As for the game, the Sox NEEDED a win like that. The Tampa Bay Rays have knocked them around recently and pretty much all season. Tonight the Sox served payback by rallying past the vaunted Rays bullpen. The Rays broke out to a 2-1 lead despite 6 solid innings pitched by Chris Sale. The Sox could muster just 1 run off Drew Rasmussen and the Rays bullpen. Then in the top of the seventh Christian Vazquez tied the game with a solo home run off Colin McHugh. Two innings later rookie Jarren Duran knocked home Rafael Devers to put the Sox ahead. Adam Ottavino slammed the door in the bottom of the ninth and the Sox had beaten the Rays 2-1 at Tropicana Field.
Rasmussen got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kyle Schwarber struck out swinging to start. Hunter Renfroe went down hacking and Rafael Devers watched strike three go by to end the inning. Sale got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Randy Arozarena was hit with a pitch to start. Nelson Cruz beat out a roller to second but Wander Franco beat out a double play ball to put runners at the corners. Yandy Diaz grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the second as JD Martinez struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo smacked a triple into the left field corner and Christian Vazquez got a base hit to center. Manny Margot booted the ball to allow Vazquez to reach second on the error but Jarren Duran struck out swinging. Jack Lopez made his ML debut by flying out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Vazquez puts the Sox on top
Margot singled to right to start the bottom of the second and Mike Zunino drew a walk. Jordan Luplow popped up to first and Joey Wendle grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Jonathan Arauz popped up to second to start the top of the third before Schwarber flied out to right. Renfroe grounded out to first to end the inning. The Rays clawed back in the bottom of the third as Taylor Walls grounded out to third to start. Arozarena struck out swinging but Cruz singled to left. Franco then hit a home run all the way to Nogales, Mexico to put the Rays ahead. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning with the Rays up 2-1.
Devers popped up to second to start the top of the fourth before Martinez grounded out to second. Verdugo flied out to center to end the inning. The Rays threatened in the bottom of the fourth as Margot singled to center to start. Zunino walked but Margot was gunned down trying to steal third. Luplow blooped a single to right to put runners at the corners but Wendle banged into a double play to end the inning.
Vazquez got a base hit to right to start the top of the fifth to chase Rasmussen from the game. JT Chargois came in and Duran flied out to center before Lopez struck out swinging. Arauz drew a walk to chase Chargois. Adam Conley came in and Schwarber got a base hit to right. Vazquez tried for home but was thrown out at the plate to end the inning. Walls flied out to right to start the bottom of the fifth before Arozarena took strike three. Cruz grounded out to short to end the inning.
Collin McHugh came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Renfroe grounded out to third to start. Devers singled to center but Martinez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Sale returned for the bottom of the sixth and Franco lined out to left to start. Diaz hit a routine grounder to Lopez who threw himself on the ball and pretended to be dead for an error. Diaz was forced at second by Margot and Zunino was hit with a pitch. Luplow popped up to first to end the inning. That was it for Sale who did the best he could, tossing 6 innings of 2 run ball to keep the Sox in the game. He allowed 6 hits and walked 2.
Kevin Kiermaier came in for Luplow to start the top of the seventh and Verdugo struck out swinging to start. Vazquez stepped up to smash his sixth home run of the season to tie the game. Duran struck out swinging and Lopez grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Vazquez goes yard
Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Wendle immediately greeted him with a double to center. Walls flied out to center to move Wendle to third but Joey was thrown out at home on a grounder to third by Arozarena. Cruz grounded out to first to end the inning.
David Robertson came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Arauz struck out swinging to start. Schwarber grounded out to short and Renfroe took strike three to end the inning. Franco doubled to start the bottom of the eighth then moved to third on a grounder to second by Diaz. Franco was thrown out at home on a grounder to short by Margot but Whitlock balked Manny to second. Zunino struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox took command in the top of the ninth against Pete Fairbanks. Devers ripped a base hit to right but Martinez struck out swinging. Verdugo beat out a roller to third but Vazquez took strike three. Duran stepped up with a base hit to right to score Devers with the go-ahead run. Lopez struck out swinging to end the inning with Boston ahead 3-2.
Adam Ottavino came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Kiermaier grounded back to the mound to begin. Wendle struck out swinging and Brandon Lowe pinch hit for Walls. Lowe struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won the game 3-2.
Sox win
Hero Duran
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Hero of the Night is Jarren Duran. His rbi single in the ninth put the Sox up for good.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Christian Vazquez was 3 for 4 with 2 total rbis and a home run.
Chris Sale tossed 6 solid innings allowing just 2 runs while striking out 3.
Garrett Whitlock earned the win by pitching two scoreless innings.
Adam Ottavino earned his 11th save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Jack Lopez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts and an error.
The Ugly:
Kyle Schwarber was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Jonathan Arauz was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but drew a walk.
Final Thoughts:
That's more like it. The Sox found a way to win a type of game they've been struggling to win all season. Usually its the Sox that cough up the lead late in the game but this time it was the Rays that faltered. Vazquez hit a big home run but the rookie Duran stepping up was the difference in the game. Whitlock and Ottavino saved the day again and it'll be a miracle if they don't run out of gas before October begins. Speaking of October, the Sox have 27 games left in the season and it seems unlikely they're going to catch the Rays. The Sox may have to concentrate their efforts to knock out the New York Yankees at this rate. The Yankees are still two games ahead of them so the Sox need to make a statement by having a good September. They're off to a good start, can't take that away from them at all. The win improved the Sox to 76-59, 9 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Rays tomorrow night when Eduardo Rodriguez (10-7) takes on Shane McClanahan of Tampa. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.
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