As for the game, the Sox needed to make a stand against the Tampa Bay Rays and so far they have. Chris Sale (5-9, 4.00 ERA) has risen from the dead to toss 6 innings of 2 run ball. He was running out of gas in the bottom of the sixth and Sox manager Alex Cora came to get him, but Sale hung in there to finish the inning. Andrew Benintendi knocked in 2 runs and Christian Vazquez stepped up with a pinch hit home run to supply the offense. Things got hairy in the ninth when the normally reliable Brandon Workman had a meltdown, but Marcus Walden was here to save the day and preserve the win. The Sox had taken the first two games in this series with a 5-4 win at Tropicana Field.
The Sox wasted no time getting to Rays starter Yonny Chirinos in the top of the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to left to start. Rafael Devers singled to center but Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging. JD Martinez moved Devers to third with a base hit to center and Rafael scored on a wild pitch. Andrew Benintendi singled home Martinez and took second on the throw home. Brock "The Hitman" Holt popped up to third to end the inning but it was 2-0 Sox.
Sale got the ball in the bottom of the first and Travis d'Arnaud grounded out to second to start. Tommy Pham went down swinging and Austin Meadows lined out to first to end the inning.
Mitch Moreland returned from the Injured List and popped up to third to start the top of the second inning. Jackie Bradley Jr went down swinging and Sandy Leon flied out to left. Sale turned up the heat in the bottom of the second as Avisail Garcia struck out swinging to start. Matt Duffy took strike three and Michael Brosseau whiffed to end the inning.
Mr. Mookie singled in the hole at short to start the top of the third but was erased on the strike em out, throw em out double play by Devers. Bogaerts singled to center but Martinez grounded into a force to end the inning. The Rays struck back in the bottom of the third although Guillermo Heredia grounded out to second to start. Willy Adames grounded out to second but Mike Zunino walked. d'Arnaud then smashed a home run all the way into the Red Sea to tie the game. Pham reached on a swinging bunt in front of the plate but Meadows struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Benintendi flied out to left to start. Holt took strike three and Moreland lined out to center to end the inning. Garcia took strike three to start the bottom of the fourth but Duffy doubled to left. Duffy moved to third on the Brosseau grounder to first and Heredia walked. Adames whiffed to end the threat and inning.
Nothing happened in the top of the fifth as JBJ flied out to left to start. Leon struck out swinging and Mr. Mookie flied out to right to end the inning. Sale kept up the pace in the bottom of the fifth as Zunino struck out swinging to start. d'Arnaud whend down hacking but Pham doubled to right. Meadows grounded out to second to end the inning.
Devers grounded out to second to start the top of the sixth and Bogaerts popped up to second. Martinez singled to right to chase Chirinos and Colin Poche came in to pitch. Benintendi singled to right but Holt flied out to left to end the inning. Sale got Garcia to ground out to short to begin the bottom of the sixth but Duffy walked. Brosseau struck out swinging and Heredia lined out to short to end the inning. That was it for Sale who tossed 6 innings of 2 run ball to keep the Sox in the game.
The Sox struck back in the top of the seventh as Christian Vazquez pinch hit for Moreland and clobbered his 16th home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. JBJ grounded out to first, Leon hit one up the elevator shaft and Mr. Mookie struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Adames struck out swinging to start. Ji-Man Choi pinch hit for Zunino but flied out to center and d'Arnaud lined out to a running JBJ to end the inning.
The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth against Diego Castillo as Devers lined one off the glove of Brosseau into right for a hit to start. Bogaerts walked and Martinez hit one in the hole at short to load the bases. Adam Kolarek replaced Castillo and Benintendi drove in Devers with a ground out to second. Michael Chavis pinch hit for Holt but took strike three. Vazquez was intentionally walked to reload the bases and JBJ was hit with a pitch to score Bogaerts. Leon grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.
Brandon Workman was brought in for the six out save in the bottom of the eighth and Pham grounded out to third to start. Meadows struck out swinging and Garcia flied out to right to end the inning.
Andrew Kittredge came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Mr. Mookie popped up to first to begin. Devers grounded out to second and Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning. Workman suddenly fell apart in the bottom of the ninth as Duffy singled to right to start. Joey Wendle pinch hit for Brosseau and forced Duffy at second but Nate Lowe pinch hit for Heredia. Lowe struck out swinging but Adames walked and Choi singled home Wendle. d'Arnaud walked to load the bases and that was it for Workman. Marcus Walden was brought in to stop the bleeding but Pham walked on four pitches not even close to score Adames. With the game on the line....Meadows grounded out to first to end the game. It got hairy at the end but the Sox jumped into second place with a 5-4 victory.
Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. He came off the bench ice cold to give the Sox the lead with a pinch hit home run.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.
JD Martinez was 3 for 4 with a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis.
Chris Sale got the win with 6 innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 4 hits, walked 3 and struck out 10.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
The Bad:
Brock Holt was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Michael Chavis struck out as a pinch hitter.
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 2.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Brandon Workman was charged with 2 runs in 1 2/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch to drive in a run.
Marcus Walden got the save but walked in an inherited runner.
Final Thoughts:
It was mentioned before Monday night's game that the Red Sox had to make a stand right here and now with two straight weeks of playing the Rays and New York Yankees. So far the Sox have risen to the challenge by knocking off the Rays in two straight games in Tampa. There's a long way to go but the Sox have drawn first blood and have actually leapfrogged the Rays in the standings. The Sox have a week until the trade deadline and still need another starting pitcher if they hope to compete down the stretch. Chris Sale and Eduardo Rodriguez can only take them so far, especially if Andrew Cashner, Rick Porcello and David Price continue to struggle. Sox GM Dave Dombrowski has 8 days to figure it out but in the meantime, the Sox need to win the majority of these games. Sale knocking off the Rays tonight help but the Sox need to sweep the series if they hope to have momentum going into the big series with the Yankees at Fenway beginning Thursday night. The win improved the Sox to 56-46, 10 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to sweep the Rays tomorrow afternoon when they send David Price (7-3) to the mound against Charlie Morton of the Rays. The game begins at 12:10 PM at Tropicana Field.
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