Sale got pounded in the top of the first inning as Eric Sogard effortlessly singled to begin the game. Jackie Bradley Jr had to climb the wall to rob Vladimir Guerrero Jr of a home run before Mookie Betts reached into the bullpen to steal a homer from Lourdes Gurriel Jr. Sogard swiped second base as Teoscar Hernandez and Randal Grichuk walked to load the bases. Freddy Galvis singled to left and Andrew Benintendi turned and fired the ball into the Monster seats for an error to score both Sogard and Hernandez to put the Jays up early. Somehow Danny Jansen looked at strike three to end the inning but the Jays were up already 2-0.
The Sox naturally failed to respond in the bottom of the first against Jays starter Trent Thornton. Mr. Mookie lined out to left but somehow Benintendi walked. Xander Bogaerts whiffed but somehow JD Martinez singled. Brock "The Hitman" Holt watched strike three go by to end the inning.
Sale somehow struck out Billy McKinney to open the top of the second before Brandon Drury was frozen for strike three. Sogard and Guerrero Jr both easily singled but Gurriel Jr grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox couldn't respond in the bottom of the second although Michael Chavis got a lucky single to begin. JBJ popped up to short but Eduardo Nunez also got a lucky single. Sandy Leon popped up to short and Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning.
The Jays iced the game in the top of the third as Hernandez singled and Grichuk launched a 400,000 foot home run. Galvis took strike three while laughing at Sale while somehow Jansen popped up to second. McKinney was plunked but Drury took strike three to end the inning with the Jays up 4-0.
The Sox got a run back in the bottom of the third as Benintendi got a lucky single to start. Bogaerts flied out to center but Martinez somehow singled Benintendi to third. Holt somehow scored Benintendi with a sac fly for a measly run. Chavis whiffed to end the inning but the Sox got a run to make it 4-1.
Sale cruised in the top of the fourth as Sogard grounded out to short to start. Guerrero Jr and Gurriel Jr both whiffed to end the inning. Thornton cruised in the bottom of the fourth as JBJ grounded out to first to start. Nunez grounded out to short and Leon flied out to center to end the inning.
The Jays damn near struck again in the top of the fifth as JBJ had to climb the wall to rob Hernandez of a home run before Grichuk smashed a single off the wall. Galvis effortlessly singled before Betts robbed Jansen of a home run. Somehow McKinney whiffed to end the inning with Sale up to 101 pitches. He was awful tonight, allowing 7 hits, 4 runs (3 earned) and 2 walks while striking out 8.
The Sox failed to score in the bottom of the fifth inning as Mr. Mookie whiffed to start. Benintendi popped up to short and Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.
Colten Brewer took over for the top of the sixth inning and Drury was rung up for strike three to start. Sogard singled but Guerrero Jr banged into a double play to end the inning. Martinez flied out to right to start the bottom of the sixth but Holt and Chavis stroked back to back base hits. Both runners moved over on the grounder by JBJ but Nunez whiffed to end the inning.
The Jays looked to have iced the game in the top of the seventh although Gurriel Jr flied out to right to begin. Hernandez walked and took second on a wild pitch before Grichuk singled home Hernandez to increase the lead. That was it for Brewer as Josh Taylor came in to get Galvis to ground into a double play to end the inning with the Jays up 5-1.
Suddenly the Sox sprang to life in the bottom of the seventh as Leon was rung up for strike three to start. Mr. Mookie tripled into the triangle to chase Thornton. Tim Mayza came in and Benintendi singled home Mookie to cut the lead. Joe Biagini came in to face Bogaerts and Xander doubled home Benintendi for another run. A wild pitch moved Bogaerts to third and Martinez singled him home. Holt banged into a double play to kill the rally and end the inning, but the Sox clawed back to make it 5-4.
Taylor returned briefly for the top of the eighth inning to strike out Jansen to start. Taylor also got McKinney before being lifted for Ryan Brasier. Drury and Sogard stroked back to back singles but Guerrero Jr flied out to right to end the inning. David Phelps came in for the bottom of the eighth and things looked bleak when Chavis whiffed to start. JBJ then tripled into the right field corner and Sox manager Alex Cora sent in Rafael Devers to pinch hit for Nunez. The gamble worked as Devers lashed a base hit to right to score JBJ with the tying run. Marco Hernandez ran for Devers with Christian Vazquez coming in to pinch hit for Leon. Vazquez lined out to center and Mr. Mookie popped up to second to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
Holt moved to third, Hernandez took over at second, Vazquez was behind the plate and Matt Barnes was on the mound for the top of the ninth inning. Gurriel Jr took strike three to start before Hernandez whiffed. Grichuk flied out to center to end the inning. Jordan Romano came in for the bottom of the ninth and Benintendi whiffed to start. Bogaerts walked but Martinez struck out swinging. Holt also went down hacking to end the inning to send the game to extras.
Brandon Workman had the top of the tenth inning and Galvis struck out swinging to start. Cavan Biggio pinch hit for Jansen and drew a walk. Biggio swiped second on the strikeout by McKinney and Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez pinch hit for Drury. Workman intentionally walked him to load the bases and Sogard grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Luke Maile came in to catch the bottom of the ninth and Chavis struck out swinging again. JBJ whiffed but Hernandez was plunked. On a full count, Vazquez then crushed a 2 run walkoff home run to win the game 7-5.
Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. His two run home run won the game in the 10th inning.
The Good:
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and 2 runs scored.
JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with an rbi.
Rafael Devers drove in the tying run with a pinch hit single in the eighth.
Michael Chavis was 2 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Eduardo Nunez was 1 for 3.
Marco Hernandez was hit with a pitch and scored a run.
Josh Taylor tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Ryan Brasier got the final out of the eighth inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
Brandon Workman got the win with a scoreless 10th inning.
The Bad:
Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Chris Sale lasted just 5 innings and allowed 4 runs, he did manage to strike out 8.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but walked, drove in a run and scored.
Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 but scored a run.
Colten Brewer allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.
Final Thoughts:
Don't look now but the Sox have won 8 of their last 9 games. They still haven't been able to crack the AL East deficit but at least they're back to respectability. The warts on the pitching staff are still there with Sale's continuing ineffectiveness but the Sox are surviving. Good pinch hitting by Devers and Vazquez won this game for the Sox as well as the bullpen effort by Barnes and Workman. The Sox may need another starter to go with the bullpen help they desperately need. There's still time to turn the season around but its getting harder to go on sustained win streaks with inconsistent pitching. Still, tonight was a great win and there's been too few of those. The win improved the Sox to 42-35, 7 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to keep pace with the bombers when they send Brian Johnson (1-1, 10.00 ERA) to the mound up against Derek Law of the Blue Jays in the second game of this set at 4:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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