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JONNY GOMES |
Jonny Gomes delivers in the pinch
July 18, 2014 ...
Jonny Gomes
was ready and waiting with two outs in the sixth inning, and manager
John Farrell saw no need to save his pinch-hit specialist for later
in the game. And as he's done numerous times over his two seasons in
Boston, Gomes came through. His two-run homer to center put the Red
Sox in front, and fueled them to a 5-4 victory over the Royals at
Fenway Park.
It was the
second pinch-hit homer of the season for Gomes, and his sixth since joining
Boston for the start of the 2013 season. For Gomes, the opportunity came about
when Royals manager Ned Yost pulled righty starter
James Shields and brought
in lefty Scott Downs
to face Jackie
Bradley Jr. The only player in Red Sox history with more pinch-hit
homers is the late, great Ted Williams, who clubbed seven over his 19-year
career.
Boston
trailed, 4-1, heading into its half of the sixth.
Xander Bogaerts cut the
deficit to one with a two-run blast to center against Shields earlier in the
inning. It was a significant moment for Bogaerts, who had been in a prolonged
slump before the All-Star break. The homer was his first extra-base hit since
June 13.
Stephen Drew
kept the momentum going by hammering a ground-rule double to right-center. After
David Ross
struck out for the second out, Yost made the move he'd regret just moments
later, bringing on Downs. Gomes worked the count to 2-2, before scorching one
over the wall in center.
For the Red
Sox, it was an uplifting win coming out of the All-Star break, and the fifth win
in the last six games. Clay Buchholz, coming
off a shutout against the Astros just five days ago, didn't have his best stuff
in this one. The righty went six innings while allowing 10 hits and four runs.
He walked none and struck out three, and wound up getting the win.
With
Buchholz winning the last two games the Red Sox have played, the righty became
the first Boston starting pitcher since Don Schwall in 1961 to pull off that
feat. Since coming off the disabled list, Buchholz is 3-1 with a 3.28 ERA. Much
like Buchholz has looked better of late, the Red Sox hope they are ready to turn
it around as a team. |
