As for the game, that was one of the worst baserunning games the Sox have ever been in yet they still found a way to win against the Tampa Bay Rays. This game had everything from errors, guys getting thrown out at home, bad defense, home runs and two rookies on opposite teams having entirely different impacts on the game. Eduardo Rodriguez went 6 innings but allowed 5 runs due to bad defense and number 1 overall rated MLB prospect Wander Franco's game tying 3 run home run in his ML debut. The Sox and Rays battled to a 5-5 tie all the way to the 11th inning when the Red Sox rookie, Connor Wong, scored the go-ahead run as a pinch runner in his MLB Debut. Hunter Renfroe went deep, Xander Bogaerts scored twice and Rafael Devers drove in 3 big runs as the Sox increased their lead in the AL East with a big 9-5 victory over the Rays in 11 innings at Tropicana Field.
Andrew Kitteridge took the mound briefly in the top of the first inning as Danny Santana struck out swinging to start. Alex Verdugo walked but JD Martinez lined out to center. Xander Bogaerts singled to left and Rays manager Kevin Cash brought in starter Ryan Yarbrough. Rafael Devers struck out swinging to end the inning. Naturally the Rays had no problems hitting Rodriguez in the bottom of the first as Rafael Devers booted a grounder by Yandy Diaz to start. Wander Franco made his ML debut by drawing a walk but Austin Meadows flied out to center. Randy Arozarena singled in the hole at short to load the bases but old Sox prospect Manny Margot popped up to first. Francisco Meija hit a routine grounder to Bogaerts who threw the ball away for another error to score both Diaz and Franco. Brandon Lowe took strike three but the Rays were off and running up 2-0.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the second as Hunter Renfroe popped up to first to start. Christian Vazquez flied out to left but Kike Hernandez doubled to right. Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging to end the inning. Somehow Taylor Walls struck out swinging to start the bottom of the second before Kevin Kiermaier took strike three. Diaz doubled to right and Renfroe came up gunning, nailing Diaz at third to end the inning.
Somehow the Sox exploded in the top of the third as Santana walked to start. Verdugo lashed a base hit to left and Martinez ripped a double down the left field line off the glove of Franco to score both runners to tie the game. Bogaerts ripped a base hit to center after an 11 pitch at bat to put runners at the corners and Devers scored Martinez with a sac fly to give the Sox the lead. Renfroe then pounded his ninth home run of the season to increase the lead, but Vazquez flied out to right. Hernandez was plunked and that was it for Yarbrough. Ryan Thompson came in and Dalbec struck out swinging again to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.
Franco flied out to center to start the bottom of the third before Meadows flied out to center. Arozarena struck out swinging to end the inning.
Collin McHugh took over for Thompson in the top of the fourth and Santana grounded out to first to start. Verdugo grounded out to short and Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. Margot whiffed to start the bottom of the fourth but Mejia singled to right. Lowe watched strike three go by and Walls flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox did nothing in the top of the fifth as Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Devers went down hacking and Renfroe lined out to left to end the inning. The Rays rallied in the bottom of the fifth as Kiemaier was plunked to start. Diaz singled to right and Franco clubbed his first big league home run to tie the game. Meadows flied out to left but Arozarena beat out a little roller to the mound. Arozarena was thrown out trying to steal second and Margot took strike three to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
The Sox failed to respond in the top of the sixth as Vazquez flied out to left to start. Hernandez also flied out to left and Dalbec earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the inning. Rodriguez did return for the bottom of the sixth and Mejia lined out to center to start. Lowe popped up to third and Wall flied out to right to end the inning. Rodriguez once again allowed 5 runs but only 3 were earned and he lasted 6 innings.
Matt Wisler came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Santana flied out to right to start, Verdugo grounded out to first and Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. Josh Taylor came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and struck out Kiermaier swinging to start. Diaz went down hacking but Franco doubled to left. Meadows popped up to second to end the inning.
JP Feyereisen came in to pitch the top of the eighth inning and Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Devers doubled off the catwalk but was called out for running out of the basepath on a grounder to third by Renfroe to end the inning.
You're out you dummy!
Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and immediately ran into trouble. Arozarena beat out a roller to short and Joey Wendle drew a walk while pinch hitting for Margot. Ji-Man Choi pinch hit for Mejia and lined out to left before Lowe popped up to third. Walls struck out swinging to end the inning.
Mike Zunino came in to catch the top of the ninth and Vazquez flied out to right to start. Hernandez struck out swinging and Dalbec earned the golden sombrero by watching strike three go by to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Kiemaier walked to start. Kiermaier then ran into Bogaerts while Bogaerts was making a play on a grounder by Diaz and was initially ruled safe at third. The Sox challenged the call and it was revealed Kiermaier inadvertently knocked the ball out of Bogaerts hand so he was out. Diaz moved to second on the grounder to the mound by Franco but Meadows took a full count strike three to end the inning.
Pete Fairbanks came in to pitch the top of the tenth inning and the Sox fell victim to more bad baserunning. Dalbec started the inning at second and Santana singled him to third. Santana took second but Dalbec tried to score on the play and was thrown out. Santana made it to third on the throw home but Verdugo was intentionally walked to put runners at the corners. Verdugo was thrown out trying to steal as Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox ran into two outs in the same inning.
Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the tenth with Brett Phillips pinch running for Meadows at second to start. Arozarena hit one up the elevator shaft but Wendle was intentionally walked. Phillips was out at third on a force by Zunino and that was it for Sawamura. Darwinzon Hernandez got Lowe to ground out to second to end the inning.
Connor Wong made his ML debut in the top of the eleventh inning by pinch running for Martinez to start. Bogaerts lashed a base hit to left to put runners at the corners before Bogaerts swiped second. Devers ripped a double down the right field line to score both runners to put Boston ahead. Renfroe singled to right to score Devers to ice the game before taking second on the grounder to third by Vazquez. A wild pitch moved Renfroe to third and he scored on the sac fly by Hernandez. Dalbec avoided the Platinum Plunger by flying out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 9-5.
Hernandez returned to finish off the Rays in the bottom of the eleventh with Lowe starting at second. Walls grounded out to short before Lowe moved to third on a grounder to third by Kiermaier. Diaz grounded out to short to end the game. The Sox had won it 9-5 in 11 innings.
Hernandez has heartburn but gets the win
Devers The Hero
Hero of the Night is Rafael Devers. He drove in the go-ahead runs in the top of the 11th
The Good:
Alex Verdugo was 1 for 3 with 2 walks and a run scored.
Connor Wong scored a run as a pinch runner in his ML Debut.
Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 5 with a stolen base and 2 runs scored.
Hunter Renfroe was 2 for 5 with 3 total rbis, 2 total runs scored and a 2 run homer.
Kike Hernandez was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a hit by pitch.
Josh Taylor pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
Hiro Sawamura got the first two outs of the tenth inning.
Darwinzon Hernandez got the win with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Christian Vazquez was 0 for 5.
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 5 with a golden sombrero of four strikeouts.
Eduardo Rodriguez allowed 5 runs in 6 innings of work. He allowed 7 hits and a walk including the 3 run homer to Franco.
The Ugly:
Danny Santana was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, stole a base and scored a run.
JD Martinez was just 1 for 5 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but drove in 2 runs and scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
That was not a pretty game by any means but at least the Sox had the balls to win it. The Sox had way too many outs on the bases, somehow committed 2 errors in one inning and had just one hit in between the third and eighth inning. Rodriguez allowed 5 runs (only 3 earned) again and it didn't look good after the Franco homer tied the game in the fifth. The Sox bullpen then kept the Sox in the game with 6 scoreless innings from there on. Bogaerts, Devers and Renfroe carried the offense in this one and the Rays had no answer for them. The biggest part about this game is the Rays had to use 7 pitchers in this game and still have to play tomorrow. Rodriguez going six innings turned out to be very important because Brandon Workman and Yacksel Rios are fresh for the next game. Not only did the Sox pick up a game on the Rays, the New York Yankees lost to the Kansas City Royals to put them further behind as well. It wasn't a pretty win but it was balsy and it counts. Hats off to the bullpen for saving the day this time and good to see Wong get a run scored in his ML debut. Franco may have been the talk of the game, but look who scored the winning run. The win improved the Sox to 44-29, 1.5 games ahead of the Rays for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox look to make it two in a row against Tampa when Garrett Richarda (4-4, 4.36 ERA) takes on old pal Rich Hill of the Rays. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Tropicana Field.
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