As for the game, the red hot Boston Red Sox swept both games of today's doubleheader against the first place Tampa Bay Rays. Eduardo Rivera allowed 3 runs to the Rays including a Junior Caminero home run and left after just 2 1/3 innings. The Boston bullpen tossed the next 6 2/3 innings while allowing no runs to the Rays. Meanwhile the Sox bats got to Mason Englert with a two run home run by Wilyer Abreu and a bomb by Willson Contreras to put the Sox on top. After Caminero's home run, Abreu went yard again to put the Sox up for good. The Sox got another run for insurance as the bullpen locked it down. Aroldis Chapman got a huge ovation in the ninth inning as the Sox beat the Rays 5-3 at Fenway Park.
Rivera got the ball in the top of the first inning and Yandy Diaz flied out to right to start. Jonathan Aranda grounded out to second but Junior Caminero drilled a base hit to right. Ryan Vilade walked on 10 pitches and Cedric Mullins walked on nine to load the bases. Naturally Jonny DeLuca lined a base hit to left and both Diaz and Aranda scored. The throw home hit Diaz so both remaining runners moved over. Ben Williamson grounded out to short to end the inning with the Rays up 2-0.
Englert got the ball in the bottom of the first and Anthony Seigler popped up to third to start. Ceddanne Rafaela doubled to the left field wall and Wilyer Abreu hit his 12th home run over the bullpen to tie the game. The returning Willson Contreras then pounded his 21st home run of the season off the Monster Seats to put the Sox on top. Masataka Yoshida grounded out to second but Caleb Durbin got a base hit to left. Jarren Duran struck out swinging to en the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
Hunter Feduccia struck out swinging to open the top of the second and Taylor Walls did the same. Diaz grounded out to third to end the inning. Connor Wong grounded out to third to start the bottom of the third but Tsung-Che Cheng blooped a base hit to center. Seigler hit a double play ball to second but Walls threw the ball away on the relay, allowing Seigler to reach first. Rafaela hit a bullet to Aranda to end the inning.
Aranda took strike three to start the top of the third but Caminero hit a home run all the way to New York to tie the game. That was it for Rivera who got clobbered for 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings off 3 hits and 2 walks. Greg Weissert came in and Vilade hit a bullet to Cheng for the second out. Mullins caught Weissert asleep with a bunt single but DeLuca flied out to right to end the inning.
The Sox took the lead back when Abreu hit his second home run of the game to start the bottom of the third. Contreras struck out swinging and Yoshida grounded out to first, but Durbin beat out a bunt single down the first base line. Durbin was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning with the Sox ahead 4-3.
Naturally Williamson beat out a roller to second to start the top of the fourth to chase Weissert. Jovani Moran came in to pitch and Williamson foolishly took off for second....on a popped up bunt to Moran by Fedducia. Williamson was doubled off first but Walls ate up Durbin a grounder to third for an error. Diaz forced Walls at second to end the inning. Duran grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Wong grounded out to third. Cheng walked and Seigler doubled into the right field corner to score Tsung, increasing the lead. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-3.
Aranda lined out to left to start the top of the fifth and Caminero flied out to center. Vilade lined out to short to end the inning. Abreu lined out to short to start the bottom of the fifth and Contreras struck out swinging. Yoshida flied out to the centerfield wall to end the inning.
Tyron "El Lanzallamas" Guerrero came in to pitch the top of the sixth and blew away Mullins on a 102 moh fastball to start. DeLuca split the D on a line drive past both Seigler & Cheng, but was forced at second by Williamson. Fedducia flied out to center to end the inning. Old pal Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to pitch the bottom of the sixth and Durbin grounded out to short to start. Duran popped up to short but Wong walked. Cheng struck out swinging to end the inning.
Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Rafaela failed to come up with a line drive by Walls to start. Diaz grounded into a double play and Aranda struck out swinging to end the inning. Cole Susler came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and Seigler walked to start. Rafaela lined out to right, Abreu popped up to third and Contreras took strike three to end the inning.
Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Caminero broke two bats in a row before grounding out to second to begin. Vilade grounded out to second and Mullins struck out swinging to end the inning. Old pal Cam Booser came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Jahmai Jones pinch hit for Duran to start. Jones made his Sox debut by grounding out to first and Durbin grounded out to third. Duran lined out to left to end the inning.
Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth and DeLuca struck out swinging to start. Williamson popped up to first. Fortes struck out swinging to end the game. The Sox had won it 5-3.
Hero of The Night is Wilyer Abreu. He hit two home runs and his second put the Sox up for good.
The Good:
Anthony Seigler was 1 for 3 with a walk and an rbi.
Caleb Durbin was 2 for 4.
Tsung-Che Cheng was 1 for 2 with a walk and a run scored.
Greg Weissert got the final two outs of the third inning to earn the win.
Jovani Moran tossed 2 scoreless innings.
Tyron Guerrero tossed a scoreless inning.
Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless seventh inning.
Justin Slaten pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Aroldis Chapman earned his 20th save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 3.
Jahmai Jones was 0 for 1 as a pinch hitter.
Jarren Duran was 0 for with a strikeout and an error.
Eduardo Rivera allowed 3 runs in 2 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout but scored a run.
Willson Contreras was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but the one hit was a home run.
Connor Wong was 0 for 2 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Eleven wins in a row, a doubleheader sweep and 16-2 in their last 18 games. The Sox are absolutely scorching and the fans got very LOUD in the ninth on the final strikeout. The fans are starting to believe again and more importantly, the team is as well. The all-star break didn't slow them down and this was a complete team effort. Alec Gamboa saving the bullpen in Game 1 was the key to Game 2. The Sox made it a bullpen game and they didn't allow a run after Rivera left the game. The offense picked it up again with 3 big home runs from Abreu & Contreras combined. Even guys like Seigler, Cheng and Durbin just getting base hits when guys in their positions, Durbin himself, weren't doing that 2 months ago. Sox analyst Lou Merloni said during the broadcast that 2 months ago when the Sox were down 2-0 the game was over and now its a minor inconvenience. Even better news, the New York Yankees and the Toronto Blue Jays lost so the Sox picked up 1.5 games on both of them. The Sox were 14 games under .500 and 14 games out and now they're only 8 back of the Rays and 5.5 behind New York. The Sox offense fixed itself although they are still a bat away from October success. If the Sox get some of their injured guys back healthy, with the American League as mediocre as it is, they have as good as chance as any. Taking care of business against the Rays and Cleveland Guardians coming out of the break will be key to the stretch run. All in all this was a fun day and hopefully they can keep the momentum going. The win improves the Sox to 48-48, 8 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 12 wins in a row and third against Tampa tomorrow afternoon when Patrick Sandoval takes on Ian Seymour of the Rays. The game begins at 4:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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