Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Heath Hembree has been activated off the Injured List and was ready for tonight's game. Trevor Kelley has been sent back to Pawtucket to make room for Heath. The Sox need all the arms they can get in the bullpen with the way the rotation has been struggling all season.
Happy fourth of July everyone. The Sox showed some extreme fireworks by outslugging the Toronto Blue Jays to win tonight's game. After Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez and Colten Brewer put the Sox in a 6-1 hole, the Sox came out blasting in the sixth inning. The Sox scored 6 runs in the top of the seventh including the go-ahead 3 run bomb by Michael Chavis to put Boston in front. Brandon Workman coughed up the lead in the bottom of the eighth but Marco Hernandez hit the go-ahead blast in the top of the ninth to finally knock out the Jays. Even though the game was in Canada, the Sox showed some fourth of July explosiveness to beat the Jays 8-7 at the Skydome.
The Sox pounced on Jays starter right off the bat in the top of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts led off by grounding out to second but the red hot Rafael Devers blasted his 15th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Xander Bogaerts grounded out the third but JD Martinez singled to left to chase Law. Thomas Pannone came in and Brock "The Hitman" Holt flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Sox starter Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez was equally incompetent in the bottom of the first as Eric Sogard took strike three to start. Freddy Galvis doubled to center but Lourdes Gurriel Jr flied out to right, moving Galvis to third. Cavan Biggio and Justin Smoak walked to load the bases and who else but Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez singled home both Galvis and Biggio to give the Jays the lead. Teoscar Hernandez grounded into a force to end the inning but the Jays led 2-1.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as Christian Vazquez grounded out to third to start. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging and Michael Chavis popped up to first to end the inning. The Jays struck again in the bottom of the second as Danny Jansen hit a home run all the way to Favignana Beach in Sicily to increase the lead. Brandon Drury singled to left but Sogard flied out to right. Galvis flied out to right and Gurriel Jr grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox down 3-1.
Sandy Leon popped up to first to start the top of the third before Mr. Mookie lined out to second. Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Velazquez got Biggio to fly out to left but Smoak doubled to left to chase him. Another poor start by a starter and Colten Brewer came in to clean up the mess. Tellez grounded back to the mound and Hernandez popped up to first to end the inning.
Short and sweet for Velazquez
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Bogaerts grounded out to second to start. Martinez singled to left but Holt flied out to left. A wild pitch moved Martinez to second but Vazquez grounded out to third to end the inning. The Jays looked to have put the game away in the bottom of the fourth as Jansen pounded a 45,000 foot home run to start. Drury doubled to left before moving to third on a wild pitch. Sogard grounded out to short but Galvis crushed a home run all the way to the Dominican Republic to put the Jays up big. Gurriel Jr grounded back to the mound and Biggio went down hacking to end the inning but it was 6-1 Jays.
Things looked bleak when the Sox went quietly in the top of the fifth. JBJ struck out swinging to start before Chavis also missed at strike three. Leon popped up to first to end the inning. Josh Taylor came on for the bottom of the fifth and Smoak whiffed to start. Tellez grounded out to first before Hernandez singled to right. Jansen popped up to third to end the inning.
The Sox came out swinging in the top of the sixth as Mr. Mookie walked to start. Devers singled Betts to third and Bogaerts singled home Betts. Martinez singled home Devers and Tim Mayza came in to pitch to pinch hitter Eduardo Nunez (for Holt). Nunez hit one up the elevator shaft but a a wild pitch moved the runners into scoring position. Vazquez walked to load the bases but JBJ beat out a double play ball to score Bogaerts and leave runners at the corners. The rookie Chavis then cracked his 15th home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Leon lined out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.
Ryan Brasier came in for the bottom of the sixth and Drury popped up to second to start. Sogard flied out to right and Galvis went down hacking to end the inning.
Joe Biagini came in for the top of the seventh and Mr. Mookie lined out to left to start. Devers walked but Bogaerts took strike three. Devers was forced at second by Martinez to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in for the bottom of the seventh and Gurriel Jr was rung up for strike three to start. Biggio walked but Smoak flied out to center. A wild pitch moved Biggio to second and another moved him to third but Barnes blew away Tellez to end the inning.
Nick Kingham came in for the top of the eighth and Nunez popped up to second to start. Vazquez grounded back to the mound and JBJ went down swinging to end the inning. Sox manager Alex Cora sent closer Brandon Workman out for the six out save and it blew up in his face in the bottom of the eighth. Hernandez grounded out to third but Jansen pounded a ground rule double. Drury flied out to left but Sogard doubled home Jansen to tie the game. Galvis whiffed to end the inning but the game was tied 7-7.
The Sox somehow rallied off of Jays closer in the top of the ninth inning although Chavis whiffed to start. Marco Hernandez pinch hit for Leon and blasted his second home run of the season to put the Sox on top. Mr. Mookie lined out to second but Devers walked. Bogaerts lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-7.
Christian Vazquez took over behind the plate with Hernandez in at second. If the game went any longer, Brandon Workman would have had to bat with Nunez out. Things got hairy in the bottom of the ninth although Gurriel Jr popped up to short to start. Biggio and Smoak drew back to back walks but somehow Workman got Tellez to fly out to left. Vladimir Guerrero Jr pinch hit for Hernandez but grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had pulled off the comeback 8-7.
Hero of the Night is Marco Hernandez. His pinch hit home run in the ninth was the difference in the game.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 2 for 3 with 2 walks, a home run and 2 runs scored.
JD Martinez was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Josh Taylor tossed a scoreless inning.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless inning.
The Bad:
Brock Holt was 0 for 2.
Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 2.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 3
Hector Velazquez lasted just 2 1/3 innings while surrendering 3 runs.
Colten Brewer allowed 3 runs in just 1 2/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 but walked.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Michael Chavis was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was the big 3 run home run.
Brandon Workman got the win but blew the save by allowing a run in the eighth inning.
Final Thoughts:
Nice to bounce back to take two of three from Toronto after the London disaster but unfortunately the Sox LOST ground as the New York Yankees ripped the Tampa Bay Rays a new bunghole in three straight games. The Yankees are clearly the hungrier team this year and if the Sox don't get another starting pitcher or some bullpen help, they're never coming back. David Price went the longest of the three starters at just 6 innings and that's not going to help as the season wears on. Velazquez looked worse than Chris Sale did yesterday. It was also a miracle the Sox came back since their M.O. all season is to quit after falling behind. Big home runs by Chavis and Hernandez saved their bacon in this one. There's only three games left until the All-Star break and at this point the Sox are gonna have to sweep the Detroit Tigers if they want to have any confidence that they can cut the Yankees lead coming out of it. The win improved the Sox to 46-41, 11 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox travel to Detroit for a set with the Tigers before the All-Star break where Eduardo Rodriguez (8-4) takes on Ryan Carpenter at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Comerica Park.
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