At first Porcello had no problem with the White Sox in the top of the first inning. Leury Garcia flied out to left, Yolmer Sanchez flied out to right and Jose Abreu struck out to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time scoring in the bottom of the first inning. Mookie Betts grounded out but Andrew Benintendi hit a ground rule double into the bullpen. The red hot Eduardo Nunez singled home Benintendi before swiping second base. Hanley Ramirez doubled home Nunez and Devers hit an opposite field blast into the Monster Seats to give the Sox a 4-0 lead just like that. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right and Mitch Moreland grounded out to end the inning, but what a rally.
Just as soon as Boston got the lead, Porcello nearly pissed it away. Old friend Yoan Moncada walked and Nicky Delmonico singled him to third. Tyler Sandino singled home Moncada to put the ChiSox on the board. A wild pitch moved both runners over and Delmonico scored on the Tim Anderson ground out. Omar Navarez lined out to short and Adam Engel lined out to center to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 4-2.
The Sox got the two runs right back and more in the bottom of the second inning. Christian Vazquez singled but JBJ was robbed at the wall in center. Mookie then smashed a 2 run bomb over the Monster Seats to increase the lead 6-2. Benintendi was plunked and he swiped second, even though Nunez popped up. Ramirez stepped up with a single to score Benintendi to chase starter Miguel Gonzalez. Two games in a row Boston knocks the starter out in the second inning. Gregory Infante came in to pitch and Devers hit a routine fly to Delmonico...WHO DROPPED IT! Only problem was Ramirez lollygagged home and was thrown out easy to end the inning. Still, the Sox now had a 7-2 lead.
Once again just as soon as Porcello had a 5 run lead, he pissed it away again in the top of the third inning. Garcia singled but Sanchez flied out. Garcia swiped second but Abreu struck out. Somehow Porcello walked Moncada again....and Delmonico made him pay by launching a 3 run bomb to cut the lead 7-5. Saladino singled as the boo's rained down but Rick recovered to strike out Anderson to end the inning with the lead down to 2.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third inning as Bogaerts flied out to left to begin. Moreland looked at strike three although Vazquez and JBJ stroked back to back singles. Betts whiffed to end the inning.
Porcello recovered to cruise in the top of the fourth inning. Narvaez grounded out to first, Engel lined out to Betts and Garcia struck out to end the inning. Benintendi doubled to lead off the bottom of the fourth but was foolishly thrown out at third on a ground ball by Nunez. Ramirez lined out and that was it for Infante. David Holmberg was brought in to pitch to Devers only to walk him. Bogaerts lined out to end the inning.
The ChiSox looked to tie the game in the top of the fifth after Sanchez grounded a ball to Porcello who threw the 500 feet completely out of Fenway Park for an error, allowing Sanchez to reach second. Abreu grounded out softly to advance Sanchez to third but Porcello got a huge out by whiffing Moncada. Rick then struck out Delmonico to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the fifth when Moreland led off with a double. Vazquez grounded out to advance Moreland to third but JBJ flied out. Betts was intentionally walked but Benintendi made them pay with a base hit to score Moreland. Holmberg was replaced by Brad (Not Bill) Goldberg. Nunez grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox now up 8-5.
Porcello returned for the top of the sixth inning and got Saladino to fly out to center although Anderson doubled to chase Rick. For the first time in ages, Porcello had failed to go 6 innings. After leaving in starters too long for most of July, Sox manager John Farrell is finally learning his lesson. 5 1/3 innings of 5 run ball isn't going to cut it most of the time.
Fernando Abad came in to pitch to Narvaez and struck him out. One and done for Abad as Farrell brought in Heath Hembree who struck out Engel to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 8-5. Boston tacked on another insurance run to wrap up the scoring in the bottom of the sixth. Ramirez flied out to left and Devers grounded out, but Bogaerts singled. Moreland stepped up to double into the gap to score Bogaerts. Vazquez grounded out to end the inning with the BoSox up 9-5.
Addison Reed got the call in the top of the seventh meaning Sox manager John Farrell lost faith in him as the 8th inning guy already, just like Fernando Abad last year. Reed took his demotion well by getting Garcia to ground out to first, Sanchez to ground out to short and Abreu also to ground out to short to end the inning. Aaron Bummer got the ball in the bottom of the seventh inning and punched out JBJ to begin. Betts grounded out but Benintendi walked. Benintendi then made another bone-headed blunder by getting thrown out at third on a single by Nunez to end the inning. They teach you in little league never make the first or third out at third base....and he managed to do both.
Matt Barnes got the call to pitch the top of the eighth like Reed was never acquired and at least did his job. Moncada grounded out to second, Moreland snared a line drive by Delmonico and Saladino flied out to right to end the inning. Tyler Clippard got the ball in the bottom of the eighth and Ramirez worked a lead-off walk but Devers whiffed. Bogaerts flied out to center and Moreland flied out to right to end the inning.
With a four run lead, Brandon Workman was summoned to close the game out in the top of the ninth. He responded by striking out Anderson and Narvaez to open the frame. Alex Hanson pinch hit for Engel and grounded out to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-5 for their third win in a row.
Hero of the Night is a tough one as it was a total team effort but I have to go with Rafael Devers. The 20 year old hit an opposite field 2 run bomb to light up the crowd. If Porcello didn't suck, that would have been the kill shot early.
The Good:
Andrew Benintendi was 3 for 3 with a walk, an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk, run scored and 2 runs batted in.
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 5 with a run scored and an rbi,.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Fernando Abad struck out the only man he faced.
Heath Hembree struck out the only man he faced.
Addison Reed pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
None....wow.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 4 with a walk but made the hit count as it was a 2 run home run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.
Rick Porcello gave up 5 runs in just 5 1/3 innings but got credit for the win.
Final Thoughts:
Don't look now but not only are the Red Sox in first place again, they're starting to gain ground. The Sox have won 3 straight and the New York Yankees have lost 3 straight. The subtraction of Pablo Sandoval and the additions of Devers and Nunez seemed to have sparked the sagging offense, even if its only temporarily. After all Nunez was never a good hitter and they'll figure out Devers eventually. Still, for the Sox to have survived 2 back to back crappy starts by Chris Sale and Porcello is a hell of an improvement over July when any time they fell behind, the game was as good as over. I'm not too worried about Sale, he was due for a stinker....but Porcello getting lit up by the bonafide Charlotte Knights is frightening. With David Price continuing to hide from the fans and the media, they need Porcello to step up like last year and its just not happening. The win propelled the Sox to a 60-49 record, which actually matches their record last year at this time. Not only that, they are now 2 games ahead of the New York Yankees who lost tonight. Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3, 4.16) ERA will try not to crap his pants tomorrow night against the White Sox when he takes on Carlos Rodon in the second game of this series.
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