The Boston Red Sox were led by another David Ortiz walk-off in a 6-5 eleven inning win against Houston. Ortiz had tied the game in the ninth and then won it.
David Ortiz tied the game for the Boston Red Sox with two outs in the ninth with a triple and the won it with an eleventh inning double for a 6-5 win over Houston at Fenway Park.
The enigmatic Clay Buchholz took his Forest Gump box of chocolates pitching performances to the mound and today for the Red Sox, and it was some faux chocolate bar at the supermarket discount bin and not an elegant chocolate truffle one would hope for as Buchholz gave up five runs to put the Red Sox in a hole.
Buchholz was greeted by Carlos Correa with a two-out home run to get the Astros on the board early just as they had last night against Steven Wright, but this is the 2016 Red Sox and you always remember your first – as in the first inning.
Houston starter Collin McHugh didn’t give up any home runs in the first, but he did give up the lead with the fun starting with a Mookie Betts single. Jackie Bradley – hitting second on the day – extended his hitting streak to 20 games with a single of his own. The next blazing hot Sox batter up was Xander Bogaerts who slammed a ground rule double to right center and the game was tied.
Ortiz walked on a 3-2 pitch and that loaded them up for Hanley Ramirez. Ramirez hit a grounder to third baseman Luis Valbuena, who passed up the double play for a force at home. Next up was Travis Shaw for an extensive at-bat with the end result being a walk and a run on a 3-2 pitch. Josh Rutledge – playing second for Dustin Pedroia – hit into a DP and he Red Sox took a 2-1 margin after one.
Buchholz has never seen a lead he is not capable of giving up and the second inning provided another example. Valbuena started the frame with a single and with one out and light-hitting Jason Castro walked. With two outs Buchholz walked Jose Altuve to load them up for last night’s Astro hero – George Springer. Grand slam and goodbye lead.
The third inning it was Papi time and that means home run number 10 sent into right center stands several rows beyond the Red Sox bullpen. Any further Red Sox potential was erased when Shaw bounced into the second Red Sox DP of the day.
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The Red Sox chipped away for another run in the home half of the fourth. Rutledge shot a double to left and with one gone Christian Vazquez moved Rutledge to third with a line single to center. Betts stepped up and was 6-7 against McHugh, but that went to 6-8 with a grounder to third. Betts blasted down the first base line to prevent the DP as Rutledge scored. The Astros held a slim 5-4 advantage after four.
Buchholz somehow managed to right himself and pitch four scoreless innings after the debacle of the second and hoping for a little help from his friends to extricate himself from a potential loss. Eventually, that happened thanks to a certain well-known clutch hitter.
The bottom of the sixth presented an opportunity. Brock Holt singled and with two outs Betts walked on four pitches to have Bradley up with a RISP opportunity. The mighty Bradley didn’t strikeout but grounded to second to keep the ‘Stros up by a run.
For the orange-uniformed visitors McHugh – a 19 game winner in 2015 – was done for the day with six innings of four-run ball. McHugh walked three and struck out two while giving up ten hits.
Carson Smith came in for Buchholz in the seventh and promptly gave up a single to Altuve and now had the privilege of facing Springer. Smith is the owner of a sinker ball of some repute and Springer found that out with a 6-4-3 DP. After a Correa single Sox manager, John Farrell, decided to play the percentages and brought in lefty Tommy Layne to face lefty Colby Rasmus. Rasmus – a career .219 against left-handers – took a called third strike and Farrell became a momentary genius.
Layne got into a jam starting off the eighth when Marwin Gonzalez lined a double to center. Valbuena moved Marwin to third on a sac bunt and pinch hitter Tyler White was the beneficiary of an intention walk. Strange things then happening as Marwin bolted home on a botched play or sign and eventually was cut down. Two outs and now a runner on third for Layne who walked Jason Castro and took his own walk to the dugout as Junichi Tazawa came in and Jake Marisnick (.071) who became a punch out.
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In the last of the eighth, the Red Sox had another lost chance when pinch hitter Pedroia grounded to short with two outs and Shaw planted on third. The Red Sox had also gone hitless the last two frames against Astros Pat Neshek and Will Harris.
Luke Gregerson came on in the ninth looking for his second save of the series. He didn’t get it. With Bogaerts on first and two outs, Ortiz ripped a liner to left-center that Marisnick took a bad read on and Ortiz sprinted to third with a triple as Bogaerts scored the tying run. Ramirez attempted to catch the Astros napping and bunted, but the push was not very well executed and extra innings were on the menu.
The tenth inning for Boston started with a classic wall ball double by Shaw and that shouted bunt for Rutledge to move him over. Two failed attempts were followed by a curve and a strikeout. Holt lined out to left and that left it up to Ryan Hanigan, who went down on a Ken Giles fastball.
Now for the 20th walk-off hit off Ortiz’ career.
After two quick outs, Bogaerts punched a single to right and eventually moved to second on a wild pitch by Michael Feliz (1-1) with Ortiz up. With a 2-2 count, Papi had career double number 600, a happy dance at second base and a soon to be a classic walk-off win.
The Sunday final will have Houston right-hander Chris Devenski (0-2, 1.72) facing Boston’s right-hander Sean O’Sullivan(1-0, 6.43).
Next: Chris Young finally filling role
Game Notes:
- The first trade in the history of the Astros was with the Red Sox. Eddie Bressoud for Don Buddin.
- Eduardo Rodriquez is scheduled to make his last rehab start today.
- Ortiz’ home run was career number 513 pushing him ahead of Ernie Banks.
- Nice block by Vazquez to save a run.
- Bressoud was the first player selected in the 1961 expansion draft by Houston.
- The three top OPS with RISP in the AL belong to a Red Sox player.
- The Astros scored the one millionth run in MLB history – and lost the game.
- The Red Sox staff leads the majors with a 9.22 SO/9.
- The original name of the Astros was the Colt .45s.
- The Red Sox are on a pace to break the team record for doubles.
- The only Colt .45 to be in the Hall of Fame is Nellie Fox. All others are ‘Stros.
- Another flawless game at first for HanRam.
Grades:
Buchholz needed a worthy performance to ensure his status in the rotation as other arms are arriving in the next week that could make his position perilous. Enough is enough. With this game, Buchholz just may be heading either elsewhere or the bullpen. With
Joe Kellyand E-Rod itching to return the Red Sox rotation needs a jump start and not a pitching albatross. In this game, Buchholz was in full nibble mode and it paid with two walks to load up the bases and then going to 3-1 on Springer. The final line for Buchholz was 6IP, 7 H, 5 ER, 3 BB, 5 K and 105 pitches. Some could make the argument that he “settled down.” I choose not to.
Smith went .2 IP with two hits allowed. Layne was walking on a thin wire, but survived with no runs in his one inning despite, a pair of walks and a hit.
Craig Kimbrelpitched a clean tenth inning without striking anyone out. Houston baserunning blunder saved the grade.
Koji Ueharais now 2-1 with the win.
The Red Sox just hit up and down the lineup. Rutledge grounding into a DP hurt early in the first and put a damper on a potential big inning. The hits continue to come and it took six innings to get to the benchmark of 10 hits. Bogaerts had three more hits. Betts got a gift double when a wind blown ball was missed by Correa. But the day belonged (again) to Ortiz with a home run, double, triple and some additions to his ever-expanding highlight reel. The RISP was 3-15 and 11 LOB drops the grade a bit since we are now spoiled and expect 10 runs a game.