the joy of sox: G60: Red Sox 9, Astros 3

June 3, 2018

G60: Red Sox 9, Astros 3

Red Sox - 200 013 012 - 9 15  2
Astros  - 100 000 200 - 3  5  0

Brock Holt's two-run triple in the sixth inning gave Boston the breathing room of a 5-1 lead. He finished the night with three RBI. Mitch Moreland hit a two-run homer in the first and had two singles and a walk later on. Sam Travis drove in two runs in the ninth when he pinch-hit for J.D. Martinez. Rick Porcello (6.1-5-3-2-5, 88) pitched six fantastic innings.

Andrew Benintendi doubled to begin the game and Moreland's 10th home run gave the Red Sox a 2-0 lead. George Springer got one of those runs back with a dong in the bottom half, but after that Porcello was nearly flawless, working economically, throwing 12 or fewer pitches in four of the next five innings.

Porcello gave up a leadoff double in the second, but got three outs and stranded the runner at third. Houston threatened in the third after they were handed two baserunners, one on an error by Moreland and another one via a walk. Porcello brushed that aside and struck out Alex Bregman looking before getting Jose Altuve and Carlos Correa swinging. The Astros had men at first and third and one out in the sixth, but Evan Gattis grounded into a double play.

By that time, Porcello was working with a 6-1 lead. Benintendi had homered in the fifth. Moreland singled to open the sixth and Eduardo Nunez (3-for-4) was hit by a pitch. With one out, Holt tripled to deep right-center. He scored two pitches later on Blake Swihart's single to center.

Houston's seventh inning started off the same way its third had, with an infield error and a walk. Porcello added to his trouble by hitting Springer. Bregman singled home two runs, and the Red Sox went to the bullpen. Matt Barnes got out of the inning with a strikeout of Altuve and a fielder's choice.

Xander Bogaerts made one of the dumbest baserunning mistakes I have ever seen. With one out in the third, he hit the first of his two doubles. Martinez hit a fly ball to deep center. Bogaerts was watching it, roughly halfway between second and third. As Tony Kemp caught the ball on the warning track, Bogaerts went back to the base and tagged up. By the time he was leaving second base (for the second time), Kemp's throw was almost to shortstop Correa in shallow center. Correa fired the ball to Bregman, who had time to send a couple of text messages before Bogaerts got to the bag.

It was truly a play that had to be seen to be believed.

Bogaerts watches Kemp track the ball in center field.

After going back to tag up, Bogaerts sprints toward third as Correa is about to catch the ball from center field.

Correa's throw is on its way and Bogaerts is not even halfway to third.

Naturally, the ball beats Bogaerts to the bag.

Bregman waits for Bogaerts to slide into his glove.

OUT! Bogaerts may be wondering: Why the fuck did I just do that?

Two comments about the ESPN broadcast:

I liked the behind-the-batter camera they used before the pitcher delivered the pitch. (I don't know how new it is, but it's new to me.)