Fister took the mound in the top of the first inning and immediately crapped himself. Ezequiel Carrera singled to start the misery. Fister struck out Teoscar Hernandez but Justin Smoak doubled. Kendrys Morales struck out but Michael Saunders walked to load the bases. Miguel Montero walked and the Jays had the lead. Darwin Barney grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 1-0 Jays.
The Sox tried to fight back in the bottom of the first when Eduardo Nunez singled off starter Jeff Biagini. Nunez stole second and moved to third on a line out by Dustin Pedroia. Andrew Benintendi grounded out but Nunez scored to tie the game. Mookie Betts singled and stole second, but Mitch Moreland grounded out to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Once again Fister almost gave it up in the top of the second as Ryan Goins singled to start. Goins moved to second on the Richard Urena ground out. Carrera whiffed but a wild pitch moved Goins to third. Hernandez grounded out to end the inning. Montero continued his defensive misery by droppimg a pop up by Xander Bogaerts but the error proved to be harmless as Xander flied out to left. Rafael Devers flied out to center and Sandy Leon lined out to left to end the inning.
Fister cruised in the top of the third as he whiffed Smoak to begin. Morales flied out to left and Saunders looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox wasted a chance in the bottom of the third as Jackie Bradley Jr struck out to start but Nunez singled. Nunez stole second and Pedroia walked. They were stranded as Benintendi struck out and Betts grounded to short to end the inning.
Montero made up for his defensive woes by drawing a leadoff walk in the top of the fourth. Fister struck out Barney on a gift call on the outside corner and Goins beat out a double play ball. Urena grounded out to first to end the inning. The Sox roared to life in the bottom of the fourth. Moreland walked and Bogaerts tripled into the right-field corner to give the Sox the lead. Devers blooped a single to left to score Bogaerts. Devers was erased on the force by Leon but JBJ iced the game with a 2 run homer. Nunez walked to chase Biagini as Tim Mayza came in to gwt Pedroia to ground into a double play to end the inning. The Sox had quickly iced it 5-1.
More than enough cushion for Fister in the top of the fifth. Carrera and Hernandez struck out before Smoak grounded out to first to end the inning. Mayza kept the Sox off the board in the bottom of the fifth as Benintendi struck out again to begin. Betts flied out to right but Moreland singled to center. Bogaerts was retired on a tapper to the mound to end the inning.
Fister ran into trouble in the top of the sixth although Morales grounded to short to start. Saunders singled but Montero lined to center. Barney struck out to end the inning. The Sox tacked on a run in bottom of the sixth as Devers singled and Leon doubled him to third. JBJ hit a routine grounder to Urena who booted it for an error, scoring Devers and putting runners at the corners. That was it for Mayza as Carlos Ramirez got Nunez to pop up but JBJ swiped second base. Cbris Young pinch hit for Pedroia and was hit with a pitch to load the bases as the rain came pouring down. The sox baserunning blunders continued as Benintendi popped up to shallow left....AND SAUNDERS LET IT GO! Leon didnt run initially and Saunders gunned the ball home for the force. JBJ took off for third and he was thrown out to end the inning. Still, bad baserunning aside it was 6-1 in the quagmire.
Brock Holt replaced Nunez in the batting order at second base as Young moved to DH in the top of the seventh. Goins hit a routine ground ball but Holt decided to cannonball into a nearby puddle, allowing Goins to reach first. Urena grounded out to second but Goins moved to second. Carrera lined out to deep center as Goins moved to third. Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Fister had tossed 7 innings of one run ball in a monsoon, outstanding.
Betts walked to open the botton of the seventh but Moreland flied out to center. Bogaerts whiffed and Devers popped up to end the inning.
Joe Kelly, the first man out of the bullpen last night was first out tonight in the top of the eighth inning. Smoak grounded out to second to begin. Morales amd Saunders both grounded out to second to end the inning. Aaron "Fruit" Loup got the call to pitch the bottom of the eighth inning. Sandy Leon grounded out to third and JBJ grounded out to second, but Holt worked a walk. Young struck out to end the inning.
Matt Barnes had mop up duty in the top of the ninth. Montero and Barney both flied out to center. Goins whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won easily 6-1.
Hero of The Night is Doug Fister. He tossed 7 desperately needed innings of 1 run ball after the bullpen threw 13 innings last night.
The Good:
Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 steals and a run scored.
Brock Holt walked in his only plate appearance.
Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with a walk amd a stolen base.
Mitch Moreland was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.
Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless inning.
The Bad:
Chris Young struck out in his only plate appearance.
The Ugly:
Dustin Pedroia was 0 for 2 but walked.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 but drove in a run.
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run and scored.
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but hit a 2 run homer, drove in 3 total runs amd stole a base.
Final Thoughts:
That was a nice, easy win and it came at the right time. The Sox got their asses kicked by the New York Yankees and just played a 19 inning marathon last night. Doug Fister is turning into Luis Tiant circa 1972 to the point he made me the number to starter going into the postseason, if there is one. Every win puts them closer especially with the crap teams they are playing this month. They still have to win these games, and tonight is exactly what they should be doing. They were facing a relief pitcher turned starter and they pounded him. If only they could do this more often, they will win the division. The win moved the Sox to 79-61, 4 games ahead of the rained out Yankees for first place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow, the Tampa Bay Rays are in town for a 3 game set. Friday night Drew Pomeranz (14-5, 3.36 ERA) matches up with Rays ace Chris Archer at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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