A night after hitting two home runs, Mookie Betts scored ahead of both Bradley and Leon.
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With a two-game series sweep in Baltimore on Tuesday and Wednesday, the Red Sox leapfrogged the Orioles into second place in the AL East standings, just one game behind first-place Toronto. The Red Sox needed something positive to happen again, after starter Eduardo Rodriguez left the game with an injury and the bullpen allowed the Orioles to tie the game. Oriole hitters were not able to get their first base hit of the ballgame until the seventh inning on an infield hit by first baseman Steve Pearce. This is where’s Ross’ “freakish” description fits best: In five games in Baltimore, Betts is 10-for-21 (.476) with seven of those hits leaving the yard. The Orioles then tied the game on a two-run single by Matt Wieters and a bases-loaded walk to Adam Jones in the seventh.
The feel-good vibe didn’t last long, unfortunately. With one man on base, Betts destroyed the second pitch, a 94-mph fastball from reliever Brad Bach, sending it to left field bleachers for a 5-3 lead. After he gave up a second-inning solo homer to Chris Davis that cleared everything in right field and landed on Eutaw Street, Jackie Bradley Jr. swatted a two-run homer, his 20th of the season and a career high at any professional level to restore a 3-1 lead in the third inning.
Rodriguez and Yovani Gallardo were locked in a scoreless duel until the fifth. Between the offensive surge especially from young star Mookie Betts the Sox have also seen some surprising starts from their pitchers. It was Kang’s 14th home run this season and third in four games.
Last night’s game between the Red Sox and the Baltimore Orioles was a great example of how Betts has been ripping his bat through the strike zone with lightning speed and accuracy.
Tomase’s piece has more, including the Tigers’ past recent history of early Thursday start times, which GM Al Avila says are popular among Detroit fans, thus the unwillingness to change.
Red Sox: 3B Aaron Hill was scratched shortly before game time with right forearm tightness.
“We didn’t pitch particularly well in certain spots”, manager Buck Showalter conceded.
In the opener, Trevor Cahill made his first start in almost 16 months and pitched five scoreless innings. He’s made 25 starts this season and sits at 15-4 with a 3.46 ERA in 151 innings. The other: A 2-1 win over Seattle on June 19.
But the Red Sox routed the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday, then squeaked by the AL Central-leading Cleveland Indians for a one-run win Monday afternoon at Progressive Field.
Raul Mondesi, Alex Gordon and Eric Hosmer all homered off Justin Verlander (12-7), while Kendrys Morales went deep off Mark Lowe.
Jarrod Saltalamacchia homered for Detroit’s only run. The Tigers have lost seven of nine. He gave up four straight hits, three of which were doubles.
Gallardo gave up three runs on four hits in five innings, all of the runs coming on the Betts homer in the fifth.
With two outs in the eighth, Jefry Marte turned on a 97 miles per hour fastball from Arquimedes Caminero (2-3) and it drove into the stands to tie it 6-6.
The streak ended in the seventh, the lone inning the bullpen ran into trouble.
YANKEES: Nathan Eovaldi might never throw another pitch for the New York Yankees.
Choo has been limited to 45 games with calf and hamstring strains and lower back inflammation.
Cincinnati’s Anthony DeSclafani responded to his first loss of the season by giving up only two runs and no walks in six innings to guide the Reds past Miami 6-3.
GIANTS: San Francisco and 41-year-old right-hander Joe Nathan agreed to a minor league contract. Price came back to strike out Machado for the first out of the inning.
CARDINALS: Leftfielder Matt Holliday will have surgery today to stabilize the fracture in his right thumb and could miss the rest of the season.
Kenta Maeda (12-7) allowed two runs and three hits in six innings.
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It was convincing. And after a 1:17 wait, it was official.
