Clearly, the Red Sox need a jolt.
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Porcello became the majors’ first 18-game victor and the first Red Sox pitcher in 70 years to open a season 13-0 in Fenway Park, going seven solid innings in Boston’s 9-4 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday night.
Steven Wright is scheduled to be on the mound for the first time in his career against Tampa Bay.
With two outs, Abad allowed another walk and John Farrell chose to bring in Junichi Tazawa for the final out, Forsythe.
He surrendered a two-run homer to Logan Forsythe on a 73-mph hanging knuckler in the second, and a solo shot to Logan Morrison in the fourth inning on a 69-mph pitch that looked identical. Travis Shaw, Aaron Hill and Brock Holt, who have rotated at third, are batting a combined.186/.265/.309 in the second half.
The Red Sox extended the lead to 6-4 when Jackie Bradley Jr. homered in the sixth off reliever Kevin Jepsen. Groome started twice in the GCL, allowing one run on three hits over four innings and struck out eight without a walk.
Since moving to the leadoff spot August 10, Pedroia’s hit.458 (33 for 72).
Kimbrel pitched a flawless ninth for his 24th save. “And then he dialed it up pretty good”.
“Given where things are shaping up, a series win here is a big one”, Farrell said.
Maile tied it with a two-run homer to left with two outs in the seventh. So, too, was Brad Ziegler, who was not at the ballpark, dealing with a nasty case of the flu. Manager John Farrell said he would fly on his own to the West Coast “to keep him away from others. being so contagious”.
Red Sox: OF Andrew Benintendi has been fitted for a brace for his sprained left knee.
Odor tied a career high with five RBI, and Adrian Beltre and Ryan Rua also homered. He could even win well over 20 games on the year.
The Rangers matched the 1999 and 2012 Texas teams as the fastest to reach 80 wins.
Erasmo Ramirez (7-10) gave up Hill’s single and an RBI double by Bradley in the eighth. He had two sacrifice flies Monday night.
Porcello gave up three runs in seven innings to help the Red Sox top the Rays as he earned his MLB-leading 18th win in the process.
Porcello hasn’t pitched in Texas since 2014, when he threw a complete-game, three-hit shutout as a member of the Tigers.
Jones hit a leadoff double in the ninth against David Robertson (4-3) and advanced to third on Jarrod Saltalamacchia’s deep flyball.
It’s little wonder, then, that Farrell has tried to move the Red Sox’s internal discussions beyond the initial notion of using Moncada strictly as a pinch-runner and occasional pinch-hitter from the left side of the plate.
Jonathan Schoop started the game-winning rally with a two-out walk off Jason Grilli (4-2). The left-hander had lost his initial two home starts since being acquired from Tampa Bay. “My pitch count was up, so in my head I was just thinking attack, go right at them and see how long you can last”.
He hurt the shoulder August 6 diving back into second base as a pinch runner in Los Angeles vs. the Dodgers.
Nationals starting pitcher Tanner Roark tossed seven scoreless innings with five strikeouts in a win against the Phillies. Pedroia opened the first with a single but thrown out stealing.
Pomeranz permitted three runs on five hits in 6 2/3 innings.
Marlins outfielder Ichiro Suzuki went two-for-four in a loss against the Mets. The players spent batting practice on the field, meeting the Mets’ players before Cuomo presented the team with an official New York State proclamation.
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A group of 29 players, coaches, parents and siblings took the three-hour bus ride from Endwell to Citi Field.
