Bring on the Cleveland Guardians! The Boston Red Sox continued their march back toward a playoff spot by sweeping the Detroit Tigers to set up a showdown this weekend with the AL Central leading Cleveland teams. Michael Wacha (6-1, 2.34 ERA) tossed six solid innings against the hapless Tigers with his only mistake being a first inning two run home run by Javier Baez. Offensively the Sox got a lift from the role players. Trailing 2-0, Jarren Duran knocked in two big runs to tie the game and Rob Refsnyder clobbered a two run shot to put the Sox on top. Alex Verdugo knocked in two big insurance runs and the Sox bullpen slammed the door with 3 scoreless innings. The Sox needed to make a statement and they did with an impressive series sweep of the Tigers highlighted by a 6-2 victory at Fenway Park.
Wacha got the ball in the top of the first inning and Victor Reyes lined out to right to start. Riley Greene got a base hit to center and Javier Baez hit a home run all the way to the beaches of Normandy to put the Tigers up three batters into the game. Miguel Cabrera struck out swinging and Harold Castro grounded out to third to end the inning but the Tigers led 2-0.
Skubal got the ball in the bottom of the first and Jarren Duran reached on an error by Baez to start. Naturally Rob Refsnyder banged into a double play and JD Martinez flied out to right to end the inning.
Robbie Grossman took strike three to start the top of the second and Spencer Torkelson grounded out to third. Jonathan Schoop pounded a ground rule double down the right field line but Tucker Barnhart flied out to left to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts struck out swinging. Alex Verdugo struck out swinging and Trevor Story grounded out to short to end the inning.
Reyes grounded out to first to start the top of the third but Greene grounded out to second. The red hot Baez got a base hit to right but Cabrera struck out swinging again to end the inning. The Sox rallied in the bottom of the third as Christian Vazquez doubled to center to start. Bobby Dalbec drew a walk but Jeter Downs made his Major League debut by striking out swinging on a pitch that bounced in the dirt. Duran doubled to left to score both runners and tie the game. Refsnyder hit a blast off the top of the Monster that was initially ruled a double but the umpires got together and called it a home run correctly to put the Sox on top. Martinez lined out to short but Bogaerts walked on a full count. Verdugo forced Xander at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-2.
Castro struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth but Grossman walked. Torkelson lined out to left and Schoop grounded out to second to end the inning. Story struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fourth before Vazquez grounded out to first. Dalbec singled to center but Downs struck out swinging again to end the inning.
Barnhart took strike three to start the top of the fifth and Reyes popped up to short. Greene grounded out to second to end the inning. Duran lined out to left to start the bottom of the fifth but Refsnyder doubled to left. Martinez worked a ten pitch walk but Bogaerts peculiarly dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move the runners over. The gamble worked as Verdugo lashed a base hit to left to score both runners and chase Skubal. Joe Jimenez came in to pitch to Story and Trevor forced Verdugo at second to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-2.
Verdugo drives in a pair
The pain in the ass Baez walked to start the top of the sixth and Cabrera got a base hit to right to move Javier to third. Wacha got a gift when Castro was rung up for strike three on a pitch outside and Grossman went down hacking. Torkelson lined out to center to end the threat and Wacha's night. Wacha didn't have his best stuff but still held the Tigers to just 2 runs in 6 solid innings to give the Sox a chance to win.
Vazquez tried to start a rally with a base hit to center to start the bottom of the sixth but Dalbec took strike three. Downs flied out to left and Duran struck out swinging to end the inning.
Jake Diekman came in to pitch the top of the seventh and right on cue he walked Schoop to begin. Barnhart lined out to right, Reyes went down hacking and Greene grounded back to the mound to end the inning. Wily Peralta came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Refsnyder popped up to first to start. Martinez flied out to center but Bogaerts dropped a base hit to left. Verdugo popped up to third to end the inning.
Hiro Sawamura came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Baez was finally retired on a grounder to short. Cabrera grounded out to short and Castro grounded out to second to end the inning. Jason Foley came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Story got a base hit to right to start. Story swiped second but was frozen for strike three. Dalbec struck out swinging and Downs earned the hat trick by striking out swinging to end the inning.
Grossman flied out to left to start the top of the ninth and Torkelson grounded out to first. Schoop grounded out to second to end the game. The Sox had swept the Tigers out of Fenway 6-2.
Hero of The Night is Rob Refsnyder. His two run home run put the Sox up for good.
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Christian Vazquez was 2 for 4 with an rbi.
Bobby Dalbec was 1 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Michael Wacha earned the win by allowing just 2 runs in 6 innings. He allowed 5 hits and struck out 7.
Jake Diekman pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Hiro Sawmaura tossed two scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Jeter Downs made his ML debut by going 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but drove in two runs and scored a run.
JD Martinez was 0 for 3 but walked and scored a run.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs.
Trevor Story was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Final Thoughts:
The Sox needed to sweep the Tigers and they did it. The Sox gained two games on the Tampa Bay Rays who lost 2 of 3 to the New York Yankees and a game on the Toronto Blue Jays who took two of three from the Chicago White Sox. It seems unlikely the Sox will claw all the way back to catch the Yankees but they did what they had to to climb out of their 11-20 hole they found themselves in. The Sox got a big hit from the role players with Rafael Devers out and the duo of Bogaerts and Martinez held to just 1 hit and a run scored combined. Duran is everything they need in a leadoff hitter in the mold of 2013 Jacoby Ellsbury and the question is will Sox brass leave him there or put Kike Hernandez back when Hernandez is back from the Injured List. Wacha gave the Sox a big lift and he and Pivetta has kept them alive this season with injuries and ineffectiveness derailing the other starters. Diekman and Sawamura holding the fort was a big lift because now the Sox have a rested bullpen going into the Cleveland series coming up. It'll be vital to take two of three from them at least to send a message the Sox are for real. The win improved the Sox to 39-31, a half game behind the Blue Jays for the first wild card spot. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox hit the road and the first stop is Cleveland for a three game set with the Guardians. Nick Pivetta (7-5, 3.31 ERA) gets the start for the Sox against Cal Quantrill of Cleveland this Friday night. The game begins at 7:10 PM Eastern time at Progressive Field.
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