Before the game the Boston Red Sox got some bad but ironic news. Joe Kelly and Taylor Austin's suspension appeals came down and New York Yankees manag....er Head of MLB Operations Joe Torre upheld the 6 game ban for Joe Kelly but reduced Austin's suspension to just four games. Fans and media were outraged including Kelly, who tweeted out "At least buy me dinner" in reference to...well you get the idea. Once again this is Torre getting back at the Red Sox for humiliating him in 2004 as Joe serves his 6 game ban beginning tonight.
The bad news was the Boston Celtics lost to the Milwaukee Bucks in Game 6 of their first round NBA playoff series but the good news was the Boston Red Sox defeated the Toronto Blue Jays. It wasn't pretty but tonight the Red Sox gutted out a grinding game against the Toronto Blue Jays. Chris Sale (2-1, 2.32 ERA) was mortal but pitched well enough to keep the Sox in the game long enough for JD Martinez to deliver the decisive blow. The Sox bullpen experienced a minor hiccup but was able to lock down the hard fought 5-4 victory at Skydome.
The Sox did nothing against Marco Estrada in the top of the first inning. Mookie Betts popped up to first and Andrew Benintendi whiffed. Hanley Ramirez singled to right but Martinez flied out to left to end the inning. Sale had nothing in the bottom of the first inning although Steve Pearce lined out to first to start. Teoscar Hernandez walked before Justin Smoak singled. Yangervis Solarte was plunked to load the bases and Kevin Pillar scored Hernandez with a sac fly to give the Jays the quick lead. Martinez made a great running catch to rob Lourdes Gurriel Jr of a sure double to end the inning with the Jays up 1-0.
Estrada turned up the heat in the top of the second inning as Mitch Moreland, Eduardo Nunez and Rafael Devers all whiffed badly in short order. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the second although Randal Grichuk hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Luke Maile looked at strike three but Devon Travis crushed a 957 foot bomb to increase the lead. Pearce also hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but it was 2-0 Jays.
The Sox managed to get one back in the top of the third inning. Christian Vazquez looked at strike three but Brock Holt doubled....only to double over in pain clutching his hamstring. Holt had to be carried out on a stretcher and Tzu-Wei Lin came in to replace him. Betts flied out to center but Benintendi doubled home Lin to cut the lead in half. Ramirez walked but Benintendi was foolishly picked off of second with the Sox trailing 2-1.
The Jays got that run right back in the bottom of the third inning although Hernandez struck out to start. Smoak then swatted a 589 foot bomb to increase the lead. Solarte lined out to center but Pillar lined a ground rule double down the left field line. Gurriel Jr grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 3-1 Jays.
The Sox answered in the top of the fourth inning as Martinez singled to start. JD was erased on the Moreland force but Nunez doubled into the gap. Devers scored Moreland with a sac fly but Vazquez popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.
Sale settled down in the bottom of the fourth as Grichuk grounded out to second to start. Maile whiffed and Travis grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Sox somehow took the lead in the top of the fifth inning. Lin popped up to first and Betts flied out to center. Benintendi and Ramirez singled and Martinez pounded a 3 run opposite field home run to give the Sox the lead. Moreland flied out to left to end the inning but it was now 5-3 Sox.
Sale pounced on the Jays in the bottom of the fifth as Pearce popped up to second to start. Hernandez walked but Smoak whiffed. Solarte flied out to right to end the inning
Aaron "Fruit" Loup took over for Estrada in the top of the sixth inning. Nunez flied out to right, Devers whiffed and Vazquez lined out to right to end the inning. Sale came back for one last inning in the bottom of the sixth. Pillar flied out to right and Gurriel Jr grounded out to third. Grichuk hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning. Sale had gone 6 innings and had given up just three runs. Not great but it'll do.
Loup returned for the top of the seventh inning and Lin grounded out to third to start. Betts grounded out to short and Benintendi watched strike three go by to end the inning. Carson Smith took over for Sale in the bottom of the seventh and crapped his pants. Maile grounded out to short to start before Travis belted a triple. Travis scored on the Kendrys Morales ground out to cut the lead and Hernandez smashed a double to chase the incompetent Smith. Matt Barnes was brought in and whiffed Smoak to end the inning but it was 5-4 Sox.
Seung Hwan Oh took over for the top of the eighth and whiffed Ramirez to start. Martinez flied out to center as did Moreland to end the inning. Barnes got lucky when a borderline strike three pitch was called to freeze Solarte to open the bottom of the eighth. He didn't get so lucky when Pillar walked and Curtis Granderson pinch hit for Gurriel Jr. Granderson also walked and both runners moved into scoring position on the ground-out by Grichuk. With the go-ahead run at second, Barnes whiffed Maile to end the inning.
Aledmys Diaz took over at short with Danny Barnes now on the mound in the top of the ninth. Nunez whiffed but Devers walked. Vazquez lined out to center but Devers swiped second. Lin walked but Betts broke his on-base streak by flying out to center to end the inning. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in for the third game in a row to lock down the save in the bottom of the ninth with Jackie Bradley Jr now in center (replacing JD Martinez) with Betts moving to right. Travis whiffed and Morales popped up to third. Hernandez popped up to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.
Hero of the Night is JD Martinez. His 3 run home run was the deciding blow of the game.
The Good:
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Brock Holt doubled before leaving the game.
Chris Sale tossed 6 solid innings giving up just the 3 runs
Matt Barnes pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Craig Kimbrel earned his 7th save with a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
Mookie Betts broke his 24 game on base streak by going 0 for 5.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Carson Smith gave up a run in just 2/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 4 with a run scored.
Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 2 but walked, stole a base and drove in a run.
Tzu-Wei Lin was 0 for 2 but walked and scored.
Honorable Mention:
Jackie Bradley Jr played centerfield in the bottom of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
That was a grinder and a half but the Sox had the balls to come away with the victory. The offense has come back to earth after flying high for eight games but this is where the pitching has to step up. Apart from Carson Smith the bullpen has nailed down the win the past two nights. It was much needed as the New York Yankees feasted on their personal nerds the Minnesota Twins the past 4 games in Yankee Stadium. The Sox had to keep pace and they won 2 out of 3 to remain 4 games ahead of them. Its too bad Holt got hurt because he was just starting to find his groove at the plate....just like Xander Bogaerts when he went down. Speaking of Xander, he made a miraculous recovery from his foot fracture and could come back tomorrow night. Putting Holt on the DL would be the logical move since Holt practically tore his hamstring running the bases. Tomorrow night the Sox return home to face the Tampa Bay Rays. Drew Pomeranz (7.36 ERA) looks to bounce back from his first start as he takes on Blake Snell at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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