As for the game, three weeks ago if the Red Sox were trailing 2-0 in the ninth inning the game was over. They hadn't won a game trailing in the ninth or by multiple runs all season. Now after the Red Sox had won 8 straight games and 13 out of 15, Sox fans thought the Sox had a chance. Turns out they were right. The New York Mets behind rookie Zach Thornton built a 2-0 lead with runs against Payton Tolle and Brayan Bello as Thornton allowed just 2 hits in 7 innings. In the ninth inning Devin Williams came in to lock it down, instead the Sox rallied to load the bases. Andruw Monasterio walked home Ceddanne Rafaela and Jarren Duran blooped a base hit to score Tsung-Che Cheng to tie it. In the tenth inning, Anthony Seigler hit a sac fly to score Masataka Yoshida to put the Sox ahead. Garrett Whitlock shut the door in the ninth inning and the Sox not only had swept the Mets, but had won their ninth straight game heading into the all-star break. The Sox had won it 3-2 in 10 innings at Citi Field.
Thornton got the ball in the top of the first inning and Anthony Seigler grounded out to short to start. Ceddanne Rafaela struck out swinging and Wilyer Abreu flied out to right to end the inning. The Mets wasted no time getting to Tolle in the bottom of the first as AJ Ewing doubled over the head of Seigler to start. A wild pitch moved Ewing to third but Juan Soto struck out swinging. Francisco Lindor doubled to left to score Ewing and a wild pitch moved Lindor to third. Eric Wagaman took strike three and Carson Benge struck out swinging to end the inning with the Mets up 1-0.
Romy Gonzalez walked to start the top of the second and Caleb Durbin dropped down a bunt to move him to second. Andruw Monasterio flied out to right and Jarren Duran grounded out to short to end the inning. Tyrone Taylor walked to start the bottom of the second but Luis Torrens took strike three. Brett Baty struck out swinging and Zach Short flied out to center to end the inning.
Nate Eaton struck out swinging to start the top of the third and Connor Wong popped up to second. Seigler flied out to right to end the inning. Ewing struck out swinging to start the bottom of the third and Soto flied out to right. Lindor flied out to left to end the inning.
Rafaela flied out to right to start the top of the fourth and Abreu lined back to the mound. Gonzalez grounded out to second to end the inning. Wagaman grounded out to third to start the bottom of the fourth and Benge took strike three. Taylor doubled to left and that was it for Tolle. Sox manager Chad Tracy wanted to conserve Tolle's arm for the second half of the season and pulled him after 3 2/3 innings and allowing a run. The much maligned Brayan Bello came in and struck out Torrens swingingh to end the inning.
Durbin lined out to center to start the top of the fifth but Monasterio doubled to left. Duran struck out swinging and Eaton grounded out to short to end the inning. Baty grounded out to second to start the bottom of the fifth and Short struck out swinging. Ewing struck out swinging to end the inning.
Wong got a base hit to left to start the top of the sixth and Seigler flied out to center. Rafaela struck out swinging to end the inning. The Mets struck again in the bottom of the sixth as Soto was retired on a swinging bunt to start. Lindor then hit a home run all the way to Yankee Stadium to increase the lead. Wagaman grounded out to first and Benge grounded out to second to end the inning with the Mets up 2-0.
Gonzalez grounded out to second to start the top of the seventh and Durbin struck out swinging. Wagaman dropped a pop up by Monasterio in foul territory for an error allowing Andruw to walk. Duran grounded out to second to end the inning. Taylor struck out swinging to start the bottom of the seventh but Torrens got a base hit to right. Baty grounded into a double play to end the inning.
Luke Weaver came in for Thornton to start the top of the eighth and Short flied out to left to start. Ewing struck out swinging and Soto flied out to center to end the inning. Bello returned for one final inning in the bottom of the eighth and Short flied out to left to start. Ewing struck out swinging and Soto flied out to center to end the inning. Bello allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings. If Garrett Crochet comes back, the Tolle/Bello combo might work.
Good work Bello
Devin Williams came in to close out the top of the ninth with Jared Young taking over at first. Rafaela got a base hit to left but Abreu popped up to second. The game was over when Gonzalez hit a double play ball to Lindor....booted for an error. Given new life, Tsung-Che Cheng ran for Gonzalez and Durbin walked to load the bases. Monasterio walked to score Rafaela and Duran blooped a base hit to right that Benge trapped to score Cheng with the tying run. Masataka Yoshida pinch hit for Eaton and hit a bullet....right to Short who doubled of Monasterio to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.
Aroldis Chapman came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Lindor popped up to second to start. Young got a base hit to right but Benge struck out swinging. Taylor flied out to left to end the inning.
Brooks Raley came in to pitch the top of the tenth with Yoshida starting at second base. To show Alex Cora wasn't around anymore, Wong dropped down a bunt to move Yoshida to third and Seigler hit a sac fly to left to score Yoshida to put the Sox ahead. Rafaela flied out to right to end the inning with the Sox ahead 3-2.
Garrett "The Lock" Whitlock came in to close out the bottom of the tenth with Taylor starting at second base. Jorge Polanco pinch hit for Torrens and struck out swinging before Baty flied out to left. Bo Bichette pinch hit for Short and grounded out to first to end the game. The Sox had won it 3-2 in 10 innings.
Hero of The Night is Jarren Duran. His RBI single tied the game in the ninth and led the team to victory.
The Good:
Tsung-Che Cheng scored a run as a pinch runner.
Andruw Monasterio was 1 for 2 with 2 walks and an rbi.
Connor Wong was 1 for 3 with a crucial sacrifice bunt.
Payton Tolle went 3 2/3 innings allowing 3 hits, a walk and a run.
Brayan Bello allowed just 1 run in 4 1/3 innings of 2 hits.
Aroldis Chapman got the win with a scoreless ninth inning.
Garrett Whitlock earned the save with a scoreless tenth inning.
The Bad:
Wilyer Abreu was 0 for 4.
Nate Eaton was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts.
The Ugly:
Anthony Seigler was 0 for 4 but drove in the winning run.
Ceddanne Rafaela was just 1 for 5 with 2 strikeouts but scored 2 runs.
Romy Gonzalez was 0 for 3 but walked.
Chad Durbin was 0 for 2 with a strikeout but walked.
Masataka Yoshida was 0 for 1 at the plate but scored the winning run.
Final Thoughts:
3 weeks ago the game was over when they fell behind 2-0 but ironically the two times they rallied in the ninth was against New York teams. First the Yankees and now the Mets. Two years in a row the Sox rallied before the all-star break. Last year it was a ten game win streak, but this year not only was it a nine game win streak but they had won 5 out of 7 beforehand. The Sox have won 14 out of 16 to get back into this thing and not only are they 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for the AL East lead but they're 0.5 games behind the Seattle Mariners for the third wild card. Apart from the Rays and Yankees the rest of the American League is clustered together. If the Sox can get Contreras back on Friday night (he's suspended Game 1) and hopefully get some of their injured guys back healthy like Garrett Crochet, Roman Anthony and Triston Casas, they might have a September run in them. Just the fact the Sox went from blow everything up territory after dropping 2 of 3 to the Rockies to winning 14 of 16 is remarkable. Enjoy it while it lasts. The win improved the Sox to 46-48, 10 games behind the Tampa Bay Rays for first place in the AL East. The Sox now hit the all-star break and don't come back until the big doubleheader Friday the 17th. Nobody knows who's pitching until then.
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