The bad news was Sox closer Aroldis Chapman left the game in the eighth inning in today's Boston Red Sox game against the Los Angeles Dodgers. The good news was somehow the managed to win the game. For four innings it looked like the Red Sox were headed for yet another loss in this gauntlet run of NL playoff teams as they trailed 3-1 going into the bottom of the fifth. Walker Buehler was lit up for 3 early runs and didn't even make it out of the fifth inning. Then the Sox stunned Dustin May and the dodgers as a Roman Anthony rbi triple and an Alex Bregman two run bomb put the Sox ahead. Like navigating shark infested waters, the Boston bullpen hung on despite the loss of Chapman. Ceddanne Rafaela turned a crucial unassisted double play in the eighth inning and the much maligned Jordan Hicks slammed the door in the ninth. The Sox had taken 2 of 3 from the Dodgers including this one 4-3 at Fenway Park.
After a 40 minute rain delay, Buehler got the ball to start the top of the first. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to short but Shohei Ohtani walked. Teoscar Hernandez struck out swinging and Freddie Freeman flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first as Roman Anthony was plunked to start. Alex Bregman flied out to right but Jarren Duran lashed a base hit to right to move Roman to third. Trevor Story hit a sac fly to center to score Anthony and Michael Conforto dropped a pop up by Masataka Yoshida....which Duran only went to second because he forgot there was two outs. Naturally Carlos Narvaez forced Yoshida at second to end the inning with the Sox still up 1-0.
Andy Pages lined out to right to start the top of the second before Conforto flied out to center. Anthony made a great jumping catch against the Monster on a Tommy Edman line drive to end the inning. Wilyer Abreu flied out to center to start the bottom of the second but Ceddanne Rafaela got a base hit to center. Abraham "El" Toro forced Rafaela at second but stole second base. Anthony grounded out to first to end the inning.
Dalton Rushing grounded out to second to open the top of the third before Miguel Rojas walked. Mr. Mookie flied out to center but Ohtani got a base hit to center. Hernandez walked to load the bases and Freeman walked to score Rojas. Pages lined out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Bregman took strike three to start the bottom of the third before Duran struck out swinging. Story also went down hacking to end the inning.
The Dodgers took command in the top of the fourth as Conforto hit a home run into Lake Titicaca to start. Edman grounded out to first and Rushing lined out to second, but Rojas walked. Rojas swiped second and scored on the Mr. Mookie base hit to center. Ohtani got a base hit to right to move Betts to third but Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Dodgers up 3-1.
A familiar sight at Fenway, a Mookie Betts rbi
Yoshida grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Narvaez struck out swinging. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.
Freeman took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Pages was also frozen for strike three. Inexplicably that was it for Buehler as Brennan Bernardino was brought in to face Conforto with Buehler not eligible for the win. Conforto doubled to left and Edman walked, but Rushing flied out to left to end the inning. Buehler had allowed 3 runs in just 4 2/3 innings.
Right on cue the Sox struck in the bottom of the fifth. Rafaela grounded out to short to start but El Toro got a base hit to center. Anthony hit a routine pop up down the left field line but Mr. Mookie lost it in the sun for a "triple" to score Toro. Bregman then launched his 13th home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Duran lined out to center and Story lined out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
May doing his Matrix impression
Red sox win
Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Rojas doubled to center to start. Mr. Mookie flied out to right, Ohtani struck out swinging and Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Jack Dreyer came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Yoshida flied out to center to start. Narvaez struck out swinging and Abreu flied out to center to end the inning.
Justin Wilson came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Freeman flied out to left to start. Pages flied out to right but Conforto hit a ground rule double down the right field line. Edman was hit with a pitch and Will Smith pinch hit for Rushing. Smith flied out to left to end the inning. Justin Wrobleski came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Rafaela lined out to left to start. Toro was hit with a pitch and it looked like Anthony beat out a double play ball, but Dodgers manager Dave Roberts challenged the call anyway. The call was upheld and Anthony took second on a wild pitch. Bregman walked to load the bases but Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.
Aroldis Chapman for whatever reason was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Rojas walked to start. Mr. Mookie walked but Ohtani flied out to left. Suddenly the trainers came out to check on Chapman and he left the game. Uh oh.....Hyeseong Kim ran for Rojas as Jordan Hicks came in to pitch. Hernandez hit a bullet but right to Rafaela who drove on second base to double off Betts....safe. But wait! Sox manager Cora challenged the call and replays showed Betts was out, inning over. What a play by Rafaela.
Its a game of inches
Story grounded out to third to start the bottom of the eighth and Rob Refsnyder pinch hit for Yoshida. Refsnyder got a base hit to left but Narvaez grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Hicks returned to close out the top of the ninth and Freeman struck out swinging to start. Pages grounded out to short but Conforto walked. Esteury Ruiz ran for Conforto and swiped second base. Edman grounded out to third to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3.
Hero of The Night is Ceddanne Rafaela. His unassisted double play killed the Dodgers rally and kept the Sox on top.
"Ceddy ya sonovagun" - Cora
The Good:
Roman Anthony was 1 for 3 with an rbi, 2 runs scored and a hit by pitch.
Alex Bregman was 1 for 3 with a walk and a 2 run home run.
Rob Refsnyder singled as a pinch hitter.
Abraham Toro was 1 for 2 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.
Brennan Bernardino got the final out of the fifth inning.
Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Justin Wilson pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Jordan Hicks earned his second save with 1 2/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3.
Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Walker Buehler allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings off 4 hits and 5 walks.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Aroldis Chapman retired just one of the three batters he faced.
Final Thoughts:
Reports were Aroldis Chapman was throwing up in the bullpen and dealt with a bad back, at least his arm is fine. Otherwise, the Sox pulled out a gutty win against the world champs. Alex Bregman got the big time home run but the warts are beginning to show. The Sox bats have been relatively silenced since the All-Star break with Story, Rafaela and pretty much everyone but Anthony and Bregman slumping. Not only that, the bullpen was depleted with Cora inexplicably pulling Buehler with one out to go in the fifth inning. With Chapman down, Cora can't be going April/May mode or else the bullpen is going to be gassed again. Still, a good win is a good win and the Sox earned this one. The win improved the Sox to 57-50, 6.5 games behind the Toronto Blue Jays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it three in a row when they travel on the road to face the Twins tomorrow night. "Big" Dick Fitts (1-4, 4.86 ERA) takes on Simeon Woods-Richardson of Minnesota. The game begins at 7:40 PM Eastern time at Target Field.
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