As for the game, Mookie Betts was in a bit of a slump lately but he just took it out on the Baltimore Orioles' collective bungholes. He blasted not one, not two but THREE home runs to propel the Red Sox to a 6-2 victory over the Dirty Birds at Camden Yards. The O's were battling for first place yet only 17,644 people showed up.
Kevin Gausman got the ball to start the game and was immediately smacked around. Mr. Mookie Betts smashed a solo home run to begin his torrid day. Dustin Pedroia answered with a solo home run of his own. Xander Bogaerts broke up the streak with a ground out David Ortiz popped up and Hanley Ramirez grounded out to end the inning.
Eduardo Rodriguez took the mound in the bottom of the first in his first start of the year. Adam Jones greeted him with a base hit but Nolan Reimold flied out. Jones moved to second on the passed ball by Vazquez but Machado flied out to left. Davis whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the second. Travis Shaw flied out but Chris Young walked. Blake Swihart struck out but Christian Vazquez walked. Mr Mookie dazzled the paltry crowd filled with Sox fans by blasting a 3 run home run to increase the lead 5-0. Pedroia struck out to end the inning.
Rodriguez dominated in the bottom of the second. Mark Trumbo and Matt Wieters flied out and Jonathan Schoop struck out to end the inning.
The Sox threatened again in the top of the third. Bogaerts grounded out but Ortiz singled. Ramirez whiffed but Shaw doubled David to third. Young struck out to end the inning. The O's tagged Rodriguez in the bottom of the third. Joey Rickard reached on an infield single but Paul Janish popped up. Jones flied out but Reimold doubled home Rickard to make it 5-1 Boston. Machado flied out to end the inning but the O's were on the board.
Gausman returned for the top of the fourth. Swihart lined out, Vazquez grounded out ad Mr. Mookie lined out to end the inning. Rodriguez was up to the task in the bottom of the fourth inning. Davis grounded out, Trumbo popped up and Wieters struck out to end the inning.
Gausman matched Rodriguez in the top of the fifth. Pedroia grounded out as both Bogaerts and Ortiz struck out to end the inning. The O's tagged Rodriguez in the bottom of the fifth. Schoop grounded out and Rickard lined out, but Janish doubled and Jones singled him in. Reimold grounded out to end the inning. The O's were coming closer, it was now 5-2.
The Sox caught a break in the top of the sixth when Gausman chucked a ground ball hit by Ramirez 75 feet to the left of first base, allowing Hanley to reach. Shaw whiffed, Young lined out and Swihart struck out to end the inning. Rodriguez finished strong in the bottom of the 6th. Machado doubled but Davis lined out. Trumbo flied out and Wieters grounded out to end the inning. 6 strong innings by Rodriguez in his season debut. They're gonna need him.
Dylan Bundy got the ball in he top of the seventh and struck out Vazquez, but Mr. Mookie served notice to the American League that he was for real by blasting his third home run of the day, increasing the lead 6-2. Pedroia and Bogaers followed with singles...but Pedroia was picked off going to third. Ortiz popped up to end the inning.
Robbie Ross Jr was the first out of the pen in the bottom of the seventh. He struck out both Schoop and Rickard before getting Janish to fly out to end the inning.
Boston threatened again in the top of the eighth. Ramirez beat out an infield single but Shaw flied out. Young singled but was erased on the fielder's choice by Swihart. Vazquez grounded out to end the inning. Koji Uehara came on to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Jones struck out and Reimold flied out, but Machado singled. Davis whiffed to end the inning.
Ashur Tolliver got the call in the top of the ninth. Mr. Mookie grounded out, Pedroia struck out and Bogaerts flied out to end the inning. Closer Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel took the mound for the bottom of the ninth. He blew away Trumbo and Wieters and got Schoop to ground out to end the game. The Sox had won 6-2.
Hero of the night is Mookie Betts. Hitting not one, not two but THREE home runs electrified the paltry crowd of mostly Red Sox fans.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with an rbi and run scored.
Chris Young was 1 for 3 with a walk and run scored.
Eduardo Rodriguez was a winner in his debut, allowing 2 runs off 6 hits, striking out 3 in 6 innings of work.
Robbie Ross Jr pitched a perfect seventh.
Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless eighth.
Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th.
The Bad:
Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts extended his hitting streak to 24 games but was just 1 for 5.
David Ortiz was just 1 for 4.
Hanley Ramirez was just 1 for 4.
Travis Shaw was just 1 for 4.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.
Final Thoughts:
How about Mookie Betts? In 2013 people were praising him as something special when he was with the Single A Salem Red Sox, they sure were right. Funny thing was Betts was being praised in Salem while Xander Bogaerts was one step above in Double A getting the same praise. One step above that, Jackie Bradley Jr was fine tuning himself in Pawtucket waiting for a chance. Now all 3 of them are up in Boston and are part of the reason they're in first place. Rodriguez coming back was just the tonic they needed to stay there. Hopefully the starting rotation woes are over and we can see what this team is really made of. The Sox improved to 32-20, good for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow the Sox look for the series win when they send out Joe Kelly to face Mike Wright.
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