Sox Outlast Jays, Win 13 of 14 Before Break (7/15/18)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. As expected Eduardo Rodriguez had to be placed on the Disabled List following yet another leg injury. Just as when it seemed like he was destined to win 17-18 games at least, he's probably done for the season. Brian Johnson was removed from the Disabled List to take his place and start today's game.

                                                                OUT

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As for the game, the Boston Red Sox will go into the all-star break one of the hottest teams in baseball after winning 13 out of 14 games. Today the bottom of the order helped the Sox defeat the Toronto Blue Jays to take 3 out of 4 from them. Brian Johnson failed to get out of the 5th inning but the bullpen locked down the rest of the win as Brock Holt, Jackie Bradley Jr and Sandy Leon led the charge as the Sox won their final game before the break 5-2 at Fenway Park.

                                                Black Sabbath approves of the win

Johnson took the ball in the top of the first and froze Randal Grichuk to start the game. Yangervis Solarte grounded out to short but Teoscar Hernandez walked. Justin Smoak whiffed to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first against Jays starter Marcus Stroman. Mr. Mookie Betts grounded out to third but Xander Bogaerts crushed his 16th home run of the season to put the Sox on top early. JD Martinez walked and Devon Travis booted a ground ball by Mitch Moreland. Both runners advanced on the grounder by Steve Pearce and Brock "The Hitman" Holt singled home Martinez. Eduardo Nunez grounded into a force to end the inning with the Sox ahead 2-0.

                                              Bogaerts goes yard

Kendrys Morales walked to open the top of the second before Russell Martin popped up to third. Travis lined out to center but Dwight Smith walked. Aledmys Diaz grounded into a force to end the inning. Sandy Leon singled to open the bottom of the second but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Jackie Bradley Jr flied out to right before Mr. Mookie looked at strike three to end the inning.

The Jays struck back in the top of the third as Grichuk doubled to start. Solarte hit one up the elevator shaft but Hernandez blasted a 300,000 foot home run into the Atlantic Ocean to tie the game. Smoak flied out to center and Morales lined out to a running JBJ to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                     "Dammit...dammit...dammit!" - Leon

The Sox failed to respond in the bottom of the third as Bogaerts flied out to center to begin. Martinez whiffed but Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning.

Johnson cruised in the top of the fourth inning as Martin flied out to center to start. Travis and Smith both whiffed to end the inning. Stroman cruised as well in the bottom of the fourth as Pearce whiffed to start. Holt whiffed before Nunez popped up to second to end the inning.

Johnson returned for the top of the fifth as Diaz flied out to left to begin. Grichuk walked but Solarte whiffed. Sox manager Alex Cora decided enough was enough from Johnson and brought in Brandon Workman to vulture the potential win. Johnson didn't pitch bad but left with a no decision.

                                                    Short and sweet for Johnson

Workman came in and blew away Hernandez to end the inning. The Sox took command in the bottom of the fifth as Leon doubled to start. JBJ doubled home Leon to give the Sox the lead before Mr. Mookie advanced JBJ to third with a fly out to right. Bogaerts grounded out to Stroman but JBJ scored another run. Martinez flied out to right to end the inning but it was 4-2 Sox.

                                                  Herculean groundout by Bogaerts

Tyler Thornburg sprinted to the mound out of the bullpen in the top of the sixth and got Smoak lined out to center to begin. Morales lined out to second but Martin singled to center. Travis whiffed to end the inning and Thornburg made a mad dash into the dugout after. The Sox struck again in the bottom of the sixth against Aaron Loup. Moreland walked and Pearce was plunked before Holt singled home Moreland. Jake Petricka came in and Nunez flied out to left. Leon banged into a double play to end the inning with the Sox ahead 5-2.

                                                 "Yeoooouchhhhh" - Pearce

Ryan Brasier came in to pitch the top of the seventh as Smith grounded out to third to begin. Diaz and Grichuk singled but Solarte banged into a double play to end the inning. Ryan Tepera came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and JBJ popped up to second to begin. Mr. Mookie walked but Bogaerts whiffed. Betts swiped second but was thrown out at third trying to steal another base to end the inning.

Heath Hembree got the call to pitch the top of the eighth and Hernandez whiffed to start. Smoak singled before Morales flied out to center. Martin and Travis singled to load the bases but Hembree blew away Smith to end the inning. Jaime Garcia came in for the bottom of the eighth and Martinez walked to begin. Moreland banged into a double play but Pearce walked. Holt walked but Chris Rowley came in to get Nunez to ground into a force to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in for the save in the top of the ninth. Curtis Granderson pinch hit for Diaz but flied out to center to start. Kimbrel blew away Grichuk then froze Solarte to end the game. The Sox had won 13 out of 14 and this game 5-2 to head into the break.

                                               Big win for the Sox


Hero of the Night is Brock Holt. The slumping Hitman was 2 for 3, knocking in 2 key runs to match the Blue Jays entire output while drawing a walk as well.

                                                      Hitman Hero



The Good:

Sandy Leon was 2 for 3 with a run scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 1 for 3 with an rbi and a run scored.

Brandon Workman got the win by retiring just one guy.

Tyler Thornburg pitched a scoreless 6th inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 7th inning.

Heath Hembree pitched a scoreless 8th inning.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 30th save by pitching a scoreless 9th inning.



The Bad:

Eduardo Nunez was 0 for 4.



The Ugly:

Mookie Betts was 0 for 3 but walked and stole a base.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored.

JD Martinez was 0 for 2 but walked twice and scored a run.

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3 but walked and scored.

Steve Pearce was 0 for 2 but walked and was hit by a pitch.

Brian Johnson lasted just 4 2/3 innings but allowed just 2 runs.




Final Thoughts:

The Sox are rolling heading into the all-star break. If the Sox end up winning the division in the end they can look back at winning 13 out of 14 after getting curbstomped in New York. Today's game was another example of lock down pitching and timely hitting. With Andrew Benintendi away, the bottom of the order had to step up and today they did. Holt, Leon, and Bradley got the big hits and the bullpen shut the Jays down. With the New York Yankees in an unexpected slump, the Sox managed to gain nearly 5 games on them since the first of the month. Its too bad Eduardo Rodriguez got hurt because he was the perfect fourth starter behind Chris Sale, David Price and Rick Porcello. The sooner they can get him back, the better. The win improved the Sox to 68-30, 4.5 games in front of the slumping Yankees for first place in the AL East. The season resumes this Friday in Detroit with a 3 game set with the Tigers. David Price (10-6) takes on Logan Boyd at 7:10 PM Eastern Time at Comerica Park.

Bogaerts Belts Walkoff Grand Slam Against Jays (7/14/18)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. Disgusted by Robby Scott's complete ineffectiveness, they demoted him to Pawtucket. Bobby Poyner, another lefty, has been added to the active roster in Scott's place so hopefully he'll be more effective.

                                                                        OUT

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As for the game, the Toronto Blue Jays had the Sox dead to rights going into the bottom of the ninth inning. However back to back doubles from Xander Bogaerts and Jackie Bradley Jr tied the game. One inning later it was Bogaerts who crushed a walkoff grand slam to help the Sox defeat the Jays for their 11th victory in 12 games. The Sox got some bad news when Eduardo Rodriguez re-injured his bad knee and had to leave the game. Still, the Sox have one game left before the All-Star break but they will go into it winners after their 6-2 victory in 10 innings at Fenway Park.

                                                        Bogaerts wins the game

Eduardo Rodriguez got the start for for the Sox in the top of the first and Lourdes Gurriel Jr singled to start.  Yangervis Solarte took strike three before Teoscar Hernandez whiffed. Justin Smoak grounded out to second to end the inning. Jays starter Sam Gaviglio gave up a leadoff single to Mr. Mookie Betts but Brock "The Hitman" Holt banged into a double play. JD Martinez grounded out to second to end the inning.

Kendrys Morales led off the top of the second with a base hit left but was erased on the Kevin Pillar force. Randal Grichuk singled but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. Aledmys Diaz whiffed to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts looked at strike three to start. Jackie Bradley Jr whiffed but Eduardo Nunez singled. Blake Swihart popped up to third to end the inning.

Rodriguez cruised in the top of the third as Luke Maile flied out to right to start. Gurriel Jr looked at strike three before Solarte grounded out to third to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the third as Sandy Leon flied out to right to start. Tzu-Wei Lin walked and Mr. Mookie singled, but Lin was doubled off second on a line drive to Pillar by Holt to end the inning.

Rodriguez was dominant in the top of the fourth as Hernandez flied out to center to begin. Smoak grounded out to first before Morales grounded out to short to end the inning. Dwight Smith took over for Pillar in the batting order but in right with Grichuk moving to center to start the bottom of the fourth. Martinez got the Sox on the board with a solo home run to left. Bogaerts flied out to right and that was it for Gaviglio. Tim Mayza came in and whiffed JBJ before Nunez popped up to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                               Martinez goes yard

Rodriguez mowed them down in the top of the fifth as Smith's bunt attempt was snuffed out by Eduardo to start. Grichuk popped up to first and Diaz grounded out to second to end the inning. The Sox threatened in the bottom of the fifth as Swihart lined out to right to begin. Leon whiffed but Lin singled and Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked. Holt whiffed on a full count to end the inning.

Tragedy struck in the top of the sixth although Maile looked at strike three to begin. Swihart lollygagged after a ground ball hit by Gurriel Jr and Rodriguez had to run over to cover the bag. Gurriel came in like a fright train causing Eduardo to have to barrell roll over him, blowing out his bad knee in the process. Rodriguez had to be carried out on a stretcher, loaded into an ambulance and headed to Brigham & Women's ICU after 5 2/3 innings of shutout ball.

                                                    Bye bye Rodriguez

Heath Hembree came in to pitch and he got Solarte to ground out to first, moving Gurriel Jr to second. Hernandez walked and Smoak flied out to center to end the inning. Luis Santos came in to pitch the bottom of the 6th and Martinez whiffed to start. Bogaerts grounded out to third before JBJ grounded out to second to end the inning.

Joe Kelly came in for the top of the seventh and he pissed down his leg. Morales singled and Smith doubled him to third but Grichuk failed to advance anyone by grounding out to third. Diaz grounded out to short but that scored Morales with the tying run. Maile walked and that was it for the incompetent Kelly. Matt Barnes came in and Gurriel Jr singled to score Smith with the go-ahead run. Solarte whiffed to end the inning but the Jays now led 2-1.

                                                  The Jays take the lead

The Sox failed to answer in the bottom of the seventh as Nunez flied out to left to begin. Swihart singled to right but Swihart was foolishly doubled off first on a liner to left off the bat of Leon to end the inning.

Barnes returned for the top of the eighth and got Hernandez to fly out to left to begin. Smoak whiffed but Morales and Smith drew back to back walks. Curtis Granderson pinch ran for Morales but Grichuk was rung up for strike three to end the inning. Joe Biagini came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth and Lin whiffed to start. Mr. Mookie beat out an infield single and a bad throw by Solarte moved him to second. Betts swiped third but Holt grounded out to second, failing to advance Mookie. Martinez whiffed to end the inning.

Brandon Workman came in to pitch the top of the ninth and Diaz grounded out to third to start. Maile whiffed and Gurriel Jr struck out swinging to end the inning. The Sox had one last chance to rally in the bottom of the ninth against closer Tyler Clippard and they wasted no time doing it. Bogaerts started with a double and JBJ doubled him home to tie the game. Nunez whiffed, Swihart flied out to center and Leon grounded out to third to end the inning with the game tied 2-2.

                                                  JBJ ties it up

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in to pitch the top of the tenth and he blew away Solarte to start. Hernandez whiffed but Smoak walked. Devon Travis ran for Smoak but Granderson lined out to right to end the inning. Chris Rowley was the victim of the 10th inning rally by the Sox although Lin grounded out to first to start. Gurriel Jr had moved to short in a defensive switch and he booted a ground ball by Mr. Mookie to start. Holt singled and Martinez was intentionally walked to get to Bogaerts. The X-Man made the Jays pay by crushing a 400 foot bomb to dead center to win the game with a walkoff grand slam. The Sox had won 11 out of 12 games and this one 6-2.

                                                     What a game


Hero of the Night is Xander Bogaerts. He scored the tying run in the 9th and delivered the walkoff grand slam in the 10th.

                                               Bogaerts the grand slammin Hero



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 4 with a walk, run scored and a stolen base.

Tzu-Wei Lin was 1 for 3 with a walk.

Eduardo Rodriguez tossed 5 1/3 shutout innings, allowing 4 hits while striking out 5.

Heath Hembree got the final two outs of the 6th inning.

Brandon Workman pitched a scoreless 9th.

Craig Kimbrel got the win with a scoreless 10th.



The Bad:

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with a strikeout.

Joe Kelly allowed 2 runs in just 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

Brock Holt was just 1 for 5 with a run scored.

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but the hit was a solo home run and he scored 2 total runs

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 4 but the one hit was a game tying double in the ninth.

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4.

Blake Swihart was just 1 for 4.

Matt Barnes allowed an inherited runner to score but none of his own in 1 1/3 innings.




Final Thoughts:

What a gutsy win by the Red Sox. The Jays pitching staff held them to one measly run for 8 innings but they rallied against Clippard and Bogaerts delivered the goods in the 10th. The Sox are winning every which way so a walkoff grand slam in extra innings just adds to the fun this season has been. This was the Sox 11th win in 12 games with one game left before the break. Something's wrong with Joe Kelly as he's been absolute garbage the past month. His fastball is 100 mph but its straight as an arrow. Maybe he needs time on the DL to get movement in his pitches back. With the New York Yankees creeping down their necks they need every win possible and they earned this one big time. The win improved the Sox to 67-30, 3.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow afternoon the Sox look to end the first half on a high note as Brian Johnson gets the start for the Sox up against Marcus Stroman. The game begins at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Jays Crush Sox, Snap Streak (7/13/18)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox announced Andrew Benintendi was sent home on Bereavement Leave after a death in his family. In his place Sam Travis has been called up from Pawtucket to take his place.

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                                                                       IN

As for the game, al good things must come to an end and the Red Sox ten game winning streak was snapped at the hands of the Toronto Blue Jays. "Slick" Rick Porcello (11-4, 4.13 ERA) got shelled for 8 runs allowed in just 2 innings, the bullpen was of no help late and though the Sox offense put up 7 runs, the Jays put 13 up with 14 hits. The streak was snapped as Toronto took the game 13-7 at Fenway Park.

Porcello did manage to get out of the top of the first unscathed as Curtis Granderson led off with a fly out to center. Lourdes Gurriel Jr grounded out to short but Yangervis Solarte singled. Justin Smoak took strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the first against starter Ryan Borucki as Mr. Mookie Betts led off with a triple over the head of Kevin Pillar. Brock "The Hitman" Holt whiffed and JD Martinez hit a perfect double play ball to Gurriel Jr...UNDER HIS GLOVE. Betts came around to score to give the Sox the lead. Xander Bogaerts whiffed and a passed ball moved Martinez to second but Mitch Moreland grounded out to second to end the inning with the Sox up 1-0.

                                                 Run Mookie! Run!

The Jays pounced on Porcello in the top of the second as Kendrys Morales and Russell Martin drew back to back walks before Pillar doubled home Morales to tie the game. Dwight Smith hit a sac fly to score Martin and advance Pillar to third before Devon Travis walked. Granderson whiffed but Gurriel Jr singled home Pillar to increase the Jays lead. Solarte grounded out to short to end the inning with the Jays ahead 3-1.

                                                      The Jays strike back

The Sox exploded in the bottom of the second although Eduardo Nunez grounded out to second to begin. Sam Travis walked and Gurriel Jr booted another grounder leading to Sandy Leon reaching. Jackie Bradley Jr singled to center and Travis booked it home. Pillar's throw sailed into the stands and Travis scored, Leon advancing to third on yet another error. Mr. Mookie then looked to have hit a three run homer but it was ruled a triple to score two runs. Holt singled home Mookie anyway but Martinez flied out to center. Borucki then tried to pick off Holt but threw the ball away and Holt not only stole second but took third as well. Bogaerts singled home Holt and Moreland walked. Nunez grounded out to second to end the inning but the Sox took advantage of 3 errors to take a 6-3 lead.

                                               The highlight of the night for the Sox

The Jays showed some balls to knock Porcello out in the top of the third inning as Smoak crushed a 400,000 foot home run to cut into the lead. Morales walked and Martin singled before Pillar doubled home both runners. Sox manager Alex Cora left Rick in one batter too long as Smith smashed a 13,000 foot blast to knock out Porcello and put the Jays up big. Porcello was pulled after giving up 8 earned runs in just 2 plus innings, yuck!

                                         "Get outta here before I give ya a slap!" - Cora

Hector "The Insurance Policy" Velazquez stopped the bleeding as Travis grounded out to short, Granderson whiffed and Gurriel Jr grounded out to third to end the inning but the Jays were up 8-6.

The Sox looked to rally when Travis doubled to start the bottom of the third but Leon and JBJ both whiffed. Mr. Mookie was intentionally walked and Holt took strike three to end the inning.

Velazquez returned for the top of the fourth and struck out Solarte to start. Smoak and Morales drew back to back walks but Martin whiffed. Pillar singled to load the bases but Smith grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox looked to get back in the game when Martinez singled to open the bottom of the fourth. Bogaerts drew a walk and Moreland singled home Martinez, advancing Moreland to third. The play of the game turned out to be when Jake Petricka relieved Borucki and got Nunez to pop up to second so the tying run couldn't score. Travis hit a grounder to first but Bogaerts was out at home. Leon walked to load the bases but JBJ grounded out to end the inning. After all that the Sox still trailed 8-7.

                                              "Just one run? Damn" - Bogaerts

Tyler Thornburg made a mad dash to the mound to pitch the top of the fifth and Travis whiffed to begin. Granderson whiffed but Gurriel Jr singled. Solarte grounded out to second to end the inning and Thornburg bolted into the dugout. Mr. Mookie singled to put the tying run on in the bottom of the fifth but Holt banged into a double play. Martinez doubled but Bogaerts whiffed to end the inning.

Ryan Brasier came in for the top of the sixth and Smoak flied out to right to begin. Morales grounded out to first but Martin walked. Pillar whiffed to end the inning. Aaron "Fruit" Loup came in for the bottom of the sixth and Moreland grounded back to the mound to start. John Axford came in and Nunez grounded out to short before Travis also grounded to short to end the inning.

Brasier came back for the top of the seventh and Smith flied out to center to begin. Travis grounded out to short and Granderson lined out to left to end the inning. Leon grounded back to the mound to start the bottom of the seventh before JBJ grounded out to third. Seunghwan Oh came in to get Mr. Mookie to line out to third to end the inning.

Joe Kelly came in for the top of the eighth and crapped his pants. Gurriel Jr was plunked and Solarte singled before a passed ball moved both runners over. Smoak singled home Gurriel Jr to increase their lead. That was it for Kelly as Robby Scott came in to pour gas on the fire. Morales hit a ground rule double to score Solarte but Smoak was thrown out at home on a force by Martin. Pillar singled home Morales to ice the game. Randal Grichuk pinch hit for Smith and whiffed before Travis hit one up the elevator shaft to end the inning with the Jays ahead 11-7

                                                        Nice going Kelly

Holt tried to rally the Sox with a leadoff double in the bottom of the eighth but Martinez and Bogaerts both struck out. Tom Mayza came in and got Moreland to ground out to second to end the inning.

Scott came back for a beating in the top of the ninth as he plunked Granderson to start. Gurriel Jr flied out to left but Holt forced Granderson at second when he dropped a pop up by Solarte. Aledmys Diaz pinch ran for Solarte but Smoak crushed a 160,000 foot home run to wrap up the scoring. Morales whiffed to end the inning but it was 13-7 Jays.

                                                 Smoak with another bomb

Tyler Clippard came in to pitch the bottom of the ninth and Nunez singled to start. Travis and Leon both whiffed before JBJ grounded out to first to end the game. The Jays had won the game 13-7.

Jackass of the Night is Robby Scott. He allowed 2 inherited runners to score and 2 of his own to put the Sox in a hole they couldn't get out of

                                            "Everything stinks." - Scott the Jackass



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 3 for 4 with a walk, 2 rbis and 2 runs scored.

Brock Holt was 2 for 5 with an rbi, stolen base and a run scored.

JD Martinez was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Hector Velazquez tossed 2 scoreless innings.

Tyler Thornburg pitched a scoreless 5th inning.

Ryan Brasier pitched a scoreless 6th inning.



The Bad:

Rick Porcello got hammered for 8 runs in just 2 innings on 7 hits, 4 walks and 2 longballs.

Joe Kelly faced 3 batters giving up 2 hits and a walk.



The Ugly:

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a hat trick of 3 strikeouts but walked and drove in a run.

Mitch Moreland was just 1 for 4 but walked and drove in a run.

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 5.

Sam Travis was just 1 for 4 but walked and scored.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.

Jackie Bradley Jr was just 1 for 5 but drove in a run and scored.




Final Thoughts:

Offensively the Sox kept on rolling but the pitching finally let them down. Scoring 7 runs usually means you win the game but giving up 13 is less than idea. The Sox were due for a stinkeroo after 10 straight wins so better now than the last game before the all-star break. Hopefully they can win the next two so they have momentum going into the break. Scott has been useless this season and Kelly has been struggling a lot this month. Porcello was due for a stinker so no sense ragging on him too much, some days you just don't have it. The less said of this disaster the better. The loss dropped the Sox to 66-30, 3.5 games ahead of the slumping New York Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox will look to bounce back tomorrow afternoon with Eduardo Rodriguez going up against Sam Gaviglio at 1:05 PM at Fenway Park.

Mookie Slam Leads To 10th Straight Win (7/12/18)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox had enough of Rafael Devers making one error after another and came up with an injury to get him off the team for a bit. He was placed on the Disabled List and Tzu-Wei Lin has been called up to replace him for the time being.

                                                                       OUT

                                                                     IN

As for the game, the Red Sox have won an amazing ten games in a row. Welcoming in the Toronto Blue Jays for a four game set before the all-star break, the Sox set the tone that they want momentum by beating the Jays tonight on the back of a clutch grand slam by Mookie Betts. Trailing 2-1 to JA Happ in the bottom of the fifth, Betts worked a 12 pitch at bat before crushing the 13th pitch onto Lansdowne Street for a grand slam. That blow proved to be the difference in the game as the Sox won their 10th in a row with a 6-4 win at Fenway Park.

 

                                            Alexander Hamilton approves of the win

David Price (10-6, 4.42 ERA) got the start for the Sox and the Jays immediately tagged him. Randal Grichuk whiffed to begin but Lourdes Gurriel Jr doubled. Justin Smoak whiffed but Teoscar Hernandez crushed a 400,000 foot home run into the Atlantic Ocean to give the Jays the lead. Kendrys Morales whiffed to end the inning but it was 2-0 Jays.

                                                   The Jays strike first

Happ got the ball in the bottom of the first as Mr. Mookie Betts lined out to center to begin. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to second but JD Martinez singled. Steve Pearce was plunked but Xander Bogaerts was frozen for strike three to end the inning.

Price settled down in the top of the second as Russell Martin grounded out to third to begin. Kevin Pillar whiffed but Devon Travis singled to third when Nunez misplayed the ball. Travis ran to second and Nunez gunned him down to end the inning. Happ cruised in the bottom of the second as Brock "The Hitman" Holt looked at strike three to begin. Nunez grounded out to second but Leon whiffed to end the inning.

All of a sudden Pearce crumpled to the ground and had to be hauled off on a gurney, loaded into an ambulance and headed to Mass General's ICU. Blake Swihart replaced him and Aledmys Diaz led off the top of the third by striking out swinging. Grichuk lined out to right but Gurriel Jr singled. Smoak grounded onto a force to end the inning.  JBJ singled and stole second to begin the bottom of the third then moved to third on the Mr. Mookie grounder. Benintendi and Martinez both whiffed to end the inning.

Price kept pace in the top of the fourth as Hernandez flied out to right to start. Morales grounded back to the mound and Martin looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox took the lead in the bottom of the fourth although Swihart whiffed to start. Bogaerts singled and Holt reached on a botched force attempt at second. Nunez singled to load the bases and Bogaerts scored on the Leon grounder. JBJ walked to load the bases to set the stage for Betts vs Happ. After 12 pitches Happ hung a meatball and Mr. Mookie crushed it onto Lansdowne Street much to Sox analyst Dennis Eckersley's delight for a grand slam. That was it for Happ as Joe Biagini came in to strike out Benintendi to end the inning but it was 5-2 Sox.

                                                       Grand Slam Betts

Price kept the lead intact in the top of the fifth as Pillar lined out to center to begin. Travis singled but Diaz whiffed. Grichuk grounded into a force to end the inning. The Sox did nothing in the bottom of the fifth as Martinez grounded out to third to start. Swihart lined out to center and Bogaerts popped up to first to end the inning.

Price cruised in the top of the sixth as Gurriel Jr lined out to left to open the frame. Smoak grounded out to short and Hernandez whiffed to end the inning. Biagini cruised in the bottom of the sixth as Holt flied out to center to start. Nunez grounded out to short and Leon whiffed to end the inning.

Price got chased in the top of the seventh as Morales blasted a 15,000 foot home run to cut the lead to begin. Martin grounded out to third and Pillar popped up to first and that was it for Price. Sox manager Alex Cora felt Price had given him enough and lifted him after 6 2/3 innings of 3 run ball.

                                                  Price bounces back with a good effort.

Brandon Workman came in and Travis singled before Yangervis Solarte pinch hit for Siza only to line out to right to end the inning. John Axford came in to pitch the bottom of the seventh and the Sox got some much needed insurance.  JBJ doubled, took third on a wild pitch and scored on the Mr. Mookie base hit. Benintendi grounded into a double play and Martinez whiffed to end the inning but it was 6-3 Sox.

                                                Betts does it again

Matt Barnes came in for the top of the eighth and he got tagged. Grichuk singled to start but Gurriel Jr flied out to center. Smoak doubled to center to score Grichuk then Hernandez singled Smoak to third to bring the tying run to the plate. Curtis Granderson pinch ran for Smoak but Barnes blew away Morales for the big out. Martin whiffed to end the inning with the Sox ahead 6-4.

                                              "Take that Martin!" - Barnes

Luke Maile replaced Hernandez in the batting order but took over at catcher with Martin moving to third. Solarte went from third to first and Seunghwan Oh came in to pitch the bottom of the eighth. Swihart doubled and moved to third on the Bogaerts grounder. Holt whiffed and Nunez lined out to right to end the inning.

Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel came in for the save in the top of the ninth with Mitch Moreland now at first base. Pillar grounded out to third to begin but Travis singled and took second on the wild pitch. Solarte grounded out to third and Grichuk flied out to right to end the game. The Sox had won 10 games in a row including this one 6-4.

                                                  10th win in a row


Hero of the Night is Mookie Betts. His grand slam proved to be the difference in the game and he drove in 5 of the 6 runs the team scored.

                                                     Mr. Hero


The Good:

Steve Pearce was hit with a pitch before leaving.

Blake Swihart was 1 for 3.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 2 for 2 with a walk and 2 runs scored.

David Price allowed 3 runs in 6 2/3 innings to earn the win while striking out 8.

Brandon Workman got the final out of the 7th inning.

Craig Kimbrel pitched a scoreless 9th inning to earn his 29th save.



The Bad:

Andrew Benintendi was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Brock Holt was 0 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Matt Barnes allowed a run in the 8th inning.



The Ugly:

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 with 2 strikeouts.

Xander Bogaerts was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Eduardo Nunez was just 1 for 4 with a run scored.

Sandy Leon was 0 for 3 with 2 strikeouts but walked and scored.



Honorable Mention:

Mitch Moreland played first base in the top of the ninth.




Final Thoughts:

That was a big win considering they needed to hold on to beat the Jays to run their streak to 10. They blitzed through the league the last two weeks and if they keep up this pace they may set a major league record for wins. Who would have thought the Sox would go on the win streak after the New York Yankees knocked them out of first place. The Sox offense has been clicking and the pitching has been lock down. Mookie's grand slam off Happ could put him in contention for AL MVP considering the circumstances. Good luck to any team trying to knock off the Sox after the All-Star break. Price, Rick Porcello and Chris Sale have been great lately. Let's see how far they can take the streak. The win improved the Sox to 66-29, 3.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. The Sox look to make it 11 in a row tomorrow night when "Slick" Rick Porcello (11-3) takes on Ryan Borucki at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.

Sale Dazzles Rangers, Win Streak at 9 (7/11/8)

Before the game the Boston Red Sox made a roster move. With Jalen "Twin" Beeks proving to be ineffective, the Sox shipped him back to Pawtucket for further seasoning. He just couldn't get it done while he was up here. In his place the Sox recalled lefty Robby Scott for another go around.

                                                                      OUT

                                                                            IN

As for the game, the Red Sox are on fire, winning their 9th straight game and completing their third consecutive series sweep. This time the victims were the Texas Rangers. Chris Sale (10-4, 2.23 ERA) continued his march toward the Cy Young award with another gem. He pitched 7 shutout innings while striking out 12 batters as the Sox got some timely offense from their big guns. When it was over the Sox had won their 9th game in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Rangers at Fenway Park.

                                                      The Mayor approves of the win

Sale began his dominance in the top of the first inning as Delino DeShields Jr took strike three to start. Elvis Andrus doubled but Nomar Mazara whiffed. Adrian Beltre grounded out to third to end the inning. The ageless Bartolo Colon got the start for Texas in the bottom of the first and Mr. Mookie Betts greeted him with a single. Andrew Benintendi grounded out to third but Mookie moved to second although JD Martinez whiffed. Mitch Moreland flied out to center to end the inning.

Sale got Rougned Odor to fly out to left to begin the top of the second before Jurickson Profar grounded out to first. Robinson Chirinos singled but Joey Gallo looked at strike three to end the inning. The Sox struck first in the bottom of the second as Xander Bogaerts singled and took second when Colon threw a pickoff throw away. Brock "The Hitman" Holt grounded out but Bogaerts moved to third and he scored when Odor booted a grounder by Eduardo Nunez. Sandy Leon popped up to short and Jackie Bradley Jr grounded back to the mound but it was 1-0 Sox.

                                                    Nunez gets lucky

Sale kept pace in the top of the third as Ryan Rua whiffed to start. DeShields Jr popped up to first and Andrus flied out to center to end the inning. The Sox looked to rally when Mr. Mookie walked and Benintendi singled to start. The rally ended as Martinez banged into a double play. Moreland walked but Bogaerts grounded out to third to end the inning.

Sale kept the Rangers down in the top of the fourth as Mazara grounded out to second to begin. Beltre singled but Odor looked at strike three. Profar grounded out to short to end the inning. Colon cruised in the bottom of the fourth as Holt grounded out to short to begin. Nunez grounded out to short and Leon whiffed to end the inning.

Sale turned up the heat in the top of the fifth although he walked Chirinos to start. Sale froze both Gallo and Rua before DeShields Jr whiffed to end the inning. The Sox iced the game in the bottom of the fifth although JBJ lined out to right to begin. Mr. Mookie and Benintendi stroked back to back singles and Martinez doubled both of them home. Moreland looked at strike three but Bogaerts tripled home Martinez. Holt popped up to third to end the inning but it was 4-0 Sox.

                                               The Sox tack it on

Sale got in trouble in the top of the sixth when Andrus doubled and Mazara singled him to third to put runners at the corners with nobody out. Sale showed some balls by striking out Beltre and getting Odor to bang into a double play to end the inning. Things got strange as Nunez singled to right to begin the bottom of the sixth but was thrown out at second trying to stretch a double. DeShields Jr keeled over and had to leave the game, being replaced by Ronald Guzman. Leon singled but JBJ flied out to center. Mr. Mookie grounded out to short to end the inning.

Sale returned for one final inning in the top of the seventh and Profar singled to start. Chirinos and Gallo whiffed although Profar took second on a passed ball. Rua whiffed to end the inning with Sale tossing 7 innings of shutout ball while striking out 12.

                                                         Sale dazzles again

Jake Diekman took over for Colon in the bottom of the seventh and blew away the Sox. Benintendi was frozen for strike three, Martinez whiffed and Moreland whiffed as well to end the inning.

Heath Hembree took over for the top of the eighth and crapped his pants. Guzman whiffed but Andrus singled. Andrus stole second and a wild pitch moved him to third before he scored on the Mazara single. Beltre whiffed but Odor doubled. Profar walked to load the bases and that was it for Hembree. Craig "The Buzzard" Kimbrel was brought in for the four out save but he walked Chirinos to start, forcing in Mazara. Kimbrel blew away Gallo to end the inning but it was 4-2 Sox.

                                                     "I hate bases loaded situations" - Kimbrel

Jesse Chavez had the bottom of the eighth and Bogaerts singled to start. Holt banged into a double play but Nunez singled. Leon grounded out to second to end the inning.

Kimbrel came back for the save in the top of the ninth and froze Rua to start. Kimbrel blew away Guzman and Andrus to end the game. The Sox had won their 9th in a row with a 4-2 win.

                                                       Kimbrel saves another one


Hero of the Night is Chris Sale. He shut out the Rangers for 7 innings, allowing just 6 hits while striking out 12.

                                                       Sale is a Hero again



The Good:

Mookie Betts was 2 for 3 with a walk and a run scored.

Andrew Benintendi was 2 for 4 with a run scored.

Xander Bogaerts was 3 for 4 with an rbi and a run scored.

Eduardo Nunez was 2 for 4.

Craig Kimbrel earned his 28th save with 1 1/3 scoreless innings.



The Bad:

Brock Holt was 0 for 4.

Jackie Bradley Jr was 0 for 3.

Heath Hembree allowed 2 runs in 2/3 of an inning.



The Ugly:

JD Martinez was just 1 for 4 but drove in 2 runs and scored.

Mitch Moreland was 0 for 3 with a walk.

Sandy Leon was just 1 for 4.




Final Thoughts:

Who would have thought after the Sox limped out of New York 10 days ago that it would be Boston to go on a run, not the Yankees. The Sox went from percentage points behind the Yankees on July 1st to up 3.5 games in just 10 days. They've done it with great pitching and great offense. Tonight the offense was more timely but Sale and Kimbrel were lock down. The Sox need every win they can get with the Yankees breathing down their necks. The rest of the American League is beginning to fall in the rear view mirror but the Yankees just aren't going away. Sale looks like a lock for the Cy Young if he can keep healthy and its up to David Price and Rick Porcello to keep up their effectiveness. The Sox have 4 games left to the All-Star break and winning all four looks impossible but 3 out of 4 would be a great goal. The win improved the Sox to 65-29, 3.5 games ahead of the Yankees for first place in the AL East. Tomorrow night the Sox start a 4 game set with the Toronto Blue Jays at home to finish off the first half of the season. David Price (9-6) goes for the Sox up against JA Happ at 7:10 PM at Fenway Park.