As for the game, that was one of the best back and forth games all season for the Red Sox with Boston coming out on top. Both starters Scott Kazmir of Oakland and Rick Porcello of Boston lasted just 5 innings with the A's leading 3-2. The Sox jumped ahead against Evan Scribner on rbis from Mookie Betts and Dustin Pedroia. Craig Breslow blew the lead in the seventh and the score remained until the top of the eleventh. Pablo Sandoval cracked a home run off Angel Castro and Matt Barnes (1-0, 1.69 ERA) slammed the door in the bottom of the frame. The Sox had won the game 5-4 in 11 innings at the Oakland Coliseum.
Kazmir got the ball in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to third to start. Dustin Pedroia struck out swinging and David Ortiz grounded out to Eric Sogard to end the inning. Porcello got the ball in the bottom of the first and Billy Burns took strike three to start. Old pal Coco Crisp lined out to left but old friend Josh Reddick got a base hit to left. Billy Butler grounded out to Pedroia to end the inning.
Hanley Ramirez walked to start the top of the second but Mike Napoli lined out to right. Pablo Sandoval grounded into a double play to end the inning. Stephen Vogt led off the bottom of the second by grounding out to short. Ike Davis watched strike three go but Brett Lawrie lined a base hit to center. Marcus Semien flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning. Shane Victorino hit one up the elevator shaft to start the bottom of the second before Xander Bogaerts grounded out to short. Blake Swihart flied out to right to end the inning.
The A's struck first in the top of the third as Sogard flied out to left to start. Billy Burns dropped down a bunt to reach on a single then took second on a wild pitch. Crisp grounded out to second to move Burns to third and Reddick walked. Butler lashed a base hit to right to score Burns to put Oakland on top. Vogt flied out to right to end the inning with the A's up 1-0.
The Sox answered in the top of the fourth as Mr. Mookie grounded back to Kazmir to start. Pedroia walked and Ortiz lofted a base hit to center. Pedroia tried for home but Semien's throw was off to allow Dustin to score on the "error". Ramirez struck out swinging but Napoli walked. Sandoval grounded out to first to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Pedroia scores
The A's struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Davis doubled to center to start. Lawrie got a base hit to center to move Davis to third but Davis pulled up lame and had to leave the game. Max Muncy pinch ran for Davis and scored on the double play hit by Semien. Sogard got a base hit to center but Burns popped up to left to end the inning with the A's up 2-1.
The Sox answered in the top of the fifth as Victorino popped up to short to start. Bogaerts popped up to second but Swihart doubled to the right field wall. Mr. Mookie dumped a base hit to left to score Swihart to tie the game. Crisp made a great jumping catch to rob Pedroia of a double to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
The A's got another run in the bottom of the fifth as Crisp took strike three to start. Reddick flied out to left but Butler doubled to right. Vogt doubled over the head of Victorino to score Butler with the go-ahead run. Muncy flied out to center to end the inning with the A's ahead 3-2. That was it for Porcello who was charged with 3 runs off 5 hits and a walk in 5 innings.
Ortiz doubled to left to start the top of the sixth but was immediately picked off. Sox manager John Farrell challenged that Ortiz was safe, but replays upheld the call. Ramirez lined out to center but Napoli walked. Sandoval struck out swinging to end the inning. Alexi Ogando came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Lawrie grounded out to second to start. Semien struck out swinging but Sogard lashed a base hit to center. Burns doubled to center but Napoli made a leaping catch to rob Crisp to end the inning.
Evan Scribner came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Victorino lined out to right to start. Bogaerts got a base hit to right and Swihart drilled a base hit to move Xander to third. Mr. Mookie drilled a base hit to center to score Bogaerts and move Swihart to third. Pedroia beat out a double play ball to score Swihart to put the Sox on top and chase Scribner. Fernando Abad came in to pitch to Ortiz and David hit a bullet...right to Muncy to end the inning with the Sox up 4-3.
Swihart scores a run
Craig Breslow came in to cough up the lead in the bottom of the seventh as Reddick struck a base hit to center to start. Butler singled up the middle to move Reddick to third and Josh scored on the sac fly to right by Vogt. Mark Canha pinch hit for Muncy and struck out swinging to chase Breslow. Junichi Tazawa got Lawrie to ground into a force to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.
Old friend Edward Mujica came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Ramirez flied out to right to start. Napoli struck out swinging and Sandoval flied out to left to end the inning. Semien struck out swinging to open the bottom of the eighth but Sox manager John Farrell wanted Tommy Layne to face Sogard. Eric's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Pedroia and Burns popped up to short to end the inning.
Tyler Clippard came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Victorino lined out to right to start. Bogaerts lined a base hit up the middle then moved to second on a grounder to first by Swihart. Mr. Mookie popped up to right to end the inning. Jackie Bradley Jr took over in right field for Victorino to start the bottom of the ninth. Crisp lined out to a running JBJ before Reddick walked to chase Layne. Sox closer Koji Uehara came in and Butler flied out to right. Vogt also flied out to right to end the inning.
Pedroia walked to start the top of the tenth but Ortiz flied out to center. Ramirez flied out to left but a wild pitch moved Pedroia to second. Napoli lined out to first to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth and Canha walked to start. Lawrie flied out to center and Semien struck out swinging. Canha stole second but Sogard popped up to short to end the inning.
The Sox finally struck in the top of the eleventh with Angel Castro now on the mound. Sandoval crushed his fourth home run of the season to put Boston on top. JBJ walked and moved to second on the sacrifice bunt by Bogaerts. Swihart struck out swinging but Mr. Mookie walked. Pedroia lined a base hit up the middle but JBJ was caught napping at third to end the inning. The Sox now led 5-4.
Barnes returned for the bottom of the eleventh and Burns flied out to left to start. Crisp popped up to second and Reddick lined out to left to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-4.
Sox win
Hero Sandoval
Final Thoughts:
Hero of the Night is Pablo Sandoval. His home run in the eleventh won the game.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 2 for 5 with a walk and 2 rbis.
David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with an rbi.
Jackie Bradley Jr walked in his only plate appearance.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Blake Swihart was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.
Alexi Ogando pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Junichi Tazawa tossed 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Tommy Layne pitched a full scoreless inning.
Koji Uehara pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning.
Matt Barnes earned the win with 2 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Shane Victorino was 0 for 4.
Craig Breslow allowed a run in 2/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked twice, drove in a run and scored a run.
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but walked.
Mike Napoli was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked twice.
Rick Porcello was charged with 3 runs in just 5 innings of work allowing 9 hits and a walk while striking out three.
Final Thoughts:
That was a tough one to win but it counts all the same. Porcello only lasting 5 innings meant the bullpen had to throw the final six innings. Not good when you have rotation issues as the Sox do. Still, they scored runs when they had to and shout out to Sandoval for his first big hit of the season. The offense is going to be there this season but the team is going to live or die with that rotation....god help us. Things worked out this time but tomorrow might be a different story. The win improved the Sox to 15-17, 5.5 games behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the A's tomorrow night when Justin Masterson (2-1, 5.18 ERA) takes on Drew Pomeranz of Oakland. The game begins at 10:00 PM Eastern time at Oakland Coliseum.
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