It was a jolly Saturday night for the Red Sox in Baltimore, as they bested the Orioles 5-0. Boston secured a series win with one game remaining tomorrow. After an unfortunate couple of losses to the Mariners, this seemed to be a confident baseball squad once again. In the dog days of the year, as we are now, teams show their character. Through elite pitching, unexpected bats, and smart coaching, manager Chad Tracy’s guys showed the grit they needed.
Sonny Shines
After a few extra days in the dugout, starter Sonny Gray took the mound and put together a stellar night. Over seven innings, he allowed no runs on just three hits and struck out seven. It was a welcome sign of health, given that the Sox are being careful with many of their pitchers. In August, they notably gave two prominent young starters longer rests, and eventually the same protocol came for Gray. Before Baltimore, his last outing was in Miami on August 26th. It’s unclear how the organization will proceed with these measures, but every little bit of cautiousness helps.
Late-In-Lineup Hitters Deliver
A five-run night is not unexpected from this team. What might be unexpected this time is how it happened. The hits that mattered most came from the bottom half of the order. Isaiah Kiner-Falefa, Eli White, and Connor Wong delivered the necessary RBI knocks to get the job done. Save for three hits from Trevor Story, the top of the lineup was pretty quiet. One always hopes to hear from marquee names, but it takes all kinds of performances to win a baseball game.
Star Relievers Get Rest
Sonny and the offense combined for a beginning that meant the best of Beantown’s bullpen could take the night off. Garrett Whitlock and Aroldis Chapman, the elite pitching combo for the eighth and ninth innings, had taken the mound in the first two games of the series. While they are both undeniably hard workers, three in a row for the regular season is pushing it. Chapman especially seemed tired earlier in the week, battling wearily on Thursday in Baltimore. Though the postseason is clearly in sight, the rest of September must not be forgotten; hopefully everyone can play smart.
