After being snowed out (yes, of course I'm serious) of last night's game, the Boston Red Sox continued their winning ways against the Chicago White Sox. Once again in a close game, the BoSox seem to come out on top using tough pitching and timely hitting. BoSox starter Nick Pivetta allowed 2 early runs and was pulled in the top of the fourth inning. The Sox bullpen allowed just two runs the rest of the way to keep them in the game. The BoSox used a couple of sac flies to tie the game and Kike Hernandez put Boston on top. The White Sox tied it due to bad defense in the seventh but Marwin Gonzalez keyed a 4 run Red Sox rally in the bottom of the eighth. Matt Barnes had a little trouble but slammed the door in the ninth and the Sox shook off Thursday's loss by beating the White Sox 7-4 at Fenway Park.
The White Sox wasted no time scoring against Pivetta in the top of the first inning although Tim Anderson struck out swinging to start. Adam Eaton and Yoan Moncada drew back to back walks and Jose Abreu doubled home Eaton to put Chicago in front. Yermin Mercedes grounded out to short to score Moncada with another run but Zack Collins popped up to third to end the inning with the White Sox up 2-0.
The Sox failed to get to White Sox starter Dylan Cease in the bottom of the first although Kike Hernandez singled to second to start. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging and JD Martinez banged into a double play to end the inning.
Pivetta ran into trouble in the top of the second as Luis Robert lined out to center to start. Andrew Vaughn walked and Nick Madrigal singled him to third, but Anderson struck out swinging again. Eaton walked to load the bases but Moncada flied out to center to end the inning. The BoSox blew a rally in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts singled to short to start. Rafael Devers flied out to right and Marwin Gonzalez took strike three, but Christian Arroyo walked. Franchy Cordero walked to load the bases but Kevin Plawecki lined out to right to end the inning.
Abreu singled to left to begin the top of the third but Mercedes flight out to right. Collins struck out swinging but Robert singled to right. Vaughn grounded out to second to end the inning. The BoSox struck back in the bottom of the third as Hernandez doubled to left to start and took third on a passed ball. Verdugo hit a sac fly to score Hernandez to cut the lead in half before Martinez got a base hit to center. Bogaerts moved Martinez to third with a hit to center and Devers scored JD with a sac fly to tie the game. Gonzalez walked but Arroyo took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Madrigal grounded out to short to begin the top of the fourth and Anderson lined out to short. All of a sudden Sox manager Alex Cora removed Pivetta after just 83 pitches and 11 outs recorded. Josh Taylor came in to strike out Eaton swinging to end the inning but he pulled Pivetta way too early and the bullpen had to toss the rest of the game.
The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fourth as Cordero struck out swinging to start. Plawecki took strike three and Hernandez swung at strike three headed to the backstop to end the inning.
Matt Andriese came in for the top of the fifth inning and Moncada flied out to right to start. Abreu grounded out to short but Mercedes lined a base hit to left. He tried to stretch a double and Cordero gunned him down at second to end the inning. Verdugo grounded out to first to start the bottom of the fifth before Martinez grounded out to second. Bogaerts singled to left to chase Cease and Evan Marshall came in the game. Devers singled to third but Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning.
Collins popped up to third to start the top of the sixth but Robert singled to center. Robert swiped second but Vaughn went down hacking. Madrigal flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the sixth although Arroyo grounded out to second to start. Cordero grounded back to the mound but Plawecki doubled to center. Hernandez stepped up with a base hit to center to score Plawecki with the go-ahead run. Verdugo was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 3-2.
Naturally once the Red Sox took the lead, the White Sox immediately came back in the top of the seventh. Anderson singled to center and then went to steal second. Plawecki's throw came in but Bogaerts muffed it and Anderson took third on the play. Andriese did manage to get Eaton to pop up to left, but Moncada scored Anderson with a sac fly to center. Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Codi Heuer came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Martinez whiffed badly to start. Bogaerts also swung at a pitch way over his head for strike three and Devers swung at strike three in the dirt to end the inning.
Adam Ottavino came in for the top of the eighth and froze Mercedes for strike three to start. Collins also took strike three and Robert completed the called strike three trifecta to end the inning. The Sox took the lead instantly in the bottom of the eighth when Gonzalez smashed a home run into the bullpen. Arroyo singled in the hole at short but Cordero took strike three. Plawecki lined out to right but Hernandez got a base hit to center. Jose Ruiz came in to pitch and Verdugo walked to load the bases. Martinez drew a full count walk to score Arroyo with the insurance run. Bogaerts then iced the game with a ground rule double just inside the foul line to score both Hernandez and Verdugo. Devers was intentionally walked to reload the bases but the man who started the inning, Gonzalez, grounded out to third to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 7-3.
Matt Barnes was summoned to close out the top of the ninth but Vaughn singled in the hole at second to start. Vaughn moved to second on a grounder by Madrigal and to third on a wild pitch. Anderson took strike three but Eaton doubled home Vaughn to cut the lead. Moncada grounded out to second to end the game. The BoSox had won it 7-4.
Hero of the Night is Marwin Gonzalez. His eighth inning home run proved to be the difference maker.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 4 for 5 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 4 for 5 with 2 rbis.
Rafael Devers was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Josh Taylor struck out the only man he faced.
Adam Ottavino got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.
The Bad:
Nick Pivetta allowed 2 runs in just 3 2/3 innings while allowing 4 hits and 4 walks.
Matt Barnes allowed a run in the top of the ninth.
The Ugly:
Franchy Cordero was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and threw out a runner at second.
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored a run
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
Kevin Plawecki was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Matt Andriese allowed a run in 3 innings of work but it was unearned.
Final Thoughts:
It was a good win but it proved to be a little costly. Matt Barnes labored in the ninth and he may not have enough gas tomorrow for tomorrow's double-header. The Sox bullpen had to throw the final 5 1/3 innings after Cora pulled Pivetta too early. Still, apart from some bad defense, the Sox bullpen did the job up until Barnes had trouble. Offensively the BoSox was their usual timely selves, getting runs when they had to but not enough to make this easy. With the New York Yankees in a major slump, the BoSox winning as many games as they can would be nice. Winning the division seemed impossible going into the season and it still could be, so enjoy the winning while it lasts. Gonzalez and Hernandez continued to pay dividends by driving in runs and the season is starting to look a little like 2013 a bit in terms of clubhouse character. The more fun these guys seem to have, the better the chances of them coming back to winning a game. Even the Mookie Betts 2019 Sox were something like 5-41 when trailing after 6 innings. All in all it was a good win but the Sox have to keep the momentum going in tomorrow's double header against Chicago. Its rumored Tanner Houck is going to be brought up to pitch Game 1 facing Dallas Keuchel for the White Sox. No matter who pitches, Game 1 begins at 1:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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