The much maligned David Price took the mound in the top of the first inning. Odubel Herrera flied out to left on the first pitch and Daniel Nava grounded out to third. Aaron Altherr flied out to center to end the inning on just 5 pitches. The Sox wasted zero time scoring in the bottom of the first off Philly starter Ben Lively. Mr. Mookie Betts popped up on the first pitch. Dustin Pedroia singled to left and Xander Bogaerts doubled off the top of the left field scoreboard. Mitch Moreland was hit in the foot after a 12 pitch at bat. Andrew Benintendi drew a full count walk to drive in a run. Hanley Ramirez then killed the rally by banging into a double play to end the inning, but the Sox were up 1-0 with Lively throwing 28 pitches.
Naturally Price almost pissed away the lead after the Sox got it by immediately walking Howie Kendrick to start the top of the second inning. Price needed a full count to strike out Travis Joseph and Andres Blanco singled in the hole at short. Michael Saunders walked to load the bases but Cameron Rupp lined out to right. Freddie Galvis flied out to right to end the inning. A 32 pitch inning for Price but he got out of it. Jackie Bradley Jr doubled off the Monster to begin the bottom of the second inning, then Josh Rutledge advanced him to third with a ground out. Christian Vazquez drove home JBJ with a double down the right field line. Mr. Mookie popped up and Pedroia grounded out to end the inning but it was 2-0 Boston.
Once again Price pissed himself by walking Herrera to start the top of the third inning. Nava struck out but Altherr blasted a home run to South America to tie the game just like that. Kendrick grounded out and Joseph struck out but the damage was done, 2-2.
The Sox struck back to re-take the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Bogaerts flied out but Moreland smashed a 450 foot bomb to dead center to re-take the lead. Benny The Kid doubled but Ramirez struck out. JBJ flied out to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-0.
Somehow Price didn't give up the lead in the top of the fourth. Franco walked but Saunders popped up to third. Rupp struck out and Galvis lined out to second to end the inning. Lively made quick work of the Sox in the bottom of the fourth inning. Rutledge lined out but Vazquez walked, only for Mr. Mookie to ground into a double play to end the inning.
Price finally had a clean inning in the top of the fifth inning. Herrera and Nava grounded out to second before Altherr whiffed to end the inning. The Sox committed yet another baserunning blunder in the bottom of the fifth. Pedroia flied out but Bogaerts doubled....only to be thrown out at third trying to steal with the guy who clobbered a home run 2 innings before at the plate. Moreland grounded out to end the inning, but nice going Xander.
Right on cue the Phillies tied it in the top of the sixth inning. Kendrick grounded out but Joseph struck a ground rule double into the right field corner. Franco blooped a single to right and Joseph scored when Saunders beat out a double play ball to tie the game. Rupp whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 3-3. Price had a quality start but once again the Sox couldn't generate any offense.
The Sox failed to pick up Price in the bottom of the sixth inning. Benny The Kid popped up, Ramirez flied to right and JBJ lined out to end the inning.
Robby Scott was first out of the bullpen in the top of the seventh inning. Galvis flied out and Herrera grounded out before Nava singled to chase Robby. Blaine Boyer got the call next and got Altherr to ground into a force to end the inning. Lively returned for the bottom of the seventh and dominated. Rutledge grounded out but somehow Vazquez singled. Mr. Mookie flied out and Pedroia struck out to end the inning.
Boyer nearly gave it away in the top of the eighth inning. Kendrick singled but Blaine punched out Joseph. Franco doubled and Kendrick tried for home......YERR OUTTA THERE!!! Benintendi gunned him down at home to keep it tied. Saunders was intentionally walked to set up the force but Rupp beat out an infield single to load the bases. Boyer bore down to strike out Galvis to end the inning. Talk about dodging a bullet.
The meek Sox inherited nothing in the bottom of the eighth inning against Edubray Ramos. Bogaerts popped up to first, Moreland watched strike three go by and Benny The Kid lined to third to end the inning.
Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel was called upon to pitch the top of the ninth inning. Herrera grounded out and Craig blew away Nava. Altherr grounded out to end the inning. Could the Sox win it in the 9th? Hell no. Ramirez whiffed and JBJ grounded out but Pablo Sandoval pinch hit for Rutledge and walked. Deven Marrero ran for Sandoval but Vazquez grounded out to end the inning. On to extra's we go.
The much maligned Heath Hembree got the ball in the top of the tenth and almost gave it away. Kendrick grounded out but Joseph singled. Ty Kelly ran for Joseph and Franco singled him to third. Hembree stepped up to strike out Saunders then got Rupp to pop up to end the inning. Good work Hembree. The incompetent Red Sox found another way to screw up in the bottom of the 10th inning. Jeanmar Gomez pitched the inning and Mr. Mookie grounded out although Pedroia singled. Bogaerts singled but Moreland struck out. Benny The Kid beat out an infield single but Pedroia was totally faked out and rolled his ankle getting back to third, getting thrown out to end the inning. People don't fall for that in Little League for god's sakes.
The Fernando Abad Show (2-0) made an appearance in the top of the 11th inning. Galvis grounded out to third, Herrera struck out but Nava walked. Altherr singled Nava to third but Kendrick grounded out to end the inning. The ignominious Red Sox found yet another way to screw up in the bottom of the 11th inning. Ramirez was hit with a pitch and JBJ singled to put the winning run on second base with nobody else. Naturally Marrero bunted right back to Gomez who threw out Ramirez at third. Vazquez and Mr. Mookie popped up to end the inning and the the torture continued.
Abad came back for the top of the 12th and allowed a lead-off single to Kelly. Pedroia atoned for his baserunning gaffe by turning a double play to erase the threat. Blanco hit for Saunders and grounded out to end the inning. Abad had done his job. The Sox finally ended the misery in the bottom of the 12th inning against Luis Garcia. Pedroia grounded out but Bogaerts walked. Moreland singled Bogaerts to third and up came Benny The Kid. Benny blasted a ground rule double to end the game and send the fans home happy. It was credited as a single but the Sox finally had won it!
Hero of the Night is easy. Andrew Benintendi got the walkoff hit in the bottom of the 12th to send the fans home happy.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 6 with a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5 with a walk and a run scored.
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 5 including his 9th home run of the year.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Pablo Sandoval walked in his only plate appearance.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a walk and an rbi.
David Price tossed 6 solid innings of 3 run ball which normally should be enough to win, not with this putrid offense though.
Robby Scott retired 2 of the 3 men he faced.
Blaine Boyer pitched 1 1/3 innings of scoreless relief
Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 10th.
Fernando Abad got the win by tossing 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 6.
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Josh Rutledge was 0 for 3.
Deven Marrero was 0 for 1.
The Ugly:
None....a rarity.
Final Thoughts:
A win is a win but its not a good look when you have to walkoff twice against arguably the worst team in the majors. The Sox scored a total of 9 runs in 23 total innings the last two games, meanwhile the New York Yankees would score 9 runs in two trips through the batting order. Still, the positives were there as they once again got lights out bullpen help and stole the win in the end. It looks like Betts and Benintendi are about to get hot, its about time. The Yankees also had a marathon that ended past 2 AM Eastern time but they lost to the Los Angeles Angels. The win moved the Sox to 36-28, 3 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The scene shifts to Philadelphia for the next two games but the opponents remain the same. Brian Johnson (2-0) looks to give the Sox a lift opposite Jeremy Hellickson tomorrow night at 7:05 at Citizen's Bank Park.
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