As for the game, another case of the Sox scoring a bunch of runs early and taking the night off offensively. David Price returned from the Injured List for 2 innings before Sox manager Alex Cora used today's callups to navigate after. Xander Bogaerts and JD Martinez both homered to put the Sox up 4-0 on the Los Angeles Angels before the bullpen nearly gave it away. With the season on the line, Brandon Workman slammed the door to give the Sox a much earned road win 4-3 at Angels Stadium.
The Sox wasted no time scoring in the top of the first inning against Angels starter Andrew Heaney. Mr. Mookie Betts lined a base hit to center to start before moving to second on a wild pitch. The ice cold Rafael Devers popped up to third but a wild pitch moved Betts to third. Xander Bogaerts scored Betts with a base hit to left before JD Martinez walked. Sam Travis banged into a double play to end the inning but the Sox were ahead 1-0.
The returning Price got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and David Fletcher grounded out to short to start. Mike Trout whiffed on a full count but Brian Goodwin hit a ground rule double to right. Albert Pujols flied out to right to end the inning but Price was up to 22 pitches already.
Andrew Benintendi lined out to center to start the top of the second before Christian Vazquez popped up to third. Brock "The Hitman" Holt lined a base hit to center but Gorkys Hernandez made his Sox debut by whiffing to end the inning. Price froze Justin Upton for strike three to start the bottom of the second before Kole Calhoun walked on a full count. Andrelton Simmons flied out to center before Calhoun swiped second. Luis Rengifo flied out to right to end the inning but Price was done. Once again in the middle of a pennant race, Cora decided to shelve his starter after a few innings.
The Sox struck again in the top of the third inning although Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to start. Devers singled to left before Bogaerts clubbed his 31st home run of the year. Martinez added his 34th home run to go back to back before Travis looked at strike three. Benintendi grounded out to first inning but the Sox had a 4-0 lead.
The lead didn't last long when Price was lifted for the returning Travis Lakins. Max Stassi grounded out to short and Fletcher flied out to right, but Trout singled to center. Goodwin singled to left and Pujols pounded a ground rule double to the left field stands to score Trout. Upton grounded out to end the inning but the Angels were coming back down 4-1.
The Sox went quietly in the top of the fourth as Vazquez lined out to left to begin. Holt grounded out to second and Fletcher snuffed out a bunt attempt by Hernandez to end the inning. The Angels struck again in the bottom of the fourth as Calhoun walked to start. Simmons flied out to right but Rengifo singled Calhoun to third. Stassi scored Calhoun with a sac fly and Fletcher singled Rengifo to third. Trout popped up to first to end the inning but it was 4-2 Sox.
The futility on offense continued as Mr. Mookie flied out to left to start the top of the fifth. Devers whiffed but Bogaerts doubled to left. Martinez was intentionally walked and naturally Travis whiffed to end the inning. The returning Ryan Weber got Goodwin to ground out to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Pujols hit one up the elevator shaft. Upton flied out to left to end the inning.
Miguel Del Pozo came in for the top of the sixth inning and Benintendi whiffed to start. Vazquez whiffed but Holt walked. Naturally Hernandez grounded out to first to end the inning. Weber returned for the bottom of the sixth and whiffed Calhoun to start. Simmons lined out to center but Rengifo doubled. Shohei Ohtani pinch hit for Stassi and walked but Fletcher flied out to center to end the inning.
Former Sox pitcher Daniel Bard's younger brother Luke came in to pitch the top of the seventh with Kevan Smith now behind the plate. Mr. Mookie grounded out to first before Devers singled to right. Bogaerts banged into a double play to end the inning. To give his tired bullpen a breather, Cora brought in another call up, Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez, for the bottom of the seventh to unexpected results. Trout walked after Travis dropped a pop up but Travis redeemed himself by snaring a line drive off the bat of Goodwin, doubling off Trout. Somehow Velazquez whiffed Trout to end the inning.
The Sox ineptitude continued in the top of the eighth as Martinez whiffed to start. Mitch Moreland pinch hit for Travis but Adalberto Mejia came in to strike him out. Benintendi somehow worked a walk but naturally Vazquez hit a piece of crap liner to second to end the inning. The Angels continued the comeback in the bottom of the eighth inning against Matt Barnes as Upton effortlessly homered to dead center to start. Calhoun whiffed and Simmons grounded out to second before Justin Bour pinch hit for Rengifo. Barnes whiffed Bour on a full count to end the inning but the Angels inched closer down 4-3.
Matt Thais came in to play third with Hansel Robles on to pitch the top of the ninth. Holt whiffed to start before Jackie Bradley Jr pinch hit for Hernandez only to fly out to center. Mr. Mookie whiffed to end the inning. The Sox offense scored 4 runs on 6 hits in the first three innings and had 2 hits the rest of the game, pathetic. The Angels had one last chance tocomplete the comeback in the bottom of the ninth against Sox closer Brandon Workman. Workman did manage to blow away Smith to start. before Fletcher popped up to Moreland in foul territory. Trout was plunked to put the winning run on but Goodwin flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 4-3, avenging their loss last night.
Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He drove in 3 total runs including belting a 2 run home run.
The Good:
Rafael Devers was 2 for 4 with a run scored.
JD Martinez was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and a solo home run.
Brock Holt was 1 for 3 with a walk.
David Price pitched 2 scoreless innings.
Ryan Weber tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Hector Velazquez pitched a scoreless 7th inning.
Brandon Workman earned his 10th save with a scoreless 9th inning.
The Bad:
Sam Travis was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
Mitch Moreland struck out as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
Gorkys Hernandez was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Jackie Bradley Jr flied out as a pinch hitter.
Travis Lakins allowed 2 runs in 2 innings.
Matt Barnes allowed a run in the 8th inning.
The Ugly:
Mookie Betts was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Believe it or not but the Sox are not dead yet. The New York Yankees did their job by beating the Oakland A's and the Cleveland Indians lost to the Tampa Bay Rays so the Sox inched closer in the wild card race. Cora and general manager Dave Dombrowski are doing all they can to sabotage each other it seems yet the Sox are still on life support. Dombrowski's callups wouldn't scare a Triple A team and Cora taking out Price after two innings was ridiculous. If it wasn't for the MVP caliber seasons of Xander Bogaerts and Rafael Devers and the sudden power surge of JD Martinez, the Sox would have been dead after the 8 game losing streak. The Sox are gonna have to earn their playoff spot next week because they play the AL Central leading Minnesota Twins with the Yankees right behind them. Whether or not they make the playoffs will be decided next week. As for today, another win but they looked awful in the process. The win improved the Sox to 74-63, 5 games behind the Indians for the second wild card spot. After an off-day Monday the Sox are back in action Tuesday night against the AL Central division leading Twins. "Slick" Rick Porcello (12-10, 5.42) goes for the Sox as the Twins starter hasn't been named yet. The game begins Tuesday night at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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