Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Justin Slaten was placed on the Injured List with an oblique strain and Tyler Samaniego was called up to make his ML debut. Tyler was the "other guy" in the Johan Oviedo trade that sent The Password to Pittsburgh. Slaten should be fine in a few weeks but that's a huge blow to a team already thin in the bullpen.
As for the game, don't look now but the Boston Red Sox won their first series of the season by blanking the Milwaukee Brewers in today's getaway game three. Sonny Gray (2-0, 2.76 ERA) tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings to pace the Sox attack. Old pal Shane Drohan started for the Brewers and the Sox pounced on him for three runs in the bottom of the third. The Sox bats didn't do much for most of the game, but that was all they needed with Gray on the mound. Tyler Samaniego made his ML debut to continue the shutout while Trevor Story and Caleb Durbin provided insurance in the bottom of the seventh. Ryan Watson completed the shutout in the top of the ninth and the Sox had won their second straight game 5-0 at Fenway Park.
Cooper Howard approves of the win
Contreras gets the party started
Gray was outstanding
Story drives in a run
Welcome to the big league, Tyler
Sox win
Hero Gray
Gray got the ball in the top of the first inning and Sal Frelick hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to start. Garrett Mitchell struck out swinging but Christian Yelich moved Frelick to third wiht a grounder to first. Jake Bauers grounded out to first to end the inning. Drohan made his ML debut in the bottom of the first by getting Roman Anthony to ground out to second. Andruw Monasterio walked but Willson Contreras flied out to center. Wilyer Abreu lined out to short to end the inning.
Gary Sanchez grounded back to the mound to start the top of the second inning before Luis Rengifo grounded out to first. Brandon Lockridge got a base hit to center but David Hamilton flied out to left to end the inning. Trevor Story grounded out to third to start the bottom of the second and Caleb Durbin struck out swinging. Carlos Narvaez struck out swinging to end the inning.
Joey Ortiz lined out to left to start the top of the third before Frelick lined out to left. Mitchell walked and Yelich singled to right to move him to third. Yelich stole second but Bauers struck out swinging to end the inning. Ceddanne Rafaela singled to left to start the bottom of the third and Isiah Kiner-Falefa caught Sanchez asleep with a bunt single. Anthony grounded out to first to move the runners over and Monasterio walked to load the bases. Contreras walked to score Rafaela and Hamilton booted a grounder by Abreu to score Kiner. Story hit a sac fly to right to score Monasterio then Durbin walked to re-load the bases. That was it for Drohan as Grant Anderson came in to face Narvaez. Carlos grounded out to short to end the inning with the Sox up 3-0.
Sanchez lined out to right to start the top of the fourth but Rengifo grounded back to the mound. Lockridge grounded out to third to end the inning. Rafaela lined out to center to start the bottom of the fourth before Kiner struck out swinging. Anthony walked and stole second before Monasterio walked. Contreras lined out to short to end the inning.
Hamilton flied out to center to open the top of the fifth and Ortiz grounded out to third. Frelick grounded out to first to end the inning. Aaron Ashby came in to pitch the bottom of the fifth and Abreu struck out swinging to start. Story took strike three and Durbin grounded out to third to end the inning.
Mitchell flied out to center to start the top of the sixth and Yelich flied out to left. Bauers grounded out to first to end the inning. Jake Woodford came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Narvaez grounded back to the mound to start. Rafaela walked but Kiner flied out to left. Mitchell made a diving catch to rob Anthony of a hit to end the inning.
Gray returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Sanchez walked to start. Rengifo forced Sanchez at second and that was it for Sonny. He tossed 6 1/3 innings of shutout ball, he was outstanding. Greg Weissert came in and Lockridge struck out swinging, but Hamilton singled in the hole at short. Ortiz took strike three to end the inning.
The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the seventh as Monasterio lined out to right to start. Contreras singled to left, Abreu got a base hit to left and Story got a base hit to left to score Contreras. Durbin forced Story at second to score Abreu and Narvaez grounded back to the mound to end the inning with the Sox up 5-0.
Tyler Samaniego made his ML debut in the top of the eighth and Frelick took strike three to start. Mitchell walked but Yelich struck out swinging. Luis Matos pinch hit for Bauers and struck out swinging to end the inning.
Rafaela got a base hit to right to start the bottom of the eighth but was forced at second by Kiner. Anthony walked but Monasterio flied out to right. Contreras struck out swinging to end the inning.
Ryan Watson came in to close out the top of the ninth and Sanchez popped up to second to start. Rengifo grounded out to second and Lockridge flied out to center to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-0.
Hero of The Night is Sonny Gray. He tossed 6 1/3 shutout innings allowing 3 hits and 2 walks.
The Good:
Andruw Monasterio walked three times and scored a run.
Trevor Story was 1 for 3 with 2 rbis.
Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.
Greg Weissert got the final two outs of the seventh inning.
Tyler Samaniego pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Carlos Narvaez was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.
The Ugly:
Roman Anthony was 0 for 3 but walked twice and stole a base.
Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
Chad Durbin was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked and drove in a run.
Isiah Kiner-Falefa was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Final Thoughts:
I didn't think they had it in them but the Sox have somehow won two in a row to build some momentum going into St. Louis. Sonny Gray looked good for the second straight game and the Sox are going to need him big time if Ranger Suarez and Brayan Bello don't get their acts together. Offensively Wilyer Abreu is carrying the load but Trevor Story is starting to turn things around with hits and rbis. Chad Durbin isn't completely useless anymore either and it sucks to say, but they do this every year. They start bad and then they catch fire. Hopefully they've caught fire because unlike in years past, the other teams in the AL East besides the New York Yankees haven't started out great either. As long as the Sox keep winning, everything else will fall into place. After an off-day tomorrow the Sox are back in action Friday night in St. Louis against the Cardinals. Connelly Early (0-0, 2.82) takes on old pal Dustin May of the Cards. The game begins at 8:15 PM eastern time at Busch Stadium.
No comments:
Post a Comment