Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Eduard Bazardo was sent back to the Alternate Training Site following yesterday's doubleheader. He looked good in his one inning so when Worcester or Portland starts, he'll be seen again.
As for the game, all good things must come to an end and the Boston Red Sox nine game winning streak came to an end in bitter fashion against the Minnesota Twins. Michael "Pine Tar" Pineda blinded the Sox for 7 innings, allowing no runs and just 2 hits. Garrett Richards was game for 5 innings, holding the Twins to just two runs. Hiro Sawamura allowed his first run on a home run by Miguel Sano. Trailing 3-0 in the top of the eighth, Alex Verdugo hit a bases clearing double to tie the game. Unfortunately they failed to score in the top of the ninth and the Twins walked it off in the bottom of the ninth against Adam Ottavino. The bullpen failed for the first time since opening weekend as the Twins avoided a sweep with a 4-3 victory at Target Field.
Pineda got the ball in the top of the first and Kike Hernandez led off with a base hit to center. Alex Verdugo advanced Hernandez to second with a grounder to first but Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Richards got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Luis Arraez singled up the middle to start. Jorge Polanco flied out to left, Nelson Cruz struck out swinging and Max Kepler went down hacking to end the inning.
Christian Vazquez appeared to have been hit in the hand while holding the bottom of the bat, the ball traveled to short where Polanco threw to first. The Twins challenged the call and the umpires ruled that it was a fair ball and Vazquez was out. Christian Arroyo grounded out to second and Hunter Renfroe flied out to center to end the inning. Willians Astudillo popped up to first to begin the bottom of the second but Miguel Sano worked a walk. Jake Cave looked to have hit into a force play but once again the Twins challenged the call. It was overturned and everyone was safe. Ryan Jeffers sinmgled to right to load the bases but JT Riddle forced Sano at home. Arraez dumped a base hit to right to score Cave and Jeffers to give the Twins the lead. Polanco walked but Cruz grounded out to second to end the inning with the Twins up 2-0.
Pineda cruised in the top of the third as Franchy Cordero popped up to third to open. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging and Hernandez took strike three to end the inning. Richards settled down in the bottom of the third as Kepler hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Astudillo popped up to first but Bogaerts threw a routine grounder by Sano into Lake Eerie for an error. Richards recovered to strike out Cave swinging to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fourth as Verdugo flied out to center to start. Bogaerts lined out to third and Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Jeffers popped up to short to begin the bottom of the fourth before Riddle grounded out to second. Arraez singled to left but Polanco grounded out to second to end the inning.
Vazquez flied out to left to start the top of the fifth before Arroyo grounded out to short. Renfroe walked but Cordero struck out swinging to end the inning. Richards returned for the bottom of the fifth and Cruz flied out to right to start. Kepler took strike three and Astudillo popped up to third to end the inning. Richards got in trouble in the second but limited the damage to keep the Sox in it, going 5 innings and allowing just 2 runs.
Pineda cruised in the top of the sixth as Dalbec flied out to right to start. Hernadez lined out to left and Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. Hiro Sawamura was finally scored upon in the bottom of the sixth as Sano blasted a home run into Newfound Lake to increase the lead. Cave grounded out to second, Jeffers took strike three and Riddle grounded out to short to end the inning but the Twins were up 3-0. Sawamura is human after all.
Bogaerts tried to start a rally with an infield single to third but Devers flied out to center and Vazquez grounded into a double play to end the inning. Josh Taylor came in for the bottom of the seventh and Arraez flied out to left to start. Polanco also flied out to left but Cruz singled to left. Kepler flied out to center to end the inning.
The Sox rallied in the top of the eighth with Kyle Garlick in the game for Astudillo and Hansel Robles in to pitch. Arroyo was plunked to start but stole second. Renfroe walked but Cordero flied out to left. Dalbec struck out swinging and Marwin Gonzalez pinch hit for Hernandez, drawing a walk to load the bases. Taylor Rogers was brought in to pitch to Verdugo and Alex stepped up with a bases clearing double to left to tie the game. Bogaerts was intentionally walked but Devers took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Naturally after the Sox came all the way back, Matt Andriese damn near melted down in the bottom of the eighth. Garlick effortlesly doubled to left and Sano walked, both runners moving over on the sacrifice bunt by Cave. Home plate umpire Jordan Baker called a crucial swinging strike a foul tip by Jeffers that wasn't even close and Sox manager Alex Cora had enough. Cora ran out of the dugout with a sickle and had to be restrained and escorted out of the stadium by armed security. Somehow Andriese managed to get Jeffers swinging anyway and Mitch Garver was sent in to pinch hit for Riddle. Red Sox pitching coach Dana LeVangie brought in Darwinzon Hernandez to pitch and he got Garver to line out to right to end the inning. If nothing else, this team has serious balls to get out of that jam.
Alex Colome came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Vazquez flied out to center to start. Arroyo looked to have hit a double but the Twins challenged that call too. This time the call was upheld and Arroyo got the double. The rally ended as Renfroe and Cordero both struck out swinging to end the inning. Adam Ottavino came in for the bottom of the ninth and Arraez got the rally started with a base hit to right. Polanco was plunked but Cruz went down hacking. Kepler blooped a single to center to score Arraez with the winning run. The Twins had walked it off 4-3.
Jackass of the Night is Adam Ottavino. He served up the walkoff base hit to Kepler to end the game.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3.
Marwin Gonzalez walked and scored a run as a pinch hitter.
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Christian Arroyo was 1 for 3 with a hit by pitch, a stolen base and a run scored.
Hunter Renfroe walked twice in four plate appearances and scored a run.
Garrett Richards allowed 2 unearned runs in 5 innings, striking out 4.
Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Darwinzon Hernandez retired the only man he faced.
The Bad:
Rafael Devers was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 4.
Franchy Cordero was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts and an error.
Hiro Sawamura gave up a solo home run in an inning of work.
The Ugly:
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a bases clearing double.
Matt Andriese allowed a hit and a walk in only 2/3 of an inning.
Final Thoughts:
Dammit! Dammit! Dammit! That was a tough way for the nine game win streak to end but the Sox fought like hell the whole game. They looked dead for seven innings against Pineda but rallied back to tie the game. They looked like they were going to give up the go-ahead run in the eighth after Cora got tossed but fought their way out of it. The key to the game was Devers failing in the clutch in the eighth then Renfroe and Cordero striking out in the ninth. If the Sox got a few more clutch hits, it wouldn't have come to Ottavino in the ninth. Still, the normally reliable bullpen ended up being the difference with Sawamura giving up the home run and the walkoff on Ottavino. Still, the Sox fought to the final pitch and that's going to go a long way this season if they play every game with that kind of confidence. Richards once again had one bad inning but worked his way out of it. If he can avoid that kind of Dice K Disease he should be more reliable moving forward. The loss stings but the Sox have to move on to the next series. Tomorrow night the Chicago White Sox come to Fenway for a set and the undefeated Nick Pivetta (2-0, 3.27 ERA) is there to greet them. Dylan Cease goes for Chicago and the game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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