September 4, 2019

G139: Red Sox 6, Twins 2

Twins   - 000 000 020 - 2  8  0
Red Sox - 130 002 00x - 6  9  0
Mookie Betts went 4-for-5, with two first-pitch home runs. He drove in five runs and Eduardo Rodriguez threw seven shutout innings (7-5-0-4-8, 113) as the Red Sox coasted on Wednesday night.

The Red Sox turned three double plays, including one to end the game after Darwizon Hernandez walked two Twins with one out in the ninth. Brandon Workman came in got Nelson Cruz to ground a 2-1 pitch back to the mound. Workman started the 1-4-3 twin(s) killing.

After Rodriguez struck out the side in the top of the first, Betts hit José Berríos's first pitch of the game (an inside fastball at 93) over the Wall in left-center (#24). Xander Bogaerts singled and Andrew Benintendi walked later in the inning, but they were left on base.

In the second, Christian Vázquez singled with one out and Jackie Bradley drew a walk. Betts crushed Berríos's first offering (a curveball at 82 that broke right over the plate) over everything in left-center (#25). (Betts came into the game 0-for-his-last-9.)

Betts singled with two outs in the fourth (but he took ball 1 before doing so). In the sixth, Brock Holt singled and Mitch Moreland walked. Vázquez doubled to left, scoring Holt and sending 2-Bags to third. Ryne Harper relieved Berríos and faced only one batter, getting Jackie Bradley for the second out. Cody Shashak got a called strike on Betts before Mookie singled to left, scoring another run.

Betts batted in the eighth with two outs and a man on first, but he lined out to pitcher Brusdar Graterol.

Also: Reds reliever Michael Lorenzen blew the save in the top of the eighth, hit a two-run homer in the bottom of the eighth, and played center field in the top of the ninth. The Reds beat the Phillies 8-5 and Lorenzen became the first player to get the win, hit a home run, and play in the field since Babe Ruth did it on June 13, 1921. Ruth started and pitched five innings (5-5-4-7-1) before replacing Chicken Hawks in center field; he hit two home runs.

AL Wild Card: TBR/OAK –, CLE 0.5, BOS 5.5.
José Berríos / Eduardo Rodriguez
Betts, RF
Devers, 3B
Bogaerts, SS
Martinez, DH
Benintendi, LF
Holt, 2B
Moreland, 1B
Vázquez, C
Bradley, CF

AL Wild Card: TBR/CLE/OAK –, BOS 5.5.

4 comments:

the bus driver said...

Chicken Hawks!

the bus driver said...

From BR's bullpen page: Fans sometimes enjoy putting Chicken Hawks on an "all animal team", with players such as Rabbit Maranville, Spider Jorgensen, Rob Deer, Mule Haas, and others. LMAO!

allan said...

Chicken Hawks!

Not to be confused with Chicken Wolf.

the bus driver said...

Well there you go, another member of the all animal team! He supplants them all I think. Even his real name is really badass: William Van Winkle Wolf.