Sox Sweep Jays In Spite of Bullpen (9/13/18)

Boston Red Sox general manager Dave Dombrowski had two months to find another bullpen arm and he did absolutely nothing. Its amazing the Red Sox have won 101 games with the lead blown time and time again. Tonight Sox manager Alex Cora decided to pull Eduardo Rodriguez with only 78 pitches on his arm and right on cue the bullpen coughed the lead up. The Sox rallied to win the game anyway but this is not a good look a few weeks before the playoffs start. Not only that but Eduardo Nunez had to be carried out on a stretcher with a bad knee again. When the dust settled the Sox still won the game and swept the Toronto Blue Jays 4-3 at Fenway Park.

                                                       Big Boss approves of the win

Rodriguez took the mound in the top of the first inning and froze Lourdes Gurriel Jr for strike three to begin. Yangervis Solarte flied out to left and Justin Smoak whiffed to end the inning. The Sox did nothing against Sam Gaviglio in the bottom of the first as Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second to begin. Ian Kinsler popped up to first and Mitch Moreland looked at strike three to end the inning.

Rodriguez got in trouble when Kendrys Morales smacked a ground rule double into the right field stands to start the top of the second inning. Randal Grichuk whiffed and Kevin Pillar flied out to center but Teoscar Hernandez singled Morales to third. Aledmys Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning. JD Martinez broke his homerless streak by launching his 41st bomb of the year to put the Sox on top in the bottom of the second. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to third but Blake Swihart walked. Swihart was erased on the force by Eduardo Nunez and Christian Vazquez grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 1-0.

                                                 Martinez gets the Sox on the board

The Jays tied the game in top of the third although Reese McGuire grounded out to third to begin. Gurriel Jr singled and moved to second when Solarte grounded back to the mound. Smoak singled home Gurriel to tie the game. Morales grounded out to short to end the inning but it was tied 1-1.

The Sox struck back in the bottom of the third when Jackie Bradley Jr led off with a double and moved to third on the Benintendi ground out. Kinsler scored Bradley with a sac fly and Moreland singled. Martinez and Bogaerts hit back to back singles to load the bases but Swihart grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox up 2-1.

                                                         JBJ scores

Grichuk singled to open the top of the fourth but Pillar grounded out. Hernandez flied out to left and Diaz flied out to right to end the inning. Nunez smacked a double but keeled over clutching is knee once he reached second. He had to be carried out on a stretcher and replaced by Rafael Devers. Vazquez grounded out to third and that was it for Gaviglio. Jose Fernandez replaced him and JBJ grounded out to second before Benintendi lined out to center to end the inning.

Rodriguez finally had a clean inning in the top of the fifth as McGuire looked at strike three to start. Gurriel Jr whiffed before Solarte lined out to second to end the inning. Kinsler flied out to right to open the bottom of the fifth before Moreland grounded out to second. Mark Leiter Jr came in for Fernandez and struck out Martinez to end the inning.

Smoak looked at strike three to start the top of the sixth before Morales lined out to left. Grichuk whiffed to end the inning. For some ungodly reason Sox manager Alex Cora decided 78 pitches was enough for Rodriguez. He was brilliant, going 6 innings and allowing just the one run.

                                               Rodriguez was great

The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth although Bogaerts and Swihart both whiffed. Devers crushed his 17th homer of the year to increase the lead and Vazquez singled to chase Leiter. Tim Mayza came in and Vazquez swiped second but JBJ whiffed to end the inning with the Sox up 3-1.

                                                 Devers goes yard

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Pillar lined out to right to begin. Hernandez grounded out to second before Diaz flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the seventh as Benintendi grounded out to short, Kinsler grounded out to second and Moreland grounded out to first to end the inning.

It was time for the bullpen meltdown and it began in the top of the eighth with Bobby Poyner now on the mound. Danny Jansen pinch hit for McGuire popped up to second but Gurriel Jr blasted a 40,000 foot home run to cut the lead. Solarte hit one up the elevator shaft and Joe Kelly came in to wreck the day. Smoak walked and Jonathan Davis pinch ran for him before Morales singled. Dwight Smith Jr ran for Morales and Grichuk was plunked. Pillar was then plunked to tie the game, ruining the great start by Rodriguez. Brandon Workman came in and pinch hitter Billy McKinney (for Hernandez) whiffed to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.

                                                        Thanks a lot Kelly.

The Sox somehow struck back in the bottom of the eighth with Rowdy Tellez at first and Danny Barnes on the mound. Martinez grounded out to second but Bogaerts doubled. Bogaerts swiped third and scored when Solarte dropped a routine pop up by Swihart. Swihart swiped second but Devers whiffed. Brock "The Hitman" Holt pinch hit for Vazquez and looked at strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.

                                             "I don't got it!" - Solarte

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to close out the top of the ninth with Sandy Leon behind the plate. Diaz flied out to left, Jansen whiffed and Gurriel Jr flied out to right to end the game. The Sox bullpen melted but they still won 4-3.

                                                     Leon says "Thank god for Kimbrel"


Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He got two hits, stole a key base and scored the winning run.

                                                Bogaerts the Hero



The Good:

Eduardo Nunez was 1 for 2 before leaving the game.

Rafael Devers homered after coming in for Nunez.

Christian Vazquez was 1 for 3 with a stolen base.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with a run scored.



The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4.

Brock Holt struck out as a pinch hitter.



The Ugly:

Ian Kinsler was 0 for 3 but scored a run.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4.

Blake Swihart was 0 for 3 but walked and stole a base.



Honorable Mention:

Sandy Leon caught the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

Either the Red Sox starters are going to go 7 innings a game in the playoffs or they have no chance in hell with this bullpen. Hell, they may not even go 7 with Dr. Quick hook Cora running things. Cora was quoted after the game saying he pulled Eduardo after 78 pitches because that was the plan to bring his rehab along, which does make sense. With the minor league season over Chris Sale and Rodriguez couldn't make a rehab start in the minors so they're essentially using actual games as rehab outings. The sad part is they seem to be winning these games anyway. The win improved the Sox to 101-46, 10.5 games ahead of the New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The 1915 World Champion Boston Red Sox finished with 101 wins and this year's team has 101 wins with 4 games in hand that 1915 had. Tomorrow night the New York Mets are in town for a three game interleague series. Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez gets the start for the Sox opposite Noah Syndergaard at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.



Magic Number: 6