Archer took the mound in the top of the first inning and Mr. Mookie Betts looked at strike three to begin the ballgame. Andrew Benintendi walked but the slumping Hanley Ramirez banged into a double play to end the inning. Price took the hill in the bottom of the first and whiffed Denard Span to start. CJ Cron looked at strike three but David Robertson singled. Matt Duffy whiffed to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the second as JD Martinez looked at strike three to begin. Xander Bogaerts was also rung up before Rafael Devers flied out to center to end the inning. Price whiffed Willy Adames to start the bottom of the second before Johnny Field grounded out to second. Rob Refsnyder grounded out to third to end the inning.
Eduardo Nunez got the first hit of the game with a base hit to right beginning the top of the third. He was stranded as Jackie Bradley Jr popped up to third, Christian Vazquez grounded out to short and Mr. Mookie popped up to short to end the inning. Price began the bottom of the third by striking out Christian Arroyo but walked Jesus Sucre. Span erased Sucre with a force and Cron struck out to end the inning.
Benintendi struck out to open the top of the fourth before Ramirez whiffed as well. Martinez looked at strike three again to end the inning. Price kept up the pace in the bottom of the fourth as Robertson whiffed to start before Duffy grounded out to third. Adames looked at strike three to end the inning.
More nothing from the Sox in the top of the fifth as Bogaerts popped up to first to start. Devers grounded out to second but Nunez singled. JBJ doubled into the gap in center but Nunez was foolishly thrown out at home trying to score to end the inning.
Price kept up the pace in the bottom of the fifth as Field grounded out to third to start. Refsnyder walked but was thrown out at second by the alert Vazquez trying to steal before Arroyo singled. Sucre flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox struck first in the top of the sixth inning as Vazquez got the party started with a single. Mr. Mookie and Andrew Benintendi drew back to back walks to load the bases with nobody out. The party ended as Ramirez banged into a double play although Vazquez scored to give the Sox the lead. Martinez grounded out to third to end the inning but it was 1-0 Sox.
The Rays wasted zero time tying the game in the bottom of the sixth as Span walked to start then Cron doubled him in to tie the game. Price recovered to freeze Robertson before Duffy grounded out to short. Adames flied out to right to end the inning with the game tied 1-1. That was it for Price who pitched 6 innings of 1 run ball, normally that should be good enough to win.
That was it for Archer as Jose Alvarado replaced him for the top of the seventh inning. Alvarado blew away the Sox as Bogaerts, Devers and Nunez all whiffed in short order. Matt Barnes got the call to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Field grounded out to short to begin Refsnyder looked at strike three as Brad Miller pinch hit for Arroyo only to look at strike three to end the inning.
Alvarado returned for the top of the eighth and continued his hot streak by blowing away JBJ. Vazquez at least made contact but he popped up to first and that was it. Rays manager Kevin Cash brought in Chaz Roe who walked Mr. Mookie and Benintendi but Ramirez flied out to center to end the inning. Joe "Machine Gun" Kelly (3-0, 1.99 ERA) came in for the bottom of the eighth and Sucre grounded out to second to begin. Span popped up to third before Cron grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox rallied in the top of the ninth inning against Alex Colome. Martinez hit a routine grounder to Adames at short who threw the ball away, allowing Martinez to run all the way to third. Bogaerts made the Rays pay by pounding a double to give the Sox the lead. Devers walked and both men moved into scoring position after a wild pitch by Colome. Nunez scored Bogaerts with a sac fly and advanced Devers to third where he scored on a passed ball by Sucre. JBJ whiffed and that was it for Colome as Ryne Stanek came in to retire Vazquez on a fly out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-1.
Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to lock down the save in the bottom of the ninth and began by blowing away Robertson. Duffy grounded back to the mound and Adames whiffed to end the game. The Sox had won it late 4-1.
Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. His rbi double was the decisive blow in the game.
The Good:
Mookie Betts walked twice in four plate appearances.
Andrew Benintendi walked 3 times in four plate appearances.
Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 3 with an rbi.
David Price tossed 6 innings of 1 run ball while walking 3 and striking out 9.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Joe Kelly pitched a scoreless 8th inning to earn the win.
Craig Kimbrel earned his 15th save with a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Hanley Ramirez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
JD Martinez was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.
Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 4 but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
Well, better late than never. After not getting anything going all game the Sox turned it on just in the nick of time to pull out this win. The bottom of the order is still a mess and Hanley Ramirez is hitting .200 this month. I don't know why Mitch Moreland isn't in there against right handed pitchers because Ramirez hasn't hit righties all year. The good news is fresh troops are on their way with Hector Velazquez, Tyler Thornberg and Dustin Pedroia almost ready to join the team. Price went 6 innings and threw only 90 pitches and it'll be interesting to see if that was the manager's decision to pull him early or Price himself. Either way a win is a win. The win propels the Sox to 34-15, percentage points in front of the New York Yankees who got mauled by Texas 12-10 for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night "Slick" Rick Porcello (6-1, 3.39 ERA) takes the hill opposite Ian Snell in the final game of this series at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.
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