Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a trade. The Sox sent 21 year old shortstop Andy Lugo to the Minnesota Twins for relief pitcher Jorge Alcala. Lugo was hitting .265 with 4 home runs for the Greenville Drive while Alcala has an 8.88 ERA for the Twins this year. The hope is Alcala can rediscover the form he had last year when he posted a 3.24 ERA....but chances are, that was his one good year. At least they didn't trade three major league prospects for him this time.
Don't look now but the last week or so, the Boston Red Sox have looked like a major league team for the first time all season. Tonight against the Tampa Bay Rays they played flawless defense with some big plays to keep the Rays off the board when the game got tight. "War Pig" Walker Buehler (5-4, 5.01 ERA) was a big help going 7 innings and allowing just 3 runs. The Sox woes with runners in scoring position continued but they had no problem hitting the ball out of the yard. Jarren Duran hit the first pitch old friend Zack Littell threw for a solo shot. Abraham "El" Toro added a solo shot of his own but the hero was Marcelo Mayer with not one but two solo blasts to keep the Sox in front. Greg Weissert escaped a bases loaded jam in the eighth inning and Aroldis Chapman slammed the door in the ninth for a big 4-3 victory over the Rays at Fenway Park.
Buehler got the ball in the top of the first inning and Josh Lowe flied out to center to start. Brandon Lowe doubled to right before moving to third on the Yandy Diaz grounder to second. Jonathan Aranda was hit with a pitch but Junior Caminero grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox struck first against Littell when Jarren Duran crushed the first pitch he saw out of the yard for his fifth home run of the season. Rafael Devers was hit with a pitch and Abraham Toro got a base hit to left, but once again with runners in scoring position Carlos Narvaez forced Toro at second. Roman Anthony struck out swinging and Trevor Story flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
The lead lasted exactly one second as Jake Mangum got a base hit to left to start the top of the second. Matt Thaiss got a base hit to right to move Mangum to third and Kameron Misner walked to load the bases with nobody out. Taylor Walls flied out to right. Josh Lowe just barely beat out a double play ball to score Mangum with the tying run. Josh stole second base but Brandon Lowe grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Marcelo Mayer crushed his first Fenway Park home run to put Boston back on top. Kristian Campbell grounded out to short but Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to right. Once again with a runner in scoring position, Duran flied out to left and Devers grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox led 2-1 but was 0-4 with runners in scoring position.
Buehler settled down in the top of the third as Diaz lined out to center to start. Aranda popped up to short and Caminero struck out swinging to end the inning. Toro struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third before Narvaez grounded out to short. Anthony grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Mangum grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth before Thaiss was rung up for strike three. Misner struck out swinging to end the inning. Story grounded out to second to open the bottom of the fourth before Mayer belted his second home run of the game to increase the lead. Campbell struck out swinging but Rafaela got a base hit to center. Rafaela stole second but once again with a runner in scoring position, Duran struck out swinging. The Sox led 3-1 but was now 0 for 5.
The lead once again evaporated in record time in the top of the fifth as Walls got a base hit to center to start. Josh Lowe struck out looking and Walls was thrown out at second trying to steal. Brandon Lowe beat out a roller to Buehler and Diaz hit a home run all the way into the Charles River to tie the game. Aranda struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
The Sox wasted no time getting the lead back in the bottom of the fifth. Devers struck out swinging but El Toro launched his fifth home run of the season to put Boston back on top. Narvaez popped up to short and Anthony grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.
El Toro gets the Wally Head
The Sox got a big lift on a hell of a play by Story to rob Caminero of a base hit to start the top of the sixth. Mangum grounded out to first and Thaiss struck out swinging to end the inning. Story flied out to center to start the bottom of the sixth before Mayer struck out swinging. Campbell doubled to right to put another runner in scoring position......and Rafaela lined out to right to end the inning. 0 for 6 and counting.
Buehler returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Misner struck out swinging. Walls popped up to second and Lowe grounded out to first to end the inning. Apart from the one mistake to Diaz, Buehler was great. He held the Rays to 3 runs on 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7.
Buehler gets the job done
Mason Montgomery came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Duran struck out swinging to start. Devers grounded back to the mound and Toro grounded out to short to end the inning.
David Hamilton took over at second base for Campbell with Justin Wilson now on the mound to start the top of the eighth. Brandon Lowe flied out to left but Diaz got a base hit to right. Jose Caballero ran for Diaz and Aranda was hit with a pitch to chase Wilson. Greg Weissert came in to put the fire out and got a boost when the alert Narvaez gunned down Caballero trying to steal third. That proved big when Caminero walked and Mangum singled off the glove of Greg to load the bases. Weissert punched out Thaiss swinging to end the inning.
Weissert with the big strikeout
The Sox completed their situational hitting ineptitude in the bottom of the eighth with Eric Orze on the mound. Narvaez doubled to center and Anthony moved him to third with a grounder to first. Naturally both Story grounded out to third and Mayer struck out swinging to end the inning. 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position....yikes.
Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and Christopher Morel punch hit for Minser. Morel grounded out to third before Walls struck out swinging. Josh Lowe also struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.
Hero of The Night is Marcelo Mayer. His two solo home runs were the difference in the game.
The Good:
Abraham Toro was 2 for 4 with a home run.
Kristian Campbell was 1 for 3.
Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with a stolen base.
Walker Buehler got the win by tossing 7 innings of 3 run ball allowing 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7.
Justin Wilson got the first out of the eighth inning.
Greg Weissert got the final two outs of the eighth inning.
Aroldis Chapman earned his 12th save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Roman Anthony was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Trevor Story was 0 for 4.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but the one hit was a solo home run.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but was hit with a pitch.
Carlos Narvaez was just 1 for 4 but threw out a runner.
Honorable Mention:
David Hamilton played second base in the final two innings.
Final Thoughts:
Amazing what happens when the Red Sox defense doesn't throw up on themselves. The Sox looked like a real team this week against the Rays and New York Yankees and taking 2 of 3 from both at least gives them something to build on. They still went 0 for 9 with runners in scoring position but the pitching and defense held up. Story's throw to first, Narvaez throwing out a runner, Weissert striking out Thaiss, all of it played into the win. Buehler going 7 with one mistake to Diaz was also a big help. The problem this season is they just can't seem to build momentum. They got a chance to get back in the AL East race and so far they've taken 4 of 6 from New York and Tampa. They got another series with New York coming up on Friday and its very important they don't stink this weekend. The win improved the Sox to 34-36, 9 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox get another crack at the Yankees on home soil. "War Pig" Garrett Crochet (6-4, 2.35 ERA) will be waiting against Captain TBD of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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