As for the game, that was too close for comfort. The Boston Red Sox needed some big defensive plays and some timely hits to knock off the schizophrenic Los Angeles Angels. Martin Perez (7-4, 3.89 ERA) held the Angels to just 2 runs before being lifted in the sixth. Christian Arroyo returned from the Injured List with a home run and Rafael Devers clubbed a 2 run bomb of his own. The Sox were leading 5-1 when the Angels mounted their comeback, only 2 outfield assists cut down the comeback. The Angels tagged Hiro Sawamura for a run and Adam Ottavino in the ninth. With 2 out and 2 on, Ottavino got Shohei Ohtani to ground out to end the game. The Sox narrowly escaped with a 5-4 win over the Angels in Angel Stadium.
Jose Suarez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez struck out swinging to start. Rafael Devers went down hacking but JD Martinez walked. Xander Bogaerts walked but Hunter Renfroe popped up to second to end the inning. Perez cruised in the bottom of the first as David Fletcher lined out to center to start. Shohei Ohtani struck out swinging and Jared Walsh grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second as Christian Vazquez grounded out to third to start. Christian Arroyo made his return from the Injured List by swatting his fifth home run of the season to put Boston on top. Marwin Gonzalez walked and Bobby Dalbec singled to right, but Hernandez struck out swinging. Devers ripped a base hit to right to score Gonzalez but Marwin started grabbing his hamstring. Martinez flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.
The Angels struck back in the bottom of the second as Phil Gosselin grounded out to third to start. Max Stassi walked, took second on a passed ball and moved to third on old friend Jose Iglesias' seeing eye single up the middle. Juan Lagares scored Stassi with a sac fly but Hernandez robbed Luis Rengifo of a home run to end the inning with the Angels down 2-1.
Bogaerts grounded out to third to start the top of the third before Renfroe walked. Vazquez and Arroyo both flied out to center to end the inning. All of a sudden Gonzalez screamed and fell to the ground grabbing his hamstring. He had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and rushed to the local ICU with Danny Santana taking his place in left to start the bottom of the third. Jose Rojas flied out to center to start but Fletcher singled to left. Ohtani forced Fletcher at second and Walsh lined out to Arroyo to end the inning.
The Sox tagged Dylan "King Kong" Bundy in the top of the fourth as Santana flied out to left to start. Dalbec took strike three but Hernandez walked. Devers then smashed his 21st home run of the season to increase the lead. Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 4-1.
Devers is all smiles
Gosselin flied out to left to start the bottom of the fourth before Stassi struck out swinging. Iglesias singled to left but Lagares took strike three to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the fifth as Bogaerts reached on an error by Rengifo to start. Renfroe took strike three and Vazquez lined out to center, but Arroyo walked. Tony Watson took over for Bundy and Santana dropped a base hit to center to score Bogaerts with another run. Dalbec grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.
The Sox got a big lift from the defense in the bottom of the fifth as Perez fell apart. Rengifo singled to center to start and Rojas doubled him to third. Fletcher grounded out to short to score Rengifo and Ohtani ripped a base hit to shallow left. Ex-Sox third base coach Brian Butterfield sent Rojas home and Santana's throw came in.....SAFE! But wait! Sox manager Alex Cora challenged the call and sure enough, replay showed Rojas was out. Walsh grounded out to short to end the inning with the Angels down 5-2.
Yerrrr out!
The Sox did nothing in the top of the sixth as Hernandez flied out to center to start. Devers lined out to right and Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning. The Angels finally chased Perez in the bottom of the sixth as Bogaerts loafed after a grounder hit by Gosselin for a "single". Stassi ripped a base hit to center and Gosselin made it to third, but Stassi was out at second on a great throw by Hernandez. That was it for Perez who allowed 2 runs in 5 1/3 innings. Hiro Sawamura came in and Iglesias popped up to second before Lagares grounded out to third to end the inning.
Junior Guerra came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Bogaerts flied out to left to start. Renfroe grounded out to third but Vazquez walked. Vazquez took second on a passed ball but Arroyo grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Angels struck back in the bottom of the seventh although Rengifo was furious at a full count strike three count at the knees to begin. Rojas then hit a home run all the way to China to cut the lead. Fletcher struck out swinging and that was it for Sawamura. Josh Taylor was brought in to face Ohtani and Shohei flied out to left to end the inning with the Angels down 5-3.
Rojas cuts the lead
Sox win
Hero Santana
Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 3 total rbis.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the eighth as Santana grounded into the shift to start. Dalbec grounded out to second but Hernandez ripped a base hit to right to chase Guerra. Alex Claudio was brought in to face Devers and he sliced a base hit to left. A wild pitch moved the runners over but Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. Taylor returned for the bottom of the eighth and got Walsh to ground out to first to start. Gosselin struck out swinging on a slider down and in and Stassi also went down hacking to end the inning.
Steve Cishek came in for the top of the ninth and Bogaerts hit a bullet...right to Walsh for the out. Renfroe grounded out to second and Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning. Adam Ottavino came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and crapped his pants He walked Iglesias to start and Jose took second as Lagares struck out swinging. Rengifo took strike three but Iglesias took third on defensive indifference and Rojas singled him home to cut the lead. Taylor Ward pinch ran for Rojas and Fletcher singled to left to bring up Ohtani. On a 3-1 count.....Ohtani grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had survived to win it 5-4.
Hero of the Night is Danny Santana. His rbi single was the difference in the game and he cut down a run at the plate.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with a 2 run homer and 3 total rbis.
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3 with a walk and a home run.
Marwin Gonzalez walked and scored a run before leaving with injury.
Martin Perez got the win by allowing just 1 earned run in 5 1/3 innings.
Josh Taylor tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Hiro Sawamura allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.
Adam Ottavino got the "save" but allowed a run in the bottom of the ninth.
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, scored a run and gunned down a runner at second.
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 4 but walked and scored a run.
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.
Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Final Thoughts:
That game can be looked at two ways, either the Sox pulled off some great plays when they had to or the Angels threw up on themselves. Hernandez robbing the home run is one thing, but the Angels getting two runners thrown out on the bases is inexcusable, especially since the game came down to just 1 run. Once again taking a starter out early came back to haunt Cora as this time the bullpen wasn't lockdown. Thankfully the Sox were far enough ahead but needed two outfield assists and Ohtani to ground out with two men on to win. Still, the good news was Arroyo came back and hit a home run, the Sox D stepped up and Devers added to his All-Star resume. Still, recently the Sox are only getting 5-7 hits a game and are doing just enough to win. That's fine but it would be nice for the Sox to pull away and have an easy victory for once. The Sox had a chance to make this game 7-2 at one point and that would have taken a lot of pressure off the bullpen. Still, not winning by enough is a great problem to have because it means they still win. Hopefully Gonzalez is okay because the Sox are pencil thin on the bench since they insist on carrying Matt Andriese on the roster. Its hard to complain about a team that's won 10 out of 11 so fans may as well enjoy it. The win improved the Sox to 54-32, 4.5 games ahead of the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Angels tomorrow night when Nathan Eovaldi (9-4, 3.41 ERA) takes on none other than Shohei Ohtani himself. The game begins at 9:30 PM Eastern time at Angel Stadium.
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