Before the game the Boston Red Sox placed JD Martinez on the one day COVID precaution list and called up Michael Chavis for tonight's game against the Baltimore Orioles. He hasn't been feeling well lately and instead of wasting a roster spot, it made sense to put him on the list and give Chavis a chance to help tonight.
As for the game, this season is starting to become fun with each passing day. On the same night that the UMass River Hawks won the NCAA National Championship in hockey, the Red Sox beat the Baltimore Orioles in extra innings to run their win streak to 5. Just like Tuesday night against the Tampa Bay Rays, the Sox battled back and forth with the Orioles. The Sox jumped out to a 2 run lead but starter Garrett Richards coughed up back to back home runs to tie the game. Rafael Devers hit a home run in the top of the fifth to put the Sox in the lead but Adam Ottavino blew it in the bottom of the eighth. Devers made a great play to keep the game tied and Bobby Dalbec tied the game in the top of the ninth. With JD Martinez out, Michael Chavis scored the go-ahead run in the top of the tenth and Matt Andriese slammed the door in the bottom of the frame to save the game for the Sox 6-4 at Camden Yards.
The Sox wasted no time tagging O's starter Bruce Zimmermann in the top of the first inning as Kike Hernandez led off with a base hit to left. Alex Verdugo forced Hernandez at second but Xander Bogaerts walked. Christian Vazquez struck out swinging but Rafael Devers drove Verdugo home with a base hit to center to put the Sox up early. Xander Bogaerts got caught off of third so Rafael Devers sacrificed himself to get in a rundown. Bogaerts scored and Devers was tagged out to end the inning with the Sox up 2-0.
Richards gave the lead up instantly in the bottom of the first although Cedric Mullins popped up to third to start. Trey Mancini and Anthony Santander hit back to back home runs into the Atlantic Ocean to tie the game. Ryan Mountcastle struck out swinging and DJ Stewart flied out to left to end the inning but the game was tied 2-2.
Marwin Gonzalez flied out to left to start the top of the second and Christian Arroyo grounded out to second. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox made another mental error in the bottom of the second as Maikel Franco walked to start. Rio Ruiz hit a liner off the glove of Bogaerts. Xander recovered to get Franco at second on the force although Devers forgot how many outs there were. After Freddy Galvis struck out swinging, Kevin Plawecki threw to second and had Ruiz dead...but Devers cut the ball off and ran to the dugout. Sox manager Alex Cora came out to call Devers a dumb-dumb but when play resumed, Chance Sisco grounded out to second to end the inning. No harm done in the end but wake up Devers!
The Sox did nothing in the top of the third as Plawecki flied out to center to start. Hernandez doubled to left but could only move to third on the grounder by Verdugo. Bogaerts popped up to second to end the inning. Richards cruised in the bottom of the third as Mullins flied out to left to start. Mancini struck out swinging and Santander lined out to left to end the inning.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the fourth as Vazquez popped up to first to start. Devers grounded out to short but Gonzalez caught the O's asleep with a bunt single to third. Arroyo doubled to left but Gonzalez was thrown out at home to end the inning.
Richards got Mountcastle to fly out to right to start the bottom of the fourth before Stewart struck out swinging. Franco and Ruiz drew back to back walks but Galvis grounded into a force to end the inning. Dalbec struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth but Plawecki singled to center. Hernandez flied out to center and Verdugo grounded out to short to end the inning.
Dalbec whiffed to start the top of the fifth but Plawecki singled to center. Hernandez looked to have a home run to center but Mullins reached over the wall to rob him. Verdugo grounded out to short to end the inning. Richards returned for one last inning in the bottom of the fifth as Sisco grounded out to short to start. Mullins singled to center, stole second and moved to third on the grounder by Mancini, Santander grounded out to third to end the inning. That was it for Richards who threw just 79 pitches and apart from the solo home runs, pitched well.
The Sox struck back in the top of the sixth inning although Bogaerts grounded to short to start. Vazquez struck out swinging but Devers atoned for his mental error by hitting a no-doubt home run to give the Sox the lead. Gonzalez gtounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
Darwinzon Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Mountcastle struck out swinging to start. Stewart walked and Franco singled to left, but Ruiz popped up to short. Galvis struck out swinging to end the inning.
Adam Plutko came in to pitch the top of the seventh inning and Arroyo grounded out to second to start. Dalbec walked but Plawecki popped up to third in foul territory. Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning. Sisco grounded out to second to start the bottom of the seventh but Mullins doubled to right to chase Darwinzon. Adam Ottavino came in and Mancini struck out swinging. Santander grounded out to second to end the inning.
Tanner Scott came in for the top of the eighth and Verdugo lined out to left to start. Bogaerts lined out to center and Vazquez popped up to second to end the inning. The O's came back in the bottom of the eighth as Mountcastle singled to left to start. Stewart doubled to center and Ryan McKenna pinch ran for him. Franco hit a routine grounder to Dalbec who fired home...SAFE! Mountcastle beat the throw and the game was tied. Ruiz lined out to left but Galvis singled to left to score McKenna with the go-ahead run. That was it for Ottavino as Josh Taylor came in to pitch to pinch hitter (for Sisco) Pedro Severino. Severino lined out to first but Mullins walked to load the bases. Devers saved the day with a huge stop on a Mancini grounder and throw to first to get out of the inning. The O's had taken the lead 4-3.
Down to their final three outs, the Sox refused to quit against Cesar Valdez in the top of the ninth. Devers grounded out to short but Gonzalez got a base hit to right. Franchy Cordero pinch hit for Arroyo and lined a base hit to right to move Gonzalez to third. Dalbec atoned for going home with the ball by beating out a double play ball to tie the game. Plawecki grounded into a force to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.
Matt Barnes (1-0, 0.00 ERA) came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and dominated. Santander grounded out to second to start and Mountcastle went down hacking. McKenna was frozen for strike three to end the inning.
The Sox put the game away in the top of the tenth as Michael Chavis pinch ran for Kevin Plawecki and started the inning at second with Dillon Tate on the mound for Baltimore. Hernandez flied out to center to move Chavis to third and Michael scored on a wild pitch to give the Sox the lead. Verdugo and Bogaerts drew back to back walks to chase Tate and Wade LeBlanc came in to pitch to Vazquez. The lefty vs righty gamble failed as Vazquez hit a roller into left for a base hit to score Verdugo with the insurance run. Devers took strike three and Gonzalez grounded into a force to end the inning but it was 6-4 Sox.
Matt Andriese came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with McKenna starting at second base. Franco flied out to center to start and Ruiz grounded into the shift, however McKenna didn't advance to third on the play. McKenna did take third on defensive indifference but Galvis struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won 5 in a row by outlasting the O's 6-4 in 10 innings.
Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers. He knocked in 2 big runs including a home run and made the defensive play of the game in the eighth inning to keep the game close
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5.
Marwin Gonzalez was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3.
Franchy Cordero singled as a pinch hitter.
Michael Chavis scored a run as a pinch runner.
Garrett Richards tossed 5 innings of 2 run ball throwing just 79 pitches and striking out 4.
Darwinzon Hernandez tossed 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
Josh Taylor got the final two outs of the eighth inning.
Matt Barnes got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.
Matt Andriese got the save with a scoreless tenth inning.
The Bad:
Adam Ottavino allowed 2 runs in the eighth inning.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 4 but walked and scored 2 runs.
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 3 but walked twice and scored a run.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit drove in a run in the tenth.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and drove in a key run.
Kevin Plawecki was just 1 for 4.
Final Thoughts:
What a turnaround from the last two years. Even in 2019 with Mookie Betts, Jackie Bradley Jr and Andrew Benitnendi, as soon as the Sox fell behind the game was as good as over. The Sox were one of the worst comeback teams the last two seasons but they've managed to do it twice in the last week so far this year. After the O's took the lead in the eighth, fans still thought the Sox had a chance and they were right. This year's team for whatever reasons has a lot of balls. Even when they were behind, Devers made the great play to keep the game close for Dalbec to tie it. Barnes and Andriese didn't give an inch in the final two innings and the Sox had their fifth straight win. Cordero stepped up with a big hit in the ninth and Chavis ending up scoring the winning run after being brought up today. The key to the game was pitching. Richards allowed nothing before and after the solo shots and apart from Ottavino, the entire bullpen held the O's in check. The Sox are trying to limit exposure to Garrett Whitlock and Hiro Sawamura so the league doesn't figure them out quickly and the veterans stepped up big time tonight. If Ottavino isn't going to be reliable in the late innings, we may see someone else in the role to set up Barnes. All in all it was a good win without JD Martinez and the Sox look to make it 6 in a row tomorrow afternoon against the Orioles. Nick Pivetta (1-0, 0.00 ERA) looks to keep his undefeated streak going against Jorge Lopez of the Orioles. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Camden Yards.
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