As for the game, how about the white hot Boston Red Sox. The Sox took the first place Tampa Bay Rays and chewed them up & spat them out in four straight games. Today Sonny Gray (12-1, 2.48 ERA) continued his march toward the AL Cy Young award by tossing 6 innings and holding the Rays to 1 run. He wasn't as sharp but he got the outs when he had to. Meanwhile the Sox got to Rays ace Shane McClanahan for 6 runs. The Sox scored 3 runs in the third inning without getting a hit and Willson Contreras hit a 2 run jack to put it out of reach. The trio of Greg Weissert, Jovani Moran and Ryan Watson slammed the door and the Sox had won 13 straight including a 4 game sweep of the Rays 6-1 at Fenway Park.
Ryan Fox approves of the winGray got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz led off by grounding out to first. Jonathan Aranda walked and Junior Caminero singled in the hole at third. Cedric Mullins struck out swinging and Jarren Duran nearly ran into Ceddanne Rafaela on a pop up to center by Chandler Simpson to end the inning. McClanahan got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jahmai Jones led off with a base hit to left. Ceddanne Rafaela bunted foul, then popped up to first and Wilyer Abreu flied out to center. Willson Contreras flied out to center as well to end the inning.
The Rays struck first in the top of the second as Victor Mesa Jr hit a ball into the centerfield triangle that Rafaela had trouble picking it up. Mesa tried for the home run and the throw beat him....but Connor Wong dropped the ball to put the Rays on top. Richie Palacios got a base hit to center and they had him picked off...but Contreras dropped the ball. It looked like Palacios was thrown out at second trying to steal but the Rays challenged. Replays showed Romy Gonzalez missed the tag and Taylor Walls walked. Hunter Feduccia took strike three, Diaz flied out to right and Aranda flied out to left to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.
Mesa scores...barelyThe Sox answered in the bottom of the second as Caleb Durbin ripped a base hit to left to start. Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging but Durbin took off for second. The throw by Feduccia got away and Durbin took third. Andruw Monasterio beat out a double to left to score Durbin and Jarren Duran walked. Duran was thrown out at second on a double steal but Monasterio made it to third. Wong grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Sox tie it upCaminero struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Mullins walked. Simpson doubled to right but Mesa Jr took strike three. Palacios flied out to left to end the inning. Jones walked to start the bottom of the third Rafaela flied out to center. Abreu was hit with a pitch and Contreras walked to load the bases. Feduccia allowed a passed ball to score Jones and Durbin hit a grounder to third. Caminero hit Abreu with the throw to score him and the runners moved over. Gonzalez grounded out to second but Contreras scored with another run. Monasterio flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.
Sox take the leadWalls lined out to short to start the top of the fourth and Feduccia grounded out to first. Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning. Duran grounded out to short to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong struck out swinging. Jones struck out swinging to end the inning.
Aranda got a base hit to right to start the top of the fifth but was forced at second by Caminero. Mullins grounded back to the mound to move Caminero to second and Simpson grounded out to first to end the inning. Rafaela beat out a grounder to short to start the bottom of the fifth but Abreu flied out to left. Contreras pounded his 22nd homer of the year to dead center to increase the lead but Durbin flied out to center. Gonzalez flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.
Contreras hits another one outGray returned for one final inning in the top of the sixth and Mesa Jr lined out to right to start. Palacios walked but Walls grounded into a double play to end the inning. Gray wasn't the sharpest but hung in there to allow just 1 run in 6 innings off 5 hits and 4 walks.
Gray battled in this oneCraig Kimbrel came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Monasterio struck out swinging to start. Duran grounded out to short and Wong struck out swinging to end the inning.
Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Feduccia doubled to center to start. Diaz grounded out to second to move Hunter to third, but Aranda took strike three. Caminero lined out to left to end the inning. Chris Roycroft came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Jones grounded out to third to start. Rafaela got a base hit to right but Abreu lined out to center. Contreras lined out to third to end the inning.
Jovani Moran came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Mullins grounded out to short to start. Simpson got a base hit in the hole at second then move to second on the grounder to third by Mesa. Palacios grounded out to second to end the inning. Durbin grounded out to second to start the bottom of the eighth and Gonzalez grounded out to short. Monasterio walked and Duran grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Ryan Watson came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Walls got a base hit to center to start. Feduccia walked but Diaz struck out swinging. Aranda struck out swinging and Caminero lined out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 6-1.
Sox winHero of The Night is Willson Contreras. His two run home run essentially iced the game.
Hero ContrerasThe Good:
Jahmai Jones was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Sonny Gray got the win with 6 innings of run 1 ball allowing 5 hits and 4 walks.
Greg Weissert pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Jovani Moran pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Connor Wong was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 but scored a run.
Caleb Durbin was just 1 for 4 but stole a base, drove in a run and scored a run.
Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in a run.
Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
On June 24 the Red Sox got embarrassed by the Colorado Rockies 2 out of 3 to drop to 14 games out and 14 games under .500. The Sox have lost 2 games since, winning 18 out of 20 and 13 straight to get back into the race. The Toronto Blue Jays and New York Yankees also lost today so everything is coming up Red Sox. Gray didn't have his best stuff today but he got the outs he needed to win this one. Contreras is unquestionably the team leader and its fired the team up any time there's a big hit. He got the big two run homer to ice it in this one. They scored three runs without getting a hit and that's the kind of game the Rays were known for with their speed. Yandy Diaz getting held in check was the main reason the Sox won this series. The Rays go to Toronto next so the Jays are going to be facing an angry, due Diaz. Good luck with that. All in all this win streak brought hope back, the fans back and good spirits back. It'll be a shame when the streak ends but if the Sox can win consistently in the next two months, they'll be right in the thick of things by the end. Getting a healthy Garrett Crochet and Ranger Suarez back would make Boston very deadly come October. Have to make it there first with 64 games left on the schedule. The win improved the Sox to 50-48, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to continue the momentum against the equally hot Baltimore Orioles who have won 7 in a row in the next series. Tomorrow night Shane Baz goes for Baltimore against Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.11 ERA) of Boston at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
























