It was a strategy that worked for Fulmer against the Red Sox and their ageless slugger back in July, but this time they were prepared for it.
Advertisement
The Red Sox are coming off a hard lose to the Tigers yesterday, but tonight Rick Porcello takes the mound in his first return to Detroit since being traded to the Sox in 2014. “There wasn’t a lot of activity in the dugout because we didn’t have a lot of offense going on”. The Tigers have won all four meetings with the Red Sox this season, with the last three games being decided by 1 run. “Give him credit – he threw well and he’s having a really good year, plus I’m sure he had a little extra incentive coming back here”. “That’s all we need”.
As the final score indicates, Porcello and the Red Sox got the best of Fulmer and the Tigers.
Pomeranz used a fastball, cutter and his signature curveball to carve up the Tigers over five innings of work. David Ortiz’s pinch-hit single put men on first and second with one out, and Xander Bogaerts moved the runners over with a groundout.
“I think you want to come out here and be aggressive [against] a very aggressive pitcher who attacks the strike zone”, Jackie Bradley Jr. said on facing Fulmer.
– Pomeranz had a great night on the mound, until the rain started falling.
Norris ran into trouble again in the third when Dustin Pedroia and Zander Bogaerts singled, bringing up Ortiz with no outs.
Uncharacteristically, Betts grounded into a tailor-made double play.
“Playing eight, nine years here, it made me proud, because you don’t see that too often right now because all the trades, the situation around baseball”, Cabrera said. “Of course I knew (it was gone)”. Wright said he won’t be able to; manager John Farrell said that hasn’t been determined. Farrell’s strategy this time: A quick trigger.
The two starting pitchers at Comerica Park on Friday had something in common: They were both traded for Yoenis Cespedes. But the attempt to get two out of Hembree would backfire when J.D. Martinez continued to give the Red Sox all sorts of trouble, cleaning out the very next pitch for a solo shot to left, bringing the Tigers within one. Heath Hembree worked through the sixth without trouble, then even got Victor Martinez out to start the seventh.
Matt Barnes received similar treatment in the eighth.
Robinson went the other way through the left side of the infield off Johnson (2-6) for his second hit of the game to go with two walks.
However, Norris got a fielder’s choice play at third to end the inning.
But with two on, two out and Miguel Cabrera up, Kimbrel entered the game for his first career matchup against the two-time American League MVP. Cabrera swung through a 98-mph heater and then Kimbrel went to the curveball.
Eric Hosmer, who was the only Kansas City starter without a hit, delivered the winning single in the 11th inning as the Royals outlasted Minnesota.
Advertisement
CUBS 9, BREWERS 6 (at Chicago) – Kris Bryant homered twice, doubled and drove in five runs while going 5-for-5 and Chicago overcame Jake Arrieta’s career-high seven walks to beat Milwaukee for a four-game sweep.
