As for the game, that's a little more like it. Last night the Angels humiliated the Red Sox by beating them by eighteen runs. Today it was the Sox bats that pounded the Angels into submission. The Sox scored 7 runs in the fifth while Sean O'Sullivan (2-0, 6.61 ERA) held the Jays scoreless through 5 innings. The Jays got to Sean and Matt Barnes for three runs in the sixth but Sandy Leon and Dustin Pedroia gave the Sox some breathing room in the later innings. Leon drove in 3 key runs and the Sox held on to win 10-5 at Fenway Park.
O'Sullivan got the ball in the top of the first and Yunel Escobar dumped a base hit to center but was foolishly thrown out at second by Jackie Bradley Jr trying to stretch a double. Kole Calhoun popped up to Xander Bogaerts in foul territory but Mike Trout walked. Trout swiped second but was thrown out at third trying to steal to end the inning.
Matt Shoemaker got the ball in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts popped up to right to start. Dustin Pedroia popped up to a running Trout but Bogaerts doubled off the Monster. David Ortiz lined out to a running Calhoun to end the inning.
Albert Pujols led off the top of the second by grounding out to short before CJ Cron popped up to Hanley Ramirez in foul territory. Jefry Marte took strike three down the middle to end the inning. Ramirez led off the bottom of the second by striking out swinging on a splitter to start. JBJ popped up to Marte and Brock "The Hitman" Holt poked a base hit to left on the end of the bat but Sandy Leon grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
Gregorio Petit was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to start the top of the third but Jett Bandy was plunked. Andrelton Simmons beat out a bunt back to O'Sullivan for a base hit but Escobar hit a fly ball to center. Bradley ran it down for the out but Bandy had thought the ball had fallen in and was halfway home. Bradley threw to second to get the force to end the inning.
Marco Hernandez led off the bottom of the third with a base hit up the middle but was doubled off first on a blown hit and run because Mr. Mookie popped up to Cron. Pedroia roped a single to left but Bogaerts forced Pedroia at second to end the inning.
Calhoun grounded out to short to start the top of the fourth but Trout and Pujols drew back to back walks. Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis came out to tell O'Sullivan that Chicago Med was on in the clubhouse. O'Sullivan was so excited that he got Cron to hit into a double play to end the inning. The Sox blew a rally in the bottom of the fourth as Ortiz walked to start. Ramirez lined a base hit up the middle but JBJ struck out swinging on a splitter down the middle. Holt was frozen for strike three down the middle and Leon flied out to right to end the inning.
Marte flied out to a running Betts to start the top of the fifth and Petit flied out to center. Bandy took strike three on the inside corner to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth although Hernandez popped up to left to start. Mr. Mookie dropped a base hit to right but Pedroia forced him at second. Bogaerts walked and Ortiz pounded a ground rule double into the centerfield stands to put the Sox on top. Ramirez stroked an opposite field single to right to clear the bases, moving to second on the throw home. JBJ dropped a base hit to right, Ramirez scored and JBJ took second on the throw to chase Shoemaker. Jose Alvarez came in and promptly walked Holt before Leon doubled high off the Monster to clear the bases again. Hernandez dumped a base hit to left that was muffed by Marte which allowed Leon to score another run. Hernandez took second on the error and JC Ramirez came in to pitch to Mr. Mookie. Betts flied out to the centerfield warning track to end the inning with the Sox up 7-0.
O'Sullivan returned briefly in the top of the sixth but Simmons singled off the glove of Bogaerts to start. Simmons stole second and took third on the base hit to left by Escobar. That was it for O'Sullivan who would be charged with 2 runs in 5 innings, not bad. Matt Barnes came in and immediately allowed Calhoun to double off the wall to score Simmons. Trout grounded out to short but Simmons scored and Calhoun moved to third on the play. Pujols doubled off the Red Sox bullpen to score Calhoun. Red Sox pitching coach Carl Willis sprinted to the mound to tell Barnes that All In The Family was on in the clubhouse. Barnes got so excited that he got both Cron and Marte to ground out to second to end the inning with the Angels down 7-3.
Cam Bedrosian came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Pedroia grounded out to short to start. Bogaerts took strike three but Ortiz drew a walk. Sox broadcaster Jerry Remy told a hilarious story of how ex-Sox manager Dick Williams once got thrown out of the game just handing over the lineup card before the game even started and Ramirez forced Ortiz at second to end the inning.
Junichi Tazawa came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Petit singled up the middle to start. Bandy flied out to center but Simmons hit a foul ball down the left field line...BUT WAIT! Angels manager Mike Scioscia challenged that it was fair. The umpires looked at the replay and the ball indeed was fair for a double. Escobar doubled off the left field foul stands to clear the bases and bring the tying run to the plate. Carl Willis came out of the dugout to tell Tazawa that Barnaby Jones was on in the clubhouse and Taz got so excited he got Calhoun to line out to Holt. Trout flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 7-5.
Fair ball
The Sox rallied against Joe Smith in the bottom of the seventh as JBJ dropped a base hit to center to begin. The Hitman dribbled a hit up the middle to move JBJ to third and Bradley scored on the infield single to short by Leon. Hernandez walked to load the bases but Mr. Mookie was rung up on a check swing strikeout. Pedroia drilled a base hit to left that scored JBJ and Leon but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Bogaerts grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-5.
Yerrrr out!
Koji Uehara came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Pujols hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Cron flied out to right and Marte popped up to second to end the inning. Huston Street came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Ortiz flied out to center to start. Ramirez doubled to the left field wall but Holt lined out to a running Calhoun to end the inning.
Tommy Layne came in to finish off the Angels in the top of the ninth and Petit grounded back to the mound to start. Bandy walked but Simmons forced him at second before moving up a base on defensive indifference. Escobar drilled a base hit to right to move Simmons to third but Calhoun flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won the game 10-5.
Hero of the Night is Sandy Leon. He was 2 for 4 with 2 runs scored and his three runs driven in turned out to be the difference in the game.
Holt salutes our Hero
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 2 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.
David Ortiz was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Hanley Ramirez was 3 for 5 with 2 rbis and a run scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
Marco Hernandez was 2 for 3 with a walk.
Sean O'Sullivan got the win by pitching 5 plus innings of 2 run ball. He allowed 4 hits and struck out 2.
Koji Uehara tossed a scoreless inning.
Tommy Layne pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Matt Barnes allowed two inherited runners to score and one of his own in a full inning.
Junichi Tazawa allowed 2 runs in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked and scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
That was more like it for the Red Sox after last night's disaster. Scoring 10 runs after getting blown away last night sends a message that they can turn things around. The only concerns was Matt Barnes and Junichi Tazawa combined to allow 5 runs in two innings, even if two of which were charged to O'Sullivan. For Sean to toss 5 shutout innings was huge after the Sox were pretty much out of the game early and couldn't get anyone out. Its also funny how the Sox have to deal with the Toronto Blue Jays and the Baltimore Orioles this season instead of the Tampa Bay Rays and New York Yankees. The Sox could use some bullpen help coming up at the trade deadline and maybe another starter. The win improved the Sox to 44-37, 3 games behind the Orioles for first place in the AL East. The Sox now welcome the Texas Rangers for a three game series starting tomorrow afternoon. "Slick" Rick Porcello (9-2, 3.78 ERA) gets the start for Boston against Nick Martinez of the Rangers. The game begins at 1:30 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment