If the Boston Red Sox go down in flames at the end of the season, they have no one to blame but manager Alex Cora for the reason why. His overuse of the bullpen sank the team out of the AL East race and might have just sacrificed future games to win this one. The good news was the Red Sox defeated the Baltimore Orioles for their fourth straight win but the bad news was the bullpen had to throw nearly 6 full innings. Nick Pivetta was yanked in the top of the fourth inning with 2 outs and a man on third in a 3-3 game. Darwinzon Hernandez got out of it and the bullpen held the fort the rest of the way. Xander Bogaerts broke the tie in the fifth inning then slammed the door with a 3 run bomb in the sixth. Tanner Houck (1-4, 3.58 ERA) earned his first win of the season as the Sox knocked off the Orioles 9-3 at Fenway Park.
The O's wasted no time getting to Pivetta in the top of the first as Cedric Mullins doubled off the Monster to start. Ryan Mountcastle hit a home run all the way to El Salvador to put the O's on top. Anthony Santander got a base hit to center and Austin Hays walked, but DJ Stewart struck out swinging. Pat Valaika flied out to right and Gutierrez forced Hays at second to end the inning with the O's up 2-0.
The Sox struck back against O's starter Zac Lowther in the bottom of the first as Kike Hernandez doubled off the Monster to start. Hunter Renfroe grounded out to short but Rafael Devers singled in the hole at short to score Hernandez. Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez stroked back to back base hits to load the bases but Kyle Schwarber struck out swinging. Bobby Dalbec then pounded a double off the Monster to score Devers and Bogaerts. Christian Vazquez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
The O's answered in the top of the second as Richie Martin took strike three to start. Austin Wynns then hit a home run all the way to Detroit to tie the game. Mullins singled to left and stole second but Mountcastle grounded out to short. Mullins stole third but Santander grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Jose Iglesias lined out to third to start the bottom of the second before Hernandez flied out to center. Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning.
Hays lined out to right to start the top of the third before Stewart was frozen for strike three. Valaika grounded out to short to end the inning. Devers grounded out to short to start the bottom of the third before Bogaerts lined out to left. Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.
Gutierrez got a base hit in the hole at short to start the top of the fourth before Martin blooped a base hit in shallow right. Wynns banged into a double play and suddenly Sox manager Alex Cora bounded out of the dugout. Apparently he was managing this game like it was game 7 of the world series but that was it for Pivetta after allowing 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings. Darwinzon Hernandez got Mullins to line out to left to end the inning but Cora was asking the bullpen to toss 5 full innings AGAIN.
Schwarber flied out to center to start the bottom of the fourth and Dalbec drew a walk. Vazquez walked to chase Lowther. Conner Greene got Iglesias to pop up to short and Hernandez to fly out to right to end the inning.
Mountcastle walked to start the top of the fifth but Santander took strike three. Hays got a base hit to right and once again Cora ran out of the dugout in record time at the first sign of trouble. Tanner Houck came in to pitch but Ryan McKenna pinch hit for Stewart. McKenna lined out to left and Valaika took strike three to end the inning. Mike Baumann came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Renfroe flied out to right to start. Devers doubled off the Monster and Bogaerts ripped a base hit to center to score Rafael. Martinez walked but Schwarber flied out to right to move Xander to third. Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
Gutierrez grounded out to short to begin the top of the sixth before Martin flied out to right. Wynns struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the sixth as Vazquez struck out swinging to start. Iglesias grounded out to third but Hernandez got a base hit to left. Renfroe doubled to center to score Enrique and Devers got a base hit to left to put runners at the corners. Bogaerts settled matters with a three run home run to put the game away. Martinez grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-3.
Bogaerts ices it
Mullins grounded out to second to begin the top of the seventh before Mountcastle got a base hit to right. Santander popped up to third and Hays struck out swinging to end the inning. Old friend Fernando Abad came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Schwarber lined one by the mound for a base hit. Dalbec got a base hit to right to move Schwarber to third, and Kyle scored on the double play hit by Vazquez. Iglesias beat out a roller to short but Hernandez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-3.
Hansel Robles came in to pitch the top of the eighth and McKenna struck out swinging to start. Valaika lined out to right and Gutierrez took strike three to end the inning. Dusten Knight came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth as Renfroe took strike three to start. Devers grounded out to second and Bogaerts lined out to short to end the inning.
Garrett Richards came in to close out the top of the ninth and Martin struck out swinging to start. Wynns grounded out to first but Mullins walked. Mountcastle struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won the game 9-3.
Sox win
Hero Bogaerts
Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with an rbi and 3 runs scored.
Darwinzon Hernandez tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Hero of The Night is Xander Bogaerts He hit a three run home run and drove in four total runs to outscore Baltimore by himself.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.
Rafael Devers was 3 for 5 with an rbi and 3 runs scored.
JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 3 with a walk and 2 rbis.
Darwinzon Hernandez tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Tanner Houck earned his first win of the year by tossing 2 2/3 scoreless innings.
Hansel Robles tossed a scoreless inning.
Garrett Richards pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Nick Pivetta allowed 3 runs in 3 2/3 innings off 7 hits and a walk while striking out 3.
The Ugly:
Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.
Kyle Schwarber was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Jose Iglesias was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
Good win by the Sox to keep pace in the wild card hunt but good grief what the hell is wrong with Cora? He pulled Pivetta after 68 pitches after he had just gotten a big double play. If he had gotten one more batter then you can bring in a fresh Hernandez in the fifth inning or let him start another. Nope, had to yank him right then and there huh? Now the bullpen is going to be tired going into tomorrow's game but at least they won. Bogaerts carried the load offensively but Devers was scoring runs left and right. Kudos to Tanner Houck who FINALLY earned his first win of the year after going 3-0 in three starts last September. Too bad there are only 12 games left in the season but you never know, he may get another somewhere. Its too bad Jose Iglesias is ineligible for the post-season because the Sox seem to have been sparked by his return. The Sox now lead the wild card by one game over the Toronto Blue Jays and 1.5 ahead of the New York Yankees and the Sox need to keep winning if they hope to lock it up. This was four wins in a row, hopefully they can win at least four more to keep the pressure on the others. The win improved the Sox to 85-65, 7.5 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. Boston looks to make it five wins in a row and a series sweep against the Orioles tomorrow when Nathan Eovaldi goes for the Sox against Alex Wells of Baltimore. The game begins at 1:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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