As for the game, "Slick" Rick Porcello (12-2, 3.47 ERA) took another step toward the AL Cy Young Award by blanking the San Francisco Giants. He allowed 4 hits and 2 walks before being lifted in the seventh inning. Meanwhile Brock "The Hitman" Holt hit a solo shot off old friend Jake Peavy and David Ortiz hit the backbreaking three run home run in the fourth inning. The bullpen slammed the door the rest of the way and the Sox had won the game 4-0 at Fenway Park.
Porcello got the ball in the top of the first inning and Denard Span dropped a base hit to center to start. Angel Pagan got a seeing eye single into right but Brandon Belt struck out swinging on a 94 mph fastball. Buster Posey also swung and missed for strike three on a mph fastball. Brandon Crawford took strike three to end the inning. Peavy got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to center to start. Dustin Pedroia also popped up to center and Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning.
Jarrett Parker singled to left to start the top of the second but got doubled off first on a Connor Gillaspie liner to center. Mac Williamson flied out to right to end the inning. David Ortiz led off the bottom of the second by flying out to the centerfield wall. Hanley Ramirez grounded out to second and Jackie Bradley Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.
Ramiro Pena led off the top of the third by flying out to left and Span grounded out to third. Pagan got a base hit to left but Belt flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the third as Shaw took strike three to start. Leon also went down hacking but Holt smashed his fifth home run of the season to put the Sox on top.
Posey walked to start the top of the fourth but Crawford grounded into a double play. Parker grounded out to short to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fourth as Pedroia walked to start. Bogaerts got a base hit to left and Ortiz launched his 23rd home run of the season to ice the game. Ramirez grounded back to the mound, JBJ flied out to left and Shaw went down hacking to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.
Porcello kept rolling in the top of the fifth as Gillaspie lined out to right to start. Williamson walked but was forced at second by Pena. Span flied out to right to end the inning. Leon grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth and Holt lined out to left. Mr. Mookie grounded out to third to end the inning.
Pagan grounded out to first to start the top of the sixth before Belt flied out to right. Posey also flied out to right to end the inning. Span made a great lunging catch to take a hit away from Pedroia to start the bottom of the sixth. Bogaerts watched strike three go by and Ortiz grounded out to third to end the inning.
The Giants chased Porcello in the top of the seventh and Crawford popped up to left. Parker was plunked and at 108 pitches, that was it for Porcello. He tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings and allowed just 4 hits and 2 walks. Robbie Ross Jr came in and Grant Green pinch hit for Gillaspie. Green grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Old friend Javier Lopez came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Ramirez singled to right to start. JBJ hit a double play ball to short but they dropped the relay throw after getting the force at second. Shaw flied out to left and Leon grounded out to third to end the inning.
Brad Ziegler came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Gregor Blanco pinch hit for Williamson. Blanco grounded out to third and Pena flied out to center. Span singled in the hole at short but Pagan grounded out to first to end the inning. Green booted a grounder by Holt to start the bottom of the eighth and George Kontos replaced Lopez. It looked like Mr. Mookie had beaten out a grounder to the mound but the Giants challenged the call, getting it overturned. Pedroia flied out to center and Bogaerts popped up to first in foul territory to end the inning.
Koji Uehara came in to close out the top of the ninth and Belt took strike three to start. Suddenly Uehara started clutching his shoulder and had to leave the game. He was loaded into an ambulance, rushed to Mass General's ICU and Tommy Layne came in to finish the game. Posey hit one up the elevator shaft and Crawford struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-0.
Hero of the Night is Rick Porcello. He got the win by tossing 6 1/3 shutout innings allowing 4 hits and 2 walks while striking out 3 batters.
The Good:
David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with a 3 run home run.
Hanley Ramirez was 1 for 3.
Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Robbie Ross Jr got the final two outs of the seventh inning.
Brad Ziegler pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Koji Uehara got the first out of the ninth inning.
Tommy Layne got the final two outs of the ninth inning.
The Bad:
Mookie Betts was 0 for 4.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Travis Shaw was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Great win but losing Koji in the ninth is not what the Sox needed. They're already down Craig Kimbrel and Junichi Tazawa has been shaky. Losing Koji means the Sox might need Ziegler to close and or to get yet another bullpen arm by the trade deadline. Hopefully Koji will be okay but that's a scary visual to see him go, especially after he took that line drive last year. Otherwise, the Baltimore Orioles lost so the Sox gained a game on them with great pitching by Porcello. The retiring David Ortiz added yet another big home run to his resume to help the team win. The Sox have a chance to make the playoffs for the first time in 3 years if they can stay healthy, and that's a big if. The Sox have a death march through the AL East in September that will decide the division one way or another, getting into first place before then would be nice. The win improved the Sox to 52-39, 0.5 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Giants tomorrow when Drew Pomeranz makes his Sox debut against Matt Cain of San Francisco. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment