The game started off terrible,
fought back, took the lead, then almost coughed it up at the end but held on to
beat the Blue Jays 7-6 in Game 2 Saturday afternoon.
Staked with an early 3-0 hole
against Brandon Morrow, the Sox responded with a huge rally in the 3rd
inning with a 6-run output.
With 2 outs, Brandon Morrow, who
walked 4 batters the first 2 innings but was helped out with 2 inning-ending
double plays, walked 4 consecutive batters to bring in a run and load the
bases. The walks eventually got the best
of him and he was lifted after only 2 and 2/3 innings and issuing a career-high
8 walks.
Chad Jenkins came on to relieve
Morrow and promptly served up a grand slam to A.J. Pierzynski on the 2nd
pitch he threw. It was A.J.’s 8th
career grand salami and gave the Sox a 5-3 lead. Will Middlebrooks followed up A.J.’s blast
with a solo homer to put the Sox up 6-3.
The 6 runs in the inning were the most they have scored in one inning
this year.
They would extend their lead to
7-3 on back-to-back doubles in the 5th by Mike Carp and Grady
Sizemore but the normally good Red Sox bullpen tried to blow it all up in the 8th.
Juan Francisco hit another solo
homer, his 2nd in as many days off Junichi Tazawa to begin the 8th
to make it a 7-4 game. Tazawa doesn’t
have all that great of luck against the Blue Jays, as it was the 7th
homer he’s given up to them since the start of the 2013 season. His career ERA vs. Toronto is 11.88.
Tazawa would allow another run
after the homer and then Chris Capuano would load the bases with a walk before
John Farrell had to turn to Koji Uehara for the 4 out save. Uehara would retire Melky Cabrera and end the
threat in the 8th but drama would return in the 9th.
Jose Bautista homered to start
off the 9th to pull the Jays within one run. Singles by Dioner Navarro and Brett Lawrie
put 2 on for the very dangerous Edwin Encarnacion with 2 outs but Koji was able
to get him to line out to center to end the game.
The homer by Uehara was the first
run he’s allowed this season and first homer since June 30th of last
season. He earned his 5th
save of the season but showed he’s mortal after all allowing 1 run on 3 hits
while striking out 2.
Starter Clay Buchholz started the
game off shaky but turned it around after the rough first inning. He went 7 innings, giving up 3 runs on 6 hits
while walking 3 and striking out 3.
Buchholz was clearly not his most effective but was able to adjust on
the fly and earn his first victory of the season.
After banging out 16 hits, the
Sox could manage only 5 on the day as they were definitely helped with the 9
free bases. They were 2 for 7 with
runners in scoring position and left 4 men on base.
A.J. Pierzynski went 1 for 3 with
a run scored, 4 RBI, his 2nd homer of the year and also walked
once. Will Middlebrooks hit his 2nd
homer of the year as well and Dustin Pedroia went 1 for 4 with a walk.
Grady Sizemore went 1 for 2 with a
run scored, 2 RBI a double and walked twice.
Mike Carp went 1 for 3 with 2 runs scored, a walk and a double. David Ortiz didn’t have a hit but walked 3
times and scored a run. Victorino walked
once and scored once.
Though it was scary, the Sox have
assured themselves a series win and a sweep is possible with Jon Lester taking
the hill against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey for the Jays.
SHAVING CREAM PIE TO THE FACE –
GAME MVP
A.J. Pierzynski. A.J. hit his 8th career grand slam
and finally made the Jays pay for all the free passes they were giving out
after 2 frustrating innings that ended in double plays.
ELBOW TO THE FACE – GAME LVP
Jackie Bradley Jr. Though he was great in the field, tracking
down many balls, he couldn’t get anything going at the plate, going 0 for 4
with 3 strikeouts.
PLAY OF THE GAME
The grand slam off Pierzynski’s
bat in the 3rd.
NEXT
Sunday, April 27th in
Toronto vs. the Blue Jays.
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