The bad news was the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Boston Bruins in Game 4 of their second round NHL playoff series but the good news is the Boston Red Sox defeated the world champion Washington Nationals. Four days out of five, the Red Sox bullpen is completely useless. This just happened to be the fifth day. Chris Mazza was called up to replace the injured Nathan Eovaldi and got his ass handed to him as usual. The Nationals lit up Chris for 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings before Sox manager Ron Roenicke called upon his bullpen to get the final 20 outs in a close game. Somehow they managed to get it done. Despite having baserunners on all night, the Sox bullpen managed to shut the Nationals down the rest of the way. The Sox got big home runs by Xander Bogaerts and Kevin Pillar to pace the offense as the Sox beat the champs 5-3 at Fenway Park.
Mazza got the ball in the top of the first inning and Trea Turner greeted him with a ground rule double to right to start. Juan Soto flied out to center to move Turner to third and Howie Kendrick walked, but Asdrubal Cabrera whiffed. Adam Eaton grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Nationals starter and old Sox prospect Anibal Sanchez in the bottom of the first. Alex Verdugo greeted Sanchez with a base hit to left but Rafael Devers popped up to third. JD Martinez doubled to center and Xander Bogaerts smashed his 7th homer of the season to put the Sox up big early. Mitch Moreland grounded out to third and Christian Vazquez grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox were up 3-0.
Kurt Suzuki whiffed to begin the top of the second before Luis Garcia grounded out to second. Eric Thames dumped a base hit to center but Victor Robles grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox got another run in the bottom of the second as Kevin Pillar motored around for a triple into the triangle to start. Jackie Bradley Jr grounded out but Pillar scored to increase the lead. Michael Chavis singled to center but Verdugo banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-0.
Suddenly Mazza fell apart in the top of the third inning. Turner doubled to left to begin and Soto hit a comebacker to Mazza....who threw the ball away allowing Turner to score and Soto to reach second. Kendrick singled home Soto to cut the lead. Cabrera walked and Eaton singled home Kendrick to bring the tying run to second, but Suzuki swung at air for the second out. Sox manager Ron Roenicke had seen enough and pull Mazza before the Nationals tied the game or worse. Mazza threw 70 pitches and only managed to record 7 outs. Darwinzon Hernandez came in and blew away Garcia, but Thames walked to load the bases. Robles whiffed to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 4-3.
The Sox went quietly in the bottom of the third as Devers flied out to left to start. Martinez whiffed and Bogaerts grounded out to first to end the inning.
Phillips Valdez came in for the top of the fourth inning and Turner singled to left to start. Valdez blew away Soto and Kendrick but Cabrera walked. Eaton took strike three to end the inning. The Sox added a big insurance run in the bottom of the fourth although Moreland grounded out to first to start. Vazquez grounded out to third but Pillar cracked his fourth home run of the season to increase the lead. JBJ flied out to left to end the inning but the Sox were up 5-3.
The Sox got a big assist from Verdugo in the top of the fifth as Suzuki singled to right to begin. Garcia grounded back to the mound to move Suzuki to second and Thames walked. Robles hit one up the elevator shaft and Sox manager Ron Roenicke felt Valdez had done enough. Austin Brice came in and Turner got a base hit to left. Suzuki tried to score and Verdugo gunned him down at home to end the inning. That was Verdugo's 7th assist of the season, more than some MLB teams have total.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Chavis struck out swinging to start. Verdugo singled to left and stole second on the Devers strikeout. Martinez whiffed to end the inning.
Soto hit a routine grounder to third to start the top of the sixth and Devers threw his glove at the ball and barked at it for an error. Kendrick flied out to right but Cabrera walked. Eaton banged into a double play to end the inning. Bogaerts doubled to left to start the bottom of the sixth and that was it for Sanchez. Wander Suero came in and Moreland popped up to third. Vazquez flied out to center but Bogaerts swiped third. Pillar lined out to right to end the inning.
Josh Osich came in for the top of the seventh and Suzuki greeted him with a base hit to left. Josh Harrison pinch hit for Garcia and went down hacking. Thames forced Suzuki at second and Roenicke wanted Ryan Brasier to pitch to Robles. The move worked as Robles grounded into a force to end the inning. Will Harris came in for the bottom of the seventh and JBJ grounded out to third to start. Chavis whiffed again and Verdugo also went down swinging to end the inning.
Turner got his fifth hit of the day with a single to center to start the top of the eighth but Soto whiffed. Kendrick flied out to center and Cabrera flied out to right to end the inning. Kyle Finnigan came in for the bottom of the eighth and Devers grounded out to short to start. Martinez flied out to center but Bogaerts beat out an infield single to second. Moreland whiffed to end the inning.
Matt Barnes came in to close out the top of the ninth and Eaton grounded out to short to start. Suzuki walked to bring the tying run to the plate and none other than old friend Brock "The Hitman" Holt (who was released by Milwaukee and signed today by Washington) came in to pinch hit for Harrison. Holt whiffed and Thames grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox bullpen got 20 of the final 27 outs to hold down the 5-3 win.
Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He was 3 for 4 with the big 3 run home run that set the tone for the game.
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a stolen base and a run scored.
Kevin Pillar was 2 for 3 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.
Michael Chavis was 1 for 3.
Darwinzon Hernandez retired 2 of the 3 men he faced.
Phillips Valdez tossed 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Austin Brice tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Josh Osich got the first two outs of the seventh inning.
Ryan Brasier got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes earned his third save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with an error and a strikeout.
Mitch Moreland was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3.
Chris Mazza lasted just 2 1/3 innings and allowed 3 runs as the starter.
The Ugly:
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.
Final Thoughts:
So THAT'S how a bullpen is supposed to look. After Mazza was ran out of there, the bullpen recorded 20 outs without giving up a run. Games like these are few and far between which is why the Sox may easily lose 30 or more games this year. Still, for one day anyway the Sox bullpen did well. Pillar and Bogaerts pitched in big time and the team needed it with Nathan Eovaldi out. For those scoring at home the Sox are now down 4/5 of their original rotation (Chris Sale, Eduardo Rodriguez, Colin McHugh and Eovaldi) that they wanted headed into the season. Getting these guys back healthy will be big for next season if there's a massive rebuild in the next few days. Sox president Sam Kennedy says nobody is safe and we'll see what Chaim Bloom cooks up in the next few days. The win improved the Sox to a pathetic 11-22 on the season, good for last place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Nationals tomorrow afternoon when they send Zack Godley (0-3, 7.29 ERA) to the mound against Austin Voth of the Nationals. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.
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