It was a great day for Boston sports as the Boston Bruins defeated the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 4 of their first round NHL playoff series and the Boston Red Sox defeated the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Before this three game set, irate New York Yankee fans were convinced the Boston Red Sox were doomed as they were scheduled to play the 13-3 Anaheim Angels with their phenom Shohei Ohtani on the mound in Game 1 and at the plate for Game 3. Instead the Red Sox steamrolled them the same way they have steamrolled everyone else, scoring a combined 27 runs in the series while allowing just 3. Tonight Mookie Betts hit another leadoff bomb, Andrew Benintendi added his first of the year, Eduardo Rodriguez (2-0, 3.45 ERA) pitched well and the Sox had won their 7th game in a row. The 8-2 victory completed the sweep of the Angels right out of Angels Stadium. Is there no stopping this team?
For the third game in a row the Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning. Mookie Betts smashed the third pitch of the ballgame into the left field bleachers for his 6th home run of the year. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to short but Hanley Ramirez walked. JD Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Rodriguez kept the Angels at bay in the bottom of the first. Ian Kinsler flied out to center but then home plate umpire Jerry Layne keeled over and had to be hauled off on a gurney after taking a ball off the arm hit by Mike Trout. When action resumed Rodriguez punched out Trout and Justin Upton to end the inning.
Tropeano recovered in the top of the second as Mitch Moreland was rung up for strike three to start. Rafael Devers beat out an infield single to third but Eduardo Nunez hit one up the elevator shaft. Christian Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning. The Angels fought back in the bottom of the second although Albert Pujols grounded out to short to start. Andrelton Simmons walked and somehow moved to third on a ground out by Shohei Ohtani (yes, the pitcher is also an outfielder). Zack Cozart singled home Simmons to tie the game. Chris Young flied out to left to end the inning but it was 1-1.
The game remained deadlocked through the top of the third as Brock Holt grounded out to second to start. Betts whiffed and Benintendi struck out as well to end the inning. Rodriguez recovered in the bottom of the third as Martin Maldonado grounded out to third to start. Kinsler singled but was erased on the force by Trout. Upton grounded into a force to end the inning.
The Sox broke through in the top of the fourth as Ramirez drew a leadoff walk and Martinez doubled him home. Moreland grounded out to third and Devers singled to center. Martinez broke for home and was safe but Devers was foolishly thrown out at second trying to stretch. Nunez popped up to third to end the inning but it was now 3-1 Sox.
Rodriguez held the lead in the bottom of the fourth as Pujols popped up to short to start. Simmons walked but Ohtani whiffed. Cozart popped up to first to end the inning.
Vazquez grounded out to short to start the top of the fifth but Holt singled. Betts banged into a double play to end the inning. The Angels struck back in the bottom of the fifth when our old friend Young smashed a 70 trillion foot home run completely out of the atmosphere to cut the lead to one. Maldonado whiffed and Kinsler flied out to left. Trout grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 3-2.
The Sox answered in the top of the sixth when Benintendi crushed his first home run of the year to right. Ramirez flied out to center but Martinez singled to chase Tropeano. Jose Alvarado came in and Moreland doubled Martinez to third. Devers singled home Martinez to put runners at the corners and chase Alvarado. Jim Johnson came in and got Nunez to bang into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 5-2.
Rodriguez came back for one more inning in the bottom of the sixth. Upton flied out to right and Pujols popped up to first, but Simmons walked. Rodriguez hung on to whiff Ohtani to end his outing. Eduardo had tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball to put the Sox in position to win.
The Sox had a chance to tack on an insurance run in the top of the seventh but failed. Vazquez grounded out to third but Holt doubled. Betts whiffed and Benintendi flied out to left to end the inning. Heath Hembree came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh but got no help from his defense. Cozart hit a routine ground ball by Devers but he picked it up and spiked it like a football before doing a boogie woogie, Zack taking first on the error. Kole Calhoun pinch hit for Young but Hembree threw a fastball into the fourth row of the bleachers for a wild pitch to advance Cozart to second. Cozart advanced to third on the Calhoun grounder to second and Luis Valbuena pinch hit for Maldonado. Hembree froze Valbuena for strike three before Kinsler grounded out to third to end the inning.
Rene Rivera took over behind the plate and Blake Wood took the mound for the top of the eighth inning. Ramirez got the rally started with a single and Martinez doubled him to third. Jackie Bradley Jr pinch ran for Martinez to give him the night off. Mitch Moreland hit a sac fly to score Hanley and Devers was intentionally walked. Nunez beat out a double play ball but Vazquez grounded out to end the inning with the Sox up 6-2.
Carson Smith took over on the mound with JBJ in center, moving Benintendi to left to begin the bottom of the eighth. Trout flied out to center before Upton froze for strike three. Pujols popped up to third to end the inning.
The Sox iced the game in the top of the ninth with Noe Ramirez taking the beating. Cozart booted a ground ball to allow Holt to reach and Betts smacked a ground rule double to left. Benintendi singled home both runners and took second on the throw home. Ramirez flied out to center but Benintendi moved to third. JBJ was hit with a pitch and that was it for Ramirez. That's why he was sent out of town, folks. Luke Bard came in and struck out Moreland before getting Devers to fly out to end the inning. Still, it was now 8-2 and all but over.
Joe Kelly had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth. Simmons hit a leadoff single and advanced to second on defensive indifference. Ohtani whiffed before Cozart lined out to right. Kelly blew away Calhoun to end the game. The Sox had swept the Angels out of Anaheim, scoring 27 runs in the three game set, winning this one 8-2.
Hero of the night is Andrew Benintendi. He drove in 3 runs and hit his first home run of the year
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored and hit his 6th homer of the year.
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and 2 runs scored.
JD Martinez was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was hit with a pitch in his only plate appearance.
Rafael Devers was 3 for 4 with a walk and 2 rbis.
Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Eduardo Rodriguez pitched 6 innings, allowing just 2 runs on 3 hits and 3 walks while striking out 5 to earn the win.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Carson Smith pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 4.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4.
The Ugly:
Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Final Thoughts:
How about the smoking hot Red Sox? The red hot offense has come alive in the last two weeks and they can't possibly keep this up, can they? Then again the 1984 Detroit Tigers started the season 35-5 (one of their losses included a gem pitched by Bob Ojeda) and the 2001 Seattle Mariners won 116 games. Its not out of the realm of possibility if the 2016 offense combines with 2017's pitching to win 100 games this year. Obviously its only April and a lot could go wrong, but 16-2 is still 16-2. The 2013 Red Sox started 20-8 and this year's squad needs to go just 4-6 to accomplish that. The Sox move on for a three game set with the Oakland A's. Tomorrow night Drew Pomeranz comes off the disabled list to make his season debut opposite Kendall Graveman. The action begins at 10:05 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.
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