Jean Machi (1-0) got one out for the win.
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Toronto jumped on Adam Warren (6-7) with a three-run first. Money talks in the free agent game and the Red Sox front office should be ready to open up the checkbooks after shuffling through the bargain discount bin for pitching last offseason.
Pittsburgh starter A.J. Burnett (9-5) cruised through the first four innings before an error in the fifth preceded Tom Murphy’s three-run homer that made it 5-3.
The team started the night by celebrating longtime Red Sox slugger David Ortiz hitting his 500th career home run.
Dallas Keuchel (18-8) pitched 7 2-3 solid innings to remain undefeated at home this season. “The changeup was a great secondary pitch today, and he was throwing it at any time in any count”. The victory put the Astros within a game of first-place Texas in the AL West.
Pedroia failed to capitalize on a scoring chance with a pair of runners in scoring position and two out in the seventh, grounding out to squash the rally for Boston (72-79).
Tampa Bay increased its lead in the eighth.
Pedroia saw six pitches before grounding to shortstop. He gave up six runs in three-plus innings.
The Cubs inched closer to a NL playoff berth as their magic number to clinch fell to four. All I do is hit singles. Even though Porcello gave up more than 10 hits, he only earned two runs and struck out eight batters.
Bogaerts hit an RBI double high off the Green Monster, but the Rays’ skipper wasn’t ready to proclaim him Boston’s most unsafe hitter just yet. Since returning from the injury, he’s 3-1 with a 4.06 ERA over seven starts. Marrero pinch-running for Ortiz. Porcello took to the mound and ended up giving up the Rays first run.
OF Mikie Mahtook now in his sixth stint in the majors this season, hit a two-run home run Tuesday and is batting.391 (18-for-46) since being recalled on September 1.
Red Sox eighth. Guyer in as left fielder.
Porcello has had far from a career year in 2015, but he’s improved in the back half of the season, going 4-4 with 49 strikeouts and a 3.65 ERA since the All-Star break. 3B Pablo Sandoval missed his second straight game with a respiratory infection.
There was the leadoff double followed by the one-out walk and then another walk to load the bases, and before the first inning was over, Matt Moore had thrown 32 pitches, allowed two runs and appeared headed for a short night.
There’s no sugar coating it, 2014 was a bad year for Bogaerts. Just five hits and three walks were all the offense – minus their two big offseason signings – could muster up against Drew Smyly and the Rays bullpen. But you would have told yourself that this thought was simply a result of staying up past your bedtime for a late West Coast game.
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Johnson (3-0) allowed a long ball to Alex Avila and a sacrifice fly to Ian kinsler. Mostly because very little makes me giggle more than seeing Mets fans suffer derangement syndrome over a given Braves hitter at any given time.
