After Chris Sale mowed down the Seattle Mariners on Sunday, David Price (8-5, 3.65 ERA) said "Hey don't forget about me!" Price took on the Los Angeles Angels and held them to just 1 run through 6 innings. Mookie Betts put the Sox up early with a home run and the red hot Jackie Bradley Jr paced the offense to put 9 runs on the board. The Sox are looking to build momentum for their end of the month showdown with the New York Yankees and they took a step toward that with a 9-1 victory at Fenway Park.
Price took the mound in the top of the first inning and Ian Kinsler popped up to second to start. Mike Trout flied out to center and Justin Upton flied out to right to end the inning. The Sox struck immediately in the bottom of the first when Mr. Mookie Betts swatted the first pitch John Lamb threw to dead center for his 20th home run of the season. Andrew Benintendi lined out to right but JD Martinez doubled. Xander Bogaerts flied out to right before Mitch Moreland whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.
Price cruised in the top of the second inning as Albert Pujols whiffed to start. Andrelton Simmons lined out to right before Martin Maldonado whiffed to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the second inning as Eduardo Nunez singled to center to begin. Rafael Devers hit a double play ball to Kinsler but he botched it and everyone was safe. Both runners moved into scoring position on the Christian Vazquez grounder and JBJ doubled home both men to increase the lead. Mr. Mookie walked and Benintendi doubled JBJ home to ice the game. Martinez looked at strike but Bogaerts was intentionally walked to load the bases. Moreland beat out an infield single to short to bring home Betts and chase Lamb from the game. Deck McGuire came in and got Nunez to hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning but it was 5-0
The Angels struck back in the top of the third although David Fletcher grounded out to short to start. Old friend Chris Young swatted a 50,000 foot home run off Price to cut the lead. Michael Hermosillo looked at strike three but Kinsler and Trout stroked back to back singles. A wild pitch moved the runners over and Upton walked to load the bases, but Pujols grounded out to third to end the inning. It was 5-1 Sox but that could have gone a lot worse.
The Sox got that run right back in the botom of the third although Devers flied out to right to begin. Vazquez grounded back to the mound but JBJ smashed his 5th home run of the year to increase the lead. Mr. Mookie walked but Benintendi lined out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-1.
Price settled down in the top of the fourth inning as Simmons grounded out to short to start. Maldonado grounded out to third but Fletcher walked. This time Price got Young to look at strike three to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Martinez grounded out to short to start. Bogaerts flied out to center before Moreland grounded out to first to end the inning.
Price froze Hermosillo for strike three to begin the top of the fifth. Kinsler singled but was erased on the force by Trout. Upton looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox got a run in the bottom of the fifth although Nunez looked at strike three to begin. Devers flied out to right but Vazquez crushed his 3rd home run of the year to up the lead. JBJ was finally retired on a grounder to second to end the inning but it was 7-1 Sox.
Price returned for one more inning in the top of the sixth and froze Pujols to start. Simmons singled but Maldonado popped up to first. Fletcher flied out to left to end the inning and that was it for Price. He tossed a solid game of 6 innings while allowing just 1 run while striking out 7.
The Sox added to the lead in the bottom of the sixth although Mr. Mookie lined out to left to begin. Benintendi grounded out to second but Martinez blasted his 24th home run of the year. Bogaerts doubled to chase McGuire and Akeel Morris replaced him. Moreland grounded out to short to end the inning but it was 8-1 Sox.
Heath Hembree took over for the top of the seventh inning and whiffed Young to start. Hermosillo popped up to second and Hembree blew away Kinsler to end the inning. Kole Calhoun came in for Upton but went to right, Luis Valbuena replaced Simmons but went to third with Fletcher moving to short and Hermosillo going to left. Blake Swihart pinch hit for Nunez and singled to start the bottom of the seventh but Devers whiffed. Vazquez doubled and the red hot JBJ singled in Swihart. Mr. Mookie flied out to left before Tzu-Wei Lin pinch hit for Benintendi. Lin whiffed to end the inning but it was 9-1 Sox.
Brandon Workman got the call to pitch the top of the eighth inning as Lin took over at second, Brock Holt took over for Moreland at first and Swihart went to left. Trout whiffed to start before Calhoun lined out to center. Pujols flied out to center to end the inning. Jose Briceno took over at first in the bottom of the eighth as Martinez flied out to center to begin. Bogaerts walked and Holt doubled him to third but a pitch bounced in front of the plate. Bogaerts made a mad dash home but was thrown out as Holt made it to third. Swihart lined out to right to end the inning.
New call-up Justin Haley got the ball in the top of the ninth and Valbuena flied out to right to start. Maldonado was retired on a squibber in front of the plate before Fletcher popped up to second to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-1.
Hero of the Night is Jackie Bradley Jr. He was on fire going 3 for 4 with 4 total rbis, 2 total runs scored including a 2 run home run.
The Good:
Mookie Betts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and 2 runs scored.
JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with a solo home run.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks.
Brock Holt was 1 for 1 at the plate.
Eduardo Nunez was 1 for 3 with a run scored.
Blake Swihart was 1 for 2 with a run scored.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a solo home run.
David Price earned the win with 6 innings of 1 run ball while striking out 7.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 8th inning.
Justin Haley pitched a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Tzu-Wei Lin struck out in his only plate appearance.
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
For the second game in a row the bats woke up but also for the second game in a row the Sox got good starting pitching. Bashing the Seattle Mariners and LA Angels has their rewards but so does shutting them down. Price was good in this game and JBJ led the charge on offense with almost everyone pitching in at some point. One guy can't carry the offense so days like today where everyone gets involved are a welcome rarity. If JBJ can raise his average to .240 that would be a huge bonus to his amazing defense. With the big showdown in the Bronx just 3 days away, the Sox may need to sweep the Angels in order to keep close enough to decide first place by July 1st. The win propelled the Sox to 53-27, percentage points behind the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night "Slick" Rick Porcello goes for the Sox opposite Andrew Heaney at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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