Boston Red Sox stat geeks posted that the Red Sox scored 5 total runs in the entire series when the Chicago White Sox came to Fenway a few weeks ago. Boston must have read the press clippings because they absolutely demolished the White Sox in tonight's game to win their sixth straight game. The Boston bats pounded out 19 total hits and sixteen runs, more than tripling their entire production in the Fenway series. Kike Hernandez set the tone with a first pitch home run in the top of the first against Chicago ace Dylan Cease and five batters later, Trevor Story effectively ended the game with a three run home run. Everybody in the lineup had at least one hit and one run scored before the bench players came in. Meanwhile Nick Pivetta (3-4, 4.25 ERA) continued his resurgence by firing six solid innings and allowing just three runs. The much maligned bullpen slammed the door the rest of the way and Boston annihilated the White Sox 16-3 at Comiskey Park.
Cease got the ball in the top of the first and Kike Hernandez turned back the clock a year by smashing a leadoff home run on the first pitch of the game to put the BoSox up instantly. Rafael Devers ripped a base hit to right and JD Martinez walked, but Xander Bogaerts could only advance Devers to third on a fly ball to center. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging but Trevor Story hit a three run bomb to increase the lead. Franchy Cordero got a base hit to right but Christian Vazquez grounded out to short to end the inning with Boston ahead 4-0.
Pivetta got the ball in the bottom of the first and Tim Anderson grounded out to short to start. Old friend Yoan Moncada grounded out to third and AJ Pollock took strike three to end the inning.
The BoSox struck again in the top of the second as Jackie Bradley Jr doubled to left to begin. Hernandez doubled in almost the exact same spot to score JBJ with another run. Devers flied out to left but Martinez ripped a base hit to left to score Hernandez. Bogaerts struck out swinging and Verdugo went down hacking again to end the inning with the Red Sox ahead 6-0.
Jose Abreu took strike three to start the bottom of the second and Yasmani Grandal went down hacking. Gavin Sheets grounded out to short to end the inning.
Story struck out swinging to start the top of the third but Cordero walked. Vazquez singled up the middle to move Franchy to third and Cordero scored when JBJ beat out a double play ball. Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning but the Red Sox were up by a touchdown 7-0.
Pivetta cruised in the bottom of the third as Leury Garcia flied out to center to start. Andrew Vaughn grounded out to short and Adam Engel flied out to left to end the inning.
Cease was lifted after just 3 innings for Jose Ruiz and Devers greeted him with his 10th home run of the season to ice the game in the top of the fourth. Martinez got another base hit to center and Bogaerts joined the hit parade with a double to left. Verdugo walked to load the bases but Story struck out swinging. Cordero hit a sac fly to left to score Martinez and Vazquez singled to center to score Bogaerts. That was it for Ruiz as Bennett Sousa came in only for JBJ beat out a roller to second to load the bases. Hernandez forced Vazquez at third to end the inning with the Sox ahead 10-0.
Anderson doubled to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Moncada flied out to right. Pollock popped up to first but Abreu hit a home run all the way to Cuba to cut the lead. Grandal lined out to center to the inning with the White Sox down 10-2.
The BoSox were relentless in the top of the fifth as Devers grounded out to second to start. Martinez singled to center, Bogaerts walked and Verdugo joined the hit parade by doubling to center to score Martinez. Story singled to left to score Bogaerts and move Verdugo to third, then Cordero lined a base hit to right to score Alex. That was it for Sousa as Matt Foster came in only to serve up a 3 run bomb to Vazquez to increase the lead. JBJ flied out to right and Hernandez struck out swinging to end the inning with the Red Sox ahead 16-2.
Sheets popped up to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Garcia took strike three. Suddenly Vaughn pounded a ground rule double down the left field line, Engel walked and Anderson singled to left to score Vaughn. Moncada grounded out to first to end the inning with the White Sox down 16-3.
Vince Velazquez came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Devers grounded out to second and Martinez took strike three. Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. Pivetta returned for the bottom of the sixth and Pollock flied out to left to start. Abreu doubled to center but Grandal took strike three. Sheets walked but Garcia grounded out to first to end the inning. Despite throwing just 88 pitches, Sox manager Alex Cora pulled Pivetta with a 13 run lead. Pivetta tossed 6 solid innings and allowed just 3 runs.
Reese McGuire took over behind the plate in Abreu's spot and Jake Burger took over at second in Anderson's spot to begin the top of the seventh. Verdugo lined out to center to start before Story struck out swinging again to earn the hat trick. Cordero struck out swinging to end the inning. Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Vaughn singled to center to start. Engel popped up to first but a wild pitch moved Vaughn to second. Burger grounded out to third and Moncada struck out swinging to end the inning.
Vazquez grounded out to third to start the top of the eighth inning but JBJ drew a walk. Hernandez popped up to third and Bobby Dalbec pinch hit for Devers, striking out swinging as usual to end the inning. Kevin Plawecki took over behind the plate in Bogaerts' spot with Matt Barnes now on the mound for the bottom of the eighth. Josh Harrison pinch hit for Pollock and flied out to center but McGuire walked. Grandal struck out swinging but Sheets walked as well. Garcia grounded out to first to end the inning.
Aaron Bummer came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Martinez doubled to right to begin. Plawecki grounded out to third, Verdugo grounded out to short and Story earned the golden sombrero by taking strike three to end the inning. Tyler Danish came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Vaughn grounded out to short to start. Engel struck out swinging and Burger went down hacking to end the game. The Red Sox pulverized Chicago 16-3.
Hero of the Night is Trevor Story. His three run home run matched Chicago's entire production and iced the game early.
The Good:
Kike Hernandez was 2 for 6 with a home run, two total rbis and two total runs scored.
Rafael Devers was 2 for 5 with a home run and 2 total runs scored.
JD Martinez was 4 for 5 with a walk, rbi and 3 total runs scored.
Franchy Cordero was 2 for 3 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.
Christian Vazquez was 3 for 5 with a three run homer and 4 total rbis.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 4 with an walk, rbi and a run scored.
Nick Pivetta earned the win with 6 solid innings and allowing three runs on 5 hits while striking out 5.
Hiro Sawamura tossed a scoreless seventh inning.
Matt Barnes pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Tyler Danish pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Bobby Dalbec struck out as a pinch hitter.
Kevin Plawecki was 0 for 1 at the plate.
The Ugly:
Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
Final Thought:
What a massacre. The Red Sox have woke up and have won six straight games and seven out of eight. The bats are alive again and it wasn't against bad competition either, Dylan Cease was supposedly Chicago's best pitcher. The fact everyone got in on the fun shows that they CAN hit when it counts. The most encouraging signs are Vazquez and Cordero because everyone knew Vazquez was going to wake up eventually but Cordero looks much more comfortable this season. In fact, Cordero walked just 8 times all of last season and he's walked 7 times already in just 19 games. With the regression of Bobby Dalbec and the injury to Triston Casas in Worcester, the first base job is Franchy's for now. Hernandez finally hit a leadoff homer and the Sox have a decision to make. Jarren Durran is hitting .325 in Worcester and went 3 for 5 in their game tonight. He's clearly ready to come up but that means someone has to go. Either Tyler Danish or Bobby Dalbec should be sent down to make room because Verdugo and Hernandez are struggling big time. The Sox put themselves in a massive hole they're still trying to climb out of because of bad offense so it makes sense to bring up Duran to see if he can light a spark. On the other side of the ball Pivetta pitched decent and at least the bullpen didn't give up any runs. The Sox still have Garrett Whitlock in the rotation and Tanner Houck in the bullpen and it should be the other way around. All in all it was a great win but the Sox gained no ground in the standings as the Toronto Blue Jays, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays all won their games. The win improved the Sox to 20-22, good for fourth place in the AL East. The Sox look for their seventh straight win tomorrow night against the White Sox when Rich Hill (1-1, 3.90 ERA) takes on Lucas Giolito of Chicago. The game begins at 8:10 PM Eastern time at Comiskey Park.
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