The Kansas City Royals know how to put runs on the board against the Boston Red Sox but the good news is the Red Sox are responding this time around. The Royals and Red Sox traded the lead back and forth throughout the game and it looked like the Royals would come out on top when Ryan O'Hearn hit a 2 run home run off ineffective Nick Pivetta to make it 6-5 Kansas City in the fifth inning. Not to fret, JD Martinez delivered a 2 run double in the bottom of the sixth to put the Sox back on top. This time, the trio of Darwinzon Hernandez, Adam Ottavino and Matt Barnes slammed the door shut on the Royals. The Sox had won their fifth straight game and second in a row against Kansas City with a 7-6 come from behind win at Fenway Park.
The Royals wasted no time getting to Pivetta in the top of the first inning. Whit Merrifield hit the fifth pitch of the game all the way to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic to give the Royals the lead. Jorge Soler struck out swinging but Carlos Santana pounded a ground rule double to right. Salvador Perez struck out swinging but Ryan O'Hearn singled Santana to third. Emmanuel Rivera lined out to left to end the inning with the Royals up 1-0.
The Sox got to Keller in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez was plunked to start. Alex Verdugo singled Hernandez to third and JD Martinez singled to left. Hernandez scored easily but Martinez was thrown out at second while Verdugo went to third. Xander Bogaerts hit a roller to Rivera who threw the ball away to score Verdugo and advance Xander to second. Rafael Devers singled Bogaerts to third but Hunter Renfroe banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-1.
Yerrrrr out!
The Royals got another run in the top of the second inning as Hunter Dozier doubled to left to start. Michael A Taylor singled home Dozier to tie the game and Pivetta threw a pickoff throw away for an error. Nicky Lopez struck out swinging but Merrifield walked. Soler flied out to left and Santana flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Hanser Alberto took over for Rivera in the bottom of the second and Christian Vazquez singled to center to start. Danny Santana flied out to center and Bobby Dalbec forced Vazquez at second. Hernandez singled to center but Dalbec was thrown out at third to end the inning.
Pivetta cruised in the top of the third as Perez struck out swinging to start. O'Hearn popped up to short and Alberto took strike three to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the third as Verdugo grounded out to second to start. Martinez, Bogaerts and Devers all walked to load the bases and Renfroe scored Martinez with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead. Vazquez grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 3-2.
The Royals pounced in the top of the fourth as Dozier doubled to center to start. Taylor hit a home run all the way to Fall River, Massachusettes to give the Royals the lead. Lopez singled to center but Merrifield flied out to center. Soler banged into a double play to end the inning but the Royals led 4-3.
The Sox answered in the bottom of the fourth as Santana singled in the hole at short to start. Dalbec singled to right and Hernandez singled home Santana to tie the game. Verdugo walked to load the bases but all Martinez could do was score Santana with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead. Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.
The Royals finished off Pivetta in the top of the fifth as Santana walked to start. Perez hit one up the elevator shaft but O'Hearn hit a home run all the way to the Klingon Homeworld to give the Royals the lead back. That was it for Pivetta who crapped himself by allowing 6 runs in 4 1/3 innings. Yacksel Rios came in and Alberto popped up to third. Dozier struck out swinging to end the inning with the Royals back in front 6-5.
The Sox tried to rally again when Devers walked to start the bottom of the fifth and moved to second on a Renfroe grounder to the mound. The rally ended as Vazquez grounded out to third and Santana lined out to left to end the inning.
Rios returned for the top of the sixth and Taylor walked to start. Taylor moved to second on a grounder to second by Lopez but Merrifield flied out to center. Soler grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the sixth as Dalbec lashed a base hit to left to chase Keller from the game. Jake Brentz came in to pitch and Michael Chavis pinch ran for Dalbec, but Hernandez struck out swinging. Verdugo walked and Martinez jacked a double to right to score both runners to put the Sox ahead again. Bogaerts and Devers both struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-6.
Darwinzon Hernandez came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Santana struck out swinging to start. Perez beat out a roller to third but was thrown out at third by Verdugo on a base hit to left by O'Hearn. Alberto popped up to second to end the inning.
Greg Holland came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Renfroe singled to left to start. Merrifield dropped a pop up by Vazquez and forced Renfroe at second instead. Santana popped up to third but Vazquez stole second base. Chavis grounded out to short to end the inning.
Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Dozier flied out to center to start. Taylor singled in the hole at short but Lopez struck out swinging. Taylor stole second and moved to third when Merrifield singled in the hole at second. Merrifield stole second but Soler grounded out to third to end the inning. Hernandez struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the eighth and Verdugo lined out to first. Martinez walked but Bogaerts forced JD at second to end the inning.
Matt Barnes came in to close out the top of the ninth and he froze Santana for strike three to start. Perez went down hacking and O'Hearn struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-6.
Hero of the Night is JD Martinez. He was 2 for 2 with 2 walks and 4 rbis including the go-ahead runs.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with a hit by pitch, rbi and a run scored.
Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, 2 runs scored and an outfield assist.
Rafael Devers was 1 for 2 with 2 walks.
Hunter Renfroe was 1 for 3 with an rbi.
Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 3 with a run scored.
\
Yacksel Rios got the win with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
Darwinzon Hernandez pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Matt Barnes earned his 18th save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Nick Pivetta allowed 6 runs in just 4 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but stole a base.
Danny Santana was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Michael Chavis was 0 for 1 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox are rolling heading into the month of July. They've won 5 in a row and put some distance between them and the New York Yankees for the division lead. The Tampa Bay Rays lost to the Washington Nationals so the Sox gained a game on them too. The Royals seem to play well against the Red Sox but the Sox have shown brass balls the last two games to come back and win both games. Tonight the Sox could have rolled over after going down 6-5 but Martinez put the Sox on top and the bullpen slammed the door. You can squawk all you want about Sox manager Alex Cora pulling starters too soon, but his pitching hunches have been coming up aces so far. Yacksel Rios has been another under the radar find by Sox GM Chaim Bloom. He throws 97 mph gas and hasn't allowed a run in 5 of his 6 appearances so far. If only the Sox had good starting pitching, this team could be a favorite to win the AL Pennant this season. There's still time to see what happens with Tanner Houck and Chris Sale, but for now the Sox are going to have to rely on the bats and the bullpen to carry them. The win improved the Sox to 49-31, 2 games ahead of the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 6 total wins in a row tomorrow night against the Royals when Martin Perez (5-4, 4.09 ERA) takes on Mike Minor of Kansas City. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment