Red Sox - 000 000 000 000 2 - 2 14 0 Rays - 000 000 000 000 0 - 0 3 0Rusney Castillo (3-for-4) drove in the game's only two runs with a bases-loaded single in the top of the 13th inning.
Before that, however, Rich Hill (7-1-0-1-10, 109) was superb. The lefty allowed only four baserunners in seven innings: a two-out walk in the second, an infield single by J.P. Arencibia in the third, an HBP later on in the third, and an HBP to open the fifth.
Tampa Bay had only two runners past first base through the first 11 innings. With one out in the bottom of the 12th, Steven Souza doubled down the left field line. After Heath Hembree walked pinch-hitter John Jaso intentionally, he got James Loney to ground into a 6-4-3 double play.
In the top of the 13th, facing lefty Enny Romero, Dustin Pedroia and Xander Bogaerts lashed one-out, line-drive singles to center. After a meeting at the mound, Travis Shaw grounded a single into right - and the Red Sox had the bases loaded. The Rays called on righty Andrew Bellatti and brought the infield in. Castillo took a strike and lined a single to left that scored both FY and a hard-charging XB. Allen Craig (when your DH is slugging .167, you know you are playing out the string) ended the inning by hitting into a double play.
Robbie Ross was given the task of closing it out in the home half of the 13th. After quickly retiring the first two batters, Ross gave up a single to Grady Sizemore. It was a minor hiccup, though, and Ross struck out Asdrubal Cabrera.
Mookie Betts went 3-for-6, extending his hitting streak to 18 games. ... Castillo was on base four times: two singles, double, walk. ... Bogaerts singled twice and walked. ... Deven Marrero and Pedroia also had two hits. ... The Red Sox struck out 19 times against starter Drew Smyly (6-4-0-2-11, 97) and five relievers.
Betts, CFRich Hill will start a major league game for the first time in six years this afternoon. Hill made 13 starts for Baltimore in 2009, before becoming a reliever for the Red Sox (2010-12), Cleveland (2013), Angels (2014), and Yankees (2014). In five starts for Pawtucket this season, Hill has a 2.78 ERA.
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Shaw, 1B
Castillo, LF
Craig, DH
Marrero, 3B
Leon, C
Bradley, RF
Jon Shestakofsky @Shesta_Sox:
ReplyDeleteOnly twice since 1972 have the Red Sox scored a game's 1st run in the 13th inning or later. Both games were in Tampa Bay (today & 7/17/11).
Rich Hill, who was born in Boston, owns the best ERA in Red Sox history at 0.93 (min. 15.0 IP) .
Rich Hill joins Hideo Nomo (2001 no-hitter) as only pitchers with 10+ SO and 1 or 0 hits allowed in 1st start as a Red Sox (last 100 years).
Two more:
ReplyDeleteMookie Betts is the 2nd Red Sox with at least 20 HR and 20 SB in a career before turning 23 years old. The other is HOF'er Tris Speaker.
Only Four Players have at least 500 HR and 3 World Series Championships:
Babe Ruth
Mickey Mantle
Reggie Jackson
David Ortiz