As for the game, the Sox continued their march toward the AL East title by dispatching the Tampa Bay Rays tonight. Brian Johnson (4-3, 4.00 ERA) got off to a horrible start but recovered to toss 5 2/3 competent innings to keep the Sox in the game. The offense led by Xander Bogaerts put 7 runs on the board to give the Sox a 7-3 win at Fenway Park.
The Rays wasted no time pounding Johnson in the top of the first inning. Mallex Smith led off with a single but Matt Duffy banged into a double play. Tommy Pham walked and CJ Cron doubled off the Monster. Joey Wendle followed with a double to score the two runners to give the Rays the lead. Carlos Gomez singled home Wendle to increase the lead. Kevin Kiermaier popped up to third to end the inning with the Rays up 3-0 with 4 hits. They would have just 3 hits the rest of the game.
The Sox fought back in the bottom of the first against "starter" Ryne Stanek although Mr. Mookie Betts flied out to center to start. Andrew Benintendi singled and took second on a wild pitch before moving to third on a Mitch Moreland fly out. JD Martinez walked and Bogaerts tripled home both runners to put the Sox on the board. Ian Kinsler grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox down 3-2.
Johnson recovered to have a clean top of the second inning as Willy Adames grounded out to third to start. Michael Perez flied out to right and Smith whiffed to end the inning. Yonny Chirinos came in for the bottom of the second and got Eduardo Nunez to fly out to right. Blake Swihart flied out to left but Jackie Bradley Jr singled. Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning.
Johnson cruised in the top of the third inning as Duffy flied out to center to start. Jackie Bradley Jr made a great diving catch to rob Pham of a double before Cron hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Benintendi lined out to left, Moreland grounded out to short and Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.
Johnson kept up the hot streak in the top of the fourth as Wendle grounded out to second, Gomez whiffed and Kiermaier grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox tied it up in the bottom of the fourth as Bogaerts got the rally started with a double. Kinsler lined out to right but it moved Xander to third. Nunez singled down the line to score Bogaerts to tie the game. Swihart erased Nunez at second with a force and JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Johnson returned for the top of the fifth and Adames grounded out to third to make it 11 in a row after the Gomez single. Perez walked to break up the streak but Smith popped up to third and Duffy grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox took the lead as Mr. Mookie led off the bottom of the fifth with a double off the Monster. Benintendi grounded out to second but Betts moved to third before scoring on the Moreland single up the middle. Moreland moved to second on the grounder to third by Martinez but Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
The Sox added some insurance in the bottom of the sixth as Kinsler walked to start. Nunez lined out to center as Kinsler was erased on the Swihart force. JBJ doubled home Swihart to tack on to the lead. Mr. Mookie popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.
Ryan Brasier took over for the top of the seventh and Kiermaier singled to start. Ryan recovered to get Adames to strike out and Swihart gunned down Kiermaier trying to steal. Perez whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Benintendi grounded out to short to start. Moreland doubled and Martinez singled him home. Bogaerts doubled JD to third but Kinsler grounded out to third. A wild pitch scored JD before Nunez lined out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.
Matt Barnes came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Smith beat out an infield single before Duffy was plunked. Pham looked at strike three and Cron popped up to second before Wendle whiffed to end the inning. That was it for Chirinos as Diego Castillo came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Swihart whiffed before JBJ grounded out to short. Mr. Mookie flied out to center to end the inning.
Tyler Thornburg had the mound to close it out in the top of the ninth. Bauers grounded out to second to start before Kiermaier grounded back to the mound. Adames grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-3.
Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He was 3 for 4 with 2 rbi's and a run scored. He started and finished some of the rallies which guided the team to victory.
The Good:
Mitch Moreland was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Brian Johnson got the win with 5 2/3 innings of 3 run ball. He allowed one hit and a walk after the first inning.
Heath Hembree retired the only man he faced.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Tyler Thornburg pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
None
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.
Andrew Benintendi was jut 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Ian Kinsler was 0 for 3 with a walk.
Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
That was a nice bounceback win considering it could have gone a lot worse. Johnson picked himself off the mat to nearly go 6 and the Sox offense bopped their way back into the game. As the season heads toward the second half of August, they need every win they can get. The more distance they put between themselves and the Yankees means more potential rest as the end of the season nears. If the Yankees can't come back and the Sox still have a 9-10 game lead in the middle of September, that could mean days off for starting pitchers and starting hitters. Its good to see the bullpen throw some scoreless innings as well. The win propelled the Sox to 87-36, 10.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. It should be noted the 1970 Red Sox which featured Sonny Siebert, Ray Culp, Tony Conigliaro and Yaz finished with 87 wins. Tomorrow night David Price (12-6, 3.75 ERA) takes the mound against Tyler Glasnow at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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