The Sox struck again when Jackie Bradley Jr led off the top of the second with a 4 pitch walk. Brock Holt worked a 2-2 count before whiffing badly. Estrada misfired a wild pitch that moved JBJ to second. Pedroia then made a boo-boo on a single up the middle. JBJ broke for home and the throw got away, Pedroia thought he could make it to third but was thrown out. Bogaerts popped up to end the inning but the Sox did increase the lead 2-0. Jose Bautista was rung up on a 3-2 pitch to open the bottom of the second. Troy Tulowitzky grounded one to Ramirez who nearly airmailed Porcello on the throw but the out recorded. Dioneer Navarro struck out to end the inning.
Ortiz led off the top of the third by swinging on a 3-0 pitch and popping up to Navarro. Mr. Mookie caught a break when Melvin "Don't call me BJ" Upton Jr dropped a routine flare to take first. Ramirez worked another 3-2 count before Toronto made another gaffe when Encarnarcion overran a pop up, allowing Betts to reach third. Betts nearly got picked off before Shaw lofted a pop up to Upton...WHO DROPPED IT! Betts scored and Shaw reached first to make it 3-0 Boston. Leon knocked out Estrada with a single to right that scored Ramirez to make it 4-0. Just like that the Jays starter was gone. The Sox then proceeded to let new pitcher Aaron Loup off the hook when JBJ banged into a DP to end the inning. Right on cue the Jays struck back in the bottom of the third when Saunders singled and Upton walked to begin the inning. Kevin Pillar singled and Travis singled in two runs to cut the lead 4-2. Rick quickly returned to form when he got Donaldson to strike out and Encarnarcion to bang into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox scored again in the top of the fourth. Danny Barnes relieved Loup and Brock Holt immediately singled to left...BOBBLED by Upton allowing Holt to reach second. A passed ball by Navarro advanced Holt to third, who scored on the sac fly by Pedroia to make it 5-2. Bogaerts singled to left and the crowd mock cheered Upton for fielding it cleanly. Bogaerts then got thrown out at second trying to steal. Ortiz flied out to end the inning but the Sox got one of the runs back despite the boo-boo by Bogaerts. Porcello almost cruised through the bottom of the fourth but he hit. Rick recovered as Tulowitzky lined out to center, Navarro popped up to first and Saunders struck out to end the inning.
The Sox failed to score in the top of the fifth. Mr. Mookie and Ramirez grounded out before Shaw flied out to end the inning. Upton added to his terrible day by striking out to lead off the bottom of the fifth. Pillar lined out but Travis singled to short. Porcello made the reigning MVP look silly by striking out Donaldson to end the inning.
The Sox didn't score in the top of the sixth either. Brett Cecil relieved Barnes as Leon singled but JBJ struck out. Holt whiffed as well and that was it for Cecil. Scott Feldman replaced Cecil and got Pedroia to pop up to end the inning. Toronto has now had to burn Loup, Barnes and Cecil already. Porcello had to work in the bottom of the sixth. Encarnarcion whiffed but Bautista and Tulowitzky singled. Navarro then hit a pop up but Tulowitzky stood there to admire it, causing Ramirez to run into him. The umpire called interference which meant Troy was out but Navarro took his place at first. Saunders popped up to Holt to end the inning. Porcello was up to 98 pitches but had gotten through 6.
The Sox blew it open in the top of the seventh. Bogaerts lashed a home run to left that JUST made it inside the foul pole to increase the lead 6-2. Ortiz then doubled into the gap, his 45th of the year. Toronto continued to play hot potato with the ball when Travis booted a grounder by Mr. Mookie, advancing Ortiz to third. Betts swiped second and Ramirez blasted a 3 run bomb to right center to ice the game 9-2. That was it for Feldman as Jays manager John Gibbons pulled him for Ryan Tepera. Shaw singled to center but Leon popped up. JBJ doubled Shaw to third but Holt lashed a grounder right to Encarnarcion at first. Pedroia then singled home both runners to make it 11-2. Bogaerts grounded out to end the inning but the Sox sent a message that inning. Porcello returned for the bottom of the 7th and got Upton, Pillar and Travis all to ground out to end the inning. Yes there were a lot of offense by the Sox, but Porcello shut down the Toronto attack with 7 innings of 2 run ball.
Ortiz led off the top of the eighth with a single up the middle. Sox manager John Farrell felt Ortiz had done enough and sent Yoan Moncada to run for him. Moncada was erased when Mr. Mookie beat out a double play ball. Deven Marrero pinch hit for Ramirez. Another passed ball by Navarro scooted Betts to second as Marrero walked. That was it for Tepera as Matt Dermody replaced him to face Shaw. The Jays defense blundered another one as they botched a DP, allowing Betts to advance to third and Shaw to reach first. Leon struck out to end the inning. Brad Ziegler (not Junichi Tazawa, Fernando Abad, Joe Kelly, Henry Owens or Heath Hembree) got the ball in the bottom of the eighth and the Blue Jays rallied. Aaron Hill took over at third, Marrero moved to second and Shaw moved to first. Donaldson flied out to right but Encarnarcion singled. Bautista struck out but Tulowitzky singled. Pedroia booted a ground ball by Tulowitzky, scoring Encarnarcion to cut the lead 11-3 but Saunders grounded out to end the inning. Why Farrell wasted Ziegler here and not Tazawa is anyone's guess.
The Jays emptied their bench in the top of the ninth. Dalton Barney came on to play third, Justin Smoak came in to play first, Ryan Goins came in to play short, Darrell Ceciliani came in to play right field, Dalton Pompey came in to play left field and Ezequiel Carrera came in to play center. JBJ singled to open the top of the ninth. Holt got hit and Hill singled home JBJ, advancing Holt to third. Bogaerts grounded out but Holt scored to make it 13-3. Hill moved to third on a wild pitch and Moncada whiffed for the 8th time in a row. Mr. Mookie popped up to end the inning. Koji Uehara was brought in to pitch the bottom of the ninth with a 9 run lead. Christian Vazquez took over behind the dish, Marrero moved to short and Marco Hernandez took over at second base. Uehara struck out Pompey and Ceciliani to begin the inning.Travis singled to extend the inning but Carrera flied out to right to end it. The Sox had won 13-3!
Hero of the Night is Rick Porcello. Yes the Sox had a lot of offense but he shut down arguably the best offense in baseball. He won his 20th game tossing 7 innings of 2 run ball allowing 6 hits and a walk while striking out 7.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with 4 rbi's and a run scored. He raised his batting average to .329 just 12 points behind Jose Altuve for the lead league. Aaron Hill singled and drove in a run pinch hitting for Pedroia. Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 6 with a run scored, 2 rbi's and a home run. David Ortiz was 2 for 5 with a run scored. Mookie Betts was 2 for 6 with 2 runs scored and an rbi. Hanley Ramirez was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 runs scored and a three run homer, number 22 of the season. Deven Marrero pinch hit for Hanley and walked. Travis Shaw was 1 for 3 with a walk, run scored and rbi. Sandy Leon was 2 for 5 with an rbi. Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with 3 runs scored and a walk. Koji Uehara pitched a scoreless ninth.
The Bad:
Yoan Moncada remains lost with his 8th straight strikeout. Brad Ziegler allowed a run in the bottom of the eighth.
The Ugly:
Brock Holt was just 1 for 4 but scored 2 runs.
Honorable Mention:
Marco Hernandez played second in the bottom of the ninth. Christian Vazquez caught the bottom of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
The New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers won but the Baltimore Orioles lost so the Sox gained a game on both Toronto and Baltimore. The good news is the Sox needed to come out and make statement, they did. They smacked around the Jays tonight while Porcello looked dominant. The Jays looked sloppy defensively as well as offensively. Estrada didn't have it either. The offense looked solid all game with Pedroia enjoying the leadoff slot like its 2008 all over again. The bad news is all these runs don't carry over so they're most likely going to have trouble scoring tomorrow. The win moved the Sox to 79-61, 2 games in front of the Toronto Blue Jays in the AL East. Eduardo Rodriguez (2-6) takes on JA Happ (17-4) tomorrow at 1 PM.
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