As for the game, the Red Sox have won an amazing ten games in a row. Welcoming in the Toronto Blue Jays for a four game set before the all-star break, the Sox set the tone that they want momentum by beating the Jays tonight on the back of a clutch grand slam by Mookie Betts. Trailing 2-1 to JA Happ in the bottom of the fifth, Betts worked a 12 pitch at bat before crushing the 13th pitch onto Lansdowne Street for a grand slam. That blow proved to be the difference in the game as the Sox won their 10th in a row with a 6-4 win at Fenway Park.
David Price (10-6, 4.42 ERA) got the start for the Sox and the Jays immediately tagged him. Randal Grichuk whiffed to begin but Lourdes Gurriel Jr doubled. Justin Smoak whiffed but Teoscar Hernandez crushed a 400,000 foot home run into the Atlantic Ocean to give the Jays the lead. Kendrys Morales whiffed to end the inning but it was 2-0 Jays.
Happ got the ball in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to center to begin. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second but JD Martinez singled. Steve Pearce was plunked but Xander Bogaerts was frozen for strike three to end the inning.
Price settled down in the top of the second as Russell Martin grounded out to third to begin. Kevin Pillar whiffed but Devon Travis singled to third when Nunez misplayed the ball. Travis ran to second and Nunez gunned him down to end the inning. Happ cruised in the bottom of the second as Brock "The Hitman" Holt looked at strike three to begin. Nunez grounded out to second but Leon whiffed to end the inning.
All of a sudden Pearce crumpled to the ground and had to be hauled off on a gurney, loaded into an ambulance and headed to Mass General's ICU. Blake Swihart replaced him and Aledmys Diaz led off the top of the third by striking out swinging. Grichuk lined out to right but Gurriel Jr singled. Smoak grounded onto a force to end the inning. JBJ singled and stole second to begin the bottom of the third then moved to third on the Mr. Mookie grounder. Benintendi and Martinez both whiffed to end the inning.
Price kept pace in the top of the fourth as Hernandez flied out to right to start. Morales grounded back to the mound and Martin looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fourth although Swihart whiffed to start. Bogaerts singled and Holt reached on a botched force attempt at second. Nunez singled to load the bases and Bogaerts scored on the Leon grounder. JBJ walked to load the bases to set the stage for Betts vs Happ. After 12 pitches Happ hung a meatball and Mr. Mookie crushed it onto Lansdowne Street much to Sox analyst Dennis Eckersley's delight for a grand slam. That was it for Happ as Joe Biagini came in to strike out Benintendi to end the inning but it was 5-2 Sox.
Price kept the lead intact in the top of the fifth as Pillar lined out to center to begin. Travis singled but Diaz whiffed. Grichuk grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Martinez grounded out to third to start. Swihart lined out to center and Bogaerts popped up to first to end the inning.
Price cruised in the top of the sixth as Gurriel Jr lined out to left to open the frame. Smoak grounded out to short and Hernandez whiffed to end the inning. Biagini cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Holt flied out to center to start. Nunez grounded out to short and Leon whiffed to end the inning.
Price got chased in the top of the seventh as Morales blasted a 15,000 foot home run to cut the lead to begin. Martin grounded out to third and Pillar popped up to first and that was it for Price. Sox manager Alex Cora felt Price had given him enough and lifted him after 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball.
Brandon Workman came in and Travis singled before Yangervis Solarte pinch hit for Siza only to line out to right to end the inning. John Axford came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and the Sox got some much needed insurance. JBJ doubled, took third on a wild pitch and scored on the Mr. Mookie base hit. Benintendi grounded into a double play and Martinez whiffed to end the inning but it was 6-3 Sox.
Matt Barnes came in for the top of the eighth and he got tagged. Grichuk singled to start but Gurriel Jr flied out to center. Smoak doubled to center to score Grichuk then Hernandez singled Smoak to third to bring the tying run to the plate. Curtis Granderson pinch ran for Smoak but Barnes blew away Morales for the big out. Martin whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.
Luke Maile replaced Hernandez in the batting order but took over at catcher with Martin moving to third. Solarte went from third to first and Seunghwan Oh came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Swihart doubled and moved to third on the Bogaerts grounder. Holt whiffed and Nunez lined out to right to end the inning.
Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in for the save in the top of the ninth with Mitch Moreland now at first base. Pillar grounded out to third to begin but Travis singled and took second on the wild pitch. Solarte grounded out to third and Grichuk flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won 10 games in a row including this one 6-4.
Hero of the Night is Mookie Betts. His grand slam proved to be the difference in the game and he drove in 5 of the 6 runs the team scored.
The Good:
Steve Pearce was hit with a pitch before leaving.
Blake Swihart was 1 for 3.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 2 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
David Price allowed 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings to earn the win while striking out 8.
Brandon Workman got the final out of the 7th inning.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 29th save.
The Bad:
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Matt Barnes allowed a run in the 8th inning.
The Ugly:
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.
Honorable Mention:
Mitch Moreland played first base in the top of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
That was a big win considering they needed to hold on to beat the Jays to run their streak to 10. They blitzed through the league the last two weeks and if they keep up this pace they may set a major league record for wins. Who would have thought the Sox would go on the win streak after the New York Yankees knocked them out of first place. The Sox offense has been clicking and the pitching has been lock down. Mookie's grand slam off Happ could put him in contention for AL MVP considering the circumstances. Good luck to any team trying to knock off the Sox after the All-Star break. Price, Rick Porcello and Chris Sale have been great lately. Let's see how far they can take the streak. The win improved the Sox to 66-29, 3.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 11 in a row tomorrow night when "Slick" Rick Porcello (11-3) takes on Ryan Borucki at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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