Pig day!
That’s what baseball is all about, folks. Your former star player at bat, representing the tying run with two outs in the ninth inning, with the best player in the world waiting on deck. You can’t script it much better than that, and fortunately for us Red Sox fans, it went the Red Sox way.
The first inning continues to give the Red Sox problems. Garrett Crochet gave up two solo shots to put his team in a hole early. Trevor Story, Carlos Narvaez, and Jarren Duran combined to score three runs in the bottom of the second, and they never looked back after that.
Alex Bregman scored on a Roman Anthony in the fifth as an insurance run, but the pitching kept the Dodgers off the board for the final eight innings of the game. Garrett Crochet was nails. Justin Wilson struck out Ohtani. Garrett Whitlock looked like the best pitcher in the world. Aroldis Chapman slammed the door.
While the offense left runners on base once again tonight, it was one of the more complete games they’ve played since the break. They go again tomorrow afternoon, looking to win their first series of the second half.
Three Studs
Garrett Crochet
Crochet got off to a rough start with two home runs in the first three batters, but settled down after that. He gave up eight hits over six innings, but struck out 10 and didn’t allow a run after the first inning. The home runs were the only extra-base hits, and he generated 20 whiffs. Eight hits might make you think he struggled, but he was dominant after the first.
Jarren Duran
Duran was 3-4 with two triples and a double. He’s the first Red Sox player with two triples in a game since Mookie Betts in 2018. David Ortiz also accomplished the feat in 2004. That’s a fun fact.
Dave Roberts
The Dodgers manager decided to challenge a close play at third in the first inning. The call on the field was confirmed (I’m not sure how; there didn’t seem to be good evidence either way), and the Dodgers couldn’t challenge the rest of the way. Three times throughout the game, close calls went the Red Sox way, and the Dodgers had no recourse.
Two Duds
Ceddanne Rafaela
Rafaela was 0-4 on Saturday and left Jarren Duran in scoring position twice. Rafaela has been cool since the All-Star break, which is disappointing after such a hot streak to end the first half. He did make a great throw to nail a runner at second base in the seventh inning, killing a Dodgers’ rally, though.
Wilyer Abreu
He pinch-hit and grounded into a double play immediately. Not the best night, but it happens. A win is a win.