Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an unfortunate roster move. Since Nick Pivetta is out of options and Garrett Richards is on the hook for $10 million this season, Tanner Houck had to be sent to the Alternate Training Site in order for Eduardo Rodriguez to make his comeback tomorrow. Houck is too talented to be gone for too long. As soon as someone gets hurt....and they will.....he'll be back.
As for the game, how about those Red Sox now? After Boston fans and media pronounced them dead in the water after Sunday's disaster against the Baltimore Orioles, the Sox came back to sweep the Tampa Bay Rays out of Fenway Park. Nathan Eovaldi (1-1, 1.46 ERA) was outstanding, tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball in his best start since Opening Day last season. The Sox offense pounced on Ryan Yarbrough for 3 runs in the bottom of the fourth and 6 in the bottom of the fifth. For some reason Rays manager Kevin Cash left Ryan out to dry and the Sox ended the game with a flurry of runs. When the dust settled the Sox avenged their opening week sweep by sweeping the Rays with a 9-2 win at Fenway Park.
Eovaldi got the ball in the top of the first and Yoshi Tsutsugo grounded out to first to start. Austin Meadows popped up to third in foul territory ans Randy Arozarena grounded out to second to end the inning. Yarbrough got the ball in the bottom of the first and Kike Hernandez led off by grounding out to short. Rafael Devers struck out swinging on a pitch down and away and Randy Arozarena reached into the stands to snare a JD Martinez liner by the Pesky Pole to end the inning.....but wait! Apparently one of the fans knocked it into the glove of Arozarena which was technically a foul ball. Martinez grounded out to third to officially end the inning.
Eovaldi cruised in the top of the second as Brandon Lowe took strike three to start. Yandy Diaz lined out to right and Wendle lined out to center to end the inning. Xander Bogaerts got the first hit of the game with a little roller to third to start. Christian Vazquez beat out a double play ball but Hunter Renfroe didn't, the Rays turned that one to end the inning.
The Rays struck first in the top of the third as Manny Margot grounded out to short to start. Francisco Mejia doubled to left but Willy Adames grounded out to third. Tsutsugo put the Rays on top with a base hit to center to score Mejia. Meadows lined out to right to end the inning with the Rays up 1-0.
The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third inning as Christian Arroyo lined out to second to start. Bobby Dalbec dropped a base hit to center but Kevin Plawecki popped up to second. Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning.
Eovaldi rebounded in the top of the fourth as Arozarena grounded out to third to start. Lowe walked but Diaz and Wendle both struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox roared back in the bottom of the fourth as Devers walked to start. Devers moved to second on the grounder by Martinez and Bogaerts lined a base hit to center to score Devers to tie the game. Vazquez then crushed his second home run in as many days to put the Sox on top. Renfroe lined out to center and Arroyo lined out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.
Eovaldi kept up the pace in the top of the fifth as Margot grounded out to short to start. Mejia grounded out to first and Adames struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox exploded in the bottom of the fifth although Dalbec lined out to third to start. Plawecki was plunked and Hernandez singled to left, but Devers flied out to center. Martinez doubled home Plawecki and Hernandez to ice the game. Bogaerts singled Martinez to third and Vazquez singled to left to score Martinez. Kevin Cash stayed in the dugout and Renfroe reached on a throwing error by Adames, scoring Vazquez. Arroyo doubled home Renfroe to wrap up the scoring and Dalbec grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-1.
Eovaldi stayed tough in the top of the sixth as Tsutsugo struck out swinging to start. Meadows doubled toc enter but Arozarena struck out swinging. Lowe walked but Diaz struck out swinging to end the inning. The Rays emptied the bench in the bottom of the sixth as Kevin Padlo took over for Wendle, Mike Brosseau took over for Margot and Collin McHugh came in to pitch. Plawecki flied out to left to start but Hernandez singled to left. Devers banged into a double play to end the inning.
Eovaldi returned for one more inning in the top of the seventh and Padlo walked to start. Brosseau banged into a double play and Mejia grounded out to second to end the inning. Eovaldi was outstanding, tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball while allowing just 3 hits.
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Joseph Odom came in to catch the bottom of the seventh and Martinez struck out swinging to start. Cordero singled to right but Vazquez struck out swinging. Renfroe grounded out to first to end the inning.
Josh Taylor came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Adames flied out to right to start. Tsutsugo grounded out to first and Meadows grounded out to first to end the inning. Arroyo flied out to left to start the bottom of the eighth but Dalbec singled to center. Plawecki singled to center but Hernandez banged into a double play to end the inning.
Taylor returned for the top of the ninth and got tagged. Arozarena doubled to center to start but Lowe popped up to third. Diaz grounded out to short but Padlo walked. Brosseau scored Arozarena with a base hit to left, moving Padlo to third. Odom was rung up on a check swing strike three to end the game. The Sox had swept the Rays with a 9-2 win.
Hero of the Night is Nathan Eovaldi. He was outstanding tossing 7 innings of 1 run ball while allowing just 3 hits.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 3 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Franchy Cordero singled as a pinch hitter.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with a 2 run home run and 3 total rbis.
Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 4.
Kevin Plawecki was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch and a run scored.
The Bad:
None
The Ugly:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and scored.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but knocked in 2 runs and scored a run.
Hunter Renfroe was 0 for 4 but scored a run.
Christian Arroyo was just 1 for 4 but drove in a run.
Josh Taylor allowed a run in 2 innings of work.
Final Thoughts:
THIS is what the Sox were supposed to look like last week. JD Martinez, Christian Vazquez and others supplying the offense while the good starters shut down the other team. Eovaldi has pitched two good starts in a row and this time the bats were there to help him. Bogaerts finally had a good day and Vazquez has bene on fire lately. This is what the Sox need over the course of the season if they want to finish respectable. Its unfair to expect Eovaldi to make 30 starts because he never does, but he's been good so far. The Sox will only go as far as their pitching takes them and apart from one guy in the rotation and one guy in the bullpen, things look good so far. The bullpen is well rested for the next series when the Sox look for revenge against the Baltimore Orioles. Eduardo Rodriguez makes his first start since September 2019 tomorrow afternoon against the Orioles who haven't named their starter yet. The game begins at 3:05 PM at Camden Yards.
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