Rick Porcello (7-14, 4.59 ERA) took the mound in the top of the first inning and Matt Carpenter looked at strike three to begin. Tommy Pham also froze on strike three and Paul DeJong grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox pounced on Leake in the top of the first as Eduardo Nunez grounded to short, Mookie Betts grounded to second but Andrew Benintendi poked a base hit into right field. Hanley Ramirez singled off the Monster which moved Benintendi to third. Rafael Devers scored Benintendi with an rbi single into left. Xander Bogaerts beat out an infield single by sliding into first to load the bases.....but Mitch Moreland grounded out to end the inning. Still, the Sox had a 1-0 lead.
Dexter Fowler led off the top of the second with a base hit but was erased on the Yadier Molina double play ball. Jedd Gyorko struck out to end the inning. The Sox mustered nothing in the bottom of the second as Sandy Leon grounded out to second to start. Jackie Bradley Jr was hit with a pitch JBJ was safe at second on the grounder to first by Nunez, but Betts struck out to end the inning.
Kolten Wong led off the top of the third with a swinging strikeout. Benintendi robbed Jose Martinez of extra bases with a leaping catch against the wall, but Randal Grichuck worked a walk. Carpenter walked but Pham grounded to third to end the inning. Leake shut down the Sox in the bottom of the third as Benintendi lined out to short but somehow Ramirez walked. Naturally Devers banged into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox electrified the crowd in the top of the fourth after DeJong and Fowler both singled to lead off. Molina grounded to Devers at third for 1, on to second to third and on to first..OUT! TRIPLE PLAY! The crowd loved it and Porcello was out of the inning. That was the first triple play in 6 years.
The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the fourth unfortunately. Bogaerts grounded to short, Moreland struck out and Grichuck made a great diving catch to rob Leon of extra bases to end the inning.
Gyorko led off the top of the fifth with a base hit to left but Wong flied out to left. Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox put on an offensive explosion in the bottom of the fifth. JBJ flied out to start but Nunez got it started with a single to center. Betts singled to center but Benintendi was plunked in the knee, dropping him in a heap but loading the bases. Ramirez stepped up to double off the left field wall to increase the lead. Devers was intentionally walked and Bogaerts scored Benintendi with a single to left. Moreland then singled up the middle to score Ramirez and chase Leake. Matt Bowman relieved Leake and Leon doubled into the gap to score 2 more runs. The man who started the inning, JBJ, singled home Moreland and moved Leon to third. Nunez followed with a base hit to right to score Leon and move JBJ to third. Betts popped up for the second out and Pham robbed Benintendi with a diving catch to end the inning. The Sox batted around for 8 hits, a walk, an HBP and 8 runs to take a 9-0 lead. Outstanding.
Chris Young took over in left field to begin the top of the sixth as Andrew Benintendi had to be wheeled out on a gurney due to getting hit on the leg earlier. Porcello started the bottom of the sixth by freezing Grichuck for strike three but Luke Voit pinch hit for Carpenter and singled to left. Pham singled up the middle but DeJong popped up to right. Rick then fell apart as Fowler doubled to score both runners. Carson Kelly pinch hit for Molina and singled in Fowler. Gyorko hit a bullet....right to Devers for the third out but it was now 9-3. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth against Brett Cecil. Ramirez whiffed but Devers beat out an infield single. Bogaerts got a base hit to left as did Moreland to load the bases, but Leon popped up to second. JBJ drew a bases loaded walk to score Devers, but Nunez flied out to the wall in center to end the inning. Still, it was now 10-3 Red Sox.
Porcello returned for the top of the seventh inning and got Wong to ground out to second as Sox analyst Dennis Eckersley was informed he was on the mound for a triple play....but he didn't remember it. Martinez struck out and Grichuck grounded out to end the inning. Porcello had gone 7 strong innings while giving up 3 runs to put himself in line for the win.
MA native John Brebbia got the ball in the top of the eighth inning and he struck out Betts to start. Young whiffed and Ramirez flied out to end the inning. Joe Kelly took the mound in the top of the eighth with Brock Holt now playing first. Voit greeted Kelly with a double and moved to third on the Pham ground out. Sox analysts Dave O'Brien and Eck reminisced about Mark "The Byrd" Fydrich who was as eccentric as it got. Eck said Fidrych was with the Sox in Spring Training 83 when Mark was with Pawtucket where they became friends. Eck also chastised Sox manager John Farrell without actually saying so for bringing in Kelly too soon in pressure packed situations just off the disabled list. Right on cue Dejong beat out an infield single to score Voit. Fowler flied out to left as Kelly uncorked a wild pitch that bounced completely out of Fenway to move Dejong to second. Matt Barnes out in the bullpen began to stare a hole into the bullpen camera as Joe responded to strike out Carson Kelly to end the inning with the game now 10-4.
Greg Garcia took over at third base with Sam Tuivailala (what a mouthful) now on the mound. Devers hit a comebacker to start as Garcia booted a ball hit by Bogaerts for an error. Hitman Holt banged into a double play to end the inning.
Robby Scott had mop up duty in the top of the ninth inning. Garcia flied out to right and Wong struck out. Martinez walked but Scott struck out Grichuk to end the game. The Sox had won it easily 10-4.
Win, Dance, Repeat
Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He busted out of his slump for 3 hits, driving in a run and scoring one of his own.
The Good:
Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi was 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored and an HBP that knocked him out of the game.
Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a walk, an rbi and a run scored.
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 2 with a walk, HBP and two runs batted in.
Rick Porcello got the win by firing 7 innings of 3 run ball, getting a huge assist from his defense.
Robby Scott pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Joe Kelly gave up a run in an inning of work.
Chris Young was 0 for 1 as Benintendi's replacement.
Brock Holt was 0 for 1 as Moreland's replacement.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs then scored one.
Final Thoughts:
Its about time the Sox displayed some offense. Batting around in the 5th put the game on cruise control and the Sox needed an easy one after the bloodbaths in New York. It was great to see Bogaerts nust out of his slump and for Porcello to get as mamy ground ball outs as he has. Only negatives were Joe Kelly not having swing and miss stuff, Porcello's hiccup in the 6th inning and the ongoing regression of Mookie Betts. Last year's MVP runner up is frighteningly becoming Mike Greenwell instead of Jim Rice. Hope he can turn it around. The win improved the Sox to 68-51, 4.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night Eduardo Rodriguez (4-3, 3.80) takes on Lance Lynn in the second game of the set at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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