“DIARY OF A WINNER”

KYLE GIBSON

THE BEST RED SOX TEAM EVAH! ...
Kyle Gibson holds down the Sox bats

July 26, 2018 ... In their series opener against the Twins, it was Kyle Gibson who shut the Sox down. Mitch Garver hit a tiebreaking RBI double with two outs in the eighth inning, and Minnesota held on to beat the Sox 2-1 on.

Gibson (5-7) limited The Sox to four hits and one run in eight innings. Fernando Rodney surrendered a single and back-to-back walks to load the bases in the ninth, but he struck out Jackie Bradley Jr. to complete the five-hitter and earn his 22nd save.

The Red Sox took the lead in the second on Mookie Betts‘ double-play grounder, and it held up until the seventh, when Minnesota also scored on a double play.

Eddie Rosario was thrown out at home in the sixth on a relay that went from Bradley to Rafael Devers to Brock Holt to catcher Blake Swihart. Bradley also threw out Mauer at home in the first.

The Sox’s Heath Hembree and Matt Barnes (3-3) combined to give up four hits and both of Minnesota’s runs after Hembree relieved starter Brian Johnson in the sixth. Johnson allowed three hits in the first inning. He then retired 14 straight before surrendering a walk in the sixth.

His night ended after 5 2/3 innings, in which he allowed four hits and struck out five. It was one of the best starts in the major leagues for Johnson, who’s worked mostly out of the bullpen this season. Johnson will now head back to the bullpen after the Sox acquired Nathan Eovaldi from Tampa Bay, and he said the change in assignment doesn’t bother him.

The Twins (48-53) have won four straight. The Sox (71-33) have lost three of five. Its lead in the AL East fell to 4 1/2 games over the New York Yankees, who beat Kansas City.

 

F   E   N   W   A   Y     P   A   R   K

 

 

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

8

9

10

 

R

H

E

 
 

MINNESOTA TWINS

0

0

0

0

0

0

1

1

0

 

 

2

8

0

 
 

BOSTON RED SOX

0

1

0

0

0

0

0

0

0

 

 

1

5

0

 

 

W-Kyle Gibson (5-7)
S-Fernando Rodney (22)
L-Matt Barnes (3-3)
Attendance - 37,439

 2B-Bogaerts (Bost), Garver (Minn)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AB

R

H

AVG

 

 

Mookie Betts rf 4 0 0 .347  

 

Andrw Benintendi lf 3 0 0 .300  

 

J.D. Martinez dh 4 0 1 .323  

 

Xander Bogaerts ss 4 0 2 .282  

 

Steve Pearce 1b 3 0 0 .319  

 

Rafael Devers 3b 4 0 1 .242  

 

Blake Swihart c 3 1 1 .218  

 

Brock Holt 2b 2 0 0 .278  

 

Jackie Bradley Jr cf 4 0 0 .207  
               
    IP H ER BB SO  

 

Brian Johnson 5.2 4 0 3 5  

 

Heath Hembree 1 3 1 0 0  

 

Matt Barnes 1.1 1 1 1 3  

 

Ryan Brasier 1 0 0 0 1  

 

 

         

 

 

 

2018 A.L. EAST STANDINGS

 

 

BOSTON RED SOX

71 33 -

 

 

New York Yankees 65 36 4 1/2

 

 

Tampa Bay Rays 53 50 17 1/2

 

 

Toronto Blue Jays 46 55 23 1/2

 

 

Baltimore Orioles 29 74 41 1/2