The game got off to a bad start when Mr. Mookie Betts walked to open the top of the first but was immediately picked off. Andrew Benintendi looked at strike three and JD Martinez lined out to short to end the inning. Meanwhile the ChiSox pounced on Porcello in the bottom of the first inning. Yolmer Sanchez took strike three but Nicky Delmonico walked. Avisail Garcia smashed a 30,000 foot bomb to give the White Sox the lead 3 batters into it. Daniel Palka singled but Tim Anderson whiffed. old friend Yoan Moncada and Matt Davidson hit back to back singles to increase the lead. Kevan Smith grounded into a force to end the inning but the ChiSox were up big already 3-0.
The BoSox didn't even hit the ball hard in the top of the second inning as Xander Bogaerts whiffed, Eduardo Nunez grounded out to second and Brock "The Hitman" Holt whiffed to end the inning. The White Sox struck again in the bottom of the second although Adam Engel swung and missed for strike three to start. Sanchez singled, Delmonico doubled and Garcia hit a sac fly to increase the lead. Palka whiffed to end the inning but it was 4-0 Chicago.
The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the third as Ian Kinsler grounded out to third to begin. Sandy Leon and Jackie Bradley Jr both whiffed to end the inning. The White Sox looked to pour it on when Anderson singled and Moncada walked to open the bottom of the third. Davidson looked at strike three before Smith banged into a double play to end the inning.
Mr. Mookie grounded out to first to begin the top of the fourth before Benintendi flied out to left. Martinez whiffed to end the inning. Porcello still couldn't pitch a clean inning in the bottom of the fourth as Engel grounded out to short to start. Sanchez singled but Delmonico flied out to center. Garcia whiffed to end the inning.
The BoSox caught a break when Sanchez threw a ground ball by Bogaerts away for an error. They couldn't capitalize as Nunez grounded out to third before Kinsler singled Bogaerts to third. Leon was plunked to load the bases but JBJ grounded out to first to end the Sox only threat of the game. Porcello found his groove by striking out Palka to begin the bottom of the fifth. Anderson grounded out to short before Moncada flied out to left to end the inning.
Mr. Mookie singled to open the top of the sixth but was stranded as Benintendi whiffed, Martinez flied out to right and Bogaerts grounded out to second to end the inning. Davidson walked to open the bottom of the sixth and that was it for Porcello. He recovered after the second inning but still pitched below average leaving trailing 4-0.
Brandon Workman came in and immediately got Smith to bang into a double play. Engel whiffed to end the inning.
The BoSox finally rallied in the top of the seventh inning as Nunez popped up to third to begin, but Holt walked to chase Giolito. The floodgates opened on Jeanmar Gomez as Kinsler singled Holt to third and Blake Swihart pinch hit for Leon, singling home Holt and moving Kinsler to third. JBJ drove home Kinsler with a sac fly and Mr. Mookie tied up the game with a 2 run bomb just like that. Benintendi whiffed to end the inning but the BoSox finally showed some life to tie it up 4-4.
Joe Kelly came on to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Sanchez singled, but Delmonico flied out to right. Sanchez swiped second but Garcia was rung up for strike three. Palka whiffed to end the inning.
The BoSox failed to take the lead in the top of the eighth as Ryan Burr got Martinez to fly out to right. Bogaerts and Nunez popped up to second to end the inning. Ryan Brasier was called upon to keep it tied in the bottom of the eighth and he did strike out Anderson to start. Moncada popped up to third and Davidson grounded out to short to end the inning.
The BoSox finally took the lead off Tyago Vieira in the top of the ninth and Holt looked at strike three to start. Kinsler singled and Swihart walked to put the go-ahead run at second. JBJ pounded a single to right to score Kinsler with the go-ahead run, sending Swihart to third. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Benintendi pitched in with a single to score Swihart with the insurance run. Martinez broke his home run drought with a 2 run bomb to ice it. Bogaerts walked to chase Vierira. Hector Santiago came in and uncorked a wild pitch to move Bogaerts to second before Holt grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-4.
Heath Hembree had mop up duty in the bottom of the ninth and Smith grounded out to second to start. Engel singled but was erased on the force by Sanchez. Sanchez took second on defensive indifference and Delmonico whiffed to end the game. The Red Sox beat the White Sox 9-4.
Hero of the Night is Jackie Bradley Jr. His rbi single in the ninth was the difference in the game.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 4 with a walk and a 2 run home run.
Ian Kinsler was 3 for 4 with 2 runs scored.
Blake Swihart was 1 for 1 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.
Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 6th inning.
Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Ryan Brasier got the win with a scoreless 8th inning.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
None
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 but drove in 3 runs including a 3 run home run.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 but walked.
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 4 but walked.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 1 but was hit with a pitch.
Rick Porcello lasted just 5 innings and allowed 4 runs. He got rocked in the first two innings but finished strong.
Final Thoughts:
It wasn't pretty but a win is a win. Even though its against bad teams, the fact that Ian Kinsler, Blake Swihart and Jackie Bradley Jr are stepping up big is a welcome sign and they're gonna need their production. Dustin Pedroia isn't coming back so Kinsler must give them something at second. Sandy Leon and Christian Vazquez are or were struggling so Swihart getting hot would help the catcher production and anything JBJ gives them offensively is a bonus to his defense. Betts and Martinez both homered and getting them hot would help for sure. Give a lot of credit to the much maligned bullpen who slammed the door following Porcello's exit. Porcello sucked again, maybe he needs to look at his mechanics because he's back to where he was last year giving up the long ball frequently. The win improved the Sox to 93-42, 8.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees who gagged to the Detroit Tigers tonight at home. It should be noted the last two Boston Red Sox teams finished with 93 wins while this year's team has 93 on August 30th. Tomorrow night Nathan Eovaldi (5-6, 4.15 ERA) looks to right the ship against former Red Sox farmhand Michael Kopech. Kopech is still steaming mad the Boston media turned on him for his PED suspension so this is going to be interesting. It should be noted that none other than Pedro Martinez himself has asked to work with Eovaldi leading up to this start claiming he found something wrong with Nathan's mechanics. If Pedro fixed Luis Severino then hopefully he fixed Eovaldi in time for the game at 8:10 PM at Commiskey Park.
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