Eduardo Nunez led off the top of the first with a bloop single to right field. Bad luck struck the Red Sox when Andrew Benintendi hit a line drive off the third base bag, nearly cleaning out the third base umpire Pat Hoberg. Had the ball not hit the bag it would have been a double but instead it was a single. Mookie Betts flied out to right but Nunez moved to third. Benintendi stayed out of the double play by swiping second but it didn't matter because Hanley Ramirez hit a ground ball right to third, gunning home to get Nunez for the force. Also naturally Mitch Moreland lined right to Odorizzi to end the inning. Rick Porcello took the mound in the bottom of the first and struck out Corey Dickerson to begin. Things got hairy when Brad Miller doubled over the head of Benintendi in left and Evan Longoria walked. Longoria was erased on the force by Logan Morrison but there were now runners at the corners. Steven Souza Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.
Xander Bogaerts popped up to start the top of the second as analysts Dave O'Brien and Wade Boggs gave their insight on the recent suspension of Joe "respect muh authoritah!" West for saying Adrian Beltre was a whinebag. Brock "Hitman" Holt popped up to left but Sandy Leon worked a walk on Odorizzi's 46th pitch. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out but Jake was up to 52 pitches thrown. Porcello whiffed Trevor Plouffe on 3 pitches to begin the bottom of the second. Wilson Ramos popped up to first and Mallex Smith grounded out to short to end the inning.
The bad luck continued in the top of the third when Nunez hit a bullet....right to Longoria at third. Benintendi lofted a ball to the left field wall and DICKERSON DROPPED IT! Only problem was Benintendi was trotting around the bases and was only at second. Betts worked a walk but Benintendi failed to move to third on a fly out to the wall by Ramirez. The Rays incompetence outshadowed the Sox ineptitude as Moreland grounded to first, but Plouffe's throw to Odorizzi missed completely and Benintendi scored. Bogaerts flied out to right to end the inning but it was now 1-0 Boston.
Porcello kept it a one run lead in the bottom of the third inning. Adeiny Hechavarria lined out to Benintendi to begin then Dickerson lined out right to Nunez. Miller looked at strike three to end the inning.
The Sox accomplished nothing in the top of the fourth inning. Hitman Holt lined out to right and Leon flied out to left, then JBJ swung at air to end the inning. Longoria flied out to open the bottom of the fourth before Morrison hit one up the elevator shaft. Souza Jr flied out to right to end the inning.
Things got scary when Nunez led off the top of the 5th with a single off the leg of Odorizzi, knocking him down and out of the game. You never want to see anyone get hurt so I hope he's okay.
Dan Jennings came in ice cold and Benintendi greeted him with a single. Betts singled up the middle and Nunez motored around, beating the throw home. Both remaining runners moved into scoring position. Ramirez was intentionally walked and Ramos let a passed ball go by to score Benintendi. Moreland grounded out and for some reason Rays manager Kevin Cash had Bogaerts intentionally walked. A wild pitch by Jennings scored Betts. Ramirez was out at home on the force by Holt but Leon singled to left to score two more runs. JBJ grounded out to end the inning but it was now 6-0 Red Sox.
How did the Rays respond in the bottom of the fifth? Porcello pitched an immaculate inning. 9 pitches, 9 strikes. Plouffe, Ramos and Smith all went down. Hasn't happened to a Sox pitcher since Clay Buchholz in 2012 and Pedro Martinez in 2012. Outstanding.
Brad Boxberger took the mound in the top of the sixth and struck out Nunez to start. Benintendi flied out to left and Ramirez popped to center to end the inning. Porcello hit the wall in the bottom of the sixth when Hechavarria led off with a solo home run to left. Dickerson grounded out to Moreland but Miller blasted a moon shot to right. Longoria popped up and Morrison flied out to end the inning but the Rays got two back, Sox still ahead 6-2.
The Sox went quietly in the top of the seventh as Ramirez whiffed to start against new pitched Steve Cishek. Moreland was hit with a pitch but Bogaerts grounded into a double play to end the inning. Porcello ran out of gas in the top of the seventh as Souza Jr singled, then he walked Plouffe. Sox manager John Farrell had seen enough and pulled him in favor of Matt Barnes. Porcello was cruising through 5 but fell apart afterwards. Still, 6 innings and 2 runs wasn't the worst.
Barnes responded by getting Ramos to bang into a double play. Smith grounded right back to Barnes to end the inning.
Sergio Romo came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Hitman Holt doubled to left. Leon hit a ground ball to Plouffe....and he threw it away, scoring Holt from second. Leon moved to second on the error then to third on the JBJ ground out. Yet another wild pitch scored Holt to increase the lead. Nunez struck out and Benintendi popped up to end the inning, but it was now 8-2 Sox.
Brandon Workman came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth and he struck out Hechavarria to begin. Dickerson popped to short and Miller flied out to right to end the inning.
Betts lined out to center to begin the top of the ninth but Ramirez singled. Moreland grounded into a double play to end the inning. The returning Joe "Machine Gun" Kelly came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth. Longoria popped up, Morrison struck out and Souza Jr grounded out to end the game. The Sox had won their 8th in a row by a score of 8-2.
Hero of the Night is Andrew Benintendi. He was a menace at the plate on the bases a he went 3 for 5 with 2 runs scored.
The Good:
Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Sandy Leon was 1 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbi's and a run scored.
Rick Porcello earned his 6th win by pitching into the 7th inning and allowing just 2 runs.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 4.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 4 but walked and was hit with a pitch.
Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but scored 2 runs.
Final Thoughts:
Scoring 8 runs on just 3 rbi's means your competition wasn't very competent on defense. Still, scoring 8 runs generally means you win the game and the Sox did. It was good to see the Sox take both games from the Rays to essentially knock them out of the division race and set themselves up for the big weekend series coming up riding high after 8 straight wins. Porcello needed a game like this but so did Benintendi. Andrew looks improved after Sox manager John Farrell benched him. It looks like Nunez and Rafael Devers are cooling off so its time for the stalwarts to step up and win the division with 2 months to go. The win launched the Sox to 65-49, 4 games ahead of the New York Yankees. After an off-day Thursday, the Sox travel to the Bronx for the big weekend showdown with the Yankees. Jaime Garcia goes for New York on Friday night as the Sox counter with Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3, 4.08 ERA) taking the hill for Boston. Game 1 is at 7:10 PM
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