The Red Sox came back to Fenway to face off against the O’s for a quick 2 game series. The Sox had Drew Pomeranz on the mound who was fresh off the DL vs. Dylan Bundy for the Orioles. The Sox got out to a lead early and Pomeranz looked great. The game was still tight until the O’s forgot to how play defense in the 7th and the Sox scored three times to put the game away.
The Sox scored a single run in the bottom of the 2nd when Sandoval hit an RBI sac fly to score Ramirez from 3rd. Sox 1-0. The Sox stayed pretty tight and the Sox didn’t score their second run until the bottom of the 5th. Pedroia hit a sac fly RBI to score Young from 3rd base. Sox 2-0. Pomeranz kept the O’s off the board through the 6th inning. He went back out for the 7th inning, but when he gave up a lead off single to Davis he was done for the night.
Hembree came out in relief of Pomeranz. He wasn’t able to keep the inherited runner of the board when he gave up an RBI grounder to Schoop. Sox 2-1. Hembree finished off the 7th and closed the book on Pomeranz’s outing. His pitching line was 91 pitches, 6+ IP, 4 H, 1 R, 1 BB and 6 Ks. In the bottom of the 7th inning is where everything fell apart for the Orioles. The O’s bobbled what could have been an inning ending double play, but instead it gave the Sox life. Pedroia then hit a 2 run RBI single followed by an RBI single from Benintendi. The Orioles defense looked like a circus out there and the Sox capitalized. Sox 5-1.
Matt Barnes came out for the 8th inning and continued to be impressive on the mound. Barnes had a 1-2-3 inning with 2 Ks. In the bottom of the 8th the O’s defensively bobbles continued and the Sox once again took advantage. Christian Vazquez hit a 2 run RBI triple to score Bogaerts and Young. The O’s bumbled that play, but the official scorer didn’t take the triple from Vazquez. Vazquez was 4 for 4 on the night and still hasn’t made an out at the plate in 2017. The Sox scored their final fun of the game with an RBI single from Pedroia to score Vazquez. Sox 8-1. Joe Kelly came out for the 9th and had an easy scoreless inning to notch down the win.
Sox Player of the Game: I’m gonna pick the battery mates of Drew Pomeranz and Christian Vazquez. Pomeranz went deep into the game and dominated the O’s. He looked like a guy who we want to see on the mound every 5 days and it’s even more impressive with how he struggled this spring. Christian Vazquez was a part of that with calling a great game from Pomeranz and at the plate he was 4 for 4 with 2 RBI.
Red Sox 8 Orioles 1 BOXSCORE
WP: Pomeranz (1-0) LP: Bundy (1-1)
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