Jose Urena got the ball to start the game and the Sox wasted no time scoring. Eduardo Nunez led off by popping up to first but Andrew Benintendi drew a walk. Benintendi swiped second but Hanley Ramirez flied out to left. JD Martinez had the green light on a 3-0 count and he delivered with an rbi single to give the Sox a lead. Xander Bogaerts whiffed badly to end the inning but Urena had thrown 26 pitches and the Sox led 1-0.
Sale took the ball in the bottom of the first and Lewis Brinson grounded back to the mound to start. Derek Dietrich froze on a 95 mph fastball on the outside corner for strike three but Starlin Castro singled in the hole at short. Brian Anderson whiffed a on a 3-2 pitch to end the inning. Sale had thrown too many pitches but kept the lead intact.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the second inning as Rafael Devers grounded out to second to start. Christian Vazquez grounded out to short and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out to second to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr made an amazing diving catch to rob Bour of a bloop single to start the bottom of the second. Cameron Maybin singled to left but was foolishly doubled off on a routine fly out to right by Miguel Rojas to end the inning. Nunez totally faked out Maybin by pretending the throw was coming to him, but Sale didn't look sharp at all.
The Sox did nothing as Sale himself whiffed to begin the top of the third. Nunez popped up to second and the slumping Benintendi watched strike three go by to end the inning. Chris Wallach began the bottom of the third with a routine fly out to right. Urena himself whiffed and Brinson was rung up for strike three on a check swing to end the inning.
The miserable Sox offense continued to make Urena look like Cy Young in the top of the fourth inning as Ramirez flied out harmlessly to right, Martinez was rung up for strike three on a borderline call and Bogarts also whiffed to end the inning. The Marlins took advantage of shoddy defense to tie the game in the bottom of the fourth. Dietrich singled to right to start but Castro banged into a double play. Anderson singled and Martinez booted a routine single hit by Bour allowing Brian to motor all the way around to tie the game. Maybin whiffed to end the inning but Sale was up to 78 pitches in a game tied 1-1.
Devers got a lucky double down the right field line to open the top of the fifth but naturally was thrown out at third when Vazquez grounded back to the mound. JBJ swung at nothing in a pitch at his ankles for strike three and Sale whiffed badly as well to end the inning. The Sox had been held to one measly run and 2 lucky hits by another mediocre pitcher. Sale cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Rojas popped up to third to start. Wallach was rung up at a fastball on the inside corner for strike three and Urena was retired on a bunt in front of the plate to end the inning. Sale had thrown 93 pitches to get through 5 innings against a terrible lineup.
The Sox did absolutely nothing in the top of the sixth inning as Nunez flied out meekly to right to begin. Benintendi and Ramirez both got lucky hits to center but Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning. Sox fans were pretty mad at Martinez tonight and with good reason. Sale was done after just 5 measly innings and Bobby Poyner came in for the bottom of the sixth. He did strike out Brinson to start. Dietrich struck out and Castro grounded out to short to end the inning.
Urena returned for the top of the seventh and cruised. Bogaerts and Devers grounded out weakly to short before Vazquez grounded out to third to end the inning. The immortal Jose Urena held the Sox to 1 run in 7 innings. Poyner returned for the bottom of the seventh inning. Anderson flied out to left to start and Bour whiffed, but Maybin singled. That was it for Poyner as Sox manager Alex Cora brought in Carson Smith to face Rojas. Maybin took off for second and he was OUT! But wait! Marlins manager Don Mattingly challenged and Maybin was ruled safe. Smith overcame that to whiff Rojas to end the inning.
Drew Steckenrider replaced Urena and JBJ doubled to the centerfield wall to begin. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Smith and advanced JBJ to third with a fly out to dead center. The rally ended as Nunez grounded into the shift and JBJ was thrown out at home. For good measure Nunez was thrown out trying to steal to end the inning.
Joe Kelly came on for the bottom of the eighth inning. Wallach grounded out to short and Kelly whiffed pinch hitter Tomas Telis. Devers robbed Brinson of a line drive hit to end the inning.
Kyle Barraclough got the call to pitch the top of the ninth and the Sox did nothing. Benintendi grounded back to the mound, Ramirez whiffed on a 3-2 change and Martinez was retired on a check swing grounder to first to end the inning. 9 innings and 1 run against the Marlins, great offense. Kelly came back for the bottom of the ninth and Dietrich popped up to third to start. Castro flied out to right but Anderson walked. Bogaerts dove to rob Bour of a hit to end the inning and on to extras we went.
Old friend Brad Ziegler came on to pitch for the Marlins and the Sox failed to score. Bogaerts grounded out to second and Devers popped up to left, but Vazquez poked a lucky single to left. JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel took over for the bottom of the 10th inning and Maybin grounded out to second to start. Rojas singled to center but Wallach whiffed. Yadiel Rivera pinch hit for Ziegler and Rojas swiped second. Rivera walked but Brinson flied out to a charging Martinez to end the inning.
The Sox broke through in the top of the 11th inning against Odrisamer Despaigne. Mookie Betts pinch hit for Kimbrel and was robbed of a home run by a great catch by Brinson. Nunez doubled and Benintendi broke his slump with a single to right. Nunez broke for home and the throw came in.....SAFE! The Sox had taken the lead and Benintendi ended up on second. He was stranded as Ramirez lined out back to the mound and Martinez whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.
Despaigne returned for the top of the 12th and Bogaerts grounded out to second to start. Devers singled up the middle but Vazquez banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox pulled off a double switch with Heath Hembree (1-0, 0.00 ERA) now on the mound and Sandy Leon taking over for Vazquez in the bottom of the 12th. Rojas grounded out to first and Wallach whiffed before Bryan Holoday pinch hit for Despaigne....and whiffed to end the inning.
Tayron Guerrero took over for the Marlins in the top of the 13th and JBJ greeting him by grounding back to the mound. Betts singled and moved to second on the ground-out by Nunez. For some ungodly reason Benintendi was intentionally walked and Ramirez made the Marlins pay with a bases clearing double to give the Sox the lead. Leon singled Hanley to third but Bogaerts lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 4-2.
Hembree was asked to get three more outs with Marcus Walden the only option left in the bullpen and he bot Brinson to ground out to third to start. Dietrich singled past a diving Benintendi in left but was erased on the force by Castro. With a chance to end the game....Hembree punched out Anderson to finish it. The Sox had completed their road trip with a 4-2 win over the Marlins.
Hero of the Night is Hanley Ramirez. His double in the top of the 13th put the Sox up for good.
The Good:
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with 2 walks, 2 runs, a stolen base and an rbi.
Sandy Leon was 1 for 1 at the plate.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 5.
Mookie Betts was 1 for 2 with a run scored.
Bobby Poyner tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Carson Smith got the final out of the seventh inning.
Joe Kelly pitched two scoreless innings.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless inning.
Heath Hembree got the win with 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 6 with 2 strikeouts.
Matt Barnes blew the save in the bottom of the 11th.
The Ugly:
Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 6 but scored a run.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5.
Chris Sale struggled with his command, lasting just 5 innings but giving up just 1 run to earn a no-decision.
Final Thoughts:
That was too much like last year but a win is a win. A new manager, a new coaching staff and a new middle of the order slugger changed absolutely nothing. They still struggle to hit, they still suck running the bases and the pitching is still lights out enough to steal them some games. This was another game where the pitching stole one as the bullpen allowed just 1 run in 8 innings. Sale didn't have it tonight but if a bad start equals just 1 run allowed, you'll take it. Barnes finally allowed a run at the worst of times but Kelly appears to have put his opening day disaster behind him. Who knows if this team will ever hit consistently but the Sox went 5-1 on this road trip with the only blemish coming on opening day. After an off-day the Sox come home for their home opener on Thursday. David Price (1-0, 0.00 ERA) will get the honors against....we have no idea. The festivities start at 1 PM but the game is scheduled to go off at 2:05 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment