Before the game the Boston Red Sox made an unsurprising roster move. After doing a Jean Claude Van Damme split last night, Christian Arroyo was placed on the Injured List with a bad hamstring. In his place Danny Santana was activated off the Injured List. This was completely on Sox manager Alex Cora for making Arroyo play a position he was unfamiliar with. Like when John Farrell put Blake Swihart in left field and he tore his ankle.
As for the game, looks like the Sox took losing 2 of 3 to the New York Yankees personally. Sox manager Alex Cora switched up the batting order to get some spark and they delivered big time. The Red Sox smashed three home runs and scored 8 total runs on the board in the top of the first against Ross Stripling and Anthony Kay. The Sox added 5 more runs including 3 home runs during the game as Nick Pivetta (8-4, 4.37 ERA) kept the Jays in check. Pivetta was lifted in the seventh inning after allowing 4 runs and the Boston bullpen slammed the door. The Sox looked like themselves for the first time in weeks by annihilating the Jays 13-4 at Sahlen Field in Buffalo.
The Sox bushwhacked Stripling when he got the ball in the top of the first inning. Kike Hernandez led off with a double to center and Jarren Duran pulverized his first big league home run to put the Sox up early. Xander Bogaerts grounded out to short but Rafael Devers walked. JD Martinez doubled to center and Alex Verdugo walked before Hunter Renfroe cracked a grand slam to left to ice the game. That was it for Stripling 7 batters into the game and Anthony Kay came in to pitch. Danny Santana popped up to first but Kevin Plawecki singled to center. Hernandez then belted his 12th home run of the season to increase the lead. Duran lined out to third to end the inning but the Sox hit 3 home runs and led the game 8-0.
Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Marcus Semien singled to left to start. Bo Bichette singled to right but Vladimir Guerrero Jr struck out swinging. George Springer banged into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the second inning although Bogaerts grounded out to third to start. Devers pounded his 23rd home run of the season to add to the lead and Martinez singled to left. Verdugo walked but Renfroe went down hacking. Santana doubled home both runners and Plawecki walked. Hernandez walked to load the bases to chase Kay. Jacob Barnes came in to pitch and Durran grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 11-0.
Pivetta got Teoscar Hernandez to ground out to third to start the bottom of the second but Randal Grichuk doubled to right. Cavan Biggio lined out to left and Lourdes Gurriel Jr struck out swinging to end the inning.
The Sox blew a rally in the top of the third as Bogaerts lined out to right to start. Devers struck out swinging but Martinez singled off the glove of Guerrero Jr. Verdugo walked but Renfroe forced Verdugo at second to end the inning. Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the third as Reese McGuire flied out to right to start. Semien grounded out to third and Bichette was retired on a squibber in front of the plate to end the inning.
Trevor Richards came in to pitch the top of the fourth and Santana greeted him with his fourth home run of the season to add to the lead. Plawecki ripped a base hit to center but Hernandez lined out to right. Duran struck out swinging but Bogaerts flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox up 12-0.
The Jays finally struck back in the bottom of the fourth as Guerrero Jr walked to start. Springer singled to right to move Guerrero to third and Vladdy scored on the Hernandez grounder to third. Springer moved to third on the grounder and he scored on the sac fly to center by Grichuk. Biggio then hit a home run all the way to Ontario, Canada and Gurriel Jr singled to left. McGuire singled to right and Semien walked to load the bases and Bichette beat out a roller to the mound to score Gurriel. Guerrero Jr flied out to center to end the inning with the Sox still ahead 12-4.
Tayler Saucedo came in to pitch the top of the fifth as Devers grounded back to the mound to start. Martinez doubled to center but Verdugo struck out swinging. Martinez took third on a wild pitch but Renfroe took strike three to end the inning. Springer looked to have went yard but replays showed it was a double to left to start the bottom of the fifth. Hernandez popped up to first, Grichuk popped up to short and Biggio grounded out to first to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the sixth although Santana lined out to right to begin. Plawecki lined out to center and Hernandez smashed his second home run of the game to wrap up the scoring. Duran struck out swinging again to end the inning with Boston up 13-4.
Gurriel Jr singled to center to start the bottom of the sixth but McGuire struck out swinging. Semien grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Ryan Borucki took over for the top of the seventh and Bogaerts grounded out to short to start. Devers grounded out to third but Martinez walked. Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning. Pivetta returned for the bottom of the seventh and Bichette was plunked to start. Guerrero Jr forced Bichette at second but Springer singled in the hole at third. Hernandez struck out swinging and that was it for Pivetta. He looked rattled in the fourth but battled to go 6 2/3 innings. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch and Grichuk flied out to left to end the inning.
Santiago Espinal took over for Semien and Adam Cimber came in to pitch the top of the eighth. Renfroe grounded out to third, Santana struck out swinging and Plawecki grounded out to third in short order. Bobby Dalbec came in for Devers, Michael Chavis took over for Bogaerts and Darwinzon Hernandez came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Biggio took strike three to start before Gurriel Jr popped up to first. McGuire struck out swinging to end the inning.
Jonathan Davis came in for Springer with Tim Mayza in to pitch the top of the ninth and Hernandez grounded back to the mound to start. Duran grounded out to third and Chavis struck out swinging to end the inning. Adam Ottavino came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Espinal popped up to first to start. Bichette and Guerrero Jr both struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 13-4.
Sox win
Hero of the Night is Jarren Duran. His first big league home run put the Sox on top and started their first inning rally.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 3 for 5 with a walk, 2 home runs, 3 total rbis and 3 total runs scored.
JD Martinez was 4 for 4 with a walk and 2 runs scored.
Alex Verdugo walked 3 times and scored twice in 5 plate appearances.
Danny Santana was 2 for 5 with a home run and 3 total rbis.
Kevin Plawecki was 2 for 4 with a walk and a run scored.
Nick Pivetta earned the win by allowing 4 runs in 6 2/3 innings. He struck out 4.
Hiro Sawamura retired the only man he faced.
Darwinzon Hernandez tossed a scoreless eighth inning.
Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Xander Bogaerts was 0 for 5.
Michael Chavis struck out in his only plate appearance.
The Ugly:
Hunter Renfroe was just 1 for 5 but the one hit was a grand slam.
Honorable Mention:
Bobby Dalbec played third base in the bottom of the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Looks like Alex Cora shuffling the lineup and infusing Jarren Duran seemed to have worked for one game at least. The Sox needed an easy win to give the bullpen some rest and tonight was just what the doctor ordered. It was great to see everyone contribute on offense (sans Bogaerts) and even better to see Pivetta battle after getting lit up in the fourth inning. He came back to toss 2 2/3 innings after looking like he was gonna get the hook, good on him for sticking it out. Both the Blue Jays and the New York Yankees are hanging on by a thread in the AL East race and the Sox can knock both teams 10 games back by the trade deadline with a hot streak the next few weeks. The Jays offense is for real but their pitching is horrendous. They look like the 2000-01 Jays that snuck into first place at one point but the pitching failed down the stretch. The Sox need to bolster their depth if they want a crack at the Tampa Bay Rays for AL East supremacy this season. All in all it was a good win and hopefully the shuffled lineup can keep the momentum going as the trade deadline approaches. The win improved the Sox to 57-38, 1.5 games ahead of the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row tomorrow night when Garrett Richards (5-5) takes on Thomas Hatch of the Jays at 7:05 PM at Sahlen Field in Buffalo, New York.
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