As for the game, the Boston Red Sox stole one tonight. Down by a run and facing the New York Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman, the Sox outwitted the lefty fireballer to literally walk off with the game in the bottom of the ninth. These are the kind of games the Sox need to win if they have any hope for October. As it was, the Sox defeated the Yankees 5-4 at Fenway Park.
Drew Pomeranz got the start for the Red Sox and walked Brett Gardner to lead off the game. Gary Sanchez flied out to center and Aaron Judge lined out to short. Matt Holiday watched strike three go by to end the inning. Jordan Montgomery got the start for the Yankees and Mr. Mookie Betts greeted him with a single to center. Dustin Pedroia walked but the Sox blew it as Xander Bogaerts struck out. The runners moved into scoring position on a groundout by Hanley Ramirez, but Chris Young flied out to left to end the inning. What a waste.
Pomeranz kept pace in the top of the second inning as Didi Gregorious hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Garrett Cooper lined out to second and Jacoby Ellsbury flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox put two more men on in the bottom of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr singled in the hole at second to begin. Sam Travis whiffed as JBJ was erased on the force by Christian Vazquez. Deven Marrero walked but Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning. 4 men left on in two innings, blah.
The Yankees struck first in the top of the third inning as Chase Headley singled to right and Ronald Torreyes singled up the middle. Pomeranz recovered to strike out Gardner but Sanchez singled home Headley to put the Yankees on the board. Judge walked to put Drew on the ropes but Pomeranz got a huge double play on Holiday to end the inning. The Yankees led 1-0 but it could have been worse.
The Sox struck back big time in the bottom of the third inning. Pedroia popped up to third to start but Bogaerts singled to left. Ramirez stepped up by slamming a 2 run home run to center to give the Sox the lead. Young grounded out to short and JBJ popped up to end the inning but it was 2-1 Red Sox.
Pomeranz cruised with the lead in the top of the fourth inning. Gregorious and Cooper both struck out before Ellsbury flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Travis worked a leadoff walk and Vazquez followed with a single. Marerro hit a double play ball to second but TORREYES MISSED IT and everyone was safe. With a chance to break it open early, Mr. Mookie popped up to third. Pedroia stepped up to single home Travis but Bogaerts grounded into a huge double play to end the inning. It was 3-1 Red Sox but it should have been a lot better.
The blown chance to break it open loomed large as the Yankees roared back in the top of the fifth. Headley doubled but Torreyes struck out. Gardner singled home Headley and Sanchez blasted an absolute moonshot to give the Yankees a 4-3 lead. Judge lined out to JBJ in center and Holiday struck out to end the inning, but the Yankees had taken a 4-3 lead.
New pitcher Chad Green dominated the deflated Sox in the bottom of the fifth inning. Ramirez lined out to a diving Gardner before Young and JBJ struck out to end the inning.
Pomeranz returned for the top of the sixth inning and got Gregorious to fly out to start. Cooper whiffed and Ellsbury flied out to left to end the inning. Pomeranz didn't have his best stuff but battled for 6 innings.
Green continued his dominance in the bottom of the sixth as Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Travis only to strike out. Vazquez and Marrero both struck out to end the inning.
Moreland remained in the game at first as Matt Barnes took the mound to start the top of the seventh inning. Headley flied out to center and Torreyes grounded out to third. Gardner grounded out to first to end the inning. Adam Warren took over for Green in the bottom of the seventh and Mr. Mookie whiffed badly. Pedroia lined out but Bogaerts and Ramirez stroked back to back singles. Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Chris Young...and flied out to end the inning. 6 men left on base is not ideal at all.
Barnes returned for the top of the eighth with Benintendi now in left. Sanchez grounded out as Barnes blew away Judge. Holiday watched strike three go by to end the inning. Great effort by Barnes to keep it a one run game. Dellin Betances took over in the bottom of the eighth and JBJ struck out to start. Moreland worked a walk as Tzu-Wei Lin pinch hit for Vazquez....and struck out. Sandy Leon pinch hit for Marrero.....and struck out to end the inning.
Robby Scott (1-1) got the call for the top of the ninth and Gregorious grounded out to first to start. Cooper struck out and Ellsbury popped up to third to end the inning. It all came down to the Sox against Yankees closer Aroldis Chapman in the bottom of the ninth. The rally got started when Mr. Mookie and Pedroia stroked back to back singles. The Sox showed some aggressive baserunning with a successful double steal which looked big when Bogaerts hit a routine grounder to Torreyes...WHO MISPLAYED IT! Betts scored the tying run with Pedroia now on third. Ramriez was intentionally walked but Benny The Kid drew a bases loaded walkoff walk to win the game. The Sox had beaten Chapman and stunned the Yankees 5-4 to win the game.
Hero of the Night is Andrew Benintendi. He drew the bases loaded walk to win the game.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a run scored and a stolen base.
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi, a stolen base and a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk and a 2 run home run.
Sam Travis walked and scored a run before he was lifted.
Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 before being lifted.
Matt Barnes tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Robby Scott got the win with a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
Chris Young was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Mitch Moreland struck out as a pinch hitter.
Tzu-Wei Lin struck out as a pinch hitter.
Sandy Leon struck out as a pinch hitter.
The Ugly:
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.
Deven Marrero was 0 for 2 but walked before being lifted.
Drew Pomeranz tossed 6 gutty innings but allowed 4 runs, 3 of them at the hands of Gary Sanchez.
Final Thoughts:
Now that's the way to come out of the All-Star break. Beating the Yankees to knock them further back with 3 games in a row coming up against them is a great way to set the tone. Pomeranz had trouble with Sanchez but for the most part the pitching staff held the rest of them, especially Judge, in check. The only problem is the Sox are still having trouble scoring men from second and third. This is going to bite them in the boo-tocks big time moving forward if this keeps up. They can't expect to win too many games expecting the closer to throw up on themselves or the pitchers tossing shut-outs every single game. Still a win is a win and they all count. The win improves the Sox to 51-39, 4.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox send ace Chris Sale (11-4, 2.75) ERA to the mound against Luis Severino of the Yankees. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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