Stupid rain! Eduardo Rodriguez (9-4, 4.65 ERA) and the Boston Red Sox were cruising against the Detroit Tigers through 5 innings. The Sox led 3-1 when the game was delayed after the bottom of the fifth and when the game resumed, both starters were gone in the sixth inning. The Red Sox defense fell apart in the sixth inning to let the Tigers back in the game, but the Sox were aided by the trio of Mookie Betts, Rafael Devers and Xander Bogaerts. A late blast by Bogaerts was what the Sox needed to beat the Tigers 9-6 at Comerica Park.
The Sox wasted zero time getting on the board against Tigers starter Ryan Carpenter in the top of the first inning as Mr. Mookie Betts doubled to left to begin. Betts took third on a ground out by Devers and scored on the ground out by Xander Bogaerts. JD Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Eduardo Rodriguez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Victor Reyes ate up Michael Chavis at first with a grounder to start. Nicholas Castellanos banged into a double play and Miguel Cabrera took strike three to end the inning.
Christian Vazquez hit a roller up the middle for a base hit but Chavis went down hacking. Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging but Eduardo Nunez singled Vazquez to third. Sandy Leon flied out to center to end the inning. Rodriguez cruised in the bottom of the second as Brandon Dixon flied out to right to start. Jeimer Candelario grounded back to the mound and Harold Castro grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the third as Mr. Mookie singled to left and the red hot Devers smashed his 16th home run of the season to increase the lead. Bogaerts lined out to center but Martinez singled to left. Vazquez popped up to right and Chavis grounded back to the mound to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.
Niko Goodrum started the bottom of the third with a double to center but E-Rod recovered to punch out John Hicks. Jordy Mercer watched strike three go by and Reyes grounded out to second to end the inning.
Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging again to open the top of the fourth before Nunez popped up to second. Leon singled to center but Mr. Mookie grounded into a force to end the inning. The Tigers tagged Rodriguez in the bottom of the fourth although Castellanos grounded out to third to begin. Cabrera grounded out to second but Dixon singled. Candelario doubled home Dixon to put the Tigers on the board and Castro struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.
Devers grounded out to first to start the top of the fifth but Bogaerts walked. Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning. Rodriguez cruised in the bottom of the fifth as Goodrum grounded out to third to start. Hicks walked and moved to second on the Mercer grounder, but Reyes grounded out to short to end the inning. Rodriguez was cruising at 76 pitches through 5 innings but then a massive rain delay spoiled the party.
When play resumed in the top of the sixth, Jose Cisnero was in for the Tigers on the mound and Vazquez greeted him with a double to center. Chavis singled to left and JBJ doubled home Vazquez. Nunez grounded out to third and Leon hit a routine grounder to third...BOOTED! The error allowed Chavis to score and JBJ to take third. Mr. Mookie scored JBJ with a sac fly and Devers walked. Bogaerts took strike three to end the inning but the Sox looked to be in complete command with a 6-1 lead.
Unfortunately for the Sox, Rodriguez had to leave the game and Marcus Walden got no help from his defense in the bottom of the sixth. Castellanos grounded out to third but Cabrera walked. Dixon singled to right and Candelario hit a routine single to right. Mr. Mookie picked the ball up and spiked it like a football before throwing his glove at it for an error that allowed Candelario to take second, Dixon to third and Cabrera to score. Castro then hit a routine fly ball to JBJ...OUT OF HIS GLOVE! Another error led to Dixon and Candelario scoring with Castro now at second. Marcus Walden kicked dirt in the direction of the outfield and gave them the finger as he was lifted for Ryan Brasier. Goodrum popped up to short but Hicks singled home Castro. Mercer struck out swinging to end the inning but the bad defense cut the lead to 6-5 Sox.
The Sox tried to rally in the top of the seventh against Gregory Soto but Martinez whiffed to start. Vazquez lined out to center but Chavis and Bradley stroked back to back singles. Nunez grounded into a force to end the inning. Brasier returned for the bottom of the seventh and Reyes grounded back to the mound to start. Castellanos flied out to right but Cabrera singled to left. Dixon lined out to center to end the inning, good work Brasier.
The Sox pulled off the back-breaking rally in the top of the eighth against Austin Adams although Leon grounded back to the mound to start. Mr. Mookie singled to center, Devers walked and Bogaerts mashed his 17th home run of the season to ice the game. Martinez grounded back to the mound and Vazquez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-5.
Matt Barnes came in for the bottom of the eighth and froze Candelario for strike three to start. Castro grounded out to third and Goodrum went down hacking to end the inning.
Nick Ramirez came in for the top of the ninth and Chavis grounded out to short to start. JBJ walked and moved to second on the Nunez grounder but Leon flied out to left to end the inning. Heath Hembree made his first appearance in over a month to close out the bottom of the ninth and naturally Hicks hit a home run all the way to Ottumwa, Iowa off of him to start. Hembree recovered to punch out Mercer and get Reyes to pop up to left. Castellanos went down swinging to end the game. The Sox had survived rain and bad defense to win the game 9-6.
Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His 3 run bomb turned out to be the difference in the game.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 3 runs scored.
Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, a 2 run bomb and 2 total runs scored.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Michael Chavis was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with a walk, rbi and a run scored.
Eduardo Rodriguez got the win with 5 innings of 1 run ball before the rain delay.
Ryan Brasier tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Marcus Walden allowed 4 runs in just 1/3 of an inning but 2 of them were unearned.
Heath Hembree allowed a home run in the ninth inning.
The Ugly:
JD Martinez was just 1 for 5.
Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 5.
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 5.
Final Thoughts:
Before this series started I said the Sox needed a sweep to get back in the AL East race, now they need a sweep just to keep pace. The New York Yankees have been on a torrid hot streak since London and they are knocking the Tampa Bay Rays goofy right now. Still, the Sox have to take care of their own business and they did it tonight. If it wasn't for rain the game would have been a laughter but a win is a win no matter how hard it is. Its good to see Mookie Betts pick up the pace because if he can rediscover last year's form, their offense is going to be just fine in the second half the way everyone else but Bradley is hitting. Even though he allowed a run, its good to see Hembree back and once again all Sox GM Dave Dombrowski needs to do is get another starter to make this team competitive with the Yankees. The win improved the Sox to 47-41, 11 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night "Slick" Rick Porcello (5-7) gets the ball opposite Jordan Zimmermann of the Tigers in Game 2 of this set. The game begins at 5:05 PM Eastern time at Comerica Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment