As for the game, it took until the 142nd game of the season but the Red Sox finally won a series against an AL East team. The Sox BARELY beat the Baltimore Orioles but a win is win whether its by one run or ten. Rich Hill (7-6, 4.56 ERA) held the O's scoreless through five innings while a first inning sac fly by Xander Bogaerts proved to be the only run of the game. The much maligned Red Sox bullpen managed to toss four shutout innings, the last of which was a save by Matt Barnes to put the game away. The Sox had beaten the Orioles 1-0 at Camden Yards.
Kyle Bradish got the ball to start the top of the first and Tommy Pham got a base hit to right. Pham stole second and moved to third on a Alex Verdugo grounder to second. Xander Bogaerts hit a sac fly to center to score Pham and Rafael Devers grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.
Rich Hill got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Ryan McKenna struck out swinging to start. Anthony Santander took strike three and Ryan Mountcastle flied out to left to end the inning.
Trevor Story struck out swinging to start the top of the second inning and JD Martinez grounded out to third. Triston Casas flied out to left to end the inning. Ramon Urias grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second before Jesus Aguilar popped up to short. Austin Hays singled to right but Jorge Mateo forced him at second to end the inning.
Kike Hernandez walked to start the top of the third and Connor Wong dropped down a sacrifice bunt to move him to second. Pham popped up to first and Verdugo flied out to left to end the inning. Rougned Odor struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Robinson Chirinos also went down hacking. McKenna walked and Santander got a base hit to center, but Mountcastle flied out to left to end the inning.
Bogaerts walked to start the top of the fourth but Devers grounded into a double play. Story struck out swinging to end the inning. Urias lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Aguilar struck out swinging. Hays walked and Mateo flied out to right to end the inning.
Martinez reached first on catcher's interference to start the top of the fifth but Casas grounded into a double play. Hernandez flied out to center to end the inning. Hill returned for one last inning in the bottom of the fifth and Odor was hit with a pitch to start. Chirinos walked but McKenna popped up a bunt to third. Santander and Mountcastle struck out swinging to end the inning. Hill lasted just 5 innings but didn't allow a run on 2 hits and 3 walks.
Wong struck out swinging to start the top of the sixth before Pham popped up to second. Verdugo grounded out to second to end the inning. John Schreiber came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Urias grounded back to the mound to start. Gunnar Henderson pinch hit for Aguilar and struck out swinging, but Hays singled down the third base line. Mateo forced Hays at second to end the inning.
Bogaerts lined out to center to start the top of the seventh before Devers got a base hit to left. Story grounded into a double play to end the inning. Christian Arroyo took over for Story with Matt Strahm now on the mound for the bottom of the seventh. Odor was hit with a pitch to start before moving to second on a balk. Chirinos struck out swinging before McKenna grounded out to third. Odor stole third but Santander struck out swinging to end the inning.
Bryan Baker came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Martinez flied out to right to start. Casas struck out swinging but Hernandez walked. Wong took strike three to end the inning. Garrett Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Mountcastle struck out swinging to start. Urias struck out swinging but Henderson walked. It looked like Hays forced Henderson at second but Brandon Hyde the Orioles manager challenged that Henderson was safe. The call was upheld and the inning was over.
Dillon Tate took over on the mound with Terrin Vavra in for McKenna and Cedric Mullins in for Odor to start the top of the ninth. Pham took strike three but Verdugo and Bogaerts stroked back to back base hits to chase Tate. Cionel Perez came in and Devers struck out swinging, but Arroyo walked to load the bases. Martinez flied out to left to end the inning. Matt Barnes came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Mateo struck out swinging to begin. Mullins struck out swinging and Adley Rutschman pinch hit for Chirinos. Rutschman lined out to right to end the game. The Sox had won it 1-0.
Hero of The Night is Rich Hill. His 5 shutout innings were enough to help the Sox take the eventual victory. He allowed 2 hits and 3 walks while striking out 7
The Good:
Xander Bogaerts was 1 for 2 with a walk and an rbi.
Christian Arroyo walked as a pinch hitter.
Kike Hernandez walked twice in three plate appearances.
John Schreiber pitched a scoreless sixth inning.
Matt Strahm pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Matt Barnes earned his fifth save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Trevor Story was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
JD Martinez was 0 for 3.
Triston Casas was 0 for 3 with a strikeout.
Connor Wong was 0 for 2 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Tommy Pham was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but stole a base and scored a run.
Alex Verdugo was just 1 for 4.
Rafael Devers was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Final Thoughts:
How pathetic is it that the Red Sox took until there were just 22 games left in the season to win their first series of the year against an AL East team? Even if they were just halfway competent against them, they'd be in a playoff spot. As it is, they're just about mathematically eliminated. Still, a win is a win. Hill stayed tough for 5 innings but the bullpen held on in this one. All the injuries to the rotation sapped the bullpen this year but they put in a yeoman's effort in this one. Bogaerts got the only run of the game which is also sad considering the Sox offense is supposed to be elite. With Nathan Eovaldi, Bogaerts and Martinez on their way out, them lighting it up would look good in free agency. Too bad Bogaerts and Martinez aren't exactly doing that. Just another lost season and another nail in the coffin of the Chaim Bloom regime. The win improved the Sox to 69-72, good for last place in the AL East. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox look to start a winning streak with a two game set with the New York Yankees at home beginning on Tuesday night. Nick Pivetta takes on Gerrit Cole at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
No comments:
Post a Comment