After a day off on Wednesday, the Red Sox come into work on Thursday charged up and looking to stretch their AL East lead when the New York Yankees come to town for a 4-game weekend set.
Boston currently sits 5.5 games ahead of New York in the standings, the Red Sox owners of the best record in baseball at 75-34. Both sides also are entering this series without a few notable names that were involved in the series at Fenway back in April. New York is without Tyler Austin, who was traded at the deadline to the Minnesota Twins, as well as Aaron Judge, who is on the DL with a fractured wrist. Boston is without Chris Sale, who was supposed to start on Thursday, but has since been placed on the 10-day DL with left shoulder inflammation. Dustin Pedroia is also on the DL and it's still unclear if he'll return at all in 2018. This series could prove to set up a fight to the finish in the division, or it could propel Boston to new heights, the outcome remains to be seen, and the pitching match-ups are as follows. Johnson vs. Sabathia Porcello vs. Severino Eovaldi vs. Happ Price vs. Tanaka Buckle your seat belts, folks.
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Brendan Howe (@bmhowe3) A Red Sox offense that has been struggling recently since the All-Star break would be in for no easy task again on Tuesday night at Fenway Park against the first place Phils. Gabe Kapler sent starter Jake Arrieta to the hill and he gave his skipper quite the 43rd birthday present, as he silenced the Sox bats through 7 innings giving up just one earned run. Alex Cora would counter Arrieta with Drew Pomeranz, who pitched well despite working himself into a few monumental jams throughout the evening. He was able to last 5 innings only surrendering 2 earned runs, but walks and hit batsmen were his ultimate demise. Philadelphia would open the scoring in the top of the 2nd when Maikel Franco came around to score off a Jorge Alfaro double to deep right-center that put the Phils up 1-0. Just two innings later, Scott Kingery would lift a sac fly to Jackie Bradley Jr. deep enough to score Franco, stretching the lead to 2-0. Arrieta was going strong until Boston would finally respond in the bottom of the 6th when Xander Bogaerts rifled a grounder to third, scoring Blake Swihart and advancing J.D Martinez to third. Ian Kinsler would lace the very next pitch to right field but it hung up just long enough for him to be retired. The Phillies would add some more insurance in the top of the 9th when Carlos Santana ripped a single to center that would easily allow Rhys Hoskins to score, making it 3-1. In the bottom half of the frame, Boston was in search of some more late game heroics, just one night removed from Blake Swihart picking up the first walk-off hit of his career. It looked as though Boston would be in luck, getting the first two men on, J.D Martinez worked a walk and Xander Bogaerts was struck by an inside fastball on the wrist. But the rally would come to a halt there, and Philadelphia would hold on to win by a final of 3-1. Boston fell to 75-34 and will send Brian Johnson to the hill on Thursday night in place of Chris Sale (left shoulder inflammation) when the Yankees come in for a 4-game weekend set. |