Rick Porcello continued to get all the run support he didn’t need.
Top Play (WPA)
After Hanley Ramirez started off the bottom of the fourth with a single, Travis Shaw follow that up with a ground-rule double that put runners on 2nd and 3rd with nobody out (.119). Chris Young then followed that with a double of his own, scoring both Ramirez and Shaw (“only” a .104). Young’s double broke a 2-2 tie, and the Red Sox never trailed again.
Bottom Play (WPA)
In the top of the third, Rick Porcello allowed singles to the first four batters as the Rays cut the lead to 2-1. Then, with the bases loaded and no one out, Kevin Keirmaier reached on a fielder’s choice when he grounded to first base when Hanley threw out Corey Dickerson on a force at the plate. It probably could have been a double play, but Hanley’s throw home to get Dickerson wasn’t clean enough to turn it. The Rays picked up another run via a sacrifice fly from Evan Longoria (If Longoria doesn’t have an RBI against the Sox does the game even count?) but all things considered, especially after Monday night’s catastrophe, getting out of a bases-load, no one out scenario with only two runs seemed like a victory.
Rick Porcello, Man
Another strong performance from the starter. Seven innings, six hits, three earned runs, seven strikeouts, no walks. He’s 18-3 and 13-0 at Fenway. Yes, I understand your beef with wins as a meaningful stat, but 18-3 generally indicates you’re pitching pretty well unless you’re 2008 Daisuke Matsuzaka. He continued to induce weak contact while staying in the strike zone – a formula which has been the reason for his resurgence this season.
Mookie Joins the 30 HR Club
Mookie Betts hit his 30th home run last night. By doing so, he joined some elite company. He also had some elite quotes when asked about it.
Betts on hitting 30 home runs: "It's pretty cool."
Betts on hearing MVP chants: "It's pretty cool."
— Tim Britton (@TimBritton) August 30, 2016
Rick Porcello found it funny that when he told Mookie Betts congratulations on 30 HR, Betts said, "Thanks, I'm just doing what I can."
— Jason Mastrodonato (@JMastrodonato) August 30, 2016
What’s next?
The second game of their series with the Rays. It’ll be Steven Wright versus Drew Smyly. First pitch is at 1:05. Day baseball!
Photo by Bob DeChiara/USA Today Sports Images