Eovaldi started out well by striking out Billy McKinney to begin the top of the first. Freddy Galvis singled and Justin Smoak walked, but Randal Grichuk banged into a double play to end the inning. The Sox missed a golden chance to break the game open early in the bottom of the first against Toronto starter Aaron Sanchez. Andrew Benintendi led off with a base hit and Mr. Mookie Betts was plunked. Mitch Moreland whiffed and JD Martinez walked to load the bases. The rally ended as Xander Bogaerts whiffed and Rafael Devers grounded out to short to end the inning. What a waste!
Rowdy "Roddy" Tellez whiffed open the top of the second inning before Danny Jansen walked. Brandon Drury banged into a double play to end the inning. Dustin Pedroia whiffed to open the bottom of the second inning but Jackie Bradley Jr drew a walk. JBJ was erased on the force by Blake Swihart before Benintendi grounded into a force as well to end the inning.
The Jays exploded in the top of the third inning as Lourdes Gurriel Jr walked. Gurriel was erased on the Socrates Brito force before McKinney flied out to left. One out away from a clean inning the floodgates opened as Galvis singled and Smoak crushed a 100,000 foot home run to Newton to give the Jays the lead. Grichuk walked and Tellez smashed an honest to goodness 500 foot home run to make the crowd boo. Jansen whiffed to end the inning but for the 12th time in 13 games, the Sox were trailing. For the 11th time in those games, it was by multiple runs as the Jays led 5-0.
Somehow the Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Grichuk dropped a routine pop up by Mr. Mookie to begin. Moreland whiffed but Martinez doubled to the centerfield wall to score Betts. Bogaerts lined out to left but Devers doubled in Martinez and Pedroia singled in Devers. JBJ grounded out to short to end the inning but the Sox showed some life and were down 5-3.
Eovaldi came back for the top of the fourth and froze Drury for strike three to start. Gurriel Jr singled but Brito grounded into a double play to end the inning. Sanchez recovered in the bottom of the fourth as Swihart grounded to first to begin. Benintendi walked but Mr. Mookie whiffed. Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning.
Eovaldi came back for one more inning in the top of the fifth and got McKinney to fly out to right to start. Galvis singled but was doubled off by Moreland on a line drive to Mitch by Smoak to end the inning. Eovaldi came down with Dice K Disease in the third inning but pitched well otherwise. He left after 5 allowing 5 earned runs, not good.
The Sox ran themselves out of tying the game in the bottom of the fifth inning. Martinez grounded out to short to start but Bogaerts singled to left. Devers walked and two straight wild pitches scored Bogaerts and sent Devers to third. Devers then made a mistake as Pedroia hit a pop up to shallow center and Devers never saw where the ball landed. He ran home and was thrown out by a mile to end the inning with the Sox down 5-4.
Heath Hembree came in to pitch the top of the sixth inning and Grichuk popped up to second to start. Tellez and Jansen both whiffed to end the inning. Tim Mayza replaced Sanchez for the bottom of the sixth and JBJ whiffed to start. Swihart struck out swinging before Benintendi grounded out to short to end the inning.
Colten Brewer had the top of the seventh inning and Drury grounded out to second to begin. Gurriel Jr and Brito both whiffed to end the inning. The Sox rallied to tie the game in the bottom of the seventh against Joe Biagini. Mr. Mookie whiffed but Moreland swatted his 5th home run of the season to take Eovaldi off the hook. Martinez flied out to center but Bogaerts walked to chase Biagini. Thomas Pannone came in to throw one pitch to Devers to get him to pop up to third to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
As soon as the Sox clawed back in it, the Jays went ahead again in the top of the eighth against Ryan Brasier. McKinney whiffed but Galvis smashed a 40,000 foot home run to give the Jays the lead. Smoak grounded out to first before Grichuk grounded out to third to end the inning with the Jays up 6-5.
Javy Guerra came in for the bottom of the eighth and the Sox went quietly. Pedroia flied out to center, JBJ looked at strike three and Swihart grounded out to short to end the inning.
Marcus Walden (2-0, 0.00 ERA) had the top of the ninth and things looked bleak when Tellez singled to start. Jansen was plunked but Drury popped up to second. Gurriel Jr walked but Walden got a huge out by punching out Brito. McKinney grounded out to first to end the inning. Good work Walden to get out of that jam. Ken Giles came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Benintendi grounded out to second. Mr. Mookie worked a full count walked and Moreland was the hero again with a double off the top of the centerfield wall to tie the game. Eduardo Nunez pinch ran for Moreland and Martinez was intentionally walked to get to Bogaerts. Nunez swiped third base which caused the rattled Giles to walk Bogaerts. Devers ended matters with a base hit to right to win the game. The Sox worked a hell of a rally to win the game 7-6.
We have Co-Heroes of the Night. The first is Mitch Moreland for tying the game twice in the 7th and the ninth.
The other Hero is Rafael Devers for his first walkoff hit of his career.
The Good:
Eduardo Nunez stole third and scored the winning run as a pinch runner in the ninth.
JD Martinez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.
Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 6th inning.
Colten Brewer pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Marcus Walden earned the win with a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Blake Swihart was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Nathan Eovaldi allowed 5 runs in just 5 innings of work off 6 hits, 4 walks and 2 home runs.
Ryan Brasier allowed a run in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
Andrew Benintendi was just 1 for 4 but walked.
Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked, was plunked and scored 2 runs.
Dustin Pedroia was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox have just 4 wins on the season and 3 of the 4 were huge rallies. Whenever the Red Sox rotation wants to pitch well on the day the bats are working would be nice. Its pretty bad when we're 13 games in and the starters have zero wins on the season. Eovaldi still has no command, Chris Sale's velocity is gone, Rick Porcello has been batting practice, Eduardo Rodriguez keeps nibbling with no faith in his stuff and David Price has been average. There's always a chance to turn it around but its never a good thing to start the year 4-9. Still, a win is a win and the New York Yankees aren't lighting it up either with their 5-7 record. The offense will be there but its time for the rotation to step up as well. Tomorrow night Eduardo Rodriguez (0-2, 12.38 ERA) looks to get his head out of his rear end when he takes on David Hess and the incoming Baltimore Orioles. If the Sox can't beat these guys they don't deserve to win the division. Game 1 of this set starts tomorrow night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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