G100: Tigers 5, Red Sox 0

Red Sox - 000 000 000 - 0  8  1
Tigers  - 020 003 00x - 5  7  0

Jose Iglesias drove in four runs with a double and a home run. The Red Sox squandered several chances against Mike Fiers (6.1-7-0-3-6, 99) and reliever Alex Wilson.

This brisk game was played in 2:27, more than one hour faster (64 minutes) than last night's contest. It was the fourth fastest game the Red Sox have played this season; three of those four games were played on a Saturday - coincidence*?

Despite the loss, the Red Sox have won 13 of their last 15 games and 18 of their last 22.

Fiers breezed through the first two innings on only 17 pitches. In the bottom half, Victor Martinez reached with one out on Rafael Devers's 20th error of the season (Xander Bogaerts has the next-most errors on the team (5)). Jeimer Candelario singled to right. With two outs and a 2-2 count, Iglesias lined a two-run double into the left field corner.

In the third, Mookie Betts robbed Leonys Martin of a home run with a leaping catch in right-center.

Bogaerts had a frustrating day at the plate. He went 0-for-4 and made the third out in every inning in which he batted. In the third, Blake Swihart and Andrew Benintendi had drawn walks. Bogaerts grounded up the middle, but second baseman Niko Goodrum was in the right spot to make the play. Mookie Betts and Benintendi singled with two down in the fifth, giving Boston men at first and third. Bogaerts struck out on three fastballs (he also fanned on three pitches to end the first). Then, in the seventh, after the Tigers had increased their lead to 5-0, Betts and Benintendi again came through with hits and the Red Sox again had men at first and third, this time with only one out. Wilson came out of the bullpen and after Bogaerts looked at a strike, he grounded into a 5-4-3 double play.

The Red Sox left 10 men on base (012 122 101).

Brian Johnson (5-5-2-0-5, 77) allowed two unearned runs in the second and he escaped a jam in the fourth after giving up two singles with one out. Tyler Thornburg replaced him on the mound in the sixth. He walked John Hicks and gave up a single to Martinez. Hicks went to third on that hit and scored on Candelario's sac fly to left. Martinez also tagged and advanced on the fly and then he went to third on Thornburg's wild pitch. With two outs, Iglesias homered to left for two more runs.

AL East: The Yankees beat the Mets 7-6. Aroldis Chapman was entrusted to hold a four-run lead in the top of the ninth, but as the Post put it, he "turned into Mitch Williams". 16 of his 19 pitches were balls: BB on full count, 1B on 1-0 count, 4-pitch BB, 4-pitch BB (7-4), HBP on 2-0 count (7-5). Chasen Shreve got a double play (7-6). The Mets had the tying run at third, but Wilmer Flores grounded back to the pitcher. The Yankees are 4.5 GB. (Chapman saw "nothing to worry about".)

*: Yes.

Brian Johnson / Mike Fiers

Betts, RF
Benintendi, LF
Bogaerts, SS
Moreland, 1B
Pearce, DH
Devers, 3B
Nunez, 2B
Bradley, CF
Swihart, C

Rafael Devers is back with the team.

Drew Pomeranz will start against the lowly Orioles next Tuesday in Baltimore. Manager Alex Cora:

I think he cleaned up a few things mechanically. In the last one, he made some adjustments on the rubber. He feels he can compete with what he has right now. Velocity was OK, 88-91 (mph), but the difference is he was able to throw strikes. He was very efficient. ... I was watching and he was rolling, I was like, Yeah man this looks great. ... He knows where we're at. He knows that we need him. ... He'll be OK.

AL East: Mets/MFY, 1 PM. New York began the day 5.5 GB.