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"THE FUTURE AIN'T WHAT IT USED TO BE"
Xander Bogaerts leads the
Sox in a comeback
July 7, 2015 ... Xander
Bogaerts led a successful rally at Fenway Park tonight. His
three-run single in the seventh inning gave the Red Sox a 4-3 victory
against the Miami Marlins before a sellout crowd of 36,863.
The Red Sox,
trailing 3-1, rallied against the Miami bullpen in the seventh inning. Facing
Falmouth native Steve Cishek, rookie Travis Shaw singled with one out, Ryan
Hanigan drew a walk, and Mookie Betts reached on an error by third baseman
Miguel Rojas. Lefthander Mike Dunn struck out All-Star Brock Holt looking at a
fastball. The Marlins went to righthander Carter Capps to face Bogaerts.
Capps threw
Bogaerts eight fastballs, all of them delivered in a most unorthodox fashion.
Opponents had hit .165 against Capps this season. That every pitch was 97-99
miles per hour only made it tougher. Bogaerts got ahead in the count, 3 and 0.
He took a strike, then fouled off two pitches before drilling a low line drive
past the dive of second baseman Dee Gordon. With the runners in motion, Betts
scored all the way from first and the Red Sox had the lead. Bogaerts had come
through again.
Betts was
flying as the ball hit the outfield grass and came around to score. It was the
first three-run single for the Red Sox in the regular season since Gary Allenson
in 1982. Bogaerts is 26 of 67 (.388) with runners in scoring position this
season. A weakness last season is now one of his strengths.
Sox starter
Wade Miley pitched well, allowing three runs on seven hits over 6⅔
innings. He walked two and struck out a season-best nine but left trailing 3-1.
Miami starter Dan Haren allowed one run on six hits in six innings. The Sox were
1 for 6 with runners in scoring position against him. One-out singles by Shane
Victorino, Shaw, and Hanigan produced a run in the second inning. With a chance
for more, Betts grounded into his first double play of the season. Holt led off
the third inning with a single and went to third when Bogaerts doubled down the
line in left. With two runners in scoring position, Haren dispensed of David
Ortiz, Hanley Ramirez, and Pablo Sandoval on eight pitches. Ortiz lined to first
base, Michael Morse making a nice play on a ball low to the ground. Ramirez
struck out looking and Sandoval hit a ball softly to third base. Haren did not
allow another runner past first base before leaving after 99 pitches.
Junichi
Tazawa (1-3) and Koji Uehara (20th save) retired the final seven Marlins in
order, nailing down the victory. Uehara has been nearly perfect in his last
eight outings, putting one runner on base. Tazawa has thrown 7⅓
scoreless innings in his last six games.
The
resurgent Sox have won three straight, four of five, and eight of their last 11
games. At 40-45, they are five games behind the Yankees. |
