Josiah Gray got the ball to start the top of the first inning and Hernandez led off with a grounder back to the mound. Kyle Schwarber doubled to right and Xander Bogaerts drew a walk, but Rafael Devers banged into a double play to end the inning. Tanner Houck got the start for the Sox and he struck out Lane Thomas swinging to open the bottom of the first. Alcides Escobar also went down hacking and Juan Soto grounded out to third to end the inning.
JD Martinez led off the top of the second by swinging at air and Alex Verdugo flied out to left. Hunter Renfroe grounded out to short to end the inning. Josh Bell took strike three to begin the bottom of the second and Keibert Ruiz grounded out to second. It looked like Andrew Stevenson was plunked but replays showed he went around, leading to him striking out swinging to end the inning.
Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to start the top of the third before Houck himself took a full count strike three. Hernandez lined out to center to end the inning. Jordy Mercer flied out to right to begin the bottom of the third before Carter Kieboom grounded out to third. Gray struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the fourth although Schwarber flied out to center to start. Bogaerts struck out swinging but Devers clobbered his 36th home run of the season to put Boston on top. Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Houck dominated the bottom of the fourth as Thomas grounded out to short to start. Escobar struck out swinging and Soto took strike three to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Verdugo grounded out to first to start. Renfroe struck out swinging and Vazquez flied out to left to end the inning. Houck finished his day by getting Bell to ground out to second to start the bottom of the fifth before Ruiz followed with a grounder to second. Stevenson struck out swinging to end the inning. Despite being perfect for 5 innings, that was it for Houck thanks to Dr. Quick Hook Cora and it nearly bit the Sox a few innings later.
Houck was perfect through five
Christian Arroyo pinch hit for Houck to start the top of the sixth and struck out swinging, but Hernandez singled to right. Schwarber struck out swinging but Bogaerts walked, only for Devers to fly out to right to end the inning. Josiah Gray had held the Sox to just 1 run in 6 innings. Garrett Richards came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and somehow Mercer grounded out to short. Kieboom grounded out to third but Gerrado Parra pinch hit for Gray. Parra got a base hit to left but Thomas grounded into a force to end the inning.
Austin Voth came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Martinez struck out swinging. Verdugo lined out to center and Renfroe took strike three to end the inning. Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Escobar flied out to center to begin. Soto struck out swinging but Bell beat out an infield single to short. Ruiz walked and Stevenson singled off the glove of Schwarber to load the bases, but Mercer was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Mercer got so mad he tore his clothes off and swung his bat at home plate umpire Phil Cuzzi's head before he was escorted out of the building by an armed SWAT team.
Ryan Zimmerman came in to play first with Kyle Finnegan now in to pitch the top of the eighth. Vazquez took strike three and Travis Shaw pinch hit for Brasier, only to strike out swinging. Hernandez walked and took second on a wild pitch before Schwarber walked. Tanner Rainey came in to pitch and Bogaerts walked to load the bases but Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and struck out Kieboom looking to start. The wheels fell off as Zimmerman doubled to center and Thomas walked. Escobar walked to load the bases and that was it for Ottavino. Austin Davis came in and Soto hit a sac fly to the centerfield wall to tie the game but Bell lined out to short to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
With the season on the line the Sox rallied in the top of the ninth inning as Martinez walked to start. Jose Iglesias pinch ran for Martinez but both Verdugo and Renfroe struck out swinging. Suddenly Vazquez hit a triple into the gap to score Iglesias to give the Sox the lead. Shaw lined a base hit to center to score Vazquez and that was it for Rainey. Mason Thompson came in to pitch and Hernandez smashed his 20th home run of the season to ice the game. Davis the pitcher somehow walked and Bogaerts singled to right to chase Thompson. Ryne Harper came in to pitch and Devers lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-1.
Davis returned to close out the bottom of the ninth but Ruiz walked and Stevenson hit a home run all the way to the White House to cut the lead. Riley Adams pinch hit for Harper and Sox manager Alex Cora countered by bringing in Hansel Robles. Yadiel Hernandez was sent in to pinch hit for Adams instead and flied out to left. Kieboom took strike three but Zimmerman walked to bring the tying run to the plate. Thomas flied out to right to end the game and the Sox had survived with a 5-3 win.
Sox win
Hero of the Night is Christian Vazquez. His clutch, 2 out rbi triple led the Sox to victory.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 4 with a walk and a 2 run home run.
Kyle Schwarber was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with 3 walks.
Jose Iglesias scored a run as a pinch runner.
Travis Shaw was 1 for 2 with an rbi at the plate.
Tanner Houck tossed 5 perfect innings.
Garrett Richards pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Hansel Robles earned the save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Christian Arroyo struck out as a pinch hitter.
Adam Ottavino was charged with a run in 1/3 of an inning.
Austin Davis allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.
JD Martinez was 0 for 3 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked.
Final Thoughts:
So it all comes down to tomorrow after all of this. 161 games are in the books and the Sox are currently in the first wild card spot in a tie with the New York Yankees. The Toronto Blue Jays and Seattle Mariners are both 1 game behind both teams and only two of these four teams will make it. The Sox damn near blew this one after Cora pulled Houck too soon again. His cockamamie explanation for pulling Houck after 5 perfect innings is "You can't manage with your heart, you have to use your head." Yeah, use your head Cora, nobody had reached base against him to that point. If he gave two more innings, you could have saved Arroyo and Shaw as pinch hitters and used Brasier or Richards later. Things worked out this time but one of these days pulling a starter too early is going to be fatal. It could be tomorrow or in the playoffs if the Sox get that far. Still, the team as a whole have a lot of balls. The Sox blew a lead and got it back almost instantly with clutch hits they needed. Getting Shaw and Iglesias back sparked this team and its a shame Iglesias will be ineligible for the playoffs. As for the bullpen, the Sox have to survive one more game before Cora's mix and match, fly by the seat of your pants style can be used in October. Cora rode the A-Team to death but in the playoffs, anything goes. The win improved the Sox to 91-70, tied for the first wild card spot with the Yankees. Tomorrow afternoon is the regular season finale and Chris Sale (5-1) goes for the Sox against Double A starter Joan Adon making his major league debut. If the Sox can't win tomorrow with their ace on the mound, they don't deserve to play in October. The game begins at 3:05 PM at Nationals Park.
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