Before the game Matt Barnes was removed from the Covid list after just one day and Jonathan Arauz was sent back to Worcester to make room for him. That was a quick recovery.
The Boston Red Sox offense is still broken but for one day, the pitching was able to get back on track against the Detroit Tigers. Eduardo Rodriguez (8-6, 5.33) threw 99 pitches and lasted just 5 innings but was able to hold the Tigers scoreless in that frame. Meanwhile the Sox bats awoke with three big home runs from JD Martinez, Kike Hernandez and Jarren Duran as the Sox broke out to a lead. The Sox bullpen had to throw 4 innings but only surrendered one run. Matt Barnes came off the Covid list to lock down the game and the Sox snapped their 5 game losing streak with a 4-1 victory over the Tigers at Comerica Park.
Goldie Hawn approves of the win
Casey Mize got the start for Detroit in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez walked to start. Jarren Duran struck out swinging but Xander Bogaerts singled to right. Rafael Devers banged into a double play to end the inning. Rodriguez got in trouble in the bottom of the first inning as Akil Baddoo took strike three to start. Jonathan Schoop walked and Robbie Grossman singled him to third, but Miguel Cabrera went down hacking. Eric Haase struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second when JD Martinez pulverized his 21st home run of the year to put the Red Sox on top. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging, Hunter Renfroe flied out to right and Franchy Cordero lined out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Jeimer Candelario struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the second before Grayson Greiner also went down hacking. Zack Short walked and Derek Hill lined out to right to end the inning.
Christian Vazquez ripped a base hit to center to start the top of the third but Hernandez flied out to center. Vazquez was thrown out trying to steal second and Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Baddoo popped up to short to start the bottom of the third but Schoop doubled down the first base line. Grossman struck out swinging and Cabrera grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Bogaerts tried to start a rally in the top of the fourth as he doubled to left to start. Xander moved to third on the grounder to short by Devers but Martinez lined out to second. Verdugo lined out to center to end the inning. Haase went down swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Candelario flied out to center. Greiner grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox rallied in the top of the fifth as Renfroe doubled to right to begin. Cordero took strike three but Renfroe moved to third on the fly out to right by Vazquez. Hernandez then smashed his 15th home run of the season to ice the game and Durran then went yard for back to back jacks. Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning but it was 4-0 Red Sox.
Rodriguez walked short to start the bottom of the fifth but Hill went down swinging. Baddoo also struck out swinging but Schoop walked. Grossman took strike three to end the inning. That was it for Rodriguez who needed 99 pitches to get 15 outs but struck out 10 batters.
Boston blew a rally in the top of the sixth with Derek Holland now on the mound for Detroit. Devers singled off the glove of Cabrera to start but Martinez watched strike three go by. Verdugo doubled to right but Renfroe went down hacking. Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Cordero and struck out swinging to end the inning. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Cabrera singled to right to begin. Haase forced Cabrera at second but Candelario walked. Sawamura froze both Greiner and Short for strike three to end the inning.
The Sox blew another rally in the top of the seventh as Vazquez grounded back to the mound to begin. Hernandez ripped a triple to center but Durran took strike three. Buck Farmer came in to pitch and promptly walked Bogaerts, but Devers flied out to left to end the inning. Josh Taylor came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Hill took strike three to start. Baddoo went down hacking but Schoop hit a home run all the way to Ann Arbor to cut the lead. Grossman walked and Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Taylor for Adam Ottavino. Cabrera flied out to right to end the inning with the Tigers down 4-1.
Martinez grounded out to second to start the top of the eighth but Verdugo singled to left. Renfroe and Dalbec both went down swinging to end the inning. Ottavino returned for the bottom of the eighth and Haase flied out to left to start. Candelario doubled down the left field line and Willi Castro pinch hit for Greiner. Castro struck out swinging and Harold Castro pinch hit for Short. Harold struck out swinging sparing us Fidel Castro pinch hitting for Hill.
Joe Jimenez came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Vazquez flied out to right to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and Durran flied out to left to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Hill flied out to right to start. Baddoo and Schoop both struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had broken their losing streak with a 4-1 win.
Hero of the Night is Kike Hernandez. His 2 run home run turned out to be the difference in the game.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 3 with a walk.
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4.
Hiro Sawamura pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Adam Ottavino tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Matt Barnes earned his 24th save of the season with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Franchy Cordero was 0 for 2 with a strikeout.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.
Josh Taylor allowed a run in the seventh inning.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.
Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
Its about time the Sox woke up. The offense still didn't get much done but 3 home runs is better than none. Rodriguez had to throw 100 pitches to get through 5 innings and I don't blame Cora for yanking him. Sure he struck out 10 but going another inning would have saved the bullpen. Sometimes 3 homers is all you need to win a game but it would have been nice to see a clutch hit or two. The one that needs to get going is Durran. With his blazing speed, if he learned how to hit he could become the next Jacoby Ellsbury. Having him as your leadoff man with that skillset would give the Sox a deadly core for years with Vazquez, Bogaerts, Devers and Dalbec in their primes. The Sox need to do something about the bench because Franchy Cordero isn't going to cut it. The Sox made a big mistake by trading Benintendi whether anyone wants to admit it or not. Still, a win is a win and the Sox march to October continues. The win improved the Sox to 64-45, 1 game behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Tigers when they send Martin Perez (7-7) up against Tarik Skubal of Detroit. The game begins at 2:10 PM Eastern time at Comerica Park.
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