Before the game the Boston Red Sox made some big roster moves. Josh Winckowski tested positive for Covid and was placed on the Covid List. Matt Strahm was placed on the Injured List after getting hit on the hand and Phillips Valdez was sent down to Worcester. Garrett Whitlock and Nathan Eovaldi were activated for tonight's game and Darwinzon Hernandez was called up from Worcester to take their places. Winckowski was the Sox best rookie pitcher while the regulars were out, damn.
As for the game, holy bleep the won? The Boston Red Sox actually won a game against an AL East team? No that's not a typo, the Red Sox actually beat the New York Yankees tonight in eleven innings. The Sox jumped out to a 2-0 lead early on Jordan Montgomery but Nathan Eovaldi got rocked for 3 runs in the bottom of the third. The Sox took a 4-3 lead into the ninth but Tanner Houck threw a ball away for the game tying error. The Sox took advantage of a wild pitch to score a run in the top of the 11th and somehow Ryan Brasier slammed the door in the bottom of the 11th. The Sox had won the game 5-4 in 11 innings at Yankee Stadium.
The Sox shockingly pounced on Montgomery immediately in the top of the first. Rob Refsnyder drew a walk and Rafael Devers pounded his 21st home run of the season to put the Sox on top. JD Martinez smacked a ground rule double down the left field line and Xander Bogaerts for a base hit to left to put runners at the corners. Naturally the rally ended as Alex Verdugo popped up to left, Christian Vazquez also popped up to left and Bobby Dalbec did what he usually does and strike out swinging with two men on to end the inning. The Sox had a golden chance to break it open early but led just 2-0.
The returning Eovaldi got the ball in the bottom of the first and DJ LeMahieu effortlessly singled to left to start. Somehow Rob Refsnyder climbed the right field wall to rob Aaron Judge of a triple and Anthony Rizzo banged into a double play to end the inning.
Jackie Bradley Jr led off the top of the second by grounding back to the mound and Jeter Downs grounded out to third. Refsnyder took strike three right down the middle to end the inning. The Yankees threatened in the bottom of the second although Giancarlo Stanton grounded out to short to start. Gleyber Torres walked and Matt Carpenter moved him to third with a base hit to right, but Isiah Kiner lined out to third. Kyle Higashioka grounded back to the mound to end the inning.
The Sox continued to do nothing in the top of the third as Devers hit one up the elevator shaft to start. Martinez flied out to left and Bogaerts grounded out to first to end the inning. Joey Gallo took strike three to start the bottom of the third but LeMahieu effortlessly got a base hit to right. JBJ had to climb the wall to rob Judge of another triple but Rizzo walked. Stanton did the honors by hitting a home run all the way to the moon to put the Yankees up. Torres struck out swinging to end the inning but the Yankees led 3-2.
The Sox struck back in the top of the fourth inning although Verdugo grounded out to first to start. Somehow Vazquez pulverized his sixth home run of the season to tie the game and Dalbec got a base hit to left. JBJ banged into a double play to end the inning with the game tied 3-3.
Carpenter struck out swinging to open the bottom of the fourth but Kiner doubled to right. Higashioka grounded out to short and Gallo grounded out to first to end the inning.
Downs struck out swinging to start the top of the fifth but Refsnyder got a base hit to left. Devers moved Rob to second with a grounder to first but Martinez struck out swinging to end the inning. The Yankees struck back in the bottom of the fifth as LeMahieu got his third hit of the night with a single to right. Judge struck out swinging and that was it for Eovaldi. The plan all along was 80 pitches and he left after allowing 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. Last night's goat John Schreiber came in to pitch to Rizzo and got Anthony to hit into a double play to end the inning.
The Sox failed to do anything in the top of the sixth as Bogaerts grounded out to third to start. Verdugo grounded out to second and Vazquez grounded back to the mound to end the inning. The Sox had just three hits off Montgomery after the first inning rally. Stanton grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the sixth and Torres grounded out to first. Carpenter hit a ground rule double to right but Kiner struck out swinging to end the inning.
Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Dalbec struck.......A HOME RUN TO LEFT TO PUT THE SOX ON TOP! JBJ popped up to short, Downs struck out swinging and Refsnyder went down hacking to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock made his return in the bottom of the seventh and Aaron Hicks pinch hit for Higashioka. Hicks popped up to second, Gallo struck out swinging and LeMahieu grounded out to second to end the inning.
Jose Trevino came in for Gallo but behind the plate to start the top of the eighth with Wandy Peralta now on the mound. Devers flied out to right to start before Martinez grounded out to short. Bogaerts somehow beat our a roller to first but Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning. Judge took strike three to start the bottom of the eighth before Rizzo grounded out to first. Stanton struck out swinging to end the inning, welcome back Whitlock.
Vazquez struck out swinging to begin the top of the ninth before Dalbec struck out swinging. JBJ popped up to Kiner to end the inning. JBJ is now 4 for his last 48...pathetic. Tanner Houck came in to blow the game in the bottom of the ninth as Torres effortlessly singled in the hole at third to start. Home plate umpire DJ Reyburn called strike one to Carpenter not even close to the plate and Yankees manager Aaron Boone ran out of the dugout with a Chainsaw screaming his head off, chasing DJ out of Yankee Stadium. When play resumed Carpenter got plunked and Kiner dropped down a sacrifice bunt....THROWN AWAY BY HOUCK! Torres scored easily to tie the game and Hicks was intentionally walked to load the bases. Marwin Gonzalez ran for Carpenter, Trevino hit into a 5-2-3 double play and LeMahieu grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.
JBJ started the top of the tenth inning at second with Clay Holmes on the mound. Once again Sox manager Alex Cora refused to bunt which allowed Downs to naturally struck out swinging. Refsnyder also went down hacking and the Yankees wisely intentionally walked Devers. Martinez did manage a base hit to right but Bradley was foolishly held at third to load the bases. Naturally Bogaerts struck out swinging to end the inning. LeMahieu started at second but Judge grounded out to third to start. Rizzo was intentionally walked but Stanton singled in the hole at short to load the bases. Torres banged into a double play to end the inning.
Bogaerts started the top of the eleventh at second with Michael King on the mound. Verdugo flied out to left but Bogaerts moved to third, only for Vazquez to ground out to third. The Sox caught a break when King uncorked a wild pitch to score Bogaerts because Dalbec flied out to left to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-4.
Ryan Brasier came in to close out the game in the bottom of the eleventh with Torres starting at second base. Josh Donaldson pinch hit for Gonzalez but struck out swinging. Kiner grounded out to third to put the Sox on out away from victory. Naturally Hicks stepped up to hit the game winning home ru....wait, what? What do you mean Hicks took strike three to end the game? THE RED SOX WIN IT 5-4 IN 11 INNINGS!
Hero of the Night is Ryan Brasier. He slammed the door with the tying run at second inning with nobody out to earn the save.
The Good:
JD Martinez was 2 for 5.
Xander Bogaerts was 2 for 5 with a run scored.
Bobby Dalbec was 2 for 5 with a home run.
Garrett Whitlock tossed two scoreless innings.
The Bad:
Alex Verdugo was 0 for 5.
Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 4.
Jeter Downs was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
Nathan Eovaldi allowed 3 runs in just 4 1/3 innings. He allowed 6 hits and 2 walks while striking out 4.
The Ugly:
Rob Refsnyder was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of three strikeouts but walked and scored a run.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a walk but the one hit was a two run home run.
Christian Vazquez was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout but the one hit was a home run.
Tanner Houck got the win but allowed the tying run to score in the ninth.
Final Thoughts:
Wow, that was unexpected. With the Red Sox being totally inept against the AL East this year, winning a game like this was a gut check for sure. Not just beating the Yankees but beating them in New York in extra innings was even more impressive. Eovaldi was definitely restricted in this one but next time he should be able to go longer. The Sox also had this game won if it wasn't for Houck's error as well. Kudos to Brasier who slammed the door in the final frame even though they had two men on. The Sox need some help at the deadline if they want to compete moving forward but going into the all-star break on a win streak would be nice. As of right now they're not too far out of a playoff spot but they need to make a stand if they want to be taken serious. The flip side is they should trade Martinez and Eovaldi if they want to say screw it and play for next year. Do SOMETHING! The win improved the Sox to 48-43, 14.5 games behind the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it two in a row against the Yankees when Nick Pivetta (8-6) goes one on one with Jameson Taillon of New York. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Yankee Stadium
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