Velazquez took the mound in the top of the first and Trey Mancini greeted him with a single. Pedro Alvarez lined out to center and Manny Machado looked at strike three. Adam Jones flied out to the centerfielder wall to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time scoring off Cobb in the bottom of the first. Mookie Betts walked and Andrew Benintendi doubled him home, although Betts came up lame. Hanley Ramirez blasted a 2 run home run into the Monster seats to give the Sox a big lead early. JD Martinez singled to center but Rafael Devers banged into a double play. Sandy Leon flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.
Velazquez turned up the heat in the top of the second inning by striking out Chris Davis to start. Tim Beckham whiffed and Chance Sisco struck out swinging to end the inning. Cobb settled down in the bottom of the second inning as Brock Holt grounded out to second to start. Tzu-Wei Lin singled to right but Betts popped up to first. Benintendi lined out to center to end the inning.
The O's threatened in the top of the third although Danny Valencia grounded out to third to start. Anthony Santander popped up to third but Mancini doubled. Alvarez walked but Machado lined out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the third although Ramirez flied out to center to start. Martinez crushed an opposite field solo shot to increase the lead. Devers flied out to left and JBJ grounded out to third to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.
Blake Swihart took over in left as Betts had to be hauled off on a gurney headed to Mass General in the top of the fourth inning. JBJ went to right and Benintendi moved to center with Velazquez back on the hill. Jones and Davis stroked back to back singles but Beckham grounded into a double play. Sisco whiffed to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fourth as Leon singled to start. Holt lined out to first but Lin singled to center. Swihart moved both runners into scoring position with a ground out to first before Benintendi singled to right. Leon scored easily and Lin beat the throw home for the second run as Benintendi took second. Ramirez doubled home Benintendi to chase Cobb. The Sox got lucky as Cobb was rusty as hell, he won't be down the road. Miguel Castro took over on the mound and Martinez hit a routine grounder to Machado....THROWN AWAY! Ramirez scored and JD ended up on second. Devers grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 8-0.
Could Velazquez pitch with an eight run lead in the top of the fifth? NO! Valencia flied out to right but Santander doubled into the right field corner. Mancini lined out to left but Alvarez belted a 785 foot home run to dead center to put the O's on the board. Machado popped up to short to end the inning but it was 8-2 Sox. That was it for Velazquez who stepped in as a spot starter to toss 5 innings of 2 run ball, not the best but definitely serviceable.
JBJ walked to open the bottom of the fifth as it was revealed Betts left the game with a bruised foot, not broken. Leon lined out to left but Holt hit one to the Monster that was dropped by Manini. Holt was credited with a double anyway but Lin lined into a double play when JBJ was doubled off third on a snared line drive by Machado to end the inning.
Joe Kelly took the mound in the top of the sixth and JBJ robbed Jones with a great diving catch to start, nearly breaking his wrist. Davis flied out to the left field wall and Beckham was rung up on a check swing in the dirt to end the inning. Swihart opened the bottom of the sixth with a double to left but Benintendi was rung up for strike three. Martinez singled off the Monster to score Swihart to chase Castro. Donnie Hart came in and got Devers to ground into the shift to end the inning with the Sox up 9-2.
Marcus Walden took over for the top of the seventh inning and got Sisco to ground out to short to start. Valencia whiffed and Santander was rung up for strike three to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as JBJ flied out to center to start. Leo flied out to center but Holt beat out an infield single to second. Lin hit a routine grounder to second but Valencia bobbled it so everyone was safe. Swihart singled to center to score Holt and advance Lin to third, but Benintendi whiffed to end the inning with the Sox up 10-2.
Walden returned for the top of the eighth and Mancini grounded out to second to start. Alvarez and Machado stroked back to back singles but Jones hit into a double play to end the inning. Engelb Vielma took over for Machado and Craig Gentry replaced Jones with Mychal Givens now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Ramirez whiffed and Martinez flied out to center before Devers grounded out to second to end the inning.
Walden came back for the save in the top of the ninth but Davis doubled to start. Beckham advanced Davis to third on a ground out to short before Davis scored on the ground out by Sisco. Valencia whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won it 10-3
Hero of the Night is Hanley Ramirez. His 2 run home run put the Sox up early and ended up with 3 total rbis and 2 runs scored.
The Good:
Mookie Betts walked and scored before he left the game with an injured foot.
Blake Swihart was 2 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.
Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 5 with 3 rbis and 2 runs scored.
JD Martinez was 3 for 5 with two total rbis, a run scored and a solo home run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Brock Holt was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Tzu-Wei Lin was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
Hector Velazquez got the win by tossing 5 solid innings only allowing 2 runs.
Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 6th inning.
Marcus Walden got the save by tossing 3 innings of 1 run ball.
The Bad:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 5.
The Ugly:
Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
If guys weren't dropping left and right this team would be virtually unbeatable. The offense is playing to their potential and the pitching (sans 8th inning guys) has been outstanding. They took advantage of Cobb being rusty to smack him around and made the O's bullpen toss 6 innings. With Zach Britton out that just leaves Brad Brach as a potential threat for tomorrow's finale. Velazquez filled in admirably as Pomeranz makes his way back from his forearm strain and it'll get very interesting if and when Steven Wright comes back. Ramirez is showing no ill effect from the ball to the wrist and Martinez has picked it up as well, all good news. Again the only blemish are injuries and bullpen depth, both can be corrected. All in all this has been a fun start to the season and the Sox have a very good chance to win tomorrow's finale. Chris Sale (1-0, 1.06 ERA) gets the start for the Sox opposite Dylan Bundy goes of the Orioles. If it doesn't snow the game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.
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