Last year's American League Champion Cleveland Indians sent a message by pounding Sox ace Chris Sale, Addison Reed and Craig Kimbrel into submission, but the Sox bats woke up. Getting a gift in the bottom of the 9th, the Sox somehow walked off to a 12-10 win at Fenway Park thanks to the unlikely Christian Vazquez.
Sale took the hill in the top of the first inning and got hammered as Fransisco Lindor beat out an infield single that Xander Bogaerts nearly threw away. Lindor swiped second on a terrible throw by the incompetent Christian Vazquez. Brandon Guyer then singled off the glove of Rafael Devers to put runners at the corners. Michael Brantley drove in Lindor with a seeing eye single to left to give the Indians the lead. Jose Ramirez tried to bunt the runners over but Sale fielded it and threw Guyer out at third. Edwin Encarnarcion whiffed but Carlos Santana put the Indians up for good with a double off the Monster to make it 3-0. Austin Jackson struck out to end the inning but the Indians had struck early.
Carlos Carrasco got the ball and easily handed the Red Sox in the bottom of the first. Mookie Betts lofted a routine fly to right but Brock "The Hitman" Holt got the luckiest double ever when a routine fly bounced off Brantley's glove and he couldn't find it. Eduardo Nunez grounded out to short and Hanley Ramirez meekly flied out to center to end the inning.
Sale continued to suck in the top of the second by walking Yan Gomes on 4 pitches. Mookie made a lucky catch to rob Giovanny Urshela of a sure double. Lindor popped up but Guyer blasted a 2 run bomb completely out of Fenway to give the Indians a 5-0 lead. Brantley then jacked one to the wall but Holt made another lucky catch to end the inning with the game getting out of hand.
Somehow the Sox sprang to life in the bottom of the second. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging but Devers walked and Xander Bogaerts doubled into the gap. The much maligned Mitch Moreland swatted a 3 run home run into right to cut the lead 5-3. Somehow Vazquez doubled into the gap and moved to third on a wild pitch by Carrasco. Betts worked a walk and Holt hit a double play ball....but Lindor ran the wrong way and had to dive to catch it. It went as a base hit for Holt and an rbi as Vazquez scored to cut the lead. Nunez then hit a shot high off the Monster that scored Betts but Holt was once again thrown out at home for the second game in a row. Somehow Indians manager Terry Francona suffered a brain cramp and intentionally walked the slumping Ramirez only to come out and pull Carassco with the game tied 5-5. Tyler Olson came in and struck out JBJ to end the inning but the Sox had tied it up.
Sale failed to pitch a clean inning in the top of the third. Ramirez singled but Sale bore down to strike out Encarnarcion. Ramirez swiped second but Santana grounded out. Ramirez moved to third on a wild pitch but Jackson flied out to right to end the inning. Devers continued his hot streak with a base hit but the slumping Bogaerts banged into a double play. Moreland struck out to end the inning.
Sale finally settled down in the top of the fourth inning. Gomes lined out to left before both Urshela and Lindor struck out to end the inning. The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the fourth as Vazquez grounded out but Betts singled. Holt flied out and that was it for Olson. Dan Otero came into the game and got Nunez to fly out to end the inning.
The Indians fought back in the top of the fifth inning. Guyer flied out to left and Brantley grounded out, but Ramirez doubled. Sale had Encarnarcion in a full count but threw a hanging meatball that Edwin blasted out of the yard for a 2 run home run. Santana grounded out but the damage was done. It was Sale's worst start by giving up 7 runs in just 5 innings.
The Indians appeared to have a horseshoe up their collective ass when Hanley blasted into the bullpen....CAUGHT BY AUSTIN JACKSON! In one of the best catches all year, Jackson tumbled into the bullpen while hanging on to the ball. Outstanding play by Jackson to keep it a 2 run game. JBJ grounded out and Devers popped up to end the inning. The Sox appeared to have no luck.
The most important half inning of the game occured in the top of the sixth with Blaine Boyer on the mound. Jackson added to his catch by doubling to right. Gomes walked and Urshela tried to bunt the guys over...but nobody covered first and everyone was safe. This looked to be the death knell for the Sox but somehow Boyer got Lindor to pop up to short left. Guyer then banged into a double play to end the inning. Somehow Boyer got out of it with the deficit still at 2.
Moved by Boyer's effort, the Sox took control in the bottom of the sixth against Bryan Shaw. Bogaerts grounded out but Moreland doubled. Vazquez singled Mitch to third and Betts singled home Moreland to cut the lead 7-6 and chase Shaw. Terry Francona brought in old pal Andrew Miller and Sox manager John Farrell countered by pinch hitting Holt for Chris Young. Miller somehow hit Young to load the bases for Nunez. Edwardo continued to be a fan favorite by doubling home all 3 runners, moving to third on the throw home. Nunez was out at home on a grounder by Ramirez but JBJ worked a walk. Devers struck out to end the inning but it was now 9-7 Boston.
Matt Barnes came on to pitch the top of the seventh and he responded by striking out both Brantley and Ramirez. Encarnarcion grounded out to end the inning. Good work Matt. Joe Smith replaced Miller in the bottom of the seventh inning. Bogaerts and Moreland grounded out and Vazquez flied out to end the inning.
The Sox newest acquisition Addison Reed got the call to pitch the top of the eighth.....and immediately allowed a solo blast to Santana to cut the lead 9-8. Reed recovered to get Jackson to ground out. Gomes struck out and Urshela lined out to end the inning. Hideki Okajima would be proud of Reed.
Smith returned for the bottom of the eighth by getting Betts to pop up to begin. Young looked at strike three but Nunez singled to left. Ramirez grounded out to end the inning.
Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel was brought in to close it out but Lindor was sitting on a fastball to open the top of the ninth. Sure enough, Kimbrel threw one and Lindor blasted it out of the yard to tie the game. Bradley Zimmer pinch hit for Guyer and struck out. Brantley grounded out but Ramirez singled. Encarnarcion singled and Santana walked to load the bases. All of a sudden Kimbrel uncorked a wild pitch that scored Ramirez with the go-ahead run. Jackson flied out to end the inning but Kimbrel reverted to 2016....not good. Who would have thought Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel would have their worst games all year in the same game?
Indians closer Cody Allen was brought in to close it out in the bottom of the ninth inning. Things looked bleak when JBJ struck out, but Devers kept the Sox alive with a base hit. Bogaerts flied out and Moreland represented the final out. On a 2-2 pitch Moreland swung and missed.....BUT THE BALL GOT AWAY! In a rare instance, a strikeout/passed ball had two runners on when the game should be over. A wild pitch moved both runners into scoring position and Vazquez brought them both home with a 3 run blast off the centerfield wall to win the game. The Sox had fought back to win it 12-10!
Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez for his heroic 3 run bomb to win the game.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.
Brock Holt was 2 for 3 with an rbi.
Chris Young was hit with a pitch and scored a run.
Eduardo Nunez was 3 for 5 with 4 rbi's.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
Mitch Moreland was 3 for 5 with 3 rbi's and 3 runs scored.
Blaine Boyer pulled a Houdini by getting out of a bases loaded nobody out jam.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
The Bad:
Chris Sale sucked in this one. He lasted just 5 innings and gave up 7 runs on 8 hits and 2 home runs.
Addison Reed made his Sox debut by giving up a solo blast to Carlos Santana
The Ugly:
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a walk.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.
Craig Kimbrel had his worst outing of the year by allowing 2 runs including the game tying home run. Only reason he's here and not on the Bad list is because he vultured the win from Boyer.
Final Thoughts:
This was a game the Sox NEEDED to win. After a pathetic July where they became one of the most despised teams in city history, this is the kind of game they had to win to get some rapport back. After Chris Sale and Craig Kimbrel had their worst games, to come back and win anyway showed some serious balls. The additions of Nunez and Devers have sparked the offense and theoretically the addition of Reed should shore up the leaky bullpen. With Joe Kelly, David Price and Dustin Pedroia all on the disabled list, this could be a make or break 3 week stretch with the New York Yankees posed to make a post-season run. If the Sox want to win rapport back with the fans after the Price/Eckersley fiasco and the offense asleep for most of July, they need to come out hot in August. The win propelled the Sox to 59-49, a half game in front of the Yankees who lost tonight 4-3 to Detroit. Tomorrow night the much maligned Rick Porcello (4-14) takes on Trevor Bauer in the finale of the series at 7:05 PM.
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