As for the game, the Boston Red Sox came into this game riding a 13 game win streak while the Baltimore Orioles had won 7 in a row themselves. Somebody's O had got to go and luckily for the Red Sox, they hung on to win this one. In what was arguably the best back and forth game of the year the Sox rallied against the Orioles three times after the O's took a 1-0 lead off the bat against Payton Tolle of Boston. The Sox answered in the bottom of the second and scored two more in the third to take the lead. The O's rallied for 3 runs in the top of the sixth but the Sox got one back to tie it in the bottom of the frame. The O's got to Tyron Guerrero for a run in the seventh but Ceddanne Rafaela knocked in Tsung-Che Cheng to tie it again. Caleb Durbin then struck the go-ahead home run in the bottom of the eighth and Cheng made a game saving stab in the ninth to save Aroldis Chapman & the streak. The Sox made it 14 straight with a 6-5 victory at Fenway Park.
The O's wasted not time getting to Tolle in the top of the first inning as Taylor Ward popped up to first to start. Pete Alonso struck out swinging but Gunnar Henderson doubled into the gap in left. Old friend Tyler O'Neill hit a ground rule double into the right field stands to score Gunnar but Coby Mayo struck out swinging to end the inning with the O's up 1-0.
Baz got the ball in the bottom of the first inning and Anthony Seigler lined out to left to start. Ceddanne Rafaela took strike three and Wilyer Abreu struck out swinging to end the inning.
Leody Taveras walked to start the top of the second but Jeremiah Jackson struck out swinging. Christian Encarnacion-Strand struck out swinging and Sam Huff also went down hacking to end the inning. The Sox struck back in the bottom of the second as Willson Contreras got a base hit to center to start. Masataka Yoshida got a base hit to right and Contreras moved to third on a fly ball to right by Caleb Durbin. Jarren Duran hit a sac fly to center to score Contreras to tie the game but Connor Wong struck out swinging to end the inning with the game tied 1-1.
Ward grounded out to third to start the top of the third and Alonso flied out to right. Henderson doubled to left but O'Neill popped up to short to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the third as Tsung-Che Cheng struck out swinging to start. Seigler flied out to left but Jackson threw a grounder by Rafaela away for an error. Abreu ripped a double to center to score Rafaela and Henderson's throw home got away to move Wilyer to third. Contreras got a base hit off the glove of Henderson to score Abreu and Yoshida grounded out to first to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-1.
Mayo struck out swinging to start the top of the fourth and Taveras struck out looking. Jackson grounded out to first to end the inning. Durbin flied out to right to start the bottom of the fourth but Duran got a base hit to right. Wong grounded into a double play to end the inning.
The O's fought back in the top of the fifth as Strand hit a home run all the way to Portugal to start. Huff struck out swinging and Ward grounded out to third. Alonso was hit with a pitch but was thrown out at second trying to steal to end the inning. Cheng struck out swinging to start the bottom of the fifth and Seiger grounded out to first. Rafaela took strike three to end the inning.
Henderson grounded out to short to start the top of the sixth but O'Neill beat out a roller to third. Mayo struck out swinging but Taveras singled to center. Naturally Jackson singled to left to score O'Neill and Strand got a base hit to center to score Taveras, putting Baltimore on top. That was it for Tolle who once again ran out of gas after 75 pitches, allowing 4 runs off 8 hits and a walk. Tyron Guerrero froze Huff for strike three to end the inning with the O's ahead 4-3.
The Sox refused to quit in the bottom of the sixth as Baz threw a ball away allowing Abreu to reach second. Contreras doubled to left to score Abreu and took third on a grounder to second by Yoshida. Unfortunately Durbin grounded out to short and Duran grounded out to second to end the inning with the game tied 4-4.
Naturally the Os rallied in the top of the seventh as Ward doubled to right to start. Alonso got a base hit to center but somehow Henderson struck out swinging. O'Neill grounded out to second to score Ward to put the O's up again. Dylan Beavers pinch hit for Mayo and took strike three to end the inning with the Orioles up 5-4.
The Sox rallied again in the bottom of the seventh as Yennier Cano came in to pitch. Wong got a base hit to left but was forced at second by Cheng. Seigler grounded out to second to move Cheng to second Rafaela got a base hit to left. Cheng came around third and Ward threw the ball away to allow Cheng to score & Rafaela to take second. Tyler Wells came in to face Abreu and Wilyer flied out to center to end the inning with the game tied 5-5.
Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to pitch the top of the eighth and Taveras struck out swinging to start. Jackson grounded out to second and Jackson Holliday pinch hit for Strand. Holliday grounded out to second to end the inning. Contreras struck out swinging to start the bottom of the eighth and Yoshida did as well. Suddenly Durbin crushed his 10th home run of the season to put the Sox ahead. Duran struck out swinging to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-5.
Aroldis Chapman came in to close out the top of the ninth with Colton Cowser pinch hitting for Ruff. Naturally Cowser walked after sitting all game but somehow Ward struck out swinging. Alonso struck out swinging but two strikes away from victory, Henderson doubled to left. Naturally O'Neill hit a bullet....RIGHT TO CHENG TO END THE GAME. THE RED SOX WIN 6-5!
Hero of the Night is Caleb Durbin. His home run in the 8th inning put the Sox up for good.
The Good:
Wilyer Abreu was 2 for 4 with an rbi and 2 runs scored.
Willson Contreras was 3 for 4 with 2 rbis and a run scored.
Jarren Duran was 1 for 3 with a walk.
Connor Wong was 1 for 3.
Garrett Whitlock got the win with a scoreless eighth inning.
Aroldis Chapman earned his 22nd save with a scoreless ninth inning.
The Bad:
Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4.
Payton Tolle got rocked for 4 runs in 5 2/3 innings off 8 hits and a walk.
Tyron Guerrero allowed a run in 1 1/3 innings.
The Ugly:
Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but drove in a run and scored a run.
Masataka Yoshida was just 1 for 4 with a strikeout.
Tsung-Che Cheng was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but scored a run and made the game saving catch.
Final Thoughts:
Something special might be happening here. Its one thing to go on a win streak, its another thing to run into another red hot team and find a way to win. The O's had won 7 in a row and fought to the bitter end, the Sox just happened to come out on top. The O's looked better on paper by battering the Sox for 11 hits and 5 runs but committing 5 errors and allowing the home run to Durbin was the backbreaker. The Sox got contributions from just about everyone including the unsung Tsung-Che. Fans were asking if Marcelo Mayer or Trevor Story makes that catch and the fact Cheng made it means something's brewing. The Sox have won 14 in a row and 19 out of 21 to claw their way back to respectability. Unfortunately the Cleveland Guardians, New York Yankees and Tampa Bay Rays all won so the Sox didn't gain any ground on them, but the Rays beat the Toronto Blue Jays and the Sox beat the O's to knock both Toronto & Baltimore another game back. The roar of the crowd when Durbin hit the home run was matched by the reaction in the dugout. Every big hit the last 3 weeks has the dugout pouring out for support. Anyone who wants to sell now is an absolute fool. It would be unfair for Sox fans to expect the streak to go any longer but, why not? The win improved the Sox to 51-48, 6 games behind the Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 15 in a row and match a franchise record tomorrow night against the Orioles when Ranger Suarez (4-3, 3.15 ERA) comes off the Injured List to face Kyle Bradish of Baltimore. The game begins at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.
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