As for the game, another life and death struggle with a mediocre team at least ended well for once. After the Sox pitiful offense dropped a close game to the Toronto Blue Jays last night, they locked in an extra inning battle tonight. This time Hanley Ramirez was here and his walkoff homer in the 15th inning ended the marathon with a 5-4 Red Sox win at Fenway Park.
Brian Johnson made his big leagues return in the top of the first inning and Jose Bautista greeted him with a leadoff double. Johnson recovered to strike out Russell Martin and Josh Donaldson lined out to left. Justin Smoak walked but Kendrys Morales grounded into a force to end the inning. JA Happ got the start for Toronto and he cruised in the bottom of the first inning. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to second to begin before Andrew Benintendi also grounded out to second. Dustin Pedroia completed the trifecta with his own ground out to second to end the inning.
Johnson got out of a major jam in the top of the second inning as Troy Tulowitzky singled to begin. Steve Pearce flied out to center but Kevin Pillar singled. Darwin Barney walked to load the bases but Johnson got a huge out by getting Bautista to pop up. Martin hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning with disaster averted. Too bad the Sox couldn't capitalize in the bottom of the second inning. Hanley Ramirez hit one up the elevator shaft but Chris Young walked. Jackie Bradley Jr and Sandy Leon struck out to end the inning.
Johnson still could not pitch a clean inning in the top of the third. Donaldson limed to second and Smoak popped to third, but Morales singled. Tulowitzky popped up to third to end the inning. The Sox squandered a chance to take the lead in the bottom of the third inning. Deven Marrero hit a comebacker to the mound but Brock Holt singled. Mr Mookie singled but was erased on the force by Benny The Kid to put runners at the corners. Pedroia hit another comebacker to end the inning. What a waste.
Johnson finally had a clean inning in the top of the fourth inning. Pearce looked at strike three and Pillar flied out to right. Barney flied out to left to end the inning. Boston struck first in the bottom of the fourth although Ramirez popped up to short to start. Young then belted a solo home run to put the Sox on top. JBJ popped up to third but Leon singled. Marrero lined out to center to end the inning but the Sox were up 1-0.
As soon as the Sox took the lead, Johnson puked it up in the top of the fifth inning. Bautista doubled and Martin walked, but Donaldson flied out to center. Smoak doubled home Bautista to tie the game. Morales singled home Martin to give the Jays the lead and Tulowitzky singled to increase it. Pearce grounded into a force and Pillar flied out to right to end the inning, but the Jays took the lead 3-1.
The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the fifth as Holt grounded out to second and Mr Mookie lined out to right. Benny The Kid lined out to center to end the inning.
Johnson came back for one more inning in the top of the sixth. Barney grounded out to start before Bautista whiffed. Martin struck out to end the inning. Johnson gave up a lot of hits but was very fortunate to work his way out of one jam after another to go six innings, allowing 3 runs.
The Sox inched closer in the bottom of the sixth when Pedroia led off with a solo home run to left to cut the lead to one. Ramirez walked and that was it for Happ. Joe Biagini came in and struck out Young. JBJ singled and a wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position. The rally died as both Leon and Marrero struck out to end the inning, but it was now 3-2 Jays.
Matt Barnes was first out of the bullpen in the top of the seventh inning and he cruised. Donaldson lined out to center and Smoak looked at strike three before Morales grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox tied it up in the bottom of the seventh as Jeff Beliveau gave up a leadoff single to Holt only to be replaced by Dominic Leone. A wild pitch moved Holt to second then he advanced to third on the ground out by Mr Mookie. Things looked bleak when Benny The Kid struck out but Pedroia doubled home Holt to tie the game. Ramirez grounded out to end the inning but it was now 3-3.
Barnes returned for the top of the eighth and ran into trouble by allowing back to back singles to Tulowitzky and Pearce. Barnes recovered to get Pillar to ground into a double play. Ryan Goins pinch hit for Barney only to strike out to end the inning. Leone returned briefly to get Young to ground out to third before giving way to Aaron "Fruit" Loup. JBJ grounded out to second and Leon grounded out to third to end the inning.
Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel got the call to pitch the top of the night and he induced a comebacker by Bautista to begin. Martin lined out to left but Donaldson singled. Josh took off for second but Leon gunned him down trying to steal to end the inning. Loup returned for the bottom of the ninth to get Marrero to ground out to third to start. Holt whiffed and Jays manager John Gibbons waddled to the mound to replace Loup with Danny Barnes. Mr. Mookie popped up to end the inning as we broke for extras.
Brandon Workman was summoned to pitch the top of the tenth and got Smoak to fly out to right. Morales grounded out to first and Tulowitzky struck out to end the inning. The Sox got the leadoff guy aboard in the bottom of the tenth when Benny The Kid was hit with a pitch. Pedroia banged into a double play but Ramirez doubled to put the winning run at second. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Young and flied out to end the inning.
The Jays looked to have won the game in the top of the eleventh when Pearce doubled and Pillar singled him to third. Pillar advanced to second on defensive indifference and Pearce scored on the Goins sac fly. Bautista was intentionally walked and Workman got the double play by Martin to end the inning. Too bad the Jays had the lead 4-3.
Jays closer Roberto Osuna came in to finish off the Sox in the bottom of the eleventh but the Sox somehow rallied. JBJ singled and Leon bunted his way on when Tulowitzky was caught napping. Xander Bogaerts pinch ran for Leon but Marrero popped a bunt foul with 2 strikes for the strikeout. Holt whiffed and all looked lost but Mr. Mookie singled home JBJ...but Bogaerts was thrown out at third to end the inning. Still, the Sox rallied to tie it 4-4.
Christian Vazquez took over behind the plate as today's other call-up Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velasquez got the ball in the top of the twelfth inning. Donaldson grounded out to third to start before Smoak lined out to left. Morales grounded out to third to end the inning. Mike Bolsinger had the bottom of the 12th but the Sox did nothing. Benny The Kid grounded out to first, Pedroia popped up to second and Ramirez grounded out to second to end the inning.
Tulowitzky singled to open the top of the thirteenth but made the mistake of running on Vazquez. Tulowitzky was thrown out as Pearce struck out. Pillar grounded out to second to end the inning. Bolsinger turned up the heat in the bottom of the thirteenth. Moreland and JBJ both whiffed but Bolsingers pitch to Bradley went wide, allowing JBJ to reach first. Vazquez and Marrero whiffed anyway to end the inning.
Velazquez returned for the top of the fourteenth inning and got Goins to fly out to left to start. Bautista walked but Martin grounded into a double play to end the inning. Bolsinger matched Hector in the bottom of the frame. Holt looked at strike, Mr Mookie flied out to right and Benny The Kid struck out to end the inning.
The Sox were going to live or die with Velasquez in the top of the fifteenth inning and they lived. Donaldson looked at strike three but Smoak singled. Ezequiel Carrera ran for Smoak but Morales whiffed. Tulowitzky flied out to center to end the inning. Velazquez had pitched 4 Herculean innings on his first day back, outstanding. The Sox mercifully ended it in the bottom of the fifteenth inning. Pedroia popped up but ramirez sent the tired fans home happy what does solo bomb completely out of Fenway Park to win the game 5-4.
We have vo-Heroes of The Night. First is Hanley Ramirez after he hit the walkoff home run in the bottom of the 15th inning.
The other hero is Hector Velazquez who threw four shutout innings of relief after just being called up from Pawtucket.
The Good:
Chris Young was 1 for 3 with a walk including a solo home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 6 with a run scored.
Sandy Leon was 2 for 5.
Brock Holt was 2 for 6 with a run scored.
Matt Barnes pitched 2 scoreless innings.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 2 as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Deven Marrero 0 for 6 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 2 for 7 but drove in a run.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 6 with 2 strikeouts but was hit with a pitch.
Dustin Pedroia was just 2 for 7 but drove in 2 runs including a solo home run.
Brian Johnson had a mediocre outing giving up 3 runs on 8 hits and 3 walks in just 6 innings.
Brandon Workman gave up a run in 2 innings of work.
Honorable Mention:
Xander Bogaerts pinch ran for Leon.
Final Thoughts:
That was a totally unnecessary marathon but at least the good guys won. Going life and death with of mediocre Toronto Blue Jays is not ideal, but a win is a win. This team still has trouble scoring runs but they seem to get locked down innings from the bullpen when needed. Apart from Brandon Workman, everybody stepped up to pitch shutout innings. Something tells me this team is not going anywhere offensively unless they make a change. Getting rid of Pablo Sandoval was the first step, but now they need to replace him full-time. Deven Marrero, Brock Holt and Tzu-Wei Lin aren't going to cut it with so many people struggling. Still, if the pitching holds up this team has a chance to repeat as division champions. The win improves the Sox to 53-42, 4 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night these teams go at it again with Drew Pomeranz (9-4, 3.75 ERA) taking on Aaron Sanchez at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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