Welcome back Eduardo Rodriguez (1-0, 5.40 ERA) to the Boston Red Sox. After missing an entire season due to a COVID related heart condition, Rodriguez came back to win his first game since September 2019. Rodriguez tossed 5 gutty innings and allowed 3 runs to put the Sox in position to win. The balanced offense continued their surge as they pounded out 12 hits as a team. Kike Hernandez and Rafael Devers both hit their first home runs of the season, JD Martinez continued his hot streak and the team as a whole scored 7 runs against the Baltimore Orioles.. The Sox bullpen combined to toss 4 shutout innings to win the game 7-3 at Camden Yards.
The Sox wasted no time getting to Harvey in the top of the first inning. Kike Hernandez grounded out to short to start but Alex Verdugo ripped a double down the left field line. JD Martinez went down swinging but Rafael Devers clobbered his first home run of the season to give the Sox the lead. Christian Vazquez also doubled to left before stealing third base. Marwin Gonzalez walked but Christian Arroyo took a questionable strike three on the outside corner to end the inning. The Sox made Harvey throw 25 pitches and led 2-0.
Rodriguez got the ball in the bottom of the first and Cedric Mullins picked up where he left off last week with a base hit to right. Trey Mancini got a standing O at the plate for his first atbat at Camden since beating colon cancer and forced Mullins at second. Anthony Santander struck out swinging but Ryan Mountcastle hit a home run all the way to the Lincoln Monument to tie the game. Maikel Franco hit a routine grounder to Gonzalez who dove on the ball and swam on it for an error before Pedro Severino crushed a base hit up the middle. Freddy Galvis struck out swinging but Erod had thrown 26 pitches and the game was tied 2-2.
The Red Sox beat the ball in the dirt in the top of the second inning as Franchy Cordero grounded out to first to start. Bobby Dalbec grounded out to second and Hernandez grounded out to third to end the inning. Rodriguez regained his touch in the bottom of the second as Rio Ruiz struck out swinging to start. Pat Valaika grounded out to second and Mullins grounded out to short to end the inning.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third inning as Verdugo grounded out to short to start. Martinez singled in the hole at short but Devers struck out swinging. Vazquez doubled to left but Gonzalez grounded out to first to end the inning. Mancini whiffed to start the bottom of the third and Santander also went down swinging. Mountcastle grounded out to second to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Arroyo grounded out to second to start. Cordero took strike three and Dalbec flied out to center to end the inning. The O's took the lead in the bottom of the fourth although Franco flied out to left to start. Severino hit a home run all the way to the Gulf of Mexico to give the O's the lead. Galvis popped up to second but Ruiz was hit with a pitch.....or wasn't. Apparently home plate umpire Jeremie Rehak ruled it was NOT an HBP and O's manager Brandon Hyde stormed out of the dugout screaming like a banshee. Brandon started tearing his clothes off and had to be escorted out of the building by armed security. When play resumed, Ruiz took stirke three to end the inning with the O's up 3-2.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the fifth as Mullins robbed Hernandez of a hit with a great diving catch to start. Verdugo grounded out to short and Martinez went down hacking to end the inning. Rodriguez got Valaika to line out to center to start the bottom of the fifth and Mullins went down swinging. Maninci grounded out to short to end the inning. That was it for Rodriguez who tossed 5 innings of 3 run ball in his first pro start in 19 months.
The Sox fought back in the top of the sixth as Devers and Vazquez stroked back to back singles to start. Paul Fry came in to replace Harvey and Gonzalez walked to load the bases with nobody out. Arroyo grounded back to the mound but Devers scored to tie the game. Cordero lined a base hit to left to score Vazquez and Mountcastle threw the ball away allowing the other runners to advance on the error. Dillon Tate replaced Fry and Dalbec struck out swinging. Gonzalez then got picked off to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
Garrett Whitlock came on to pitch the bottom of the sixth and he cruised. Santander grounded out to first, Mountcastle went down hacking and Franco flied out to left to end the inning.
The Sox got some insurance runs in the top of the seventh although Hernandez grounded out to third to start. Verdugo doubled to right to chase Tate and Shawn Armstrong came in to pitch. Martinez ripped a doubled to center to score Verdugo and increase the lead. Devers walked but Vazquez popped up to second. Gonzalez dropped a base hit to left to score Martinez with another run. Tyler Wells replaced Armstrong and Arroyo flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-3.
Gonzalez has TWO WORDS FOR YA!
Hernandez hits his first home run
Whitlock cruised in the bottom of the seventh inning as Severino took strike three to start. Galvis went down hacking and Ruiz lined out to left to end the inning.
The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the top of the eighth although Cordero struck out swinging to start. Dalbec went down hacking but Hernandez pounded his first home run of the season to increase the lead. Verdugo took strike three to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-3.
Matt Andriese came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Valaika walked to start. Mullins flied out to center but Mancini singled to left. Santander forced Mancini at second and Mountcastle struck out swinging to end the inning.
Wade LeBlanc came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Martinez grounded back to the mound to start. Devers was plunked and a wild pitch moved him to second, but Vazquez flied out to left. Gonzalez struck out swinging to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and dominated. Franco, Severino and Galvis all struck out swinging on 10 pitches to end the game. The Sox had won their fourth straight game 7-3.
Hero of the Night is Eduardo Rodriguez. He won his first game in over a year and a half by tossing 5 innings of 3 run ball.
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 2 for 5 with 2 runs scored.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 3 with a walk, hit by pitch, 2 runs scored and a 2 run homer.
JD Martinez was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
Christian Vazquez was 3 for 5 with a run scored.
Marwin Gonzalez was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and an rbi.
Garrett Whitlock tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Matt Andriese pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Matt Barnes struck out the side on 10 pitches in the bottom of the ninth.
The Bad:
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Kike Hernandez was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a solo home run.
Christian Arroyo was 0 for 4 with a strkeout but drove in a run.
Franchy Cordero was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run.
Final Thoughts:
What a difference a week makes. After the Red Sox started 0-3 everyone was digging their graves but as soon as the weather heated up, so did the Sox. This was their fourth straight victory and it was mostly the same balanced attack with timely pitching. Rodriguez was pulled after 5 for precautionary reasons and the bullpen was lights out after that. If Garrett Whitlock and Hiro Sawamura can become the modern day Manny Delcarmen/Hideki Okajima combo that the Sox had in 2007, with Matt Barnes and Adam Ottavino as potential closers, the Sox would be very hard to beat with a lead after 6 innings. That's wishful thinking but positive thinking is better than the negativity surrounding the team from media and fans after the 0-3 start. JD Martinez fixed himself and if Xander Bogaerts and Devers can get hot, this team has the potential to have a good April to win rapport back from the fans. They still have a long way to go but a win is a win. After an off-day tomorrow, the Sox look to make it five wins in a row Saturday night against the Orioles when they send Garrett Richards (0-1, 27.00 ERA) to the mound against Bruce Zimmermann of the O's. The game begins at 7:05 PM at Camden Yards.
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