Yesterday the Boston Red Sox made a big roster move. Patrick Sandoval was activated from the Injured List to make his long awaited debut for Boston. In his place Alec Gamboa was sent down to Worcester and Jack Anderson was designated for assignment. Anderson was expendable and the Sox desperately need Sandoval now with Ranger Suarez nursing a pulled groin and Connelly Early all but officially needing Tommy John surgery.
As for the game, don't look now but the Red Sox have won 9 in a row, a lot of them in impressive fashion. Tonight they showed their strength against the Chicago White Sox and some familiar faces. The BoSox jumped on Chicago starter Noah Schultz in the second inning with home runs from Andruw Monasterio and Ceddanne Rafaela to take a 3-0 lead. A Connor Wong bunt in the fourth made it 4-0 and Payton Tolle (5-6, 3.14 ERA) was up to the task, firing 6 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits. The White Sox rallied against Danny Coulombe for a run in the seventh but the three headed monster of Justin Slaten, Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman locked it down. A four run rally in the ninth was a big bonus as the Red Sox ran away with this one 8-1 at Comiskey Park.
Things went south right from the start as Schultz got the ball in the top of the first inning. Anthony Seigler got a base hit to center and Ceddanne Rafaela singled in the hole at first. Wilyer Abreu flied out to center but Willson Contreras walked to load the bases. Naturally Romy Gonzalez struck out swinging and Caleb Durbin lined out to right to end the inning. Tolle got the ball in the bottom of the first and Miguel Vargas walked. Randal Grichuk struck out swinging and Colson Montgomery forced Vargas at second. Old farmhand Chase Meidroth flied out to center to end the inning.
Jarren Duran struck out swinging to start the top of the second but Andruw Monasterio belted his fourth home run of the year to put the Sox on top. Connor Wong caught Montgomery at third asleep with a bunt single but Seigler flied out to center. Rafaela then pounded his eighth home run of the year to increase the lead. Abreu popped up to second to end the inning with the BoSox ahead 3-0.
Sam Antonacci got a base hit in the hole at second to start the bottom of the second but Junior Perez popped up to short. Old farmhand Kyle Teel lined out to short but Antonacci stole second. Luisangel Acuna flied out to center to end the inning.
Contreras ripped a base hit to right to start the top of the third but Gonzalez took strike three. Durbin flied out to right and Contreras was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Tristan Peters took strike three to start the bottom of the third and Vargas popped up to short. Grichuk popped up to second to end the inning.
The Sox struck again in the top of the fourth as Duran doubled to left to start. Duran took third on a wild pitch and Monasterio walked. Wong dropped down a bunt and Vargas threw home...away from Teel. Duran scored but Wong overran first and was caught in no man's land. Monasterio took off but he got caught in the rundown for the second out. Seigler popped up to first and Rafaela lined out to right to end the inning with the BoSox up 4-0.
Montgomery grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fourth and Meidroth grounded out to third. Antonacci got a base hit to left but Perez flied out to right to end the inning.
Abreu was hit with a pitch to start the top of the fifth but Contreras flied out to left. Abreu was thrown out at second trying to steal but Gonzalez walked. Durbin lined out to center to end the inning. Teel struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Acuna struck out swinging. Peters popped up to third to end the inning.
Seranthony Dominguez came in to pitch the top of the sixth and Antonacci reached over the wall to rob Duran of a home run to start. Monasterio got a base hit to left and immediately stole second. Wong walked but Seigler took strike three. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. Tolle returned for one final inning in the bottom of the sixth and Vargas took strike three to start. Grichuk struck out swinging and Montgomery flied out to right to end the inning. That was it for Tolle who was masterful, tossing 6 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and a walk.
Tolle was outstanding
Old pal Jordan Hicks came in to pitch the top of the seventh and Abreu struck out swinging to start. Contreras went down hacking and Gonzalez grounded out to short to end the inning. Where the hell was that last year? Danny Coulombe came in to crap his pants in the bottom of the seventh as Meidroth walked to start. Antonacci got a base hit to left an Perez beat out a roller to first to load the bases with nobody out. Teel beat out a double play ball to score Meidroth and chase Coulombe. Justin "Incinerator" Slaten came in and Jacob Gonzalez pinch hit for Acuna. Gonzalez struck out swinging and Peters did the same to end the inning with Chicago down 4-1.
Too bad Boston had to give him up
Brandon Eisert came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Durbin lined out to third to start. Duran grounded out to second and Monasterio flied out to right to end the inning. Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Vargas flied out to center to start. Old friend Andrew Benintendi pinch hit for Grichuk and grounded out to second. Montgomery lined out to left to end the inning.
The Sox exploded in the top of the ninth as Wong walked to start. Seigler lined out to right and Rafaela flied out to right, but Abreu walked. Contreras doubled to left to score both runners and Gonzalez doubled to right to score Willson. Trevor Richards came in to face Durbin and Caleb walked. Duran lined a base hit up the middle to score Gonzalez but Monasterio struck out swinging to end the inning with the BoSox up 8-1.
Duran is all fired up
Ryan Watson came in to close out the bottom of the ninth and Meidroth flied out to left to start. Antonacci was finally retired by taking strike three and Perez struck out swinging to end the game. The Red Sox had won it 8-1.
Hero of The Night is Payton Tolle. He tossed 6 shutout innings allowing just 2 hits and a walk while striking out six.
The Good:
Ceddanne Rafaela was 2 for 5 with a 2 run home run.
Willson Contreras was 2 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and a run scored.
Jarren Duran was 2 for 5 with an rbi and a run scored.
Andruw Monasterio was 2 for 4 with a walk, home run and stolen base.
Connor Wong was 1 for 1 with 2 walks, an rbi and a run scored.
Justin Slaten got the final two outs of the seventh inning.
Garrett Whitlock pitched a scoreless eighth inning.
Ryan Watson pitched a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Danny Coulombe allowed a run in 1/3 of an inning.
The Ugly:
Anthony Seigler was just 1 for 5 with a strikeout.
Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 3 with a strikeout but walked, was hit with a pitch and scored a run.
Romy Gonzalez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked, drove in a run and scored a run.
Caleb Durbin was 0 for 4 but walked.
Final Thoughts:
Its about time they pulled away late in a close game because it saves wear and tear on All-Star Aroldis Chapman. The offense was a well oiled machine in this one getting clutch hits by just about everyone. I said back in May the Red Sox were mediocre pitching from being the worst team in baseball but simultaneously a good offense from being one of the best. If the offense with Seigler hitting leadoff, Durbin picking it up and Connor Wong not completely useless anymore continues this trend, the Sox might have a run back into contention in them. Tolle shook off his Washington disaster to allow just 3 baserunners but the lone blemish of the night is the current one weakness off the Sox, middle relief. The two losses they had to the Nationals and one of the losses to the Rockies came due to bad middle relief pitching. The good news is reinforcements could be on their way with the return of Patrick Sandoval and Tyler Samaniego is only a bus ride away in Worcester. The Sox can trade a low level prospect for a middle relief pitcher. Back in the day all they needed was to send a brown sack full of money to get Yacksel Rios or Jorge Alcala. They won't have to give up Franklin Arias or Anthony Eyanson to get someone that can get some outs in the 5th and 6th innings when trailing or the starter left early. All in all this was a great win and the best part is the Baltimore Orioles also lost. That means for one day at least the Sox are no longer in last place. The win improved the Sox to 41-48, 12 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it five straight wins and two in a row against Chicago tomorrow night when Jake Bennett (3-3, 3.10 ERA) takes on Chicago's ace Davis Martin. The game begins at 7:40 PM eastern time at Comiskey Park.
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