The Red Sox have lost 47 games in a row…okay 5. Tim Wakefield was on his 8th try to get win #200 and the Sox have the Rays on their heels in the wild card race. Wake, the Sox and Red Sox Nation all really needed this win. It was back and forth for a while, but that is exactly what happened. Wake got his win and the Sox blasted past the Blue Jays. Dustin Pedroia just killed the ball in his way of telling everyone to just RELAX!
Boston got on the board in the 1st inning benefiting from a Blue Jays error. The Sox had the bases loaded with 2 outs and Josh Reddick was at the plate. He hit what should have been a groundout, but reached on a throwing error and two runs scored as a result. Sox 2-0. It didn’t stay that way for long. Wake gave up a 3 run HR to JP Arencibia in the 2nd inning to have the Jays lead 3-2. In the bottom of the 2nd, the Sox took the lead back with an RBI double from Ellsbury and then a sac fly from Pedroia. Sox lead 4-3. Once again, Wake gave the lead right back. In the 3rd, he gave up a 2 run HR to Jose Bautista. Blue Jays lead 5-4.
In the 4th inning, the Sox would give Wake the lead back for good. Pedroia and Ellsbury hit back to back HRs to have the Sox back in front 6-5. Wake pitched 6 innings and seemed to get stronger as the innings went on. His pitching line for the night was 6 IP, 6 H, 5 R, 2 BBs and 6 Ks. It wasn’t brilliant, but it was good enough.
In the bottom of the 6th, the Sox bats got back to work. Crawford had a leadoff double and was brought home by a Salty RBI single. Ellsbury singled as well and then Pedroia brought them all home with a 3 run HR. Sox lead 10-5. Suddenly Wake’s win has a lot more breathing room. Aceves came out in relief of Wakefield and pitched 2 scoreless innings, like usual.
In the 7th inning, the Sox added another run on the board with a Crawford single and a Scutaro RBI double. Sox lead 11-5. In the 8th inning, the Sox bats went WILD! The game was already well taken care of, but it truly got blown open. Ells singled, Pedey got a double and the Gonzo hit an RBI single to score Ellsbury. Conor Jackson was in the game pinch hitting for Lowrie and hit a sac fly to score Pedroia. Aviles hit a single and then Crawford was issued a walk to load the bases. The Jays then walked Scutaro to walk a run in. Nope, the inning isn’t over yet. Salty hit a bases clearing double to have the Sox leading 17-5. Ellsbury would score the final run of the inning with an RBI single. Sox lead 18-5. Wowza. The Sox sent 11 batters to the plate during that inning.
In the 9th, Junichi Tazawa took the mound for the Sox. This was his first outing for the Red Sox since he had Tommy John surgery last year. His outings for Pawtucket this year have been hit and miss. Tazawa allowed a run to score, however he still got the 3 outs to get the win for Wake.
CONGRATS WAKE!!!!
“Everything you can say great about someone, you can say about Wake.”
-Dustin Pedroia
“You guys really know how to make somebody really feel loved.”
-Tim Wakefield to the Fenway fans after getting his 200th career win.
Sox 18 Blue Jays 6 BOXSCORE
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