Red Sox complete heated sweep of Rays
Jun 1, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox mascot Wally during the seventh inning against the Tampa Bays Rays at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
One week ago, the Boston Red Sox were swept by the Tampa Bay Rays, losing 8-5 in an emotional game to mark their 10th straight loss. The team that we all know and love, the World Champion Red Sox, were nowhere to be found.
One week, one GM visit, seven games and two series’ later, the Sox have swept the Rays to mark their seventh straight win, after taking four straight from the Braves and three more from Tampa. This the BoSox team we know.
After a fantastic pitching performance by Rubby De La Rosa yesterday, Jon Lester took the mound to try to stifle the Rays in the final game of a heated three-game series, which saw it’s fair share of ejections, surprises, and damn-good baseball. Lester was up to the challenge, dealing seven shutout innings, striking out twelve and allowing just four hits in seven innings of work.
As seems to be a requirement in games against the Rays of late, Dustin Pedroia wasted no time in being ejected from the ballgame, after arguing with home-plate umpire D.J. Reyburn prior to the start of the fourth inning.
The Sox began scoring in the bottom of the fourth, after Jonny Gomes and Alex Hassan reached on back-to-back singles to start off the inning. David Ross flew out to right field to move across Gomes and Hasssan, followed by a sacrifice fly by Jonathan Herrera, who shifted from third to second after Pedroia’s ejection, to score a run. Jackie Bradley Jr. then walked, and Brock Holt continued the scoring with a double to bring around Hassan and Jackie Bradley Jr.
The score held until the seventh inning, when Garin Cecchini, who entered the game to make his Major League debut following the Pedroia ejection, doubled to left field to drive in Holt, putting the Red Sox up four.
Edward Mujica came in to relieve Lester in the eighth, and gave up a hit and a walk before forcing Evan Longoria to ground into a double play and striking out Sean Rodriguez to end the eighth.
The bottom of the eighth saw no runs for the Red Sox, so Koji Uehara came in to close out the game in the top half of the ninth. Koji, as usual, retired the side, closing out another win for the Red Sox. High fives all around.
Jun 1, 2014; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox catcher David Ross (3) congratulates pitcher Koji Uehara (19) on defeating the Tampa Bay Rays 4-0 at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Greg M. Cooper-USA TODAY Sports
Six days ago, after snapping the losing streak against the Braves, I tweeted that the Red Sox would go on a run and turn the streak around. One week of wins later, my prediction is looking pretty good.