The Red Sox came limping back into Fenway Park after losing a series to the Yankees. The Sox had Brian Johnson on the mound vs. Jordan Zimmerman for the Tigers. Johnson didn’t put on another stellar performance like his last start and left the mound in line for the loss. The Sox offense battled back though and in the bottom of the 8th, Jackie Bradley Jr. hit a ball deep in the bleachers to give the Sox their first lead. Kimbrel did his job and the Sox walked away with the much needed win.
Brian Johnson was recalled from Pawtucket to take Eduardo Rodriguez’s spot in the rotation. Johnson pitched a complete game shutout the last time he was with the club, so expectations were rather high. Johnson tempered those expectations when he allowed two runs to score in the top of the 1st. Johnson gave up a solo home run to Castellanos and then an RBI single to Upton. Sox 0-2. Johnson settled down some, but then he allowed a 3rd run to score in the top of the 4th. Johnson gave up a leadoff home run to Mahtook. Sox 0-3.
The Sox offense finally got something going in the bottom of the 4th. Moreland hit a lead off home run to get the Sox on the board. Then Bradley Jr. hit an RBI single to score Benintendi. Ramirez was thrown out trying to leg it out to 3rd. Sox 2-3. Johnson went back out for the 5th, but when he gave up a single with one out, he was pulled in favor of Heath Hembree. Hembree got the two outs to end the inning and close the book on Johnson’s outing. His pitching line was 105 pitches, 4.1 IP, 8 H, 3 R, 1 BB and 2 Ks. He sure came crashing back to earth in this outing.
Hembree went back out and pitched a scoreless 6th inning before handing the ball over to Joe Kelly in the 7th. Kelly pitched a scoreless 7th inning, including two strikeouts. Matt Barnes came in for the 8th inning and had a scoreless inning with two strikeouts of his own. The Sox offense took the game in their own hands in the bottom of the 8th. Moreland hit an RBI single to tie the game and give Fenway life. Sox 3-3. Jackie Bradley Jr. then became the hero when he hit a home run deep into the bleachers to now have the Sox up by 2. Sox 5-3. Craig Kimbrel came into the game for the 9th and had an easy, 1-2-3 inning for the win and his 18th save.
Red Sox 5 Tigers 3 BOXSCORE
WP: Barnes (4-2) LP: A. Wilson (1-3) SV: Kimbrel (18)
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