As for the game, the Boston Red Sox won their first game at Fenway Park this season after getting beat up by the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Angels the first four. Cooper Criswell made the emergency start against the Angels and allowed just two runs in four innings before the shaky Boston bullpen held on the rest of the way. Offensively the Sox broke out with four first inning runs highlighted by a Triston Casas two run bomb. The Sox got two more runs in the second off Angels starter Griffin Canning and a sac fly by Jarren Duran in the fourth. Greg Weissert (1-1, 1.23 ERA), Josh Winckowski and Joely Rodriguez slammed the door the rest of the way and the Sox beat the Angels 7-2 at Fenway Park.
Criswell got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Rendon grounded out to third to start. Nolan Schanuel took strike three and Mike Trout popped up to second to end the inning. The Sox wasted no time getting to Canning in the bottom of the first although Jarren Duran grounded out to second to start. Wilyer Abreu doubled to right and Masataka Yoshida dumped a base hit to right to score Abreu. Triston Casas smashed his third home run of the season to increase the lead but Bobby Dalbec struck out swinging. Enmanuel Valdez doubled to left and a wild pitch moved him to third. Ceddanne Rafaela beat out a roller to short to score Valdez but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox up 4-0.
The Angels threatened in the top of the second as Taylor Ward singled to right to start. Aaron Hicks popped up to third and Brandon Drury took strike three, but Mickey Moniak beat out a roller to short. Logan O'Hoppe walked to load the bases but Zach Neto forced O'Hoppe at second to end the inning. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the second as Reese McGuire singled to left to start. David Hamilton forced him at second and moved to second himself on the grounder to second by Duran. Abreu got a base hit to right to score Hamilton and increase the lead before stealing second base. Yoshida got a base hit to left to score Abreu but Casas struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox up 6-0.
Abreu drives in a run
The Angels struck back in the top of the third as Rendon singled to left to start. Schanuel took strike three and Rendon took second on the Trout grounder to third. Ward then hit a home run all the way to Bolivia to cut the lead. Hicks flied out to right to end the inning with the Angels down 6-2.
Miguel Sano came in for Schanuel in the bottom of the third and Dalbec struck out swinging to start. Valdez was rung up for strike three and Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning.
Criswell returned for the top of the fourth and Drury grounded out to second to start. Moniak flied out to right but O'Hoppe got a base hit to left. Neto struck out swinging to end the inning. For whatever reason, Sox manager Alex Cora figured that was enough from Criswell who threw just 83 pitches through four innings allowing 2 runs on 5 hits and a walk while striking out four.
Short and sweet for Criswell
The Sox wrapped up the scoring in the bottom of the fourth as McGuire took strike three to start. Hamilton got a base hit to right and took off for second. O'Hoppe skipped the throw and Hamilton got credit for stealing second then moving to third on the error. Duran hit a sac fly to left to score Hamilton before Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 7-2.
Another run scored
Greg Weissert came in to pitch the top of the fifth and Rendon greeted him with a base hit to center. Sano flied out to right but Rendon took second on a passed ball. Trout struck out swinging and Ward flied out to right to end the inning. Carson Fulmer came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Yoshida struck out swinging to start. Casas lined out to center and Dalbec grounded out to short to end the inning.
Hicks took strike three to start the top of the sixth before Drury grounded back to the mound. Moniak struck out swinging to end the inning. Valdez drew a walk to start the bottom of the sixth and Trout made a great catch to rob Rafaela of extra bases. Valdez ended up getting picked off and that was big as McGuire got a base hit to right. Hamilton walked but Duran grounded out to second to end the inning.
Josh Winckowski came in to pitch the top of the seventh with Pablo Reyes coming in for Valdez and O'Hoppe flied out to right to start. Neto walked but Rendon took strike three and Sano also watched strike three go by to end the inning. Abreu struck out swinging to begin the bottom of the seventh and Yoshida grounded out to short. Casas struck out swinging to end the inning.
Trout lined out to Casas to start the top of the eighth and Ward grounded out to third. Hicks flied out to right to end the inning. Dalbec took strike three to start the bottom of the eighth but Reyes got a base hit to right. Rafaela walked but McGuire flied out to left. Hamilton took strike three to end the inning.
Joely Rodriguez came in to finish off the top of the ninth and Drury beat out a roller to third to begin. Jo Addell pinch hit for Moniak and struck out swinging before O'Hoppe got a base hit to left. Neto banged into a double play to end the game. The Sox had won it 7-2.
Hero of the Night is Triston Casas. His two run homer set the tone and was the difference in the game.
The Good:
Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with a stolen base, rbi and 2 runs scored.
Masataka Yoshida was 2 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.
Enmanuel Valdez was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.
Pablo Reyes got a hit in his only at-bat.
Ceddanne Rafaela was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Reese McGuire was 2 for 4.
David Hamilton was 1 for 3 with a walk, a stolen base and 2 runs scored.
Cooper Criswell allowed just two runs in four innings of an emergency start. He allowed 5 hits and a walk while striking out 4.
Greg Weissert got the win with 2 scoreless innings.
Josh Winckowski pitched two scoreless innings.
Joely Rodriguez pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Bobby Dalbec was 0 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Jarren Duran was 0 for 3 but drove in a run.
Final Thoughts:
Well that was more like it. The Sox bullpen finally held on to a lead at home for the first time and look what happened! The offense did its job in this one by getting to Canning early and Criswell didn't crap his pants. The bullpen can't keep throwing 4-5 innings a night so Sox manager Alex Cora is going to have a major problem if things keep up like this, but it all worked out this time. Weissert, Winckowski and Rodriguez got the job done but so did the bats. Almost everyone besides Dalbec got a hit or drove in a run and if it wasn't for injuries to Vaughn Grissom, Romy Gonzalez and Rob Refsnyder, Dalbec wouldn't be on this roster. Those guys can't come back fast enough. With Nick Pivetta down, hopefully Criswell can go longer than four innings next time. The Sox look to take the rubber game of this series tomorrow afternoon when Brayan Bello (1-1) takes on Tyler Anderson of the Angels. The game begins at 1:35 PM at Fenway Park.
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