error. Luckily Kendrick got greedy and was thrown out by Leon trying to steal to end the inning. Could the Sox walk it off in the bottom of the ninth against Casey Fien? Leon whiffed and Mr. Mookie grounded out, but Pedroia singled off the Monster. Bogaerts flied out to end the inning, on to extras we go.
Matt Barnes (5-2) got the call in the top of the tenth inning. Joseph blooped a single over the head of Moreland to start the inning but Barnes whiffed Blanco. Franco doubled into the gap to put runners at second and third. Ty Kelly ran for Joseph but Barnes blew away Knapp. Galvis watched strike three go by to end the inning. The Sox pissed away a chance to end it in the bottom of the tenth inning. Moreland and Benintendi stroked back to back singles to lead off and put the winning run on second with nobody out. Right on cue Ramirez hit one right to third for the force. JBJ flied out and Benintendi was so distracted by a lutino cockatiel whistling the Andy Griffith theme, he was doubled off second to end the inning. What a waste.
Barnes came back for the top of the eleventh and Herrera led off with a single, but Nava flied out. Barnes blew away Altherr and Kendrick to end the inning. The Sox bullpen was lights out after Porcello left the game. Fien returned for the bottom of the eleventh where the Sox finally ended it. Sandoval somehow singled to right and Deven Marrero ran for him. Leon laid down a perfect sac bunt to advance Deven to second. Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked and Pedroia made them pay by singling home Marrero to end it. The Sox had won it 5-4!
Hero of the Night is a no brainer. Dustin Pedroia got the game winning hit in the bottom of the 11th inning.
The Good:
Mookie Betts broke out of his slump by going 4 for 5 with a walk, rbi, run scored and stolen base.
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 5 with 2 total rbi's and his 9th home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.
Pablo Sandoval was 1 for 2 as a pinch hitter including the rally starting hit in the bottom of the 11th.
Deven Marrero pinch ran for Sandoval and scored the winning run.
Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Robby Scott pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
Matt Barnes got his 5th win with 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts is in a slump after going 0 for 5 with 2 strikeouts.
Josh Rutledge was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Rick Porcello sucked again, giving up 4 runs in 6 innings of work giving up 10 hits.
The Ugly:
Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 5 but made the hit count as it was a solo home run that tied the game in the bottom of the eighth.
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
I wouldn't classify this as a "must win" but it sure would have been a hell of a loss if they lost to the lowly Phillies, especially coming off the heels of Sunday night's disaster. The Yankees look to be unstoppable so the Sox need to win every game they possibly can to keep pace. At least this year's team has the balls to come back against other team's bullpens. Something is very wrong with Porcello and he needs to figure things out in a hurry with Eduardo Rodriguez out. The bullpen apart from Hembree has been lights out recently and they're only going to get better when Carson Smith comes back. The win moved the Sox to 35-28, 4 games behind the victorious Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the surly David Price takes the mound opposite Ben Lively at 7:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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