As for the game, the Red Sox are on fire, winning their 9th straight game and completing their third consecutive series sweep. This time the victims were the Texas Rangers. Chris Sale (10-4, 2.23 ERA) continued his march toward the Cy Young award with another gem. He pitched 7 shutout innings while striking out 12 batters as the Sox got some timely offense from their big guns. When it was over the Sox had won their 9th game in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park.
Sale began his dominance in the top of the first inning as Delino DeShields Jr took strike three to start. Elvis Andrus doubled but Nomar Mazara whiffed. Adrian Beltre grounded out to third to end the inning. The ageless Bartolo Colon got the start for Texas in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts greeted him with a single. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to third but Mookie moved to second although JD Martinez whiffed. Mitch Moreland flied out to center to end the inning.
Sale got Rougned Odor to fly out to left to begin the top of the second before Jurickson Profar grounded out to first. Robinson Chirinos singled but Joey Gallo looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts singled and took second when Colon threw a pickoff throw away. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out but Bogaerts moved to third and he scored when Odor booted a grounder by Eduardo Nunez. Sandy Leon popped up to short and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded back to the mound but it was 1-0 Sox.
Sale kept pace in the top of the third as Ryan Rua whiffed to start. DeShields Jr popped up to first and Andrus flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox looked to rally when Mr. Mookie walked and Benintendi singled to start. The rally ended as Martinez banged into a double play. Moreland walked but Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.
Sale kept the Rangers down in the top of the fourth as Mazara grounded out to second to begin. Beltre singled but Odor looked at strike three. Profar grounded out to short to end the inning. Colon cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Holt grounded out to short to begin. Nunez grounded out to short and Leon whiffed to end the inning.
Sale turned up the heat in the top of the fifth although he walked Chirinos to start. Sale froze both Gallo and Rua before DeShields Jr whiffed to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth although JBJ lined out to right to begin. Mr. Mookie and Benintendi stroked back to back singles and Martinez doubled both of them home. Moreland looked at strike three but Bogaerts tripled home Martinez. Holt popped up to third to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.
Sale got in trouble in the top of the sixth when Andrus doubled and Mazara singled him to third to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Sale showed some balls by striking out Beltre and getting Odor to bang into a double play to end the inning. Things got strange as Nunez singled to right to begin the bottom of the sixth but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. DeShields Jr keeled over and had to leave the game, being replaced by Ronald Guzman. Leon singled but JBJ flied out to center. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning.
Sale returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Profar singled to start. Chirinos and Gallo whiffed although Profar took second on a passed ball. Rua whiffed to end the inning with Sale tossing 7 innings of shutout ball while striking out 12.
Jake Diekman took over for Colon in the bottom of the seventh and blew away the Sox. Benintendi was frozen for strike three, Martinez whiffed and Moreland whiffed as well to end the inning.
Heath Hembree took over for the top of the eighth and crapped his pants. Guzman whiffed but Andrus singled. Andrus stole second and a wild pitch moved him to third before he scored on the Mazara single. Beltre whiffed but Odor doubled. Profar walked to load the bases and that was it for Hembree. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel was brought in for the four out save but he walked Chirinos to start, forcing in Mazara. Kimbrel blew away Gallo to end the inning but it was 4-2 Sox.
Jesse Chavez had the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts singled to start. Holt banged into a double play but Nunez singled. Leon grounded out to second to end the inning.
Kimbrel came back for the save in the top of the ninth and froze Rua to start. Kimbrel blew away Guzman and Andrus to end the game. The Sox had won their 9th in a row with a 4-2 win.
Hero of the Night is Chris Sale. He shut out the Rangers for 7 innings, allowing just 6 hits while striking out 12.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 4.
Craig Kimbrel earned his 28th save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Brock Holt was 0 for 4.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.
Heath Hembree allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored.
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3 with a walk.
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
Who would have thought after the Sox limped out of New York 10 days ago that it would be Boston to go on a run, not the Yankees. The Sox went from percentage points behind the Yankees on July 1st to up 3.5 games in just 10 days. They've done it with great pitching and great offense. Tonight the offense was more timely but Sale and Kimbrel were lock down. The Sox need every win they can get with the Yankees breathing down their necks. The rest of the American League is beginning to fall in the rear view mirror but the Yankees just aren't going away. Sale looks like a lock for the Cy Young if he can keep healthy and its up to David Price and Rick Porcello to keep up their effectiveness. The Sox have 4 games left to the All-Star break and winning all four looks impossible but 3 out of 4 would be a great goal. The win improved the Sox to 65-29, 3.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox start a 4 game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at home to finish off the first half of the season. David Price (9-6) goes for the Sox up against JA Happ at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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