Looks like the Boston Red Sox made the right choice to let Eduardo Rodriguez sign a 5 year 77 million dollar deal with the Detroit Tigers. Today the Sox pounded their former teammate for 7 runs before knocking him out in the fourth inning. It wasn't an easy game though, not by a long shot. Nathan Eovaldi (1-0, 4.50 ERA) threw 101 pitches but got out of the fifth inning allowing just two runs. The Boston bullpen fell apart as the Tigers scored 5 runs off a host of relievers. Thankfully Hansel Robles was able to get Jonathan Schoop with the bases loaded in the eighth inning to quell the uprising. Jackie Bradley Jr and Kike Hernandez led the charge offensively as the Sox beat Detroit 9-7 at Comerica Park.
Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first inning and Kike Hernandez led off with a pop up to third in foul territory to start. Rafael Devers hit a bullet to right but the wind knocked it down for an out. Trevor Story struck out swinging on a 94 mph fastball to end the inning. Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first inning as Victor Reyes foul tipped strike three into the mitt to start. Austin Meadows hit a 400 foot out to Hernandez but Jonathan Schoop hit a home run all the way to Lake Michigan to put the Tigers up three batters into the bottom of the first. Jeimer Candelario walked but Eric Haase struck out swinging to end the inning with the Tigers up 1-0.
JD Martinez drew a walk to start the top of the second but Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. Christian Arroyo flied out to center but Alex Verdugo took a walk. Christian Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning. Eovaldi settled down in the bottom of the second as Harold Castro lined out to right to start. Spencer Torkelson flied out to right and Tucker Barnhart took strike three to end the inning.
The Sox struck back in the top of the third although Jackie Bradley Jr froze for strike three to start. Hernandez clobbered his first home run of the season to left to tie the game but Devers grounded out to short. Story struck out swinging to end the inning but the Sox had tied it 1-1.
Akil Baddoo grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the third and Reyes grounded out to first. Meadows singled to center but Schoop popped up to first to end the inning.
The Sox rallied in the top of the fourth as Martinez walked again to start. Dalbec hit a seeing eye single to left and Arroyo dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners along. Verdugo hit a sac fly to left to score Martinez and Candelario threw a grounder by Vazquez away to put runners at the corners. JBJ doubled to left to score both runners and increase the lead. Hernandez doubled to left to score Bradley and Devers also doubled to left to score Kike. That was it for E-Rod as his old team knocked him out in the fourth inning. Rony Garcia came in to pitch and Story singled to center to score Devers. Martinez forced Story at second to end the inning but Boston put up a six spot to lead 7-1.
Could Eovaldi pitch with the huge lead innthe bottom of the fourth? Candelario flied out to left to start and Haase popped up to first. Castro singled to right but Torkelson lined out to a running JBJ to end the inning.
Dalbec flied out to center to start the top of the fifth but Arroyo singled off the glove of Torkelson into right. Verdugo flied out to left and Vazquez struck out swinging to end the inning. Barnhart took strike three to start the bottom of the fifth but Baddoo hit a home run all the way to Uruguay to cut the lead. Reyes struck out swinging as did Meadows to end the inning. That was it for Eovaldi who threw 101 pitches to get through 5 innings. Still, the Sox were leading 7-2.
JBJ struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth but Hernandez took a walk. Devers flied out to center and Story flied out to left to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Schoop lined out to a running JBJ to start. Candelario struck out swinging and Haase flied out to left to end the inning.
Drew Hutchison was brought in for the top of the seventh and Martinez singled to right. Dalbec doubled to left but Arroyo grounded out to second. Verdugo was intentionally walked to load the bases and Vazquez hit a sac fly to left to score Martinez. JBJ doubled home Dalbec but Hernandez popped up to first to end the inning with the Sox up 9-2.
Austin Davis came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the seventh as Castro singled to center to start. Torkelson hit a home run all the way to Morocco to cut the lead. Barnhart took strike three and Baddoo lined out to right, but Reyes walked. Meadows singled to right to chase the incompetent Davis. Kutter Crawford replaced Davis and struck out Schoop swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 9-4.
Devers hit one up the elevator shaft to start the top of the eighth but Story singled to center. Martinez walked but Dalbec flied out to right. Arroyo forced Martinez at second to end the inning. The Tigers roared back in the bottom of the eighth as Candelario doubled to right to start. Haase dumped a base hit to right to score Jeimer and Castro walked before Torkelson singled to left to load the bases. Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Crawford for Jake Diekman and Miguel Cabrera pinch hit for Barnhart. Diekman managed to strike out Cabrera and Baddoo swinging but Reyes singled past Story to score Haase. Meadows was plunked to score Castro and that was it for Diekman. Hansel Robles got Schoop to pop up to second to end the inning but the Tigers closed the gap down 9-7.
Dustin Garneau took over behind the plate with Gregory Soto now on the mound for the top of the ninth. Verdugo doubled to right and moved to third on the fly out to right by Vazquez. JBJ struck out swinging to earn the hat trick and Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Robles came back to close out the bottom of the ninth and Candelario lined out to left to start. Haase flied out to center and Castro struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-7.
Hero of the Night is Hansel Robles. He got out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning and slammed the door in the ninth inning to earn the save.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5 with a walk, home run, two total rbis and 2 runs scored.
Trevor Story was 2 for 5 with an rbi.
JD Martinez was 1 for 2 with 3 walks and 2 runs scored.
Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.
Alex Verdugo was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis and a run scored.
Nathan Eovaldi got the win by tossing 5 innings and allowing just 2 runs.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
The Bad:
Austin Davis was charged with2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.
Kutter Crawford was charged with 3 runs in 1/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored a run.
Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.
Jake Diekman struck out two batters with the bases loaded but allowed two inherited runners to score.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox definitely aren't missing E-Rod as sad as that sounds. The fact that he fell apart after Candelario's error is the lack of mental makeup that plagued him in his career here. On the other side, kudos to the Sox bats for taking advantage of the chance and cashing in. It was good to see Hernandez and JBJ lead the charge and Story get going with a couple of hits. Everyone in the starting nine got on base at least once and that's what you want to see. The bad news was the bullpen fell apart but this one isn't on Cora for once. Eovaldi wasn't sharp and threw 101 pitches just to get through five innings. Diekman came within an eyelash of pulling a Houdini but thank goodness Robles was here to save the day. A win is a win no matter how pretty or ugly it is and the Sox bullpen is a work in progress. Cora knows Barnes, Sawamura and Robles can bring it but if the others can't, I'm sure it won't be too hard to find fresh troops. Josh Taylor will be off the Injured List eventually and there's a few arms in Worcester that we'll see at some point. All in all, the Sox won the game so no sense squawking any further. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox come home for their home opener against the Minnesota Twins. As of right now Nick Pivetta (0-1, 6.35 ERA) is starting for the Sox against Joe Ryan of the Twins this Friday afternoon at 2:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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