Rodriguez got the ball in the top of the first inning and immediately, once again, put his team in the hole. He struck out Marcus Semien to start but got squeezed as he walked Chad Pinder. He left a meatball to Jed Lowrie who crushed it off the centerfield wall off the glove of a jumping Jackie Bradley Jr for an rbi double. Khris Davis grounded out to third and Ryon Healy lined out to a jumping Sam Travis at first to end the inning, but the A's were up early 1-0.
The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the first when Dustin Pedroia got a single off A's starter Sean Manaea before Chris Young hit a swinging bunt under the bare hand of Matt Chapman at third. It didn't matter though, because Mookie Betts banged into a double play. Hanley Ramirez popped up to end the inning, same crap different day.
Rodriguez almost had his annual second inning meltdown beginning when he plunked Matt Olson to start. Somehow Rodriguez struck out Chapman and Mark Canha before Dustin Garneau flied out to right to end the inning. Somehow the Red Sox exploded in the bottom of the second as Travis sliced an inside out double to left to start. Travis scored on the single up the middle by Xander Bogaerts. Rafael Devers singled. Christian Vazquez scored Bogaerts with a single and Devers advanced to third. JBJ popped up to short but Pedroia singled home Devers. Young was rung up for strike 3 but Betts tripled off the bullpen wall to score both runners. Ramirez whiffed to end the inning but it was now 5-1 Sox.
Rodriguez helped himself by getting Semien to pop up to right to start the top of the third inning. Pinder walked but Lowrie lined out to short, Bogaerts fired to first....OUT! But wait, Oakland manager Bob Melvin challenged the call and it turned out that Pinder was safe at first. Rodriguez struck out Davis to end the inning anyway. Travis struck out to begin the bottom of the third but Bogaerts blooped a double misplayed by Pinder. Xander moved to second on the ground out by Devers before Vazquez struck out to end the inning.
Healy popped up to right to begin the top of the fourth inning and Rodriguez struck out Olson. Chapman watched strike three go by to end the inning. JBJ grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fourth. Pedroia singled to left but Young popped up to center but Betts absolutely crushed a two-run home run completely out of Fenway Park to increase the lead. That was it for Sean Manaea as Simon Castro came in to retire Ramirez on a ground out to third to end the inning. The Sox were now up 7-1 and just needed Rodriguez not to piss himself.
Rodriguez started the top of the fifth inning by striking out Canha but Garneau walked. Semien flied out to center and Pinder whiffed to end the inning. 97 pitches for Rodriguez through 5 but only 1 run allowed is an improvement. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the fifth inning as Travis grounded out to third to start. Bogaerts squibbed one in front of the mound and Garneau heaved the ball into right field, allowing Bogaerts to take second. Devers struck out but Vazquez doubled home Xander to up the lead. JBJ doubled in Vazquez but Pedroia grounded out to end the inning with the score 9-1.
Rodriguez returned for the top of the sixth inning and walked Lowrie to start, but Davis banged into a double play to kill that rally. Healy struck out to end the inning. Rodriguez recovered from his shoddy first inning to toss 6 solid innings, good work Eduardo.
The Sox tacked it on in the bottom of the sixth against former Sox prospect Raul Alcantara as Young singled and Betts bashed ANOTHER two run home run to light up the crowd. Ramirez and Travis both grounded out but Bogaerts walked. Devers lined out to third to end the inning but it was now 11-1.
Brock Holt took over at second base for Pedroia, Rajai Davis took over in center for Bradley and Brandon Workman came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning. Olson whiffed, Chapman was rung up for strike three and Canha whiffed to end the inning. Franklin Barreto took over at second for Lowrie and Renato Nunez took over in left for Davis for the bottom of the seventh. Vazquez grounded out to short, Davis popped up to short and Holt grounded out to second to end the inning.
Carson Smith was brought in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and he walked Garneau to start. Devers made a great diving catch to rob Semien of a hit and Pinder whiffed. Barreto singled Garneau to third and Nunez walked to load the bases to chase Smith. Austin Maddox came in and got pinch hitter Jake Smolinski to strike out to end the inning. Michael Brady was called upon to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning. Young popped up to third, Betts grounded out to third and Ramirez hit a comebacker to the mound to end the inning.
Maddox returned for the top of the ninth and Olson greeted him with a single. Chapman flied out to center and Canha hit one up the elevator shaft. Garneau lined out to Davis to end the game. The Sox had broken the A's streak, held them to 3 hits and won in a landslide 11-1.
Hero of The Night is Mookie Betts. He clobbered not one, but 2 two run homers while driving in 6 total runs.
The Good:
Dustin Pedroia was 3 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Chris Young was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with an rbi.
Eduardo Rodriguez got his first win in months by pitching six innings of one-run ball. He allowed just one hit while striking out nine.
Brandon Workman struck out the side in the top of the seventh.
Austin Maddox pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Brock Holt was 0 for 1 at the plate.
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 5 with a strikeout.
Rajai Davis was 0 for 1 at the plate.
The Ugly:
Sam Travis was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Carson Smith left the bases loaded after 2/3 of an inning but with no runs allowed.
Final Thoughts:
It's about time the offense woke up considering the New York Yankees are breathing down their neck and the Cleveland Indians have won 20 games in a row. Every win counts now and until the end of the year. Rodriguez finally had a good game on the mound and if he was pitching for a postseason job, this will bring out the good kind of competition. With David Price out, the third starter slot is wide open. Hopefully this means that Rodriguez, Doug Fister and Rick Porcello can pitch their asses off in order to get that slot. On the other side of the ball, Xander Bogaerts and Mookie Betts have to get hot. They will not win the division if they remain ice cold until the end. The win puts the Sox at 82-62, 4 games ahead of the Yankees who were stunned 2-1 by the Tampa Bay Rays on an 8th inning home run by Adeiny Hechavarria. Tomorrow night Doug Fister (5-7, 3.91 ERA) looks to continue his hot streak and standing in the way is Jharel Cotton. The game starts at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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