April 16, 2014

G15: Red Sox 6, White Sox 4 (14)

Red Sox   - 100 000 011 010 02 - 6  6  2
White Sox - 100 002 000 010 00 - 4 10  0
Jackie Bradley's double with two outs in the fourteenth inning - a rope down the right field line - scored two runs and gave the Red Sox a much-needed victory in Chicago. Daniel Nava and Jonathan Herrera - who had both walked with two outs - scored on the play.

Until that moment it had been a supremely frustrating night for the Red Sox. Dustin Pedroia (double), Xander Bogaerts (RBI single), and David Ortiz (single) began the evening with three consecutive hits off John Danks (6-3-1-4-3, 111) - but Boston would not get another hit until there was one out in the ninth. (That run was also Boston's first first-inning run this season.)

Nine White Sox pitchers issued a total of 15 walks - and that generosity was how the Red Sox were able to both strand the bases loaded in the third and eighth innings, and tie the game with single runs in the eighth and ninth frames.

Chicago manager Robin Ventura used four relievers in the eighth, trying to preserve a 3-1 lead attained when Alexie Raimrez homered with a man on in the sixth off Buchholz (6-6-3-2-6, 109). Boston worked four walks - each reliever franked one batter - and A.J. Pierzynski's sacrifice fly closed the gap to 3-2. In the ninth, two more walks and an infield single loaded the bases before Grady Sizemore tied the game with a sac fly to left.

The teams traded runs in the eleventh. Pedroia walked and took second when Bogaerts (who reached base five times) was hit for the second time in the game. Ortiz forced XB at second, and Pedroia took third. Jonny Gomes's sac fly to the track in left brought in FY easily. Edward Mujica came in to close out the win for the visitors, but he faltered by walking Jordan Danks, the leadoff batter. Danks stole second, took third on a grounder to first, and scored on Tyler Flowers's single.

Time of game: 5:17. Boston improved its record to 6-9.
Example
Clay Buchholz / John Danks
Pedroia, 2B
Bogaerts, SS
Ortiz, DH
Gomes, RF
Sizemore, LF
Pierzynski, C
Nava, 1B
Roberts, 3B
Bradley, CF
Mike Napoli will not play tonight, but he is day-to-day after dislocating his left ring finger sliding into second base in last night's game. ... Koji Uehara plans to throw in the bullpen this afternoon and could pitch as soon as tomorrow night. ... Dustin Pedroia received a cortisone shot on Monday for his sore left wrist.

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