As for the game, not too many games have been considered "must win" but this was certainly one of them. The Red Sox had to outslug the frontrunner AL Central leading White Sox after both starting pitchers were removed. The BoSox blasted Dylan Cease for seven runs in the top of the third but Sox prospect Connor Seabold got knocked out in the bottom of the fourth as the ChiSox tied the game. The White Sox took the lead on a 5th inning Yasmani Grandal home run off Ryan Brasier but Kike Hernandez hit a sac fly in the top of the eighth to tie the game. Travis Shaw drove in the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth and Josh Taylor slammed the door in the bottom of the frame. The Red Sox had beaten the White Sox 9-8 in 10 innings at Comiskey Park.
Cease got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez took strike three to start. Kyle Schwarber and Xander Bogaerts drew back to back walks but Rafael Devers struck out swinging. Hunter Renfroe struck out swinging to end the inning. Seabold made his ML debut in the bottom of the first and Luis Robert Jr lined out to left to start. Yoan Moncada walked but Jose Abreu grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Alex Verdugo struck out swinging to open the top of the second but Bobby Dalbec grounded out to short. Travis Shaw struck out swinging to end the inning. The White Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Eloy Jimenez flied out to center to start. Yasmani Grandal got a base hit to left and Leury Garcia hit a home run all the way to Oklahoma to put Chicago on top. Romy Gonzalez grounded out to third and Brian Goodwin flied out to center to end the inning with the White Sox up 2-0.
The BoSox crushed Cease in the top of the third as Christian Vazquez lined out to right to start. Hernandez singled to center before Schwarber and Bogaerts drew back to back walks to load the bases. Devers walked to score Hernandez but Renfroe hit one up the elevator shaft. Verdugo got a base hit to left to score Schwarber and Bogaerts and Dalbec singled to right to score Devers. Shaw then put the exclamation point on with a three run home run to chase Cease. Ryan Burr came in to pitch to Vazquez and Christian singled to center. Hernandez doubled to left but Schwarber grounded out to second to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-2.
Hernandez lined out to second to start the bottom of the third before Robert Jr doubled to left. Moncada walked but Abreu hit into a double play to end the inning. That was it for Seabold as Sox manager Alex Cora forced his bullpen to once again throw more than half the game. He allowed 2 runs in 3 innings.
Bogaerts grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Devers got a base hit to left. Devers moved to second on a grounder to short by Renfroe but Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Garrett Richards came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the fourth as Jimenez lined out to right to start. Grandal walked and Garcia hit a routine grounder to Devers who ran around in a circle without tagging anyone for an error. Gonzalez walked to load the bases and Goodwin walked to score Grandal. Hernandez struck out looking but Robert hit a bases clearing double to left, chasing Richards. Ryan Brasier came in and Moncada doubled to left to score Robert, tying the game. Abreu grounded out to short to end the inning with the game tied 7-7.
Thanks a lot Richards
Michael Kopech came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Dalbec struck out swinging to start. Shaw took strike three but Vazquez walked. Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning. The White Sox took command in the bottom of the fifth as Jimenez flied out to right to start. Grandal hit a home run all the way into Wrigley Field to put Chicago on top. Garcia lined out to short and Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning with the White Sox ahead 8-7.
Home run Grandal
The BoSox failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Schwarber hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Bogaerts and Devers both struck out swinging to end the inning. Hansel Robles came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Goodwin flied out to center to start. Hernandez grounded out to third but Robert singled to center. Moncada struck out swinging to end the inning.
Renfroe popped up to short to begin the top of the seventh and that was it for Kopech. Aaron Bummer came in and Verdugo struck out swinging. Dalbec also went down hacking to end the inning. Michael Feliz came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Abreu struck out swinging to begin. Jimenez singled to right and Grandal grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Billy Hamilton took over in left with Craig Kimbrel now on the mound to start the top of the eighth. Shaw lined out to right but Vazquez doubled to center. Jack Lopez pinch ran for Vazquez and moved to third on a wild pitch. Lopez scored on the sac fly by Hernandez to tie the game. Schwarber took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 8-8.
Kevin Plawecki took over behind the plate with Garrett Whitlock now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Garcia flied out to left and Gavin Sheets pinch hit for Hamilton. Sheets grounded out to first and Goodwin flied out to center to end the inning.
Liam Hendriks came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Devers struck out swinging but Renfroe singled to center. Renfroe stole second but Verdugo struck out swinging to end the inning. Hernandez grounded out to short to start the bottom of the ninth but Robert hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Moncada lined out to left and Abreu was intentionally walked. Jimenez grounded out to third to end the inning.
Mike Wright Jr came in to pitch with Verdugo starting the inning at second. Dalbec grounded out to first to move Verdugo to third and Shaw ripped a base hit to right to score Verdugo. Jose Iglesias pinch ran for Shaw and moved to second on the Plawecki grounder back to the mound. Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning with Boston up 9-8.
Josh Taylor came in to pitch the bottom of the 10th with Jimenez at second to start. Grandal got a base hit to left to put runners at the corners and Seby Zavala pinch ran for Grandal. Garcia struck out swinging and Danny Mendick pinch hit for Sheets. Mendick struck out swinging and Goodwin grounded out to second to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 9-8.
Sox win
Travis Hero
Ryan Brasier allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.
Hero of The Night is Travis Shaw. His go-ahead rbi put the Sox in position to win.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 3 with a walk.
Jack Lopez scored a run as a pinch runner.
Hansel Robles pitched a scoreless inning.
Michael Feliz pitched a scoreless inning.
Garrett Whitlock tossed 2 scoreless innings to earn the win.
Josh Taylor earned the save with a scoreless tenth.
The Bad:
Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Garrett Richards allowed 5 runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Ryan Brasier allowed a run in 1 2/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Kyle Schwarber was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice and scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts and an error but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but stole a base.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in 2 runs and scored twice.
Bobby Dalbec was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.
Connor Seabold allowed 2 runs in 3 innings off a home run.
Honorable Mention:
Jose Iglesias ran for Shaw in the 10th inning.
Final Thoughts:
Its funny how Shaw was supposed to be the first baseman of the future when the Sox called him up in 2015 and here we are all these years later with him winning a game for the team. Dave Dombrowski really screwed up trading him but maybe he needed to be a star in Milwaukee to be able to make the comeback now. Beating the AL Central leading White Sox was a good playoff preview, especially getting to someone like Cease. Alex Cora continues to play with fire by having relievers pitch more than half the game. Seabold only went three innings and the bullpen had to throw the remaining seven. That's how he ruined the A-Team over the course of the spring. Its going to bite Cora big time in the end. As for now, that was a gutty win and hats off to the bullpen in the later innings who didn't budge. Robles, Whitlock, Taylor, etc definitely helped win this game big time. If Shaw doesn't have another moment in the sun, at least he has this game to fall back on. The win improved the Sox to 81-63, 1 game ahead of the Toronto Blue Jays for the first wild card with 18 games to play. The Red Sox look to take two of three from Chicago tomorrow afternoon when Nick Pivetta takes on Lance Lynn of the White Sox. The game begins at 2:05 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.
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